Tips For Learning to Play the Electric Guitar

The electric guitar is one of the most powerful musical instruments today. It dominates every popular genre and style of music in the modern world. The sheer flexibility of the electric guitar in terms of volume, tone and sound quality makes it an ultimate musical instrument.

The electric guitar is an instrument of power or finesse, of speed or subtlety, but definitely, it is an instrument of musical glory. For those people who would want to learn how to play the electric guitar, here are some noteworthy tips:

1. Use a nylon guitar first

If one is thinking about learning how to play a guitar by using an electric guitar, he should think about it twice. If one is just learning how to play the guitar, he shouldn’t do it with an electric guitar. Electric guitars use steel strings which can be very uncomfortable for beginners. Besides, learning the basics from an acoustic guitar teaches one to use a holistic guitar playing approach rather than relying on the effects and features of an electric guitar. Electric guitar playing should come subsequently after learning how to play using an acoustic guitar.

2. Know your electric guitar

If one already knows how to play a guitar and is thinking of buying an electric guitar, he should know the different features and qualities of the electric guitar. The same thing goes for people who are using an old electric guitar. Playing with the knobs and controls of the electric guitar will give one an idea of how to mix everything properly to be able to get an optimal sound. Electric guitars are not plug-and-play instruments, they require a lot of sensitivity in terms of mixing sounds and tones together.

3. Buy a decent amp

An expensive electric guitar will sound crappy on low quality amps on any given day. When getting an electric guitar amp, make sure to test the amp at the store. If possible, turn all the knobs to the highest value and listen to the sound that the amp will produce. There are also amps out there that have a built-in distortion option which can be switched on and off. This feature is especially useful for people who have no money to buy an effects box since a distortion feature is the most essential for any electric guitar.

4. Buy a decent effects box

An effects box is a great tool to have when playing an electric guitar. One can make all sorts of sounds using an effects box. The basic tones that one should look for in an effects box are: good distortion sounds, chorus, reverb, amp simulator and easy adjustments modules.

5. Get durable cables

Cables are also an integral part of the whole electric guitar system. Cheap and low quality cables are not worth investing into because they will wear out soon.

6. Listen to electric guitar tracks

A great way to holistically grasp the basics of electric guitar playing is to listen to great electric guitar classics. Many lessons are learned just by listening to different riffs and tunes that are produced from electric guitars.

Electric guitars are somewhat different from unplugged guitars. There are skills that are needed to play the electric guitar properly aside from the basic ones. Practice is always the best way to learn how to play the electric guitar.

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5 Tips For Choosing The Right Electric Guitar

Purchasing an electric guitar is very exciting and fun. The process can be made more efficient by following several basic guidelines and using several tips provided below. Are you new to guitars and ready to make your first electric guitar purchase? Are you a seasoned player who owns several guitars and you find yourself adding to your guitar collection? No matter which category you find yourself in, getting the most from your instrument purchase is very important. It is also important to understand the types of electric guitars available.

The choices include:

1. Solid Body Electric Guitars 2. Hollow Body Electric Guitars 3. Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitars 4. Acoustic/Electric Guitars 5. Pedal Steel Guitars 6. Hawaiian Style Lap Guitars

Guitars, and particularly electric guitars are not created equal. There are many brands of electric guitars to choose from. Making the right choice when purchasing a guitar will depend on some basic factors, including:

1. Your particular situation

2. The specific application when using the guitar.

For example, if you are a beginner, there is little reason to consider investing several thousands of dollars into a pro level guitar such as a custom Les Paul or a Paul Reed Smith. Another example regarding a specific application would be if you are a traveling musician. Traveling guitarists may want to consider a slightly less expensive guitar to take on the road while saving their finest instrument for a studio environment. Regardless of your situation or the application, the bottom line is there are several factors to consider. Understanding your position as a potential guitar buyer will help you make the right decision and ensure that you make an informed purchase.

Here are 5 tips to help you in choosing the right electric guitar.

Tip 1. Evaluate your level of committment to the instrument and the art of music.

Before you choose your electric guitar be sure you understand the level of committment that you are prepared to invest into the instrument. Electric guitars can be expensive and understanding the level of dedication you plan to invest in the instrument should play a vital role in choosing your guitar.

Tip 2. Identify your particular application for the instrument.

If you are a beginner and just learning to play the instrument, your application will be quite different from an intermediate or advanced guitarist who is adding to their collection. Determine your particular situation and application for the guitar you will purchase. Consider whether or not you will be keeping the instrument at home or frequently traveling with it. For example, if you plan to keep the instrument at home for recreational use, you may want to consider including a less expensive case for the guitar. Road cases can be costly and will not be neccesary if you do not travel with the guitar.

Tip 3. Identify your budget and include patience regarding your guitar purchase.

Many aspiring guitarists have wandered into the local music store only to be overwhelmed by the vast choices and different price ranges of guitars. As with any purchase, pre-planning and understanding your budget is critical. Prices for electric guitars range from a few hunderd dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. If you are serious about playing the guitar, selecting your instrument will be one of the most important decisions you make. Be sure to take ample time during this stage of the process. Patience is more than a virtue when selecting your guitar.

Tip 4. Consult a professional to get tips on guitar quality and performance.

It is a good idea to take the time to visit several musical instrument dealers in your area. Retail guitar shops will be more than happy to help you understand what to look for when buying an electric guitar. Get several opinions if you are new to guitars. Most guitar outlets will have seasoned players on staff who will be happy to impart their experience and wisdom. Ask questions. Find out what you need to consider when selecting an electric guitar. Getting several opinions in this area will shed light on the overall picture and will be very beneficial information when it comes time to buy.

Tip 5. Include additional items and training resources to help you get started playing the guitar.

Once you have made the right guitar purchase, be sure to have additional items on hand that will be vital to the process of learning. You will need an extra set of guitar strings, some extra picks, a tuner and a stand for your guitar. It is also very important to purchase some beginner books that include chord charts, guitar tab and chord progression exercises.

Learning to play the electric guitar is fun and exciting. There are few things in life that will provide the relaxation and feeling of accomplishment you can experience by becoming proficient with guitar chords, guitar tabs and guitar chord progressions. Applying the knowledge you gain from the right learning resources to your favorite style of music is very rewarding. Carefully select your electric guitar. Be sure to practice to develop skill, musical knowledge and basic music theory concepts. Apply what you learn on a daily basis and you will be amazed at the progress you will make with your new electric guitar.

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The Difference Between Electric Guitar Bodies And Acoustic Bodies

Because electric guitars are quite different in the way that they produce the sound, the body of an electric guitar is built quite differently to that of an acoustic or classical one. On a classical guitar, the strings, when plucked or struck, resonate, vibrating the air inside the body cavity. This hollow body cavity vibrates with the sound of the strings, and amplifies the notes. On an electric guitar however, the sound is amplified only by an external, electronic amplifier, and so the body of an electric guitar is usually solid, since no air vibration or cavity is needed. Indeed, without the external amplifier the sound of an electric guitar on its own is fairly pitiful. The body of an electric guitar is usually made of wood, although the pick guard is normally plastic.

Prior to the 1970s guitars were often made from a solid piece of hardwood, but in the last thirty or forty years, the worldwide stock of hardwood has been so depleted that finding a piece large enough and suitable for a guitar body is not only difficult, but exceedingly expensive. Therefore, today, most electric guitar bodies are made from at least two pieces of hardwood, with a seam that connects them together running down the centre of the body. The hardwoods most often used for constructing the body of an electric guitar include maple, ash, poplar, basswood and mahogany, all of which provide a solid, firm body that is unlikely to warp or bend as a result of either humidity, or the constant pressure of the steel strings. When you look at a guitar, it is not always obvious what type of wood is used, and this is because the normal hardwoods, by the very nature of being hardwood, are less patterned.

To create a visually striking and attractive appearance, designers and manufacturers of electric guitars usually apply a very thin piece of a more attractive wood to the outside of the body, to create an attractive wood finish, whilst still retaining the solid hardwood body. Typically these veneer coverings of wood, which are usually glued to the main body, are made from such woods as maple, which usually produces a very striking flame effect, and guitars that use this flame appearance through the use of maple are called flame top guitars or simply 'flame tops'. Because a number of other pieces of the guitar need to be attached very firmly to the body of an electric guitar, the hardwood is usually gouged or routed to accept these other elements being slotted in. For an acoustic or classical guitar, the inside can be accessed to attach braces to increase the firmness of these extra components, such as the bridge and neck, but as an electric guitar's body is entirely solid, this is not possible.

Today, there are some electric guitars being made which do not use wood in the construction at all, and instead are using modern alternatives, usually synthetically produced. These alternatives to wood include carbon composites and even plastic based materials such as polycarbonate. In some instances electric guitars have been made with aluminium based alloys, which whilst very strong, is also extremely light. Electric guitars, more than most other types of guitar, are usually decorated and designed as much for appearance as sound quality, and so the body of an electric guitar is often lacquered and polished to a high sheen, to either bring out the wooden effect, or to simply produce an even more vibrant appearance. Often electric guitar bodies are decorated with extravagant designer labels or motifs to create a strikingly visual instrument, as well as one strong enough to withstand heavy use.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for electric guitars, classic guitars and flame tops. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric guitars, classic guitars and flame tops, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

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Shopping For Used Electric Guitar

Music lovers get attracted to music instruments invariably, but guitar is most preferred by many music lovers. Guitars are prominent from ancient times, and now with the addition of wonderful instruments like electric guitars it has also become a fantasy learning it. A new instrument to any fresher is not advisable as they lack awareness of handling it meticulously.

Used electric guitars are really beneficial to learners. Speaking of benefit, the used electric guitars come in a more affordable price than the new ones. Students or people who begin learning may discontinue due to various reasons like health, hobby, education, transfer or due to boredom of learning and mastering it as it is time consuming to master it. Procuring a used one gives the learners an opportunity to learn it without fear as they have not invested huge amount on an instrument that they may discontinue on their accord.

Playing the electric guitar involves endurance, firm determination, constant rehearsals, training, and performances. There are numerous brands and styles of electric guitars available in the music market. One has to deftly choose an electric guitar. As a first instrument, learning and practicing is best done on a used electric guitar.

Purchasing a new Electric guitar can be termed as luxurious and pricey.

Acquiring a new electric guitar sometimes turn to be a futile investment as suddenly few realize they are not interested in it as they believed they were. During such circumstances the huge amount just lies in a dump or in a closet accumulating dust.

Purchasing used electric guitars should be done keeping in mind few points like determining how much they have been used. Soundboard is another important factor to be considered in purchasing a used electric guitar. Soundboard that bears more scratches indicates frequent playing of the instrument and a better investment. If a used electric guitar involves replacement of sound board, it is a pricey bargain. Checking for indications of breaking or rupturing of the instrument is essential as it affects the balance of the instrument, and this is one of the primary reasons for new guitars to become a used electric guitar. Observing that the strings are at an equal distance to the entire length from the board is also important as it speaks on the sound produced. Ensuring the tuners on the used electric guitars are good enough to withhold the stress of the strings is necessary as a used electric guitar may weaken over a span of time resulting in getting out of tune.

Used electric guitars are available on the local music stores or pawn shops. Nowadays, websites like eBay are encumbered with used instruments like the electric guitar. Buying a used electric guitar serves as multipurpose as it saves money and assists learning. Though the music markets are flooded with electric guitars it is difficult to find big difference between any used and new electric guitar but for the price. Possessing a new one is advisable only when one is proficient in playing the electric guitar.

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Acoustic Electric Guitars

The guitar is the most known and popular musical instrument. It’s an instrument that is played for almost all kinds of music, like rock music, country music, lounge music, pop music and contemporary classical music.

An acoustic guitar is hollow with a sound hole (a round hole in the face). An electric acoustic guitar is made up of wood and has six strings which produce a rhythmic, sweet, musical, yet loud sound. The difference between an acoustic electric guitar and an electric guitar is that a normal electric guitar can only be played when it is plugged in, where as an acoustic electric guitar doesn’t have to be.

Plugging in an electric acoustic guitar gives it an awesome sound. The electric guitars have a lot of knobs to deal with, whereas the acoustic electric guitars can be used as a normal guitar or an electric guitar. The strings of electric guitars are soft, and much easier to press. If asked to recommend what type of guitar is the best buy, then the acoustic electric guitar will definitely take a higher edge in recommendation as it can be used two ways: as a normal acoustic guitar to play it normally and as an electric guitar to be played when plugged in an electric socket.

The sound produced by an acoustic electric guitar when not plugged in is the same as a normal acoustic guitar, and when plugged in it sounds like a good electric guitar. The two-in-one purpose makes it the best buy if you are passionate about the guitar and want to have both types.

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.

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Buying Your First Guitar - How to Choose the Right Guitar to Give You the Best Value For Money

INTRODUCTION
Buying the right guitar to start learning on is an important step that should not be rushed. You need to consider a range of factors. I will go into detail on each factor I believe you should consider when buying your first guitar.
For many people, starting a new hobby is like trying out a new car before buying it. They aren't sure if they will like it two, three, ten years down the track and it is hard to guess if you will like it. Many people who start to learn the guitar will give it up after a short time for different reasons. For this reason, a lot of people don't want to spend too much money that they aren't sure will go to good use. One option you could take is if one of your friends or relatives owns a guitar. You could ask if you could borrow it for a short time to get an idea of whether you like the idea of playing it or not. If after a while you feel that this is the right hobby for you, come back here and read this article to give you assistance in buying the right guitar for you.

BUDGET
This is the most important issue to consider for most people. Guitars can range all the way from cheap $20 acoustics found in garage sales all the way to prestige guitars costing thousands upon thousands. You should think about how much you want to spend and stick with it. Salespeople will give you plenty of reasons to pay more than you want to, but understand that you can get a good guitar for even low prices. Consider the following points and how they will sit within your budget.

STYLE OF MUSIC
If you have in mind what musical direction you want to take, it will influence the type of guitar you buy. If you really want to play heavy metal or similar styles you wouldn't buy a nylon string acoustic because it won't help you reach that goal. Likewise if you want to play soft ballad type songs that you can sing along while playing, an electric guitar may not be the right choice for you. If you have a certain style in mind, find out what type of guitars musicians of that style play. Have a search for your favorite artist's gear to see the type of guitar they play, don't look at the model or brand of the guitar (because famous artists normally buy the top of the range products that are extremely expensive).
If on the other hand you are not sure what direction you will be taking or want to play a range of styles, the type of guitar you buy won't be as important to your decision in regards to style. Instead, focus on the below points to find out which guitar will be best for you.
Remember: you can always buy another guitar later on, so don't worry if you change directions after you buy your first guitar.

PLAYABILITY

STEEL STRING VS NYLON STRING ACOUSTICS
For a beginner, how easy it is to play the guitar will make a big impact on the rate you improve and the skills you develop. If you start off with a steel string acoustic for example, you will quickly notice that is hard to push the strings down and may hurt your fingers. Many females (and some males) will have a lot of trouble starting on a steel string guitar because it takes a lot of finger strength to play. If you are worried that this will be a problem for you, maybe you should consider a nylon string acoustic instead. Nylon string acoustics are much less of a strain on your fingers when pushing the strings down. For this reason, most teachers will recommend students start on nylon strings so their first month or more won't be too painful.

ACOUSTIC VS ELECTRIC
There is a big difference between starting on an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Many teachers don't recommend starting on an electric guitar for the following reason. Electric guitars are easier than acoustics to play. For many people this is a good thing. The problem with electric guitars being easy to play is that you will get comfortable playing the electric so much that when you pick up an acoustic and try to play the same music, it will most likely be a major strain. Many guitarists who only play electric guitar struggle to play acoustic. It is very hard to swap from playing electric to acoustic. Likewise, it is very easy to swap from acoustic (especially steel string) to electric. This is because of the strength acoustic guitars build up in your fingers. Once you switch to electric guitars, you will find your fingers can play with ease. So have a think about this issue and if you want to play both electric and acoustic, start off on acoustic. If you want to only play electric guitar, then the choice is simple. Later down the track if you decide you want to play acoustic as well, you may find it difficult at first, but with practice playing an acoustic can improve your playing.

QUALITY
There is a great range in the quality of guitar available today. It is similar to the car industry: you can buy a super high quality Ferarri, you can buy a rundown second hand Toyota and everything in between. What you should aim for is to buy the best quality guitar within your budget. But don't be fooled into thinking that only high price guitars are high quality. You will be surprised at the quality of guitars available at low prices. Your best choice is to bring a friend or relative (who are competent players) in with you to test out the guitar you are thinking about. As I explain below, you shouldn't rely solely on the music store salesperson's advice. Remember to stick to your budget.

BRAND
Many guitarists suffer from 'brand loyalty'. This is when they are so devoted to a particular brand that they will never buy or play a guitar with a different brand name. Don't be one of those people. It is okay to prefer a certain brand because you like the style of their guitars, but don't get sucked into thinking that one brand is better than all the rest. Every brand has their advantages and disadvantages.
Just like in supermarkets where you can choose between 'brand name' products and 'home brand' products, guitars will have well known 'brand name' guitars and unknown 'home brand' guitars. Sometimes the only difference between the guitars is the name that is printed on the guitar headstock. People pay big dollars for guitars that have the names fender, Gibson, Ibanez, PRS, Martin printed on the headstock. Although buying a brand name guitar will most likely give you a very high quality guitar, it can be a very expensive choice. My suggestion is to find a guitar that you like regardless of the brand name. If it is good quality and within your budget: go for it. Don't buy a guitar solely because it has fender written on it. If on the other hand you prefer the security of buying a quality guitar from a reputable brand, it's okay to buy one for that reason.

SALESPEOPLE TRICKS
This section is to warn you of potential issues when dealing with music store salespeople. This isn't to scare you off or to insult salespeople, it is to protect you from the people looking to make a high commission rather than give you what you want. Hopefully you will deal with an honest salesperson who genuinely wants to help you. Just be aware that they aren't all honest.
My first point you need to consider is that the people working in the store are normally excellent guitar players. So good that they can make every guitar sound good no matter how poor quality it is. In a future lesson I will explain how you can make any guitar sound great. Just be aware that a salesperson can make the dodgiest guitar in the store sound better than the $2,000 fender in the glass case. This is why I recommend that you have a go playing the guitar if you can play at least something simple and even better bring a friend or relative who can play. If they know what they are doing they should be able to tell you the problems with the guitar.
It is well known that audio salespeople use a trick to make a stereo systems sound higher quality by turning the volume up slightly louder than another one. Salespeople may use a similar trick when comparing two guitars. By plugging the guitar they want to sell to you into a high quality amp and playing it loud, it can make it sound fantastic. Some people may try this to get you to spend just a little bit extra. Don't think a great sounding guitar will automatically make you sound great. It takes a lot of work to be a competent player. Great players can make any guitar sound great and bad players can make any guitar sound bad.

My experience with buying a first guitar:
I was unaware of many of these issues when I bought my first guitar. Luckily the salesperson we dealt with genuinely wanted to help us out and made sure we got a great guitar at a good price. I had been playing my dad's old beat up acoustic guitar for a couple years and my parents bought me an electric guitar. It is a good quality guitar and I still use it today for recording and performing. So if you make a good decision, the first guitar you buy will be useful for a lifetime.
Because I started off on an acoustic guitar, the transition to electric was incredibly simple. Consider buying an acoustic even if you want to play electric guitar down the track.

SUMMARY
I have pointed out a few important issues for you to consider when buying a first guitar. There are many more factors you should consider but these I believe are the most important issues. If you take your time to find out what your best option is and then shop around for the best deal, you will save money and hopefully end up with a great instrument that can last you a lifetime.

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Lead Guitar - Electric or Acoustic?

Lead guitar is not dependent on the type of guitar being played, but on how that guitar is played. Often when people think of playing lead guitar, they think of playing an electric guitar. In reality, lead guitar can be electric or acoustic.

In the most basic terms, music consists of harmony, melody and rhythm. The rhythm is the pulse of the song, often referred to as the beat, and is usually played by drums, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar. Harmony is the use of matching simultaneous chords within a musical composition.

The third major component of music is the melody. Melody is the part of the music that you remember and can later identify. Melody is often the lyrics of a song, with verse and chorus being two separate melodies. It is what gives a piece of music its character.

In terms of guitar playing, lead guitar is the guitar playing the melody. A lead guitarist must be able to use riffs and fills to move the melody along, as well as playing a guitar solo if it is required in the song. While doing all of that, the lead guitarist must also be able to play in the same key at the same tempo as the rest of the band.

Whether lead guitar is played on an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar depends on the music being played. Currently popular acoustical, or unplugged, sets require musicians to play acoustical instruments. In that case, the lead guitar would be played using an acoustic guitar.

Lead guitar does not always sound the same, even if the same musician is playing the same song twice. For example, electric guitars allow for distortion and effects that acoustic guitars do not have, so the transition from electric to acoustic may require changing the melody to suit the instrument. In addition, the riffs, fills, and solos used by the guitarist may change each time if the guitarist prefers to be creative during live performances.

Contrary to popular belief, lead guitar is not a type of guitar, but a position within a band and within a song. The lead guitarist carries a great deal of responsibility in carrying the melody while staying in tune and in time with the rest of the band. Learning to play lead guitar correctly requires time and practice, but it is the instrument most listeners will remember having heard.

About The Author
My name is Derek Cockrum, and I have been an instructor and professional guitarist for the past 11 years. I established "Guitar Lesson Reviews" to help you, (the beginner and advanced guitarist), discover the top acoustic and electric guitar lessons program available that will teach you how to really take your guitar playing skills to the next level. I have personally reviewed and tested almost every advanced and beginner guitar lessons program out there and have listed my top 3 recommended programs. If you're seriously ready to learn to play guitar like your favorite guitarist, you owe it to yourself to check out "Guitar Lesson Reviews" to find an easy guitar lessons program that offers Acoustic and Electric Guitar Lessons to train you how to play guitar like it was meant to be played. Learn what these Advanced, and Beginner Guitar Lessons can do for you and your guitar playing.

To Your Success,
Derek Cockrum
"Guitar Lesson Reviews"

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The Birth Of The Electric Bass Guitar

The electric bass guitar is fairly easily identifiable because the overall shape is quite different to the standard electric guitar. An electric bass guitar usually has a body which is much larger in size than a standard electric guitar, and the neck is often much longer, with the scale length used for the frets much larger too. The overall size of an electric bass guitar is the most obvious distinguishing feature that makes it easy to spot, but of course its extra size can cause trouble for beginners. If you are looking at buying an electric guitar, and are considering the bass version, then it will be important to try out one such example first. The physical size may, in some cases, prohibit effective use, and a standard sized guitar may prove to be a more suitable alternative.

An electric bass guitar usually has four strings which are tuned to the same pitch as the double bass, or in some cases the strings are simply tuned to be one octave lower than the lowest four strings of a standard guitar.

For the last fifty years, the electric bass guitar has been the instrument of choice for producing the bass notes in most popular music, causing a dramatic decline in the popularity of the double bass for such music. The electric bass guitar has proven to be a very popular instrument, not only for use within popular music, but as an instrument in itself, often used for solo performances. In particular, jazz, funk and rock styles often feature an electric bass guitar solo, or prominent performance within a piece.

It was actually back in the 1930s that the electric bass guitar was born, with Paul Tutmarc's invention - originally referred to as a fiddle. It comprised of four bass strings, had a body and a fret board - and was played horizontally. Named an electronic bass fiddle it proved to be very popular, and because its manner of playing was more similar to that of a guitar, it meant that it was easier to pick up by guitarists than a fiddle would have been for them.

Although Tutmarc's fiddle marked the dawn of the electric bass guitar, it took about twenty years for the idea to take hold, and be developed by Leo Fender before it became a popular instrument. Fender created the Precision Bass, and took the rough form of a Telecaster with a single coil pickup. With four steel strings the instrument became popular with many well known bands and groups of the fifties, and it was at this point that the bass guitar became popular worldwide.

Following closely behind Fender was Gibson, whose bass guitars were generally smaller then fender's, and incorporated a humbucker pickup rather than the single coils. Gibson's most famous creation was the Thunderbird with a 34 inch scale, and duel humbucking pickups located halfway between the neck of the guitar and the bridge - a more usual position.

Today, electric bass guitars can be bought in a range of styles and shapes, although still generally larger than the standard electric guitars. For complete flexibility, however, you could always consider a duel neck guitar - with one being a bass, and the other a standard six string guitar!

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric bass guitar, bass guitar, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

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Online Electric Guitar Lessons - Where Are the Best?

Online electric guitar lessons that offer quality lessons can be difficult to find. The reason is because there are so many online electric guitar lessons but most are not even worth looking at.

Do you want to learn how to play the electric guitar? Or maybe you have been playing for awhile and are looking to pick up some new licks or riffs for your bag of tricks. No matter what level of experience you have playing the guitar, there are plenty of resources out there to help you expand your knowledge of playing the electric guitar.

The great thing about playing electric guitar is that the sound can be a lot more dynamic than a traditional acoustic guitar. You have all kinds of fun effects to play with such as distortion, vibrato, wah wah pedals and a whole lot more.

That's what makes playing electric guitar so much fun. You can play the same songs over and over again and make them sound completely different by simply adjusting the tone of your guitar.

So where is a good place to find online electric guitar lessons? The answer is, it depends on what you're looking for. Someone who is brand-new to play in the guitar will most likely benefit from a "how to get started" type of course, while advanced players are going to be more interested in what some of the more advanced lesson sites that offer.

And there is a lot of information on the Internet to sift through. Some of it is fantastic, but the majority of it is the same old rehashed boring guitar lessons that have been around forever.

If you would like to save yourself the time and headache of sifting through all of the low quality guitar sites on the Internet, take a moment to check out http://easilyplayguitar.com/guitarreview

We talk about the best online electric guitar lessons. We also understand that every guitar player has individual needs so we can recommend lessons to you based on what style of music you'd like to play, as well as your experience level.

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Country Guitar Lessons - Guitars and Guitarists

Country guitar lessons in these days of the world wide web are now popular all over the world. If you are wondering what the fuss is about I will just mention some aspects of country guitar playing that excite the interest of music fans and guitar enthusiasts alike. This article will focus on a couple of the more individualistic guitar styles in country music and also talk a little about the Telecaster - the country musician's guitar.

First let us look at a guitar style that has entered the country genre through blues and rock. The slide guitar, also known as the bottleneck guitar is a lyrical way of expressing feelings through guitar music. It was developed in the early twentieth century by the early blues players, and popularized by young white rock and blues players in the nineteen sixties. Now there are many country guitar players who see the musical possibilities in this style of playing. The key to this technique is sliding an object along the guitar strings to make a whining or wailing sound. This presents the guitar player with many opportunities to play notes that fall between the frets of the guitar as well as imitating the sound of a singing voice.

The term "bottleneck" refers to the practice of many slide guitar performers of producing the sliding sound by fitting the neck of a bottle to their first or second finger. Popular wisdom has it that other players used the blade of a knife. Modern slide guitar players usually go to a music shop and buy a slide. You can play slide guitar with the guitar held in the normal playing position or with the guitar in your lap. A player can use an ordinary steel string acoustic guitar tuned in the standard way or to an open chord, or a resonator guitar which has a distinctive metallic sound well suited to slide playing.

Another guitar style used by country guitar players is chicken pickin', developed to high art by Waylon Jennings. It is used in lead guitar solos and involves the guitar player pulling on the string with his right hand fingers and at the same time damping the string with his left hand. Most country guitar players use a plectrum or thumbpick to play bass notes in conjunction with chicken pickin' on the treble strings.

Chet Atkins is a country guitar player who was adept at the chicken pickin' technique but he was most well known for his adaptation of the Travis picking technique. Merle Travis developed an impressive solo playing technique using his thumb to pick bass notes and his index finger to play melody or filler notes. Chet Atkins was so impressed with Travis' solos that he assumed that Travis was using his second and ring fingers in addition to his index finger. This mistaken assumption led to a whole new generation of country guitar players inspired by the Chet Atkins style.

If you want to take country guitar lessons you should learn about the typical sound that is associated with country guitar music. While rock and roll has as many sounds as there are guitar players, country guitar has its own sound. This is due to most country players opting to stay with the clean, unadorned sound of the Fender Telecaster. The "Tele" had a sound that made aspiring guitar players sit up and take notice combined with a design that made it a dream to play. It is a solid body electric guitar with two pickups, and was the first electric guitar to be successfully produced and sold on a large scale.

In the early days of the electric guitar both rock and country guitar players wanted to be heard by the audience without feedback interfering with the sound of the guitar. The Telecaster filled the bill when it came out in 1950 and has remained a popular choice for solo guitarist ever since. Country guitarists noted for being enthusiastic Telecaster players include Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, James Burton and Merle Haggard.

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: 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.

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Wouldn't it be Great to be Able to Buy a Guitar That Felt Gig Ready Right Out of the Box?

Guitar purchase “off the rack” can be a mine field, consider "custom" versus "pre-fab" electric guitars.

I love guitars, and there's nothing like a new electric guitar with a proper set up! I like the tone, the way it feels in my hands, and the way that I can make a guitar sound "right" for any kind of music that I play. Whether it's jazz, blues, country, hard rock, R&B leads, guitar chords, or just working on guitar tabs, all it takes is a flip of a switch, some prep, a couple twists of the knobs, neck alignment and I'm right where I need to be. I've bought a lot of guitars over the years, and discovered that taking that beautiful new Strat or Tele guitar out of the box was always just the first step in finding the guitar that fit in my hands the way that I imagined that it would when it first caught my eye. After a close inspection I found that my new guitar wouldn't be quite gig ready until I did all of the little subtle tweaks, repairs and modifications that would make it play just the way I wanted it to when I got it out onto the gig. I'd dress the frets, get the intonation just right, tweak the pick-ups, customize the configuration a bit, and before you know it, I'd be playing a guitar that felt like it was made to be in my hands. Playing music is always fun, but when I'm on the gig with a guitar that feels just right ... it's just pure guitar joy.

After a while I thought; “Wouldn't it be great to be able to buy a guitar that felt gig ready right out of the box?" As wonderful as that idea may seem, in reality it’s almost impossible to pick up a guitar in a music store “off the rack” and have it play right. It just doesn’t happen. There are many things that need to be done to “prep” the guitar before it’s ready to play. At Haywire Custom Guitars (http://www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com) we recommend and perform all of the following in prep for a guitar purchase before it leaves the bench at the workshop. For our purposes here I will focus only on electric instruments for now. First, let me pose a question to the beginning through the advanced guitarist. What Is Guitar Intonation and why is it important? Do you know?

Intonation is the accuracy in which an electric guitar or bass can produce a fretted note and the most important issue with any instrument. Setting the intonation on a guitar is the act of adjusting the length of the strings (by moving the bridge saddles) to compensate for the thickness of the string and the stretching of a string due to pushing it down to the fret board to produce a note. To adjust the intonation of your guitar or bass guitar, you move the bridge saddles toward or away from the fret board until the 12th fret note and its harmonic are equal in pitch to the same open-string note, which are exactly one octave apart. Accurate intonation is critical to pitch quality. Pitch quality is essential to "in tune" playing. Poor pitch quality="out of tune" notes which in turn = poor musical presentation. Wouldn't you or the salesman want to present your musical talents in the best way possible? Of course, you do.

Now, it is not necessary for a guitar player to know this at all. It is essential however that the guitar possess this quality and maintain as close to perfect intonation as possible. Buying on looks alone can be very disappointing. If however, you like an instrument for the looks but realize that you will need to have it worked on to get it playable then that is a savvy notion. It's best to speak to a luthier or guitar builder previous to any purchase. It's akin to asking a mechanic which car he would recommend-before you walk into the show room. In this way you can benefit from his first hand knowledge and experience and not have to go it alone. After all he sees the ones that breakdown more often than you or the salesman do.

Below, I have outlined the essential adjustments to be performed prior to purchasing and playing a guitar under optimal circumstances.

1. 4-axis Alignment of the guitar neck. The guitar neck is checked and adjusted to insure that it is true and straight to insure proper alignment on all axis. This step insures proper action and allows for more accurate and easier guitar tuning, playing and set-up in the following steps.

2. Inspect and Lube the guitar tuning gears

Each tuning gear is adjusted so that there is no play in the mechanism. They are then lubricated to insure smooth and even movement to make your guitar tune accurately.

3. Potting the guitar pickups. Dip the pickups in hot wax to reduce squeal and unwanted guitar feedback.

4. Prep the guitar body. Upon installing the guitar electronic components, great care is taken to insure that all wires are properly routed, spaced, and grounded to insure years of trouble free service with your guitar.

5. Level and polish the frets. This insures that all of the guitar frets are level, eliminating any possibility of fret buzz due to unevenness.

6. Radius the guitar strings. Most guitar necks have a contour over the top of the neck called the "radius". Adjust the strings to make sure the height of each string follows the contour of the guitar neck.

7. Adjusting the overall guitar string height and the action. Once the string contour and radius of the guitar strings is set, it’s time to adjust the overall height or "action" or distance of the strings from the top of the frets to the bottom of the guitar strings.

8. Set the guitar intonation. This step should be done twice. The intonation is normally set two times with a 24 hour period in between to allow the new guitar adjustments to properly re-seat.

If these steps are performed before playing your new guitar then, you won't be disappointed. Your focus can then be on the music and not the problems of the instrument. If it is "set up" properly a player will not have to "get used to" it. Everything on it will feel natural and fall right into place and the music can flow.

In summary, Guitar purchase “off the rack” can be a real disappointment. A thoughtful purchase should include consideration in buying a "custom" or "Gig-Ready" electric guitar versus a "pre-fab" instrument built on a production line. Custom guitars are individually built for a specific customer and will have all of the above necessary operations performed. All the guitarist needs to do is-Play! Sincerely, Rick Mariner http://www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com

Rick Mariner - Owner and founder of Haywire Value Priced Custom Guitars (http://www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com) and a member of The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (A.S.I.A.) as well as a guitar player. Rick holds a bachelors degree from University of Maryland and a Masters degree from George Washington University.

Rick developed an 8 - Point “Gig- Ready” guitar process that allows for Haywire Custom Guitars that are "GIG-READY".

With many years of development and guitar set-up experience, we pride ourselves in helping to build you the “Just Right” Haywire guitar at prices well below market and "set up" to playing perfection.

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

Rick Mariner

http://www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com

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Four Basic Acoustic Guitar Tuning Guides for Beginners

Acoustic guitar tuning method is similar to the method use in electric guitar tuning and standard guitar tuning. Guitar tuning is the skill that each of the guitar player need to know and master. Without proper tuning, you won’t be able to get the perfect tone and sound while playing guitar especially getting the right chord and lead.

Before you start, one important rule is to first identify which is the string that being called or named "1st. String" in guitar term. The 1st. string is referring to the smallest string located at the lowest position of the guitar’s neck. Once you knew which the 1st string is, identifying the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th string will be very easy. The 2nd string is the string located above the 1st string. Same arrangement applies to the 3rd to 6th string.

The acoustic guitar strings that being tuned up to the Standard Acoustic Guitar Tuning will have the following sound for each string:

1st. string, representing "E" note or the "Mi (high)" sound;

2nd. string, representing "B" note or the "Ti" sound;

3rd. string, representing "G" note or the "Sol" sound;

4th. string, representing "D" note or the "Re" sound;

5th. string, representing "A" note or the "La" sound;

6th. string, representing "E" note or the "Mi (low)" sound

There are several acoustic guitar tuning methods use which ranging from the expensive (normally using special electronic equipment) to the cheapest or free service from the internet (online guitar tuner).

Listed below are 4 popular acoustic guitar tuning methods that you could consider:

(1) Electronic Guitar Tuner - This is the simplest but most expensive method of the acoustic guitar tuning method. To use this method, you need to buy the equipment called "Electronic Guitar Tuner" which is not cheap. Using it of course very simple. You're using your eyes instead if ears to tune the guitar using this tool. What you need to do is just tune and plucks the string that you are tuning until its match the indicator shown on the electronic guitar tuner.

(2) Online Guitar Tuner - This method has become more and more popular now days. This is because more and more website offer free online acoustic guitar tuning service. If you plan to buy online guitar lesson software, make sure that the package comes with online guitar tuner or guitar tuning software that you can install in your computer. This method is not as easy as using electronic guitar tuner but it is not that hard either. What you need to do is to tune the guitar string until its match the sound generated from the tuner program for each string that you work on.

(3) Guitar Pitch Pipe - Guitar pitch pipe is another acoustic guitar tuning method that you could use. Guitar pitch pipe is the pipe that will produce specific sound or pitch depending on which pipe you blow. You can get the guitar pitch pipe from any music store. There are six holes on the pitch pipe that will produce tone when blow. The guitar string is then tuned to this tone. For user reference, each hole is marked with alphabet A - D - G - B - E representing each guitar string.

(4) Piano or Keyboard - If you have a piano or electric keyboard, this is another method that you can use as the acoustic guitar tuner. This method is similar to online guitar tuner and guitar pitch pipe above. The only different is you are using piano or keyboard to produce tone. The guitar string is then tuned to this tone. Similar to guitar pitch pipe, the note that you need to produce from the piano or keyboard are A - D - G - B - E.

All these methods are the standard acoustic guitar tuning method use by newbies and experience guitar players. In fact, this is a standard guitar tuning method that can be for both acoustic and electric guitars. Which method to use is depending on individual budget and skill level. What important as guitar player is to keep practicing. One day you might not need any equipment to tune your acoustic guitar.

Looking for online guitar lesson software but don’t know how to choose? Visit Ultimate Guitar Review for a fair & honest review.

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

Choosing a Guitar, Electric Guitar or Acoustic Guitar

What type of guitar do you want to own? Do you want an electric guitar, or do you want an acoustic guitar. The choice is obviously up to you. You will have to take a few things into consideration such as what type of sound are you looking for, ease of playing, and price. There are so many out there that you should easily be able to find what you are looking for.

So you want a guitar, and you are finally going to go out and try and find one. If you're on a budget then you might think that your buying options are limited. The truth is that you can probably find a better deal on discontinued models that have barely been used. There are a lot of these items laying around waiting to be sold either because the original owner upgraded, became disinterested, or just changed models.

High quality woods are more expensive and often difficult to find. This has led to the construction of low priced guitars made out of alternate wood varieties such as red cedar or mahogany. Low priced guitars can be found with laminated backs and solid wood tops. You can also find cheap acoustic guitars made out of non-wood materials such as plastic or graphite. Although it's a well accepted fact that the top, back, and sides made of solid wood are key factors in contributing to a guitar's pleasant sound, the use of cheap wood materials in acoustic guitars is becoming an acceptable alternative.

The 12 string acoustic guitar has different ways of altering the price between cheap and expensive. Much of the sound originates from the top and your more expensive guitars will feature a solid wood top to get the rich sound you are hoping for. The remainder of the guitar on more expensive models will also be made of solid wood. These methods contribute largely to the sounds produced by an acoustic guitar. Lower priced ones may use solid tops with laminated backs and sides. Acoustic guitars made for amateur guitarists are usually completely laminated. As high quality wood becomes more difficult to obtain guitars have resorted to use other acceptable materials such a plastic and graphite.

Because of the high price of new electric guitars many amateurs have chosen to buy a pre-owned model. Used electric guitars are sold when an owner decides to upgrade to a new model or has stopped playing. Usually the only thing that needs to be done with a used model is to replace the strings, as all other parts of the guitar should remain in good shape.

When you are planning on buying your guitar, don't compromise on quality. Try to find a good name brand used guitar that appears to be in good shape. In the long run you will be glad you did since the cheaper model will either run up a repair bill, or just end up being thrown away.

Be prepared with a guitar budget. Don't go out and buy a $5,000 used guitar because it's the same type of guitar Jimi Hendrix used. Find a quality used guitar that has a reasonable price. Don't go real low on a good name brand as there is more than likely something wrong with the guitar.

Try to find a guitar that is around 10 years old.. You’ll find some great bargains in this category in classified on websites like eBay. They have a section on vintage guitars that are pretty attractive pricewise. Take a look at the sellers feedback to make sure he is respectable and make a deal

So there you have it, now go out and find that guitar you are looking for, be it an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Practice and enjoy!

For more information on all types of guitars please visit http://cheappricedguitars.com

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3 Simple Steps to Tune an Electric Guitar

Novice guitar players usually have a problem with how to tune an electric guitar. However, this is an easy process that can be mastered with time and patience. Tuning an electric guitar can either be done electronically or manually. The first option makes use of a gadget known as pitch folk or an electric tuner device while for the later tuning is achieved by listening and then using your fingers to adjust the electric guitar headstocks.

Herewith is a step by step guide on how to go about the tuning business.

Step #1: Learn the Notes
Before taking a shot at it, you have to learn the various notes. The notes on an electric guitar are arranged in the following order-top to bottom: E, A, D, G, B, and E with the strings ordered from the thickest to the thinnest. Having known that, you need to establish a reference point.

Step #2: Establish a Reference Point
The reference point can be easily worked out by use of a pitch fork / electric tuner to obtain a standard pitch. Count five steps from the nuts and you will find the fifth fret mark. Strike the First E note and check the pitch on the tuner. Once you have the reference for the first pitch, the top E string, you can begin tuning the electric guitar.

Step#3: Work the Strings
Press the A note on the fifth fret and strike the string while adjusting the relevant head stock. Adjust the A note until it matches the pitch of the First E-Note.

The Third string to work on is the D string. Strike the D-string while holding it down at the fifth fret. Adjust it accordingly using the A-note above it until you obtain a matching pitch.

The next string on line is the G-string. Once again, count five frets and hold down the string then strike it. Adjust it accordingly so it matches the pitch of the D-string above it. When learning the methods of synchronizing an electric guitar, you will have to use your ears keenly to detect subtle differences in pitch between the notes. This skill is learned with time and depends on individual talent and ability. You can however notice the pitch differences by hearing a vibrating noise when you strike two strings that are out of tune.

After adjusting the G-String, work on the B-string. This string is quite different from the others and calls for a different approach. When tuning the B-string, count four frets from the nut and hold down the G-string directly above it. Adjust the B-string to match the pitch of the G-string using your ears to detect the changes.

Only the B-String is adjusted using the fourth fret as a reference. Once it is in tune, you can move on to the last string which is the E-String. The E-String is tuned by holding down the B-string above it on the fifth fret. Adjust the pitch until it is in tune with the B-string and your guitar is ready for playing.

Finally play a few chords to make sure everything is right and make adjustment if need be. And that's it; you've tuned a guitar by following the above three simple steps.

Classical Guitar - Is Playing The Classical Guitar More or Less Difficult Than A Regular Guitar?

The classical guitar is a difficult instrument to learn how to play. Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. As you take guitar lessons either on your own or with a help of a professional guitar player, you are most likely to encounter guitar sheet music.

Instead of giving the guitar player in your life cash to go towards the lessons, you can contact the teacher and pay for the lessons up front, or have them give you a gift certificate. Guitar lessons are a great gift for the guitar player in your life because you can take them no matter which level you are at. A little discipline, regardless of whether you have an inborn talent or not for playing the guitar, can better your chances of becoming a good guitar player.

Have Discipline - The most important thing you have to do in order to advance in your skill with the classical guitar is to practice regularly. It is important to make sure that your equipment is in good order and that your guitar is tuned properly. The one drawback to online guitar lessons is that you don’t have a teacher right there in the room with you to help you place your fingers on the right strings and show you a specific chord.

However, while you can learn how to play the guitar quickly and easily on DVD, some would argue that it cannot compete with a private teacher. I don’t like to make the learning curve any harder than it is already and try to make life easier for myself so I find learning how to play the guitar DVD’s definitely make the learning process fun and entertaining. An important thing to remember when learning how to play guitar chords is that the movement of the right hand is as important as the movement of the left hand.

Aside from learning basic guitar techniques, these are the three most important things to work on to improve your guitar skills. This being the case, a guitar “course” must have several key elements, among them, short, well defined lessons that teach achievable and measurable skills, be tied to a computer, interactivity, have video content, and be fun with specialty games and exercises. These guitar tips will give you a headstart but remember that to play the guitar well it requires lots of practice and whatever you do, don’t give up.

Playing the guitar requires more than the requisite musical ability, dedication and practice. One of the most important aspects of playing the blues guitar is the ability to feel the music come from your soul and pour out through the guitar. A great way to holistically grasp the basics of electric guitar playing is to listen to great electric guitar classics.

Tag :guitar,guitar hero,guitar classics,guitar lesson,guitar picks

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How To Choose An Electric Guitar

For a music aficionado, the electric guitar is the instrument that offers the greatest thrill. Many classes offering courses in guitar playing have sprung up. Hence purchasing the right electric guitar will help you to enjoy your learning experience. Here are some easy to understand tips that will enable you to make a correct decision in purchasing your electric guitar.

Are all the guitars the same?

No. There are many types of electric guitars available in the market. The right guitar depends on the sound that you are interested in. While some guitars can easily switch between jazz, blues and rock without any perceptible difference, the others cater to only one type of sound. Choosing the sound that you want will simplify your purchase decision. Besides, the sound you also need to take into account the location of the neck on the guitar. The two most common types of positions are the "set-neck" and the "bolt-on" necks. The set-neck allows you to keep on playing longer than bolt-on. The meeting point of the neck and guitar is tighter to allow the sound to move freely between the two.

The only disadvantage of set-neck is that it is difficult to repair or replace once it is damaged. The bolt-on style is available with the cheaper versions of guitars. The design is simple, locking the neck in a slot of the guitar body. Musical experts consider that this type of neck style does not give good quality sound and cannot be played longer, but this is more due to type of materials used. If you don’t mind spending money for a superior quality sound but not a durable electric guitar, go for a set-neck.

What are frets?

You can choose the electric guitar based on how wide and long the neck is. 21, 22 and 24 are the number of frets that you can get with the usual guitars. The guitars from Stratocasters have 21 frets. This gives you a shorter neck but opting for large frets will let you play more easily. Jackson guitars have higher frets. The number of frets you should choose will depend on the number of notes you want to play. A higher number lets you play more sounds.

About the Author

Click for great electric guitars advice or recommended used guitars advice. For great general interest information go to www.fopple.info.

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11 Damaging Mistakes Guitar Players Make and How to Avoid Them

Do you know how some guitar players practice most days of the week, work hard, and are passionate about their guitar playing, but they always struggle to be able to play guitar the way they want? They are frustrated because they don't improve fast enough, begin doubting their guitar playing potential, or even feel discouraged or angry with themselves when thinking about how long it is taking them to become a better guitar player.

Can you relate to that? I sure can, I just described myself 15 years ago.

There are specific reasons why guitar players go through such frustration and disappointment. Here are 11 key mistakes guitar players make and repeat over and over again that you should definitely avoid.

1. Teaching Yourself To Play Guitar. Many people attempt to teach themselves how to play guitar. Yes, it's true that some well known players were 'somewhat' self taught, but I do not suggest following that strategy even if your favorite player was self taught. If you are 100% sure that you can build powerfully effective learning and training systems on your own, that's great. However, if you are like most of us, doing it alone is the hardest, most time-consuming, stressful, and frustrating way to learn anything. This is a mistake that you should avoid. Some guitar players think it will impress others if they say, "I am a self taught guitar player". That statement might impress a few inexperienced people, but being self taught is not a 'badge of honor'. Would you rather impress others with your guitar playing or with an unimportant statement about your guitar playing? I'm not criticizing self taught guitar players, I'm only saying that there is no advantage to being self taught... and no, it is not true that being 'self taught' makes us more 'original'. In fact, the opposite is usually true.

2. Taking Guitar Lessons From Ineffective Guitar Teachers. Unfortunately, most electric guitar teachers receive ZERO training on how to teach guitar. What is worse is that the vast majority of teachers do little or nothing to improve their guitar teaching skills. Want some proof? Use google's keyword tool . Type in this keyword phrase: 'improve guitar teaching skills', 'guitar teaching skills', or 'guitar teaching training' and you will find that less than 10 searches per month are done for these topics at google! Of course there are some highly effective electric guitar teachers around, but there are a whole lot more ineffective teachers.

3. Seeking New Guitar Information (tricks, tips, tab) Without A Proven Strategy To Reach Your Specific Musical Goals. We need information, advice, help and music to play, but without a proven strategic learning and training process that is specific to you, your skill level, your musical style and what you want to be able to do as a guitar player, information won't get you where you want to go. It is better to first seek help in developing a customized strategy for you to become a better guitar player. After that strategy is in place, then it is time to deal with learning the right information.

4. Not Knowing Specifically What You Want To Be Able To Play. Most guitar players are not specific enough when they think about (or tell others about) what they want to be able to do with their guitar. To say, "I want to play whatever I wish to play" is too vague. How can you (or your guitar teacher) develop a specific and effective guitar training strategy unless the goals you have are specific? It's like saying you want to be a great athlete, how can you effectively train with such a vague goal? Sure there are things you can do to become faster, stronger, more flexible or whatever, but it's much easier if you first get specific such as, I want to train to be a gymnast, or a long distance runner, or a body builder. Yes you can still improve without a strategy, but it will take a lot longer and be much more frustrating. You can always change your goal later if you discover you want to do something else instead.

5. Not Enough Focus On Things That Matter Most To Making You A Better Guitar Player. Have you fallen into the trap of practicing guitar without focusing on the specific things that can quickly begin to improve your guitar playing? Many people really do not understand and apply this concept in enough detail.... for example, I have a student named Mark who used to take lessons from another teacher in the past. Mark was studying sweep picking arpeggios with his previous teacher, and was making some progress. However Mark did not understand what 'specific' things he needed to focus on first before attempting to master the sweep picking arpeggios he was practicing. This was holding him back and making him feel very frustrated. Mark's previous teacher only knew how to 'teach' arpeggios and general sweep picking concepts. He did not really know how to "train" Mark with the specific things to focus on and how to overcome the challenges Mark was having.

6. Too Much Focus On Things That Are Not Core To Your Goals. In addition to not focusing on specific things, many guitar players focus on the 'wrong things'. Some enthusiastic guitar players become temporarily obsessed with things which are distractions from other things that could be helping their guitar playing much more. Here is an example: I used to get so frustrated and angry when I could not play something perfectly, I'd lock myself in my guitar practice room and say, "I'm not coming out of this room until I master this damn lick if it takes me the next 19 hours! No breaks! No food! No human contact! I'm gonna nail this!" And I did master it. On the surface, it might seem like I was on the right track and practicing in a good way.... But in reality, I was spending my time only to stop being angry and frustrated. I was not investing my guitar practice time wisely by focusing on the things that mattered most to making a better guitar player. In other words, my perseverance was commendable, but my strategy to master important long-term goals was weak. I allowed myself to be distracted. I don't make this same mistake anymore, and I urge you to also avoid it! Focus on the things that really matter for your guitar playing right now. If you are not sure how to do this, seek out a proven guitar teacher today.

7. Focusing On The Right Things, But in The Wrong Order. This is a common mistake that even many advanced guitar players make which causes a lot of wasted time and frustration. Imagine you want to improve your ability to create your own cool guitar solos. Let's assume that you are advanced enough to truly understand all the primary and secondary elements of composing guitar solos (or you have a guitar teacher to help you). Each of the many elements need to be learned and/or practiced in order to easily create awesome solos that you like. Where should you begin? What should you focus on first, second, third? Which of these things should you practice simultaneously? There is always a specific order in which musical skills should be learned and mastered in order to EXPLODE your musical skills. Unfortunately, that order is totally different for every person, style of music, musical goal, skill set and knowledge, so giving an example here would be pointless. My advice, find the best teacher you can and study with him/her in order to be able to do what you want to do with your guitar much faster and easier.

8. Not Isolating Problem Areas. Few guitar players are aware of the small things that hold them back in big ways. Because these little imperfections seem insignificant to us, we often ignore them. The truth is, small hinges open big doors. In the video mentioned above I explained how allowing your guitar pick to lose its momentum when you are 'not picking' a note on the guitar makes your playing slow and sloppy.... which will make you feel very frustrated. This is why I was sure to make a special point to help you avoid that mistake.

9. Learning And Practicing Guitar In A Step By Step Linear Process. Does following a linear step by step approach to learning, practicing and mastering guitar seem like common sense good to you? Yes it does... And that is why guitar players who follow such a path are NOT great guitar players. I'm going to let you in an insider's secret... The truth is, following a linear approach to learning guitar, practicing guitar, and mastering guitar is the NUMBER ONE REASON WHY "GOOD GUITAR PLAYERS" STRUGGLE TO BECOME "GREAT GUITAR PLAYERS"...

10. Practicing Guitar In The Same Way Your Favorite Guitar Players Practice Guitar. Have you ever read about how your favorite guitar players practice guitar and then tried to repeat the same practice routine? Yes, I've made this mistake too! It seems natural to use a similar guitar practice schedule that our favorite guitar players are using. This is a mistake, because your current guitar skill level and knowledge of music is probably very different from your favorite player. His/her challenges and needs are likely not the same as yours.

Professional guitar players practice for different reasons than most amateur players do. For example, before recording a new album I will practice very differently compared to the period before going on tour. Once I'm actually on tour my practice routine changes drastically again. The rest of the year my practicing schedule changes yet again. This happens because in each case my challenges and goals are totally different. When my guitar students ask me, "Tom, how do you practice guitar?" I'm careful not to let my students assume that they should practice the same way that I do. Your practice schedule and strategy needs to be built around YOU and you only! If you need help building your own practice schedule, email me directly.

11. Learning From Too Many Different Sources Of Information. There will always be many learning opportunities and various paths to take, but it is critical that you do not get distracted into following a piece of advice from one person, then another piece of advice from another person and then follow more resources from somewhere else and so on and so on... while different people may have some good ideas to offer, the fact is, distraction is a big reason why many guitar players who are actively learning, don't really move forward quickly... these people are always busy following totally different resources, teachers, philosophies, instructional videos, free online guitar lessons, but all of this leads them to take one step forward, then 2 steps to the right, then one step forward, then 3 steps to the left, then one step backward, then two to the right, then 1 step forward and then another step to the left...

Once you have an effective strategy to become the guitar player you want to be, ALWAYS stay focused on it (unless your goals radically change)!! The very best way to do this is to have ONE primary guitar teacher who helps you to become the musician you really want to be.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't take advice from other people too, but you should have one 'primary' source of information, training and coaching, and see the other advice as an additional resource, but do not become distracted by it.

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Know Your Guitar Evolution

The guitar is a very dynamic musical instrument. Through evolution, the guitar has made its mark on the modern music scene. From crude instruments with many variations, the guitar has become a real and much-sought after instrument.

Where did the guitar come from? What is the origins of the guitar?

It is almost impossible to trace who has actually invented the guitar? The invention of the guitar cannot be traced to a single person. The guitar came about through the evolution of its predecessors. Its image has also undergone change throughout the centuries.

For as long as 5000 years ago, there have been many guitar-like instruments. In archaeological expeditions in the Iranian region of Susa, instruments which look like the guitar were among items recovered.

The very first documented mention of the instrument dates back to the 14th century. Back then, the guitar-ancestor had three pairs of strings and a single string with the highest tone. It is also believed that the people of Malaga, Spain have invented the instrument. The guitar evolved from having three pairs of strings to four pairs of strings and eventually six single strings.

During the 18th century, a major evolution occurred whereby the double strings were replaced by single strings a a sixth string was added.

In the beginning of the 19th century, classical guitar was born. The size of the body of the guitar was enlarged.

In the early 1930s, the modern electric guitar was invented. The structure and body of the guitar took a great leap when the electric guitar was born. It's sound is no longer depend on the structure and construction of the body. Instead, it depends on the quality of the pick-ups and soundboard.

Nowadays, the electric guitar is most often used, especially in performances and musical production. The guitar has been enhanced with a very good accompaniment in the form of the effects box. Guitars can now emulate the sounds of a piano, a violin; even the sounds of the human voice and is continuously widening its horizons.

To learn more about guitar playing, grab your copy of "Play Your Guitar In 48 Hours Or Less!" immediately before it's gone for good. http://www.GuitarGuide.com

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Gibson Les Paul Guitars - Americas Favorite Electric Guitar

Gibson Les Paul 2008 Standard: Gibson's newest version of the Les Paul Standard was released August 1st 2008, and it features built-in lock on strap buttons, a larger neck tenon, with an uneven neck contour to make for a comfy neck, frets leveled by Plek machine, and locking Grover tuners with an improved ratio of 18:1. The newest 2008 guitar Gibson has introduced their weight relief chambering, which has included routing chambers in precise areas of the mahogany slab body as specified by Gibson R&D. Before the 2008 release, Les Paul Standards were holy like it had holes routed into the body, but it was not chambered like most of the guitars now are.

Gibson 1961 Les Paul SG Guitars: Gibson experienced a huge fall in electric guitar sales mainly because of their high prices and huge competition from Fender's equivalent but much lighter double-cutaway design in 1960 on The Stratocaster Guitar. Gibson then made changes to the infamous guitar line. The 1961 guitar was thinner and much lighter than the previous guitars, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and vibrato system. Nevertheless, the revamp was done without Les Paul's knowledge...ooops. The musician saw the guitar, he gasped, and he asked Gibson to remove his name from the guitar and he said goodbye to Gibson. Even though this separation happened in 1960, Gibson had a huge stock of Les Paul logos and truss rod covers, and so they continued to use the Les Paul name until about 1963. That is when the SG guitar's name was finally altered to SG, which stands for Solid Guitar. Plus the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Les Paul Jr's and Les Paul Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These were the standard Gibson electric models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.

Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar: This guitar is often shunned by guitar purists who consider it to be too full of gadgets and buttons. The Recording features low-impedance pickups, many switches and buttons, and a highly specialized cable for impedance-matching to the amplifier. Less noticeable changes included, but were not limited to, maple fingerboards (1976), pickup cavity shielding, and the crossover of the ABR1 Tune-o-matic bridge into the modern day Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Guitars: The Les Paul Deluxe was in the midst of the newest 1968 Les Pauls. This guitar featured "mini-humbuckers", also known as "New York" humbuckers, and did not at first demonstrate to be very popular. The mini-humbucker pickup fit in to the precarved P-90 pickup cavity having an adaptor ring developed by Gibson, actually just a cutout P90 pickup cover, in order to use a supply of Epiphone mini-humbuckers left over from when Gibson moved Epiphone production to Japan. The Deluxe was introduced in 1968 and helped to normalize production among Gibson's USA built Les Paul guitars. The 1st materialization of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and three-piece neck. The body was a thin layer of maple sandwiched by two layers of Honduran mahogany. Later a small volute was added. 1969 Les Paul Deluxe's mark the Gibson logo devoid of the dot over the "i" in Gibson. In 1970 the dot over the i had returned, with a new Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the production was returned to mahogany. Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

Gibson Les Paul Studio: In 1983 The Les Paul Studio guitar was introduced and is still being made today. The planned market for this guitar was the professional studio musician. Consequently, the design features of the Studio were for optimal sound output. This guitar kept only the elements that added to the tone and playability, together with the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. Nonetheless, the Studio design left out many stock Gibson decorations that did not affect sound quality, including the binding on the body and neck. A notable exemption to this is the Studio Custom, a guitar in the mid 1980s that incorporated body and neck binding, though with dot fingerboard inlays instead of more ornate trapezoids.

Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar: The Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar was released in December 2007. The guitar has a computer built into the guitar body with a master control knob next to the volume knobs, which can be pulled out, turned, or pressed to issue different commands to the guitar. One of the more memorable features is the capability to tune the guitar to standard tuning simply by pulling out on the master control knob and strumming the guitar, while the tuning pegs amazingly adjust themselves to standard tuning. Another use of the master control knob is to be able to tune the guitar to alternative tunings, such as drop D, by pressing on the control knob to fit the setting. The Les Paul Robot Guitar has a new custom silverburst blue finish. While the guitar was advertised in the American as a world's first, similar systems, some external, have been in use for decades.

Gibson Les Paul Dark Fire Guitars: Just recently on December 15, 2008 Gibson publicized a new interactive computerized guitar that produces more sounds and it is named the Dark Fire. The guitar has a computer built into the body and controlled by the Master Control Knob or also called the MCK. The MCK gives guitar players the skill to change the pickups and coils, fine-tune each tone and tunings automatically and at once, even while a song is being played. Similar to the Robot Guitar, the Dark Fire Guitar features the capability to tune the guitar, nonetheless, enhanced over the Robot Guitar, the player can tune it up to 500 times per battery charge, letting the tuning pegs adjust themselves to different tuning styles. Using the Chameleon Tone Technology Gibson says this guitar will produce every imaginable guitar sound. In addition to the enhanced and advanced tuning features, the guitar has 3 various types of pickups, which includes: Burstbucker (humbucker), a P-90 single-coil and a bridge-mounted piezo acoustic--all of which add to organic blends of original sounds.

http://music-memorabilia-posters.com/ Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

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