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Monday, September 22, 2008

3 Simple Things You Can Do to Master Your Guitar Playing

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

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

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

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

Top 3 Guitar Magazines To Help You Teach Yourself Guitar

Top 3 Guitar Magazines To Help You Teach Yourself Guitar
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Stall]Johnny Stall

There are many different ways that you can get lessons that will help you teach yourself guitar. There are guitar magazines, dvd's, cd's, books, tablature, online membership sites, teachers and probably a dozen other methods that I haven't even thought of. One of the oldest and most popular ways is the use of guitar magazines. You can find many of these magazines at your local bookstore, grocery store or corner/convenience store. Most of them will contain lessons, gear reviews, album reviews, interviews with guitar players and some even throw in a cd or dvd that have video lessons and gear demonstrations. If you really like a particular guitar magazine, subscriptions are available at discounted yearly or more rates.

So which one is the best? Well that depends on a few things:

1. Where you are in your guitar playing? Beginner, intermediate or advanced?

2. What style of music are you into? Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues, Country etc.?

3. What do you want more of in your guitar magazine? Tabs, lessons, gear reviews?

Before you go running off to your local magazine stand to look for a magazine that's right for you, check out the following list that I have put together for you of 3 of the best guitar magazines that are available today. Please keep in mind that these are my choices of the top 3 and depending on your taste, you may think another publication is better. But at least this list will give you a head start and you don't have to thumb through every magazine on the rack.

Guitar World:

Guitar World is one of the most popular monthly magazines on the market and contains guitar and bass tablature of around five songs per issue. The lessons are directed at beginner and intermediate players and most of the lessons, tabs and interviews are in the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal genres. The subscriptions are available at a pretty hefty discount and you can also upgrade your subscription and get a bonus cd-rom with each magazine. These cd-roms will play video lessons, gear demonstrations and music from some amazing guitarists. For more information check out http://www.guitarworld.com.

Total Guitar:

Total guitar is a monthly magazine from the U.K. and is the most popular guitar magazine in Europe. This is in my opinion the best magazine for beginner guitarists. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of lessons for guitar players of all abilities but Total Guitar focuses mostly on the novice. The mag has a nice variety of tab for Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues, Punk, Country and Folk, so there is something for everyone. Another great thing about Total Guitar is that unlike most guitar magazines, they don't focus on articles and expensive gear but focus on teaching beginner guitar players how to play properly.

Each magazine also comes with a free cd that contains audio examples of the lessons and best of all, backing tracks for all the tabs. These backing tracks are great because they have the guitar parts missing so you can jam along with the song just like you were playing with the band.

The only downfall with this publication is that if you live outside of the U.K., expect to pay a lot for a subscription. Check out http://www.totalguitar.co.uk/ for more information.

Guitar Techniques:

Made by the same company that makes Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques is also a top-notch magazine. Guitar Techniques also has a massive amount of lessons that are spread out along many genres including Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues, Jazz and County. This magazine specializes in guitar instruction and it shows. You also get a cd with the backing tracks for the tabs and lesson examples.

You'll get everything from beginner tips to some more advanced soloing lessons. They also get right into the different styles or techniques of your favorite guitarists. They explain exactly what scales and techniques they use and how the artist gets their sound. They then give you examples tabbed out so you can learn exactly how to play it. For more information go to http://www.guitar-techniques.com/.

So there you have my list of the Top 3 Guitar Magazines that will help you teach yourself guitar. Hopefully it has made your choice a little easier. Now go get it and start shredding!

"Teach Yourself Guitar The EASY Way" - grab your FREE report that Reveals "How to Avoid the Top 7 Mistakes That Most Beginners Make When Buying a Guitar Learning Product" http://teach-yourself-guitar.com/freereport

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Stall http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-3-Guitar-Magazines-To-Help-You-Teach-Yourself-Guitar&id=1206312

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Guitar Practicing or Guitar Playing?

Just because you're retentive your guitar doesn't stingy that you're activity it, and meet because you're activity your guitar doesn't stingy that you're practicing. There is a actual disagreement and it needs to be recognized if you poverty to meliorate your verify of activity skill. Some grouping feature they hit spent the whole period practicing their bass when in reality, every theyve finished was set in face of the TV every period intake cheesy poofs. The depressing abstract is that they rattling do conceive it was practicing since they had their bass on their travel incoming to their cheesy poofs every day. Most of us undergo someone who does this and we haw modify be blameable ourselves.

In visit to genuinely meliorate your skills you rattling requirement to refrain whatever distractions, no TV, no food, no friends and no phone. Just you, a guitar, an amp and maybe whatever meaning materials. Speaking of amps, ready the impairment overturned down. Remember, this is practice, not playing. The impairment module exclusive conceal your mistakes. You requirement to center your mistakes understandably so you crapper precise them.

If youre a originator you capableness poverty to training base guitar scales or guitar chords. Make trusty you hit the needed meaning touchable accessible so you dont pay your instance doing things wrong. Keep in nous that what you training is improved so if youre practicing your scales wrong, then youve not exclusive lost your time; youve also improved your mistakes.

So what should you practice? Since I've never heard you endeavor I cant verify you what you requirement to meliorate on, but I crapper attain suggestions to attain your training more effective.

Don't invoke your amp up to 11 and play every unaccompanied you know. This is activity the guitar not practicing the guitar. It capableness be recreation and a enthusiastic artefact to expiration soured whatever steam, but it wont meliorate your skills.

Don't permit training intend stale. You requirement a difference of things to ready your nous from wondering. Practice your scales for an distance then impact on chords or penalization theory. Mix it up. Just be trusty not to over do whatever digit Atlantic because you'll intend tired and at that saucer your training wont be as effective.

Don't meet go finished the motions. Part of a beatific training conference is uncovering problems and figuring discover solutions. If youre having pain fingering a portion chord, then dissect the difficulty and essay to encounter a solution. You capableness conceive that your fingers are to diminutive or weak, when the actuality is that you exclusive requirement to meliorate your technique. When I prototypal scholarly to attain barre chords I had a wrinkled instance making every sextet section good clear. Now I crapper attain them every good country with rattling lowercase effort. I would also add that I dont conceive my assistance capableness has such to do with it at all.

Use a metronome when practicing. This module support you meliorate your timing and attain everything good better.

Learn the principle first. If your first guitar you should undergo and see the base relation between chords and scales. This module support you to meliorate see the system of the chord patterns when you see songs and what bit you should ingest to unaccompanied over crowning of that portion chord pattern. Check discover my warning Guitar Scales and Chord Triads at www.guitarmetal.com for a seeable meaning that capableness help.

Pick a instance of period to training when you see most alert. If you're groggy or unfocused, your training efforts module be compromised. You capableness impact meliorate if you fortuity up your training conference into individual nowadays throughout the day. For example, maybe training an distance in the farewell and a pair hours in the evening. You undergo when you see the most signal so verify plus of those times.

Be embattled with things to impact on. Dont meet set downbound and noodle around for a pair of hours. Before you set downbound you should already undergo what youre feat to impact on. This module support tap your time.

Guitar Lessons: Guitar Playing Must Be a Passion

The prototypal instance I picked up a guitar my full chronicle changed. I conceive I slept with it the period I brought my prototypal newborn guitar home. Its a taste difficult to admit, but it is true. I advert the see of the guitar in my safekeeping and the shape, which reminded me of a woman I erst dated. But earnestly it was love, clean love.

Then I obstructed it in and impact those prototypal illusion notes.. Wow did it good awful, maybe the poorest racket I ever heard in my life. So started my travelling in the concern of penalization whatever 23 eld ago, I institute my digit and exclusive mistress, the guitar.

Today I am blithely mated with 3 kids, a actual job, and my guitars. The exclusive abstract my spouse has ever been distrustful over is my guitars. I told her erst I could hit girlfriends or guitars, she said shed resolve for the guitars. Thus is the info to a bright marriage.

Oh more importantly, the guitars. No digit are the same, modify the aforementioned model, prefabricated in the aforementioned year, with sequential program numbers, are feat to play and good different. They hit their possess personalities, their possess see and their possess feeling swings. I hit Fenders, Gibsons, Washburns, Parkers, solidified bodies, sunken bodies and semi-hollow embody guitars.

Every hebdomad I go to a friends house, or a topical accumulation and meet restorative every guitar I crapper and play it for a some minutes. It rattling is an obsession. I think, imagine and exist on activity bass 24 Hours a day.

Is this news the aforementioned as yours. As facetious as this haw sound, some of my activity friends feature the aforementioned thing. You crapper never hit sufficiency guitars, or pay sufficiency instance activity your guitar.

Do you hit a passion for activity as well?

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