Knowing how to choose the right guitar and how to identify a bad one, will save you from countless headaches, not to mention finger aches.

Acoustic guitar bodies come in basically the same hourglass shape, with some variations, but they do vary in size, color, wood-type, style, and extra features. You can even buy an acoustic guitar so small that fits into a hiking backpack.

The most common type of guitar in use today is the folk-style of guitar. This is the guitar you will see played around most campfires and parties, and is the one found in most music groups, church choirs, and in the corner of most homes.

Guitars come in a very wide range of prices, but when it comes to instruments, in general, you get what you pay for, especially when you buy new. There’s a difference between getting a bargain and buying cheap.

But whether you buy new or used may be determined by many personal factors, and each has their own pros and cons.

Buying new, gives you a warranty and, hopefully, a return period, if for some reason you’re not totally satisfied with your purchase, or something goes wrong.

Under ‘normal’ circumstances, a used guitar can usually be purchased cheaper and has already gone through its “break-in” period.

Commercially built guitars are usually mass manufactured. “Custom-made” guitars are exactly that. They are custom built and tailored to your specifications by a highly skilled guitar maker.

Prices for a custom-built guitar vary considerably, depending on the skill level of the craftsperson you contract the job to, but, as a rule, they are generally quite higher than a commercially built guitar of “similar” quality. Each custom built guitar is unique and therefore hard to compare in price to a commercially built guitar.

FOR THE “TECHIES”

Understanding some of the parts of a guitar will definitely help you when it comes to the Pre-Purchase Checklist.

BODY: This is the part with the sound hole in the front. It is where the strumming is done, and it can vary in size. The actual size, shape, type of wood, coating, and general build of the body also affects how the guitar will “sound”, whether it’s a rich and warm sound, or a thin and ‘twangy’ sound. The body tends to be the part that also gets scratched, damaged, and generally banged-up the most.

NECK: This is the long piece extending from the body and ends at the ‘head’ of the guitar where the ‘Tuning Heads’ are, also known as ‘machine heads’. The strings travel from the ‘Bridge’ on the body, across the sound hole, along the ‘Fret Board’, which is attached to the front-side of the neck, and finally arriving at the tuning heads where they are wrapped around tuning posts. The tuning heads are then turned by hand, which then turns the posts, making the strings tighter or looser, thus affecting their ‘tuning’. Necks tend to warp and twist if not looked after, or if the guitar is left propped against a heat source.

BRIDGE: The Bridge is normally located on the front of the body, by the sound hole, and on the side of the hole opposite to the neck. The strings are usually fed through the bridge first before they cross the hole and travel up the neck to the tuning heads. The bridge is like an anchor-point for the strings. Metal bridges are best, but on most acoustics they are either hard plastic or wood. Bridges have a tendency to crack and split over a long period of time.

FRET BOARD: The fret board is glued to the front of the neck. This is the part you press the strings onto to make chords or play individual notes. Because it’s glued on separately, a fret board can be made of a wood that’s different from the neck.

The strings travel over the fret board and the distance they are above the fret board makes a difference to the playability of the guitar. If the strings are too far above the fret board, then they will be hard to press down, making the guitar hard to play.

When a beginner plays a guitar, initially his or her fingertips are very soft and need to be hardened. A guitar with the strings too far above the fret board, also known as having a ‘high action’, will cause the player’s fingers to hurt so much that they are likely to put the guitar away in discouragement and possibly stop playing altogether.

STRINGS: Acoustic guitar strings, come in a wide variety of ‘flavors’. They can be made out of nylon, brass, steel, or a combination. Nylon strings are usually only found on Classical guitars and Student guitars, because they’re easier on the fingertips. They have a rich, warm sound to them.

Strings sets come in different ‘weights’, or sizes. Strings that come from a package marked ‘Heavy’ are usually quite thick in size and sound “beefy”. Strings that are light, or extra light, are very thin and usually have a brighter sound to them, but are also quieter sounding than heavy strings.

String choices are purely personal taste. Light strings are easier to press than heavy strings but also sound quite different. The more often strings are played, the dirtier they get. If a cloth isn’t run over and under them, from time to time, the sound becomes very dull

THE PRE-PURCHASE CHECKLIST

- Before you buy a used guitar, cost-compare against the price of a new one, unless the guitar is quite old. You could also compare its used price to other used prices by going to an online auction and either searching for the same or a similar guitar.

- Check the overall condition of the wood for cracks, scratches, splits, dents, chips, etc.

- Also check the lacquer finish for cracks and splits.

- Check the neck/fret board for warping and twisting. You can do this by holding the guitar flat on its
back, with the sound hole facing upward. Bring the guitar up to eye-level, with the neck running away from you and the edge of the body almost touching your face. Let your eyesight skim across the front of the body and down the fret board. You should be able to see if the neck is twisted or bowing.

- Tune the guitar, or have the seller tune it for you.

- If you know how to play about five or six chords then play them. If you don’t know how to play, ask the seller to play them for you. This check ensures that the neck of the guitar is not warped, even though you couldn’t physically see it. If the neck is warped, and the guitar is properly tuned, then some of the chords will sound good, but others will sound as though the guitar is not tuned. If this happens, check the tuning again. If it persists, then don’t buy the guitar.

- Check the bridge of the guitar. If it’s made out of wood or plastic, make sure it’s not cracked or splitting. The bridge needs to be rock-solid, as a lot of pressure is exerted on the bridge by the strings.

- Check the tuning heads. Do they turn easily, or are they very stiff and hard to turn. Even with the high tension of the strings, a quality guitar will have tuning heads that are fairly easy to turn.

- Check the ‘action’ of the guitar. Are the strings a fair distance from the fret board? Are they easy or hard to press down at various points on the fret board?

- If you are buying the guitar for yourself, and you know how to play, even if you’re a beginner, then play the guitar.

- How does it feel?

- Is it easy or hard to play?

- Can you fit your hand around the neck/fret board comfortably to play chords?

- Is the guitar a comfortable size and shape for your body? Is it easy to hold?

- If you plan to play standing up, ask for a guitar strap.

- Do you like the sound, the color, etc?

- If you don’t play, have someone else play it for you so that you can judge what it sounds like.

WHERE TO BUY

Buying a guitar from a physical retail music store allows you to ‘test drive’ the guitar and ask more questions up front. Buying online or from a catalog may bring you more cash savings.

No matter where you buy your guitar, if you know what to look for, and spend a little extra effort in your search for that ‘perfect’ guitar, not only will your fingers thank you, but also your ears, and all those who will come to join you around the campfire, or even go to see you in concert. Who knows?

Happy playing.

Tags:
Guitar,
Instruments,
Music General,
Musical Performance

Source: Instruments

It is always advised to visit a professional guitar repairman when you have any kind of repairs to undertake on your guitar. A majority of guitar repairs are simply beyond the capability of an amateur, and if you attempt to repair your guitar yourself, you may well end up causing more damage. Of course, the best thing to do is to ensure that your guitar is well cared for so that you don’t need to have it repaired in any way. One way in which you can take care of your guitar is by not leaving it in a hot car. This is because the high temperature will break down the adhesive that is used on guitars, and a closed car on a hot day will exceed this temperature.

If it is necessary to travel with your guitar then it should always be packed into a hard case with sufficient padding around the neck. If you are flying with your guitar, then ensure that you use an additional, well-padded box.

There are of course, some simple adjustments that an amateur can make to their guitar. One of these adjustments is the intonation of your electric guitar. It is important to do this if you have altered the thickness of your guitar strings, or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. It is advised to undertake these adjustments every six months, regardless of whether you have made any changes or not.

The adjustment of the intonation is a relatively simple process. This can be done by moving the bridge saddle, which is the piece of metal on the bridge on which the strings rest, either forwards or backwards. Making an adjustment to the screw that holds it in place does this. There are some guitars that have an Allen key for this process, whilst others require a small screwdriver. It is only necessary to move it a tiny bit, so it is important that you are careful when turning the screw.

When you make the adjustment yourself, you must ensure that each string sounds the same on the 12th fret, as it does when it is played in the open position. If your ear cannot be trusted to clarify this, then you should use an electric tuner. Each time an adjustment is made, you will need to ensure that the string is tuned back to E before checking the intonation.

It is possible that the truss rod on an electric guitar needs to be adjusted at times. However, unless you are absolutely certain that you can do this correctly, it is advised to take the guitar to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel that runs along the guitars neck. A concave or convex bow in the neck will be relieved when adjusting it. If this process is not undertaken correctly, you may find that your guitar is permanently damaged.

Tags:
Guitar,
Instruments,
Music General

Source: Guitar

Classical guitar playing is what is participated in when using a classical guitar. This kind of guitar has no electronics and no pick-ups. In general it has six strings although there are some classical guitars which have twelve strings. The thinner strings known as the trebles are made from nylon and the bass strings are nylon with brass wire wrapped around them.

As far as construction is concerned the classical guitar is hollow and shaped like a pear. Its is made from wood, usually two or three different types, the cheap and nasty varieties being built with a plywood top, whilst those worth buying are made from woods such as rosewood.

The resonance produced by the classical guitar does not rely on an amplifier or any other sound effects. It comes direct from the hollow part of the instrument through the sound hole as the strings resound over it.

Most players of classical guitars remain seated whilst playing. The other main difference which sets this type of guitar apart from others is the kind of playing involved. Classical guitar playing can be characterized by the style of music played which is usually considered to be of value due to the length of time it has been around, compared to the many pop tunes which come and go in the blink of an eye.

The strings are usually plucked using the thumb and fingers of the right hand when learning to play this kind of instrument. This means you will have no use for a pick. Strumming of the classical guitar is only used as a special effect.

When learning to play a classical guitar you will probably practice sight reading sheet music along with discovering technical concepts and how they should be applied. Rather than trying to learn on your own, it’s best to have a classical guitar teacher and although it may take you quite some time to become skillful, you are sure to enjoy the learning process. It is important that you choose a teacher whose style suits your personality as many of them teach in different ways, some formal and some informal. Whatever style you choose to learn to play the classical guitar, you are certain to find this a worthwhile pastime until you have developed your talents to the full.

Classical guitar playing – what exactly is it?

Well one thing is for sure. It’s not about jumping around on a stage screaming out to your audience whilst thrashing away at your guitar. That’s electric guitar playing and brilliantly talented as it is, it’s a whole different story.

Tags:
Guitar,
Instruments,
Music General,
Music Theory

Source: Music General

The standard notes on a six stringed guitar are easy to remember if you think of a piano keyboard. Find middle C and go to the second E note below it. This is the low E on a guitar’s sixth string. The next A-note (going up) on the piano keyboard is the A-note that the guitar is tuned to in standard tuning. Continue to the right hand side and the next D note on the piano is the guitar’s D-note and so on up G, B to high E. That is, the E-note just above middle C on the piano is the high E on a guitar.

If you are not familiar with a keyboard or piano, then they can be described like this: - e is the first string (skinniest string-highest pitch), B is the 2nd string, G is the third string, D is the fourth string, A is the fifth string, and E is the sixth string, (thickest and lowest in pitch).

These standard notes are written as music on a set of five lines called a staff, with a treble clef at the beginning. Each line and space represents one note of the musical alphabet; A through to G. Starting from the bottom line and going up on the lines only, the notes are E, G, B, D, F. Most people remember them by saying, “Every Good Boy Does Fine.”

Also starting from the bottom the spaces are similarly identified as F, A, C, E, which is easily remembered because it spells face. It is the same for the piano, only that also has another staff for the left hand printed underneath the right hand one.

Each of the standard music notes will not be represented by a letter, of course, but by notes of various shapes that depict how long the note is to be held for. A single hollow oval with no stem is called a whole note, while a hollow note with a stem is a half note. If the oval part is solid and it has a stem it is a quarter note.

Each note with a stem can also have a flag on the stem to depict whether they are eighth notes, sixteenth notes and so on. Each note has a rest that belongs to it, depicted by a specific shape so that we know when to play a note and when there should be a pause in the music.

If we need to write or play more than the eleven notes available on those eleven lines and spaces we can add extra, shorter lines either above or below the staff. They are called ledger lines and the letters of the notes are simply repeated, either an octave or two higher or lower.

Tags:
Guitar,
Instruments,
Lessons,
Music Theory,
Practice

Source: Practice

Imagine a famous music band playing when suddenly the lead guitarist’s instrument shut off. See? Everything becomes a blur. That is because the lead guitar provides the main sound in a melody; it leads all the sound in music. The drummer, bass, and others are just accompaniment to the lead guitarist.

There are also basics used in playing the lead guitar. First, make sure that the pick brings out the highest tone. The tones differ with the kind of stroke done. Down strokes give out a fiddle tone that is considered the best since it is derived from simple strokes of the muscles. Notice that slow songs sound better because they use down strokes with over tones.

Timing is important as it gives life to the music played. An easy way the player to know whether or not his timing is bad is to record the piece and listen to it and identify where there is bad timing. It could be that the timing is not bad for the entire song; but it might occur in just one break - that is when there is a small interweave of beats right after a wrong push. Practice again to avoid the same mistake.

One belief is that lead guitar players are fast; and the faster the player is the better the audience thinks they are. But the truth is, if they can’t play smoothly it is useless and probably would end up sounding like tin can. The speed can also be dependent on the pick used. A white, thick, big nylon pick gives a nice lead sound, but this is hard to use if the player opts for speed.

The melody of the music must always be visualized prior to playing it. The lead guitarist should make the lead sound match the song and fit its rhythm. True artists call this as the “T” in lead guitar playing. The break should be taken into consideration as a whole and not with every single note played.

Try playing a gig with better musicians: this way your talent is enhanced since there is the pressure of keeping up with the better musicians. These musicians can teach you many techniques without even doing a “one on one” session; just by merely watching how they smoothly they play the music is enough for you to grasp the “T”.

Avoid playing licks. Concentrate and play smoothly and remember that the simpler the tone, the better. Choose an idol - it could be a fiddle, banjo, mandolin, saxophone, or piano player that you can listen to in order to pick up points and ideas of how to improvise. Listen to the real sound of the instrument and feel the beauty of the sound.

Tags:
Guitar,
Instruments,
Lessons,
Music General,
Musical Performance

Source: Lessons

California-based guitarist Kenny Carr served as a sideman with the legendary Ray Charles for over ten years. He is one of many players that are not yet household names. Musicians such as Carr perform huge roles with major acts and largely go unnoticed except by fellow players. Changing Tide is Carr

Autobiographies can be written in several different ways. Some are sterile and simply factual in their presentation, while others tend to be self-serving and overblown merely for sensationalism. In Improvising – My Life in Music, Larry Coryell tells the story of his life in music in a calm and measured fashion. The reader immediately forms a bond with the honest and open narrator, making this a truly wonderful adventure to be shared with the author from start to finish…

read the full article

I grew up in an era when groups were playing a wide variety of jazz. Some were concentrating on straight-ahead swing, some on be-bop, and others experimented with “free jazz.” During that time, the Modern Jazz Quartet was playing a style known as “Parlor Jazz.” They were one of the first small groups with complex arrangements. Each was a terrific solo player and the resulting music was outstanding. Trio Del Sol immediately brought the memory of MJQ back to me…

read the full article

Greg Chako is a very fine guitar player. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended Berklee College of Music for three years. Most of his life has been spent in the Far East with gigs in China and Singapore. Everybody’s Got A Name is his ninth album as the leader and a true showcase of his skills.

Jazz guitarists are regarded as the most difficult to please when it comes to the tone of their instrument. Once the search for the perfect guitar is accomplished the quest for the perfect amplifier and cabinet immediately begins. These peripherals must deliver the exact sound produced by the instrument that has been so carefully chosen. There is no room for error in this selection. The amplifier must be able to provide additional volume to the guitar while maintaining its character in every way. For this review, I plugged my Custom Heritage archtop guitars into a Fender Ultralight Jazzmaster head and tested a Redstone Audio 8