Guitar Grenade

2012 Updates

2012-02-01T01:45:00.000-08:00

Alright guys, first off, I feel real bad about being away from this blog that used to be my primary place of communicating with the guitar fans all over the world. As you ca see there have been massive changes in this blog in the recent months, now it has more guitar related links than before that lead you out of the blog to some very useful material but there is less material on this blog itself. Basically I stripped off all the material that my fans told me isn't very useful to the guitar learners. So now I'm adding new guitar chords, guitar tabs, guitar lessons, guitar tutorials and more that would help your journey towards becoming a guitar hero. Hope I would be helpful with everything that I share. There are some tweaks need to be done in the layout of the blog which I will take care of soon but it is nothing in between you getting new material to learn guitar from my blog. Drop your comments below and let me know if you have any suggestions.

Rock On

Basit Ally

Link Market - Free Link Exchange, Link Building and Link Trade Directory
Have you ever tried to exchange links, link building, or trade links? Was it hard? Use link market instead; - it is easy to use, free and very smart. It will save you hours of work.

C Major Scale Video Lesson

2011-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

I still remember that this is the video from which I learned my first, and most favorite scale many many years back. It is the scale of C major and this lady has taught it in a good way. Though her accent gives me creeps but never mind, we are here to learn guitar not to work on our hearing or speaking skills. So here's the video which you should utilize to learn the C major scale with 2 variations:

Btw, all the Guitar Grenaders out there, The Official Squidoo Page of Guitar Grenade has been launched which you can visit here http://www.squidoo.com/guitar-grenade. Visit, Read, Like it, Drop comments and Share. Have a great day!

On The Path Of Rockstars (Part 1)

2010-07-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, I want to buy and learn guitar!

I whispered into the ear of my colleague and watched him as he gazed in disbelieve when he said;

“man it’s my dream too, I mean I wanna play guitar too.”

“Wow, let’s do this than!” I said with an excitement.

“yeah, let’s talk about it in the break.” he said with beaming eyes.

As far as I remember it was year 2005 or 2006 and it was a time when I was working as a successful telemarketer in an international call center and was rocking not only my company but was breaking the records of entire telesales industry. It was a time when the call center revolution had just arrived in Pakistan and was conceived like phenomena.

As the call center industry in Pakistan was moving forward so was I. within few months of my career as a telemarketer I became the most earning employee of the company with my untiring and enthusiastic efforts towards my job. The most thriving thing that I found in my job was the opportunity to talk to foreigners. I strongly believed I was going to learn a lot by talking to them as I always used to hear that “Goray” know a lot more than us. And I DID learn a lot that is still, and Insha’Allah will benefit me somehow in my life.

Anyways, I was telling you that I just got this thing in my mind about playing guitar which was never there as I never saw any of my friends or acquaintances having a guitar or talking about it. There was no one in my family who had any link with music or musical instruments.

Nonetheless, that night (we used to work on a Canadian campaign 11pm-7am) I talked to that fellow colleague in the break and when we were talking about going for a guitar, an another colleague came in the cafeteria and took part in the conversation;

"Hey Basit, you wanna buy a guitar, why don’t you buy mine? I don’t play it!" I got stunned as he said this.

“A guitar? You got a guitar? Where did you get it from, and why you wanna sell it, why don’t you play it?” I asked many questions in a row.

”Na, my aunt bought it for me but I didn’t have interest in guitars so I couldn’t learn it and for the last 1 year it has been put in the store room packed in its bag,” he said casually.

“Holy cow, that sounds great man, I have no idea where to get guitars from, just sell me the S**t man?

“Sure man, buy it today, we got our salaries tonight right! And yeah, take it in 1000 bucks only”.

“Are you serious? Only 1000 bucks?”

“Yeah man it has no worth for me but for you it can be very precious as I can see you are very excited about guitars.”

“Ok then, it’s a deal!” I said with excitement and that very morning when we got off from the office, we took bus to his home. Handed him his money as he handed me the guitar which I didn’t really like because of its color and design but I knew no one would give me a guitar this cheap. So that morning I walked into my home proudly with a guitar hanging on my back.

“Is it a guitar?” Dad looked at me glancing from the news paper.

“Yeah”

“And it belongs to?...”

“Us.” I said with a smile.

“Oh, where are you going to learn it?”

“I don’t know, let’s see!”… I said and walked with the guitar into my room to make my dreams come true. I knew it was going to be a long and wild journey…

To be continued…

5 Questions every Guitarist has to encounter- No matter how much they tick him off

2010-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

No matter what kind of audience is watching a guitarist playing his music, or which place it is; there always would be 3 stupid questions that all the guitarists have to encounter from the people:

1: How much your guitar worth?

2: have you learned music? or you just play anything that you hear by hitting different strings?

3: How much time will I (the listener) need to be able to play guitar as good as (any of his favorite music bands such as; Linkin park, creed, Bryan Adams etc)?

4: Is it difficult to play a guitar?/ does it all require to hit some strings to come up with a song?

5: Hey, play that song (any random song of his choice).

I mean What the heck people think!!! When will they get aware of the fact that music has deep theories and a huge array of study is required in order to learn an instrument, and one of the most difficult instruments of them all is GUITAR! this should be understood by people as every note that we guitarist hit has a history and meaning to it.

There are thousands of things that we learned to become guitarists such as Major minor chords, Notations, Blues, pentatonic Scales, Rhythms, Vocals and lot more. Every song that we learn takes our days and nights of unlimited practice and hardcore efforts. The most difficult thing that we guitarists encounter is the pain our hands have to go through while practicing guitar; our fingers get sore and our wrists get hurt .

However as a guitarist, I (or we the guitarists) can't respond in a negative, aggressive, funny or taunting manner for the fact that people DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH RIDICULOUS THEIR QUESTIONS ARE THAT TICK THE GUITARISTS OFF, and they are just asking as it's a normal thing.

So, as far as my self goes; I calmly respond because these are the people who listen to my music and I need their support. (and for the fact that I cant do a f**king thing about it ;-) )

This is Basit Ali signing off, everybody, have a nice weekend...

-Rock ON

Tips For Beginners On Buying A Guitar

2010-05-19T05:33:00.001-07:00

When you are first getting into playing guitar and need to purchase one, there are three steps that every new guitarist should take when choosing their instrument. For beginners, it can sometimes feel overwhelming but following these three steps will ensure or at least give you a much better chance of getting the guitar that you love.

1. Figure out exactly what you need and what your budget allows.

The first thing you should be thinking about is what kind of music you will be wanting to play on it as well as how much you can afford.

If you decide that you want to start learning rock music, you will definitely want to be looking at electric guitars. Because of this, you will also want to factor in the price of an amplifier to go along with the guitar. For budding folk or country musicians, you may be looking into acoustic guitars. This will make things a little easier on you since you will not have to look at amps as well, but at the same time, there are a lot of different acoustic guitars out there to choose from.

2. Do you research.

You should take your time and do some research without jumping into anything to quickly. You do not want to just buy a guitar impulsively; a guitar is a big investment, so you really want to be sure you get something you like and you do not overpay for it. It is a good idea to read up on them first, comparing prices and features before settling on a guitar. Online sites like harmony-central.com and right here at frugalguitarist.com are excellent places to start your research.

If you want to get the most bang for you buck when buying a guitar, you should consider researching a beginner guitar from a major brand name. Major brand names are generally more expensive than knockoffs, but with knockoffs, you can pay the price of shoddy wiring and other flaws. Even though beginner guitars from major brand names are cheaper than more advanced guitars and you can trust that they will be well put together.

That way, you can start simple, get used to your guitar, make sure you want to progress with your guitar playing, and then eventually move up to more advanced and expensive brand name guitars. A good example of an inexpensive beginner guitar is a Fender Squire.

The other advantage to choosing a wewll known brand name guitar is that when you do get to the time that you want to sell or trade it up for a higher quality guitar, it will be a lot easier to sell and hold its value better.

3. When possible, try before you buy.

You always want to test the guitar out in person before buying, to ensure that it is in perfect working order. One thing you will want to do is to shake the guitar vigorously as you listen for rattling. Another thing you will want to do is check the intonation of the guitar. Checking the intonation is quite important. To do this, you should play the harmonic at the 12th fret, and ensure that it sounds the same as the open string. You will also want to check for buzzing by strumming the guitar loudly. Obviously buzzing, rattling, and incorrect intonation are all to be avoided when buying a guitar.

If you are really on a budget, you could consider buying a used guitar. You can look online for used guitars at places like ebay.com and other online marketplaces, or you can check out pawnshops and music stores. You want to be careful buying a used guitar, though, and carefully check it in the ways mentioned earlier.

In addition, buying a guitar should be fun! So have some fun with it--after all, you get to look around, explore your options, and test out various guitars. In addition, it is a great feeling when you finally find the guitar that feels perfect for you.

Source

Why Aren't You a Better Guitarist?-The twenty concepts you need......and the five things to forget!

2010-05-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

If you are like most players, you are desiring to become a better guitar player. Through my own learning experience and through teaching well over 1,000 students, I have learned a lot on this subject. Students often ask why they are not not at the level that they desire to be and what can be done about it. I have asked myself this same question many times in the past. A long time passed before I began to understand the answers.

Like you probably have done, I have read a ton of interviews with great players and articles written by many of these same players. I often found it frustrating whenever the subject of learning to play guitar came up or when advice was offered on improving one's playing. With a small number of exceptions, very little time and space was offered on this. Its not uncommon to see the player's advice be summed up in a grand total of three words: Practice! Practice!! Practice!!! Well of course we all know that practicing is the main ingredient. But rarely are we told much more than that. In my long quest to become an excellent player and to help my students do the same I carefully took note of what worked and what didn't. What parts conventional wisdom is accurate and what parts are (at least in my opinion) are not. I believe the twenty concepts that have proven to bring great results to those who use them are:

Educate yourself! No matter what level you are at today, you can be and should be learning more. If you are currently studying with a teacher or enrolled in a music program at a high school, college or university, you are on the right track. If you aren't doing this (or if you feel that your current teacher is not helping you enough in reaching your goals) I strongly recommend looking for a new teacher. (I have written an article on this exact topic titled: Choosing a Teacher ) I can't stress enough how important it is to find the teacher that is right for you! Your teacher (or music program) should always be Goal Orientated. If its not look for another teacher or school to study with! You don't need a teacher to simply give you information or things to practice - you can get those things anywhere, what you need is a teacher who:

Knows what your goals are.
Cares about helping you reach your goals.
Knows how to help you reach your goals.

Listen to more music. Find more of the same music you already like. There is a lot of music out there that you haven't heard. I am sure you can find something you really like and that would inspire you. Look on the internet if you can't find it on the conventional radio. Check out internet radio, you can customize what you here based on your preferences, its a great tool! Check out web sites that you know feature a lot of the music in the style you like.

Turn your musical frustrations into an asset in the form of a motivating force. I wrote a whole article called Musical Frustration. I don't want to repeat here everything that I wrote in that article, so read it if you haven't already. If you have read it, it may be worth your time to read it again now.

Believe in yourself. You have probably heard that phrase many times before. Its unfortunate how many people still refuse to invest their own beliefs into themselves. I wrote an article on Perseverance which deals indirectly with believing in yourself. Please read it if you have a problem believing that you can reach your goals.

Understand that becoming a better guitarist means becoming a better musician as well. When developing your musical skills, make sure to think beyond skills that are specific to guitar. Of course you will be working on many guitar skills: various guitar techniques, chords, scales, soloing, etc., but don't neglect other skills that are not guitar specific like, ear training (also called aural skills), songwriting, improvising, creativity, reading, music theory, etc.

Surround yourself with better players (or at least with those on your same level.) When you started out playing guitar, everyone was better than you, but now you have grown and there are less people better than you than before. The better you get, the harder it will be to find others who are superior to you to hang around or jam with. But no matter how good you get, there will always be something you can learn from someone else. Seek out those people, get to know them, jam with them, discuss music and guitar with them. Be willing to give as much (or more) as you want to take. If you are fortunate enough to be above the level of other guitarists in your area, seek out great bassists, pianists, violinists, drummers, etc. You can learn from them as well. (Even if you are not better than your guitar player friends, seek out musicians that play other instruments as well anyway).

Find out what inspires you and soak yourself in that. For me, going to concerts to see great players or bands inspires me to practice more. Listening to great singers inspired me to refine my vibrato and phrasing. Listening and studying the music of great classical composers inspired me to study music composition. I wanted to write great music. Watching the movie Star Wars when I was a kid, reading Lord of the Rings, etc. inspired me as well. There are lots of non musical things that have been inspiring to me. The greatest source of inspiration has been my own personal experiences in life and within myself. The desire to express that was (and still is) a constant burning desire and powerful force that thrusts my desire to improve forward. Know what truly inspires you, seek it out, surround yourself with it and soak and soak there.

Define your purpose. What is your definite purpose? Do you really know what it is? If I were standing in front of you right now and asked you this question, could you give me specific answers and explanations? Can you write it on paper in specific terms? This is critical to setting goals, planning strategy and monitoring the results, etc. When all the enemies of progress start to creep into your mind, you will need to bring your definite purpose to the forefront of your thinking. I have seen procrastination, fear of failure, self doubt, lack of motivation, temporary setbacks, and other negative things bring people with great potential to a halt. Knowing your definite purpose and reminding yourself of it when a negative thought comes into your mind will help you overcome it.

Define exactly why your purpose exists in your mind. I specifically choose to list this separately from defining your purpose because I did not want you to let the WHY get lost in the act of DEFINING. Trust me, this is important.

Create a strategy! You need a strategy that will layout exactly how you are going to reach your goals. Dreaming alone won't take you anywhere. Telling yourself that you are going to play your guitar everyday isn't enough. There is a lot more that goes into being an excellent player than simply playing your guitar. Ultimately you should work backwards. State your ultimate goals (on paper) then make a bunch of short and medium range goals. Think of reaching your goals as a relay race, NOT as a marathon. Each short term and medium term goal is the end of one segment of your plan and the beginning of the next segment (just like a relay race.) There are many benefits of looking at things this way as you will discover for yourself in your own way.

If you clearly know what your ultimate goals are, you can do this yourself. But if you need help in planning out the short and mid term goals to plan your strategy. Consult a teacher whom you trust and believe can help you with this - its worth it believe me. If you can't find a teacher who can do this for you, pay someone (YES I said PAY) to help you develop a specific plan to do this. The best person to approach for this is someone who is already doing whatever it is that you want to be doing.

Remember that its ok to daydream and fantasize about where you are planning to go, but it can't stop there. Don't wish without planning! Don't dream without doing! And always, always, have a strategy. You may need to revise certain aspects of your strategy as time goes on and that's ok, but don't try to go forward without one if you want the maximum results in the shortest amount of time. In my early days learning to play guitar, I wasted a lot of time aimlessly desiring to get better without having a clue as to how to plan for it. Sure I practiced a lot, but without direction and without an efficient path to follow. Most of my substantial progress as a musician came only after I developed a strategy and worked with it.

If you are wondering why I haven't given you a detailed explanation of the strategies I used in the past, it would be pointless for me to tell you what my strategy was, because it was specific only to my goals. Chances are, your goals may differ greatly from mine in many different ways. That is why you need your own strategy for your own personal goals. One last piece of advice before we move on, write everything on paper and read it everyday! It will keep you focused and on target.

Imagine yourself having the skills that you desire. Focus on that and concentrate. Convince yourself that you can do it. Convince yourself that you are already on your way to reaching your first goal - because you are. Its easier to manifest your desires when you can imagine yourself already in possession of it. Keep your positive mental attitude always.

Define what you plan to do with your musical skills once you have them. If you plan on releasing your own CD or making a living in music. LEARN AND STUDY MUSIC BUSINESS RIGHT NOW!! The fastest way to do that is to actually take music business lessons at a college and take private lessons from a pro (or at least a semi-pro guitarist) Yes you can take lessons in this just like you can for learning guitar, songwriting, etc. Do NOT wait until you are a great player to start learning about this business!!!!!! I can not tell you how many players make this mistake (I made it myself at first and have studying it intensely for the past few years to get my own career where it is today.)

Find out how your favorite players reached their goals. Often times this is hard to do since you can't always sit down and talk to some very famous musicians. But interviews exist as well as a few biographies on some musicians (especially dead ones). Despite the fact that many successful don't really talk much about this, you can find some that do. Believe me, becoming successful is a lot more than just practicing and luck! REMEMBER that their strategies won't necessarily work for you because your goals may be different than theirs were. Still you can learn from it.

Don't compare yourself to others. There is no need to do this anyway. Music should not be a competitive sport among people, only within yourself. Compare yourself only in relation to where you are in your strategy! Are you on your way to reaching your next short term and medium term goal towards your ultimate goals? Are you on schedule, does your strategy need to be revised?

Make sure you are practicing efficiently. Do you really know how to practice the guitar? Are you focused on setting daily and weekly objectives and then practicing in such a way that you will be working towards those goals? These are questions you should ask yourself. The two biggest practicing mistakes I have seen in students (besides not practicing enough) are: 1. Practicing is not goal orientated. 2. Not understanding the difference between playing one's guitar and practicing one's guitar. If you are having any difficulties with practicing, talk to your teacher about it. He/she should be able to help you.

Play with others in a band or some type of ensemble. It is important to have experience playing with others. It can be in a band or some other ensemble setting. Formal or informal. The main thing is to be doing it. (at least once a month). Some things you just can't fully practice alone. Besides the fact that this can be really fun, it will also help you overcome stage fright if you have it.

Measure your progress. Document your practice time. Keep a record of how much you practice each day. For technique things, use a metronome to see how fast you are able to play a particular scale, exercise, lick, arpeggio, etc. cleanly. Write down the result, practice it all week and see if you can play it one or two beats per minute faster by next week (or next month). Keep a record of all the technical things you are currently working on. You will clearly see if you are progressing and at what rate. For other items that are not so easily recorded with a metronome, paper and pencil, record on yourself tape or your computer each week. Keep the tapes for a long time. Listen back in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, etc. Listen to how much you have grown.

Do not pander to your strengths while ignoring your weaknesses. It is not necessary to be able to play all styles of music or every technique to be a good player, but certain aspects are universal, such as: technique, ear training, knowledge of theory, creativity, improvising, etc. Some musical styles will rely more heavily on certain aspects than other styles, regardless, its important to be balanced. If you are a heavy metal guitarist, chances are sight reading won't be as high on your list of priorities as technique. Likewise, a strict classical guitarist won't have much use for improvisation (unfortunately). But make sure you don't avoid weaknesses that you should be paying attention to because if you do - you will be sorry, sooner or later.

Discipline yourself. Unlike a sport, you do not have a coach or a trainer to work with you all the time. Nobody is there to make sure you are practicing the way you need to, when you need to, and how often you need to. You need to be totally self reliant. If this is not a normal part of your personality, fortunately there is help for you. Only you can stop yourself from procrastinating. Take the initiative now to go forward.

NEVER GIVE UP! Never say can't. Never say I can't. Never say someday. Never say if... If your IQ is higher than room temperature, if you have all of your fingers and if you really want to succeed, you can.

In reaching your goals:

There are only two real players in this game

....You and Time.

Source

Beginner Guitar Chords Made Easy (Final Part 4)

2010-03-30T22:21:00.001-07:00

The Barre Chord

You learned all the basic open chords, and practiced until you can move between them smoothly and even start to learn guitar easy songs. Now it's time to take a guitar string more challenging beginner: the barre chord.
This is a form of chords that can be played on any fret on the guitar because it does not use any open strings. Instead, the finger makes a bar across the fretboard, playing three notes at once. To make this work you need to rotate your wrist so forward, get that finger as flat as possible, and dive on the fretboard. Here is what it seems at first fret, which gives the chord:

F major barre

0 1 2 3 4 5

E |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

B |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

G |—|—|- 2 -|—|—|—|

D |—|—|—|- 4 -|—|—|

A 3 |—|—|—|- -|—|—|

E |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

In terms of learning guitar chords, This is the rite of passage: the master of officially barre chord and you learned to play chords beginner guitar. It is not easy, but do not give up! Pick each string one at a time and make sure you can clearly hear every note ring. If the notes on the first finger is not clear, make sure the finger is flat and pressed against the Tigh strings. This is not a natural position, so do not be discouraged if not perfect in the first place. This will strengthen your fingers, improve their coordination, and make it easier to learn guitar chords that are more advanced and require large areas.

Once you've mastered the barre chord, is easy to play a minor chord: just lift the middle finger, like this:

F minor barre

0 1 2 3 4 5

E |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

B |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

G |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

D |—|—|—|- 4 -|—|—|

A 3 |—|—|—|- -|—|—|

E |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

Now you can move one way up the neck to play any chord you need the name of the chord is simply to note the index finger is touching the two sequences E.

That's it for this lesson: you are a master of chords beginner guitar, learned a rhythm guitar novice, and know the barre chord, which opens up many possibilities. The next class will continue with more chords, the rhythms, and music to liven things up. See you there!
Source

Beginner Guitar Chords Made Easy (Part 3)

2010-03-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

There is a chord more open to learn. Here's D major (D, F #, A):

D Home

0 1 2 3 4 5

E |—|—|- 2 -|—|—|—|

B |—|—|—|- 3 -|—|—|

G |—|—|- 1 -|—|—|—|

D | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

A |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

E |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

There are some variations of that chord worth learning. You can add the string to open a little more depth, and you also can add an F # on the low E string:

D Major with low F #

0 1 2 3 4 5

E |—|—|- 2 -|—|—|—|

B |—|—|—|- 3 -|—|—|

G |—|—|- 1 -|—|—|—|

D | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

A | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

E-|—|—|—| |—|—|- T

The 'T means "you need to wrap your thumb around the neck and wear F #. It is almost impossible in a lot of noise, but if you're playing an electric, and especially if you want to play any type of hard rock, is a valuable form of knowledge. If you can not get it now, do not worry: it is usually taught when you're learning to play guitar chords beginner, think of it as an optional extra challenge.

Get Those Dancing Fingers

Now that you know some major chords, try to move forward and forth between them. You may notice that some of the chords sound better together than others: for example, G, C, D and good sound in a pattern together, as do E, A and D, while that G and E may sound a little strange playing one after another. Try and listen closely, you already know enough chords to start creating your own songs, so practice, practice, practice! Here's a fast-paced guitar beginner to make the practice more interesting start on any string and strum it four times. Switch to another string and strum four times. Now switch to a third string, strum it twice, switch back to the second chord twice, and then back to the chord initial and strum four times as well. Using G, C and D, which would be something like this: G, G, G, G, C, C, C, C, D, D, C, C, G, G, G, G See? Even if you do not know how to read guitar notes, however, you can still make music!

Minor Chords

The difference between major and minor chords is the second note of the strings (the tone of the third dimension). Minor chords in the third is a half-step lower than in major chords. Thus, for example, and contains the main notes E, G #, A and B, while E minor contains E, G and B. Here is the fingering for E minor:

E minor

0 1 2 3 4 5

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

B | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

G | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

D |—|—|- 3 -|—|—|—|

A 2 |—|—|- -|—|—|—|

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

Notice what is a huge difference that change makes a note to the sound of the chord! As you learn guitar chords, always make sure to compare the major and minor ways, paying attention to the sound of strings and fingerings. Here's A minor:

The lower

0 1 2 3 4 5

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

B |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

G |—|—|- 3 -|—|—|—|

2 D |—|—|- -|—|—|—|

A | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

And |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

Note that skip the second and third fingers' of a sequence of E minor. Try strumming back and forth between the two chords: the transition is easier than it sounds good. Now let's look at D minor:

D minor

0 1 2 3 4 5

E |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

B |—|—|—|- 3 -|—|—|

G |—|—|- 2 -|—|—|—|

D | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

A |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

E |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

Note that the fingering is a little different of D major. That's good, because it is very unlikely that you move between the two chords in a song. As always when practicing how to play guitar chords beginner, focus on a clean sound and avoiding strings that should not sound.
Source

Beginner Guitar Chords Made Easy ( part 2)

2010-03-30T22:19:00.001-07:00

You can also play G major with a string of B open:

G Major

0 1 2 3 4 5

And |-|—|—|- 3 -|—|—|

B | 0 |—|—|—|—|—|

G | 0 |—|—|—|—|—|

D | 0 |—|—|—|—|—|

A 1 |-|—|- -|—|—|—|

And |-|—|—|- 2 -|—|—|

This form is more commonly used in folk and country, while the first form is more common in the rock. This has to do with B, which is the third largest: a distorted sound with the third can cause some ugly connotation when played on the strings above. As you learn guitar chords, make sure you try to play them with a variety of tones and pay attention to what sounds best for you. Also practice, getting your fingers in the right places as quickly as possible. Be patient: guitar chords learning takes time and practice. Focus on getting a clean sound all the notes and you'll improve quickly.

Let's take a look at another very common chord, E major (E, G #, B):

E Major

0 1 2 3 4 5

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

B | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

G |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

D |—|—|- 3 -|—|—|—|

A 2 |—|—|- -|—|—|—|

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

The chord guitar and is very easy to friction and, again, you see that all the strings are strummed. Pay attention to the fingerings: learn the fingerings wrong now and you have bad habits that will hold you back later. Now let's look at a large:

A Major

0 1 2 3 4 5

And | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

B |—|—|- 3 -|—|—|—|

G |—|—|- 1 -|—|—|—|

D |—|—|- 2 -|—|—|—|

A | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

E |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

Note that 'x' the low E string? This means that the string is not supposed to be scratched. And even that is part of the chord A major (A, C #, E), the bass makes the chord sound very muddy and hides the note of a root. Then, after you have twisted the fingers of your left hand around the rope, pay attention paid only to choose the five strings. In addition, make sure you can hear the high E string. This is really one of the beginner guitar chords you will learn difficult, simply because fingers are in an area so small. Stick with it, though, and follow the suggested fingering.

Once you can play an important role try switching between E major and a major. Take your time: a very slow transition, clean, with all notes sounding clearly sounds much better than a handful of notes lost and muted strings. Once you can back and forth, try a simple rhythm guitar beginner: Strum And twice, then A twice, and so on. Start very, very slowly, then try to pick up the speed a little. You'll quickly see why the fingering suggested should be followed: noting that the first finger remains in the same sequence and only moves up a fret, while the other fingers kind of bounce around the first finger.

Now let's add another chord, and then we try a transition tricker. Here's C major (C, E, G):

C major

0 1 2 3 4 5

E | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

B |—|- 1 -|—|—|—|—|

G | -0 -|—|—|—|—|—|

2 D |—|—|- -|—|—|—|

A 3 |—|—|—|- -|—|—|

E |-x-|—|—|—|—|—|

Note that once again the low E string is not touched. About this chord can let the third finger to touch the E string a little, which can help silence any unwanted noise in the chain. Make sure to keep strong pressure on the string, however.

Now, here's another rhythm guitar beginner: try strumming G twice, then C twice, and so on. This transition is more complicated because all fingers jumping too fast. Take it slow: as you're learning guitar chords the focus must be on a clean tone. Keep practicing this rate until you can move back and forth between G and C quickly and cleanly.
Source

Beginner Guitar Chords Made Easy (Part 1)

2010-03-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

One of the skills you need to master as a guitarist is playing chords. While there are literally thousands of different possible ways of chords on the guitar, we focus on a few guitar chords beginner basics that can be moved and altered chords for many later. These can also be used right away to learn guitar songs easy.

Different flavors

You will learn chords guitar all types, but ultimately, there are two basic types of chords in music: big and small. All possible chords can be grouped into one of these two types. Major chords are built on larger scales and have a sound 'happy', while minor chords come from scales smaller and tend to have a sound 'sad'. While some songs use only one type of an agreement, most of the songs and progressions blend of major and minor chords. Let's start with chords larger.

Home Chords

Major chords are based on larger scales and use the notes first, third and fifth scale. We begin focusing on five major chords: C, A, G, E, and guitar chords D. Learning how this will open a whole world of music for you. Each chord diagram below shows where each string should be fretted, and with his finger. Let's start with open chords, which means that one or more open (not as junk) strings are included. Strings loose are shown with a '0 'in front of the first fret. Let's take a look in G major, which contains the notes G, B and D:

G Major

0 1 2 3 4 5

And |-|—|—|- 4 -|—|—|

B |-|—|—|- 3 -|—|—|

G | 0 |—|—|—|—|—|

D | 0 |—|—|—|—|—|

A 1 |-|—|- -|—|—|—|

And |-|—|—|- 2 -|—|—|

Notice that you need to get your middle finger all the way to the third fret on the bottom rope with his finger the first fret second string. Be sure to scroll wrist back and curl the fingers so that all the strings may move clearly. Try to choose only the sequence A: If you can not clearly hear the note B, wrap the middle finger a little more for it prevents the string. This will be a constant focus as you learn how to play guitar chords beginner: all the notes ring clearly need to sound good. Strum down with your choice, then up: you want all the notes sound as closely as possible, so strum quickly.
Source

WwW.GuitarGrenade.Co.Nr Logo Launched ! ! !

2010-03-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,
Finally the official WwW.GuitarGrenade.Co.Nr logo is here!

Give your feedback please!

Speed Playing

2010-03-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

In this lesson were going to cover all aspects of playing fast guitar, including speed picked runs, legato phrases and economy picking phrases. Hopefully at the end of this lesson you should have some useful warm up excersises, tips on all picking aspects and lots of excersises to practise with.
This lesson will be split into 5 sections :
1. Warm up excersises
2. Alternative picking
3. Economy picking
4. Legato playing
5. Using these tips musically

Warm Up Excersises

These are a list of simple excersises that are useful for quickly warming up both your hands before playing these excersises. I use these almost everyday and they don't take long but they get your hands all warmed up, getting blood into your hands and getting the muscles pumped into your fingers so after a quick few excersises you feel like youve been playing for hours.
First were going to warm up, were going to give all your fingers are work out. The main focus of warming up fast though is to aim to get your index and pinky fingers warmed up as the rest of the hand will follow. Lets get started:

E|----------------------1h2p1------------------------------------------2h3-
B|------------------1h2-------2p1----------------------------------2h3-----
G|--------------1h2---------------2p1--------------------------2h3---------
D|----------1h2-----------------------2p1------------------2h3-------------
A|------1h2-------------------------------2p1----------2h3-----------------
E|--1h2---------------------------------------2p1--2h3---------------------

E|--3p2-----------------------------------------3h4p3-----------------------
B|------3p2---------------------------------3h4-------4p3-------------------
G|----------3p2-------------------------3h4---------------4p3---------------
D|--------------3p2-----------------3h4-----------------------4p3-----------
A|------------------3p2---------3h4-------------------------------4p3-------
E|----------------------3p2-3h4---------------------------------------4p3---

E|----------------------4h5p4-----------------------------------------5h6---
B|------------------4h5-------5p4---------------------------------5h6-------
G|--------------4h5---------------5p4-------------------------5h6-----------
D|----------4h5-----------------------5p4-----------------5h6---------------
A|------4h5-------------------------------5p4---------5h6-------------------
E|--4h5---------------------------------------5p4-5h6-----------------------

E|--6p5-----------------------------------------6h7p6-----------------------
B|------6p5---------------------------------6h7-------7p6-------------------
G|----------6p5-------------------------6h7---------------7p6---------------
D|--------------6p5-----------------6h7-----------------------7p6-----------
A|------------------6p5---------6h7-------------------------------7p6-------
E|----------------------6p5-6h7---------------------------------------7p6---

This is an excersise which can be replayed with any 2 fingers. To also aide your picking hand you can alternate pick descending ( up, down, up) and sweep (up, up, up) ascending, or mix it up, but don't worry the main aim is to warm up your fretting hand fingers. With this excersise use:1. Index and middle
2. Middle and ring
3. Ring and pinky
Next:

E|----------------------1h3p1-----------------------------------------2h4-
B|------------------1h3------3p1----------------------------------2h4-----
G|--------------1h3--------------3p1--------------------------2h4---------
D|----------1h3----------------------3p1------------------2h4-------------
A|------1h3------------------------------3p1----------2h4-----------------
E|--1h3--------------------------------------3p1--2h4---------------------

E|--4p2-----------------------------------------3h5p3-----------------------
B|------4p2---------------------------------3h5-------5p3-------------------
G|----------4p2-------------------------3h5---------------5p3---------------
D|--------------4p2-----------------3h5-----------------------5p3-----------
A|------------------4p2---------3h5-------------------------------5p3-------
E|----------------------4p2-3h5---------------------------------------5p3---

E|----------------------4h6p4-----------------------------------------5h7---
B|------------------4h6-------6p4---------------------------------5h7-------
G|--------------4h6---------------6p4-------------------------5h7-----------
D|----------4h6-----------------------6p4-----------------5h7---------------
A|------4h6-------------------------------6p4---------5h7-------------------
E|--4h6---------------------------------------6p4-5h7-----------------------

E|--7p5-----------------------------------------6h8p6-----------------------
B|------7p5---------------------------------6h8-------8p6-------------------
G|----------7p5-------------------------6h8---------------8p6---------------
D|--------------7p5-----------------6h8-----------------------8p6-----------
A|------------------7p5---------6h8-------------------------------8p6-------
E|----------------------7p5-6h8---------------------------------------8p6---

Ok this time use:1. Index and ring fingers
2. Middle and pinky fingers
Next:

E|--------------------------------1h2h3p2p1---------------------------------
B|--------------------------1h2h3-----------3p2p1---------------------------
G|--------------------1h2h3-----------------------3p2p1---------------------
D|--------------1h2h3-----------------------------------3p2p1---------------
A|--------1h2h3-----------------------------------------------3p2p1---------
E|--1h2h3----------------------------------------------------------3p2p1----

E|--------------------------------2h3h4p3p2---------------------------------
B|--------------------------2h3h5-----------4p3p2---------------------------
G|--------------------2h3h4-----------------------4p3p2---------------------
D|--------------2h3h4-----------------------------------4p3p2---------------
A|--------2h3h4----------------------------------------------4p3p2----------
E|--2h3h4----------------------------------------------------------4p3p2----

E|--------------------------------3h4h5p4p3---------------------------------
B|--------------------------3h4h5-----------5p4p3---------------------------
G|--------------------3h4h5-----------------------5p4p3---------------------
D|--------------3h4h5-----------------------------------5p4p3---------------
A|--------2h4h5----------------------------------------------5p4p3----------
E|--3h4h5----------------------------------------------------------5p4p3----

E|--------------------------------4h5h6p5p4---------------------------------
B|--------------------------4h5h6-----------6p5p4---------------------------
G|--------------------4h5h6-----------------------6p5p4---------------------
D|--------------4h5h6-----------------------------------6p5p4---------------
A|--------4h5h6----------------------------------------------6p5p4----------
E|--4h5h6----------------------------------------------------------6p5p4----

E|--------------------------------5h6h7p6p5---------------------------------
B|--------------------------5h6h7-----------7p6p5---------------------------
G|--------------------5h6h7-----------------------7p6p5---------------------
D|--------------5h6h7-----------------------------------7p6p5---------------
A|--------5h6h7----------------------------------------------7p6p5----------
E|--5h6h7----------------------------------------------------------7p6p5----

This time use:1. Index ,middle and ring fingers
2. Middle ,ring and pinky fingers
Next:

E|--------------------------------1h2h4p2p1---------------------------------
B|--------------------------1h2h4-----------4p2p1---------------------------
G|--------------------1h2h4-----------------------4p2p1---------------------
D|--------------1h2h4-----------------------------------4p2p1---------------
A|--------1h2h4----------------------------------------------4p2p1----------
E|--1h2h4----------------------------------------------------------4p2p1----

E|--------------------------------2h3h5p3p2---------------------------------
B|--------------------------2h3h5-----------5p3p2---------------------------
G|--------------------2h3h5-----------------------5p3p2---------------------
D|--------------2h3h5-----------------------------------5p3p2---------------
A|--------2h3h5----------------------------------------------5p3p2----------
E|--2h3h5----------------------------------------------------------5p3p2----

E|--------------------------------3h4h6p4p3---------------------------------
B|--------------------------3h4h6-----------6p4p3---------------------------
G|--------------------3h4h6-----------------------6p4p3---------------------
D|--------------3h4h6-----------------------------------6p4p3---------------
A|--------3h4h6----------------------------------------------6p4p3----------
E|--3h4h6----------------------------------------------------------6p4p3----

E|--------------------------------4h5h7p5p4---------------------------------
B|--------------------------4h5h7-----------7p5p4---------------------------
G|--------------------4h5h7-----------------------7p5p4---------------------
D|--------------4h5h7-----------------------------------7p5p4---------------
A|--------4h5h7----------------------------------------------7p5p4----------
E|--4h5h7----------------------------------------------------------7p5p4----

This one uses:1. Index ,middle and pinky
Next:

E|--------------------------------1h3h4p3p1---------------------------------
B|--------------------------1h3h4-----------4p3p1---------------------------
G|--------------------1h3h4-----------------------4p3p1---------------------
D|--------------1h3h4-----------------------------------4p3p1---------------
A|--------1h3h4----------------------------------------------4p3p1----------
E|--1h3h4----------------------------------------------------------4p3p1----

E|--------------------------------2h4h5p4p2---------------------------------
B|--------------------------2h4h5-----------5p4p2---------------------------
G|--------------------2h4h5-----------------------5p4p2---------------------
D|--------------2h4h5-----------------------------------5p4p2---------------
A|--------2h4h5----------------------------------------------5p4p2----------
E|--2h4h5----------------------------------------------------------5p4p2----

E|--------------------------------3h5h6p5p3---------------------------------
B|--------------------------3h5h6-----------6p5p3---------------------------
G|--------------------3h5h6-----------------------6p5p3---------------------
D|--------------3h5h6-----------------------------------6p5p3---------------
A|--------3h5h6----------------------------------------------6p5p3----------
E|--3h5h6----------------------------------------------------------6p5p3----

E|--------------------------------4h6h7p6p4---------------------------------
B|--------------------------4h6h7-----------7p6p4---------------------------
G|--------------------4h6h7-----------------------7p6p4---------------------
D|--------------4h6h7-----------------------------------7p6p4---------------
A|--------4h6h7----------------------------------------------7p6p4----------
E|--4h6h7----------------------------------------------------------7p6p4----

This one uses:1. Index ,ring and pinky fingers.
Last one now:

E|------------------------------------------1h2h3h4p3p2p1----------------
B|----------------------------------1h2h3h4---------------4p3p2p1--------
G|--------------------------1h2h3h4-------------------------------4p3p2p1
D|------------------1h2h3h4----------------------------------------------
A|----------1h2h3h4------------------------------------------------------
E|--1h2h3h4--------------------------------------------------------------

E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G|--4p3p2p1-------------------------------------------------2h3h4h5------
D|----------4p3p2p1---------------------------------2h3h4h5--------------
A|------------------4p3p2p1-----------------2h3h4h5----------------------
E|--------------------------4p3p2p1 2h3h4h5------------------------------

E|----------2h3h4h5p4p3p2------------------------------------------------
B|--2h3h4h5---------------5p4p3p2----------------------------------------
G|--------------------------------5p4p3p2--------------------------------
D|----------------------------------------5p4p3p2------------------------
A|------------------------------------------------5p4p3p2----------------
E|--------------------------------------------------------5p4p3p2-3h4h5h6

E|----------------------------------3h4h5h6p5p4p3------------------------
B|--------------------------3h4h5h6---------------6p5p4p3----------------
G|------------------3h4h5h6-------------------------------6p5p4p3--------
D|----------3h4h5h6-----------------------------------------------6p5p4p3
A|--3h4h5h6--------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|----------------------------------------------------------4h5h6h7------
B|--------------------------------------------------4h5h6h7--------------
G|------------------------------------------4h5h6h7----------------------
D|----------------------------------4h5h6h7------------------------------
A|--6p5p4p3-----------------4h5h5h7--------------------------------------
E|----------6p5p4p3-4h5h6h7----------------------------------------------

E|--7p6p5p4--------------------------------------------------------------
B|----------7p6p5p4------------------------------------------------------
G|------------------7p6p5p4----------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------7p6p5p4--------------------------------------
A|----------------------------------7p6p5p4------------------------------
E|------------------------------------------7p6p5p4----------------------

You can pretty much guess what fingers are required here. Now you should be very warmed up, as mentioned earlier some of these hammer-ons and pull offs are quite hard and instead just pick the notes if it's easier.

Alternative Picking

Alternative picking is probably the hardest, used by players like Michael Angelo and Buckethead, this picking style involves picking up and then down repeatly. Even if your changing strings you will have to have a constant up, down, up, down pattern. Alternative picking gives an aggressive, attacking sound when played. Below is a small excersise and we will discuss tips on getting your alternative picking accurate:

E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-----------12-13-12----------------12-13-12----------------12-13-12----
A|--12-14-15----------15-14-12-14-15----------15-14-12-14-15-------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U

This is a simple repeat lick excersise, you can play this sort of thing almost anywhere to feel comfortable but we will use this one now for starters. Play this lick constantly using the up, down, up, down motion. So the main issue I'm sure you'l find here is the upstroke on the string change down and the downstroke on the string change up. Practise this likc super slow and build up speed then try these:

E|--8-7-------------------7-8-7-------------------7-8-7------------------
B|------8-7-----------7-8-------8-7-----------7-8-------8-7--------------
G|----------8-7-5-7-8---------------8-7-5-7-8---------------8-7-5--------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   D U D U D U D U D  U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D

E|--------------------12-14-15-14-12----------------------------------12-
B|-----------12-14-15----------------15-14-12----------------12-14-15----
G|--12-14-15----------------------------------15-14-12-14-15-------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
     D  U  D U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D

E|-----------10----------------10----------------10----------------10----
B|--------11----11----------11----11----------11----11----------11-------
G|-----12----------12----12----------12----12----------12----12----------
D|--11----------------11----------------11----------------11-------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U

That last one may seem tricky, as it's so tempting to sweep/economy pick it, but if you can pull it off it's very useful for training your picking hand. Remeber the key to this picking style is the ability to hit a new string below on an upstroke and a string above on a downstroke.

Economy Picking

Economy picking is a bit like alternative picking, up and down, but when you change string you pick in the direction of the change. So if you going to change to a string down you down stroke and a string up you upstroke. Try this example using economy picking:

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|----------9-12-10-9-10-12------------9-12-10-9-10-12------------9----
E|--9-10-12-----------------12-9-10-12-----------------12 9-10-12------
    D  U  D  D U  D U  D  U  U D U  D  D  U  D U  D  U  U D U  D  D

Notice how your up and downpicking but on the string change you follow the direction of the strings, it's seems easier than alternative picking and gives are a more smooth, flowing sound, players like Yngwie Malmsteen use this technique a lot and it sounds great with legato playing. Try these out:

E|-----------12-14-15-17-15-14-12-------------12-14-15-17-15-14-12-------
B|--12-14-15----------------------15-12-14-15----------------------15----
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    D  U  D  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U  D   D  U  S  U  S  U  D  U

E|--------12-10-------------12-10-------------12-10-------------12-10----
B|-----13-------11-------13-------11-------13-------11-------13------11--
G|--14-------------12-14-------------12-14-------------12-14-----------12
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    D  D  D  U  U  U  D  D  D  U  U  U  D  D  D  U  U  U  D  D  D  U  U U

E|--------12-15p12---------12-15p12----------12-15p12----------12-15p12--
B|-----13---------13----13----------13----13----------13----13-----------
G|--12---------------12----------------12----------------12--------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    D  D  D  U   U   D  D  D  U     U   D  D  D  U   U  D   D   D  U

Last one look familiar, it's a sweep picking shape. Economy picking is often refered to as sweep picking. So remeber, alternative pick on one string, pick with the direction of the string change when you change.

Legato Playing

Allthough technically not a picking style, it's is useful in playing fast. Some players don't prefer using legato and accuse it of "cheating". Legato is just as technical and useful in fast playing as any other of the techniques were using. Joe Satriani uses a lot of legato playing in his songs and they're incredibly fast. Legato is latin for "smoothly" and this technique does give an incredible smooth sound when played right. When hammer-ing on, make sure you hammer the string quickly and firmly, a lot of players only really use their middle or ring finger for this, but if you can train your pinky to do it you can reach whole new areas and create interesting licks. For pulling off, one of the main flaws players have is that when they pull off the accidently bend the string that they're pulling off to downwards, this makes the pull off sound out of tune. Make sure the finger your pulling off to holds the string firmly in place and your pulling finger to pluck strick forcefully to get a loud, full pull off.Try these licks out:

E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------9-7h9------9-7h9------9-7h9------9-7h9------9-7h9------9 7h9----
A|--10p7-------10p7-------10p7-------10p7-------10p7-------10p7----------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|--12h13p12h13-------------------------------------12h13p12h13----------
B|--------------12h13p12h13-------------12h13p12h13----------------------
G|--------------------------10h13p10h13----------------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|----------7p5--------------7p5-------------7p5-------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G|------5h7-----7p5------5h7-----7p5-----7p5-----7p5---------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|--5h7--------------5h7-------------5h7-------------5h7-----------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first excersise a good technique is to barre the A and D strings with your first finger and then use your pinky and/or ring fingers to handle the hammer-ons and pull offs. As for the last excersise many players have difficulty changing to a lower string for a pull off, remeber to firmly place your first finger on the 5th fret and pluck the 7th fret downwards with your other finger to get an accurate pull off.

Using These Tips Musically

So we have warmed up, learnt pciknig styles and legato playing, now what? Well if you wanna play a fast lick, a lot of players simply use small licks like the excersises together, a combination of a few licks you've used can create a large, fast solo. As long as your playing is in key with the song you can make lots of speedy solo's using these small repeat excersises, like so:

E|--------------------12-14-15-14-12----------------------------------12-
B|-----------12-14-15----------------15-14-12----------------12-14-15----
G|--12-14-15----------------------------------15-14-12-14-15-------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|--14-15-14-12-------------------------------------14h15p14h15----17b(19)
B|--------------15-14-12-----------------12---------------------14-------
G|-----------------------15-14-12--12h14----15b(17)----------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|-----------17-15-14----------------------------------------------------
B|--17-15-14-------------------15-14-12----------------------------------
G|--------------------15-14-12-------------------14-12-10----------------
D|--------------------------------------14-12-10-----------------12-10-9-
A|--------------------------------------------------------12-10-9--------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------15p12-
G|-----------------------------------------------------------15p12-------
D|------------------------------------------------9-10-12-14-------------
A|----------------9-10-12-10-9------------9-10-12------------------------
E|--12-10-9-10-12--------------12-9-10-12--------------------------------

E|--15p12----------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------15b(17)--------------------------------------------------------
G|----------------9h12---------9h12---------9h12---------9h12---------9--
D|---------------------12-9h12------12-9h12------12-9h12------12-9h12----
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E|-------9-12p9---------9-12p9---------9-12p9---------9-12p9-------------
B|----10--------10---10--------10---10--------10---10--------10b(12)-10--
G|--9--------------9--------------9--------------9-----------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see all I did was use small licks together to create a large solo, now make your own. Source

Parts Of An Electric Guitar

2010-03-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Since there is no other guide on the parts of a guitar (yet), I'll post one myself.

Body - this is the part of the guitar that holds the bridge, pickups, strings, strap holders, tremelo inputs, and volume/tone controls. The body is also usually made of some type of wood and comes in many different colors.

Strings - usually every guitar has 6 strings. You pluck and pick the strings to produce noise. Each string has a different level of thickness. The thicker the string, the lower the sound and vice versa. Sometimes, the strings can break and you need to get them replaced.

Bridge - the part where the strings sit at the body end of the guitar. The bridge may be Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Hardtail, Bigsby or Tremolo.

Pickups - the electronic devices that pick up magnetic fluctuations in the area around the pickup which can be disturbed by the string to make sound. They are can be found on the body under the strings.

Tremelo Inputs - most electric guitars include these, but some require installing to put one on. Located on the body, the temelo input produces a wavy sound by pressing down on the tremelo bar. Tremelo bars are sort of like sticks you push into the tremelo input.

Strap Holder - these are little stubs around the edge of the body of the guitar. They are used for keeping your strap on.

Volume/Tone Controls - are on the body of the guitar. If you mix the settings up a little, you can produce a unique sound. These controls can also be found on an amplifier.

Headstock - every guitar has a headstock. The headstock is the little piece of wood that sits on top of the fretboard. The headstock holds tuning pegs and the ends of the strings.

Tuning Pegs - without the tuning pegs, your guitar will sound like a most people who try out for 'American Idol.' Bad. Good thing, we have these little guys to tune our guitars with. The tuning pegs are little silver stubs on the side of the headstock.

Fretboard (frets and fret markers) - this is the neck part of the guitar. It contains frets and fret markers.

Frets are little metal ridges along the guitar that you would press the strings on to produce a different note.

Fret Markers are indicators of which fret is where on the fretboard. Fret markers can be found on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st fret. The 12th fret has a mark that differs from the rest of the marks on the fretboard. This is because the 12th fret produces the same note as an open string.
So this is a basic guide on the parts of an electric guitar. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope it helped you out.
Source

Basic Guitar Chords-3 different ways to understand and learn

2010-03-14T00:49:00.000-08:00

Click on an image to zoom in

Linkin Park - Meteora - Numb

2010-03-13T09:45:00.001-08:00

Acoustic version of Linkin Park's "Numb". A great song, which also sounds great
on acoustic guitar. Hope you enjoy it!!

Capo on 2.

Intro: EM C G D * 2

Verse 1:

  EM         C
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
   G             D
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
  EM                       C
Don't know what you're expecting of me
   G                        D      C      D
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes

(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
       EM  G                C        D
Every step I take is another mistake to you

(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)


Chorus:

  EM             C         G
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
   D      EM 
I've become so tired so much more aware
       C   G
I've becoming this all I want to do
   D       EM
Is be more like me and be less like you

Verse 2:
          C
Can't you see that you're smothering me
    G         D       EM
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
        C
Cause everything that you thought I would be
       G           D                C        D
Has fallen apart right in front of you

(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
       EM              G        C       D
Every step that I take is another mistake to you

(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
      EM                G       D
And every second I waste is more than I can take


  EM             C         G
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
   D      EM 
I've become so tired so much more aware
       C   G
I've becoming this all I want to do
   D       EM
Is be more like me and be less like you

 D
And I know
       EM  G  EM   D   C
I may end up failing too
 D
But I know
           B (hold)
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you


  EM             C         G
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
   D      EM 
I've become so tired so much more aware
  C   G
I've becoming this all I want to do
   D       EM
Is be more like me and be less like you


                C         G
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
     D
(Tired of being what you want me to be)


 EM              C         G
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
     D
(Tired of being what you want me to be)


Ending: EM C G D

Source

song:VIVA LA VIDA by COLDPLAY album:VIVA LA VIDA or DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS

2010-03-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

These are all basic chords if you use a capo on the first fret.
if you dont have  a capo, C becomes C# , G becomes G#,
Em becomes Fm, D becomes D#, Bm becomes Cm.

Weird synthetizer/violin thingy arranged for guitar. Try to change between
normal and power chords when you feel like it, or it just will be too monotonous.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STANDARD TUNING - CAPO 1

INTRO: C - D - G - Em    x2

(Em)      C        D
I used to rule the world 
           G                    Em
Seas would rise when I gave the word 
                     C       D
Now in the morning I sleep alone 
          G                 Em
Sweep the streets I used to own

C - D - G - Em    x2

(Em)      C         D
I used to roll the dice 
          G                 Em
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes 
              C            D
Listen as the crowd would sing: 
          G                 Em
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"


(Em)         C        D
One minute I held the key 
         G                    Em
Next the walls were closed on me 
                          C        D
And I discovered that my castles stand 
     G                    Em
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand 

  C              D
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing 
G             Em
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing 
C                D
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield 
   G                 Em
My missionaries in a foreign field 
C                 D
For some reason I can't explain 
G                     Em              C      D
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
         Bm               Em 
That was when I ruled the world 

C - D - G - Em    x2

(Em)                  C     D
It was the wicked and wild wind 
              G               Em
Blew down the doors to let me in. 
                          C        D
Shattered windows and the sound of drums 
       G                    Em
People couldn't believe what I'd become

(Em)     C      D
Revolutionaries wait 
        G               Em
For my head on a silver plate 
                   C      D
Just a puppet on a lonely string
   G                         Em
Oh who would ever want to be king? 


  C              D
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing 
G             Em
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing 
C                D
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield 
   G                 Em
My missionaries in a foreign field 
C                 D
For some reason I can't explain 
  G                     Em              
I know Saint Peter will call my name ,
   C            D 
never an honest word
              Bm               Em 
But that was when I ruled the world  

C - Em x3
D x2


C - D - G - Em    x2
(Ohhhhh Ohhh Ohhh)

  C              D
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing 
G             Em
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing 
C                D
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield 
   G                 Em
My missionaries in a foreign field 
C                 D
For some reason I can't explain 
  G                     Em              
I know Saint Peter will call my name ,
   C            D 
never an honest word
              Bm                Em 
But that was when I ruled the world  

C - D - Bm - Em              and fading...
Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh

Source

How Electric Guitars Work - All you Need to Know

2010-03-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Guitars come in various shapes, sizes, looks and design. The music world has classical acoustic guitars, semi-acoustic guitars, electric guitars, hollow body guitars, jumbo guitars, ‘S' hole guitars etc. Each of these guitars has its own characteristic generic looks, characteristic sound and tonality, which attract their own respective following. Overall, guitars can be classified into two broad categories: acoustic guitars and electric guitars.
How Does a Guitar Work?
To know how guitar work, let us first see what is common to the working of any guitar. Every acoustic guitar has a minimum of six parts - the guitar neck with guitar nut and headstock, fret board, tuning keys, Guitar Bridge, sound box and guitar strings. Each of these parts is crucial to the good working of the guitar and plays its own roles to dole out music.
The guitar strings are long strands of metal or nylon wire, which stretch along through the major length of the guitar. There are normally six strings in a guitar (for the most common six-string guitar). All of these six strings run parallel to each other and are interspersed with a small gap between them. There are the sound generators of the guitar.
Strings generate sound for the guitar by vibrating along their vibrating length. The guitar bridge on one end and the guitar nut on the other end fix the vibrating length of a guitar string. The strings are tied onto a guitar under tension. The strings are plucked by fingers or with a pick. The tension in the string (varied about with the help of tuning keys) makes the string to vibrate.
Up to this point, the working of all guitars is the same. What happens next is what categorizes whether the guitar is an acoustic guitar or and electric guitar.
Working of Acoustic Guitars
All guitars have strings that vibrate which are the principal sound generators of the musical instrument. If you pluck a string tied under tension (no, no! not on a guitar!) you will find that the sound produced is not what you will want to hear again and again as you would like to hear the sound of a good guitar. Moreover, the sound from bare strings is very soft and you will barely be able to hear them. The sound has to be amplified so that people far and near can hear them. This is where the sound box from the acoustic guitar comes in. The sound box of an acoustic guitar is made as an hollow body constructed out of wood. It uses the ‘acoustics' of the shape of the hollow body, material characteristics etc to amplify the sound generated by the string. The sound box of a guitar gives it its characteristic sound.
How Does An Electric Guitar Work?
Electric guitars amplify the sound generated by the guitar strings electronically. Instead of the sound box of an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar has pick-ups and other electronic components. The pick up from an electric guitar picks up the sound waves generated by the strings and converts them into their corresponding minute electrical signals. There are different types of pickups. Commonly used ones are magnetic pickups, piezo electric pickups, condenser pick ups etc.
The converted electric signal then passes through the various electronic components mounted on the guitar and finally into the sound amplifier which electronically amplifies the sound. The electronic components on the guitar modulate the converted electric signal to suit the guitarist. Most commonly found components on guitars are the volume control knob (which enables the guitarist to control the volume of the guitar sound) and tone control knobs (which enables the playing guitarist to determine the sound tonality).
Source

Reason why James Blunt made the song: You’re Beautiful

2010-03-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” can be found on his “Back To Bedlam” album which sold 2.37 million copies across the UK in 2005 making it the year’s top selling album.
According to James he came up with this song after seeing his ex-girlfriend with a new man on a train. He says that during the brief eye contact he had with her, they shared a lifetime.
During an interview with the Daily Record, James was asked if he was tired of the song whereby he replied with the following:
“If I had the radio on all the time and they kept playing that song then yes, I’d probably turn it off. But do I still like the song? Absolutely. It’s a really personal song about a moment which meant a great deal to me. And I’m sure plenty of guys have seen their ex-girlfriend with a new man at some stage. It bites into you and I captured that in a really honest song. I love that song for capturing that moment. I’m saddened by what it reminds me of, and I appreciate what it did which is advertise an album I’d made.”
source

Gibson Les Paul Guitars – Why Does Paul Continue To Get Screwed?

2010-03-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Ask ten experts about the first Gibson Les Paul guitar and you will get ten different answers. The most popular belief is that the Gibson Guitar Corporation and electronics inventor, and jazz guitarist Frean Donni. With the release of the Fender Telecaster the electric guitar began to catch on like wildfire. Not wanting to be left behind James Verdon who was at the time the president of Gibson Guitar hired Les Paul as a consultant.

Rumors had been circulating that Les Paul had been experimenting with various guitar designs for years. Paul did have a prototype that he called, “The Log.” If you were to ask some industry experts they would say that this was the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built.

Another fact that not many know is that Les Paul had pitch his prototype, “The Log” to Gibson, but his design was rejected. Things changed in 1951 when the same design became a collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul.

Among the guitar community Les Paul is still on of the most commonly debated topics. Enthusiast still argue over exactly what his contributions were. Some say that Paul was nothing more than a consultant and only contributed ideas for the trapeze tailpiece, and the color of the final guitar which was named, “Les Paul.”

Ted McCarty the president of the Gibson Guitar Corporation said that Les Paul only contributed his name and allowed them to imprint it on the headstock to increase model sales. McCarty went on record stating that Les Paul only contributed to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body.

For whatever reason people have continued to minimize Les Paul’s contributions to the historical guitar. The strange thing is the original guitar only has Les Paul’s name on it.
source

How to use a guitar tuner?

2010-03-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

The quickest and most accurate way to tune your guitar is by using a guitar tuner. A guitar tuner is an essential tool for the guitarist; no guitar gig bag should be without one. A guitar tuner tells the guitarist whether the note he is playing on each open string of his instrument is at the correct frequency; it allows you to tune the guitar with precision. Before you use your guitar tuner, make sure to read the instructions that it came with, it will have helpful information about the tuner that you may need to know.

Here is how to tune a guitar using a guitar tuner:

*Turn the tuner on

*For the acoustic guitar, placed the built-in microphone next to the guitar sound hole and for the electric guitar, plug the guitar into the tuner then pluck the string that you wish to tune.

*Observe the indicator on the tuner it should be in the center position and showing the name of the note when the string is in tune. If the indicator has past the center position, this means that the string is too tight or sharp, release and adjust the tuning key until the indicator the remains in the center position. If the indicator stays below the center position, the string is too flat, tighten tuning key until the indicator remains in the center position. You should repeat this procedure for the remaining strings.

Alternate methods of tuning the guitar

You may not always have a guitar tuner at your disposal so here are some alternative ways to tuning your guitar.

Tuning by Ear

*Place a finger on the fifth fret of the sixth string. Now, play the sixth string and the open fifth string. Listen to the two pitches they should sound alike. If the open fifth string sounds lower than the sixth string then tighten the fifth string tuning key until the two notes sound alike. If the open fifth string sounds higher than the first note then loosen the fifth string tuning key. Remember; always adjust the tuning key of the open string, not the fretted string.

*Next, play the fifth fret on the fifth string and the open fourth string. Listen to the two pitches carefully and adjust the open fourth string accordingly just as you did in step one.

*Now repeat for the fourth string at the fifth fret. Listen and tune the open third string to it.

*Tune the second string by playing the third string at the fourth fret and tune the open second string to it. This is the only string that does not use the fifth fret as the reference. It is tuned to a major third rather that a fourth like the others are.

*Lastly, play the second string with your finger back at the fifth fret and tune the open first string to it.

Tuning Using a Keyboard or Piano

You can tune your guitar to a keyboard or piano by making the E A D G B E notes on a keyboard match the open strings of a guitar. Strike the note on the keyboard or piano then strike the corresponding note on the guitar. Try aiming to make the notes sound as closely as possible. Happy tuning.

Source

What is the difference between an accoustic guitar and an electric guitar?

2010-03-09T22:49:00.000-08:00

Acoustic guitars and electric guitars differ in many different ways. The first way is obviously sound production. The way an acoustic guitar makes sound and the way an electric guitar makes its sound, it very dissimilar. This accounts for the two totally diverse sound you can get out of each instrument. An electric guitar makes sound from its pickups. Pickups are basically high powered magnets which can be configured in any way to produce the desired sound of the guitar player. The pickups detect the vibrations of the strings as you pluck. The pickups then convert these vibrations into sound which is heard from the amplifier.

An acoustic guitar makes sound drastically different from an electric guitar. An acoustic guitar produces sound using the little "chamber" or whole you can see under the strings. The string's vibrations are funneled down into the little hole and reflected back out as sound waves. This makes a crisp clear sound, but is much softer than an electric guitar.

Although there is a fine line between electric and acoustic guitars, developers are now bridging the gap. Now, electric guitars can sound like acoustic guitars and acoustic guitars can sound like electric guitars. How is this possible you ask? This is possible because of a new pickup now called a hybrid pickup. This pickup is usually much smaller than a regualr sized one. It is planted between the end of the neck and first regular pickup of the guitar. It produces sound waves almost identical to that of an acousitc guitar which makes the two sound so similar.

There are also pickups on acoustic guitars. The guitars that have these pickups are called acoustic-electric guitars which you might have heard of before. The pickups detect the sound waves of the guitar, and produce the sound waves electronically. This is why it is an acoustic electric guitar. It makes the guitar much louder than it normally would be. It can be hooked up to an amplifier and is great for use at concerts which feature acoustic guitars.

With modern advancements in technology, it is now possible to have the best of both worlds in guitars. Many recording guitarists use acoustic electric guitars for recording acoustic guitar sounds. This is because it is much easier to hook it up to recording devices. Also it is now possible to have guitar effects hooked up to an acoustic guitar . This expands the horizons of both producers and musicians alike.

Source

How To Read Tabs (Part 2)

2010-03-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Now for the special symbols used in tabs:

p = pull off
      h = hammer on
      \ = slide (downward)
      b = string bend
      / = slide (upward)
      ~ = string vibrato

let's explain these symbols with a tab:

e     |------------------------------------------------|
B     |------------------------------------------------|
G     |-----------------------9-11-11h12 12p11--9h11---|
D     |-9-9h11--11p9--9-11/12--------------------------|
A     |------------------------------------------------|
E     |------------------------------------------------|

first, D string at 9th fret is played. Then we notice 9h11. This means you put your finger at 9th fret, pick the string than hammer the 11th fret. Hammering means you pick a string with your finger at one fret, then without picking that string again you use your fretting hand to hit another fret (in this case 11th fret) hard enough to creat sound. Remember, you pick once but get 2 notes when hammering. Next we see 11p9. This means pick the string at 11th fret then 'pull-off' that finger while another finger is already placed at 9th fret. It's like pincing the string at 11th fret with the fretting hand while you have a finger placed at 9th fret. The effect is like reverse hammering. 2 notes are played with one picking of the strumming hand. Hammering and pull-offs are often done in a row like 9h11p9. It's playing the 9th fret, then hammering the 11th fret and then pulling-off to 9th fret again. All with just one pick of the strumming hand. Sound difficult? You will learn it if you practice. It's not that hard.
As we move along the tab, we notice 11/12. This means you hold down 11th fret and pick the string, then without releasing the pressure, you 'slide' the finger to 12th fret. Again, you pick once but get two notes when sliding.
\ is just sliding in the other direction. So 5\3 means slide from 5th fret to 3rd fret, picking onle once (at 5th fret).
~ means just vibrating the finger when you hold down a string at a fret. It gives a nice effect.
b means bending the string at a fret to give the sound of another fret. For a beginner I would suggest, avoid string bending for now, and don't try to play the tabs that has a lot of string bending.
My final advice for the beginner who is now ready to read his first tab: start with a simple tab like 'Come as you Are' - Nirvana or 'Hurt' - Johnny Cash.
Sorce

How To Read Tabs (Part 1)

2010-03-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Tabs tell you how a song is played in guitar. Reading tabs is easy, you won't have to go through this lesson twice.
Guitars usually have six strings (there are 7 string and 12 string guitars also, we'll ignore them now). The first thing you have to know is the name of the six strings. The top string is the thickest string, and it is called the 6th string or E-string because it plays E note at open fret (when you don't hold down any frets and just pick the string), assuming standard tuning. The next string is called 5th string or A string for similar reasons. The other string in order are 4th or D string, 3rd or G string, 2nd or B string and 1st or e-string (thinnest string). As the 1st and 6th string are both E notes, we distinguish the 1st string by writing it in a smaller case 'e'.
Now we are ready to move to tabs.
The first thing you will notice about tabs is that there are six lines. They represent the six strings of the guitar. They look like this:

e ------------------------
 B ------------------------
 G ------------------------
 D ------------------------
 A ------------------------
 E ------------------------

I have written the string names (the note each string plays when you don't hold down any frets) on the left, this may not be given in all tabs. If it is not given, you have to assume that it is the same as I have written. Note that the top string of your guitar (the 6th or E string) is written at the bottom of the tab, and the bottom string (1st of e string) is written at the top. Many beginners get confused at this, but this is the standard way to write tabs (don't ask me why).
Also note that in some cases the string names may be writter differently. These are the cases when the song is not played with standard tuning. That means the open strings don't play the notes E,A,D,G,B,e but some other notes. As this lesson is for beginners, we will stick to standard tuning guitar tabs.
The next thing you notice on a tab is the numbers. The numbers represent frets. 1 means 1st fret, 2 means second fret and so on. A 0 (zero) means open string. For example:

e --------2-----------------
 B ------3---3---------------
 G ----2-------2-------------
 D --0-----------------------
 A --------------------------
 E --------------------------

The tab is read from left to right. So, this tab means, first you play D string at open fret, then G string at 2nd Fret, then B string and 3rd fret and so on. If you know your chord, then you would notice that this tab plays the notes of D-major chord.Another example:

e --0--0--0--2--2--------------
 B --0--0--2--3--3--------------
 G --1--1--2--2--2--------------
 D --2--2--2--0--0--------------
 A --2--2--0--x--x--------------
 E --0--0--x--x--x--------------

The difference between this tab and the first tab is that in this tab, multiple strings are hit at the same time, so this indicates strumming. At first you hold down and A and D string and 2nd fret and G string at 1st fret and play all 6 strings. If you know chords, then you would notice that this is E-major chord. According to the tab, E-major chord is strummed twice. The next chord is A-major which is strummed once and then D-major is strummed twice.The x indicates that that string is not played. Meaning you don't hit that string with your strumming hand. It could also indicate a dead note. This means that you play that string with your strumming hand but it doesn't make a sound becuase you muted that string with your other hand. Holding a string lightly (rather than pressing it firmly down at the fret board) and hitting it creates a dead note. Wheather or not a string in not played or a dead note can be confusing as they are both represented by x. Listining to the song will often give you a clue. For a beginner, assume that the x indicates that the string is not played.
Source

How To Play Guitar Scales And Guitar Solos?

2010-02-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

In this guitar lesson I will continue to teach you how to play guitar scales and guitar solos. all of you who want to play guitar in high speed and become a pro level guitarist, you should follow the instructions given in this article.

First off, look at the figure#1 below:

This exercise is little bit boring to practice but this would give training to your left and right hands to ordinate with each other simultaneously. So lets start now!

Important Note: As mentioned in earlier guitar lessons, you have to stick to the alternate picking method in order to achieve maximum results.So, keep continuing it.

Following is a chromatic sequence:

^ = (This symbol represents a down-stroke)

V = (This symbol represents an upstroke)

^ V ^ V ^ V ^ V

Here goes the exercise:

e-1--2--3--4----2--3--4--5----3--4--5--6----4--5--6--7---
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

e-8--9--10--11----12--11--10--9----11--10--9--8---------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

After you are done with the above given exercise, continue with the Figure#2:

This one has been played in billions of solos.

e-7--4--0----7--4--0----8--5--0----8--5--0----12--8--0---
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

e-12--8--0----10--7--0----10--7--0----8--5--0----8--5--0
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

The art of guitar solos and guitar scales is all about practice, practice and practice. You cant get speed just by spending some time on your guitar, you really have to practice different scales on daily basis in order to obtain good speed guitar playing.

Thus, the key is play all the notes slowly, and then gradually increase your speed. The use of a metronome is essential if you want to play guitar solos and guitar scales in different speeds/tempos.

For more guitar chords, guitar scales and guitar technique lessons visit Guitar grenade website here

Happy learning!

How to play scales and solos as fast as metalica, kid rock, disturbed and greenday

2010-02-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

I know you have been practicing guitar scales and solos for a long time now but you see no progress in your speed and you are frustrated for the reason that you still cant play guitar like your favorite guitarists, even the easy guitar parts.The first thing that you need to understand is;

"YOU CANT PLAY GUITAR SCALES IN SPEED UNTIL OR UNLESS YOU PRACTICE ALL THE SCALES IN SLOW SPEED WHILE USING AN ALTERNATE PICKING METHOD, AND REMEMBER ALL THE SCALES WHETHER THEY ARE MAJOR, MINOR, BLUES OR PENTATONICS"

First off, the most crucial thing the use of alternate picking. Alternate picking method is something in which a tab sequence/Guitar solo/Guitar scale is played with alternate up and down strokes. You have to strictly follow the rule of alternate picking in order to get speed in your guitar scaling.

The best way to alternate pick is by moving your wrist as well as your fingers because you don't have to move your fingers only. Alternate picking is basically used to lessen the stress of your right hand so you can play a long timed solo or sequence at a time.

In order to play a guitars solo or a guitar scale fast,you first need to try with single string picking exercises. The best way to practice guitar scales is by using a metronome. You should start a metronome at the speed of 80 bpm and gradually increase the speed until you're at a comfortable speed.

Now, when you get along with the 80 bpm speed, push yourself 2 bpm faster. Then go back 1 bpm. Repeat this process until it's you reach at a very high speed. Then go back 10 bpm and repeat the whole process. This way you will get the highest guitar playing skill.

Here's the first basic exercise to learn guitar scales. These have been used in many Iron Maiden songs;

e-15-0-0-0---14-0-0-0---12-0-0-0---11-0-0-0---12-0-0-0-
B------------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

e-11-0-0-0---8-0-0-0---7-0-0-0---5-0-0-0---3-0-0-0-------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

e-2-0-0-0---3-0-0-0---0-0-0-0---------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------

So, this was the first exercise you should practice. It's very basic, but it is very useful to learn guitar scales and to get a good speed.

Make sure you keep alternating between a down-stroke and an upstroke each time(Don't cheat).

For each of the fret use your right finger, which means that if you are playing a note on fret 1, you have put the index finger on fret 1. and 2nd finger on 2nd fret, 3rd finger and 3rd fret, 4th finger on 4th fret and so on.

For the next part of guitar scales and guitar solos lessons, stay tuned. Meanwhile, visit and join guitar grenade website for lots of free guitar lessons and tools.

-Enjoy

Note: You may also read this article of mine here

Why couldn't I learn the guitar? : A question that 98% of people ask themselves who once wished to learn guitar, Are you one of them?

2010-02-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

Guitar is the world's most played and liked instrument because of its style and the fact that you can play almost everything on a guitar when you talk about other instruments you are in certain boundaries but with guitar, you can go beyond the imaginations.

Guitar is something that makes almost everyone to wish that if he could play a guitar too! 98% of people wish but not become guitarists. For that, there are 3 reasons;

They think that it is impossible to get their hands on a guitar and their are no music institutes to learn guitar so how are they going to learn guitar?

They don't consider it a good hobby. They think that it's a useless activity and they wont get anything by playing or learning guitar or, they just stop their self from going towards their dream only because they think that people will make fun of them like somebody says; Hey!You wanna be a guitarist! HA! what a joke (or something like that).

And

They just don't do anything because they will have to spend money to learn guitar! or they call up or meet the music teacher to ask about the music lessons, schedules and details but later on,they don't do anything. Even those who already have bought a guitar to fulfill their desires.

What a shame!

Now, these examples were about the 98% of people who like music and wish to become a guitarist but are not man enough to go and learn it.(I am sorry If i m being rude but this is a reality)

Now lets talk about the remaining 2% of people who wish to learn guitar and become a guitarist. this 2% category is the one who buy a guitar despite of the fact that how much their families and friends oppose against them, Even if they cant afford a guitar, they try every way out and finally, some how, some way, they make it. They buy a guitar.And this 2% category is the ones who put every effort to learn the guitar too even if they don't have money to pay a teacher or institute to learn guitar. Even if they don't have enough time to give to their guitar but they keep practicing, right way or wrong, they practice and don't give up. This is what guitar learning is all about. Whoever gives up, can never be a guitarist, I can bet. I can tell you all of these scenarios bit by bit because I m one of that 2% of people who desire to learn guitar and not just pretend.

Couple of years back I bought a guitar and against all odds started learning it.i looked up to different books, magazines and internet to gather as much information about guitars as I could and scheduled at least 1 hour a day to my guitar. In the beginning, It was as hard as breaking a stone from bare hands. my hands were in so much pain, every time i tried to play the things other guitarist use to play on t.v, I failed. but i didn't quit. i made my frustration and anger my enemy and promised myself that I'm gonna get what i want, sooner or later. Then I worked day after day and after couple of months i saw the results, they were amazing! and the day i saw that i am into the GAME, i started working harder. now i started practicing guitar for 2 hours a day. and the time passed by.

Now, I am a pro level guitarist and have played with many underground bands,participated in many concerts and shows, got many students who are desperate learn music like I was, when i was a beginner guitar player.Some times I stop playing the guitar and think about the times when I was learning what i play now and I feel so good about the thing that i fulfilled my promise which I made to nobody else but to me.

To achieve your goals and desires, all you need is courage and respect for yourself and for the art form. everything will become easy if you work on it. you can't get what you want by sitting where you sit every day. You have to stand up and prove yourself that you are a winner not a looser.

Note: You may also read this article of mine here.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO HOLD THE GUITAR & PLAY IN THE CORRECT POSITION

2010-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sit straight on a chair, with feet on the ground

Lay the waist of guitar on your right leg.

Keep the guitar completely vertical across its width.

Place your right arm on the side of the guitar so that it is comfortable.

Your arm must bend with your thumb laying on the sixth string corresponding to it.

Your hand should cover the sound hole. (On an electric guitar, imagine a sound hole and keep your hand where the sound hole would be)

Take the fingers of your left hand & lay it on the strings in the region of the fifth fret.

Position your right thumb behind the fingers directly at the back of the neck.

Now, tilt forward slightly & relax.

Hold the pick in between your index finger & your thumb, with the pick flat in between the side of your index finger & the bottom of your thumb. Your thumb should have to be in line with the first section of the index finger with the pick firmly between.

Your wrist should be straight while picking & when you strum, make sure to use your forearm & not your wrist for strength.

Your wrist has to be loose enough, but controlled, & you should strum with your forearm. When you strike the strings by holding a chord or a note by your left hand there shouldn’t be a "buzzing" sound. You'll have to practice to get the right amount of pressure.

By following these guidelines you can start playing guitar in the right way. If you have any queries or questions regarding any guitar technique e-mail me here Guitarangel@bigfoot.com I’ll gladly help you. Enjoy

GUITAR GLOSSARY

2010-02-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Open chords - chords usually contain open strings (not fretted with left hand). Often the first kind of chords a beginner learns (D - G - Am etc). You can call it the overturn of barré or power chords.

To transpose - A lick in A minor played on the seventh fret will be played on ninth fret if transposed to B minor lick.

Hexatonic scale - Scale with six notes per octave (a pentatonic scale has five notes per octave).

Staccato - Is gained by using strictly alternate picking.

Sweeping - The pick is swept through the strings in a downward or upward motion, this technique is largely used with arpeggios.

Syncopate - To transform the rhythm by stressing or accenting a weak beat, purposely playing off beat.

Bpm - Beats per minute. It defines the tick speed of the metronome.

Barré chords - Are played with a "barred finger" over the guitar neck, done with the index finger of the left hand. The first barré the beginner may come across is usually F.

Chromatics - 12-note scale together with all the semitones of the octave.

Chicken Scratching - The strings are being scratched (strummed) with the pick, while the left hand is damping the strings (touching the strings lightly). It produces a rhythmic effect in the style of Jimi Hendrix & Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Chicken picking - A combination of right hand pick & fingers, generally associated with country music but also used by rock guitarists like Steve Morse & Zakk Wylde.

Alternate picking - Every other note is played with a down stroke & every other note is played with an upstroke. Do not cheat, keep it strict! It’s a vital part in playing scales & solos.

Double stop - two notes being played simultaneously.

Drop D tuning - Tune down the low (thick) E string to D, which facilitates power chords, also produces a heavier sound. From low to high: D-A-D-G-B–E.

Artificial Harmonic - Hold down a note on the neck with left hand, & use the right hand to calmly touch a point on the string and then pluck the side of the string that is closer to the bridge. This type of technique is used to produce harmonic tones that are in other cases out-of-the-way. Guitar players call this technique pinch harmonic.

Hybrid picking - The pick is in combination with fingers.

Legato - Is obtained on the guitar, using strictly hammer-ons and pull-offs. This is a method favored by legato player Allan Holdsworth.

Accelerando – Achieved by progressively accelerating or getting faster.

Palm mute - the strings being damped with right hand palm close to the guitar's bridge.

Pedal tones - Notes that relentlessly repeat in a pattern. A technique favored by neoclassical guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore.

Pinch harmonic - The thumb slightly touches the string after it is picked, creating a high pitched sound in a position. It usually requires heavily distorted amplifier settings and pinch harmonics are also known as artificial harmonics.

Pre-bend - The note is bend just before it is struck with the pick. Be sure to bend the note in right pitch.

Ritardando - Obtained by steadily delaying or slowing down the tempo.

Slur - To glide over a series of notes smoothly without a break, mostly used in combination with legato.

Triple stop - 3 notes played at the same time.

Tapping - The use of right hand fingers on fretboard usually middle finger, so that you do not have to put the pick down.

Vibrato - Gained by bending the string up or down. This technique is essential to the guitarist's tone & originality.

Heavy Metal Music: Headbang to the Rhythm

2010-01-28T04:20:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine life without music? It’s very difficult to imagine no doubt, but one thing is certain, life would have been dull and boring had it not been for music. In fact you can never come across a person who says that they have never hummed a tune in their life or that they do not love music. Well everyone cannot become great singer, but we all exercise our vocals in the privacy of our bathrooms. If anyone says that they do not sing in the shower, chances are likely that are they are lying.

Heavy metal music is a genre of music that evolved in the late 60s and early 70s. Heavy metal music is also referred to as metal music, and this music reached the zenith of its popularity in the 80s and many subgenres of music evolved from heavy metal music. The sounds associated with heavy metal music consisted of heavy guitar and drum centered sound with highly amplified distortion of fast guitar.

Devoted fans of heavy metal music are referred to as headbangers and metalheads world wide. Heavy metal music is characterized by loud distorted guitar sounds, dense drum and bass sound, emphatic rhythm combined with vigorous vocals. A typical heavy metal music band consists of a bassist, a rhythm guitarist, a drummer, a lead guitarist and a lead singer or vocalist. The vocalist may or may not play an instrument. Today heavy metal music has a variety of styles namely power metal; progressive metal and symphonic metal and most of the present day bands often make sure of the electronic keyboard. The heavy volume used in heavy metal music is a vital element of attraction towards the music for fans, especially for live performances. Most popular theme for songs of heavy metal music is violence, fantasy, sex and the occult.

Physical gestures are a vital part of heavy metal music and this is very much evident during live performances. Moshing, headbanging, hand gestures like devil horns, stage diving, air guitar and crowd surfing are very popular among singers and fans of heavy metal music. If you are thinking that heavy metal music is just a form of entertainment, then think again. Researchers have recently found out that heavy metal music can be a great source of comfort to teenage children.

The study has found out that teenagers who regularly listen to heavy metal music cope better with pressures as compared to their peers. So now if you find out that your teenage child is hooked to heavy metal music you can just simply rest easy.

Heavy metal music has several subgenres. Underground metal is one of the broad categories of heavy metal music and there are five categories under this namely: death metal, trash metal, black metal, doom metal, gothic metal, power metal and trash metal. The sound that was developed by trash musicians was mush faster and aggressive then the original heavy metal music. Some of the popular heavy metal musicians and bands are Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden, Poison, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne and Deff Leppard.

source