Learning Guitar is Not Always Necessary - Learning About a Guitar Is!

There are many examples of where learning about a guitar is more important than learning guitar. There is a subtle difference between the two terms that can make a world of difference in the way a guitar is played. Understanding a musical instrument can sometimes be more important than understanding the mechanics of playing it.

When a certain guitarist got a white Supro Ozark from his dad, turned it upside down, and then strung it for his left hand, a new generation of electric guitar music was born. Add to that a wah-wah pedal, a unique use of feedback and a strong set of teeth, and a sensation was born.

This guy didn't learn music but listed to records and watched others play while he practiced continually, first on a broom handle and then on a one-stringed ukulele until he got his first real guitar. However, do you think that this guy would have been the sensation he was had he learned to play chords from a book? Perhaps, and perhaps not, because one thing was sure about this guy: you never knew what Jimi Hendrix would give us next.

What he did show us was that you didn't have to understand how to read music to learn how to play a guitar, but you did need to know your instrument and the sounds it could make with a little help. By watching others play and listening to those records, Jimi Hendrix was unwittingly demonstrating the importance of audio and video in learning guitar.

So what is there to learn about a guitar. How do you learn about guitar as opposed to learn guitar? Let's check over the five most important parts of your instrument and how they can be used to make your own unique sound. There are over 200 parts to a guitar, and the five being discussed very briefly are the five you should know most about because they are the ones that can have most influence over the sound you make using them.

1. The guitar body. The shape of a guitar body is as much influenced by the science of acoustics as by appearance, and with acoustic guitars even more so. The curved shape of the guitar can determine the range of frequencies that it can produce, although with electric guitars the pickup is more important than the shape of the body.

2. The neck. The neck is the long part of the guitar than contains the frets, and the part of the strings that you finger to determine the notes being played. The rigidity of the neck is very important, particularly in electric guitars with steel strings under high tension, so a steel truss rod is generally inserted down the top of the neck to the body. Not only does this give rigidity, but can often be rotated to change the angle of the neck, and so change the tone for different playing styles. Learning guitar properly involves knowledge of how the truss rod can be used in this way.

3. The head of the guitar is the part where the strings are wound and tuned, and is one of the first things you do when learning guitar. Although the design of the guitar head is largely irrelevant, the resonance of the note is passed through the head, and it helps to sustain the note. Without a head, notes would be sustained for a shorter period. The tuning pegs are rotated to change the tone of the strings, and a guitar can be loosely or tightly strung. You need to understand this part of your guitar and how the tightness of the strings gives different sounds, apart from just the tuning. This can also be done during play to provide a form or tremolo effect on individual strings.

4. The strings. You must get to know your strings when learning about your guitar. Strings differ according to the type of guitar and music being played. Electric guitar need stings made of ferromagnetic materials since the pickups depend on the magnetic properties of the strings. Acoustic guitar strings can be made of gut, nylon or any of a number of alloys and metals: even titanium is used. Many new players buy pickups to fit to their acoustic guitar and wonder why they don't work when all they have to do is to change to the right strings. Apart from that, different types of string can give different sounds, but generally the more you pay then the better sound you get, particularly with an acoustic or classical guitar.

5. The frets. The string has to lie tight against the fret to avoid vibration, and the design of the fret can also change the sound the guitar makes. Wide jumbo frets can be used for strong vibrato effects, or the frets can even be formed by carving away the wood of the neck between the fret positions. The very narrow frets can tend to buzz unless the string is very tight against it, so narrow frets should generally be used only on a neck designed for them, where the fretboard is curved back to ensure a tight fit against the string.

6. Pickups. The pickups convert string vibrations into an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier. The position of a pickup on your guitar has a very significant bearing on its sound - more so than the type of pickup. The various pickup types can be combined on a guitar, with the hotter ones used nearer the bridge, and when learning guitar you should also be taught the importance of the pickups.

A good guitar player must know all of these parts of his guitar, and how to use them to get the right sound or even to change the sound when needed. Learning about a guitar is just as important as learning guitar from the aspect of playing it, and if you could say one thing about Jimi Hendrix it was that he knew his guitar.

For more information, not only on the importance of audio and video in learning guitar, but also for a website where you learn about your guitar while learning to play, check out iJamplay where all of these aspects of learning guitar are combined to provide the ultimate in guitar tuition.

Read "Learning About a Guitar" and other articles on my blog.

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Buy a Guitar-How To!

You're off to buy your first guitar. I remember the first guitar I fell in love with. I used to go and just look at it in the store window. It was a Fender Telecaster.

Of course in those days my family couldn't afford to buy a guitar, so it was 10 years later when I finally did buy my first guitar.

So what do you do? How do you know which one is right for you? Should you buy the same one your friend owns? Do you choose a Gibson, Martin, a Taylor? How about Fender, Yamaha, Takamine, Guild, or Ovation? Should you buy a Vintage guitar, a used guitar, a cheap guitar?

With the huge number of guitars available on the market today, going out to buy a guitar can seem to be
an overwhelming task. But with a few basics under your belt you can buy a guitar easily.

While the proven brands (like those I mentioned above) are generally the best built guitars using the best materials, they are also considerably more expensive than lesser known brands.
But those lesser known brands, beginner style guitars, have become surprisingly good values in the last couple of years.

You will hear many opinions on what to look for when you buy a guitar. for example I was recently in a guitar store when I noticed a young couple looking at guitars.
I overheard the husband saying that his friend had told him he needed to buy a guitar "with a spruce top". He kept saying this over and over again while looking over every guitar in the place.

His wife kept looking over the guitars saying "this one is pretty, don't you think? or "This one looks nice."
The husband kept repeating his mantra " We need one with a Spruce top."

When it was obvious to me that he didn't really know what a "spruce top" was and that they were both quite lost and didn't have a clue on how to buy a guitar, I decided I'd better save them!

So I talked with them for a few minutes and within 10 minutes they were happy, smiling, and on their way with a new guitar.

When you buy a guitar I feel there are 4 aspects of major importance. The points listed here are for an acoustic guitar. I believe that should be everyone's first guitar.

1. You have to be happy with or like the way the guitar sounds. Play around with a few guitars or if you don't know how to play yet, have the salesperson play them for you. Have him play the same tune or melody (so you can compare apples to apples). Listen to the way they sound. Some are loud, some have a deep wooden quality, and some ring with a crystal like tone. There isn't a right or wrong sound there is only which do you like best! After a while you may decide to buy a guitar for each sound. For now though pick the one you like the best. When you have settled on a couple that you like the best go on to the next steps.

2. The guitar must be comfortable. Have a seat on a stool or a chair (no arms on the chair please) take hold of the guitar and place the bottom curve of the guitar(if you are right-handed) on your right thigh
(if you are left-handed) place the bottom curve of the guitar on your left thigh. Lean it back slightly so that you can see what you are doing and ask yourself, Does it feel comfortable ? Does your strumming hand feel comfortable on the front of the guitar? Is it too big? Is it too small? Do you have to bend over too much or sit up too straight? Now strum the guitar, can you do that comfortably? If the guitar is not comfortable put the guitar away and repeat this step with another guitar. Don't bother going on to the next steps. If you are not comfortable with the guitar DON"T BUY IT. Try other guitars until you find one that meets your comfort level only then go on to step 3.

3. Now lets look and work with the neck of the guitar. It must be easy for you to wrap your hand around comfortably. There are many shapes to the guitar neck and various widths as well. The most Important thing in buying your first guitar is that it must be easy for you to wrap your hand around comfortably. When you find a guitar that is comfortable, check two more things. The frets( the wire strips that go across the fingerboard). You have to make sure the ends are finished correctly if not they will be sharp and can cut your fingers when you play the guitar. You must also check the string height If they are too high they will be tough to press down and play. Too low they will buzz and clunk when you strum or pick the notes. Sometimes the guitar shop has a set up or repair dept. that will "set up" your guitar for you but this can sometimes be expensive . One you have found guitars that you like the sound of are comfortable in your lap with a neck that is th correct size and shape, you are ready for the last step.

4. You should buy a guitar that is within your budget. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a guitar that is decent and will serve your purpose.. My daughter surprised me with a guitar she bought for $100. I was ready to take her back and set the clerk straight for taking her $100.00 and ripping her off. “How could they do that, take her money..." That's what I was thinking. Well, to make a long story short, she brought me the guitar and I must say it sounded better and felt more comfortable than guitars I've seen that cost $250.00 to $350.00 ! So you can buy a guitar and stay within your budget. Once you become a better guitar player then go invest in a really good guitar for now remember something, You are playing the guitar to have fun. So have some fun playing the guitar and learning the guitar and you decide when you want to buy a guitar of higher value!

OK, Those are the tips I have successfully shared with others when they ask me how to buy a guitar. Good Luck on buying your first guitar!

Carlos Gamez has been playing guitar and performing for many years. His website, http://guitar-magician.com was established to help others learn how to play guitar and to help already established guitarists improve their guitar playing skills. Guitar-magician.com is committed to providing useful, practical, information on playing the guitar. It is a resource for beginning guitarists and more advanced players as well.

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Learn Guitar - Online Lessons

Learning guitar is a highly rewarding and enjoyable musical
experience. For some people who are overworked during the
day, their guitar lesson is a rare opportunity to relax. But
...let’s face it, learning guitar can seem like a daunting task
for most of us.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of first learning guitar is
that it is seemingly impossible to play anything that actually
sounds good.

The traditional way of learning guitar is by taking private
lessons from a guitar teacher. Alternatively you could try
learning songs by ear and teach yourself by tediously working
your way through slow, thick, boring text books. This is a
frustrating, time consuming way to learn.

Thankfully the invention of the internet has produced a wealth of
information and multimedia resources.

The Guitar

The last few decades has seen a remarkable growth in the
popularity of rock music and guitar playing has become pretty
attractive for many.

Today the guitar is everywhere; a versatile instrument - adapting
itself to almost any kind of situation, and ever ready to unite
with meretricious gadgetry. Victimized by it's own success, it
has become something more than a musical instrument - like the
swastika before it, it has become the symbol of a social
revolution! The ultimate emblem of grooviness! Like John Wayne's
six-gun, Mary Poppin's umbrella or Fred Flintstone's "yabba-
dabba-doo", it is now an object unto itself!

Guitar enthusiasts are so often blinded by the symbol that they
remain deaf to the world of musical wonders that lie beyond their
blinkered six-string field of interest.

Many teenagers exist who aspire to become rock superstars, but
there is also a section who wants to learn guitar playing just
for sake of it. But many of them end up losing hope of learning
guitar since they don’t find the best way to learn guitar.

You can accelerate the learning when you start to learn easy
guitar tunes and find it a lot easier to pick up learning guitar.
The entire purpose behind easy to learn guitar tunes is that they
focus on the basics of learning guitar which ensures that not
only are you having fun learning your guitar tunes but you are
also building your core guitar skills at the same time.

Musician or guitarist?

The majority of newbie players often confuse playing the guitar
with being a musician.

Here's an important distinction: playing the guitar is simply a
matter of learning certain skills, in fact to learn to play the
guitar, the player need only to master 19 moves - that's it, the
guitar is very finite project, like fixing a tire.

Just about anyone could learn these simple motor skills, however
it would not automatically mean they would know anything about
music.

Music on the other hand is an infinite subject, it is possible to
study music and use the guitar as a means of expression, however
just because a person owns a guitar does not mean that they
automatically become musicians.

If you wish to play the guitar like a professional and have
plenty of time and money, private lessons are the best way to
learn guitar. But, fair warning: teachers only come in two sizes,
king-size good and king-size bad.

Music or entertainment?

Today the "eye' has replaced the "ear" as the musical
antenna.

Many young guitarists (and a lot of older players too)
confuse the term music with entertainment. The fantasy world of
rock videos and merchandising is a long way distant from the
realities of the serious music student.

If you are guitar newbie and just started to learn guitar, online
video guitar lesson is the one you should consider. Online video
guitar lessons are specially created for people who are
interested in learning to play the guitar with little or no
effort because all of the needed tools and information are there
with just one click.

The online video guitar lesson is one of the options available in
today's modern world for those interested in learning guitar
without the pressure to learn. It's not "old school," or even
"new school" guitar lessons -- it's "cool school" and by
discovering online lessons, you get to be a part of it. Learning
the guitar online is now one of the most effective ways to
improve your guitar playing no matter what level you are at.

Learning guitar is a duel edged experience giving students the
opportunity to hone their organizational, social interaction
skills. Learning guitar is about going through a series of
stages. Speed develops naturally as a by-product of accuracy.

Unlike the old ways of learning guitar music, online lessons lets
you have all of the fun of learning how to play the guitar,
without any of the old-fashioned frustration.

Online guitar lessons can be useful and convenient, however I
would recommend getting at least some face-to-face tuition, as a
personal teacher can spot (and correct) flaws in your technique
that would otherwise go unchecked.

Again, be aware it's just as frustrating online trying to
learn from eBooks,software, or cheap introductory videos with
little useful content. What you're really looking for is high-
quality, step-by-step video instruction that takes you from
beginner (or intermediate) all the way through advanced
instruction.

Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at

http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.

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Learn How To Play Guitar In A Week - Is It Possible?

The guitar is a very popular stringed musical instrument. The history of the classical guitar may be said to go back to the early 16th century, almost 500 years ago. At those days Guitar was very popular musical instrument. Almost everyone played it. But Industry figures indicate that the guitar is far less popular today than it was in the 1960s, which is no surprise. Modern musical instruments replace guitar and other classical musical instruments.

How to play guitar chords? That question may be your biggest obstacle if you're planning to start learning how to play the guitar. Learning guitar chords is like learning how to speak a language. Once you learn how to play guitar chords you will be able to pick up any song book and play songs as you read 'em.

Friends often ask me how to play guitar or what guitar instruction to use, sometimes they even ask me how hard should it be to learn how to play guitar music. I know that some people think that learning to play guitar is very easy. It is a very big mistake. A COMPLETE learning method Studies show that 97% of all guitarists discover that learning how to play guitar isn't as easy as they thought it would be. So, prepare to work hard.

Basically, you learn how to play guitar in two ways: when you practice, and when you noodle and try out new ideas. Getting information into your brain from every angle is the best way to succeed at learning how to play guitar chords in the shortest amount of time. Remember this.

When learning how to play guitar, and in all practice sessions, you need to be as relaxed as possible at all times. Any "excess" tension in your fingers, hands, arms and other body parts is extremely hazardous to learning how to play guitar properly. In the early stages of practice, when you're learning how to play guitar, pressing your fingers down hard on metal or nylon strings tends to hurt.

Learning guitar music with a teacher in a lesson is not the only way to learn how to play guitar music anymore. You can find a special training systems with video lessons and special software in the internet. Unlike the old ways of learning guitar music, taking lessons, squinting at notes for hours on end, playing songs over and over, and taking longer than you'd like to learn a single new song – this training systems let you have all of the fun of learning how to play guitar music, without any of the old fashioned frustration. This is a great option for people who are trying to teach themselves how to play guitar. As for me, this is the best way to learn how to play guitar. If you are interested in this training systems, you can visit a site and read more about them (see link at the end of this article)

I would advise “Jamorama” Guitar Course. There is a new kind of guitar music lesson, where you really learn how to play guitar by teaching yourself to play your favorite songs with animated guitar lesson software. It will help you to discover how to play guitar music in the shortest time possible. I wish I'd had similar guitar courses when I was learning how to play guitar...

The most important thing to keep in mind when learning how to play guitar is that playing should be enjoyable. If a guitar is no fun to play, chances are very good that it will end up living in the back of your closet, right next to your lawn darts and your hula-hoop. Think twice before buying it.

Take it day by day and with a bit of guitar coaching or instruction, you'll soon know how to play guitar like a pro. I wish you good luck, and who knows, maybe I will visit your concert very soon.

Best Guitar Learning Systems Review Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sergey_Popov