I had something else I wanted to write about today, but I will post it some time later. Somebody directed me to view Sungha Jung's videos, and I was hooked. Watch this, and the other videos of this kid.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Basics of Guitar Maintenance
- Keep the guitar from falling: Don’t leave it leaning on the wall or the edge of a table or some other furniture. For a short while you can leave it lying down on a sofa, table or bed. For longer periods it is best to hang it on the wall.
- It is best to keep the guitar in its case or gig bag. There it will be kept safer from dust or accidental scratches, and also have some protection from temperature and humidity. A hard case is a safer place, but is more expensive and heavier. It is an essential when traveling, but otherwise a gig bag will suffice.
- Don’t expose your guitar to big temperature changes. Normal room temperature (25 °C) is best. Don’t leave you guitar outside in your car exposed to the sun, or near a hot radiator or oven.
- Humidity is the biggest enemy of the guitar, especially guitar neck. A humidity range of 40-50% is best. If your house is constantly dry because of the air conditioning, use a humidifier.
- Change the full set of strings once in two-three months. Don’t remove all strings at once: replace the strings one at a time.
- When replacing the strings, it is a good idea to go over your guitar with a screwdriver and make sure everything is bolted in place. Don’t screw the screws to tight. Also use this time to check your pickups’ batteries if you have active pickups. Get a battery tester for this purpose.
- Clean your guitar body with a soft cloth.
- Clean the fretboard of the guitar from regularly, before dirt builds up. Clean especially the wood between the frets with a clean damp cloth. Make sure the neck does not remain wet after your cleaning.
- Don’t spray any cleaning solution directly on your guitar: Apply it to a cloth and wipe the guitar with the cloth.
- Wipe your guitar strings with a dry cloth after playing.
- When storing the guitar for a long period, loosen the strings to reduce the tension on the guitar neck.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Left Handed Guitar Chords
Most guitar beginners’ guides will show you how to play the various guitar chords the way you would play them on a right handed guitar. After a while, you will learn how to translate them automatically in your head to their left handed form, but it would be easier if you had them shown to you ready-made for your left handed way of playing the guitar. I gathered here sources for the left handed beginner learning to play chords on his or her left handed guitar.
In the following link you can find a table of guitar chords for lefties (note you can navigate to more chords by clicking “Next” or “Prev” on the top-right part of this page, immediately on top of the “A Minor” scale).
Youtube also has a lot of short videos showing how to play left handed guitar chords. Especially helpful is a series by Stephen Haendiges teaching how to play a left handed guitar. Here are some of his videos
Playing a G7 Chord:
Playing the B Chord:
Playing a D Chord:
And one more advanced video, showing how play harmonized chords on a left handed guitar
I really recommend this series of teaching videos in youtube. Search in youtube for "stephen haendiges left handed guitar" and you will get the list.
In the following link you can find a table of guitar chords for lefties (note you can navigate to more chords by clicking “Next” or “Prev” on the top-right part of this page, immediately on top of the “A Minor” scale).
Youtube also has a lot of short videos showing how to play left handed guitar chords. Especially helpful is a series by Stephen Haendiges teaching how to play a left handed guitar. Here are some of his videos
Playing a G7 Chord:
Playing the B Chord:
Playing a D Chord:
And one more advanced video, showing how play harmonized chords on a left handed guitar
I really recommend this series of teaching videos in youtube. Search in youtube for "stephen haendiges left handed guitar" and you will get the list.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Reading Guitar Tabs
Reading guitar tabs may seem hard for the beginner, but this is not the case at all. In fact, learning to read guitar tabs is quite easy. It is a worth while to invest the small effort that is needed: Once you overcome the first difficulty, a whole new horizon of playing songs with your guitar is opened.
Guitar tabs are composed of 6 lines, representing the guitar strings, and numbers on these lines, representing the frets on the strings. The string lines are ordered from the highest pitch string on the guitar – the “E”, which is actually found on the lower part of the guitar. The second line represents the second lowest string, which is the second highest pitched – the “B”. Line #3 is the “G, #4 is the “D”, line # 5 is the “A”, and line no. 6 represents the lowest pitched “E”, which is the string found on the top of the guitar.
You will sometimes find the numbers 1-6 written to the left of the lines to make it easier to navigate. Other times you will find the letters representing the guitar string notes – the “E” “B” “G” “D” “A” “E”.
The numbers found on each line represent what fret you should be pressing. “0” means the string should be free – you should be playing the string without touching any fret at all. “1” means you should be pressing with your finger the first fret, counting the frets from the headstock of the guitar. The headstock of the guitar is the part of the guitar that has the pieces used in tuning it. So, if the number “4” appears on the 3rd string, the “G”, it means you should be playing the guitar while you are pressing the 4th fret on the 3rd string.
When playing chords on the guitar, you press several strings at the same time. Here is an example of the guitar tab representing the Emajor chord:
E--------0-------
B--------0-------
G--------1-------
D--------2-------
A--------2-------
E--------0--------
When playing the Emajor guitar tab, you would be playing with the two lowest (two highest pitched) strings free, pressing the first fret on the third string, the second fret in the fourth and fifth string, and the sixth string – the one closer to your neck – is also free.
When playing notes, not chords, each note is played separately, so the tabs would look something like this:
E---1------5----------------------
B-----6-4----6------------------
G----------------9--------1-----
D-------------------1-----------
A----------------------8--------
E-----------------------------4-
Meaning: You should first play the lowest E string pressing your finger on the first fret. Than play the second string, while pressing the 6th fret. Than play again the second string pressing the 4th fret. And so on.
That's it! As you can see, reading guitar tabs is really not that difficult.
Guitar tabs are composed of 6 lines, representing the guitar strings, and numbers on these lines, representing the frets on the strings. The string lines are ordered from the highest pitch string on the guitar – the “E”, which is actually found on the lower part of the guitar. The second line represents the second lowest string, which is the second highest pitched – the “B”. Line #3 is the “G, #4 is the “D”, line # 5 is the “A”, and line no. 6 represents the lowest pitched “E”, which is the string found on the top of the guitar.
You will sometimes find the numbers 1-6 written to the left of the lines to make it easier to navigate. Other times you will find the letters representing the guitar string notes – the “E” “B” “G” “D” “A” “E”.
The numbers found on each line represent what fret you should be pressing. “0” means the string should be free – you should be playing the string without touching any fret at all. “1” means you should be pressing with your finger the first fret, counting the frets from the headstock of the guitar. The headstock of the guitar is the part of the guitar that has the pieces used in tuning it. So, if the number “4” appears on the 3rd string, the “G”, it means you should be playing the guitar while you are pressing the 4th fret on the 3rd string.
When playing chords on the guitar, you press several strings at the same time. Here is an example of the guitar tab representing the Emajor chord:
E--------0-------
B--------0-------
G--------1-------
D--------2-------
A--------2-------
E--------0--------
When playing the Emajor guitar tab, you would be playing with the two lowest (two highest pitched) strings free, pressing the first fret on the third string, the second fret in the fourth and fifth string, and the sixth string – the one closer to your neck – is also free.
When playing notes, not chords, each note is played separately, so the tabs would look something like this:
E---1------5----------------------
B-----6-4----6------------------
G----------------9--------1-----
D-------------------1-----------
A----------------------8--------
E-----------------------------4-
Meaning: You should first play the lowest E string pressing your finger on the first fret. Than play the second string, while pressing the 6th fret. Than play again the second string pressing the 4th fret. And so on.
That's it! As you can see, reading guitar tabs is really not that difficult.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Archtop Guitars
Guitars are among the most, or maybe the most popular of musical instruments the world has ever known. Almost every other teenager you meet, at least in the Western world, plays or wants to learn how to play the guitar. In any campfire you will find someone playing his or her guitar.
Talk about any genre, and there is a big chance that genre would highly involve guitars, in one way or another. Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Fusion, Country, Blues, Alternative, Speed Metal, Hardcore Metal, Pop, Flamenco, and even Classical, just name it - choose your genre and surely you will find guitars to be in the mix. With origins dating back to 5000 years ago, the guitar has contributed a profound influence on modern popular culture, defining its status amongst the most popular musical instruments in the world today.
Each of these genres has one or several types of guitars most suited for it. The archtop guitar type is mostly used by Blues or Jazz players.
An archtop guitar is, as its name indicates, a guitar with its body arched, violin-style. Typically, it will be an acoustic or semi-acoustic guitar, and it will have "f-shaped" holes, making it strongly resembling the violin. The archtop guitar will also have steel strings, which are usually thicker than the regular acoustic guitars, and humbucker pickups.
Although the first archtop guitars were pure acoustic guitars, since Gibson guitars introduced in 1951 the first semi-acoustic archtop guitar, most archtop guitars today are acoustic-electric, and include humpbucker pickups. Their hollow body make them suitable to playing in both ways
(acoustic and electric), and give them a distinct rich sound.
Archtop guitars are manufactured today, besides by the big guitar companies, also by many small private manufacturers. Their special carved look makes them popular to make by many guitar artists.
Although archtop guitars are normally hollow, in the last few years some guitar manufacturers refer to their solid-body guitars with carved belly as “archtop guitars”, in order to distinguish them from the regular flat-belly solid body guitars.
Talk about any genre, and there is a big chance that genre would highly involve guitars, in one way or another. Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Fusion, Country, Blues, Alternative, Speed Metal, Hardcore Metal, Pop, Flamenco, and even Classical, just name it - choose your genre and surely you will find guitars to be in the mix. With origins dating back to 5000 years ago, the guitar has contributed a profound influence on modern popular culture, defining its status amongst the most popular musical instruments in the world today.
Each of these genres has one or several types of guitars most suited for it. The archtop guitar type is mostly used by Blues or Jazz players.
An archtop guitar is, as its name indicates, a guitar with its body arched, violin-style. Typically, it will be an acoustic or semi-acoustic guitar, and it will have "f-shaped" holes, making it strongly resembling the violin. The archtop guitar will also have steel strings, which are usually thicker than the regular acoustic guitars, and humbucker pickups.
Although the first archtop guitars were pure acoustic guitars, since Gibson guitars introduced in 1951 the first semi-acoustic archtop guitar, most archtop guitars today are acoustic-electric, and include humpbucker pickups. Their hollow body make them suitable to playing in both ways
(acoustic and electric), and give them a distinct rich sound.Archtop guitars are manufactured today, besides by the big guitar companies, also by many small private manufacturers. Their special carved look makes them popular to make by many guitar artists.
Although archtop guitars are normally hollow, in the last few years some guitar manufacturers refer to their solid-body guitars with carved belly as “archtop guitars”, in order to distinguish them from the regular flat-belly solid body guitars.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Left Handed Bullseye Electric Guitar Review
There was a time when all types of guitars were made just for the right-handed players because the market for left handed musicians wasn’t so wide back then. But this did not stop the left-handed greats such as Jimi Hendrix to pick up the electric guitar. He did not see it has a hindrance for his musical career; instead he took it on as a challenge and came up with his own style on how to play a right-handed guitar. And this is what gave him his unique technique that made him famous the world over. In fact, his mad skills in playing the right-handed electric guitar are still being talked about even decades after his death.
But nowadays, if you’re a left handed guitarist, you don’t have to live through this compromise any longer as the major guitar names such as Fender, Gibson, Jackson and Ibanez have all gotten into the business of manufacturing their own line of special left handed guitars. We all know these brand names for their high-class quality and style and also for the hefty price tags that their guitars command as well.
If you’re just starting to learn how to play the electric guitar, most guitar aficionados will tell you that it’s acceptable to start of with a reasonably priced guitar. If it’s too cheap you will have to compromise the sound of the strings and the durability of the body while a too expensive guitar may just collect dust in the corner if ever you easily get tired and bored with it. The bottom line is you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for an electric guitar that will be able to give you the performance you will be happy with. As long as you make sure that the guitar you choose can produce a sound that can compare to its more expensive counterparts, you will be all set. Just look around, do your research, canvas a bit and you will be able to find just what it is you’re looking for.
Enter the Left Handed Guitar Place Zakk Wylde inspired electric guitars series, labeled “Zamir” (Zamir in Hebrew means nightingale). Just by looking at it, it’s like you’ve entered a psychedelic dream and you’re the main rockstar in it. These guitars simply command attention with their design that is inspired by the great electric guitarist Zakk Wylde, famed for his role as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. The bull’s eye graphics was used to merely differentiate himself from the other guitarist, but then it became so well known that electric guitar aficionados all over the world started to want the design on their own guitars as well.
These guitars are the perfect choice for first left handed guitar. Take a look at the Zamir E1021 guitar. It is made of the finest woods such as maple, chunwood and basswood combined. Also, with a fingerboard that is made out of rosewood, this guitar is set to last you quite a long time if taken care of correctly. As for the overall sound, expect to hear a vintage tone to it that can perfectly suit most musical genres such as rock, metal and grunge. With an immaculate paint job and the fact that it was very well made, this guitar is a steal at the price that it goes for nowadays. If you’re serious about getting a guitar that will be able to serve you well for many years to come, a Zakk Wylde Bullseye inspired left-handed electric guitar should definitely be a top pick for you.
But nowadays, if you’re a left handed guitarist, you don’t have to live through this compromise any longer as the major guitar names such as Fender, Gibson, Jackson and Ibanez have all gotten into the business of manufacturing their own line of special left handed guitars. We all know these brand names for their high-class quality and style and also for the hefty price tags that their guitars command as well.
If you’re just starting to learn how to play the electric guitar, most guitar aficionados will tell you that it’s acceptable to start of with a reasonably priced guitar. If it’s too cheap you will have to compromise the sound of the strings and the durability of the body while a too expensive guitar may just collect dust in the corner if ever you easily get tired and bored with it. The bottom line is you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for an electric guitar that will be able to give you the performance you will be happy with. As long as you make sure that the guitar you choose can produce a sound that can compare to its more expensive counterparts, you will be all set. Just look around, do your research, canvas a bit and you will be able to find just what it is you’re looking for.
Enter the Left Handed Guitar Place Zakk Wylde inspired electric guitars series, labeled “Zamir” (Zamir in Hebrew means nightingale). Just by looking at it, it’s like you’ve entered a psychedelic dream and you’re the main rockstar in it. These guitars simply command attention with their design that is inspired by the great electric guitarist Zakk Wylde, famed for his role as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. The bull’s eye graphics was used to merely differentiate himself from the other guitarist, but then it became so well known that electric guitar aficionados all over the world started to want the design on their own guitars as well.
These guitars are the perfect choice for first left handed guitar. Take a look at the Zamir E1021 guitar. It is made of the finest woods such as maple, chunwood and basswood combined. Also, with a fingerboard that is made out of rosewood, this guitar is set to last you quite a long time if taken care of correctly. As for the overall sound, expect to hear a vintage tone to it that can perfectly suit most musical genres such as rock, metal and grunge. With an immaculate paint job and the fact that it was very well made, this guitar is a steal at the price that it goes for nowadays. If you’re serious about getting a guitar that will be able to serve you well for many years to come, a Zakk Wylde Bullseye inspired left-handed electric guitar should definitely be a top pick for you.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Left Handed Guitars from the Left Handed Guitar Place
If you're left-handed and love to play the guitar, there's absolutely no need for you to force yourself to play on a right-handed guitar. There are left-handed guitars out there, so don't compromise or settle! With our left-handed guitars made especially for left handed people, you don't have to bother learning to play on a traditional right-handed guitar! To top it off, the left-handed guitar won't cost you a fortune either! We have some left handed guitars that are amazing, top-quality musical instruments at a price you can afford.
Made in China, our left-handed guitars won't break the bank. And don't worry about the "Made in China" label - our guitars are made of the finest quality materials, so there's no chance you're getting a shoddy instrument. Our left handed guitar line is so inexpensive because the labor is cheap. Just remember that cheap labor does not mean cheap products! A left-handed guitar from the left handed guitar place is truly an amazing instrument that you will have for years to come.
You may be thinking to yourself, "Why do I need a left-handed guitar when I can play on a right-handed guitar just fine?" The answer is simple. If you are left-handed, you may actually find that you feel much more comfortable playing a left-handed guitar. It is all too often that left-handed guitarists simply settle for right-handed guitars. Sometimes, they just learn to play that way while other times they modify the right-handed guitar to fit their needs. Many left-handed guitarists actually pick with the left hand while holding the right-handed guitar upside down.
Though adapting a right-handed guitar may work for many players, it doesn't work for everyone. And it may not work for you, which is why investing in a left-handed guitar is most likely your best bet. There is no reason that you should play the guitar uncomfortably when you don't have to. If you're still not sure if a left-handed guitar is the best choice for you, simply head to the nearest guitar store and try one out. You may just be surprised!
So, how do you know if you're a left-handed guitar player? Remember, it isn't always about which hand you use to write. It all comes down to what feels best to you - if you feel more comfortable picking and strumming with your left hand, then you are left-handed. This may be a surprise to you, but there are plenty of left-handed guitarists out there. You may not know that the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Billy Ray Cyrus, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon are all Southpaw guitarists. All of them learned to play on right-handed guitars but made the switch to the left-handed choice once it became an option.
Once you decide to buy a left-handed guitar, make that guitar a left-handed guitar from the Left Handed Guitar Place. Our left handed guitars won't let you down! At a fraction of the cost, you will get a guitar of the finest quality and best materials that will last for years to come. You can only win with a left-handed guitar. The feel, look, and sound of the guitar is comparable to those more expensive models but without the big price tag. So go ahead, treat yourself to the guitar you deserve.
Made in China, our left-handed guitars won't break the bank. And don't worry about the "Made in China" label - our guitars are made of the finest quality materials, so there's no chance you're getting a shoddy instrument. Our left handed guitar line is so inexpensive because the labor is cheap. Just remember that cheap labor does not mean cheap products! A left-handed guitar from the left handed guitar place is truly an amazing instrument that you will have for years to come.
You may be thinking to yourself, "Why do I need a left-handed guitar when I can play on a right-handed guitar just fine?" The answer is simple. If you are left-handed, you may actually find that you feel much more comfortable playing a left-handed guitar. It is all too often that left-handed guitarists simply settle for right-handed guitars. Sometimes, they just learn to play that way while other times they modify the right-handed guitar to fit their needs. Many left-handed guitarists actually pick with the left hand while holding the right-handed guitar upside down.
Though adapting a right-handed guitar may work for many players, it doesn't work for everyone. And it may not work for you, which is why investing in a left-handed guitar is most likely your best bet. There is no reason that you should play the guitar uncomfortably when you don't have to. If you're still not sure if a left-handed guitar is the best choice for you, simply head to the nearest guitar store and try one out. You may just be surprised!
So, how do you know if you're a left-handed guitar player? Remember, it isn't always about which hand you use to write. It all comes down to what feels best to you - if you feel more comfortable picking and strumming with your left hand, then you are left-handed. This may be a surprise to you, but there are plenty of left-handed guitarists out there. You may not know that the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Billy Ray Cyrus, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon are all Southpaw guitarists. All of them learned to play on right-handed guitars but made the switch to the left-handed choice once it became an option.
Once you decide to buy a left-handed guitar, make that guitar a left-handed guitar from the Left Handed Guitar Place. Our left handed guitars won't let you down! At a fraction of the cost, you will get a guitar of the finest quality and best materials that will last for years to come. You can only win with a left-handed guitar. The feel, look, and sound of the guitar is comparable to those more expensive models but without the big price tag. So go ahead, treat yourself to the guitar you deserve.
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