3 Simple Things You Can Do to Master Your Guitar Playing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_P_Hayes]Mike P Hayes
Playing guitar looks pretty easy at a rock concert or on a DVD... the truth is, like everything else in life that's worthwhile achieving you have to work at it.
With guitar playing five minutes thought is much better than five hours haphazard practice!
The important thing is to have a checklist of things you want to achieve with your guitar playing, I've included three of the most important things to consider.
Tip 1 -- Set Goals
Start by defining your target...
* What songs do you want to play?
* Who is your favorite guitar player?
* What style of music do you want to play?
* Do you want to be a member of a band or play solo? etc ...
By being specific about your musical goals, you will move towards these goals much quicker than if you only had some vague intention of become a guitar player.
Let's take these general goals and make them even more focused.
(a) What songs do you want to play? --
* Write down the titles of five songs you want to play.
* Do you want to play the rhythm guitar or lead guitar parts?
* What is your time frame for learning each song? etc ...
(b) Who is your favorite guitar player? --
* Write down the name of your favorite guitarist.
* Listen carefully to some recordings of this guitarist, even the very best guitarists start to repeat themselves after about twenty minutes, what you are listening for is certain "trademark" techniques your favorite player uses e.g., hammer-on's, slides, bends, power chords etc., these will be the specific techniques to work on.
Tip 2 -- Practice Sessions
Now that you know what it is that you want to achieve, we need to set up a practice program that will guarantee the desired results.
* Is your practice material organized?
* Remove all distractions from your practice room!
* What is the best time to practice for you?
* Do you have good full spectrum lighting?
* Do you have a music stand?
etc ...
OK, let's drill down deeper and be more specific with these practice headings
(a) Is your practice material organized?
* Is your guitar on a guitar stand, tuned and ready for action?
* Are all of your practice, CD's, music books, DVD etc., within easy reach?
* Do you have a list of what today's practice session objective?
(b) Remove all distractions from your practice room!
* Is your mobile phone switched off?
* Identify and eliminate sounds (TV, radio, fridge motor etc.,) that are distracting you.
* Be certain to only have one project (the project you have decided to work on this particular session) on your music stand at all times.
etc ...
Tip 3 -- Data or motor skills
Determine if your need to work on data skills (new concepts, theoretical information etc.,) of motor skills (physical repetition of material already learnt).
Again, notice how we are being very specific about even the type of practice session. It's no use spending all week working on motor skill training if we really need to clarify some data
skills!
Remember, to keep your eye on your musical target at all times.
If you have a system of learning and review your checklist every weekly to be certain you are "on-track" you will notice a constant improvement in your guitar playing.
Mike Hayes develops systems and products to help you succeed in your guitar playing. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with his popular free ecourse, available at:
=> http://www.guitarcoaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_P_Hayes http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Simple-Things-You-Can-Do-to-Master-Your-Guitar-Playing&id=1481085
Monday, September 22, 2008
How To Master The Guitar Fretboard For Lead Guitar Playing
How To Master The Guitar Fretboard For Lead Guitar Playing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker]Eugene Walker
If you are thinking of going solo with your lead guitar then the one thing that you need to master is how to use the guitar fretboard to its maximum capacity. If you are well-versed with the fretboard, then you will be able play just about anything on your lead guitar.
The guitar fretboard is the most important area of an acoustic as well as electric guitar. The fretboard is where you play all the scales, the chords and use the various progressive scales and improvisation techniques for lead guitar.
When you buy a guitar, you will find dots all across the Fretboard. These dots represent the different frets. The first dot is usually on the 3rd fret and is followed by dots on the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th frets.Mastering the fretboard will help you to play lead guitar compositions with ease. One important thing that you need to know is that when you move forward while playing on the fretboard, you are actually playing the various chords that will render a higher sound while moving forward and lower sound while moving backwards. For example: The 5th string also known as the open A will look like this:
FRET -----0-|-1-|-2-|-3-|-4-|-5-|-6-|-7-|-8-|-9-|-10|-
STRING---A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G--|-
If you compare the lead guitar fretboard to a piano, you will find that the frets that lie between the natural tones are also known as the flats (b) or Sharp (#) and represent the black keys on the piano. If you raise the natural tone on the lead guitar fretboard by half a step then it will become a sharp tone and whenever you lower it half a step, it will become a flat tone.
Those who are right handed will be using their left hand to play or pluck the various scales and chords on the guitar fretboard. You will need to use 4 fingers of your left hand to play all the various scales on your fretboard. The only way to master them is by practicing. Here's a simple exercise that will help you practice better and let you hone your lead guitar skills:
E = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
B = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
G = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
D = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
A = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
E = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
One thing that you need to remember is that the notes on the guitar fretboard move upwards chromatically. If you start with A then the notes will move like this:A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A You will notice that there are no flats or sharp between B and C as well as E and F.
For over 1000 Professional Guitar Backing Tracks, check out [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]Planet of Rock, The #1 Secret Weapon For Guitarists.
Eugene is the founder of Planet of Rock Music Studios.
He is a professional guitar teacher and an ex band member of Black November which has toured and performed in Australia and Asia since 1997. He has contributed to publications as Guitar Player, Guitar World Acoustic, Maximum Guitar and dozens of magazines and websites worldwide.
In 2005, he has founded Planet of Rock Music Studios to provide affordable [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]Guitar Backing Tracks for guitarists. As featured in Guitar Player, these professional backing tracks for guitar are great for lead guitar practice or live performances.
Jam with your favourite bands at the comfort of your own home or studio with [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]backing tracks for guitar. It has also been used heavily in live performances by customers across United States since its inception.
Play like you have the entire band backing you up!
P.S: Remember to sign up for your free Ultimate Guitar Tone eBook (worth $29) at Planet of Rock!
Planet of Rock - You Rock. We'll Back You Up - For The Rock Star In You ....
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Master-The-Guitar-Fretboard-For-Lead-Guitar-Playing&id=1070168
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker]Eugene Walker
If you are thinking of going solo with your lead guitar then the one thing that you need to master is how to use the guitar fretboard to its maximum capacity. If you are well-versed with the fretboard, then you will be able play just about anything on your lead guitar.
The guitar fretboard is the most important area of an acoustic as well as electric guitar. The fretboard is where you play all the scales, the chords and use the various progressive scales and improvisation techniques for lead guitar.
When you buy a guitar, you will find dots all across the Fretboard. These dots represent the different frets. The first dot is usually on the 3rd fret and is followed by dots on the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th frets.Mastering the fretboard will help you to play lead guitar compositions with ease. One important thing that you need to know is that when you move forward while playing on the fretboard, you are actually playing the various chords that will render a higher sound while moving forward and lower sound while moving backwards. For example: The 5th string also known as the open A will look like this:
FRET -----0-|-1-|-2-|-3-|-4-|-5-|-6-|-7-|-8-|-9-|-10|-
STRING---A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G--|-
If you compare the lead guitar fretboard to a piano, you will find that the frets that lie between the natural tones are also known as the flats (b) or Sharp (#) and represent the black keys on the piano. If you raise the natural tone on the lead guitar fretboard by half a step then it will become a sharp tone and whenever you lower it half a step, it will become a flat tone.
Those who are right handed will be using their left hand to play or pluck the various scales and chords on the guitar fretboard. You will need to use 4 fingers of your left hand to play all the various scales on your fretboard. The only way to master them is by practicing. Here's a simple exercise that will help you practice better and let you hone your lead guitar skills:
E = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
B = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
G = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
D = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
A = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
E = 0 |1----|2----|3----|4----
One thing that you need to remember is that the notes on the guitar fretboard move upwards chromatically. If you start with A then the notes will move like this:A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A You will notice that there are no flats or sharp between B and C as well as E and F.
For over 1000 Professional Guitar Backing Tracks, check out [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]Planet of Rock, The #1 Secret Weapon For Guitarists.
Eugene is the founder of Planet of Rock Music Studios.
He is a professional guitar teacher and an ex band member of Black November which has toured and performed in Australia and Asia since 1997. He has contributed to publications as Guitar Player, Guitar World Acoustic, Maximum Guitar and dozens of magazines and websites worldwide.
In 2005, he has founded Planet of Rock Music Studios to provide affordable [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]Guitar Backing Tracks for guitarists. As featured in Guitar Player, these professional backing tracks for guitar are great for lead guitar practice or live performances.
Jam with your favourite bands at the comfort of your own home or studio with [http://www.PlanetofRock.com]backing tracks for guitar. It has also been used heavily in live performances by customers across United States since its inception.
Play like you have the entire band backing you up!
P.S: Remember to sign up for your free Ultimate Guitar Tone eBook (worth $29) at Planet of Rock!
Planet of Rock - You Rock. We'll Back You Up - For The Rock Star In You ....
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Master-The-Guitar-Fretboard-For-Lead-Guitar-Playing&id=1070168
Master Guitar Solos Easily by Using Guitar Backing Tracks
Master Guitar Solos Easily by Using Guitar Backing Tracks
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker]Eugene Walker
Come along with us as we dive in to how you can master guitar solos by using backing tracks for guitarists. We will examine how using guitar backing tracks can be a huge asset in developing your skills as well as helping you to master lead guitar playing.
A lot of guitar players spend their time trying to find the secret, or the trick to mastering their skills and being able to play really awesome guitar solos. Serious guitarists will spend hours practicing,
honing their skills, and searching and scouring the Internet for any tips that might help them achieve the perfection they strive for in their solos. There is hope for these individuals, in the form of guitar backing tracks.
Backing tracks for guitarists are a crucial tool that can be very beneficial in achieving mastery of the ever elusive lead guitar solo. Guitar backing tracks can help you to become a well-rounded guitarist and help to put into practice your musical knowledge.
One of the biggest benefits of using guitar backing tracks to master guitar solos is how they help you learn scales. Doing endless practice drills to learn your scales can sometimes be excruciatingly boring and dull, but when you practice along to backing tracks for guitarists, it's like playing live with a rocking band. This will help you to not only memorize the scales, but to understand how they actually work into the structure of a song as well.
Another factor that is extremely important in learning to master guitar solos is the fine art of improvisation. Backing tracks for guitarists provide the student with a live band to back them up while they piece together a blazing hot solo right there on the spot. This also allows you to place a solo
anywhere in the song, or to improvise for the full length of the guitar backing tracks. These backing tracks make improvisation practice a whole lot more productive and fun. These backing tracks for guitarists are available from retailers such as Planet of Rock.
Another important part of mastering guitar solos is playing with clarity and great tone. There are a lot of different factors that play into achieving a smooth, great-sounding tone during your solo, but one of the greatest factors is how well you actually play. Guitar backing tracks can help you to achieve great tone by helping you to hone your own ability to play well and by greatly improving the clarity with which you play. Hearing another guitar behind you, and how well it sounds and how clear it is can be very beneficial to helping you achieve a greater depth of clarity in your own playing.
---------------------------------------------------------
For over 1000 Professional Guitar Backing Tracks, check out Planet of Rock, The #1 Secret Weapon For Guitarists.
Eugene is the founder of Planet of Rock Music Studios - http://www.PlanetofRock.com
He is a professional guitar teacher and an ex band member of the famous underground band Black November which has toured and performed in Australia and Asia since 1997. He has contributed to publications as Guitar Player, Guitar World Acoustic, Maximum Guitar and dozens of magazines and websites worldwide.
In 2005, he has founded Planet of Rock Music Studios to provide affordable Guitar Backing Tracks for guitarists. As featured in Guitar Player, these professional backing tracks for guitar are great for lead guitar practice or live performances.
It serves as inspirational way to jam with your favourite bands at the comfort of your own home or studio. It has also been used heavily in live performances by customers across United States since its inception.
Play like you have the entire band backing you up!
P.S: Remember to sign up for your free Ultimate Guitar Tone eBook (worth $29) at Planet of Rock!
Planet of Rock - You Rock. We'll Back You Up - Where The Entire Band Arrives At The Touch of A Play Button
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker http://EzineArticles.com/?Master-Guitar-Solos-Easily-by-Using-Guitar-Backing-Tracks&id=991477
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker]Eugene Walker
Come along with us as we dive in to how you can master guitar solos by using backing tracks for guitarists. We will examine how using guitar backing tracks can be a huge asset in developing your skills as well as helping you to master lead guitar playing.
A lot of guitar players spend their time trying to find the secret, or the trick to mastering their skills and being able to play really awesome guitar solos. Serious guitarists will spend hours practicing,
honing their skills, and searching and scouring the Internet for any tips that might help them achieve the perfection they strive for in their solos. There is hope for these individuals, in the form of guitar backing tracks.
Backing tracks for guitarists are a crucial tool that can be very beneficial in achieving mastery of the ever elusive lead guitar solo. Guitar backing tracks can help you to become a well-rounded guitarist and help to put into practice your musical knowledge.
One of the biggest benefits of using guitar backing tracks to master guitar solos is how they help you learn scales. Doing endless practice drills to learn your scales can sometimes be excruciatingly boring and dull, but when you practice along to backing tracks for guitarists, it's like playing live with a rocking band. This will help you to not only memorize the scales, but to understand how they actually work into the structure of a song as well.
Another factor that is extremely important in learning to master guitar solos is the fine art of improvisation. Backing tracks for guitarists provide the student with a live band to back them up while they piece together a blazing hot solo right there on the spot. This also allows you to place a solo
anywhere in the song, or to improvise for the full length of the guitar backing tracks. These backing tracks make improvisation practice a whole lot more productive and fun. These backing tracks for guitarists are available from retailers such as Planet of Rock.
Another important part of mastering guitar solos is playing with clarity and great tone. There are a lot of different factors that play into achieving a smooth, great-sounding tone during your solo, but one of the greatest factors is how well you actually play. Guitar backing tracks can help you to achieve great tone by helping you to hone your own ability to play well and by greatly improving the clarity with which you play. Hearing another guitar behind you, and how well it sounds and how clear it is can be very beneficial to helping you achieve a greater depth of clarity in your own playing.
---------------------------------------------------------
For over 1000 Professional Guitar Backing Tracks, check out Planet of Rock, The #1 Secret Weapon For Guitarists.
Eugene is the founder of Planet of Rock Music Studios - http://www.PlanetofRock.com
He is a professional guitar teacher and an ex band member of the famous underground band Black November which has toured and performed in Australia and Asia since 1997. He has contributed to publications as Guitar Player, Guitar World Acoustic, Maximum Guitar and dozens of magazines and websites worldwide.
In 2005, he has founded Planet of Rock Music Studios to provide affordable Guitar Backing Tracks for guitarists. As featured in Guitar Player, these professional backing tracks for guitar are great for lead guitar practice or live performances.
It serves as inspirational way to jam with your favourite bands at the comfort of your own home or studio. It has also been used heavily in live performances by customers across United States since its inception.
Play like you have the entire band backing you up!
P.S: Remember to sign up for your free Ultimate Guitar Tone eBook (worth $29) at Planet of Rock!
Planet of Rock - You Rock. We'll Back You Up - Where The Entire Band Arrives At The Touch of A Play Button
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugene_Walker http://EzineArticles.com/?Master-Guitar-Solos-Easily-by-Using-Guitar-Backing-Tracks&id=991477
Friday, May 30, 2008
Minor Scale Patterns
Minor Scale Patterns
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Holmes]Jesse Holmes
In my basic guitar theory lesson 2, we learned the pattern that every major scale was based on (remember the WWHWWWH), and in lesson 3 we learned that the 6th note of the scale was the relative minor. Knowing this, we have a new pattern for our minor scale. Before, the C scale (CDEFGABC) had the first formula applied to it. Now that we know that A minor is the relative minor of the C scale (6th note in the C scale), there is a new formula for the A natural minor scale (ABCDEFGA) is - WHWWHWW.
We know that each note in the scale has a certain number value (also called degrees or intervals) assigned to them. Since there are three types of minor scales-natural, melodic, and harmonic-the thing that makes them different are their intervals. The natural minor scale degrees compared to the major (C Natural Minor compared to C Major) would be
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Natural Minor: C D Eb F Gb Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
The natural minor has flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th notes compared to the major.
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Harmonic Minor: C D Eb F G Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
The harmonic minor has flattened 3rd and 6th notes.
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Melodic Minor: C D Eb F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8
The melodic minor has only a flattened 3rd note, however that is only when going up the scale. Going down the scale, the melodic minor is the same as the natural minor.
Jesse Holmes operates http://www.myonlineguitarlessons.com a blog specifically for guitar enthusiasts. He loves giving away free stuff, and is now giving away a FREE ebook worth $97! You're not going to believe what it's all about! And it's all free! More information here.
www.myonlineguitarlessons.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Holmes http://EzineArticles.com/?Minor-Scale-Patterns&id=1205449
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Holmes]Jesse Holmes
In my basic guitar theory lesson 2, we learned the pattern that every major scale was based on (remember the WWHWWWH), and in lesson 3 we learned that the 6th note of the scale was the relative minor. Knowing this, we have a new pattern for our minor scale. Before, the C scale (CDEFGABC) had the first formula applied to it. Now that we know that A minor is the relative minor of the C scale (6th note in the C scale), there is a new formula for the A natural minor scale (ABCDEFGA) is - WHWWHWW.
We know that each note in the scale has a certain number value (also called degrees or intervals) assigned to them. Since there are three types of minor scales-natural, melodic, and harmonic-the thing that makes them different are their intervals. The natural minor scale degrees compared to the major (C Natural Minor compared to C Major) would be
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Natural Minor: C D Eb F Gb Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
The natural minor has flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th notes compared to the major.
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Harmonic Minor: C D Eb F G Ab B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
The harmonic minor has flattened 3rd and 6th notes.
C Major: C D E F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C Melodic Minor: C D Eb F G A B C
Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8
The melodic minor has only a flattened 3rd note, however that is only when going up the scale. Going down the scale, the melodic minor is the same as the natural minor.
Jesse Holmes operates http://www.myonlineguitarlessons.com a blog specifically for guitar enthusiasts. He loves giving away free stuff, and is now giving away a FREE ebook worth $97! You're not going to believe what it's all about! And it's all free! More information here.
www.myonlineguitarlessons.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Holmes http://EzineArticles.com/?Minor-Scale-Patterns&id=1205449
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)