Posts Tagged ‘play guitar’

What is the Best Way to Learn Guitar?

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Chances are, if you have decided to learn the guitar, you are wondering about what the best way is to learn the guitar. How will I find the best way? Where do I look for this best way?

 

When I was a kid, I wanted to play the guitar.  Look at that guy playing the guitar – that looks pretty easy!  Why can’t I do that?  I wanted to do that in the WORST way!  You won’t believe this, but I got what I asked for!  I DID to learn to play – IN THE WORST WAY!  Oh Yeah, there is a WORST WAY!  I bet you found it too, haven’t you?  I had tried to teach MYSELF!  Wrong Answer!  I had a friend who was able to teach himself.  I thought he was pretty good, too.  If he could do it, that was good enough for me!  So I tried to teach myself, what a mistake!  I had no idea what I was doing, I was holding the guitar all wrong, couldn’t figure out how to get my left hand to bend right to be able to reach the strings for chords, and to be honest – it was just plain PAINFUL!  But my friend was playing, in fact we would go up onto the boardwalk and he would play for people as they walked by, and GET THIS – They would put MONEY in his Guitar Case!  Are You KIDDING ME?  Well that made me even more determined to learn to play the guitar, now!  If he was able to figure it out, I should be able to, Right?  Wrong!

 

So why couldn’t he just teach me? People were giving him money, he must have been able to play.  Great question, short answer, no.  some people just don’t have the patience to teach.  Sadly, he was never able to pass on what he knew.  He tried to show me some chords, but he was underqualified.  Unless you have a well thought out lesson plan, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to learn how to play the guitar.    Clearly, there is a WORST way, so what is the BEST way?  Well, from my experience, the best way is through one-on-one, step-by-step lessons that are easy to follow and understand.  My friend did not have the patience to teach me in that way.  Not many teachers can really give that kind of attention.

 

What can we do, then?  What is the best way to learn guitar then, since the only way to get that kind of attention is private personal instruction.  My best advise is to try to find some really good video lessons on guitar.  That should be able to give you the one-on-one feel at an affordable price.  You can pause it, stop it, start it over, rreplay from the beginning, whatever you need to do.  Need to take a break, come back tomorrow – pick up wherre you left off – That’s the power of video lessons.  Not even a high-priced private teacher can handle that action!    With video, you don’t have to worry that your teacher isn’t up to it, or that you aren’t getting it.  Make sure you fully understand what you have learned before you press play on the next lesson.  Take your time, practice as much as you need.  Then procede at your own pace.

 

In my opinion, Jamorama is the best online video guitar lesson available on the market today.  They are fully recommended.

 

If you don’t already have one, start by picking out a guitar.    Does it matter what type you learn on?  What types are there? What type do you prefer to play? What a great set of questions! Thanks for asking.  Your first and most common choice is Classical Acoustic.  The Acoustic is also very nice.  It does not matter what you learn on – as long as you learn.  They instument you play is a function of the genre for music you want to play.

 

If you love to ROCK – you’ll be looking at an electric, no doubt!  Really, Can I really learn how to play for the first time with an electric guitar?  Of Course you can.  Jamorama will allow you to learn with whichever instrument you feel most comfortable playing.I highly recomend Jamorama to anyone who wants to learn how to play guitar.  On my website, I have done a full review of Jamorama.  CLICK HERE to go check it out.

Beginner Guitar: Tips To Help You

Friday, January 1st, 2010

Jamorama Review

Want to have success in guitar learning? Then you definitely should now some important facts about learning. It’ll assist you on your guitar journey. First of all, you definitely need to purchase a good equipment in order to play with it for a long time. Make your schedule for the practice of playing guitar. Choose the best methods of taking the guitar lessons and try to stick to them. There is a good deal of online courses, like Jamorama.

Find out the most convenient option for you when you choose the guitar. Don’t be tempted by buying a cheap guitar. With its unacceptable quality you may give up your learning fast. They aren’t really comfortable when you start to play. First of all, such guitars don’t remain in tune for a long time. Moreover, it might be quite difficult to press down the strings as they commonly situated too high. Additionally, bad quality guitars sometimes have bad fret buzz. It sounds very terrible!

You definitely should not fall in that thing. Learning to play on a bad guitar will not make you happy. As a result, playing on a bad quiality guitar led people to give up their learning. What they may think is that they can’t understand how to deal with guitar, because they have no talent. After that, they give up. It can be figured out if such people purchase a good quality guitar in the first place. Good quality instruments are avialable for, like, 0.

If you can ask a friend or a guitar coach for help with your first lessons, this is really great. There is no doubt that taking lessons online is a very good option, but it should be better for the very beginner to find someone who can help at the first steps. Those who are at the very beginning stages of learning the guitar really need somebody to show them physically how to deal with the guitar, form chords and notes. If you learn for a couple of months you can start taking lessons online, without the help of people. One of such courses is Jamorama.

You should devote to your practice at least fifteen minutes every day. It’s really essential. You will see how your guitar muscle memory will be improved as well as your hand strength. You should keep in mind that if you practice quite a good amount of time, the better will be your results in learning.

It can be rather challenging, both physically and mentally. Feeling pain in your hands and fingers is what you may face at your first guitar steps, but in a month or so you’ll get over it. All these will pay you back very soon, keep up your learning!

3 Reasons to Buy Guitar Lessons eBook

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

In this clandestine world of the Internet, people have come to realize the wonders of the new technology. It has brought them many advantages and has changed their lives quite remarkably.

One of the best things that the Internet was able to reveal to humanity was the remarkable uses of the ebooks or the electronic form of books. These virtual replicas of books have gained considerable recognition because they are able to provide the convenience, information, and the feasibility that every consumer is looking for.

For instance, once people started to demand information about learning to play the guitar, many experts found the idea appealing, and thus, produced guitar lesson books. This particular type of ebooks were specially made for people who wish to learn how to play the guitar but do not have time to go to the shops or bookstores to search for regular books.

Best of all, instruction for guitar ebooks provide additional features that ordinary guitar lessons cannot supply. These ebooks provide interactive features that serve as added benefits for the beginner.

Many ebooks around guitar lessons contain songs that a beginner can use to study how to play the guitar as easily and as quickly as possible. Professionals contend that learning to play guitar with songs playing in the background is a much easier process than reading guitar song tabs.

For people who wish to know why guitar lesson ebooks are consistently gaining recognition, here is a list of some of their benefits:

1. Convenience

One of the greatest things about this kind of book is that you can instantly download them to your PC once they are paid for. This shows that you can instantly start learning the mechanics of playing the guitar.

2. Affordable

Guitar lesson ebooks are available on the Net at very affordable prices and even if some guitar books are cheaper, the additional money that you will spend when you go to the mall or store for books could cost you more.

3. Variety of features

The best thing about a guitar lesson book is that it does not just contain the lessons that the learner has to know but also has some added features making the learning process easier and more fun.

For instance, there are ebooks that provide lyrics, chords, transitions, strumming patterns, and songs.

Indeed, guitar lesson ebooks are not just only new know-how but they are especially made to meet the growing hassle of the consumers.

Give Guitar Lessons as a Gift

Monday, October 5th, 2009

You are lucky if you have a friend who is a good musician or plays the guitar – and I bet you know others who have a desire to learn. This may be a family member or a friend, and what a great idea it is to give guitar lessons for beginners as a wonderful birthday, Hanukah, or Christmas gift.

A guitar lesson course online or on DVD is a unique gift that will surely surprise the person who receives it, especially if he is someone who really wants to become a guitarist. Beginner guitar players often struggle at first as they try to learn the guitar. He or she is sure to face difficulties in tuning the guitar and mastering chords, so why not lighten up the burden by helping him or her learn through an exciting gift that will teach them all the basics and some songs to play?

From the moment this unusual present is opened, the recipient can learn and grow as a guitarist and they will cherish this gift for years. What is learned with guitar lessons goes beyond playing chords and songs – the self confidence the new guitarist will have is a wonderful benefit.

Teenagers are most interested in learning to play an instrument as they watch their musical idols and want to emulate them. This could lead to mimicking the actions of their idols, and chances are he might be motivated to learn to play the guitar. If that’s the case, one might hatch a plan of buying a gift certificate for a music lesson and give it to him as a graduation gift. Your parents may be harboring secret longings to play the guitar – but they may have gotten to busy to act on it! One person I know couldn’t think of a good gift for her dad, so she decided to buy him guitar lessons on DVDs – he was thrilled!

Guitar lessons can be found for beginners, intermediate level, and even advanced, or for learning lead guitar or bass guitar. There is a myriad of things to learn, such as honing existing guitar skills or exploring other musical genres with the instrument. Professional guitar teachers or group lessons are one option (which you can find in music stores or through classified ads). Online lessons are far more affordable than finding a private guitar teacher. The DVDs and CDs are easy to use, while the downloadable videos can be accessed instantaneously. It wouldn’t be too hard in finding one, just keep an open eye for the right one that you think will jive with the future student.

Along with the guitar lesson, it would be even more exciting if a beginner guitar comes along with the package. Imagine the look on the gift recipient’s face as they see your thoughtful gifts. So throw away all your doubts and give it a try.

As you think about your close friends and family, you may come to realize who could benefit most from this unusual gift idea. Pay attention and listen for clues to see if someone you know is interested in guitar music. If you think and feel that a particular person is musically inclined, a guitar lesson is one thing that might just help this person achieve their dreams of becoming a musician.

Gift-giving seasons are present all year long with holidays, birthdays and even just as a way to say “thanks”. Giving the gift of music with a present of beginner guitar lessons is truly a unique gift that just might change the life of the person who will be receiving it.

Looking to Learn How to Play Guitar?

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

In reality, there is no way to instantly learn guitar. There are definitely methods that you can use that will cut down the learning curve. You can’t expect to be able to pick up a guitar and be a master it within one day.

If you want to learn to play the guitar, be ready to devote a fair amount of time to it. People who are proficient on this instrument devote hours and hours of their time to it, and one important key is that they are patient.

In fact, most of the famous guitarists had been playing guitar for years before they made it big. Even when you get very good at playing guitar, there will always be something new to learn.

You should know the parts of the guitar and their functions. Then, you can start playing the easy chords. Don’t try to be too overzealous and try to learn the power chords or the sharp and minor chords.

Remember that you should practice one chord at a time. Before you move on to another chord, make sure that you master the previous one. Remember to be attentive to good hand posture and that you are getting a good sound out of the instrument.

Playing a certain chord over and over again is the best thing that you can do. After that, you can start playing easy songs with your guitar. Find songs that have the chords that you have already learned and mastered.

By learning and mastering each chord, you’ll find that it is important to build confidence in yourself. The more songs you master, no matter how easy they are, the more confident you can be. Remember that you are working towards continually getting better than you were the day before, rather towards some definite goal.

The key to learning the guitar lies with having realistic expectations and in building off of knowledge that you already know. There are a lot of tutorials out there that can really help you out.

When you want to make sure that you have a smooth road when you are going to learn to play the guitar, you’ll find that it is important to get high-quality instruction. There are guitar lessons that you can find on DVD or you can find a personal teacher, in real life or online.

If you are interested in learning to play the guitar quickly and without fuss, consider getting into an online guitar course. This can teach you a lot and you don’t even need to leave your house to do it. Online guitar lessons are fairly inexpensive and you’ll find that there are lessons that can suit you whether you are a novice or an expert.

Using Guitar Effects to Create A Unique Sound

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

What makes Jimi Hendrix’s sound easily recognizable from Carlos Santana? How can you easily tell metal from funk, even if let’s say the metal player and the funk player are playing the same song (very unlikely, but bear with me here)? The answer: guitarists use effects to color their sound and give it a kind of modification suited to the type of music involved.

 

Normally these effects can be housed separately in small effects pedals, or in multi-effects hardware, or built into amplifiers, or simulated in computer software. They can be used singly, or you can use various combinations of effects to get a particular sound. Let’s try to identify the types of guitar effects available so you know which one is perfect for achieving the sound you want.

 

Distortion effects are popular in genres like rock, metal, etc. This is what produces the heavy, rough, raw sound you hear in these genres. Distortion effects can be divided into categories like overdrive/distortion (this is the well-known rough sound), fuzz (which is used to copy the sound of a vibrating torn speaker – thus being “fuzzy”), and high-gain (the thick, loud, “chugging” sound used in heavy metal). Almost all rock bands have these as a given, and is a good, basic investment.

 

Filtering effects are effects which shape the sound by enhancing or minimizing certain frequencies. Here you can find equalizers (similar to how normal equalizers work), and wahs (a foot-operated pedal that lets through increasingly higher or lower frequencies by rocking the pedal). The wah pedal is named because it sounds like a person saying a long “wah” when rocked (the low frequencies are the “w-“ and the high frequencies are the “-ah” part). You can hear this mostly in funky grooves.

 

Volume effects are just that, they modify the volume in different ways. Examples of these are volume pedals (these are just volume knobs in the shape of a pedal which you can rock back and forth), tremolos (which is used to copy the sound of a volume knob being turned up and down quickly, making the tone “fluctuate”), and compressors (used to preserve a certain volume level as the signal gets louder).

 

Time-based effects take a sound signal and copy it, making a kind of echoing sound. Delay pedals can change the delay time between the original sound and the copied sound, up to very long delay times, making a rolling echo-like sound (a notable user of delay effects is U2’s The Edge). Reverb pedals, however, copy the sound produced in a large space, where little echoes pile up and decay quickly. Aside from distortion effects, these are also well known, and may be an essential part of your rig.

 

Modulation effects are effects which actually change how the sound sounds. Examples of these are phase shifters (which makes a sort of whooshing sound by copying the original signal and then putting it out of phase regularly), flangers (which create a kind of speeding-up or slowing-down sound), chorus pedals (copying the sound of several guitarists playing at the same time), and rotary speakers (copying the sound of a signal going through spinning speakers, making a kind of wavy pitch-changing effect). These types of effects are used to create those experimental, space-age-sounds.

 

Pitch shifters change the pitch of a signal, then combines it with the original sound so that it sounds like two guitars blending together in harmony. It can even be used as a bass guitar if you set it one octave lower than normal, or produce a video-gamey sound if set one octave higher.

 

You can experiment with combinations of pedals and connect them in chains to figure out what type of sound you want to create. After some time you can hear which effects were used in your favorite songs, and hopefully this article can assist you on the road to creating your own sound, and adding new layers to your musical adventure.