Fender Electric Guitar - The Good and Bad Concerning Fender Brand Guitars,By Kyle Hoffman

Fender has been a trusted guitar company for decades with hundreds of professional guitarists worldwide supporting their products. There's no doubt that they know the business of electric guitars and guitar accessories.

However, if you're a beginning player looking for a new guitar with a certain tone in mind, is the Fender brand right for you? Here are a few of the positive aspects of Fender-made guitars and what they can provide.

* They are more dominant in the mid-range of tone.

Fender electric guitars have a large market in the country and standard rock genres due to their versatile tone quality. They tend to be more mid-range dominant allowing them to provide a little more attack on stage.

* Fenders are light-weight guitars.

If you're the kind of player that enjoys moving around and performing a few tricks, then maybe a Fender is right for you. These guitars are very light and won't hold you back when you're jumping, running, or even attempting some risky guitar whips.

* You can do a little more with a thinner neck.

If you have smaller hands Fender electric guitars are known for providing thinner necks for easy playing action. You won't be straining your fingers or wrist trying to curve around the neck to reach those frets.

These are just a few of the positive attributes regarding Fender guitars, but it might not be what you're looking for as a guitarist. Here's a short list of detrimental aspects that might sway you in another direction.

* You lose a few frets.

Some lead and metal guitarists prefer instruments with a few more frets than normal. Fender electric guitars tend to have less frets so as not to complicate the build. So those last few notes you reach for, they might not be there.

* The action is a little high before you have it adjusted.

Right out of the box, these guitars have raised strings a bit high from the fret board. This is appropriate for harder strumming, but to play with light and fast fingers, the height of those strings should be adjusted at your local music store.

* There's less "meat" in the guitar's tone.

Since Fender electric guitars are dominant in the mid range of tones, there's actually a little less in the bottom end of the sound spectrum. Of course this can be slightly adjusted by the knobs on your guitar amplifier, but you might be a guitarist that prefers a nice boost in bass straight from the instrument.

The Fender company has and will always will produce guitars in a wide variety of models, but they might not be for every guitarist. Do an appropriate amount of research before you decide what kind of guitar is right for you.

Kyle Hoffman is a computer specialist, recording engineer, hardcore vocalist, guitar-enthusiast, and the writer of the popular guitar blog How To Guitar Tune.

Visit How To Guitar Tune for all the best quick and easy guitar tips.

If you're a beginner, visit How To Guitar Play to get started!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman

Paul McCartney's Vintage Gibson Guitars

Paul McCartney's Vintage Gibson Guitars
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brenne_Meirowitz]Brenne Meirowitz

Are you a collector of vintage Gibson Guitars, fan of Paul McCartney, or
the Beatles? Well then, you might enjoy reading this bit of vintage
Gibson Guitars trivia. Back on November 20, 2007, Gibson Guitartown
London held an auction for 62 unique hand painted and signed Gibson
guitars, including a 10 foot Gibson Les Paul replica guitar signed by
Paul McCartney. The winning bid came in at 60,000 GBP - about $123,000
and about a quarter of the total auction revenue. The guitar, called
the, "And The Crowd Goes Wild" is decorated with colorful figures of
children waving their arms in the air. The body of the giant fiberglass
guitar is red, with a black arm - also adorned with child figurines,
designed by artist Rosie Brooks. The giant Gibson was on public display
from June - September 2007, at More London on London's South Bank by
City Hall and attracted over 2.5 million visitors.

Gibson released the names of some of the other well-known UK musicians
who signed some of the other auctioned regular sized Gibson SG guitars
for the charity event. The participants included Ronnie Wood, Paul
Weller, Noel Gallagher, Rod Stewart, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Gary
Moore, Mark Knopfler, Slash, Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, Kaiser Chiefs,
New Order, Kasabian, KT Tunstall, Depeche Mode, James Blunt, and Roger
Waters. However, if you are looking to add this collector's piece to
your own - stop right there - it won't be available on EBay anytime
soon. Once the bidding ended and a winner was determined, he or she was
obligated to donate the giant guitar to the Great Ormond Street
Hospital. Happily, though, the winning bidder, Ari Goldberger, was
awarded a special Gibson Les Paul signed by McCartney at the event. An
engraved plaque bearing Goldberger's name was placed beside the 10 foot
guitar now permanently a figure in Vintage Gibson Guitar history. The
ceremony took place on December 7, 2007 as part of a Christmas
fundraiser.

The event, organized by Gibson Guitartown London, raised money for three
children's charities - Nordoff- Robbins Music Therapy, The Prince's
Trust, and Teenage Cancer Trust.

On a commercial note, coinciding with the London auction event,
Starbucks and Gibson Guitars held a national sweepstakes for a chance to
win a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Limited Edition Paul McCartney
Epiphone 1964 Texan, which is a replica of the guitar that McCartney
used to record "Yesterday," as well as perform the song on The Ed
Sullivan Show. McCartney consulted with Epiphone in order to ensure the
Vintage Gibson Guitar's historical accuracy. In addition to the grand
prize hand-painted guitar, McCartney also signed three other Epiphone
Texans. The grand-prize winner, Rebecca Voss, of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, exclaimed after being notified of her good fortune, "I
couldn't be more excited to own this guitar with Paul's signature. I am
a lifelong fan and this means so much to me. Thank you so much, and
thanks to Starbucks and Epiphone Guitars!" For the curious, Paul still
owns and plays his vintage Gibson Guitar - Epiphone 1964 Texan.

Written by, Brenne Meirowitz, B.A., M.S., M.A. Paul McCartney's
[http://www.gibsonguitarstop.com/Vintage_Gibson_Guitars.html]Vintage
Gibson Guitars
was written while researching information about
[http://www.gibsonguitarstop.com/]Gibson Guitar Stop.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenne_Meirowitz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Paul-McCartneys-Vintage-Gibson-Guitars&id=2881185

How To Play Acoustic Guitar

If you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar there are some things that you need to know right from the start. Believe me when I say that they will save you a great deal of frustration.

Here are some great tips that should help:

1# Because you will need to practice often (and sometimes you wont want to)-, playing along to a favorite song can be a great motivator. Even if you are a raw beginner you will be surprised at how many songs you can play along to.

"Google" your favorite song and see if there's a result that offers chord charts for them. Study the charts to find a song you know that has a simple chord progression, these will be chords that you can already play or would like to learn. Download the chord charts and start practicing. You'll be amazed at how good you will feel when you are playing along to your well loved songs.

2# Make sure that your guitar is tuned properly. You may not believe this but I've met people who wanted to know how to play acoustic guitar that didn't know that each string on a guitar had to be tuned to a specific pith!. It's not a case of getting the tuning nearly right either, you need to get it "spot on" why? because you will judge your playing by the way you sound and if just one string is slightly of pitch, your "sound" wont be as good as you would like or indeed would have been had your guitar been in tune.

To make sure your guitar is in tune you can use a set of inexpensive pitch pipes. Learn to tune from string to string. Use an electronic guitar tuner or tune from a piano or another guitar. To save room in this article I wont go into detail but you can find some excellent information here:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guitar/Setting_up_the_Guitar

3# Decide on what type of pick (plectrum)you want to use. This is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. Picks come in various gauges. A very thin pick will give a much softer sound than a thick one so try experimenting and choose the pick that achieves the sound you want. Some guitarist wear a pick on there thumb and some guitarists just use their fingers. It's all a matter of choice and something you do need to be aware of.

4# Now you'll have to excuse me here as I'm going to use a word that some people find quite upsetting. Are you ready? The word is "practice". I'm sorry but it just had to be said. Of course, we all promise we will prac000034CEtice but there's always a good film on or the big game just about to start and a hundred other excuses. I'm no different, so here my suggestion.

Don't promise yourself that you will practice for an hour every day. Make that a promise of twenty minutes everyday. Little and often is best I find. Have your guitar and chord books or tabs to hand if you're watching TV, that way you can have five minutes practice during the commercial break (and sometimes longer). I find that this works really well as it's sort of unplanned (and far more enjoyable than most of the commercials).

I hope that these tips will help you on your way to becoming a great guitarist.

Practice, Practice, Practice. That's how to play acoustic guitar.

Play On.

If you have enjoyed this article you can find more great information at:

How To Play Acoustic Guitar

and the best part is it's entirely FREE

Guitar Lesson - How To Use The A-Minor Pentatonic Scale In The First Position

When you learn to improvise you have most likely come across various guitar scales. But, how do you practice guitar scales in order to use them in your playing? In this lesson you will learn how to make music of scales!

What is a pentatonic scale?

A common major scale consists of seven notes. A C-major scale for example have these seven notes:

C D E F G A B

The note after the B is a C and the scale starts over again in another octave. A pentatonic scale consists of five notes. In a pentatonic C-major scale the notes F and B are omitted. This makes for less collisions between scale notes and notes in the chords used. In other words, you can use a pentatonic scale together with more chords.

The A-minor pentatonic scale

This scale consists of the five notes A C D E G

If we play these notes in the first position on the guitar you will have the following sequence of notes:

05 35 04 24 03 23

The first number tells you which fret to press down. The second number indicates which string to play. 05 means that you play the open fifth string, that is, without pressing down a fret. The first string is the bottom string wh000009A9en you play.

We will now play the A-minor pentatonic scale in the first position of your guitar. The whole scale from the sixth to the first string will look like this:

06 36 05 35 04 24 03 23 12 31 01 31

In this scale sequence you will find the note A in two positions. That is, on the fifth open string and on the second fret third string.

What can you do with this scale?

1. First I suggest that you commit this scale to memory and that you practice playing it from the lowest note to the highest and then back again.

2. Use correct left hand fingerings. That means that you play the notes on the first fret with your left hand index finger, the notes on the second fret with your middle finger and the notes on the third fret with your ring finger.

3. Play small sequences using only a few of the notes in the scale. For example:

05 35 04 24 04 35 05 or:

23 12 32 01 31 12 23

4. Work on creating melodies using the scale. This will help you understand where the notes you hear in your head are on the fretboard and also make your pentatonic improvisations more musical and enjoyable for yourself and your prospective audience.

5. Improvise together with chords. As you work with the A-minor pentatonic scale you can use chords to make the guitar solo improvisations more interesting. Here are two chords that you can use together with the notes:

A-minor: 05 24 23 12 01

D-major: 04 23 32 21

As your probably remember, the first number indicates the fret and the second number the string to play. When you play the chords you can strum them from the lowest sounding string to the first string. For example, strum the A-minor chord and improvise a few notes using the pentatonic scale. Then play the D-major chord and continue to improvise. Play the A-minor chord again and continue in this way.

Improvisation is a form of composition and the musical value depends on how well we know where the notes are on the fret, how focused we are in the creative process, how well we have mastered patterns and licks that are building blocks that can be used to create music, our feelings and many more elements in the musical process.

Peter Edvinsson is a guitarist, composer and music teacher. He invites you to download your free guitar tablature sheet music at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Ten Easy Rock Songs For Guitar Beginners

When I started playing guitar, nobody taught me how to do it. It wasn't easy at first. My fretting hand's fingertips were so painful that I couldn't touch anything for days! But once I got the hang of it, I discovered it was one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done. Over the years I would look back at those times and smile thinking how my life was changed the moment I picked up the guitar. It was actually my big sister's guitar. However it turned out that I was more inclined to it that she was. She eventually turned over all the guitar playing duties to me.

I thought of making a random list of easy guitar songs that beginners might want to try playing, just to get things started. It will cover different genres but the objective is to improve playing, one song at a time. These are the criteria I've used for the selection of the songs:

a) Minimal number of chords -the less chords in a song, the easier it is to remember how to play it.

b) Minimal barre chords - barre chords require us to use our fretting hand's index finger to press all 6 strings in a particular fret. Less barre chords is better for beginners.

c) Familiarity of the song - the songs are some of the most popular during their times.

And since we're talking about beginner songs here, the primary goal of this list is to give novice players some songs to STRUM the guitar along with. No point in doing any complicated stuff yet. We have to first establish the rhythm within the player. So here it goes, in no particular order:

1. "Horse With No Name" - America

Chords: Em, F#m7sus

2. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" - John Denver

Chords: G, C, D

3. "No Rain" - Blind Melon

Chords: E, D, A, G

4. "Every Rose Has It's Thorns" - Poison

Chords: G, C, D, Em

5. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan/ Guns N' Roses

Chords: G, C, D, Am

6. "One" - U2

Chords: Am, D7, FM7, G

7. "Four Strong Winds" - Neil Young

Chords: C, Dm, G, F

8. "I Remember You" - Skid Row

Chords: G, C, D, Am, Em

9. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana

Chords: Em, D, G, Am, C

10. "Wonderful Tonight" - Eric Clapton

Chords: G, D, C, Em, Am

Finger placement:

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2)

E (0-2-2-1-0-0)

Em (0-2-20000064C-0-0-0)

A (x-0-2-2-2-0)

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

F (x-x-3-2-1-1)

FM7 (x-x-3-2-1-0)

F#m7sus (2-0-0-2-0-0) G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

Legend:

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

D - the chord name

x - E string will not be struck

x - A string will not be struck

0 - D string open

2 - Press G string on 2nd fret

3 - Press B string on 3rd fret

2 - Press e string on 2nd fret

There you go! Most of the songs have similar chords. That way, if we can recall chords from another some and incorporate that chord into another song then you get to practice applied knowledge. Ain't that grand!

Happy practicing!

Enrico Monsanto is a freelance writer. He writes mainly about guitars, music and sport-related topics. Most of his work can be seen at his blog, http://monsaint.blogspot.com

Guitar Strings - Are Coated Strings Right For You

When it's time to change guitar strings you're faced with a dizzying array of makes and types. One modern alternative is the coated string.

I use and recommend Elixir Nanoweb Coated Strings. Are they, or some other brand of coated strings right for you?

Maybe.

In this short article, I'll describe the basics of what coated strings are, their advantages, and disadvantages. After that you should be better prepared to make an informed decision.

What are Coated Strings?

Several years ago, the folks at Elixir recognized that there's nothing like the sound of new strings. Nearly all guitarists agree: the tone, sustain, and stability for remaining in-tune - are optimal with new strings. That's why traveling and professional musicians tend to change strings every single day.

Each of these qualities deteriorate over time. Whether we like it or not, every time we play our guitar we damage the strings.

The amount of damage depends on a number of factors: how clean your hands are; how much you sweat; the oils your hands naturally produce; the contaminants in the air around you; and how well you clean your strings after you play. In short, the more skin, sweat, dirt, and debris you leave on your strings, the faster they wear out.

Elixir decided to help by putting a barrier between your strings and all these contaminants. What they came up with, after lots of testing and customer feedback, is a very thin tube of material around each string. The tube creates a 'skin' to protect the string. It's tough enough to hold up against fingers and picks, without interfering with string vibration and tone.

Advantages of Coated Strings: Tone, Longevity, Reduced Squeek

Most people think the only advantage of coated strings is the extended life they provide. But if they don't sound great, long-life is just a long time you spend with annoying strings. For me, an advantage of Elixir strings is the great tone they provide.

Elixir estimates that their strings should last 3 to 5 times longer than non-coated strings. Do they? Unfortunately, that depends on how you play.

For me they easily provide the promised life expectancy. However, a friend of mine who tried Elixir's and found that the coating became shredded in about the same amount of time that his other strings wore out.

So, they are cost effective for me, but not for him (although he d00001FE7id like the tone).

Finally, the coating significantly reduces the squeaking sound you get as you run your fingers up and down the strings while changing chords or playing a riff. Some people like this sound, others don't. If you want to minimize the sound (which, to me, is like fingernails on a chalk board!) coated guitar strings will restore your sanity! (Well, maybe.)

Disadvantages: Cost

Cost is the primary disadvantage of coated strings. Elixir's cost $12-14 per set (although I've found them on sale for as little as $7). Similar uncoated strings cost $3-5.

Bottom Line

Are they right for you? I encourage you to try them and see for yourself. For me they provide long life with great tone. Fewer string changes means I spend more free time practicing!

Important Tip: Regardless of which strings you use, clean them after every use for the longest possible life.

Steve Brannon started playing musical instruments as a teenager. He played French Horn in his Junior and Senior High Orchestra's, as well as the high school Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. He earned a slot in the County Youth Orchestra during his Junior year. As an adult Steve learned piano, and, beginning in 2004, fell in love with the guitar. He plays weekly in his church praise band and maintains the Start-Playing-Guitar.com website.

Learning to Play Bass Guitar - 4 Guitar Playing Tips

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right00003404. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

To learn how to play guitar using the easiest to follow method, please visit http://www.Guitar-Playing-Tips.info/

Guitar Tuning For Beginners

Before you begin playing a guitar you should be sure that it is tuned correctly otherwise the sound that comes out of it might not be the one you wanted to.

Strings are usually tuned in the following order E A D G B E which can be remembered as Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually or the other way around (E B G D A E) as Every Banana Gets Digested After Eating. The first string is the one that should be tuned to the highest frequency 329.63Hz which is E4 or the tone that is major third above the middle C. The second string is B3 just (minor second) bellow the middle C which is tuned at 246.94 Hz, the third is G at 196.00 Hz, the fourth one is D at 146.83 Hz, the fifth one is A at 110Hz (440 divided pay 2 power 2) which means is 2 octaves below the A that serves as a standard for musical pitch and the last one is E2 (82.41Hz).

If you don't have an absolute pitch which is pretty rare you should be able to tune the guitar with the help of piano or even computer that will play you those tone described above. But if you have a lot of problems with it the best way is to get a guitar tuner which is a device that will help you find the right frequency that your string plays. The cheapest way to do it, is to simply google for guitar tuners and you will find many websites where you can hear E A D G B E tones and tune your guitar.

You should tune your guitar almost every single time before you play it, guitars go out of tune pretty quickly specially if the temperature and humidity is not constant. If you are a beginner don't be worried about tuning, once you will do it several times you will quickly hear if your guitar is not tuned correctly and you will be able to tune it in a matter of seconds.

Learn more about tuning and how to play guitar at Learn to play guitar.

Guitar Tuning - 5 Tips To Help You Stay In Tune

Clean your strings after playing your guitar. Even a short practice session, can leave chemicals and sweat on the strings. If left, over time, this can rust and damage the strings, making tuning impossible. Clean each string individually by wrapping a piece of lint free cloth around the string and running this along the length of the string. Make this a habit after each session and you will help prolong the life of the string and subsequently help keep it's tune longer.

Replace old worn out strings. This is usually indicated by the tuning being correct on the lower part of the fret, but going out of tune as you move up the fret. Alternatively the intonation of the guitar may need correction. If the tuning problem remains after replacing the strings, have the guitar checked by a guitar specialist. If your guitar gets average use, you should try to replace the strings every two to three months.

Apply pre stretching to newly fitted strings. All new strings have a period when initially they stretch easily.
Once fitted and tuned, you will find that they quickly go out of tune as you play. To avoid this, stretch each string individually by lifting the string away from the fret and applying a gentle bouncing action against it. This will gradually remove the inherent give that exists in the new string. After stretching, re tune and try playing again to see if it now stays in tune. If there is still some loss of tune in a short period, repeat the stretching exercise. Eventually you will find that the string stabilizes and stays in tune.

Rub the point of a pencil in the string grooves of the nut. This effectively leaves a deposit of graphite in the groove which acts as a lubricant. This ensures that the string doesn't snag against the groove and upset the tuning. Another problem that can occur with the nut is when the groove is too small for the gauge of the string. The string can then catch in the slot and affect the tune of the guitar. You could either change the strings to a smaller gauge, or have the groove filed out to accommodate the string.

When changing strings, make sure that you wind the new strings properly around the tuning posts. Not paying attention to the winding can lead to string slippage and loss of tension in the string. If your guitar is an acoustic, you sho00001AF0uld also make sure that the ball end of the string is properly positioned against the bridge pin and bridge plate. If it is not properly positioned, it may eventually slip into position while you are playing and cause a sudden loss of tune.

5 Simple steps that should become part of your ongoing maintenance routine for your guitar. Following these will avoid the stress and frustration of your guitar loosing tune and give you a lot more fun playing.

Ken Radwell has produced a free report "Secrets to Success Teaching Yourself Guitar" which can be obtained along with other information and reviews of guitar learning materials via his website http://GuitarSuccessNow.com/freereport.html

Custom Made Guitars

Every musician is particular about instrument set up. Guitarists like to have their guitars custom-made to reflect their unique identity. Custom-made guitars are a unique combination of order, expertise, dreamy innovations and intuition clubbed together to make a fine piece of art. Studio owners and professional players all swear by custom-made guitars, and they are very popular.

There are radical custom designs that are incorporated from every facet of art to produce a custom made guitar. Creators of custom designs release very few pieces of any particular make, in order to keep it a unique creation. They have artistic designs that run through the entire front of the guitar. The designs are made of different materials and crafted using techniques similar to furniture making. The most common material used to produce custom guitars is Rosewood. It is used for making concert instruments, and is generally aged for 15 to 30 years. It is therefore considerably better than virtually all other commercially available material. Other materials used are ribs and backs that are stored at a controlled humidity to ensure their stability before use.

The designs of a custom-made guitar may be complex and intricate, adding in a particular theme or an outlook. A custom-made guitar is considered a collector?s item and usually created from the most exquisite materials available. Guitarists do not play these guitars ? they flaunt them as a showpiece. Large guitar manufacturers often issue these guitars to celebrate a significant historical milestone.

Custom made guitars have high historical value and fetch large amounts of money when auctioned. Rock bands are usually associated with the use of customized instruments to exhibit their personalities. The famous rock star, Jimmy Hendricks is known to have auctioned his guitar for over $1 million. Just like custom bikes, cars, houses, furniture and clothes, custom guitars have seen an upsurge in popularity especially amongst the modern rock bands of the 21st century.

Electric Guitars provides detailed information on Electric Guitars, Acoustic Electric Guitars, Cheap Electric Guitars, Electric Bass Guitars and more. Electric Guitars is affiliated with Piano Lessons.

Riff Guitar Lessons

One of the most breathtakingly impressive styles of guitar is the rock of the late sixties and early seventies. The era of the riff-heavy songs where the lyrics seemed to be just an excuse to make up another riff. So, as a result, lots of guys who hear music from this era want to take riff guitar lessons. That's it, nothing else, just the riffs. This is just one step above air guitar, but a step just the same.

A riff is a sequence of notes or chords that is repeated many times throughout a song. The guitar riff is a modern musical phenomenon although riffs have always been used in jazz and blues. In rock guitar a riff may contain very few notes but those notes usually make up a catchy combination of rhythm and tune that sticks in the memory of all who hear it. A riff can also contain a rhythm with no melody as in Ravel's Bolero or in any number of classical pieces that make use of the fandango rhythm.

But getting people's attention is what riff guitar is all about. As soon as you start playing, heads turn, the attention of the room is focused on where the music is coming from. It might be news to some of you guitar players who just want lessons on how to play riffs that the whole song is usually not a whole lot harder to play than just the riff. So when you pick up a guitar at a party, you could actually impress the people with your ability to play and sing a whole song.

Some early songs containing notable riffs are Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix, Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple Spoonful and Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream, and It's All Right Now by Free. An interesting example of the use of a riff is Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin. The riff is in the song's melody line which is sung by Robert Plant, and the guitar simply accompanies the riff.

If you start off your guitar playing with lessons on how to play riffs, that's fine. Your next step could be power chords, or you could tap into your creative side and begin composing riffs of your own. If you are having trouble remembering riffs that are not from the sixties, try Under The Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dammit by Blink 182, Come As You Are by Nirvana, and Devil Inside by INXS.

So, there is no shame in wanting to take riff guitar lessons. It's a great way to grow a repertoire of popular songs. You don't even need an electric guitar to learn riffs. Just get some tabs for some of the songs I've mentioned and take a look at how simple it would be to learn the chords to the complete song.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for:00000DC6 learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

How To Pick A Guitar

When you play a guitar, you will have to know how to pick a guitar and these are some of them.

There is the standard style of picking a guitar. The standard style is holding the pick between the flat of the thumb and the side of the index finger with your fingers either anchored on or draped across the pick guard.

This style does have some disadvantages. You will find that pressing the thumb against the side of the finger to be an uncomfortable position. You will also find that if you dont press hard enough, the pick will become unsteady when you pick the string. You will find that the pick will catch on the strings.

There is a variation of the standard style where the remaining fingers are in a loose or tight fist. There should be no contact between the hand and the guitar except through the pick.
The advantage of this standard style variation is that you should have less baggage to swing around. This is because the mass of the fingers are closer to the axis of the wrist.

The main disadvantage of this variation is that even in the greatest of players, they were inconsistent in the accuracy of their playing. They kept on losing on losing their point of reference of fingers that were touching the pick guard.

Another variation of the standard style is that the palm rests flat on the bridge, either behind or in front, depending whether the strings need muting or not. You can have other fingers open or closed.

This standard style variation is perfect for electric guitar players who usually deal with feedback that they dont want.

The problem with this variation is that you have to play with a side to side motion rather than at the wrist. This will eventually lead to having a locked wrist and you will not be able to play faster.

There is another variation of standard style. When you play using this variation, you have the thumb side of your palm raised with the opposite side of your palm resting on the bridge. The only difference between this variation and the regular standard style is the hand location.

Another variation of the standard style is called circle picking. You hold the pick the same way as the standard style. You move by flexing the first joint of the thumb, with the index finger extending at its second joint. You slide the pick along the string before crossing it, turning counterclockwise on down strokes and clockwise on upstrokes. This essentially means that you are making a circular motion to play the strings and the reason that it is called circle picking.

The main advantage is that you can play several strings with no arm or wrist motion at all. The tones sound nice when using this style. It is a fun way to play if you dont mind looking weird.

The main problem with this picking style is that your feel will suffer. You will constantly have to will yourself to control your timing. It is hard to do large strokes like strumming. You will find eventually that the extra motion of the thumb and index finger are inefficient and limit spe000036D0ed.

George Benson has a unique picking style. When you want to use the pick like George Benson, you put the pick between the tip of the thumb and the flat of the index finger. The middle finger should rest against the index finger. The first joint of the thumb should be locked in a fully open position. You should the first and second joints of the index finger arched and locked. You should find that the pick is 90 degrees counterclockwise from the standard style.

Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama

Guitar Chords For Country Songs

If you have just started playing guitar you probably want to
know what are the guitar chords for country songs, how many
chords should I learn, what happens if the chord shapes are
difficult to play.

Acoustic guitars are great to take with you anywhere and are
ideally suited to playing country songs. The guitar chords you
use for country songs will depend on whether it's a two chord or
three chord song.

The best guitar-friendly keys for your country songs are: G, D, A
and E.

Two chord songs.

Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E.

Key of G = G and D7

Key of D = D and A7

Key of A = A and E7

Key of E = E and B7

Here is a short list of some country tunes using two chords.

Jambalaya

Tulsa Time

Achey Breaky Heart

Deep In The Heart Of Texas

Country artists don't sing songs, they tell stories.

Country songs are about real life--memories and reactions to
real things that happen to everyone. It's about the story the
singer is telling it has nothing to do with how many chords a
song has, remember that many successful song have only three
chords.

Country music evolved out of the tradition of working cowboys
singing cowhand ballads such as 'Texas Cowboy' around the
campfire or on the range and was later popularized in Hollywood
by singers such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. However, the image
of the cowboy was enshrined in country music by Hank Williams.

Three chord songs.

Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E.

Key of G = G, C and D7

Key of D = D, G and A7

Key of A = A, D and E7

Key of E = E, A and B7

Here is a list of some country tunes using three chords.

Am I That Easy To Forget?

Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain

Bonapart's Retreat

Cold Cold Heart

Coward Of The County

Crazy Arms

Folsom Prison Blues

Green, Green Grass Of Home

I Fall To Pieces

I Walk The Line

Jealous Heart

King Of The Road

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Okie From Muskogee

Please Release Me

Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms

Six Days On The Road

The Gambler

Truck Drivin' Man

Wabash Cannonball

When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again

You Are My Sunshine

And hundreds more ...

Songs like Your Cheatin' Heart, people still like that, it
doesn't matter what year you sing it in or where you came from.

If you find that a song is in the wrong key or the chord shapes
are difficult to play use a capo to make things easy.

Here's what happens when you put a capo on the first fret.

G chord now becomes G#/Ab

C chord now becomes C#/Db

D7 chord now becomes D#7/Eb7

------------------------

D chord now becomes D#/Eb

G chord now becomes G#/Ab

A7 chord now becomes A#7/Bb7

------------------------

A chord now becomes A#/Bb

D chord now becomes D#/Eb

E7 chord now becomes E#7/F7

------------------------

E chord now becomes F

A chord now becomes A#/Bb

B7 chord now becomes C7

When you practice your guitar chords for country songs listen
carefully and you will notice how so many country songs are
strikingly similar.M00002CD2any great country songs just use G, C, D or
G, D, A or some combination thereof.

Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.

The Frankenstein Guitar

Artists and musicians are renowned for living in a world far removed from the real one. For them, reality is a vague concept that afflicts others while they are allowed to roam freely and express their creativity in any form that they choose. When an artist and a musician get together to collaborate on a project, you can be sure that they will create a unique, off-the-wall and functional piece of art.

Stephen McSwain is a luthier (string instrument maker), musician and artist living in Los Angeles. Blessed with a double dose of creativity, he decided to liven up the image of standard guitars by applying his idea of "functional art". His first attempt was completely experimental. By carving faces in the wood of the guitar by hand, he ended up with a masterpiece that now belongs to Grammy Award winner Steve Vai.

His pieces are now in great demand by so many musicians that there is a waiting list. However famous his clients are, Steve doesn't rush his work to meet any deadlines. He works with great care, creating each guitar by hand and ensuring they all meet his high standards to become prized collector's pieces of art.

Clients can bring in their own designs or merely discuss want they would like with Steve, and he will make their visions come to life. He chooses the kind of wood that will best suit the shape of the guitar without affecting its sound, and sets to work carving out the design with a knife. Depending on the client's needs, metal might need to be polished, etched and riveted to the wood. The wood might need to be scorched, and sundry miscellaneous items salvaged from scrap heaps to be attached to the evolving guitar in various ways.

One of his favourite and most famous guitars is the Frankenstein guitar. Frankenstein has a maple top and mahogany tone chambered body with a three-piece mahogany neck. The fret board is ebony, maple and purple heart, all stitched together with leather cord. The guitar is adorned with red leather dye to get a bloody realism effect.

Slash, of Guns 'n Roses fame, saw the Frankenstein and immediately had to have an original McSwain guitar for his wife. He went with a Wizard of Oz theme, as she is a huge fan, and together with McSwain, came up with a Wicked Witch of the West guitar. She has eyes that glow in the dark, and teeth made from cow bone rubbed with black powder for a nasty rotten effect. Two of her wicked monkeys fly at her side. Their eyes also glow in the dark and they have sinister grins that follow you around the room.

St00000461eve's designs are as varied as the artists he counts as his clients. Among the guitars he's created are an alien, a viper, a KISS guitar with all the members of the band in full regalia, the Star Trek Enterprise because even celebrated musicians can be Trekkies, and an elaborate vision of space.

Musicians are artists with creative needs that are not always fulfilled through the creation of lyrics and notes. Sometimes they need to express themselves in other ways. Hence we got Rod Stewart in Spandex pants and big hair, Freddie Mercury's topless strut and now, unique guitars that reflect the artist's lives, loves and bizarre tastes. Long live creative expression!

Recommended sites:

http://www.mcswainguitars.com/pages/about.php

http://www.neatorama.com/category/music/

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Pop Music News site index on pop music culture and trends one of the leading site indexes on upcoming music events, trends and news snippets.

Guitar Tutorials - A Beginner's Journey to Learning Guitar

Before you begin learning from guitar tutorials, you must first own your own guitar. If you're going to take guitar playing seriously, owning your own as opposed to borrowing someone else's guitar is a must.

Why? Having your own guitar is first of all going to be your pride and joy, and second you become accustomed to it after a while - it becomes an extension of your own body. Thirdly, you're going to be practicing on it every single day so why not buy your own guitar?

Here's a tip for you - When purchasing your first guitar, make sure it's at a decent price and nothing too cheap. There are plenty of cheap $200 guitars that are all made in China and they sound absolutely horrible and are difficult to play.

A well-made guitar just makes your guitar learning much easier and more enjoyable. Without going into too much detail, look for something around the $700 mark. Remember, you get exactly what you pay for!

Right, now that you've got a guitar you can start your journey of guitar learning. This will be a life-long process and it's never-ending. Fret not ( pun intended ) though, it will be an extremely fun process!

You will need to first get your hands on taking some beginner lessons. " Where is the best place to start sourcing for guitar tutorials? " I hear you ask.

The fastest way to get started is by looking for online guitar lessons. These are great as you can get started right away and you probably won't have to read thick, boring manuals.

Most of the online lessons you find will be free, however you should pay for a decent guitar course because there will be much more value for your precious time spent learning.

The paid guitar courses will go into more depth in teaching and will usually get you learning guitar with a systematic approach.

Baby Steps For Beginner Guitar Lessons

Many of the online guitar lessons will start off teaching the most basic aspects of guitar playing. Some of which are:

- Showing you the right way to hold a guitar and the pick
- Knowing the different parts of the guitar, their names and functions
- How to change strings
- Guitar playing posture ( sitting and standing etc )

And the list goes on..

Other things that are taught are how to play chords, starting with the most basic forms to some more complex guitar chord fo00001ABFrms that sound a lot nicer but will require you more time for your fingers to get used to.

Guitar Theory Is Not Required!

Some of the guitar courses will teach you some elementary music theory, some will teach you way too much theory ( boring you to tears ), and others will teach you almost zero theory.

There are different schools of thought with this one, and I found in my own experience that theory although important is not mandatory for a beginner. Too much theory is one of the main reasons why most people who start out learning to play guitar end up quitting!

Guitar theory, I feel is on a " need to know " basis. As you progress in your learning, you will either naturally pick up some music theory in your head, or you will go out in search of answers.

This is the natural way of learning and probably the best. Either way, you will end up at the same destination in the end.

The most important thing is to get out there and start learning today! There is nothing holding you back and all the information you need for learning guitar is out there and easily accessible.

Just remember to find a course that teaches you systematically and don't go pushing yourself too hard beyond your current abilities - it doesn't do anything but make you form bad habits.

Want to speed up your guitar learning? Then you will need a systematic approach that will take you by the hand and lead you step by step without missing any important details out. You will find the best paid tutorials reviewed here at Guitar Tutorials