eudoran

Billy Gibbons - Guitar Lesson

2008-01-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Billy Gibbons, guitarist for ZZ Top, shows you how to play the blues.

Stevie Ray Vaughn

2008-01-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

An interview with Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Lead Guitar Lesson

2007-11-29T08:39:00.001-08:00

Guitar Tablature: Learn To Play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star With Guitar Tab

2007-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

By: Peter Edvinsson | Posted: 30-01-2006

Even if you haven't played guitar tablature before you can impress or maybe shock your friends by playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Let's start playing guitar tab!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is a popular English nursery rhyme with the French melody Ah! Vous dirais-je, Maman. You can play this song on the first three strings on the guitar.

The text is from a poem, "The Star", by Jane Taylor. It was first published in 1806. Here you have the English lyrics:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!

We will use guitar tablature so you will not need to read sheet music. You will only use the thinnest strings on the guitar. The string with the highest pitch is called the first string or E-string. Look at the following guitar tab:

1. 0-0-0-0----------------- 2. --------1-1-1-1--------- 3. ----------------2-2-2-2-

This is a tablature staff and the four number 0 indicate that you play the first string four times without pressing down any finger on your right hand. This is called to play on an open string.

The four number 1 coming after is played on the second string pressing down your first finger on the first fret. Then you will play the third string four times pressing down the string on the second fret. This is what the previous guitar tablature notation is telling you.

Let's play the first notes of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with guitar tablature:

1. ------------0--0-------------------------- 2. ------3--3-------3----1--1--0--0---------- 3. 0--0-----------------------------2--2--0--

If you want to use your left hand in a professional way you can play the guitar tab notes on the first fret with your first finger, notes on the second fret with your middle finger and the notes on the third fret with your ring finger.

Now it's only one guitar tablature part left:

1. 3--3--1--1--0--0----- 2. ------------------3-- 3. ---------------------

After having played this part twice, go back and play the first guitar tablature part and the melody is complete.

Now when you understand guitar tablature notation you can find many songs written this way on the internet. Search for guitar tab or guitar tablature. A complete guitar tablature staff has six lines representing the six strings.

If you have an ukulele hanging somewhere you can use the previous tablature too. The first three strings on an ukulele is tuned the same way as on the guitar.

Just one more thing for you to do. Play the song for your friends! Good luck!
About the Author:
Peter Edvinsson is a guitarist, pianist, composer and educator. He is the owner of Capotasto Music with free sheet music, tablature and learn to play resources for musicians and music students. http://www.capotastomusic.com

Tears in heaven free acoustic guitar lesson

2007-08-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

This free acoustic guitar lesson shows you how to play Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton.

Jazz Guitar Lesson

2007-08-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

This free guitar video lesson by Billy Wilkie teaches you how to play jazz licks.

Yesterday

2006-11-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

tabs here

Greatest Underrated Guitar Players

2006-11-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

Ask anybody who the greatest guitar players in the history of rock music are, and you'll likely get the standard answers. The big three, Clapton, Beck and Page; certainly Eddie Van Halen; maybe Stevie Ray Vaughn. The metal-heads will cite Randy Rhodes and George Lynch. These are all valid answers, but if you would put forth names like Elliot Easton and Andy Summers, you might be likely to get a blank stare in return. Too often great guitarists are overlooked simply because they lack the flash of a star like Eddie Van Halen or because they are part of a group that simply has an overabundance of talent and they tend to be moved to the background.

Take Andy Summers, guitarist for the Police. Everybody knows who Sting is, and there is no doubt that he is tremendously talented, as is drummer Stewart Copeland. As part of that unit, however, Summers was often overlooked. What is so amazing about Andy Summers is not only his command of the instrument, but his overwhelming versatility. From ska to punk to reggae to straight ahead rock and roll, nothing is outside of his ability. His style has been described as minimalist, but that minimalism is a plus, and he is to be credited for not falling prey to his critics and trying to overplay to compensate for a lack of complex layers of sound. Below, in no particular order, I've listed some of my favorite underappreciated players, and the reasons why I consider them to be great.

Elliot Easton (The Cars): Elliot Easton is probably the greatest reason for the success of The Cars. Without Easton's accessible rock guitar cutting through the synth driven Cars sound, they never would have found the mainstream acceptance that they did. Imagine the spacey pair of Ric Ocasik and Greg Hawkes playing over an equally new-wave influenced guitarist and you have a style of music that would not appeal to people on a large scale. Easton's Buddy Hollyesque sound, however, served to make The Cars commercially viable. "My Best Friend's Girl" from their debut album is an excellent example of how Easton's contribution was essential in creating hit records for The Cars.

Warren DiMartini (Ratt): What impresses me most about DiMartini is that fact that despite being known as a speed demon who is content to throw a startling flurry of notes at the listener, is that he knows the value of a rest. Too many metal artists try to play as fast as possible, and DiMartini can keep up with the best of them, but I'm more taken with the fact that on songs like "Lay it Down", "Wanted Man" and "Round and Round", it's DiMartini's artful use of pauses and mutings to lend depth and character to what would otherwise be just another ripping metal tune.

Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go's/solo): The Go-Go's will never be known for stunning musicianship, but Kathy Valentine's reputation suffered from being thrown together with a group of girls who were far less proficient in their playing. Not to say that the Go-Go's were not any good. Their style of music was based on catchy beats and fun lyrics, so being technically perfect was not a requirement. Unfortunately, the fact that this was an easily exploitable fault that the critics could grab a hold of, the band was unfairly criticized for being "a bunch of girls who could barely play their instruments." If they had bothered to check, they would have found the Valentine was actually an experienced and talented guitarist, making the switch to bass to fill the spot with the Go-Go's. Actually, a casual listen will show that Valentine's bass playing stands out more that Charlotte Caffey's or Jane Wiedlin's guitar work. At times it's almost melodic. Since the Go-Go's Valentine has gone solo, along with a side project called the Delpines. I would strongly urge you to check out Valentine's appealing mix of rock and punk on her "Light Years" album.

Slash (Guns 'N' Roses/Velvet Revolver): Guns 'N' Roses now Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan once claimed that Slash had "the fastest right hand I've ever seen." While it may be argued that the left (fretting) hand is more important for a guitarist, after hearing Slash play, there can be no discounting the value of a fast right hand. "Sweet Child of Mine", "Paradise City" and "Welcome to the Jungle" received more radio play, but to hear one of the best examples of Slash's work, check out "Mr. Brownstone" on "Appetite for Destruction".

Steve "Steamin" Clark (Def Leppard): It seems that all great artists have their demons and Steve Clark was no exception. Before alcohol claimed his life at too young an age, Steve Clark had built up a legacy of fine work that will live on. Steve's gift was an ability to build spatial separation into his phrasing. It was almost as if he was playing in a huge empty amphitheater in which each note rang out perfectly and separately and yet, along with the complimentary work of bandmate Phil Colin, fit tightly together like pieces in a puzzle. The song "Love Bites" from the "Hysteria" album perfectly illustrates this point. Unlike previous member Pete Willis, Colin provided a perfect foil for Clark to play off of. Unfortunately, Def Leppard seemed to be associated more with the fact that drummer Rick Allen played with one arm, the result of a 1984 auto accident, taking some of the attention away from the fact that Clark's playing made Def Leppard one of the finest pop metal bands of the 80's.

Howard Leese (Heart): Fated to share the stage with two of the most beautiful and talented women of the rock era, Howard Leese continued to lend his creative talents to Heart long after its other founding members had departed. It was Nancy with her beautiful blond tresses that stole the spotlight, but it was Howard's guitar that powered the group. Secure in the knowledge that he was a key component in Heart's driving guitar based sound, he was never bitter about the fact that his name was only recognizable amongst true fans of the group. Listen to "Barracuda" or "Magic Man" or "Even it Up" and you are instantly struck by the inherent "coolness" of the opening riffs, and his mastery of harmonic overtones is second to none.

Mick Mars (Motley Crüe): Mostly thought of as a fair to middling heavy metal guitarist, Mick Mars phrasing is perfect for the Crüe's sound. Chunky, dirty and staccato at times, it still manages to be melodic. Upstaged by Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee and their bad-boy images, Mick stays cool and aloof behind his powerful music. Despite the darkness inherent in some of their tunes, you cannot fail to be uplifted by Mick Mars' musical skills.

Really there are so many worthy players that I could go on and on, but this is just a listing of those few that have bugging me for years. It's true that people have their own tastes, and for some, these guys wouldn't even make the top 10, but it makes me feel better to have my sentiments known. If I'm lucky there may be a few of you out there - just a few - who will say, "Man, I've been saying for years that he (or she) has never got enough credit."

Music Inside Us

2006-11-05T05:06:00.001-08:00

music, science, guitar

Everyone of us has music inside. And it is not an abstract statement, but scientifically proven fact. Molecules of DNA "sound" inside us and it is very important if music from outside is in keeping with music inside us.

Scientists pay great attention to researches concerning music's influence on human beings. Attention to such researches has increased recently and their results are interesting and convincing. For example, after listening classical music cows have increased their yield of milk and mimosa and petunias have grown faster and burst into bloom 2 weeks earlier. 120 breast-feed mothers took part in an experiment in Japan. Some women listened to classical music, other women listened pop and rock music. In first group the amount of milk increased in 20 per cent, and in second group - reduced twice.

Such researches are the attempt to synthesise science and art (music). But in ancient India science and art were considered to be the parts of single creative power. All knowledge of ancient India one can find in the Vedas (Holy Indian Scripture) and one of four main Vedas Sama-Veda is entirely dedicated to music. According to the Vedas the creating of the world started from the primordial sound "OM", which appeared while division of the Almighty (Sadashiva) and his creative energy (Adi Shakti). "OM" was the foundation of the universe and the first musical sound.

The human subtle system consists of 7 main chakras (energetic centres) and 3 channels, which rule mental, emotional and physical life activity of person. 7 chakras of our subtle body revolve with certain frequency and form an octave, which consists of 7 tones of proper altitude. Intervals between them should reflect intervals between chakras. These tones were called musical sounds - notes ('svars' in Indian music). They sound - sa, re, ga, ma, pa, da, ni and they are in keeping with chakras - from first till seventh. 5 notes can change (fall and rise), creating 5 additional sounds (left and right aspects of chakras). Thus, these notes are built-in subtle body and represent the ideal "repository" of information, the repository of those feelings, emotions, wishes and thoughts, which composer or performer has.

While listening to music a person receives some influence on a subtle level, which later appears on physical body. Same notes can bring destruction or good, it depends on the inner condition of person. For example, anger, aggression, drug intoxication and so on, which have power over the mind of composer or musician, will find the reflection in his music. There are some styles and forms in music which reflect only such bad qualities. Such music may do harm not only to the musician, but also the person who listens to it. Clear, inspired people, who have a lucid mind will never create such music. They created only folk music with great variety and classical music which has its roots in folk music.

Joe Pass - Jazz Lines

2006-10-22T19:08:00.001-07:00

joe, pass, lesson, guitar, jazz, video, youtube, instruction, how+to, tab, fingerpicking

Download pdf reference here

Guitar Online Schools

2006-10-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Online Guitar Schools offer courses through several venues. Students can choose to learn various elements of guitar through online extension schools, institutes, colleges, and universities. Some online guitar education programs offer online video clinics demonstrating master techniques and advanced lessons in playing this instrument.

Colleges, universities, music schools, and institutes provide additional studies that may include music theory, sight reading, and much more, through online guitar training programs. Online guitar students can choose to earn degrees or certificates through online guitar programs, or to study simply for the pleasure of learning to play the guitar. Online Guitar School courses might include guitar scales, understanding amps, guitar chords and sound effects, recording, and producing.

Many Online Guitar Schools provide instructor-led courses that allow students to access instructors on preplanned schedules that provide the same curriculums as courses taught in traditional school settings, and that use incorporations of cutting-edge technologies in their instruction. Online Guitar School assignments can be uploaded via the Internet through processes using MP3 files for personalized review and criticism.

Online Guitar School programs may offer comprehensive backgrounds in various music genres, songwriting skills, and music production in addition to fundamental guitar techniques and skills. Certificate programs can be completed in one year from some Online Guitar Schools. More comprehensive programs can take as long as three years. Bachelor degree programs from college and university music departments will require additional courses, and possibly some on-campus coursework.

Graduates of Online Guitar Schools can apply their skills to teaching, producing, songwriting, and playing guitar, as education and degrees permit.

If you are interested in learning more about Online Guitar Schools and other types of schools, please search our site for more information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

The First Step And Most Important Thing In Learning Guitar

2006-10-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

Most of the guitar lovers playing guitar for few years but still unsatisfied with their progress. They feel like still stand at the starting point and can't enjoy their playing.This mainly caused by most of them don't build up a strong foundation at the begining. I found that some of the guitar learners even just playing guitar for one or two years but are more better than so many that playing for over five years. This is the foundation problems. Me myself was an example when I started playing guitar long time ago.

The secrets of learning guitar are mostly base on foundation. To have a good foundation for future success,we need three important factors :-

1.LISTENING

Ear training is a MUST basic training that every guitar learners should have. But most of them avoid this as quite a boring and time-consuming job.Without a good listening,we are unable to move to higher level. To overcome this problem,I suggest that guitar learners may choose one of the well known Ear Training software on internet. I found that there are few really good software that train your listening step by step and really FUN. You feel like playing game when you learn.

2.DAILY practice :(Both fingers and ears)

Daily practice is another important thing we should do. (Ex.Fingers exercises,practice for basic acales) I suggest thatbeginners practice on PENTATONIC SCALES at the starting point because this scales is the most simple scale that only have five tones. Try to practice 20 to 30 minutes daily. Remember that even 20 minutes of RELAX and CONCERNTRATION DAILY practice is more effective than few hours of unconstant practice.

3.Look for a TEACHER :

You may find either private guitar teacher or guitar lessons on internet. For my opinions,learn guitar from internet may be better because of the convenience of time and much cheaper. There is just one question of learning from internet that what lessons to choose, what lessons are really work. Myself as a guitar lover have been playing guitar for 15 years and do the research on guitar lessons from internet over 5 years for myself and my groups. I've spent a lot of money for it. Recently I just built up my own little web page telling guitar lovers a few good guitar lessons that really work and would like to share with all of you.

About the Author:

Don Lee - If you are interested to learn guitar,WELCOME to my website at : www.geocities.com/bestguitarlessons/bestguitarlessons.html at look at it yourself.

Practicing The Guitar - Are You Kidding Yourself?

2006-10-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Practicing the guitar is no different than doing anything else to improve other aspects of you life. For example, if you're an athlete do you improve your endurance by driving you car? No, you do it by running or some other form of exercise that builds muscle and cardio vascular endurance.

So it is with the guitar. Be sure that when you sit down to practice that you practice. Avoid the temptation to kid yourself by saying that you were practicing by just holding your guitar of by just playing some familiar tune or chord.

If you really want to improve your level of skill, play some new, challenging selections. Or, use your time to work on some exercises your instructor has given you, even if its working on basic guitar scales and chords. This will truly build your skill when it's time to learn a new tune.

When practicing, avoid distractions such as TV, phone, food and friends. Select a place and time to practice when you won't be disturbed. Ask your family or friends to respect this time and to not disturb you until you have finished.

Be sure that what you are working on is correct. If you have an instructor, ask him or her to critique your practice techniques. If you don't use an instructor, be sure to read any reference materials you have to be sure that what you are practicing is being done right. Practice may make perfect, but perfect practice definitely makes perfect.

Before each practice session, spend a few minutes to decide what you want and need to work on. If you have a plan and work your plan, you stand a much better chance of improving your skills quickly. Just sitting down and making some sounds because you're not sure what to do is just a waste of time.

Remember, you want to learn to play the guitar. So, work on the things that will get you to that point quickly. And, even if you are an accomplished guitar player, you can still improve. That improvement can only come by using good practicing techniques.

10 Top Jazz Guitarists

2006-10-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Some of the most influential and innovative guitarists have emerged from the world of Jazz - often with breathtakingly fast technique and intricate phrasing - Jazz maestro's can match anything that rock and roll can produce - indeed the Jazz genre has been popular for almost 100 years and from trad jazz to new world fusion pioneers they are a diverse breed producing a wide spectrum of sound.

So what makes a great Jazz guitarist? Flamboyance - technique and a dash of magic - our top 10 list features guitarists who have their own unique styles and sound - often mimicked but never matched. Want to get into Jazz guitar? Well check out these ten great players.

1. Joe Pass

With a career that spanned 50 years, including time spent with Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Herb Ellis - Pass became renowned for his solo style that utilized complex finger picking technique coupled with a deft left hand phrasing. With an Epiphone signature guitar released in his honor - Pass is a true great

2. Pat Metheny

Part of the modern Jazz set - Metheny is a real innovator on guitar - mixing a broad palette of musical influences from rock to folk, orchestral and traditional Jazz. Hard to pin down with a specific technique but with influences from Joe Pass to Wes Montgomery he's has a career that spans 30 years and remains highly regarded.

3. Les Paul

One of histories most important guitarists. Central in the development of the modern guitar and recording techniques. It was however as a Jazz Guitarist that he became famous - with a fast fluid style reminiscent of the great Django Reinheardt but with a distinctive country twang he's blazed a trail throughout his career - the fact that Les Paul still played to audiences in his 90's is testament to how important this man is.

4. Wes Montgomery

Montgomery played with a distinctive style - discarding the use of a pick he played with mostly with his thumb resting his fingers on the guitar's body. With intricate phrasing including use of Octaves - Montgomery sound is easily distinguishable - despite a career that was cut short at the tender age of 43 - Montgomery still had time to record a string of hit Jazz albums and influence a wealth or artists.

5. Charlie Christian

Hugely influencial in the Jazz genre and one of first mainstream Electric Guitarists but with a frustratingly brief career (dying at the age of 25) - renowned for his playing with the Benny Goodman orchestra in the 30's and 40's

6. John Mclaughlin

Incredible Jazz Fusion artist - part of the Mahavishnu Orchestra fusion group in the 70's. With a blinding fast technique and influenced by world music sound - McLaughlin is a unique voice in the world of Jazz.

7. Herb Ellis

Reaching the Jazz audience with his stint with the Oscar Peterson trio in the '50's Ellis has continued to record and play with a range of artists - with a fast - fluid but still melodic style - Ellis has a distinctive voice in the world of jazz guitar and inspiring tecfhnique.

8. Charlie Byrd

Grammy award winning and with a career that spanned 40 years - classically trained Byrd was heavily influenced by the South American bossa nova sound made his name playing with Stan Getz during the 1960's -

9. Kenny Burrell

With a style that marries a soulful technique with a love of bebop, Burrell has played with a bucket load of greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Benny Goodman - with a treasure of over 40 albums and career spanning over 50 years Burrell is a true Jazz master

10. Django Reinhardt

No list of Jazz guitarists would be complete without mentioning Django - with a Gypsy upbringing and musical influence he had a fascinating technique which involved picking close to the bridge and one string solo's - influenced by few but influencing many - he remains perhaps the most important Jazz Guitarist of all time.

Tommy Emmanuel - Boom Chick 2

2006-10-09T08:45:00.001-07:00

tommy, emmanuel, fingerstyle, guitar, acoustic, video, youtube, instruction, how+to, tab, fingerpicking

Kotaro Oshio - Hard Rain

2006-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Kotaro, Oshio, guitar, tabs, sheet, music, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, instruction, howto, how+to, acoustic, score, youtube, video

Kotaro Oshio shows how to play Hard Rain

Part 1

Part 2

Kotaro Oshio - Mr. Christmas Mr. Lawrence

2006-10-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Kotaro, Oshio, guitar, tabs, sheet, music, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, instruction, howto, how+to, acoustic, score, youtube, video

Kotaro Oshio shows how to play Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Part 1

Part 2

Mr. Christmas Mr. Lawrence tab/sheet music

Best Ways To Improve Your Guitar Playing

2006-09-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

What grooves you? Why do you want to improve?

Regardless of your intentions - whether to get started playing, learn a few licks of your favorite tunes, or want to expand your repertoire to include blues, funk, or rock and roll music, on your way to recording yourself, there are resources out there that can help you.

Here are a few ideas that may help you better understand your guitar playing and some solutions you can consider.

Guitar videos
You can purchase guitar playing videos, either for home or computer watching, that include hand position, strumming technique, rhythm and timing, and finger exercises that take through various type of songs. Essentially these become a mirror for you in learning to play as you mimic what you're watching on screen and then reproduce this on your own. With commitment and determination, this can be a good one to go - especially for the visual learner who likes to learn primarily on their own.

Guitar lessons
You can find a community of guitar instructors in your surrounding area who are either private tutors or work through a community college. You'll want to consider their expertise, the type of students they work best with, their flexibility with your schedule, success stories, and of course their fees, in considering working with them. In pursing guitar lessons, you can either do one on one or group - both have their plusses and minuses but either can work for you.

Playing partners
Find someone in your local community who plays. You can do this through asking the local community college, posting online to a resource like craigslist, or asking the guitar shop. The idea is to develop a friendship with someone who is a bit better than you who wants the accountability of practicing weekly. What you can provide is the commitment to meet up with them weekly and practice. In return, you can learn from their techniques or methods what works. Of course, you always need to be aware of learning bad habits in situations like these, which is why it's important to have a foundation in guitar technique before starting.

Guitar theory
Related to guitar technique is developing a basis in guitar theory. Chord patterns, minor and major chord progressions, note scales, and overlap with piano and percussion instruments can all give you a basic structure upon which to layer in the knowledge and technique you gain in your guitar playing.

Playing guitar can be a wonderful expression of one's musical and creative talent. And with a commitment to constant improvement, it can provide a lifetime of enjoyment for yourself, friends, and family.

Tommy Emmanuel

2006-09-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

tommy, emmanuel, fingerstyle, guitar, acoustic, video, youtube, instruction, how+to, tab, fingerpicking

-------------------------
Day Tripper/Lady Madonna

Tommy Emmanuel explains how he plays Day Tripper and Lady Madonna.

Day Tripper/Lady Madonna power tab

Kotaro Oshio - Wind Song

2006-09-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Kotaro, Oshio, guitar, tabs, sheet, music, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, instruction, howto, how+to, acoustic, score, youtube, video

*******************************************************************

Download tab Wind Song

Kotaro Oshio - Sheet Music - Tabs

2006-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Kotaro, Oshio, guitar, tabs, sheet, music, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, instruction, howto, how+to, acoustic, score

------------------------------------

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Canon

Dear

Destiny

Fight

First Love

Prologue

Promises

Tension

Twilight

Tycho

Wind Song

You Are the Hero

---------------------------------------------
Buy Kotaro Oshio audio cds

Boom Chick - Tommy Emmanuel

2006-09-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

tommy+emmanuel, fingerstyle, guitar, acoustic, fingerpicking, boom-chick, instruction, howto, how+to, youtube, video

Tommy Emmanuel explains the "boom chick" style of fingerstyle guitar.

Guitar Tips: What ‘Other People’ Think.

2006-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

“Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best” – Henry Van Dyke.

Good one, Henry. Are you afraid of sounding bad? Scared that someone might criticize your lack of talent? Worried what ‘other people’ will say about you?

If so, give yourself a slap around the head and, as my mother would say to me when I did something stupid, ‘wake up to yourself!’

Who are these ‘other people’ anyway? And why is it that people live their lives caring about what ‘other people’ think.

Can you imagine being a bird sitting up a tree and not singing because you thought the sparrow in the next tree would laugh, or tell the ‘other birds’ how bad a chirper you were.

It doesn’t matter how good or bad you are as long as your are trying.

You can only improve with time. Time is going to pass anyway, no matter how you choose to use it. You can sit there and do nothing or you can improve your talents.

Who cares if you sound bad at the moment. Every guitar player at one time or another sounded terrible. In a years time you will be one year older, that’s for sure. But will you be a better musician?

And as for those ‘other people’, forget them and live your life to the fullest.

About the Author:

John Stockwell is the author of the acclaimed Mind Over Music For Guitar ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/mindovermusic.html ) and also Real Guitar For Real Guitarists ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/realguitarcourse.html ). He has been a musician for 21 years. His website is http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com

Beginner Guitar Tips: How To Get A Feel

2006-09-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Technical ability aside, the difference between a good guitarist and a great guitarist is often the "feel" that they apply to their music through their playing. Adding "feel" to your guitar playing is easy to learn and will make a huge difference to the way your playing will sound to others.

"I don’t like to go into the studio with all the songs worked out and planned before hand…. You’ve got to give the band something to use its imagination on as well. That can make a very ordinary song come alive into something totally different….. the X Factor – so important in Rock And Roll - which is the feel" - Keith Richards.

When you’re learning or writing a new song the most important thing is the feel.

The beat, the pulse…. Call it what you like. Its stirs the emotions.

It’s that magic spark that makes a good song stand out from the rest.

When you buy a new cd/album/record it’s the one song that grabs you by the balls.

You can feel the passion and enthusiasm that the musicians put into it.

So how do you get ‘the feel’?

You just close your eyes and connect with your true feelings – hence the term ‘the feel’. You are transferring your feelings – your passion to the fret board.

But first you have to feel it inside your head, heart and soul.

Try listening to your favorite music with your eyes closed and no distractions. Take notice of the way it effects you.

What do you feel? Is it joy? sadness? anger? frustration? love? pride?

The feeling will sweep over your whole body. Take notice of this feeling. Stop the music and try and reproduce this feeling.

Once you can reproduce the feeling grab your guitar and play.

Don’t play a song you already know, just play some chords and see what happens. Don’t think just feel and play. Visualize where you want to be - then start taking a small step in the direction of your desire. Start with simple, easy to attain visualizations. No need to make them gigantic. Build confidence as you move along the path.

And as your confidence grows, so will momentum.

Pretty soon you're literally steam-rolling over obstacles that once seemed huge.

About the Author:

John Stockwell is a guitar player and the author of the acclaimed "Mind Over Music for Guitar" http://www.learn-to-play-guitar.net/mindovermusic/, a unique approach to learning to play the guitar by ear for beginners to advanced students.

Guitar Tips: Develope Your Own Style

2006-09-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Who Do You See In The Mirror?

‘Every mans work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself’ – Samuel Butler.

This is why you must write your own music and develop your own style. Because it is the only way to show people who you truly are. By playing other peoples music you are nothing more than a clone riding on the coast tails of someone else.

By doing the same thing the same way you will always get the same result... Only by changing something along the way, even a tiny change will effect and change the result.

Have a look at your surroundings right now and think about want they say about you. Are you happy and 100% satisfied with your life outside of music? If you are then that’s fantastic. If not try and change one small thing and see how that impacts on your guitar playing. You may come up with some new ideas for your songs.

Try and get some inspiration from non-musical sources – try and recreate the sounds of traffic or take a trip to the zoo and listen to the sounds the animals make and try and reproduce them on your guitar.

These are the little things that can make a big difference to your playing. Think outside the square and become unique. When you look in a mirror you don’t expect to see someone else staring back at you do you?

About the Author:

John Stockwell is the author of the acclaimed Mind Over Music For Guitar ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/mindovermusic.html ) and also Real Guitar For Real Guitarists ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/realguitarcourse.html ). He has been a musician for 21 years. His website is http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com

Guitar Tips: Where To Start

2006-09-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Quick And Easy Way To Learn To Play Guitar Without Getting Ripped Off By Money Hungry Guitar Teachers.

So you want to play guitar? What if I told you that it is easy to learn the guitar? You will either have the mindset that I am telling the truth and you will want to find out more. Or you will be skeptical and think that I am telling lies.

Decide right now which way you think, as this will determine your level of success. If you think that learning the guitar is hard, and will cost you a lot of time and money taking lessons then that is exactly what will happen.

Your success in any endeavor, be it guitar or sports or even tying your shoelaces all begins in your belief system. If you believe you can do something then you will do it.

Everyone starts out equally. No one was born with the ability to play the guitar. Everyone starts as a rank amateur. Every guitar player, whatever their ability now, was at one time a beginner. In other words, at some stage their guitar playing sucked.

The first thing you need to play the guitar is determination. You have to want it bad. You need to make up your mind that this is what you really want. Don't just have some romantic notion that it would be a cool thing to do. You either want it or you don't. Be committed, not half committed.

The next thing you need is a time frame. How long do you expect it to take before you can play guitar good enough to play a few songs? I'll tell you how long, three months. You should be able to go from the outhouse to the penthouse in three months.

So now you have determination. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player. You also have a time frame. You are 100% sure you will become a good guitar player in three months time. At this point you haven't even touched a guitar but you have set the wheels in motion.

What do you do next? You need to learn some chords. The good thing is that 90% of songs use the same chords. Also 90% of popular songs use only three chords. There is a formula called 1,4,5. Don't worry about it too much at this stage as you need to learn the chords and their names first.

Start by learning the open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Just do a search on the net and you will find these chords. When it comes to playing the B chord play it as an A shaped bar chord. And play the F as an E shaped bar chord.

Start playing them in the following order.

A / D / E / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / E //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,1's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E. Again just take this for granted and don't worry about it too much. The idea is to practice changing between the chords. You'll probably recognize a few songs in these exercises as well. Music is very repetitive. You will often find different songs having the same musical backing with only the lyrics being different.

Next play the following.

A / D / E / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / A / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / D / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / G / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / B / A //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,5,4's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / C //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / E //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,1's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / D / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / G / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / C / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / F / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / A / B //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,4,5's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / D / A / E //: then repeat it over four times
D / G / D / A //: then repeat it over four times
G / C / G / D //: then repeat it over four times
C / F / C / G //: then repeat it over four times
E / A / E / B //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,4,1,5's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E.

Next play the following.

A / E / A / D //: then repeat it over four times
D / A / D / G //: then repeat it over four times
G / D / G / C //: then repeat it over four times
C / G / C / F //: then repeat it over four times
E / B / E / A //: then repeat it over four times

By doing this you are playing 1,5,1,4's in the key's of A, D, G, C, and E. Notice how you are playing the same three chords in each example, but in a different order.

This is how people write songs. They pick a group of chords that sound good together and they arrange them in a particular order. A group of songs that sound good together is called a key.

There are only twelve keys in music and we have used five so far. The reason I chose the keys of A, D, G, C, and E is because they cover the seven basic chords you have learned so far.

Keys consist of seven chords arranged in logical sequence. For example the key of C goes like this. C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor, B diminished.

Don't worry about the minor chords and the diminished chord at this point. You are only concerned with the major chords. Can you see that if you start counting from C you get C = 1. F = 4 and G = 5. This is how we get the 1,4,5 formula.

It is the same with the other keys as well. 1,4 and 5 will always be major. But you can learn more about this later on down the track. For now focus on playing the chords in the above exercises.

What you are doing is building finger memory on your left hand. You don't even need to strum the guitar while you are doing this. Just get used to changing between the chords. Once you know how to hold each chord you can practice without your guitar. Sounds a bit crazy but you you should do this exercise if you want to learn fast.

Just picture yourself in your mind playing the chords and changing between them. You will notice the fingers on your left hand will begin to move while you are doing this. This is a good thing.

What you are doing is working the same mental pathways that operate while you are physically playing your guitar. As a beginner this is a very significant and important step. You need to be able to see a chord and know where to put your fingers in a split second. So lets break it down into small steps.

1. Learn the seven chords. A, B, C, D, E, F and G. You don't have to be good at playing them, you just need to know what they look like and how to finger them. Once you can do this you will be able to picture them in your mind, and you can start to practice them without your guitar. The hands always follow the head. So get them into your head first.

2. Now that you know the names of the chords and what they look like, you need to start moving between the chords. Changing from one chord to the next. Start with the 1,4,5's as these combinations appear in almost every song. This is not just a boring exercise, you will actually play all of the 1,4,5's as you begin to learn songs.

By doing it now you are getting a head start on other beginners as you are actually learning some music theory. You are learning to transpose. It will all become crystal clear later on. Think of it this way. You learnt how to talk as a child before you learned what the English language was about. You know, nouns and verbs and all that sort of stuff.

So at the moment you are learning the practical side of guitar playing in the shortest possible time. You are also setting yourself up to understand the language of music. By following this method you will progress faster than other beginners. You don't need to be able to read music to play the guitar. You do need to understand a bit of theory.

3. Once you can move between the chords. Then start learning the songs that you like, or start writing your own songs. When you start learning guitar you will usually have in mind the songs of your favorite artists.

It is good to start with songs that you are familiar with. Keep in mind that song books can be wrong. Especially the way they show the chords. If you see a B chord for example. There may be three or four ways to play that chord. Just play the one you know. You don't have to play the songs exactly as they are written in order for them to sound good.

Playing the guitar is a long journey. It takes a lifetime, even then you still won't be able to play all the styles.

So just stick with what you like, it's supposed to be fun after all, that's why it's called "playing" guitar. When you play, you have fun. Use the method's that I've told you about. Especially the mental rehearsal techniques.

You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying these techniques, so dive in and give them a go. Make sure you at least know the chords A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Do this before you go to a guitar teacher. These chords are the bare minimum you will need. Don't waste your time and money taking lessons until you can freely move between these chords.

When you go to a teacher, you should feel comfortable with them. They should make the learning process easy and fun. If they don't, go and find another teacher. Don't be afraid to walk away.

You can also order some courses over the net, but nothing compares to a real live person if they are a good teacher. Also one teacher will not be able to teach you everything, shop around a bit.

I hope you have enjoyed this article.

P.S. Guitar playing is a journey. You will feel frustration, and also immense joy. Don't worry if you don't get it at first, by simply doing things over and over, you will improve.

Just picture yourself a year from now. How good a player will you be? You should be able to play in a band easily in that time. Every guitar player started out from the same position. And only those who persevered became great players.

The time will pass, that is for certain. It's what you do with that time that will make massive difference. Always start with the end in mind and don't forget to enjoy the ride.

About the Author:

John Stockwell is the author of the acclaimed Mind Over Music For Guitar ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/mindovermusic.html ) and also Real Guitar For Real Guitarists ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/realguitarcourse.html ). He has been a musician for 21 years. His website is http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com

Guitar Tips: He Play’s A Mean Broom Stick

2006-08-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

‘We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself when you’re doing so’ – B B King.

Its good to be able to play like your idols but you don’t have to be exactly like them. All the great players have their own styles and their own unique sounds.

They got that way be taking risks. By writing their own music. By changing things around. By trying to imitate sounds not associated with the guitar.

Jimi Hendrix used to sit in front of the TV and try and copy the sounds made by cartoon characters. Did you know Jimi first started learning guitar by playing a broom and making the sounds with his mouth?

It’s no wonder he got to be so good. He was using the right techniques from the beginning. He was getting the music into his head first. Before he even held a guitar.

That’s what you need to do. Work out the song in your head first, then work it out on your guitar. It’s not how good a player you are with your hands; it’s how good a player you are with your head. The hands follow the head – not the other way around.

Jimi also used every day sounds and adapted them to guitar. How else are you going to become revolutionary – not by playing other peoples music – that’s for sure!

About the Author:

John Stockwell is the author of the acclaimed Mind Over Music For Guitar ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/mindovermusic.html ) and also Real Guitar For Real Guitarists ( http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com/realguitarcourse.html ). He has been a musician for 21 years. His website is http://www.greatguitargiveaway.com