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 guitar making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guitar making. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Friday, 6 November 2009
Check Out That Rattle Or Buzz With A Guitar Problems System
Sometimes your guitar will start playing different. It may not be a major problem but something is not quite right with it. Perhaps it has a small buzz or rattle. You know something does not feel right but the problem is so small it is hard to figure out just what the problem is. You need a system to try to figure out what your guitar problems may be.
Almost any major problem should be taken to a professional guitar repairman. They have the tools and the knowledge to fix problems that most people would have a hard time doing at home. You can often find small guitar problems by starting at one end and working your way to the other. This article will look at a few parts of the guitar and how they may give you problems.
Start at your tuning keys and check to make sure they are tight. If the screws are loose or missing the tuning keys may move slightly and cause you to have problems keeping your guitar in tune. Make sure they are turn smoothly and are not too tight or too loose. You may want to replace your tuners with a better set if you are having any problems keeping your guitar in tune.
You may want to turn your attention to the nut at the top of your fingerboard next. Take a look and see if the strings are sitting in the groves. They should all be about the same height and there should not be any part of the nut broken off. Sometimes a string may shift slightly out of the nut and cause a buzz or rattle when you play.
Take a look at the fingerboard and frets next. The fingerboard should not show any severe signs of wear or uneven spots. There may be some normal wear in this area but you should be fine here as long as you do not spot any extreme wear.
The frets are another story as they will wear and cause you all kinds of playing problems. Look for any uneven wear or sharp edges. A fret job is really a job for a guitar repair professional and is not something the average player will want to take on.
Take a look at the bridge and see if everything looks all right. You want to check for gaps between the top of the guitar and the bottom of the bridge. Make sure you do not see any cracks in the wood and the saddle is sitting in the bridge straight. Once again if you need the bridge worked on it is usually best to leave this to a pro.
By taking a look at the different parts of your guitar you may just find your guitar problems. If everything looks fine but you still have that buzz or rattle take your guitar into someone you trust to give it a better look.
For more information on different types of guitars try visiting http://www.your-guitar.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as how to read guitar tab.
Almost any major problem should be taken to a professional guitar repairman. They have the tools and the knowledge to fix problems that most people would have a hard time doing at home. You can often find small guitar problems by starting at one end and working your way to the other. This article will look at a few parts of the guitar and how they may give you problems.
Start at your tuning keys and check to make sure they are tight. If the screws are loose or missing the tuning keys may move slightly and cause you to have problems keeping your guitar in tune. Make sure they are turn smoothly and are not too tight or too loose. You may want to replace your tuners with a better set if you are having any problems keeping your guitar in tune.
You may want to turn your attention to the nut at the top of your fingerboard next. Take a look and see if the strings are sitting in the groves. They should all be about the same height and there should not be any part of the nut broken off. Sometimes a string may shift slightly out of the nut and cause a buzz or rattle when you play.
Take a look at the fingerboard and frets next. The fingerboard should not show any severe signs of wear or uneven spots. There may be some normal wear in this area but you should be fine here as long as you do not spot any extreme wear.
The frets are another story as they will wear and cause you all kinds of playing problems. Look for any uneven wear or sharp edges. A fret job is really a job for a guitar repair professional and is not something the average player will want to take on.
Take a look at the bridge and see if everything looks all right. You want to check for gaps between the top of the guitar and the bottom of the bridge. Make sure you do not see any cracks in the wood and the saddle is sitting in the bridge straight. Once again if you need the bridge worked on it is usually best to leave this to a pro.
By taking a look at the different parts of your guitar you may just find your guitar problems. If everything looks fine but you still have that buzz or rattle take your guitar into someone you trust to give it a better look.
For more information on different types of guitars try visiting http://www.your-guitar.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as how to read guitar tab.
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
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
How To Fix A Guitar
The following four adjustments can be made to all kinds of guitars to fix them.
These adjustments will fix all guitars and make them playable. The adjustments are the amount of relief in the neck using an adjustable truss rod, the string height at the saddle, the string height at the nut and the intonation.
These adjustments should be made at least once on every guitar. Most manufacturers do not take time to properly do these adjustments. A manufacturer only does these adjustments for the average player, but not for the individual player.
How do you adjust the amount of the neck bow? It is supposed to be simple. Every adjustable truss rod shares the same principles of operation. Every truss rod has a threaded nut tightened on a threaded metal rod. The tension in the rod changes the curvature of the neck in which the the rod is embedded. To adjust the rod, you need to tighten or loosen the nut on the rod. When tighten the nut, the tension increases the tension in the rod as well the amount which the rod counteracts the pull of the strings. This should reduce the bow in the neck.
As far as adjusting the saddle height, you can do this either before or after adjusting the string height at the nut. You should start by measuring the distance from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the sixth string. You should do this when the guitar's strings are at full strength. You should measure laying a 6-inch ruler, on edge, adjacent to and parallel to the string.
The ruler is supported at one end of the twelfth fret and along its length by adjacent frets, eleven, ten, nine, etc. You can use other methods to measure from the top of the twelfth to the bottom of the string.
Another thing that you might have to fix is the string height.
You can start by using elementary geometry. You will find that the change
in the string height at the twelfth fret needs to be about twice the of change at the saddle. If a string height at the twelfth fret is 4/32" and the desired measurement is 3/32", the change in height will have to be lowered by 1/32" at the twelfth fret is about 2/32".
After taking measurements, you should calculate the amount that each string needs to be lowered at the saddle. You should make adjustments the saddle must project at least 1/16" from the top of the bridge. This should make sure that the strings exert a sufficient downward force on the saddle to stop the strings from vibrating side-to-side on the top surface of the saddle. If you cannot maintain this 1/16" projection, it will be necessary to reset or shave the bridge. This should be done by a professional repairer or a skilled amateur.
The last adjustment that you should make is to the string height at the nut.
The required tools are a short straight edge (ruler), a standard set of feeler gages, a set of calibrated nut files, an X-acto saw and a tear-drop needle file. You should start by measuring the height of the first fret. You measure the first fret by placing a straight edge on the top of the first two frets so it straddles on the first and second frets. The slide feeler gages should be place between the fingerboard and the straight edge until the gages fill in the space between the fingerboard and the straight edge. When it doesn't fit the required measurement for a string height at the nut, you should adjust it.
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
These adjustments will fix all guitars and make them playable. The adjustments are the amount of relief in the neck using an adjustable truss rod, the string height at the saddle, the string height at the nut and the intonation.
These adjustments should be made at least once on every guitar. Most manufacturers do not take time to properly do these adjustments. A manufacturer only does these adjustments for the average player, but not for the individual player.
How do you adjust the amount of the neck bow? It is supposed to be simple. Every adjustable truss rod shares the same principles of operation. Every truss rod has a threaded nut tightened on a threaded metal rod. The tension in the rod changes the curvature of the neck in which the the rod is embedded. To adjust the rod, you need to tighten or loosen the nut on the rod. When tighten the nut, the tension increases the tension in the rod as well the amount which the rod counteracts the pull of the strings. This should reduce the bow in the neck.
As far as adjusting the saddle height, you can do this either before or after adjusting the string height at the nut. You should start by measuring the distance from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the sixth string. You should do this when the guitar's strings are at full strength. You should measure laying a 6-inch ruler, on edge, adjacent to and parallel to the string.
The ruler is supported at one end of the twelfth fret and along its length by adjacent frets, eleven, ten, nine, etc. You can use other methods to measure from the top of the twelfth to the bottom of the string.
Another thing that you might have to fix is the string height.
You can start by using elementary geometry. You will find that the change
in the string height at the twelfth fret needs to be about twice the of change at the saddle. If a string height at the twelfth fret is 4/32" and the desired measurement is 3/32", the change in height will have to be lowered by 1/32" at the twelfth fret is about 2/32".
After taking measurements, you should calculate the amount that each string needs to be lowered at the saddle. You should make adjustments the saddle must project at least 1/16" from the top of the bridge. This should make sure that the strings exert a sufficient downward force on the saddle to stop the strings from vibrating side-to-side on the top surface of the saddle. If you cannot maintain this 1/16" projection, it will be necessary to reset or shave the bridge. This should be done by a professional repairer or a skilled amateur.
The last adjustment that you should make is to the string height at the nut.
The required tools are a short straight edge (ruler), a standard set of feeler gages, a set of calibrated nut files, an X-acto saw and a tear-drop needle file. You should start by measuring the height of the first fret. You measure the first fret by placing a straight edge on the top of the first two frets so it straddles on the first and second frets. The slide feeler gages should be place between the fingerboard and the straight edge until the gages fill in the space between the fingerboard and the straight edge. When it doesn't fit the required measurement for a string height at the nut, you should adjust it.
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
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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