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Archive for the ‘Guitar Playing’ Category

Encore Classic Guitars have enjoyed a market-leading reputation for many years as the #1 choice for student classical instruments. These easy-to-get-on-with guitars are the ideal way to begin learning the exciting skills of playing classical guitar, at any age. These Encores are designed to fit student and beginner players of all ages and hand sizes. Light and responsive, these instruments offer a smooth, well-defined nylon string tonality with good note detail and a lively reso (more…)

Guitars have in one form or another been around for thousands of years. There are paintings in Egyptian tombs showing instruments which are similar. For all those thousands of years, instrument making has been a specialised art, and the best instrument makers were students of music themselves.

In the twentieth century all that changed. A new notion of electronic music opened the way to new instruments and new composers. Music could be made from equipment which was not an instrument at all in any previous definition of the term. Even the BBC had it’s own radiophonic workshop where they made music from everyday sounds, processed, played backwards and generally manipulated to the point where the mundane was transformed into the extraordinary. Those involved were primarily musicians, but there was a new need in the music world, for technicians.

Once such was Clarence Leonidas Fender an electronics technician whose company, Fenders Radio service provided repairs for electronic devices of all kinds, including audio and musical instrument amplifiers. His chief interest was in the inadequacies of musical instrument amplifiers and so in the 1930′s he began to build some of his own. By the 40′s he had set up, with a partner, a business to design and manufacture electronic instruments and in 1946 he opened the Fender Electric Instrument Company. Electric guitars had been around since the 1920′s but Fender’s Broadcaster (as the Telecaster was first known) was the very first mass produced solid body electric guitar.

Introduced in 1949, the Telecaster was an an innovation. Rather than a single, hand crafted instrument, it was built on an assembly line from mass produced parts. A bolt on neck made servicing simpler (the neck could easily be removed and replaced) and electronics were easily accessed behind a control plate. The sound of the telecaster was both bright and warm depending on the pickup selected, a feature which made it very versatile and suited to all styles of music, from Country to Rock and Jazz.

The Telecaster has been the guitar of choice for many famous musicians: George Harrison used a custom built rosewood telecaster on the Beatles ‘Let is Be’ album, and most famously Jimmy Page used a 1958 Telecaster (which he painted himself) on the first Led Zeppelin albums and also for the solo in ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

In 1954 Fender introduced the Stratocaster. With it’s sleeker, contoured shape the stratocaster was designed to be well balanced when used in a standing position, something which made it popular with Buddy Holly, an early fan. The company was a huge success. A brilliant marketing campaign showed the young and beautiful jumping out of planes, surfing and generally having a good time, all while attached to a Stratocaster or Jazzmaster guitar. As a result Fender became the most successful electric guitar manufacturer in the world.

In 1965 Leo Fender sold his companies to CBS. Although this seemed, at first, to be a positive move, costs were cut and there was a general reduction in quality. The company suffered from competition; copies of their guitars were being manufactured cheaply and in large numbers in the Far East. In 1985 the President of CBS Musical Instrument Division lead a buyout in which the employees purchased Fender from CBS. Today Fender’s top of the range guitars are still manufactured in California while the new Fender Corporation also owns Squier who manufacture lower priced versions of Fender guitars in the Far East using cheaper electronics. So, if you are looking for a truly high quality instrument in the Fender tradition, where do you go?

After selling his companies in 1965, Leo Fender went on making guitars. His final company G&L guitars sells instruments which, though based on the earlier Fender designs are produced in small numbers, allowing for greater customisation. Other innovations, such as Magnetic Field Design pickups (which allow the player to set the output on a per string basis) make these highly sought after instruments.

Author Bio: Learn fast and learn right with Rock Guitar Lesson

Holder of random colour and 10 random picks supplied (pick colours may vary but will be same shape as the ones in the photo). If you require a particular colour holder please let us know after you have placed your order.

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`Still my guitar gently weeps` – if you have been as touched by this haunting Beatles number as countless others have been but are clueless about guitars per se; well, here is a quick run-through.

Guitars basically fall into two categories; acoustic and electrical. Acoustic guitars are the most traditional and the most commonly used guitars. Made of thin wood, these guitars are hollow and large and do not use any external amplification. Because these are hollow, when attached to any electronic devices, the acoustic signals in them get transferred to an amplifier. They are suitable for any type of music but suit the genre of country or folk music best. Acoustic guitars again come in different categories and each has its own characteristics. They are the classical, twelve-string, steel, bass and resonator guitars.

Classical guitars have strings made of nylon and they have wider necks in comparison to other guitars. These guitars are mostly used for classical music and ballads and the sounds emanating from them are warm and gentle. A classical guitar is excellent for playing the Flamenco as the full-bodied sounds emerging from the guitar complements that particular style of music very well. This guitar is also great for chord-plucking, running arpeggios and nail-strumming. Since these guitars have wide necks with short fingers, playing them can be quite challenging.

The twelve-string guitar is made up of twelve strings as opposed to the more common six strings which make up the majority of the guitars. The strings are so paired that each pair has the same note but with one of the string tuned at a higher octave. A semi-chorus type of effect is achieved with his arrangement of the strings.

The steel guitars are played in a horizontal manner by either keeping them on their stands or placing them across the knees of the player. The two main types of the steel guitars are the lap steel guitars and the pedal steel guitars.

Bass guitars may have strings ranging from four to six with the four string guitar being most commonly used. The strings of a bass guitar are long and thick and tuning the guitar can be quite a difficult job. This guitar brings out the bass of the rhythm and electric bass guitars are beginning to be more popular.

Resonator guitars were basically invented to increase the volume of the music of the traditional acoustic guitar. These guitars are made of metal, unlike the usual wood and are most popularly used in country music, bluegrass and the blues. They are also known as resophonic guitars.

Electric guitars are different from the acoustic ones in that require amplification for the music to be heard properly. Unlike the classical guitars, they have longer necks and solid or semi-hollow bodies. They have to be connected to amplifiers to increase the vibrations which are generated by playing upon these guitars. The strings of electric guitars are fine-tuned with the help of control knobs and these also produce a variety of tunes. Electric guitars are much easier to play as less force is required to press its strings and tuning is also comparatively simpler. These guitars are used to generate heart-thumping music and thus are ideally suited for rock, hip-hop, funk and rap music.

Archtop guitars are hollow or semi-solid and use thick steel strings and can be either electric or acoustic. Jazz music is prominently played on these guitars and they are characterized by their arch-like shape at the top.

So, all you wannabe Elvis Presleys or Beatles fans can now take their pick from these guitars and strum to their hearts` content!

Author Bio: You can have access to articles about guitars in portuguese language from page Guitar

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil

When you choose a line of electric guitar, you often face a lot of information on the guitar looks. I wrote this article trying to explain some of this data in hopes that will help make your decision easier and more confident one.

I will begin by briefly describing some of the pieces of wood most commonly used. The main body of the guitar is usually made of Agathis, alder, lime, mahogany, or, more recently, Paulownia. Mahogany is used for a wide range of guitar known for its dark and its light weight of these two combine to create a warm, tone, rounded extremely durable. Alder is used on high-quality guitars and produces a brighter than other wood (like mahogany) and provides a tone, resonance well rounded with excellent sustain. Agathis is a timber of good quality and is used for its qualities of resonance and low-cost production. In the past, Linden has been generally used for less expensive models, but because of its resonance frequency and better medium high, and better support alder is now more commonly used for guitars top. Paulownia wood is a flexible durable, lightweight chain that is commonly used as a material in high-end custom guitar body, is used for its light, looks pale, and its resonant properties, it is much appreciated.

The neck of the guitar are usually made of mahogany, sometimes maple or linden. A maple neck will sound harder and brighter than those made of mahogany and maple key would sound brighter than a rosewood.

The tips of the fingers are usually made in rosewood, maple and ebony, in some cases. Rosewood is a term that refers to a series of richly colored pieces of wood, often brownish with darker veins, and generally of good quality. Ebony wood is thick and black and is used on some of the more expensive guitars.

When you choose a line of electric guitar, you must pay attention to pick up, electric guitars often use two types of pickup, single coil and humbucker. One problem with single coil pick up is that not only pick up sounds that you play, but a few lines and Hum. The humbucker was developed for more than that, a humbucker is essentially two single coil pick up the magnetic polarity opposite to work together, the result has doubled production and a larger, less high tone. Humbucker pickups can be connected so that they work in parallel, which produces a much cleaner, but it is rare. When you shop online information for the electric guitar to pick up the configuration is generally stated as follows: SSH, S meaning a single coil pickup, and H referring to a humbucker, the order of the letters AL is the order in which the most important choices are the guitar from the neck to the bridge.

The last (and, in my opinion the most important) thing you have to consider when shopping for a guitar, the style – I like the look of it?

Author Bio: black electric guitar

Mistakes are somewhat inevitable when learning to play the guitar. These include playing the wrong note to developing a bad practice habit. One is minor and the other is major. Obviously, major mistakes are more important to avoid. Avoiding these types of mistakes will allow to progress at a much faster rate. Let’s look at some common, major mistakes most learning guitarists make and how to avoid them.

Most guitarists in the earlier stages of learning practice too much, believe it or not. They often think they have to devote hours at a time to the guitar. This simply is not true. Ever heard of quality over quantity? It applies here. Let’s say for example that you can devote a total of one hour per day to guitar. It’s better to have four 15 minute sessions than one long session. There are several reasons for this. One, practicing for one hour straight will lead to frustration and a loss of focus. Frustration is the number one reason people quit guitar. Two, it’s a fact that the brain retains more from shorter bursts of practicing. So having shorter sessions with more intense focus will greatly benefit your learning guitar.

Another major mistake is playing too fast. What I mean here is learning a piece of music, whether it is a song, scale, chord progression, whatever?then trying to play it at too fast a pace. If you’re just learning the piece, you will not be able to play it like a pro yet. This is a very common and major mistake. Playing too fast too soon is a sure path to frustration as well as a bad practice habit. To correct this, play the piece as slowly as you need to play it correctly. Then scale up as needed. This will develop a good practice habit and eliminate frustration with your progress. A quick side note on speed. When you try to play too fast too soon, you greatly increase the amount of tension in your left (fret) hand, forearm, upper arm and shoulder. It also contributes to misalignment in your back as the tense left shoulder blade exerts pressure on the right. Continuing to do this will eventually become painful and could lead to injury.

Playing music that is too complicated for your current level is also a major mistake. I know everyone wants to learn to play their favorite songs. But if you are a relatively new guitar player, how would you know if the song is complicated or not? Trying to play pieces too complicated for your current level will certainly lead to frustration. See a recurring theme? Many just press on until the guitar looks like a chore rather than fun. Believe me; you can get plenty of enjoyment out of playing simple pieces of music. Start simple, and then as your skills improve, you will be able to play more complicated songs.

I bet you have noticed a recurring theme here about starting simple and building on that. The other thing I bet you have noticed is that avoiding these mistakes will greatly reduce frustration. Getting enjoyment out of guitar playing is your number one priority. By avoiding these major learning mistakes, you will enjoy guitar more and learn much faster.

Author Bio: About the author: Jason Loup is an accomplished guitarist with over 14 years experience playing guitar. For a limited time, you can download his 4 part, professional quality, beginning guitar course absolutely free at www.TheGuitarUniversity.com.

Little Tikes Pop Tunes Big Rocker Guitar allows kids to play existing songs or freestyle. The guitar also plays five child-friendly versions of famous songs, and has flashing lights that pulse to the beat. Kids can create their own band with the other instruments that are available, including a drum set and keyboard. The Little Tikes Pop Tunes Big Rocker Guitar is a great way to develop musical appreciation.

Box Contains

1 x Little Tikes Pop Tunes Big Rocker Gui (more…)

Whether you play for personal enjoyment – knowing that you’re learning to play one of the most exciting of musical instruments, or for relaxation, or recreation, or are fired up with the inspiration to get a band together, get some gigs in pubs and clubs… whatever; everyone famous started just the same way! We invited British Guitar Guru, Trev Wilkinson, the renowned designer behind Fret-King® and Vintage® guitars, and the creator of many now-standard guitar innovations, (more…)

Encore Classic Guitars have enjoyed a market-leading reputation for many years as the #1 choice for student classical instruments. These easy-to-get-on-with guitars are the ideal way to begin learning the exciting skills of playing classical guitar, at any age. These Encores are designed to fit student and beginner players of all ages and hand sizes. Light and responsive, these instruments offer a smooth, well-defined nylon string tonality with good note detail and a lively reso (more…)

Many factors come into play when successfully learning to play the guitar. Whether you aspire to play professionally or you just want to learn for yourself, setting up the right conditions for learning and progress is absolutely essential. Let’s take a look at 4 simple steps to successfully learning to play the guitar.

1. Laying The Foundation and Understanding Chords

The first step to do anything successfully is to lay a strong foundation. Buildings collapse without a strong foundation. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training, would you? It’s no different with guitar. In order to build that foundation for successful guitar playing, the first thing you need to know is proper positioning. By this we mean sitting positions, holding positions, fret hand positions, and pick hand positions. Included in positioning is how to fret strings, how to hold the pick, positioning the guitar, etc. This may sound somewhat elementary, but the benefits of doing this correctly are numerous. You will be comfortable playing/practicing guitar; you will have minimal tension in your hands and arms. Overall, this makes guitar playing an enjoyable experience and pave the way for great playing.

The second part of the first step is understanding chords. At the most basic, chords are 3 or more notes played together. One note is the root note. The root note is the same as the chord. For example, the note A is the root note of the A chord. Certain chords sound better together than others, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit. The main thing to take away is that chords are 3 or more notes played together, and they are the foundation of guitar music.

2. Tuning Your Guitar To Itself

This concept may sound confusing. Guitars need to be in tune to sound correct. There are 2 main ways to tune a guitar. You can use an electronic tuner, or you can tune your guitar to itself. Tuning the guitar to itself is a vital skill and will train your ear like no other exercise. The best part is that you start developing your ear for pitch early in your guitar playing. Believe it or not, your ear is your most valuable tool in guitar playing. Being able to recognize notes and chords by ear will give you the enviable skill of playing songs by ear.

3. Reading Guitar Tablature

Guitar tablature is a very common method of writing guitar music. It is much easier to understand than traditional music notation. Beginning guitarists are often in a state of information overload with new skills, sounds, etc. Tablature, or tab, is a way to combat the confusing nature of traditional written music. In guitar tab, there are six horizontal lines representing the 6 strings of the guitar. The numbers you will see represent the fret that should be played on that string. Also, chord diagrams are written in tabs. These chord diagrams spell out exactly which notes to play to play a certain chords. Understanding guitar tablature will make the process of successfully learning guitar simpler.

4. Chord Progressions

Once you have a working knowledge of guitar tab, you can use chord diagram tabs to learn specific chords. Chord progressions are nothing more than 2 or more chords played sequentially. For example, you may strum a D chord and then change to an A chord. This is a chord progression. Playing chord progressions will help you determine which chords go together-a benefit of your ear training from step 2. There is also a simple formula for determining which chords go together, and your ear will confirm this. Once you have three or four chords that appeal to you, or a few chords that you have mastered, practice playing them one after the other. This will enhance your chord knowledge and playing skill.

As you can see, each step builds on the previous. They also work in conjunction with each other. There are many avenues for more advanced guitar instruction, but learning these 4 simple steps will lay the best foundation possible for successfully learning to play.

Author Bio: About the author: Jason Loup is an accomplished guitarist with over 14 years experience playing guitar. For a limited time, you can download his 4 part, professional quality, beginning guitar course absolutely free at www.TheGuitarUniversity.com.