How to Read Guitar Music Tablatures - A Guide to Improve your Guitar Playing

Guitar is a popular stringed and fretted musical instrument that is used to create rhythm or music simply by strumming or plucking its string. Guitar is one of the oldest and most popular musical instruments that are still in use today. The fact that everybody loves music is the main aspect of the popularity of guitar music. People of all ages and various walks of life have their own preferences for guitar music be it for relaxation or entertainment purposes. Listening to guitar music is one of the best way to loosen up after a long and stressful day.

On the other hand, for some, listening to guitar music is not enough. Some would people prefer to play the musical instrument, especially those who know how to play the guitar. Some find it difficult to play the guitar but because of the numerous guitar tutorials (either in electronic form or not) that are available these days, playing the guitar can be quite easy and simple. All you have to do is just follow the guitar music sheets – an illustration that contains lines and chords for you to follow – or more known as guitar music tablatures. This way you will learn how to play the guitar and play along your favorite song.

It is quite easy to read the guitar tablature; the illustrations make it a lot easier to learn the numerous guitar chords. And for those who already know how to play but are not quite good, guitar music tablature will help you improve and enhance your guitar playing skills.

On the other hand, the guitar music tablatures also have some disadvantages. The main disadvantage of guitar music tablature is the absence of rhythmic notation. You must know the song properly in order to properly play the song. For some people, in order to quickly learn how to play their favorite song, they usually play along with the guitar as the song plays on the background while studying the guitar tablature.

This is one of the fastest and most efficient ways of learning how to play the guitar. This way, you will save yourself a significant amount of money because instead of taking up guitar lessons and paying for a tutor, you will just be study on your own pace. And as soon as you memorize the numerous guitar chords, playing along your favorite song will be like a walk in the park.

Janeth Tuazon is musician and a writer. Read information about guitar music on her articles at Guitar-Music-101.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janeth_Tuazon

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.

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

Guitar Tab - Deck The Halls

In this guitar lesson you will learn to play the Christmas song Deck The Halls with the help of guitar tablature notation. I will also explain how to read this easy form of guitar notation!

Guitar tablature notation consists of six horizontal lines representing the six strings of the guitar. The top line of the tablature represents the string with the highest pitch.

Let us take a look at a guitar tablature staff:

1. ----------------

2. ----------------

3. ----------------

4. ----------------

5. ----------------

6. ----------------

On these lines you will find numbers representing the frets to press down. Let's start with the first line of the lyrics and corresponding guitar tabs:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

1. --------------------------------------

2. ---3---1---0---------------0-------

3. ---------------2---0---2-------0---

4. --------------------------------------

5. --------------------------------------

6. --------------------------------------

The number 3 on the second string means that you press down the third fret on the second string and play the note with your right hand.

Let us continue:

Fa la la la la, la la la la

1. -------------------------------------------

2. -------0---1-------0---------------------

3. ---2-----------2-------2---0-------0---

4. -------------------------------4----------

5. -------------------------------------------

6. -------------------------------------------

'Tis the season to be jolly

1. ---------------------------------------

2. ---3---1---0---------------0--------

3. ---------------2---0---2-------0----

4. ---------------------------------------

5. ---------------------------------------

6. ---------------------------------------

Fa la la la la, la la la la

1. -------------------------------------------

2. -------0---1-------0---------------------

3. ---2-----------2-------2---0-------0---

4. -------------------------------4----------

5. -------------------------------------------

6. -------------------------------------------

Don we now our gay apparel

1. ---------------------------------------

2. -------0---1-------0---1---3-------

3. ---2-----------2---------------2-----

4. ---------------------------------------

5. ---------------------------------------

6. ---------------------------------------

Fa la la, la la la, la la la

1. ---------------0---2---3---2---0-------

2. ---0---2---3-----------------------3---

3. ------------------------------------------

4. ------------------------------------------

5. ------------------------------------------

6. ------------------------------------------

Troll the ancient Yule tide carol

1. ---------------------------------------

2. ---3---1---0---------------0--------

3. ---------------2---0---2-------0----

4. ---------------------------------------

5. ---------------------------------------

6. ---------------------------------------

Fa la la la la, la la la la

1. ---0---0---0---0---------------------------

2. ----------------------3---1---0-------------

3. ------------------------------------2---0----

4. ----------------------------------------------

5. ----------------------------------------------

6. ----------------------------------------------

Try to use left hand index finger to play the notes on the first fret, the middle finger for the notes on the second fret and so on. This will help you keep you left hand in the same position as you play!

Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com

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

Guitar Tips: Where To Start

The Quick And Easy Way To Learn To Play Guitar Without Getting Ripped Off By Money Hungry Guitar Teachers.

So you want to play guitar? What if I told you that it is easy to learn the guitar? You will either have the mindset that I am telling the truth and you will want to find out more. Or you will be skeptical and think that I am telling lies.

Decide right now which way you think, as this will determine your level of success. If you think that learning the guitar is hard, and will cost you a lot of time and money taking lessons then that is exactly what will happen.

Your success in any endeavor, be it guitar or sports or even tying your shoelaces all begins in your belief system. If you believe you can do something then you will do it.

Everyone starts out equally. No one was born with the ability to play the guitar. Everyone starts as a rank amateur. Every guitar player, whatever their ability now, was at one time a beginner. In other words, at some stage their guitar playing sucked.

The first thing you need to play the guitar is determination. You have to want it bad. You need to make up your mind that this is what you really want. Don't just have some romantic notion that it would be a cool thing to do. You either want it or you don't. Be committed, not half committed.

The next thing you need is a time frame. How long do you expect it to take before you can play guitar good enough to play a few songs? I'll tell you how long, three months. You should be able to go from the outhouse to the penthouse in three months.

So now you have determination. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player. You also have a time frame. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player in three months time. At this point you haven't even touched a guitar but you have set the wheels in motion.

What do you do next? You need to learn some chords. The good thing is that 90% of songs use the same chords. Also 90% of popular songs use only three chords. There is a formula called 1,4,5. Don't worry about it too much at this stage as you need to learn the chords and their names first.

Start by learning the open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Just do a search on the net and you will find these chords. When it comes to playing the B chord play it as an A shaped bar chord. And play the F as an E shaped bar chord.

Start playing them in the following order.

A / D / E / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / E //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,1's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E. Again just take this for granted and don't worry about it too much. The idea is to practice changing between the chords. You'll probably recognize a few songs in these exercises as well. Music is very repetitive. You will often find different songs having the same musical backing with only the lyrics being different.

Next play the following.

A / D / E / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / A //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,4's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / E //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,1's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / D / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / B //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,5's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / D / A / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / E / B //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,1,5's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / C / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / E / A //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,1,4's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E. Notice how you are playing the same three chords in each example, but in a different order.

This is how people write songs. They pick a group of chords that sound good together and they arrange them in a particular order. A group of songs that sound good together is called a key.

There are only twelve keys in music and we have used five so far. The reason I chose the keys of A, D, G, C, and E is because they cover the seven basic chords you have learned so far.

Keys consist of seven chords arranged in logical sequence. For example the key of C goes like this. C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor, B diminished.

Don't worry about the minor chords and the diminished chord at this point. You are only concerned with the major chords. Can you see that if you start counting from C you get C = 1. F = 4 and G = 5. This is how we get the 1,4,5 formula.

It is the same with the other keys as well. 1,4 and 5 will always be major. But you can learn more about this later on down the track. For now focus on playing the chords in the above exercises.

What you are doing is building finger memory on your left hand. You don't even need to strum the guitar while you are doing this. Just get used to changing between the chords. Once you know how to hold each chord you can practice without your guitar. Sounds a bit crazy but you you should do this exercise if you want to learn fast.

Just picture yourself in your mind playing the chords and changing between them. You will notice the fingers on your left hand will begin to move while you are doing this. This is a good thing.

What you are doing is working the same mental pathways that operate while you are physically playing your guitar. As a beginner this is a very significant and important step. You need to be able to see a chord and know where to put your fingers in a split second. So lets break it down into small steps.

1. Learn the seven chords. A, B, C, D, E, F and G. You don't have to be good at playing them, you just need to know what they look like and how to finger them. Once you can do this you will be able to picture them in your mind, and you can start to practice them without your guitar. The hands always follow the head. So get them into your head first.

2. Now that you know the names of the chords and what they look like, you need to start moving between the chords. Changing from one chord to the next. Start with the 1,4,5's as these combinations appear in almost every song. This is not just a boring exercise, you will actually play all of the 1,4,5's as you begin to learn songs.

By doing it now you are getting a head start on other beginners as you are actually learning some music theory. You are learning to transpose. It will all become crystal clear later on. Think of it this way. You learnt how to talk as a child before you learned what the English language was about. You know, nouns and verbs and all that sort of stuff.

So at the moment you are learning the practical side of guitar playing in the shortest possible time. You are also setting yourself up to understand the language of music. By following this method you will progress faster than other beginners. You don't need to be able to read music to play the guitar. You do need to understand a bit of theory.

3. Once you can move between the chords. Then start learning the songs that you like, or start writing your own songs. When you start learning guitar you will usually have in mind the songs of your favorite artists.

It is good to start with songs that you are familiar with. Keep in mind that song books can be wrong. Especially the way they show the chords. If you see a B chord for example. There may be three or four ways to play that chord. Just play the one you know. You don't have to play the songs exactly as they are written in order for them to sound good.

Playing the guitar is a long journey. It takes a lifetime, even then you still won't be able to play all the styles.

So just stick with what you like, it's supposed to be fun after all, that's why it's called "playing" guitar. When you play, you have fun. Use the method's that I've told you about. Especially the mental rehearsal techniques.

You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying these techniques, so dive in and give them a go. Make sure you at least know the chords A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Do this before you go to a guitar teacher. These chords are the bare minimum you will need. Don't waste your time and money taking lessons until you can freely move between these chords.

When you go to a teacher, you should feel comfortable with them. They should make the learning process easy and fun. If they don't, go and find another teacher. Don't be afraid to walk away.

You can also order some courses over the net, but nothing compares to a real live person if they are a good teacher. Also one teacher will not be able to teach you everything, shop around a bit.

I hope you have enjoyed this article.

P.S. Guitar playing is a journey. You will feel frustration, and also immense joy. Don't worry if you don't get it at first, by simply doing things over and over, you will improve.

Just picture yourself a year from now. How good a player will you be? You should be able to play in a band easily in that time. Every guitar player started out from the same position. And only those who persevered became great players.

The time will pass, that is for certain. It's what you do with that time that will make massive difference. Always start with the end in mind and don't forget to enjoy the ride.

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How to Tune a Guitar?

Today we are going to take a look at some basics when it comes to playing a guitar. Actually, when it comes to playing any stringed instrument. In order to sound in-tune with the rest of the band, your instrument needs to be properly tuned – it needs to be tuned to the right key. And not only that - in order for the instrument to sound well in the first place, the strings need to be correctly tuned when compared to each other.

So, let's talk about tuning a guitar. When it comes to guitars, it doesn't matter whether you play an electric guitar, acoustic guitar or a classical one. The strings at the so called standard-E tuning are always tuned the same.

Some basics first. The most widely used guitar tuning is the standard-E tuning. It means that the strings produce tones E, A, D, G, B, e. If you need to remember that (to impress some girls, for instance), you can always think of a sentence: Eat All Day, Get Big Easy.

So, the thickest string (the top one) has to be tuned to the E note. How to do that? Well, the first option is to match it with the E note on the piano or another properly tuned guitar. The other option is to use a special instrument, the so called tuning fork. It produces the tone of 440 Hz, which is exactly what you need. But to really match the right tone requires quite a good ear for music and some experience. The best option almost always turns out to be a purchase of a special gadget, called electronic tuner. It has a little display that shows you which way to turn your tuning pegs while playing a single string. There is a free option as well – you can get one of the guitar tuning programs and install them on your computer, if it has a microphone. A huge majority of modern computers and especially laptops do have them.

Once your E string is tuned, the rest is pretty easy. If you have an electronic tuner of any kind, it will show you exactly how to tune all of the other strings. If you do not have one, you need to hold your E string on the fifth fret and match it with your A string. You still remember that the A string is the second thickest string, right? Once your A string is properly tuned, hold it on the fifth fret and tune the D string. And the same goes for the G string. But – life is not that easy, is it? We do have an exception. To tune your B string, you need to hold the G string on the FOURTH fret. For tuning the e string (the last one), hold the B string on the fifth fret again.

This should suffice for more than 95 percent of all songs. Some of the songs require you to use the drop-D tuning, which goes DADGBe. It just means that your thickest string needs to be tuned to the D tone. And if you sometimes need to tune the whole instrument a little bit higher, I suggest you use the capodaster.

I really recommend you to tune your instrument every single time before you start playing. Once you get used to playing a perfectly tuned instrument, it gets really difficult to play a not-so-well tuned one. And it is really helpful for you if you always practice in the exact same key – that way you are able to learn the songs in the right way and all of the chords will just sound clean and right.

I wish you all the best and have a great time playing the guitar!

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Guitar Speed

You're reading this because you want guitar speed. Maybe you want to play more intense music. Maybe you just want the praise from band mates, friends, family, and the chicks.

And by the end of this article, I promise you'll know what you need to do to get blazing fast on your instrument in a short amount of time. Even if you believe you can't get there and you've tried it all.

This isn't another piece of common advice. I'm talking rocking, rip-roaring notes flying from your fingertips like a baseball card hitting the spokes of a bike. This is something little known about being a monster musician. I'm talking about a type of speed you can attain even if you practice less than an hour a day. And it's still impressive.

What I'm talking about is legato. Legato means smooth and connected. It's basically playing all hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Most guitarists know how to play legato style on the pentatonic scales and a little on the 3-note-per-string diatonic scales. The result is more like a bag of tricks than freedom.

The guitar speed you want is free flowing from mode to mode, from fret 1 to fret 22. You want to be an absolute animal on guitar. But you're not really willing to put in the 8 to 12 hours of practicing a day like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. Or else you'd be there already.

Well, I'm with you! I don't want to practice all that much either. Because I just like to rock and have a life. My playing is influenced by my experiences in my life and if it weren't for those, I'd be playing a bunch of stale music. It wouldn't be worth it.

On the contrary, my man, you want to actually enjoy playing.

Okay, so what you need to learn are different tactics for attacking legato playing on 3 and 4-note-per-string scales (4-note-per-string scales I'm talking about are called tetrachords).

Here are some legato technique tips:

- Hammer-on and pull-off 7 times on the 3 notes of each string.

- Climb with hammer-ons for 6 notes and pull-off back 3 notes, then continue hammering-on with 6 notes, and continue pulling-off back 3 notes, and so on.

- Hammer-on 3 notes, skip a string, hammer-on all three notes, pull-off 5 notes back, and from that point repeat the string skipping process.

Can you visualize what I'm talking about in your mind? If so, you have 3 new ways to play all 7 modes all over your guitar very fast.

Think about how you can apply these techniques to your pentatonic scales when cutting across your fretboard as well. Think of cutting across your fretboard in 5 note octaves and you can use these same guitar speed techniques to tare up that guitar.

Once you master these tactics, you'll be able to attack your guitar in wild new ways. What's crazy is you'll unlock the type of playing that's been amazing you for years. Even crazier, playing it legato you can play like a legend by practicing less than 1 hour a day.

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Getting The Best Guitar Through A Bargain

Knowing the right guitar for you shouldn't start and end with getting one. Definitely, the work isn't done yet. Before you anxiously pick one out in a store and start the music session, think about getting one that gives you value at its best. Simply put, grab that most wanted guitar at a worthy price you can take pride in.

A guitar guru shares a secret. While most people assume that the guitar's price tag reflecting $599 speaks of the price they should pay, guess again. Owners of music stores selling guitars gain from the sale of items displayed at their store. Simple mathematics says that it allows them to considerably decrease the item's price.

The trickiest part is in getting the store owner to make your guitar of choice affordable for you. In order to get a hold of a successful bargain, think of the basic facts. First off, think across: the music store owner wants to earn your payment; in return, you want to give up as little of your money as possible. Remember to always be in control of your money while making them earn it.

The salesperson should come handy during a "need-to-know" circumstance.

Make it known to the salespeople that you have seen other nice guitars in several other stores in town as you surely have. Before you start getting into the bartering mode, inquire if the total price on display includes a guitar case. It is also important to ask the kind of case, if any. Check if it is a hard shell, therefore more expensive, or a soft shell case that will save you a few dollars.

Do not buy the guitar at once, especially if you have learned and confirmed that stocks of the product abound.

During your return visit, try out several other guitars. Try to consider a much cheaply priced guitar. Trade secret revealed: selling a cheaper guitar affords storeowners a small commission, so they will be willing to deal with you on a more costly guitar.

Learn to take your time so you do not appear to be hurrying. Carefully consider if that really is the guitar you want and need.

As wise buyers will attest, never fall for the list price of a guitar. These list prices usually get greatly inflated.

If you have difficulties with taking the conversation toward a possible discount, try approaching the salesperson for the whole price, inclusive of case and tax for the guitar. When a final quote is set, you can simply ask the salespeople what they can do to possibly make the price even lower. Aim for a specific amount that you prefer to dish out; you can target a discount of, say, about 15%. You can make the salesperson aware of stores you know, if any, that offer a lower price for the same kind of guitar.

There are also instances when the guitar on display is already pegged at a sale price. It can also be a very budget-priced instrument that it will be difficult to convince the salesperson to give discounts even more. Under these circumstances, you can ask the salesperson or store owner to perhaps include for free some accessories, or at least have them at a hugely discounted price. These guitar accessories may include guitar strings, a capo, a patch cord, a guitar humidifier, a polish, a guitar tuner, or string winders and picks or similar smaller items. You might not get the discount you target for, but you sure are getting value for your money at it.

Bringing home your dream guitar doesn't have to bust the budget. Hunt for guitars happily!

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