Selecting Your First Guitar

So you’ve decided to take up the guitar. Excellent! You’re about to undertake a journey that will change your life forever. Really. The two most important decisions you make next will be selecting an instrument and selecting an instructor. This article deals with the former.
The $1,000,000 Question – Electric or Acoustic
This choice is largely determined by the type of music you want to play. Some genres, like blues and certain popular styles, are well suited to either instrument. But others are fairly specific to either electric or acoustic. Traditional folk, for example would dictate an acoustic guitar while most jazz and rock styles would warrant an electric. And if you’re interest is in classical playing, the choice is clearly an acoustic with nylon strings. So the first step in choosing a guitar is identifying the type of music that you’re most interested in playing. Then listen to a few players that you like and see if they’re playing electric or acoustic instruments.
Full Size or Student
If you are younger than 10-years old or have exceptionally small hands, consider getting a smaller than standard instrument. It will make learning easier and you’ll be more inclined to practice if you aren’t struggling with the instrument every time you pick it up. All of the major guitar makers produce student or travel-sized guitars so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one.
New or Used
Your money will go a lot farther on a used instrument than on one that’s new. If you can find a well-maintained used guitar that fits your needs, you should consider it seriously. But be sure that it is in good shape and is what it’s purported to be. Some unscrupulous individuals sell counterfeit versions of name-brand guitars at ridiculously low prices on the used market. Be wary of any deal that seems too good o be true and consider taking any used guitar to a pro for an inspection before laying down your cash.
How Much to Spend
The low-end guitar market has made great leaps in quality over the past 15 years. There are reasonably well-built instruments, both electric and acoustic, available for under $150 new. But the cheapest isn’t always the best bargain. A beginner needs to have a guitar that stays in tune, plays fairly easily and is comfortable to use. When selecting your guitar, make sure that it meets those criteria.
In Conclusion
Every instrument is different. The more you try out, the more you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. Ask your friends who already play what they like or dislike about their guitars. And listen to the advice of those who have been through the process. But in the end, you will be spending countless hours with it, so pick the instrument that appeals to you.

Santa Brought me a Guitar-Now What???

So you've got a guitar for Christmas. You've always dreamed of being able to play but never got round to it. Well now you have an instrument, you'll probably want to learn to play it. The early stages of your guitar playing experience will either make or break you. This is going to be a challenge regardless of any natural talent you may have. I am going to suggest a few things that will make a difference and will give you the best chance of succeeding. The first thing you need to do is check out the guitar you were bought. Obviously, it is going to feel difficult to play at first but there are things that you should look at to see if the instrument is not going to hinder your learning.
1. Check that the guitar sits comfortably on you. There are many styles of guitar and not all of them will give you the best chance of learning. Take the Flying V style for example, a guitar literally shaped like the letter V. You may have always dreamed of owning a guitar like this and there is no reason why you shouldn't, just don't learn to play on one initially. The reason for this is that they don't sit on your knee very well and you will spend more time wrestling with it rather than playing it. Sit your new guitar on your knee, if it stays there with the minimum of effort, you are on to a winner.
2. For the younger guys reading this, the next step is to check that you can reach the first fret comfortably without over stretching. If you can't, you need to swap the guitar for a smaller scale. These guitars are readily available from music stores and are referred to as either 1/2 size or 3/4 size. They tune the same so you can still learn your favourite tunes and then upsize as you get bigger.
3. The next thing to check is the action. The action of a guitar is a term used to describe the space between the strings and the frets (the metal bars on the fingerboard). This space can be altered on good quality guitars and the preferred distance changes between experienced guitarists making it a personal choice. However, If the strings are so high that you could pass a cigarette lighter through it, or so low that you couldn't pass a piece of paper through it, you could be in trouble. Take the guitar to a well respected guitar shop or repairer for them to adjust it for you.
4. Make sure the guitar is in tune. It always shocks me when a student comes to a Stringstocks Guitar School for their 4th or 5th lesson and the guitar is wildly out of tune. If you practice out of tune, you'll find it hard to realise when the guitar is in tune. You can buy a digital guitar tuner that is pretty easy to use from almost any musical instrument store.
I believe that if you have the 4 points above checked then you are ready to start learning productively. There are many routes to learning to play the guitar. You can teach yourself, get a tutor, learn from books, videos, DVD's or even the internet. Which is the best one? Try and think about how you learn. Do you like to explore things for yourself? Do you like to have someone take you through the process step by step? Do you like to study books? Or do you like to be visually entertained whilst learning? Your answer may point you to one of the options I have mentioned. However, there are pitfalls to each method which I will briefly highlight.

Learn to play Bass Guitar

Many people believe that learning bass guitar is something that is very hard to do when, in fact, it is actually quite easy to learn. The great thing about it is that you only have to learn to play small pieces at a time and you can progress very quickly in your learning stages. There are many people that want to know how to learn bass guitar but simply don't know where to go and what to get in order to do so.
How to learn bass guitar
First of all, let me say that if you are a complete beginner to this instrument or any instrument for that matter, you will find that it is not only very easy to learn but is also extremely enjoyable, if you feel like you are not progressing enough or that it is a little hard for you (not likely) then just slow down and go over things at your own pace, the rewards are great when you do learn bass guitar so stick with it and don't give up.
If you have a family member or friend that has a bass guitar then it would probably be a good idea to just get fimiliar with the instrument, you do not have to get good at playing it at this stage but instead just get into a comfortable position with it and go over the different parts of it, this is simply to let you understand a little more about the instrument, you do not have to do this, it is not essential but can be a nice little introduction to it.
You may also wish to watch someone else who knows how to learn bass guitar, as in, someone that has learnt it before and see how they do things, this will give you an idea of what it is like for someone in your position and they may even be able to give you a few tips about learning how to play it.
Of course, if you wish to learn to play then you will need to get yourself a guitar or at least rent one, so get yourself one somehow and again, get a feel for it and become comfortable with it.
The first real step to learning to play bass guitar is to simply find a manual or instruction guide that will walk you through the process easily and in my opinion, this is a better way to learn than hiring a teacher or going to a class simply because it allows you to do things at your own pace and if you feel uncomfortable trying to play in front of others, you will be able to do everything in your own home or somewhere you can be alone, you can find a manual on the internet.

Karaoke

Have you ever dreamed of showing your vocal skills in front of a large screaming audience? Some people do and there's nothing wrong with it. Some people are born gifted with the ability to perform and sing. Not everyone is and that's okay, too. Where can you go once a week to croon to your adoring fans?
Karaoke is a fun and cheap thing to do during the week. Some places only have karaoke sessions on the weekends, but if you live in a larger city they usually have them at all times during the week. You may have walked into a place and discovered it was karaoke night. You may have thought about how fun it must be to sing in front of everyone. Perhaps, you may have thought about how horrible the poor sap on the stage was.
No matter what you're initial thoughts are on the karaoke phenomenon, it's something you should consider doing sometime. It doesn't matter at all if you're bad. For the most part, people are respectful of the singers. Everyone will tell you how good you did no matter how awful you were. They know how hard it can be to get in front of everyone and sing. Who knows? You might just prove to be the next Barstar!
There is an unspoken rule in the world of karaoke. If you noticed that a particular person sings the same song during the session, it's their song. You can give it a try though, but it's just the nice thing to do to let the same person sing it each week. If you do give it a try and you outshine the other person, hard feelings may develop from the person you stole the song from.
Be well and give it a go next time you're in a karaoke lounge. You may not be the next Superstar, but you may just prove to be the next Barstar!

Learn to read a MUSIC

1. Essential to communicating with other musicians.
Music is a language unto itself. Given that, how can you communicate if you cannot speak it? Ensembles, bands, choirs, opera, jazz all operate on the written notes first. Way before improvisation was the written note. Simply put, if you cannot read you will never be in any ensemble that requires it. WE could really stop right there.
2. Essential to understanding theory.
The theory of music is by necessity based on the written note. All of the structure of chords, melody, harmony and so forth can only be understood completely through the written note. I know you say well this is boring, but someday you will be so glad you started now.
3. Learn a song without any other reference.
You will not have to replay the tape or cd a million times or learn from someone else. How many times can you try to learn from a cd or from someone else and not know if you got it right? If you can read you can go straight to the book and get all of the basic information on your own. This greatly speeds up the learning curve. You cannot learn from a book the particular way a band performs the song, but you can get the basis of the song and go from there.
4. Know the way the author of those songs meant for them to sound.
This is very interesting I think. I have many times been very surprised to find out a song was written very differently than I have always heard it performed. Perhaps the performer left of the "intro" for example. "Georgia On my Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael for example. Nobody plays the intro. Also there are other examples. I know this example is an old song that many of you may not know, but the fact remains that just because you have heard it on the radio a million times does not mean it was written that way. It may be even better the way the author originally intended it! If you are a song writer I am sure you would want people to know the way you wrote it. Think about that for a moment.
5.Discover new music.
It is a wonderful thing to "find" music just because you are leafing through a songbook and you find something that really speaks top you. I have found many this way. These are songs that I absolutely love. I would never have known they existed without being able to read.
6.It is Fun!
It may seem a little hard at first, but so was riding a bicycle as I recall. In fact the first time my father let go from holding me on a bicycle I ran into a post and knocked it over! I rarely do that these days now that I have learned how. In fact there are days when I don't knock anything over.
7. It will make you a better musician.
This may go without saying, but it really bears repeating. After all, don't we all want to be a better musician? Of course we do. Are you prepared to discover new music, perform with people you might never have met otherwise, speak with authority about the origins and intent of a particular piece of music or composer? I think I know the answer. Learn to read music, you will not be sorry.

Piano Player

Who hasn’t heard a piano with admiration? and how many of those admiring a piano melody ever wished they could play this famous instrument as good as the performer. The piano is widely used in western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment in a number of genres. It is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Though piano is not portable and it’s often expensive, it’s versatility and ubiquity has made of it one of the most familiar of all musical instruments.
Among the greatest performers we can find; Haydn, the immortals Mozart and Beethoven and Romantic composers such as Listz, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms. Of course piano is not only played in classical music. This instrument has a great versatility that allows it to be played in a number of diverse genres as jazz and pop music.
Of course the personalities mentioned above belong to those ne in a life time performers. But you don’t need to be one of them to play piano well where ever you want. At home or somewhere public. You just need to have the discipline and right techniques to learn the basics and build over them. To learn to play piano is not an impossible task for any one. It’s something that is perfectly doable and attainable for you.
Many experts day that he best way to learn piano is to look for someone who will teach you “piano fluency”. This is finding a method that will train you to use your ear to bring you to the stage where you can play virtually any piano song that you hear. Making the playing of the piano a natural performance of your senses.
Private piano lessons can cost $30 an hour and more. Imagine if you did not need a piano tutor at all, how much would you save?

Guitar Lesson 1

Let's say you practice five hours a day on your guitar. What happens when you become a father with children around your feet. Can you still be a guitarist and practice?
As a father and a guitarist I have some advice. The story on how a mother can continue playing guitar has to be written by an expert on that subject.
I guess the problem is that many guitarists think that if they can't practice the way they are used to they might as well quit.
What happens with you as a guitar player when you become a father with small children?
1. You will still have time to play guitar but not when you expect it.
I have many times wondered why people that practice a lot on their guitars as they become parents suddenly stops completely to play guitar and become desillusioned with this part of their lives.
It's like a person who wants to train on a gym two hours a day. If this doesn't work he quits completely. Why?
To make ten push ups a day is better than doing nothing. I takes maybe ten seconds to make this exercise and it will have positive results. The most important thing is that you are still trying to work with your body and the time will probably come when you can increase the amount of training.
Of course the same principle applies to guitar playing. Change the way you play but don't quit. I'm sure your children don't want that.
2. Time to play guitar will come in small portions.
As you don't always know when you have time to play on your guitar you have to have your guitar or guitars extremely accessible. Have the guitar on your bed or somewhere else very close at hand. Maybe you have to buy a cheaper guitar in order to feel comfortable with this arrangement.
Personally I have an very expensive classical guitar but I mostly play on my less expensive guitars as I have them nearby all the time.
3. You might be interrupted in the middle of your guitar playing at any time.
I suggest that you give yourself a reasonable amount of homework to practice on your guitar. Try to learn this homework by heart as soon as possible so you don't need pieces of paper around as you practice. I guess you know that small children like the taste of paper..
If you give yourself just one task to perform as your guitar lesson homework you will even with small amounts of time to practice spread all over the day see yourself progressing. The important thing is to focus on this task long enough to see results and long enough for the skills to become part of your playing.
4. You will have to concentrate on more things than your guitar playing.
If you have a long term goal with your playing you will always be able to look back on what you are doing as a guitar player and can see yourself progressing. I suggest that you put your long term guitar playing goals on a place out of reach for your children but within reach of your eyes.
5. You must feel that your guitar playing is of benefit for your wife and your children.
Is it selfish to play guitar when you have children? Let me give you an example from my own childhood:
My dad was a musician playing violin, cello and guitar in our home. He was working as a guitar teacher and I heard him play classical guitar pieces, cello pieces and violin pieces everyday.
I can still remember some of those melodies and they invoke a feeling of peace and memories of childhood in my heart. I have a special relation to those pieces of music and they have certainly enriched my life.
In other words, you will need to have a repertoire of nice melodies to play for your children. Focus on learning melodies to play and try to find opportunities to play them for your wife and children.
Having a family has certainly enriched my life and made me a better musician and guitar player.

Well since I have some troubles with my blog I havent been in it for a long time, but now is new and fixed, so enjoy . . .