| Tip 1 | Tuning A Steel-String Acoustic Everyone who has ever tuned an acoustic guitar with anything heavier than light gauge strings has at some time or another experienced the string that would pop and "jump" above the correct tuning pitch. This can be very frustrating. If you just shook your head with an emphatic yes, then this tip is for you. Lubricate the slot with graphite. What happens is this: ...read more |
| Tip 2 | Back To The Basics Whenever I see guitar players with their guitar hanging down around their knees. . . I'm reminded that not everyone has had the luxury of learning good form and hand position for optimum playing ability. While it may "look" cool to have your guitar hanging down around your knees, it doesn't help your playing. ...read more |
| Tip 3 | Use The Right Strings And Change Them Often One of the easiest ways to make your guitar sound better is to put on new strings! Strings have gotten so reasonable in price these days, you could put on new strings every week and only spend $10 per month in some cases. But which strings should you get? I mean the choices are endless! There are some common guidelines that most guitarists who have been playing for awhile are aware of. ...read more |
| Tip 4 | Truss Rod Adjustment Question: -
Do your strings buzz when you fret notes on the bottom six frets? -
Do your strings rest so high above the fretboard that you need a vice grip just to fret a note?
If so, an unadjusted truss rod may be the problem. Located below are a few tips on truss rod adjustment: ...read more |
| Tip 5 | Buying A Beginner's Acoustic Guitar Acoustic guitars are very diverse in their shape, size, style, beauty, and sound. A great acoustic guitar is usually the one that works best for the player. Although the perfect guitar is usually a matter of opinion, one should still follow several guidelines before making a purchase. What type of entry-level guitar is best? ...read more |
| Tip 6 | Having Problems Transposing? Try Using A Capo A capo is a great little tool for beginners and professionals alike. Capos come in various shapes and sizes. Some clamp on the neck while others simply wrap around it. The capo is used for transposing the guitar to play songs in various keys while sustaining the ability to play them in the positions that are easiest for you. But, transposing isn't the only reason to use a capo. What is a capo? ...read more |
| Tip 7 | What Do I Look For In An Electric Guitar Amp? Shopping for a new guitar amp can be a tough decision. There are many questions that enter a guitarist's mind when considering a purchase. Which ones sound better? Are tube amps better than solid-state amps? Do I need a stack? All of these questions are important to consider. The most important things to keep in mind are sound and durability. Tube Versus Solid-State ...read more |
| Tip 8 | Want To Make Cool Sounds? Check Out The Ebow The "EBow" is a small handheld device that was introduced to the guitar industry in 1976. Since then, this small device has allowed guitarists the ability to simulate the sounds of horns, cellos, violins, harmonicas, and many others. The EBow's name stems from the term "electronic bow" because of its ability to simulate the sustain of a violin bow when played across the strings of an electric guitar. The secret behind the EBow's success is its use of Direct String Synthesis. ...read more |
| Tip 9 | Analog And Digital Effects Analog effects have been used by guitarists for many years. The analog "stomp" box is the most popular effect unit even to this day. Stomp boxes are used by guitar players all over the world regardless of the type of music being played. Companies such as Boss, DOD, and Danelectro make pedals for every application. These days, companies are creating pedals that incorporate digital processing. This allows the guitarist more freedom in obtaining the sound he/she prefers. Many analog pedals come with a few basic controls depending on the nature of the pedal. ...read more |
| Tip 10 | Get Your Effects In Order As modern synths and inexpensive yet feature-rich recording equipment become more standard, guitarists are under increasing pressure to match the keyboardists versatility of sound. While the quality of amps and guitars has improved in some ways, the basic effects used by guitarists have not changed much in the last 20 years. This can be seen quite plainly in the fact that a lot of contemporary guitarists still rely on distortion, chorus, delay, compression & reverb. With so many cool, clean-sounding effects-units around, some guitarists are turning to these as a source of inspiration. ...read more |
| Tip 11 | Speed Kills? No, Tension Kills Speed If you find yourself becoming more and more tense the faster you try to play, this tip is for you. I recently purchased a book by Adam Rafferty, a jazz player known for his lightening yet accurate speed. It's one of the best books on the subject I've seen out there. It's called, "How To Develop Virtuoso Single Line Technique For Jazz Guitar." Long title, short book that's concise yet very effective and crammed full of valuable exercises. Following are some paraphrased excerpts from his book. ...read more |
| Tip 12 | What Does it Take to be a Great Guitarist? During my last tour, Brent (my groups bassist) and I were discussing our practice routines and what it takes to succeed at playing our instruments. I mentioned to him how people will tell me I have such a gift for playing the guitar and even though I'm extremely flattered, my subconcience is grumbling back at me "It's not a gift, it's an extreme amount of never ending hard work! ...read more |
