Archive for the ‘Guitar’ Category
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
Several explanations for the importance of guitar scales exist on the Web yet the one that makes the most sense to GLC is to compare guitar scales to the weight of your guitar expertise. You can play the guitar without much knowledge in regards to guitar scales, but at some point you’ll really want to learn them unless you want to be a lightweight. Guitar scales teach beginners how to solo and improvise and your understanding of not only the guitar, but music, will improve when you pick them up.
Do you want to be a light or heavy-weight?
Guitar scales are important because they essentially introduce you to the fretboard. These days you can skip learning the scales by reading the tablature of your favorite tunes, however when it’s time to understand how to create and form your own leads, solos, licks, etc you will be gravely behind.
What is a scale?
A scale is a group of notes arranged in ascending and descending order designed to express the types of notes used in a song or designate the key of the song. In other words, songs are composed based on a particular scale. Once you know that scale you subsequently know what notes you can play in the solo and what notes are off limits. Thus, the scale basically tells you what sounds good and what sounds bad based on the given scale.
…Now you should be able to understand why learning guitar scales from the beginning is important. It’s what separates the trained guitarist from the novice.
Understanding Guitar Scales
Guitar scales are composed of whole and half steps. The half step is when you move from one fret to the next on any given string (i.e. 1st to 2nd fret). The whole step is when you skip one fret to the next note (i.e. 1st fret to 3rd fret). Essentially, half steps mean you only slide one fret down while whole steps require you to jump, or skip a fret.
Whole steps and half steps are important in regards to guitar scales because each scale has a particular pattern. Thus, if you know where the half and whole steps are on the scale you will quickly be able to reach the notes designed for a solo. At first, learning guitar scales is confusing and challenging largely because you’re still learning the scales and unaware of the correct steps. Consequently, you need to practice popular guitar scales daily until they’re memorized.
Popular Guitar Scales
The first two guitar scales (and most popular) you need to learn are the Major and Pentatonic Scale.
Music theory teaches us that there are seven major notes — A,B,C,D,E,F,G. When someone says let’s play “C Major” they are referring to the Major Scale with the note C as its root. The root note is the first note in the scale and gets everything started. Now that you understand the correct steps in the Major Scale you can play the other notes that compose the “C Major Scale” – C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (one octave lower).
Did you know — The majority of popular music is based on the major scale? Once you learn the key, find the root on the fretboard and know the pattern of the Major Scale you will have the notes that blend well for a solo or lick.
The Pentatonic Guitar Scale features both a major and minor version. Instead of being a heptatonic scale (seven note like the Major Guitar Scale, above), the Pentatonic scale is composed of only five notes per octave. The composition of the Pentatonic scale makes it very popular in music used around the world because any pitches of this scale may be played in any order or combination without clashing sonically.
The Pentatonic scale removes the 4th and 7th scale degrees of the Major Scale, which means that in comparison to the example (above) the C Major Pentatonic Scale would read: C,D,E,G,A,C (one octave lower). Note that the second C does not count in either scale (it’s just one octave lower) thus warranting the seven and five note scales.
The Importance of Guitar Scales
The Major Scale is very common in popular music and the Pentatonic Scale is an outstanding scale for solos because when you use it over any chord progression it’s difficult to make it sound “bad”. Thus, if you need a good starting point for scales master the Major and Pentatonic Scale.
Posted in Guitar, Scales | No Comments »
Friday, October 14th, 2011
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make after purchasing their first guitar is thinking that is the last time they’ll have to worry about the actual instrument and with all the emphasis placed on actually learning the guitar we wanted to set aside today to talk guitar maintenance essentials.
Your guitar should be treated like a vehicle. If may operate but if you forget to change the oil and air up the tires eventually the automobile is going to break down. The same is true of a guitar. If you reserve a few minutes every month for guitar maintenance your instrument will stay in phenomenal shape and last for years. What do you need to do?
First let’s start with ways you should never treat your instrument. If you neglect the guitar it will result in costly repairs…
- Never subject you guitar to extreme environmental conditions: heat, cold, very moist or dry air
- Avoid leaving it in typical places where extreme conditions can occur (a car trunk, an attic, etc)
- Avoid leaving the guitar in direct sunlight, especially for extended periods of time
- Never use home cleaning products on your guitar, they can damage it!
Now that you understand what you need to avoid, be sure to follow these guitar maintenance tips…
Keep It Clean
Visit your local music store and invest in guitar polish, fretboard oil and other products designed to keep your instrument clean. Whenever you play natural oils transfer from your body to the guitar. It may be subtle yet over time the instrument becomes dirty. You need to polish the wood and clean the metal, plastic, etc parts from time to time. Depending on how much you play, do this 1-3x a month.
Another simple yet neglected practice is to ALWAYS wash your hands thoroughly each time before you play. Avoid eating greasy foods (like pizza) prior and definitely while you practice. After you finish playing wipe the strings down with a soft cloth. It will not only keep the instrument clean, but also increase the length of the strings.
Protect Guitar w/ Soft or Hard Case
If you do not own a soft or hard guitar case be sure to get one! The best guitar maintenance procedure is preventative and storing your instrument in a gig bag will always protect your instrument from the elements. When you start playing shows it’s especially important to have a traveling case.
Changing Guitar Strings
A lot of people ask, “How often should I change my strings?” The answer depends on how much you play as well as personal preference. Guitar strings do wear out and you’ll begin to recognize strings that need replaced with experience. If the tone is no longer as strong (sounds dull) it’s a good indication you need to change guitar strings. If the strings have actual dirt spots you should use that as another warning. If in doubt, try to change you strings at least every 6 months.
Periodic Check-Up
Whenever you change strings is a great time to clean the fretboard with an oil (sold at music stores), wipe the actual frets, dust off the knobs and other plastic parts as well as polish the body of the guitar like previously mentioned. During this time you can scan your instrument for any concerns. Do this periodically and your guitar will last longer and stay in better shape!
Posted in Guitar | No Comments »
Saturday, October 1st, 2011
Guitar chords look and sound simple especially when you watch a veteran play them, but they do take a little time to learn for beginners. The biggest problem with guitar chords is you generally need three fingers, all in positions using muscles that you traditionally do not use. Oh, and did we mention you need to fret each string clearly without getting in the way of the string above or below?
Learning guitar chords is all about muscle memory. When you practice playing chords, and do it the right way, you progressively get better. When you first start playing guitar chords, they probably will not sound all that great. With practice, those chords will ring nice and clearly in no time.
Struggling with guitar chords? Check out common beginner mistakes below…
Start with Easy Chords
There are hundreds of guitar chords. However, you will find after a few months of quality practice that a lot of songs utilize the same basic chords, which makes your practice easier because A) often these are easy chords to learn and B) once you memorize these chords you will learn new songs much quicker. Start with basic, easy-to-learn chords like G, A, E, D.
Warm-Up Your Fingers
Do you remember when you were in gym class and the instructor always made you run a couple of laps before playing dodgeball? It seemed pointless, right? Warming up you fingers might sound ridiculous (‘They’ll just warm-up when I practice’), but you will be surprised how much more you will get out of practice if your fingers are ready to go. The biggest frustration with learning guitar is that you are using muscles in your fingers that you rarely would use otherwise. Your left index finger may be able to fret any string, but what about the ring or pinky finger? What about when you need to strum a chord incorporating all three fingers?
The good news is that finger strength improves A) simply by practicing, B) with daily warm-up exercises and C) even through outside means like finger weights. Okay, maybe you’re not into the whole finger weight thing, but you would be surprised how wide scale exercises (they stretch as well as warm-up fingers) will improve finger strength as well as get you ready to play chords.
Keep Your Eyes (and fingers) In The Right Places
Quick exercise. Try playing a chord. Now freeze! Where are your eyes when you play the chord?
Most beginner guitarists would probably say their eyes are focused on the neck of the guitar, or more precisely the fingers fretting the chord. It might seem like a logical practice yet the reality is you can focus too much on the fingers playing the chord. Remember when you first picked up the guitar? You were probably so sloppy with strumming/picking that your eyes were only watching the pick as you played. Now, you’ve been playing for a couple of weeks and only starring at the bridge seems ludicrous, right? The same is true with the neck. As a result, some instructors have the beginner wear a blindfold when they play each chord. Now you are no longer looking, but feeling the chord.
Keep an Eye on the Pinky
We already discussed how frustrating the pinky can be since it’s rarely the primary finger for doing ordinary tasks like cupping a ball, pointing, etc. Consequently, when beginners pick up the guitar they have a tendency to hide the pinky. Who needs it anyhow!?
Unfortunately, that’s a terrible habit especially when learning chords. A wise guitarist understands that your fingers (yes, even the pinky) always hover over the strings of the guitar even if they are not fretting at that precise moment. Why? You will be able to shift between chords much faster.
Posted in Chords, Guitar | No Comments »
Sunday, September 18th, 2011
So you want to learn to play your first song on guitar?
Playing popular songs on guitar is an incredible step in progression because other than creating your own music, learning to play popular songs is the primary reason people learn the guitar. While guitar tabs have made it much easier to learn how to play songs it’s important to not get too far ahead. Any expert will tell you that the only way you can master guitar is by A) learning the fundamentals B) mastering the fundamentals and then C) upgrading to more challenging tasks such as learning to play your favorite song.
While you can learn guitar riffs and chords to popular songs on day one the best advice is to learn the basics and fundamentals before messing around too much with guitar tabs. Got the basics down? Let’s learn how to play your first song.
Grade the Difficulty of the Song
Most people who play the guitar love songs that profile the…you guessed it…guitar. Consequently, you may be a huge Van Halen fan, but do you honestly expect to master “Fire in the Hole” after only two months of quality guitar practice? Hence, your favorite song may be a little difficult to learn immediately on guitar. If this is the case, try to learn a song that is not too challenging with a beginner to moderate difficulty. Thankfully, most top guitar tab sites grade the difficulty of each song.
Break the Song into Segments
If this is your favorite song chances are you have heard it. A lot. Thus, learning to play the song should not be too difficult because your ear already is accustomed to the track. Still, it’s a great idea to break the song into its different segments including the verse, bridge, chorus, solo(s), etc. The verse will likely be easier to learn than the solo yet probably not as simple as the chorus. Break the song into segments and start by learning the easiest parts of your favorite song.
Understand The Guitar Tab (and pick a reliable one!)
Several guitar tabs exist for a single tune. Unfortunately, that does not mean they’re all equal. It will take a little time to find an accurate guitar tab that actually teaches you how to play the song. Fortunately, most guitar tab sites allow users to rate the tab seeding out the incorrect entries. Guitar tablature is a simplified version that is easier to comprehend when compared to sheet music. Guitar tabs simply tell you what string(s) to play and where to fret.
Master the Tempo
Guitar tabs are not great at breaking down the rhythm and tempo of the song. Sheet music is much more reliable. Again, your ear is probably accustomed to the song so developing the rhythm will not be extremely hard, but it will take a little practice. The best advice is to listen to the master recording a few times, paying special attention to each segment. Once your ear is trained it’s time to transfer it to your actual guitar playing.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Once you have a reliable tab, break the song into segments and develop an ear for the rhythm it’s time to learn the song. Start with the first segment of the song and progress from there. Learning the guitar is all about muscle memory and thus the coordination of your hands will improve as you practice, practice, practice. Once you learn the song perform it in front of a few people to show off your progress and move on to a new song!
Posted in Guitar, Learn Guitar Online | No Comments »
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
At first glance, Guitar Apprentice looks an awful lot like music interactive games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but as the slogan for the software reads, “This ain’t no video game”.
Arriving this past Tuesday, August 30, Guitar Apprentice is an interactive learning program that allows beginner guitarists to learn the instrument while playing classic Rock ‘n Roll songs like “Shine”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Can’t Buy Me Love”. Following blockbuster results and rave reviews at this year’s Summer NAMM, Guitar Apprentice gives guitarists an entirely new approach to learning guitar. It combines the technology of video gaming and interactive player components with the use of your very own guitar, set to different skill levels.
Beginning players can now pick up their very own guitars and learn how to play, while engaging in an on-screen environment that supplies a fast, easy and fun instructional platform. The video system takes the guitar part of hit songs and breaks them into easy portions on multiple levels so that they are as painless and fun to learn as a video game.
On the lowest level, the player only plays a portion of the guitar part, while Guitar Apprentice plays the rest. The player gets to rock out with the entire song by playing only a few chords. As the player improves he moves up through the different levels playing gradually and increasing portions of the guitar part. By the time the player reaches the highest level, he is playing the entire song and ready for the stage!
At GuitarApprentice.com, consumers may download the free trial song of the week or subscribe to the entire catalog. New songs are added weekly and already includes hits like “Boom,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Shine,” “You Really Got Me,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Taking Care of Business,” “Get Back,” “Hey Jude,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Independence Day,” “Please Remember Me” and “Mountain Music.” Can’t read music? The on-screen display is easy to decipher regardless of your knowledge of sheet music.
While video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band can be fun, the reality is that these simple music interactive games cannot captivate the “real thing” and toy plastic guitars will never allow you to reach your dream of being a rockstar. Meanwhile, Guitar Apprentice has that potential. The younger generations obviously enjoy games like Guitar Hero so why not transform that into an experience where you learn in a similar environment with an actual guitar?
We think it’s a genius concept and if you are looking for a refreshing way to learn guitar (while playing some of the biggest hits in the industry) you need to check out Guitar Apprentice. Get all the information at GuitarApprentice.com.
Posted in Courses, Guitar, Learn Guitar Online, Videos | No Comments »
Sunday, August 28th, 2011
Practice, Practice, Practice.
We all know that nobody is born perfect. Sure, some people are blessed with natural talent, but the only way the best guitarists in the world reached that status is because they practiced their a** off. The good news is that if you love music, and you love playing the guitar, practice is fun. However, we all need to set-up a practice plan especially on those infamous days where the last thing you feel like doing is playing guitar.
Today, GuitarLessonsCritic.com would like to present a few tips for establishing a reliable practice plan that will allow you to learn to play the guitar.
How frequently should I practice?
Every day. We all miss a day from time to time, but if you are really serious about mastering the guitar you need to play every…single…day. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you will be surprised just how quickly you can get into a good practice routine with the right practice plan. The good news is that even though we recommend trying to play guitar every single day the amount of time required is actually not that demanding.
Okay, How long should I play every day?
30 minutes.
Most veteran guitarists practice way more than that, but in as little as 30 minutes of distraction free practice you will be surprised how quickly you can pick up a guitar. Since playing an instrument is closely tied to muscle memory, practicing for an alert 30 minutes every single day will develop your muscle memory effectively. In fact, while you can easily practice for more than 30 minutes a day, practicing too much each day usually forces beginner guitarists to pick-up bad habits because the fatigue leads to a loss of focus.
Think about it: 30 minutes x 7 = 210 minutes of practice per week OR 3.5 hours
210 minutes x 4 = 840 minutes of practice per month OR 14 hours
At that rate, you are destine to play the guitar for a good 84 hours
Sounds like a lot, right?
How do I establish a practice plan?
Unlike the old days, where any expert would say you need to take up guitar lessons the guitar is much more DIY these days. However, that does not mean you have to do everything yourself. A few select individuals are driven enough to completely develop a practice plan on their own, but the reality is most of us could at least use a little direction.
While a great deal of free material is available on the web, we HIGHLY recommend you at least invest a little money into a self-taught guitar course. To save you some time, we rated the best online guitar courses.
What else do I need to know?
The guitar will take some time to learn. It truly is a wonderful instrument to play yet it takes some time to comprehend exactly what it’s capable of producing.
Similar to sports, it’s important to master the fundamentals before you progress too far. Once you lock down the fundamentals, the guitar suddenly becomes a lot more playable (and did we mention understandable?). If you can survive in the trenches for a year or two developing your fundamentals and progressing through the techniques the guitar will mold to you.
Posted in Guitar, Learn Guitar Online | No Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions:
- To provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments
- To provide all or part of the harmony
As a result, rhythm guitar traditionally requires the guitarist to hold down a series of chords with the fretting hand while strumming rhythmically with the other hand. While everybody likes to play lead guitar, most bands need at least one rhythm guitarist (often more) and mastering rhythm guitar is easier than mastering lead guitar therefore allowing you to get into performing sooner. Also, if you want to sing and play guitar you will more than likely play rhythm guitar while singing.
In order to learn to play rhythm guitar you must understand these basic concepts:
- Power Chords
- Straight 5ths
- Drop D Tuning
- Drop C Tuning
- Palm Muting
- Traditional Barre Chords
Power Chords
Power chords, like the name implies, provide a lot of energy for modern day music. The good news about power chords (also called “fifth chords) is they are very easy to play because the structure of the chord only requires the root of the chord and the fifth interval. Power chords are usually played on the electric guitar with distortion. They are a very popular element of rock music.
Straight 5ths
Straight 5ths represent a less common, but nonetheless useful power chord in your quest to master rhythm guitar. Straight 5ths is essentially playing two strings on the same fret. As a result, the straight 5th provides the rhythm guitar with a more “deathly” sound.
Drop D Tuning
Some guitarists tune their E string down to D so that they can play power chords. Believe it or not but Drop D tuning has been used from Van Halen to Led Zeppelin and provides a deeper, darker sound. Thus, it’s very popular with metal bands.
Drop C Tuning
Even heavier than Drop D tuning, Drop C tuning is a notorious rhythm guitar technique for metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying. Drop C tuning requires you to not only tune the lowest string to C, but all other strings down one note as well.
Palm Muting
Palm muting is another technique used often in metal. Any song that features an endless stream of grinding, chunky rhythm notes between the chords is what you would define as palm muting. Learn more about pulling off palm muting HERE!
Traditional Barre Chords
Traditional barre chords is a type of guitar chord, where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the guitar fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the strings), enabling the guitarist to play a chord not restricted by the tones of the guitar’s open strings. Barre chords are also referred to as “moveable” chords.
Posted in Courses, Guitar, Learn Guitar Online, Videos | No Comments »
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
If you have been playing guitar for a couple of months you probably discovered that learning guitar is all about routine. Learning to play guitar can be challenging, exciting, motivating, grueling and inspiring but you’ll only tap into those emotions with the correct mindset. Consequently, if you have the space (always an issue) you should try and reserve one spot in your house as the music room.
Why?
When you have a music room you have a place where you can escape reality and get lost in your own creativity. Designing a music room has several benefits, including:
- Quiet place to study and learn
- Room exclusively used for learning guitar
- Makes you feel like a professional
- Fuels inspiration because you can decorate with appropriate decor
- Easy way to store and organize all guitar accessories
- Great to show off to friends and family
If you’re not excited about designing a music room why bother? However, if you’re like most musicians you need a room to yourself or for fellow musicians when you want to jam. Thus, designing your music room should be a fun experience! Need a few tips? Check out some of GLC’s must have accessories, decor and tips for making your music room shine.
Design Your Music Room: Planning
Unless you’re fortunate enough to design a home from scratch you likely walked into your home “as is”. Thus, the first step is to pick a spot that will serve as your music room. A few things you’ll want to consider are square feet, location of room (upstairs vs. downstairs) and proximity to roommates and neighbors. If you like to jam loud and late you may want to reserve a music room for the basement and away from a lot of windows. Perhaps you’re inspired by the surrounding scenery? Pick the room with the best window view.
Design Your Music Room: Colors
You might not be an interior designer but most people know what works and what does not. A lot of basic rooms are painted white and most creative personalities will agree that white is bland and boring. It’s not a hospital so what color scheme do you want to rock? Perhaps you want to color code with the finish of your guitar? Maybe you’re a huge Broncos fan so orange and blue is a must. It’s your room; just make sure you spend a little time considering the color scheme.
Design Your Music Room: Decor
Once the room is painted and floored (we have a slight preference for wood over carpet) it’s time to bring your music room to life with some awesome decor. You love music so decor should be easy! What musicians inspire you the most? Bands? Perhaps you want to hang a poster or two with an inspirational quote? Old juke box for looks? Photo of your girl? Celebrity crush? The options are endless just make it you.
Design Your Music Room: Accessories
Regardless of the color scheme and decor, your music room will never be a “music room” until it has instruments. Obviously, you want a place to put your guitar or guitars (likely the corner) and will need some storage place to organize all guitar accessories. Additionally, you’ll need correct output for your amp and space for any other musical equipment in case you conduct a lot of jam sessions. It never hurts to have a computer and equipping the room with some speakers is a must for listening to music.
Design Your Music Room: Rules
The music room is yours after all so be sure to lay down the groundwork. If you have any pets it may be a good idea to keep the door shut at all times. Also, most musicians want a music room to be an escape so no outside distractions (phones, etc). You may want to inform roommates that when the door is shut you do not wish to be disturbed (unless, of course, the house is on fire).
Posted in Guitar | No Comments »
Thursday, July 28th, 2011
The term arpeggio (ar-peg-ee-oh) may look and sound like a foreign language yet arpeggios actually belong to one, universal language — music. Simply put, arpeggios are a reason that regardless of race, color, social class, etc we all have a common connection with music. Consequently, understanding arpeggios (and incorporating them into your learning experience) will make you that much better of a guitarist.
Arpeggios represent a challenge for some beginner guitarists. Fortunately, the guitar skill is very easy to understand, discover in popular music and therefore implement into your own practice routine. If you do struggle with arpeggios at first do not get frustrated. Stick with the basics outlined (below) and you’ll improve over time.
Before you can master arpeggios you must first understand arpeggios.
Cue the Music Theory:
Arpeggios are what some experts define as “broken down” chords. In order to understand a “broken down” chord you first must have a solid background with not only chords but chord structure. If you are clueless about the four basic triads of chord construction you need to take a step back and work on your theory before attempting arpeggios.
When you play an arpeggio you are NOT strumming the chord. Rather, you are playing every single note in a specific chord SEPERATELY. Make sense?
Example: C Major Chord is composed of the notes C, E, G (or first, third and fifth note of the major scale). Instead of playing C, E, G together for the chord you play each note individually in a sequence.
The four major triads are:
- Major (1st, 3rd, 5th)
- Minor (1st, b3, 5th)
- Augmented (1st, 3rd, #5)
- Diminished (1st, b3, b5)
If you have a decent understanding of scales, chords and triads then you know that triads are the notes that traditionally “stand out” in a given scale. Once you know the scale and you know the notes that compose a triad of that scale you will finally become aware of just how powerful arpeggios can impact a song.
If you want to use the above C Major example then you know that the notes C, E, G create the triad. With that knowledge you can literally create hundreds of different patterns utilizing only those three notes. Pretty cool, eh?
One of the first steps to mastering arpeggios is really getting down the music theory. If you have done your homework, you know that the Major scale produces a happy vibe while the Minor Scale is sad. What does the Augmented scale produce? If you said something like “exotic” you’re on the right track.
Arpeggios add a whole new arsenal of options to your guitar playing. Do your homework on music theory, learn about finding the different scales on the guitar neck and begin working on those arpeggios!
Posted in Courses, Fingerstyle, Genre, Guitar | No Comments »
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
In order to play guitar you need a guitar. Simple enough, eh?
While learning to play guitar is as easy as that most guitarists learn the instrument more effectively by incorporating many of the wonderful guitar tools and accessories available. Some of the guitar accessories (below) are simple little tools like picks and guitar straps while others are more advanced like capos & slides and electronic tuners. Regardless, they’re all essential guitar accessories for learning guitar.
Guitar Case/Bag
If you just purchased a guitar you probably do not plan on playing any live shows for awhile, right? Consequently, why do you need a guitar case/gig bag?
Guitar cases and gig bags help protect the instrument and maintain peak performance. Even if you’re not ready to play live, you may take your guitar over to a friends or on the road while you travel. If you’re really focused on keeping your guitar in mint condition you can even store your guitar in the gig bag when not in use. Regardless, owning a guitar case/bag not only makes you look like a legitimate guitarist but helps increase the longevity of the instrument.
Guitar Picks
Most beginner guitarists will learn to play the instrument with a guitar pick. As a result, you can never have enough picks. Unfortunately, guitar picks are easy to misplace or lose so make sure you have a large assortment available.
The cool thing about guitar picks is that they are sold with all kinds of decorative art and make your guitar just that more personable.
Extra Guitar String
Always carry extra guitar string because you never know when a string might snap. It’s especially important once you begin playing shows. Until then, get in the habit of carrying extra guitar string. Its simple advice but important.
Guitar Strap
When you first learn the guitar playing while sitting down will probably feel more comfortable. Nothing is wrong with this approach but at some point you will probably want to play guitar standing up (think about it, when was the last time you saw a guitarist playing live while sitting down). Consequently, it’s not a bad idea to mix up your practice routine by playing both sitting down and standing up.
In order to play guitar standing up you’ll need a guitar strap. The good news is that guitar straps are very affordable and some really sweet guitar straps exist with unique graphic art or color design.
Guitar Wood Polish (and other cleaning tools)
It’s important to regard your instrument as something you love (like a family member, friend). Therefore, never neglect your guitar! Your guitar needs some extra attention just like anything else. As a result, a lot of guitar cleaning products are available including guitar polish that you’ll need every once and awhile to shine up the body.
Invest in a few guitar cleaning products and maintain a regular schedule in order to increase the longevity of your guitar.
Metronome
It’s all about the beat.
You may not always have access to a good drummer, but you do have access to a metronome. In fact, you can grab a fantastic metronome for free online. Metronomes maintain a steady beat and assist you while you play the guitar. Do not forget to use a metronome.
Electronic Guitar Tuner
While several different ways exist to tune the guitar by far the easiest (and one of the most popular) is to tune via an electronic guitar tuner. Electronic guitar tuners are easy to use and produce an accurate result. They’ll cost a little money but be sure to invest in one. Also, once you start playing shows always bring a couple extra batteries because you never know when the tuner might lose battery power.
Posted in Guitar, Tuning | 1 Comment »
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