Friday, December 26, 2008

Acoustic and Electric Guitar

Acoustic and Electric Guitar - How They Stack Up Against Each Other
by Roberto Sedycias

eA guitar is a musical instrument, usually with six strings. This six-stringed guitar finds its origin in Spain. It can be played by handpicking or by finger-picks or plectrum. Plastic plectrums find wide usage today. However, the tonal quality is higher when tortoise shell picks are used.Guitars can broadly be divided into two categories: acoustic and electric.
Acoustic guitars:
Acoustic guitars are generally crafted from wood, be it the low cost laminates or the pure hard wood like spruce, or a combination of both. Acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied and do not need an external amplifier. However, their utility is hampered in bands and orchestras which call for mandatory electric amplification. Amplification can be done through piezo and magnetic pick-ups.
There are many types of acoustic guitars. Among them, classical and steel string guitars are the most popular. The classical guitar is adorned with nylon strings. The strings are plucked with the fingers or finger-nails. Besides pure classical music all kinds of modern music too can be played on it. The music repertoire of the classical guitar is vast and varied. The roots of the classical guitar can be traced back to the lute, the vihuela and the renaissance guitar.
The steel strings of a steel-string acoustic guitar offer a brighter and louder sound. It is essentially larger than the classical guitar to accommodate the tension of the steel strings. A plectrum is a must for playing a steel-string guitar.
Electric guitars:
Unlike the case of an acoustic guitar, pick-ups are a must in electric guitars. Pick-ups convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. A proper and compatible pick-up is a must for good tonal quality. Pick-ups which have found popularity among most musicians are either electromagnetic or piezoelectric.
The modern day electric guitar is made of solid wood like maple and mahogany. Some plastic material and aluminum alloys are used to give a sleek finish. Jazz, blues and rock-and-roll are the popular versions of music played on an electric guitar.
Lloyd Loar was one of the earliest inventors of the electric guitar but the first commercial guitar was made by Stromberg-Voisinet in 1928. In recent times, the electric guitar has revolutionized the music industry, especially rock music. The American culture is incomplete without the electric guitar.
The thin neck of an electric guitar allows the musician to comfortably hold and play the strings of the guitar. Being lightweight is another advantage of the electric guitar. Sophisticated equipment complements the electric guitar and a variety of effects can be produced like tapping and effects pedals. Modern electronics has a say in the tremendous sound effects that an electric guitar can produce.
Electric guitars can be of many types: solid body, hollow body and metal body. A solid body electric guitar is carved from hardwood and sports a lacquer finish. Pick-ups are used to reproduce sounds, which then pass through an amplifier and are heard from a speaker. Les Paul was one of the earliest inventors of this form of the guitar.
The hollow body electric guitar has a lighter weight and greater resonance. The pick-ups are lined up on the body of the guitar and it has one or two sound holes.
Metal body guitars were first manufactured in the 1950`s, but did not gain much popularity because of their inherent weight problem. Holes were dug into some of their variants which hampered the sound effects of the electric guitar.
Conclusion:
So, all we can infer is that acoustic guitars are a classical musician`s delight whereas an electric guitar is the soul and life of a band.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Acoustic and Electric Guitar

Acoustic and Electric Guitar - How They Stack Up Against Each Other
by Roberto Sedycias

eA guitar is a musical instrument, usually with six strings. This six-stringed guitar finds its origin in Spain. It can be played by handpicking or by finger-picks or plectrum. Plastic plectrums find wide usage today. However, the tonal quality is higher when tortoise shell picks are used.Guitars can broadly be divided into two categories: acoustic and electric.
Acoustic guitars:
Acoustic guitars are generally crafted from wood, be it the low cost laminates or the pure hard wood like spruce, or a combination of both. Acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied and do not need an external amplifier. However, their utility is hampered in bands and orchestras which call for mandatory electric amplification. Amplification can be done through piezo and magnetic pick-ups.
There are many types of acoustic guitars. Among them, classical and steel string guitars are the most popular. The classical guitar is adorned with nylon strings. The strings are plucked with the fingers or finger-nails. Besides pure classical music all kinds of modern music too can be played on it. The music repertoire of the classical guitar is vast and varied. The roots of the classical guitar can be traced back to the lute, the vihuela and the renaissance guitar.
The steel strings of a steel-string acoustic guitar offer a brighter and louder sound. It is essentially larger than the classical guitar to accommodate the tension of the steel strings. A plectrum is a must for playing a steel-string guitar.
Electric guitars:
Unlike the case of an acoustic guitar, pick-ups are a must in electric guitars. Pick-ups convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. A proper and compatible pick-up is a must for good tonal quality. Pick-ups which have found popularity among most musicians are either electromagnetic or piezoelectric.
The modern day electric guitar is made of solid wood like maple and mahogany. Some plastic material and aluminum alloys are used to give a sleek finish. Jazz, blues and rock-and-roll are the popular versions of music played on an electric guitar.
Lloyd Loar was one of the earliest inventors of the electric guitar but the first commercial guitar was made by Stromberg-Voisinet in 1928. In recent times, the electric guitar has revolutionized the music industry, especially rock music. The American culture is incomplete without the electric guitar.
The thin neck of an electric guitar allows the musician to comfortably hold and play the strings of the guitar. Being lightweight is another advantage of the electric guitar. Sophisticated equipment complements the electric guitar and a variety of effects can be produced like tapping and effects pedals. Modern electronics has a say in the tremendous sound effects that an electric guitar can produce.
Electric guitars can be of many types: solid body, hollow body and metal body. A solid body electric guitar is carved from hardwood and sports a lacquer finish. Pick-ups are used to reproduce sounds, which then pass through an amplifier and are heard from a speaker. Les Paul was one of the earliest inventors of this form of the guitar.
The hollow body electric guitar has a lighter weight and greater resonance. The pick-ups are lined up on the body of the guitar and it has one or two sound holes.
Metal body guitars were first manufactured in the 1950`s, but did not gain much popularity because of their inherent weight problem. Holes were dug into some of their variants which hampered the sound effects of the electric guitar.
Conclusion:
So, all we can infer is that acoustic guitars are a classical musician`s delight whereas an electric guitar is the soul and life of a band.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Learn Guitar Songs

Learn Guitar Songs
by rocket492

Review: Jamorama - the Ultimate Guitar Learning KitIf you are learning the guitar as a beginner, as a slightly more advanced player or as someone coming back to playing the guitar, you can appreciate how frustrating it is learning the skills and techniques without seeing any noticeable results. The time and effort that many put into exercises don't seem to be reflected in their standard of playing. There also seems to be a frustration in the lack of quality information on the market. Learn guitar songs with Jamorama
Ben Edwards and the team at Jamorama have bucked the trend with the latest version of Jamorama. They had considerable success with their first release of Jamorama, and given the positive feedback from the success of this package, the team decided to develop the product further. They have come up with a new package that is unrivalled in terms of quality and its comprehensive nature. This package truly does enable guitar students to accelerate their learning, and includes an impressive array of features.
In addition to the quality information in the glossy two book series, the team at Jamorama has spent 1,000s of hours developing 148 video examples and exercises so the student can hear and see exactly what they should be doing. The Jamorama team have also included two exaexclusive educational computer games to develop your skills in reading and training your ear to transcribe music. They also included the pro version of Jayde Musica and GuitEarIt! as free bonuses that give the student the ability to train their ear to recognize notes and transcribe songs from the radio. Both of these programs are very well made and presented, and most of all are easy and fun to play. Learn guitar songs fast .
Add to this package the two additional free bonus ebooks "Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar".and "How to tune your guitar". Advanced Techniques introduces the idea of mental visualization, which is a powerful tool in speeding up your rate of learning. Mental visualization uses the same pathways inside your brain other than the fact you are not performing the activity physically. The second bonus book, "How to tune your guitar" solves the problem with tuning guitars, and introduces the reader to the most effective way of tuning a guitar. Learn guitar songs with JAMORAMA .
If that weren't already enough the Jamorama Metronone also comes with the package at no additional cost. Click Here to visit website
With all of the information in this package there really is no excuse to delay learning to play your guitar. The Jamorama team has given the reader four high quality books, two fun educational games and access the Jamorama forum with all the resources you need to play like a professional and learn guitar songs in no time.
This package is by far the most complete and fresh approach to guitar playing that I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this product because I do believe it will deliver results and have you playing popular songs like a professional using the most effective techniques. There is something here for every guitar player, regardless of ability. And at the current cost, it really is worth every dollar spent!
Click below to find out more…and accelerate your guitar playing today! Learn guitar songs today
Click Here to visit website Guitar Lessons For Beginners Testimonials Our top choice. Hands down the most comprehensive offering available. Includes over 150 guitar lessons, 400+ sound files, an ear training game, and loads of other bonuses." Guitar Lesson Review.com
"Our Number One Pick: "Jamorama" is by far and away the best and most informative "learn guitar" guide. The information contained is comprehensive, clearly laid out and the bottom line is it works. Jamorama is the mother of all guitar learning packages."

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Learn Guitar Songs

Learn Guitar Songs
by rocket492

Review: Jamorama - the Ultimate Guitar Learning Kit
If you are learning the guitar as a beginner, as a slightly more advanced player or as someone coming back to playing the guitar, you can appreciate how frustrating it is learning the skills and techniques without seeing any noticeable results. The time and effort that many put into exercises don't seem to be reflected in their standard of playing. There also seems to be a frustration in the lack of quality information on the market. Learn guitar songs with Jamorama

Ben Edwards and the team at Jamorama have bucked the trend with the latest version of Jamorama. They had considerable success with their first release of Jamorama, and given the positive feedback from the success of this package, the team decided to develop the product further. They have come up with a new package that is unrivalled in terms of quality and its comprehensive nature. This package truly does enable guitar students to accelerate their learning, and includes an impressive array of features.

In addition to the quality information in the glossy two book series, the team at Jamorama has spent 1,000s of hours developing 148 video examples and exercises so the student can hear and see exactly what they should be doing. The Jamorama team have also included two exaexclusive educational computer games to develop your skills in reading and training your ear to transcribe music. They also included the pro version of Jayde Musica and GuitEarIt! as free bonuses that give the student the ability to train their ear to recognize notes and transcribe songs from the radio. Both of these programs are very well made and presented, and most of all are easy and fun to play. Learn guitar songs fast .

Add to this package the two additional free bonus ebooks "Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar".and "How to tune your guitar". Advanced Techniques introduces the idea of mental visualization, which is a powerful tool in speeding up your rate of learning. Mental visualization uses the same pathways inside your brain other than the fact you are not performing the activity physically. The second bonus book, "How to tune your guitar" solves the problem with tuning guitars, and introduces the reader to the most effective way of tuning a guitar. Learn guitar songs with JAMORAMA .

If that weren't already enough the Jamorama Metronone also comes with the package at no additional cost. Click Here to visit website

With all of the information in this package there really is no excuse to delay learning to play your guitar. The Jamorama team has given the reader four high quality books, two fun educational games and access the Jamorama forum with all the resources you need to play like a professional and learn guitar songs in no time.

This package is by far the most complete and fresh approach to guitar playing that I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this product because I do believe it will deliver results and have you playing popular songs like a professional using the most effective techniques. There is something here for every guitar player, regardless of ability. And at the current cost, it really is worth every dollar spent!

Click below to find out more…and accelerate your guitar playing today! Learn guitar songs today

Click Here to visit website Guitar Lessons For Beginners Testimonials Our top choice. Hands down the most comprehensive offering available. Includes over 150 guitar lessons, 400+ sound files, an ear training game, and loads of other bonuses." Guitar Lesson Review.com

"Our Number One Pick: "Jamorama" is by far and away the best and most informative "learn guitar" guide. The information contained is comprehensive, clearly laid out and the bottom line is it works. Jamorama is the mother of all guitar learning packages." Guitar Lessons.net
========================
What Guitar to Buy? by Kristaps Baltins


What Guitar To Buy?
Many of beginner level guitar players has hesitated over the choice of their first instrument. The truth is, there isn't one correct choice for all of us. Guitars are as individual as we are, so your choice of instrument must be careful and wise.

First of all, you should think about how much money can you spend on guitar. I suggest to spare at least 150- 200 dollars, if you want to get a decent instrument. There are a lot of good instruments in this price range to choose from.

Now you must choose what kind of guitar do you want to buy. There are electric guitars and acoustic guitars. If you want just to strum along the songs and have no serious intention of learning guitar, I suggest you of buying an acoustic guitar. That doesn't mean that person with serious intention of mastering guitar shouldn't buy an acoustic as their first instrument, however I think that electric guitar will better serve your purposes. That is because when your guitar skills will raise you will understand that acoustic guitar has some limits. For example, acoustic guitar's neck is shorter than electric guitar's neck, so it will be hard for you to play higher notes, especially when you are soloing.

Once you've decided what kind of guitar you want to buy, let's think of accessories for your guitar. One of the most important accessories is a case or a gig bag. Case or gig bag is a very useful accessory, because you can your guitar in it between the lessons, an you can also carry your guitar around in it, in that way protecting your guitar from damages. You should also restring your guitar as soon as you get it, because the guitar has probably been it the store for months and the string quality isn't very good. You should also carry an extra set of strings, so you can change a string if the one that's on guitar breaks. If you're want to buy an electric guitar, you should also consider buying an amplifier and cables. There are many decent practice amps out there, so choose wisely. And last, but definitely not least accessory you should buy are picks. Pick is hold between your thumb and index fingers, and is used to pick strings. There are a wide variety of picks, but you should choose the one you feel most comfortable with. And make sure you buy at least a couple of them, because they tend to lose themselves.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Learn Guitar Songs

Learn Guitar Songs
by rocket492

Review: Jamorama - the Ultimate Guitar Learning KitIf you are learning the guitar as a beginner, as a slightly more advanced player or as someone coming back to playing the guitar, you can appreciate how frustrating it is learning the skills and techniques without seeing any noticeable results. The time and effort that many put into exercises don't seem to be reflected in their standard of playing. There also seems to be a frustration in the lack of quality information on the market. Learn guitar songs with Jamorama
Ben Edwards and the team at Jamorama have bucked the trend with the latest version of Jamorama. They had considerable success with their first release of Jamorama, and given the positive feedback from the success of this package, the team decided to develop the product further. They have come up with a new package that is unrivalled in terms of quality and its comprehensive nature. This package truly does enable guitar students to accelerate their learning, and includes an impressive array of features.
In addition to the quality information in the glossy two book series, the team at Jamorama has spent 1,000s of hours developing 148 video examples and exercises so the student can hear and see exactly what they should be doing. The Jamorama team have also included two exaexclusive educational computer games to develop your skills in reading and training your ear to transcribe music. They also included the pro version of Jayde Musica and GuitEarIt! as free bonuses that give the student the ability to train their ear to recognize notes and transcribe songs from the radio. Both of these programs are very well made and presented, and most of all are easy and fun to play. Learn guitar songs fast .
Add to this package the two additional free bonus ebooks "Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar".and "How to tune your guitar". Advanced Techniques introduces the idea of mental visualization, which is a powerful tool in speeding up your rate of learning. Mental visualization uses the same pathways inside your brain other than the fact you are not performing the activity physically. The second bonus book, "How to tune your guitar" solves the problem with tuning guitars, and introduces the reader to the most effective way of tuning a guitar. Learn guitar songs with JAMORAMA .
If that weren't already enough the Jamorama Metronone also comes with the package at no additional cost. Click Here to visit website
With all of the information in this package there really is no excuse to delay learning to play your guitar. The Jamorama team has given the reader four high quality books, two fun educational games and access the Jamorama forum with all the resources you need to play like a professional and learn guitar songs in no time.
This package is by far the most complete and fresh approach to guitar playing that I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this product because I do believe it will deliver results and have you playing popular songs like a professional using the most effective techniques. There is something here for every guitar player, regardless of ability. And at the current cost, it really is worth every dollar spent!
Click below to find out more…and accelerate your guitar playing today! Learn guitar songs today
Click Here to visit website Guitar Lessons For Beginners Testimonials Our top choice. Hands down the most comprehensive offering available. Includes over 150 guitar lessons, 400+ sound files, an ear training game, and loads of other bonuses." Guitar Lesson Review.com
"Our Number One Pick: "Jamorama" is by far and away the best and most informative "learn guitar" guide. The information contained is comprehensive, clearly laid out and the bottom line is it works. Jamorama is the mother of all guitar learning packages." Guitar Lessons.net

Thursday, November 27, 2008

When To Change Guitar Strings

When To Change Guitar Strings
by Michael Bell

When To Change Guitar Strings
One of the most recurring question that I always hear is "when do I know to change my guitar strings?" My answer is always the same, there is no set time on the life of the guitar string but several factors lead to a string becoming "dead" (without brilliance or clarity of tone). One of the determining factors is how much you play your instrument another is where you store your instrument. If your a lite player and you keep your instrument in it's case away from high humidity environments and you wipe your strings clean after every use then yes you will extend the life of the strings. but if your just the opposite and your guitar just sits in it's stand next to your favorite chair then yes even if you don't play, the string are exposed to the environment and they will naturally start to lose their brilliance. This doesn't mean they've gone bad, just not fresh.
There are actual tale tell signs that you can look for to know when to change your strings. Look for:
Discoloration: Look at the head stock of your guitar and notice the color of the strings there then look at the color of the strings on your neck, If you play your guitar regularly you'll see your "HOTSPOT", the area of your neck that you play in most often. When this area becomes noticeably darker then the area at the headstock then change the strings.

Pitting, Corrosion: Look for area's on the string that may start to pit or develop a light reddish coloration. This is oxidation and can be caused by high moisture content environments, ex: your shower is adjoining your bedroom where your guitar religiously sit on it's stand and collects this moisture.Take a light colored cotton cloth and rub it up and down your strings several times, if the cloth has residue on it from wiping your strings then change them.

Fret Wear: Where your string actually touches the fret can become worn and grooved on the back side of the string. Put your finger between the fret and the string (bottom part of your finger pointing up) and run your finger up and down the string several times. If you feel little grooves on the underside of the string then change them.

String Defect: The thicker strings on a guitar are double wired meaning they have an inner core wire and then an external wire wrapping. Sometimes the wrap will start to break. Periodically give your strings a visual inspection and make sure you don't see any area's of the string winding becoming "unraveled" if any of them are then replace the strings. In the instance of coated strings, the outer coating will develop nicks and grooves on them. My personal opinion is that these strings are better suited for finger style playing rather then pick playing.

When you get your strings new (factory fresh) they are free from any surface defects, this allows the vibration of the string to travel the length of the string unimpeded. For electric guitars this allows for the strongest possible signal to get to your pickups. Every nick, pit, body salt deposit, groove or any other defect impedes this signal flow resulting in a loss of clarity and brilliance, a dead string.
I should mention that the body salts are produced when you play your guitar (sweating) and left deposited on your guitar thru finger contact. Salt is a highly corrosive materials which results in the pitting of your strings. This is why it is good practice to wipe down your strings after playing. You won't remove all of these oils but what you do remove will help to extend the life of your strings.

Well there you have it. Now you know what to look for so that You can determine when your strings should be changed. Knowing when to change your strings is not a matter of time but a matter of condition, just ask, what condition are my string in and then do a visual check to see what the answer is. If you don't note any of the above mention blemishes then your good to go, but if you do, then change the strings.
For me there is nothing that you can do for your instrument to make it sound at it's very best then to pay attention to your string conditions. You can have the hottest pickups on your guitar with dead strings and you'll have a dead sound but put new strings on that same instrument and it will come to life with tonal clarity and brilliance. So be sure to pay attention to your strings.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Five steps to learn how to play guitar

Five steps to learn how to play guitar by Daniel Cruz
Have you ever asked yourself, Can I really play the guitar? Do I really have the talent? Why is it that some people learn faster than me? Well there are several answers for these questions and I will try to give you some answersLike any instrument the guitar is a very complex and fascinating instrument. As you may already know it has six strings, the body and the arm. It comes in a variety of shapes and forms and especially in different types. There are electric guitars and acoustic guitars which sounds different.
Can you play the guitar?
Yes you can. To play the guitar requires some skills but at the same time requires a lot of practice, effort, dedication, patience but above all time. It's going to be up to you how fast and well you learn.
Do I really have the talent?
Let me put it this way, you don't need to have the talent or to invent a computer but you definitely have the knowledge to use it. Same thing with the guitar
Why some people learn faster than me?
Like I said before if you don't dedicate yourself to practice and learn it don't matter how many years you've been trying to learn it will be useless. So let's start practicing and you will see the difference.
Five steps to learn how to play guitar
1. Go basic first
Most of the people fail to learn because they want to fly before they can even run or even worse before they can even walk. So take your time learning the basics and you will be amazed on how fast and easy you will be learning.
2. Patience
You will see if you don't have already how frustrating doing some exercises is. If you are practicing and you see improvement just leave it and go something else like watch a movie, read a book, etc. That way you give you're brain a chance internalize what you where practicing. Actually most of the times when you come back are easier to do.
3. Motivation
There will be time when you will want to give up. That is a good time to remind yourself of what you have achieved so far. Get a concert video, if it has a good guitar player even better. That will motivate you to keep on going
4. Discipline
You will know who is a good musician because of its discipline. They know what they need to do and when to do it. So you need to make time to practice and not let anything else get in the way.
5. Practice
It does not matter how talented and skilled you are if you don't practice there is no way you are going to learn. Remember this is not something that you can just get in you're head this is something that you need to create coordination in between you're mind and you're hands. Remember not only practice makes perfect but perfect practice makes perfect.