This method aims to teach blues guitar to beginners or to rock players wishing to acquire knowledge of the blues. It is part of the National Guitar Workshop series and comes complete with a quality CD where the author plays all the book's examples for you.
The book follows two main threads that cover both rhythm guitar and soloing techniques. Both are presented in a very complete and clear manner and are clearly illustrated with examples.
Rhythm Playing
After a short introduction to some blues music theory the book kicks off with some rhythm guitar basics. Building from these you'll learn all about different blues styles such as shuffle, boogie-woogie, Chicago blues, Texas swing, minor blues and slow blues. There are great example songs to get your rhythm chops up to scratch in all of these styles.
Going Solo
The soloing chapters of the book provide an equally complete presentation of electric blues guitar skills. This starts out with an introduction to the blues scales and a number of ways to use them to build licks and solos. The essential blues techniques of hammer-on and pull-off, slides, bends, and vibrato are all given a thorough treatment.
The soloing material is topped off with some signature licks from blues greats such as T-Bone Walker, BB King, Albert King, and Albert Collins as well as advice on improvisation to help you build your own solos.
A Touch Of Class
Not content with an already excellent coverage of blues rhythm and solo playing, the book adds the finishing touches with some great intros, turnarounds and endings that will give your blues playing a classy edge.
You'll also find a final chapter with advice on planning and organizing your guitar learning, as well as recommendations for some backing tracks to accompany your practice.
Conclusion
This is an excellent method for guitarists with a little experience wanting to learn electric blues guitar. The book's presentation is very clear and the writing style makes it easy to follow. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm for blues guitar comes across clearly.
Complete newcomers to the guitar might find it a little hard going, but if you're willing to work then it really does contain all you need to know for a long while.
If you're interested in playing acoustic blues guitar then this is not the best book for you. You might, however, still enjoy it if you're looking to understand playing blues in a band or jam with other musicians.
The very complete coverage will keep you busy learning for a long time making this method excellent value for your money. When you get through with it you'll have all the knowledge you need to play blues songs in a variety of styles with other musicians. If that's your goal then this book is highly recommended.
Copyright (c) 2008, Gary Fletcher
Gary Fletcher is a writer and guitar player. Visit http://garysguitarblog.blogspot.com where he offers guitar learning tips, discussion and encouragement for learners. If you like this article you can hire Gary to write for you at his writer site http://www.writescribe.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Fletcher
Showing posts with label folk guitar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folk guitar. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Thursday, 5 November 2009
How To Make An Electric Guitar
Every self respecting musician needs to know how to make an electric guitar. You need to at least know what all the parts do before learning how to make an electric guitar. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have all the parts (electrical and other) you need. Please remember that this article is here to make sure you know how to make an electric guitar, not an acoustic guitar which is constructed different.
Your best bet will be to choose a heavy hard wood. You have to remember that with a solid body guitar the material used does influence the sound you get, which to a professional ear is noticeable. A softer wood will absorb the high frequencies, heavier hard wood on the other hand dictates how long a string keeps vibrating, which is what you want. That’s the start of knowing how to make an electric guitar. However, beware of weaker parts in solid pieces of wood. It is a good idea to rather buy laminated wood.
The neck, as opposed to the body, is more intricate. You need to have the right neck made of a perfect wood like Maple wood where you will need a better quality maple, strong enough to withhold the pressure of the strings. One of the most important parts of how to make an electric guitar is proper neck alignment. You have to ensure that all your strings are correctly placed parallel to the fret board. Please keep in mind that if your neck is not perfectly aligned your outer strings might just end up way off the board.
Once you get your hands on the perfect wood for you body and neck you can start on you design. It is easier to use drawing software like Corel Draw as you can quickly make changes to the design without needing to erase and redraw on paper. It will also be wise to align your neck in your drawing software to determine where the neck will be placed. This is the fun part of the whole exercise – your guitar, your design … so go mad. Design all aspects of the guitar in your software: the body, neck, pick-ups, strings, bridge, potmeters, switches and cable connector. This way you will know exactly where everything will go. Remember all components have to line up or your stings will end up all over the show. Once you are happy with your design, you will now be ready to make an electric guitar.
All you need to do after you have carved out you design is find the centre of the body and line up the neck in accordance to that. How to make an electric guitar’s body and neck align is best done using a tape measure. Once you’ve determined the correct alignment and cut out a pocket, fix the neck in place with screws. The bridge used will determine the depth of the pocket. There is no general rule for positioning of all your components – this part of knowing how to make an electric guitar is strictly learn-as-you-go. One tip though is to place all of your components on the body before making any cuts and carvings.
In order for you to say that you know how to make an electric guitar you have to know all aspects of the technique. Once you have a broader understanding of the process of how to make an electric guitar, and have actually made on yourself, you will have a great appreciation of this authoritative instrument.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
Your best bet will be to choose a heavy hard wood. You have to remember that with a solid body guitar the material used does influence the sound you get, which to a professional ear is noticeable. A softer wood will absorb the high frequencies, heavier hard wood on the other hand dictates how long a string keeps vibrating, which is what you want. That’s the start of knowing how to make an electric guitar. However, beware of weaker parts in solid pieces of wood. It is a good idea to rather buy laminated wood.
The neck, as opposed to the body, is more intricate. You need to have the right neck made of a perfect wood like Maple wood where you will need a better quality maple, strong enough to withhold the pressure of the strings. One of the most important parts of how to make an electric guitar is proper neck alignment. You have to ensure that all your strings are correctly placed parallel to the fret board. Please keep in mind that if your neck is not perfectly aligned your outer strings might just end up way off the board.
Once you get your hands on the perfect wood for you body and neck you can start on you design. It is easier to use drawing software like Corel Draw as you can quickly make changes to the design without needing to erase and redraw on paper. It will also be wise to align your neck in your drawing software to determine where the neck will be placed. This is the fun part of the whole exercise – your guitar, your design … so go mad. Design all aspects of the guitar in your software: the body, neck, pick-ups, strings, bridge, potmeters, switches and cable connector. This way you will know exactly where everything will go. Remember all components have to line up or your stings will end up all over the show. Once you are happy with your design, you will now be ready to make an electric guitar.
All you need to do after you have carved out you design is find the centre of the body and line up the neck in accordance to that. How to make an electric guitar’s body and neck align is best done using a tape measure. Once you’ve determined the correct alignment and cut out a pocket, fix the neck in place with screws. The bridge used will determine the depth of the pocket. There is no general rule for positioning of all your components – this part of knowing how to make an electric guitar is strictly learn-as-you-go. One tip though is to place all of your components on the body before making any cuts and carvings.
In order for you to say that you know how to make an electric guitar you have to know all aspects of the technique. Once you have a broader understanding of the process of how to make an electric guitar, and have actually made on yourself, you will have a great appreciation of this authoritative instrument.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
Monday, 2 November 2009
How To Repair Your Guitar
There is no doubt about it - the best way to have repairs made to your guitar is to take it to a professional guitar repairer. This is because most repairs necessary are way beyond the know-how of an amateur and if you try to fiddle around with it yourself you are likely to do even more damage. Of course, if you take good care of your guitar it should not really need any repairs carrying out. One frequent mistake that people make with their guitars is to leave them in the car. When it's boiling outside, the temperature within the vehicle is far too hot to leave the guitar there as the adhesive on it will break down and it will literally fall to pieces.
If it is really necessary for you to have your guitar with you when you travel, you should pack it in a hard case surrounded by lots of padding in particular around the neck of the guitar. If you are traveling on an airplane, you should secure it further in a well padded box.
There are, however, some minor adjustments which are easy for the amateur to make, for example, the adjustment of the intonation of your electric guitar. This will be necessary if you have recently altered the thickness of your strings or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fret board. Many guitarists do this twice a year as a matter of course.
It is quite simple maneuver to do by moving the bridge saddle (that's the bit of metal on the bridge of the guitar which the strings rest on) either backwards or forwards. To move the bridge saddle, the screw which holds it in place needs adjusting and it is useful to have an Allen key to use for this operation. Other than that, the only tool you will need is a small screwdriver. The bridge saddle only needs to be moved very slightly so take care when you are turning the screw.
When you carry out the adjustment you need to make sure each string sounds the same when played in the open position as it does on the 12th fret. If you are not confident in your own sense of hearing to get this just right, you should use an electric guitar tuner. Every time you make an adjustment, you will need to turn the string back to E again before you can check the intonation.
From time to time on an electric guitar the truss rod will also need adjusting. Don't attempt to do this yourself unless you are absolutely certain you are capable - it really is best to take it to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel running down the neck of your guitar and making an adjustment to it will relieve a convex or concave bow in the neck of the guitar. Be warned - if this is not done properly your guitar may suffer permanent and irreparable damage.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
If it is really necessary for you to have your guitar with you when you travel, you should pack it in a hard case surrounded by lots of padding in particular around the neck of the guitar. If you are traveling on an airplane, you should secure it further in a well padded box.
There are, however, some minor adjustments which are easy for the amateur to make, for example, the adjustment of the intonation of your electric guitar. This will be necessary if you have recently altered the thickness of your strings or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fret board. Many guitarists do this twice a year as a matter of course.
It is quite simple maneuver to do by moving the bridge saddle (that's the bit of metal on the bridge of the guitar which the strings rest on) either backwards or forwards. To move the bridge saddle, the screw which holds it in place needs adjusting and it is useful to have an Allen key to use for this operation. Other than that, the only tool you will need is a small screwdriver. The bridge saddle only needs to be moved very slightly so take care when you are turning the screw.
When you carry out the adjustment you need to make sure each string sounds the same when played in the open position as it does on the 12th fret. If you are not confident in your own sense of hearing to get this just right, you should use an electric guitar tuner. Every time you make an adjustment, you will need to turn the string back to E again before you can check the intonation.
From time to time on an electric guitar the truss rod will also need adjusting. Don't attempt to do this yourself unless you are absolutely certain you are capable - it really is best to take it to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel running down the neck of your guitar and making an adjustment to it will relieve a convex or concave bow in the neck of the guitar. Be warned - if this is not done properly your guitar may suffer permanent and irreparable damage.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Guitar Making is Ancient and Thoroughly Modern
Guitar making today is in many ways a reflection of the history of a variety of wood working crafts and technologies. Many guitars today are not all rosewood and inlay but may have a composite top or back made with modern material. Additionally, with modern lathing techniques, and casting processes, the metal parts of the guitar such as tuners and bridges have progressed to a very high level of sophistication.
Early guitars were fairly simple affairs and possessed much of the basic design concepts we still see in use today. The basic acoustic instrument relied upon its resonating body to form tone, and this body has changed little over the decades. In guitar making, spruce, alder and ash are all used as viable woods for the construction of the body, and are still used today.
In guitar making today the neck of the guitar is most often made from maple, and this is for a very good reason. Early guitars did not use a truss rod (a metal rod running up through the length of the neck) to give it strength. Maple was used for its excellent strength and ability to maintain shape and form under stress. To this day, maple still remains the primary material used for guitar neck construction.
The fret board itself has changed little over the years, it has become more accurate yes, but the general construction techniques used and the materials from which it is constructed remain the same. Some things in guitar making never change. Almost every fret board will be made of maple, ebony or rosewood. All of these are particularly hard wearing woods.
Tuning mechanisms have evolved entirely, from the very early days of a simple peg, held by friction, which was turned to apply or subtract tension to a string. Metal tuning pegs, known as machine heads, provided far more accurate and sensitive string adjustments when they were introduced. Modern tuning mechanisms incorporate not only machine heads, but also fine tuning knobs at the bridge, along with intonation adjusters for each individual string.
Without a doubt, the major turning point in guitar making in the modern age came with the invention of electrical pickups. These were initially simple devices, made up of wire wound around a magnetic core, which were able to pick up (hence the name pickup) the vibrations of the strings above them, and convert it into an electrical current. This electrical current can then be amplified, using standard amplification circuits, to produce a steady tone. Initially these simple pickups were attached to existing acoustic guitars. However, in a very short period of time, the very first solid body electric guitars were being produced, and the face of guitar making and contemporary music was changed forever.
Although modern day guitar manufacturers now use a variety of advanced materials, such as carbon, and composites, to replace many of the traditional materials used in times past, nothing will ever replace the sound of an age- hardened and well loved guitar. Regardless of what materials are used in its construction, the guitar will remain a timeless instrument and guitar making an ancient tradition.
Learn Music Articles, tips and lessons on how to sing, play guitar, piano or band. Overcome stage fright. Write your own songs! Be a better musician.
http://www.simplemusicsecrets.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Kernodle
Early guitars were fairly simple affairs and possessed much of the basic design concepts we still see in use today. The basic acoustic instrument relied upon its resonating body to form tone, and this body has changed little over the decades. In guitar making, spruce, alder and ash are all used as viable woods for the construction of the body, and are still used today.
In guitar making today the neck of the guitar is most often made from maple, and this is for a very good reason. Early guitars did not use a truss rod (a metal rod running up through the length of the neck) to give it strength. Maple was used for its excellent strength and ability to maintain shape and form under stress. To this day, maple still remains the primary material used for guitar neck construction.
The fret board itself has changed little over the years, it has become more accurate yes, but the general construction techniques used and the materials from which it is constructed remain the same. Some things in guitar making never change. Almost every fret board will be made of maple, ebony or rosewood. All of these are particularly hard wearing woods.
Tuning mechanisms have evolved entirely, from the very early days of a simple peg, held by friction, which was turned to apply or subtract tension to a string. Metal tuning pegs, known as machine heads, provided far more accurate and sensitive string adjustments when they were introduced. Modern tuning mechanisms incorporate not only machine heads, but also fine tuning knobs at the bridge, along with intonation adjusters for each individual string.
Without a doubt, the major turning point in guitar making in the modern age came with the invention of electrical pickups. These were initially simple devices, made up of wire wound around a magnetic core, which were able to pick up (hence the name pickup) the vibrations of the strings above them, and convert it into an electrical current. This electrical current can then be amplified, using standard amplification circuits, to produce a steady tone. Initially these simple pickups were attached to existing acoustic guitars. However, in a very short period of time, the very first solid body electric guitars were being produced, and the face of guitar making and contemporary music was changed forever.
Although modern day guitar manufacturers now use a variety of advanced materials, such as carbon, and composites, to replace many of the traditional materials used in times past, nothing will ever replace the sound of an age- hardened and well loved guitar. Regardless of what materials are used in its construction, the guitar will remain a timeless instrument and guitar making an ancient tradition.
Learn Music Articles, tips and lessons on how to sing, play guitar, piano or band. Overcome stage fright. Write your own songs! Be a better musician.
http://www.simplemusicsecrets.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Kernodle
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