The Great Guitar Playing Secret by: Peter Jones

So, you want to be a guitar player huh? You want to strut like Chuck Berry, be as cool as Keith Richards, rock like Jimi Hendrix and astound like Steve Vai. You want to wake up in the morning a beginner and go to bed at night an expert. You want to be hero-worshipped and have people chant your name. Idolised, admired, remembered and revered. You want your money for nothing and your chicks for free. You want all that and more!

Good for you! You have ambition; fire in your belly and a lion in your heart. It takes a lot of gusto to want to be a great guitarist. I wish you well and hope you achieve your dreams many times over.

Now that we’ve established that you want to be a great guitar picker, how would you feel if I said I know the secret of being a great guitar picker? Furthermore, how would you feel if I told you I was going to share that secret with you right now, free of charge? I suppose you would think there’s a catch and that really I just want to sell you something. Well, it’s true that I do have an on-line store that sells great guitar tutorials. It’s also true that I would love you to visit and buy everything in the shop. However, that’s not why I’m going to share this secret with you. No way, I have another reason for giving you this information.

When I was starting out playing the guitar, I always wished that I could have known somebody who could already play and could teach me a few things. Unfortunately, in those early days I didn’t know anybody that played. I had to struggle along trying to learn chords, scales and arpeggios from the printed page. I used to worry about whether I was holding the guitar correctly, or if I was putting my fingers on the correct fret or string. A lot of it was pretty much hit and miss. More often than not…..it was miss!!

For that reason, I would like to offer some advice to guitar players that are just starting out. If you promise to listen and take notice of my advice, I promise I will share with you the secret of becoming a great guitar player. Deal? Ok, settle down with a cold can of fizzy pop, and read on……

I’m going to list these pieces of advice one by one in a bulleted list. Remember, the deal is you read and digest the information and then I will tell you the great guitar playing secret. Press your focus and concentration buttons………Now!!

1. Buy a guitar tuner and tune up! If you don’t know anybody who can tune the guitar for you, and you can’t yet tune it yourself, then you need to invest in a tuner. Do this today! Don’t struggle along on a guitar that sounds like elastic bands on a shoebox. You will not get any enjoyment whatsoever from an out of tune guitar. So, piece of advice number 1 - Tune it and keep it tuned!!

2. Consider lessons! When beginning anything in life, it is good to get off on the right foot. A teacher, a mentor, an advisor, call it what you will. To teach is one of the most fantastic things we can do. Find a teacher that takes great pride in what he does. Usually the best ones are found by word of mouth. Ask people, make enquiries, e-mail, telephone, write a letter, anything it takes to find the right person. Remember, no matter how good you get there is always somebody who can teach you something new. Hiring a teacher is not just for when you are starting out, it is something you should consider throughout your guitar playing life. A good teacher will advise you on technique, theory, performance, attitude and practicing. He or she will set you goals and reward you when you accomplish them. He or she will also explain the small things such as the importance of using a metronome in your studies, keeping your instrument clean and changing strings. Advice number 2 – Find a mentor!

3. Practice, practice, practice…….but not too much!! What does that mean “Practice, but not too much?” Well, if we want to get good at anything then obviously we do need to practice. With regards to learning the guitar, we need to get our hands to play the right notes in the right way. Although great technique takes a lot of time, effort, commitment and PRACTICE, we need to be aware of when to draw the line. Sometimes we can get that wrapped up in something that we are interested in; we can forget that there are other things in life. Our family, our friends, sports, the theatre, cinema, books, etc… Advice number 3 – Practice to get good, but chill out and relax to get even better!

4. Know what you have to learn and its importance to you now!! There are so many things to learn on the guitar that it is inevitable that you will get distracted. Chords, scales, arpeggios, licks, tunes, exercises etc… They all have to be learnt as they are all important. If you realise the importance of learning these things before you start to practice them, you will stand a better chance of keeping your focus and completing your studies. If you are learning a new chord for example, think about why it is important that you learn the chord. How will it benefit you? How will it help you to advance? How will it help you to evolve into a better musician? Everything you learn is important, understand its importance. Advice number 4 – Make sure you know the relevance of everything you need to learn.

5. Listen, listen, listen!! Ok, this piece of advice has two parts. The first part means listen to a lot of music. Try and have many influences. Remember, there is no bad music, only bad musicians. Be open to jazz, blues, rock, funk, pop, country, classical, anything! We can learn such a lot by listening. It plays a major part in our musical development. The second part of this piece of advice involves you training your ears. Try to learn to recognise chords just by the sound they make. Be aware of the subtle differences between a 7th chord and a 9th chord. It takes a long time to be able to do this properly. Stick with it and don’t worry when you get them wrong. Each time you try, you improve a little bit more. Advice number 5 – Use those ears!!

6. Play with other people!! Join a band or form a band as soon as you can. You will learn so much from playing with other people. Put an advertisement in a music shop advertising your services as a guitar player. Don’t worry if you don’t feel ready, do it anyway. The experience will be priceless! Everything improves when you play regularly with other musicians. Your time, your feel, your technique, your confidence, EVERYTHING! Make sure you do this at the earliest opportunity! Advice number 6 – Take the licks out of your room and into a band!!

7. Learn your theory!! Ok, your guitar teacher will probably stress the importance of this to you. The more theory you learn, the more your guitar playing will improve. Learn chord construction, diatonic harmony, learn about triads, intervals, major scales, relative minors, modes, etc… A lot of guitar players don’t like studying theory. Make sure you are not one of them. Advice number 7 – Read lots of music theory books!!

8. Visualise!! A lot of people do not realise how powerful a tool this is. There is nothing you can’t do in your mind! Visualisation will not improve your technique. The only way to improve technique is to sit down and play for long hours. Visualisation helps in other ways. It helps you commit things to your long term memory. Use it when learning chords, scales, arpeggios, songs, in fact, anything. There is however, a time and a place for visualisation. You can use it while travelling on a bus, waiting for your date to turn up, while falling asleep at night, sunbathing or relaxing. You must NOT use it while doing anything that requires your full attention. For example; driving, using tools, cooking and riding you bicycle. You get the idea, right? Also, do not ever think that visualisation is a substitute for hands on practice - it isn’t! You have to do that as well. Advice number 8 – Practice in your mind!!

9. Be inquisitive!! The more you play the more chance you have of meeting other guitar players. Never, ever be afraid to ask them questions even if they haven’t been playing as long as you have. We learn off everybody. Ask probing questions to see how they developed their technique. Check out the chord shapes they use. If you see one that you don’t recognise, ask them what it is. Remember your job is to improve your playing at every opportunity – do your job! Advice number 9 – Ask lots of questions and you’ll get lots of answers!!!

10. Smile!! Sometimes the stress of being a practicing guitar player can get us down. Maybe a lick you are working on just isn’t happening, or no matter how hard you try you just cannot execute a new scale properly. This is normal. Sometimes it’s better to put the instrument down and come back to it later on. Never, ever let it get you mad and never, ever get frustrated. Fight back at these challenging situations with a big smile. Try it now, right this minute. Think of something that is bothering you although deep down you know it isn’t important. Visualise it. Ok, hold it there and…….SMILE! Laugh even. Not just a chuckle but a big laugh right from your belly. Go on, feels good, doesn’t it? Treat your guitar playing challenges in exactly the same way. Deep down you know they aren’t really that important. Tomorrow is another day. I’m not saying don’t take your guitar playing seriously; just stop and smell the flowers now and again. Be optimistic, be bold, be the best you can be and……..smile!! Advice number 10 – Playing the guitar is fun – Enjoy it!!

There you go, that’s my advice to you. Good luck with your playing!

Right, all that’s left for me to do is tell you the great guitar playing secret. Are you ready? Well, don’t tell anybody but the secret of being a great guitar player is…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………….in everything you’ve just read!! Sorry guys, but there ain’t no shortcut to greatness. If you follow the 10 pieces of advice I’ve just given you then you won’t go far wrong. I still haven’t achieved it and I may never will. One thing is for sure, I’m gonna keep on plugging away, and, who knows, maybe one day I’ll get pretty close. The fun is in the trying. Work hard and feel yourself improve!

The Guitar: Its History and Construction by: Courtney Pancost

The guitar is one of the most familiar and common instruments the world over. It is descended from other stringed instruments that were common in Greece, in India, in Mexico and in Africa - in fact, throughout the known world. It's descended from such instruments as the sitar, said to be sacred to the Hindo goddess Saraswati, and the lute, which Greek mythology claims was invented by the god Apollo himself.

It's no wonder that the guitar has a history of association with the divine. The range and styles of music that can be played on the classic stringed instrument is incredible.

From the intricate fire and beauty of classical Spanish and flamenco guitar to the down-home country sounds of good finger-pickin', the guitar is a versatile and beautiful instrument.

Modern-day guitars have a hollow or solid body, a neck with frets, and a tuning mechanism that is called the machine head. They may be acoustic, or electric, and are one of the most popular instruments in the world.

Guitar bodies for acoustic guitars are made of wood, often spruce, red cedar or maple. The face of the guitar, or top, is one of the most important factors in its sound quality.

It is carefully engineered to a precise thickness, and braced by a variety of materials.

The most important piece of the guitar is the face, or top.

Its composition, shape and engineering will determine the final sound of the guitar. The back and sides also make a difference, but not so much, and often, luthiers will choose the wood for the sides and back with an eye to appearance rather than sound quality.

Electric guitars are solid, though they are rarely made of a single solid piece of wood. Instead, most are created of many layers of different kinds of wood laminated together.

This gives the guitar both strength and sound quality that wouldn't be possible in a single piece of wood. Often, the electric guitar is made of a 'good sounding' wood like ash or poplar, with a laminated top of a more attractive wood for appearance.

It's hard to believe that the same instrument is capable of creating such wide and varied styles of music. It's even harder to believe that only a few hundred years ago, the guitar was considered the instrument of peasants, lesser than the noble violin and organ. It was considered so much lesser that across the United States, older generations boycotted Catholic churches that used guitars to celebrate faith in folk Masses.

Nowhere else will you find the variety of guitars that you find in a typical Mexican mariachi band. A typical mariachi band will include at least three kinds of guitar - a classical guitar, a vihuela and a guitarron, a large guitar that is nearly the size of a cello.

Mastering the guitar, however, takes years of practice. The difference between a three-chord strummed song and the intricate finger picking and speed of a flamenco guitarist is unmistakable.

From divine beginnings, though its history as the music of peasants to its elevation again as the king of instruments, the guitar has been a beloved instrument of people the world over. If you choose to learn only one instrument, the guitar is the perfect choice.

6 Simple Steps to Becoming A HOT Guitar Player! by : JB's Tip-Sheet

Learning how to play guitar well is not easy. There are so many methods and so many conflicting opinions, it makes it difficult to know what to do.

But the simple fact is, if you want to be the best you can, as soon as you can, then all you need to do is - copy what the pro's do...

Master the Basics!

Mastering the basics means being able to play in all keys. Being able to transpose any song to any other key - on the spot preferably.

Did you know that 95% of guitarists DON'T master the basics. Oh yes, they mean to get around to it, but they hardly ever do.

Why is that? Well, it's because they think it's boring, complicated and too much hard work. And most of all - no fun! And mostly they were right. Well, it needn't be that way. Mastering the basics can be a lot of fun if you go about it in a methodical set-by-step way.

What does mastering the basics entail?

There are 6 basic steps you need to follow:

1. Learn the names of all notes on all strings, one string at a time.

2. Learn how to construct a C Major scale.

Basic must-know guitar theory. Easy stuff.

3. Learn how the chords of the major scale are made and what they are... their names etc. C Dm Em F G Am Bdim.

Basic chord construction knowledge.

4. Learn the triad patterns for the C major scale all over the fret board.

Triads are simple 3-note chords. Easy and fun to learn and play.

5. Learn to play those triads with common chord progressions.

Learn to play and apply the triads to the most common chord progressions that fit thousands and thousands of songs.

6. Learn to do step 5 in all keys.

Once you can do steps one to five in the key of C, it's real easy to learn it for the other 11 major keys.

Hint: It's much easier than you think. All the patterns are exactly the same as what you learn for C major. You don't have to learn any new patterns. Cookie cutter stuff.

It really is not hard at all. All you need is a methodical step-by-step method that makes sense and is easy and fun to use.

About The Author:

John Bilderbeck is a professional guitar teacher and his step-by-step Master the Basics eBook course is free when you join his website. Claim your copy now - visit: http//www.free-guitar-chords.com

Scales, Who needs them? Why and What For, Anyway?! : by Jamey Andreas

Somewhere along the way in our development as guitar players, we start to get the idea that it would be a good idea if we learned some of those things called scales. If we are new to the guitar, and new to music, we are probably not even quite sure exactly what a scale actually is, which certainly adds to the aura of mystery that begins to surround the subject.

The next thing that happens, as we continue along in our development, is that we begin to get the unsettling impression that there seems to be an awful lot of those things called scales. In fact, there seems to be hundreds of them. We may even run across an encyclopedia of scales, and realize that there could be thousands of these little buggers out there! The very prospect of learning all those scales begins to make us weak in the knuckles!

It is at about this point that we start to get a little suspicious, a little curious about this whole business of scales and what they really have to do with us, and what we want to do on the guitar. "How many of these things do I have to learn, anyway"?, we ask, "and what do I do with them once I learn them"?

Then we go and try to find the answer to our questions. We read magazines and hear a lot of advanced and professional guitarists talk on the subject, and it leaves us even more confused. One guy says we must know a hundred ways to play a major scale, and then we should learn a hundred minor scales, and then start on the more exotic type of scales. Another guy, who is also an advanced player, perhaps professional and perhaps rich and famous, says he only uses a few scales. So after all our agonized searching, we are even more confused than when we started!

What gives?

Well, I am going to try and provide some clarity on the subject. I am going to lay out an overall view of the subject, and provide you with an understanding of what scales are, what they are used for, and how the way scales are used is DIFFERENT for different types of players. Once you understand these things, you will be in a much better position to achieve some clarity on the subject, and make your own decisions about how you are going to include the study of scales into your practice regimen.

What Scales Are, Musically, and Why We Practice Them

Musically speaking, a scale is simply a series of notes, following one after the other. The really important thing about any scale is the SPACE between the notes, and by space, I mean the space in terms of PITCH. It is the distance in pitch between two notes that contains the EMOTIONAL CONTENT of music. This is one of the most important concepts that any musician can know, and most do know it, if only on an intuitive level. For those wishing to develop an understanding of music theory, this concept should be pursued and understood. I cannot go into it in the depth it deserves in this essay, but I will lay out the essence of it, and you should pursue it with your teacher, and in books.

If I play a note on the guitar, and then play the same note again, there is no distance in pitch between the two notes. If I play a note, and then play the note on the very next fret, the distance in PITCH, (which is the "highness" or "lowness" of a sound), between those two notes is called a half step. If I play a note, and then play the note two frets away (a note on the first fret, then the third), that is called a whole step, and the effect is very different than a half step. If I play a note and then the note three frets away, that distance is called a minor third.

All of these different spacings in pitch between notes are called INTERVALS in music theory. In the interval of a minor third mentioned above, you can really hear what I mean by the "emotional content" of the interval. The minor third interval is contained in the minor chord, and this particular "spacing" between notes is what gives a minor chord it’s dark, minor sound. When you play a blues scale, it is the sound made by the first two notes, and gives the blues scale it’s bluesy feeling (or at least contributes to it, as do some other intervals).

That is as far as I want to go with Intervals for now. I just want you to know they exist, and that they carry the "emotion" of music. I want you to know that every scale not only contains notes, but that the SPACES, or Intervals between the notes are what is really important. Scales come in different "types", major, minor, diminished, etc.. Each type of scale has its own peculiar spacings between the notes, and these spacings give each type of scale its unique emotional feeling or "color". You will see later that players of different styles use different types of scales in their playing. A lifelong blues/rock player may never need to play a major scale

Because each type of scale has the same intervals between notes, each type of scale has the same "feeling", even if it has a different letter name. In other words, if you play a C major scale, or a D major scale, or a G major scale, they will all have the same pattern of spaces, or intervals between each of the notes, as well as each containing the same number of notes, so, they will all sound "the same" in terms of the "emotional content" or feeling of the scale. In fact, you could say they all have the same "color". Minor scales have a different spacing between the notes than major scales, and it gives them a "dark" color.

Because each type of scale has the same intervals between notes, each type of scale has the same "feeling", even if it has a different letter name. In other words, if you play a C major scale, or a D major scale, or a G major scale, they will all have the same pattern of spaces, or intervals between each of the notes, as well as each containing the same number of notes, so, they will all sound "the same" in terms of the "emotional content" or feeling of the scale. In fact, you could say they all have the same "color". Minor scales have a different spacing between the notes than major scales, and it gives them a "dark" color.

What Scales Are, Technically, And Why We Practice Them

Musically speaking, we have seen that scales are the "building blocks" of music. Many times in playing all types of music, we find ourselves simply playing scales, backwards and forwards, and in lots of other patterns. So it would seem natural that it would be a good idea to know how to play them, and it is!

If we think about scales in terms of technique, in terms of what it takes to actually play them on the guitar, we realize that simply because a scale is a string of notes, the simple act of playing a scale is quite a demand on the player. And the faster the scale, the greater the demand. In fact, for guitar players, scales are a whole lot more difficult than they are for most other musicians. A piano player only needs one finger to play one note, but a guitar player needs the co-coordinated action of TWO fingers (or finger and pick) to produce one note, and that has profound implications. As a guitar player, you would be wise to reflect on and appreciate this fact.

Almost all guitar students are unprepared for effective scale practice when the first scale comes along. The concept of truly independent finger action must have already begun to become a physical reality in the hands in order for scales to begin to be practiced with benefit, and not harm.

Segovia wrote, in his famous collection of scales for the classical guitarist "the study of scales will solve a greater number of technical problems in a shorter amount of time than the study of any other technical exercise." In other words, if you are able to successfully play scales, and get one finger after another to do what it needs to do to get those notes, then there are a whole lot of other things you will also be able to do. So this means that the study of scales is one of the best things we can do in our practice sessions to develop and maintain our technique.

And this is one of the main points I want to get across here: scales are, at the very least, a primary technical exercise for all types of guitarists. For non-improvising guitarists such as classical guitarists, this is, in fact, their main purpose. A classical guitarist does not need a million scales at his fingertips. Since scales are serving only the purpose of providing excellent exercise for the fingers, we only need to select and practice the ones we feel give us that exercise. In fact, in Segovia’s collection, most of the scales are simply the same finger patterns moved around the neck.

Of course, there is a world of things to know about the CORRECT way to practice scales so that our fingers actually do learn to play them well, and so that the practice of scales helps us technically, rather than hurts us. For far too many students, scale practice gets them nowhere. That of course, is a whole other subject which I have addressed in other essays. At the least, you should realize that practicing scales successfully is a complex matter, not to be underestimated, and not to be undertaken without a lot of effort to understand HOW to practice them correctly.

With this is mind, we could interpret Segovia’s statement to mean "if you can figure out how to learn scales well, you can figure out a lot of other technical challenges that playing the guitar poses".

What Scales Should You Know? How scales are used musically by Guitarists

As you probably suspect by now, exactly what scales, and how many scales a player should know, depends on the style that player is playing. Here are some general guidelines to help you figure out what YOU should be doing about scale practice in your own playing.

ALL players should learn and practice major scales in the first position in the common keys of C, G, D, A, E, and for the ambitious, the relative minors of these major keys.

ALL players should learn movable scale patterns. Major scales that begin with the 2nd finger on the 6th string, as well as the pattern that begins with the 2nd finger on the 5th string should be learned. After that, the major scale pattern that begins with the 4th finger should be learned, first from the 6th string, then the 5th.

Ambitious players should then learn the major scale that starts with the first finger on the 6th and 5th strings. Having these scales in your fingers (six major scales) also puts all the arpeggios and modes into your fingers as well.

For those wishing to play blues and rock, you should learn the first pentatonic scale inside and out, backwards, forwards, and various patterns. There are 5 pentatonic scale positions in all, and you should gradually learn them all. Of course, you must learn the licks that come out of them as well, and how to use them in improvising in the common keys (A & E first).

For players wanting to improvise in the more sophisticated styles, such as jazz, or fusion styles, all the above should be learned. After that, you are a prime candidate for one of those gigantic, monster scale books we talked about earlier!

Of course, there is a whole lot more to know about the subject, but I hope I have provided the basis for a little clarity, especially for those new to the instrument. Good luck finding which scales are right for you!

How To Play Guitar Like a Pro! : by JB's Tip-Sheet

Having taught the guitar for many years, I see the majority of beginners experiencing the same problems and making the same mistakes over and over again in their quest to learn how to play guitar. It's my job to steer them through these problem areas.
These "mistakes" are basic errors that most beginners naturally tend to make. But these mistakes can cause major problems if you allow them to become habits in your playing. Unfortunately, 90% of guitarists have done just that!
Avoid These 3 Mistakes Like The plague
The three main mistakes MOST people make when learning how to play guitar are:
1: Trying to play too fast too soon.
Don't be in such a rush. Trying to go too fast too soon causes serious problems. Sloppy playing and mistakes will become your trademark.
Learn to practice slowly and perfectly. The reason for this, is, what you program your brain and fingers with while practicing, is what you'll get as a habitual and subconscious end result.
The GIGO computer term describes it best. Garbage In = Garbage Out. If you program a computer with faulty data, your results will be faulty too. It's exactly the same with learning how to play guitar.
So practice everything very slowly and perfectly. Do this, and your playing will be to a higher standard than 90% of all other guitarists. Yes - even those that have been playing for years!
2: Too much body and hand tension.
Have you ever noticed how the top professionals make it all look so easy and effortless? How relaxed they are?
Take a lesson from that.
When learning how to play guitar, and in all practice sessions, you need to be as relaxed as possible at all times.
Unnecessary tension anywhere in the body when playing will stop you like a brick wall. Any "excess" tension in your fingers, hands, arms, elbows, wrists, shoulders, neck, chest, stomach, thighs, legs is extremely hazardous to learning how to play guitar properly.
Practicing the right things in the right way will give you amazing results - even if you practice only 10 - 20 minutes a day.
3: Learn the difference between practice time and noodling time.
Basically, you learn how to play guitar in two ways:- 1: when you practice, and, 2: when you noodle and try out new ideas.
Practice Time is SERIOUS Time!
It's when you are specifically and very deliberately teaching your body and brain new motor and muscle-memory skills. This is all done very slowly, with great care and meticulous attention to detail. Never practice fast.
Practice time is where you develop muscle-memory and train your body to act in the most beneficial way for playing guitar. Remember - GIGO!
This is the foundation building time.. where you lay the foundation for learning HOW to play guitar the best way you can - without imposing limitations upon yourself through bad practice habits.
Noodling Time.
Noodling Time is where you learn how to play guitar by putting into practice what you study during your practice time. It's where you to steal licks, chords and solos off records. It's where you hunch over your cd player or computer with your guitar trying to hear and learn that tricky chord or lick.
It's where good habits can easily become undone!
Better to do this... Once you learn a lick, sit down in your chair in the proper position and play that lick over and over at a slow speed while focusing on being as relaxed as possible and with absolute minimal finger movement. Program that lick, your physical movements and relaxation "perfectly" into your brain. Only when it becomes 2nd nature to you, and you "own" that lick, should you start speeding up.
But... always focus on being as relaxed as possible.
Noodling is fun, and a necessary part of learning how to play guitar. Do as much as you can. But.. don't mistake it for real practice time. Don't noodle with bad habits either.
Next... you need to ensure you are practicing the correct things in the correct way too. But that's another story.
About The Author:
John Bilderbeck has been teaching guitar for 30 years. He shares his valuable insights on his new Free Guitar Chords web site. For a FREE e-Book on How to Master Guitar Like a Pro, visit: http://www.free-guitar-chords.com/ now.

How To Mic An Electric Guitar : by Brandon Drury

With modern music (especially pop/rock music) production demands are greater than ever. The average listener expects the recording quality of your music to be the equivalent of those amazing productions you often hear on the radio. Since this discussion could take weeks and weeks and page after page, I've decided to narrow the focus of this guide to recording the electric guitar. With any recording, getting the source right is 99% of the ballgame. This means that a great singer with great tone will sound good through pretty much any microphone. This means that a great sounding violinist with a great sounding violin in a great sounding room will sound this way through any functional microphone. Granted, some microphones will impart their character onto the source (for better or worse), but with any operating microphone a great musician will still sound great. So with the guitar (and anything else you intend to record), it's important to get the instrument doing exactly what you want before you even bother putting a mic in front of it. You should walk around the room the amp is setup in to hear exactly what is going on. You might find sweet spots in the room. You may try actually moving the amp in a few different places in the room. In my first recording room (which happened to be very small and very unideal for recordings), I noticed that moving an amp just a few inches had a dramatic effect on the low end coming out of the amplifier. I later learned that this was quite normal for small rooms with no acoustic treatment. (Just a side note, if you are planning on doing treatments for your room, skip the foam stuff. It probably won't help. In many instances, it will make the problem worse. Try a search for "bass trap" or visiting www.recordingreview.com). So exeriment greatly with the amp before you get serious about microphones. In fact, I recommend that you mess with the tone quite a bit just to see. You could always settle for the tone already on the amp, or you could push the highs up too high to see where they end up. You could pull the highs down too far to see where the tone ends up. Eventually, you'll find a middle ground that keeps your perspective out of the way. The type of guitar you use makes a big difference on how the amp will sound. This is no secret. However, many people get in a rush when recording and think that adding some sort of effect or plugin on the computer will get them what they are looking for. If you find that you are not happy with a given guitar, maybe you should try plugging in a different guitar just to see. Try doing something off the wall or downright wrong. You'd be amazed at what kind of recordings you could get with a Telecaster through a Mesa Boogie Rectifier. I've heard success stories of acoustic guitars running through cranked Rectifiers. When you have a tone that you are pretty confident about, it's time to pull out the mics. There are a few methods to trying out mics. You could slap every mic you own on the amp to see it it's happening for you. The problem with this approach is mic placement. Did you take the time with each mic to make sure you found the best sounding spot on the amp? You could do this with each mic, but the spot that just sings for each microphone will probably be in a different spot for each mic. I tihnk your time could be spent better. If you are just starting out and have no idea what mic would be best for a given job, start with an SM 57. They are cheap and everyone has one. If you don't have at least one, get one used off of Ebay or something. In the meantime, grab whatever dynamic you have and give it a try. There are a number of SM 57 clones that are essentially the same microphone. Even if they are not the same mic, try them. You never know. One trick to help choose the best spot to place the mic I read in a forum years ago. It said to unplug the instrument cable from the guitar amp, crank the amp up to very high levels, and put the SM 57 (or whatever mic you are using) in front of the speaker. Next, run the mic through some loud heaphones with good isolation. Then, with the headphones on, start moving the mic in front of the speaker. You will be amazed at what you are hearing. You will hear all sorts of changes in the tone simply from moving the mic around. The users of the forum recommended putting the mic on the brightest spot. I have not had much luck with putting a mic exactly at the brigthest spot because it can get a little bit too fizzy at times, but feel free to try it and see what works. The brightest spot may be perfect with a darker sounding amp. My favorite trick when recording guitar amps is to use two different microphones on one speaker. You have to be aware of phase cancellation. (If you are not familiar with phase cancellation, check out my website, www.recordingreview.com.) However, when you get the mics in phase, you will have much more control off your recordings. I find that what I'm looking for when mixing is much different when I'm tracking. Sometimes I wish I could go back and change something on a tone. One rememedy for this is recording the two mics from one speaker to two seperate tracks that will allow you to blend them differently to create different tones on the recording. I start out by placing one SM 57 on the cone. This means I put the mic in the dead center of the speaker. This sound is almost always fizzy and thin. With very few exceptions, I've found it to be a crappy guitar sound. As crazy as it may sound, that's exactly what we want. We want a track in the mix that is bright, thin crap that we can use as much or as little as we feel the mood for. The second mic should sound the opposite. We want it to be big, meaty, and full of chunky low end. This mic ends up in different places with every amp that I use, but most of the time it can be found 2"-3" from the first mic in any direction. Sometimes angling the mic towards the edge of the speaker helps, too. This mic should sound a little dull by itself. Now record both mics and see what you get. Listen to each mic by itself first. Then listen to both of them together. Assuming you like the sound that each mic makes (Remember, you want one to be too bright and the other to be too dull) you will experience one of three things. 1) The sound will be extremely thin sounding as if you rolled off all the low end with a parametric equalizer. This means the mics are almost totally out of phase. The solution is to push the phase button on your preamp or mixing software. This is what you want. You want the combined sound of the mics to be so thin that it isn't usable. Then when you push the phase button on one track, the tone comes to life. This is what I always go for. 2) The sound will be big and full. This sound almost means good things. If you push the phase button, it should sound like what you may have experienced in #1. If the tone totally dissapears and all you can hear is some fizz, you've got the tone down. Push the phase button back to your big guitars again. 3) The sound is weird. You are not sure what it sounds like. It's not bad, but it's not right either. Pushing the phase button only changes the tone in the mids and does not have make a big impact on the low end. In this case, some other frequency is out of phase and the low end is in tact. You need to use your ears on this one. I usually don't like to leave the mics like this. I go for #1 or #2. However, many great engineers use phase cancellation as a way of eq'ing the amps. This is highly advanced engineering, and not for the faint of heart However, if you stumble on a sound that you really like, by all means, go with it. Well that gives you food for thought. You'll notice that we didn't talk about different microphones. The truth is if you master the techniques above, you won't have too much need for more mics. If you want to expand your mic collection, go ahead. There are a number of mics that work great for electric guitar amps. Check out my website for details. About the author:Brandon Drury has been recording for years. Check out http://www.recordingreview.com

Hobbies - Guitar : by Variety Access Hobbies

Playing the guitar is one of the most popular hobbies in America. Millions of Americans play the guitar as a leisure activity; and why not? It is one of the easiest musical instruments to learn and the most popular music of the day is played on the guitar. Many people do not realize how easy it is to really learn to play the guitar. Some people, who first begin learning to play the guitar, try to learn a very hard song from the start. Then they start thinking they will never be able to learn to play, that they just do not have that “natural” musical talent that some people have, when really they just picked a hard song. Some people try to play the guitar for only about a week and expect to pick it up that quickly. If they cannot do it in a week, then again they think they just do not have that musical talent. All of that is nonsense Not even an experienced musician would be able to pick up the guitar and learn it in a week. He or she would know how the music works and understand how the guitar is supposed to played, but it still takes a little time to develop the correct motor skills with your hands and fingers. Anybody can pick up the guitar and learn to play some of their favorite songs if they just stick with it for a little while and practice for only a short period of time each day. To begin playing the guitar, all you have to do is learn a few chords. Most rock, country, or other popular genres or songs can be played with only a few easy chords on the guitar. They say with only three or four chords you can play most rock songs ever written. Most people I have taught to play the acoustic guitar or electric guitar, if they would just listen to me and try it for one week, they could get down three chords in that week or two weeks and then be able to play a song with those chords. I also teach them a strumming pattern to play the chords with. That is all you need and you are set with your new hobby of playing guitars. I myself studied music for seven years or more before I tried to learn the guitar, so I did have a good grasp of music theory, but it still took me several months to learn to play well, because I had to develop the motor skills of moving my fingers on the strings and coordinating my fingering and strumming patterns. It also takes a little while to learn to sing on top of keeping the beat and playing the guitar. But it can be learned quickly as well, if you just stick with and give it a real try. I did not have anyone to teach me when I first began playing the guitar. I just bought an acoustic guitar and taught myself to play. Every now and then people would give me pointers or teach me how to play something. I have taught other people to play also, and noticed that with a teacher it is surprising how fast people can pick things up. I wish I would have had a teacher when I was learning. There are little tricks and licks on the guitar that only an experienced guitar player would know. So if you are looking for a new hobby, one that you can do whenever you want, with friends or by yourself, then learn to play the guitar. It is like riding a bike. Once you learn it, you never forget. It will be something you can take with you for the rest of your life, entertaining crowds and parties and serenading that special someone. And, if you do not have a special someone, it will definitely help your chances of finding them. That is what we do at the online hobby store and more.
Peter Jay is the Owner/President and CEO of Variety Access – Your online hobby store and more. For more information about hobbies, hobby products, or Variety Access, go to http://www.varietyaccess.com/.

Guitars : by Tamara Williams

Guitars are music instruments that are very versatile; most musicians around the entire world use them because they find a guitar to be very easy to play. They are also the most commonly chosen instrument for a student to start playing their way into music, mostly because it takes very little time to learn how to play it, and of course because it is not rare to be able to find a decent guitar for a very convenient price (unlike other instruments as pianos, for instance). Today, all music shops offer a very wide variety of guitars, suitable for almost any musician, from beginners to masters. The most popular, however, are these two kinds of guitars: Acoustic guitars and electric 6-strings guitars. Some very specialized vendors have started selling other classes of guitars; usually adaptations of the classical guitar made by different cultures all around the world. In these vendors’ shops, regular customers (mostly collectors) are able to buy guitars such as the Mexican “guitarron”, a huge guitar used by “Mariachis”, or as the “guitarra criolla”, an Argentinean adaptation of the 6-strigs classical guitar, used by Tango orchestras and also by the famous “gauchos” (the south-american version of cowboys). Another advantage of guitars is that, once you learned the basics of music composition, you will find it easer to move into more complex instruments, such as violins, and keyboard instruments; which are more difficult to use as the first contact with music practicing. Beyond all that, the key to guitar’s success (they are the most used musical instrument worldwide, and has been for a very long time) is what matters the most: its sound. The beautiful sound a guitar produces can be compared to the sound produced by instruments that are much more expensive, rare and hard to learn. That is what keeps a good guitar above the rest. About the author:Tamara Williams is a successful author and contributor to Guitars which is dedicated to providing useful guitar help, tips, information on products and services for guitar players.