How To Change Your Guitar Strings

How often you need to go out and buy new strings depends on several things including how much you play you guitar, the climate and where you store it. When your strings start sounding dull, lifeless or begin to look rusted and worn it’s usually a good sign that they need replacing.

A good rule of thumb is change your guitar strings once every couple of months. You can change them less often if you wipe them down after each use and store your guitar in a cool dry place.

If you replace your string often your guitar will always sound bright and cheerful. Better guitarists tend to change their string regularly while less than average guitarists don’t change them much in order to save a small amount of money. You need to decide what works best for you.

December 1, 2009 at 9:16 am | Guitar and Equipment | 1 comment

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Beginner Guitar Chords Using Only Three Strings

Learning guitar chords can be intimidating for a beginner. That’s why in today’s post I want to show you three different 3 string guitar chords. Two of these chords are what we could call half of the full major 6 string chord and are an easy way to get started with strumming multiple strings and switching between chords.

Take your time when learning the D7 chord, the shape can be difficult to make at first on the fret board, but with time it will become easier. A quick mention of the tablature I’ve used to explain the chords below. X’s stand for strings that are not to be strummed, numbers represent the fret number to play on a particular string and 0's stand for strings to be played open without any frets being pressed.

E — 0 —
B — 1 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this beginner chord place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, remember to use your finger tip, and strum the bottom three strings.

E — 3 —
B — 0 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this chord, like the C chord, you only need to use one finger. Press the third fret of the E string down with your 3rd finger and strum the bottom 3 strings.

E — 1 —
B — 2 —
G — 1 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

This chord requires you to use three fingers at once, so give it some time to feel right and don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t sound exactly right the first time. Place your second finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your third finger on the 2nd fret of the B string and your first finger on the 1st fret of the G string.

This is the intro to playing chords. Starting playing the chords one at a time before you try switching between them. Switching chord while continuing to strum takes some practice and you’ll get there but don’t try to rush yourself to quickly.

Below is a video that goes over these three chords again and also explains the best method to practice them.

Would you like to start learning more guitar chords? Ever consider learning at home? Why not try guitar lessons on dvd. Learn & Master guitar is a complete 10 or 20 dvd self study program to learn guitar at home, with integrated online support. Learn more in this Learn and Master guitar review now.

January 21, 2010 at 7:30 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 12 comments

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Learning to Tune Your Guitar By Ear

Most beginner guitar players tune their guitar using an electric tuner. It is of course the most logical way seeing that there are these small tuning devices for just the job.

What if you don’t have a tuner handy? You could be at a store playing a guitar for sale, a friends place who doesn’t own a tuner or around a camp fire trying to play sing-a-long songs.

Knowing how to tune your guitar by ear is an important beginner skill and that’s what we’re going to cover today. At the end of this lesson there’s a short video that covers everything we talk about here and provides a walk-through example. Take a few minutes to watch that video after you’re done reading.

Tuning your guitar by ear isn’t difficult. There are only three things you must keep in mind.

1.)The note of any given string is the same as the 5th fret played on the string above it
2.)There is one exception, the B string is the same as the 4th fret on the G string above it
3.)To tune the low E, or 6th string either match it to the tone of the open high E string or play the 5th fret of the B string (note the low E should be one octave lower then the E played on the 5th fret of the B string.

Example: The D string seems a bit out of tune on your guitar, to test you can play the 5th Fret of the A string above it and then strike the open D string. If the D seems like it’s lower or higher then the 5th fret of the A string adjust it with the tuning peg.

It can happen that the string you’re tuning to (in above example you would be tuning to the A string on the 5th Fret) is out of tune. If you sense this might be the case take a moment to first check the tuning of the string in question (in example above the A string). You can do this by verifying the tuning with the string above it.

It’s a good idea to practice this technique each day you sit down to play. Before you start practicing take a few minutes to check all your strings to ensure they’re in tune. This will get faster as you practice and eventually become second nature.

Take a few minutes now to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts as in this article then walks you through a sample tuning of all the strings on your guitar.

Interested in becoming a better guitar player? Ever consider taking some guitar lessons for beginners? You can, and you don’t have to leave home to do it either. Thanks to online video lessons and DVD’s you can study guitar at home and improve your playing fast.

January 9, 2010 at 9:58 pm | Learn Guitar Tuning | 7 comments

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How To Hold A Guitar Pick

Playing with a pick is the easiest way to get a reasonable sound out of your guitar, especially if you use steel strings.

Although strumming is possible using just your fingers there is no point in making life difficult for yourself. Some of the more advanced lessons on this site will deal with finger style guitar in detail.

The pick should be held lightly between the thumb and the first finger (index) as shown in the pictures below.The easiest way to find the correct way to hold a pick is to imagine it as an extension of your index finger’s nail.

Holding the pick lightly allows it greater flexibility to move up and down and to the left and right as your play. This slight movement gives you better striking action as you strum.

How To Hold A Guitar Pick

There are several common mistakes beginners make when holding the guitar pick. Nearly all of the mistakes result in the a loss of control when strumming and the pick falling out of your hand, either onto the ground or into the guitar sound hole.

The first mistake is clenching your fist. Holding your pick with a clenched fist restricts the movement of your wrist and the finer movements from your finger tips as your play. Nearly all of your right hand movement will have to come from the movement of your elbow. As you can imagine the difference between moving your elbow to pick each and simply moving your fingers is very noticeable. The more elbow movement required the less precise and accurate your picking will be.

Holding A Guitar Pick With A Clenched Fist

This is a very common mistake among new guitarists. Instead of supporting the pick on the side of your index finger you hold it with the finger tip. Doing this will result in poor control when you are strumming.

Sometimes you will see guitarists (even very good ones) holding the pick using two or even three fingers. Although there is nothing wrong with doing this I advise against it.

The reason is twofold.

First of all there is no advantage to using two fingers. Secondly when you start playing harmonics and tapping later on it is very useful to have that extra finger available.

September 8, 2009 at 11:05 am | Learn Acoustic Guitar | 4 comments

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The Pattern for Learning Guitar Notes On the Neck

Learning to play different notes up the neck and on each string is an important part of a beginners foundation. After all chords and scales are all made up of a mixture of notes, if you don’t know where different notes are located on the neck you’ll sort of plateau with your learning sooner then later.

In this article I’ll show you the simple pattern you can use for learning the guitar notes on each string. We’ll first look at half and whole steps between notes and how they transfer to the guitar neck, next we’ll review the space in steps and frets between each note and finally an example to tie it all together.

After reading this post please watch the video at the end. It covers everything the post talks about plus a more detailed example. You should be able to find each variation of major notes A through G on the neck once you’re done this post and video.

Steps

The first concept to understand is what a step is. Steps, both whole and half steps, come from the concept of the piano keys and the space between each note. Between most notes there is one full step except for between the B and C notes and E and F notes. There is only one half step between these two sets of notes.

Frets as Steps

So that’s great, a half or whole step between notes, how do we play this on the guitar? Well good news, each fret on your guitar neck denotes on half step. So now you can use the space between each note on the guitar neck in terms of frets.

Here’s an overview of the spacing in terms of frets between each major note:

A to B = 2 Frets
B to C = 1 Fret
C to D = 2 Frets
D to E = 2 Frets
E to F = 1 Fret
F to G = 2 Frets
G to A = 2 Frets

Using the above information we now look at a simple example on your guitar neck.

Let’s start with the low E string. Playing that string open is an E note and what comes after an E? An F right? The spacing is only 1 fret between an E and an F so if we play the 1st fret on that E string we’ll be playing an F.

NEXT

After F comes G, from our list above there is 2 frets between an F and a G note so sliding up two frets to the 3rd fret is a G. Finally if we go from our G to the A note, another full step, we’re at the 5th fret.

This pattern will continue all the way up that low E string until you run out of frets, but I’m sure you get the picture with that simple example.

Next take some time to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts but also shows you what we’re talking about and gives a more in depth example. After you watch this video I suggest grabbing your guitar to give it a shot on your own.

Interested in learning more beginner guitar content? Ever consider trying a learn to play guitar dvd? You can gain access to lots of great content that you can watch and learn from in the comfort of your own home and on your own time.

December 17, 2009 at 3:15 am | Learn Guitar Scales | 4 comments

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A Quick Method of Learning All Major Guitar Chords on the Neck – Intro to the CAGED System

Understanding where to play the different major chords (A, B, C, D, E, F and G) at different places on the neck can be a challenge. Thankfully there is a somewhat simple system that exists on the guitar neck that can help you find 5 different locations for each major chord.

The CAGED system is based on the chord shapes for C, A, G, E and D. The system works so that you can find barre chords on the neck using the five different shapes for the above mentioned chords to make up all of the major chords on the guitar.

EXAMPLE: a barre chord with an E shape at the 3rd fret is a G chord.

By first understanding how the CAGED system works and then finding the different variations of other major chords all over the guitar neck you can easily learn where to play any major chord in a variety of locations.

The video below is an explanation of the CAGED system as well as an example using the E major chord of how it works and the different variations using an A, C, D and G shape to form an E chord on the neck.  Watch the video and take note how you can make an E chord using these different shapes on the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th frets. This process can be repeated for any major chord.

I’d suggest after watching the video you grab your guitar and spend a little time finding the different variations of other major chords on the neck. There is value in memorizing all of these variations for each chord, especially if you jam with others a lot.

For starters just focus on learning and using the CAGED system. It makes learning different variations of major chords a lot easier.

If you’re interested in learning more great techniques like the CAGED system but don’t necessarily have the time for private lessons why not try a guitar lessons dvd? Get a great education in guitar by watching videos at home, learn at your own pace.

December 8, 2009 at 7:41 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 1 comment

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Beginner Guitar Chords – E and G Major Lesson

Once you begin to learn to play chords you finally start to feel like a guitar player. Of course it does take some time to flawlessly be able to play several chords and switch between them, but all beginners can get there with some practice.

Today I’m going to start you on that journey by teaching you how to properly play the E and G major chords. At the end of this article there is a lesson video that goes through the Tab and finger positions for the chords so I suggest you watch that as well as read this.

Remember to use the tips of your fingers when you’re pressing on the strings. This ensure that you only press on the string you intend to. Using the fleshing part of your finger will most likely cause you to blunt the string above or below.

E – 0 –
B – 0 –
G – 1 –
D – 2 –
A – 2 –
E – 0 –

To play an E chord you use your first three fingers and position them: second finger on 2nd fret of A string, third finger on 2nd fret of D string and first finger on 1st fret of D string. Play all six strings when you strum the E chord.

E – 3 –
B – 0 –
G – 0 –
D – 0 –
A – 2 –
E – 3 –

To play a G major chord you also use the first three fingers and position them: second finger on 3rd fret of the low E string, first finger on 2nd fret of the A string and third finger on 3rd fret of the high E string. Strum all six strings when playing the G chord.

Practice making the shapes first before you worry about being able to strum the chord. It will take some time for muscle memory to build up in your hand and for the chord shape to feel second nature.

Take a few minutes to watch the video below that better explains the chord shapes, tab and a practice exercise to use.

Did you enjoy this beginner lesson on chords? There are 5 other major chords to learn and variety of minor, suspended and diminished chords. Why not consider teaching yourself using a beginner guitar dvd? Videos in both DVD and online are becoming the private lessons of the 21st century, so why not give it a try.

February 3, 2010 at 10:35 am | Learn Guitar Chords | No comment

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Easy 12 Bar Blues Progression Tutorial

Learning to play the 12 bar blues is fun. Some beginners may feel that learning blues guitar is some what daunting but that isn’t the case. There are only 3 main components to learning the 12 bar blues: what chords, what order and how to play the chords. In this article I’m going to walk your through all three. At the end of this article there’s a video lesson that supports the material you’ll read here, I suggest you watch the video as well.

So how do you determine what chords you should be playing for a 12 bar blues progression. Well it depends what key you want to play in. You start with the scale of the key you want to play in. Let’s say you want to play in the Key of A. So you’d look at the A major scale and from that you’d pick out the first, fourth and fifth notes from that scale. These correspond to the chords you’re going to play for the 12 bar blues in the key of A.

Let’s continue with the idea of the key of A. You’ve got the first, fourth and fifth notes from the scale. We’re going to now plug those into the 12 bar blues pattern which looks like this:

1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 4 – 4 – 1 – 1 – 5 – 4 – 1 – 5

The numbers of course correspond to the notes you would have determined already. Each number stands for one measure in the progression. So if we assume we’re playing 4 beats per measure then each number would be 4 beats of that particular note, or chord.

So let’s look at a short example using what we’ve learned so far. We’ll stick with the Key of A. First we need to review the A major scale:

A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A

Next we pick out the first, fourth and fifth notes from that scale. For the key of A it would be A, D and E.

Finally we place these notes into the 12 bar blues progression above which gives us this:

A – A – A – A – D – D – A – A – E – D – A – E

That’s all there is to the theory behind the 12 bar blues. Of course you need to learn what type of chords to play and what feel to give your strumming. This is best left to the video I’ve recorded that’s below. Take a few minutes to watch that video now and you should be able to go grab your guitar and play a basic 12 bar blues in the Key of A.

Are you interested in learning to become a better guitar player? Why not consider a guitar instructional dvd to sharpen your skills? DVD and video guitar lessons are the qucikest methods to improve your skills when studying on your own.

February 26, 2010 at 8:03 pm | Learn Guitar Chords | 10 comments

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Learn Acoustic Guitar -Tips to Help You Learn Quickly

In order to learn the acoustic guitar, it takes much practice and effort. Although many websites will promise fast results, the truth is, other than really loving music and taking the time to learn proper chords, finger movement and actual music theory, there really is no way to learn acoustic guitar methods that work. If you want to learn the acoustic guitar, there are many things you need to take into consideration such as the types of lessons you will want to take as well as the amount of money you are willing to spend.

Unfortunately, most websites that offer lessons for free will not help you learn the acoustic guitar as well as taking lessons from an actual person. However, if you choose to learn the acoustic guitar online, you may want to do research on the site and make sure the lessons they are teaching will help you learn. It is important to remember that everyone is different and if you are learning online, you will want to make sure that the lessons are paying attention to your individual ability and helping you move forward.

In order to learn the acoustic guitar, you really must have a love of music and a strong desire to learn. Most likely, playing complicated chords will not come easily or right away, but if you want to continue with your playing, you must not give up upon reaching a complicated song. Learning the acoustic guitar, just as learning any new skill can get intricate as you progress. Especially with the acoustic guitar, as you learn more songs, the amount of notes will increase and the chord changes will be more complex.

However you learn the acoustic guitar, you must make sure that the lessons cater to your skills and help you improve as a guitarist. You should remember that everyone is different and will play differently. The finger movements and even how the guitar is held will vary between every guitarist, but for the most part, technique remains the same and this is the most crucial part in leaning to play the acoustic guitar well.

Whether you decide to learn the acoustic guitar online or with one on one lessons, you must understand that it will take time. One on one lessons are generally preferred because you learn more and the teacher has the opportunity to evaluate you as a student and work based on your distinctive skill. However, if you do not have the money to afford private lessons, you can still learn online, but make sure the website is legitimate.

If you want to learn the acoustic guitar, it is a great way to express yourself and your love of music. You should make sure your lessons are paying off and in the end; you will be able to play like a pro. Learning the acoustic guitar can be very beneficial because it can increase your creativity and even help you relax.

Want to learn to play guitar? Visit Learn To Play Guitar Tips and advice on how to learn guitar. http://www.acousticguitarinformation.com

Learn Guitar Video - Tips For Using Learn Guitar Video Lessons

The guitar is a very popular instrument, with lots of people wishing to learn how to play it. Many just want to learn for their own personal enjoyment, but there are others who would like to get into playing guitar professionally. So how do you actually go about doing this? Well, the most personalized and fastest way is to take private lessons, but there are a lot of disadvantages to this method. Another good option is to use one of the many learn guitar video lessons that are available.

With learn guitar video lessons you have many of the same advantages as you would with private lessons. You can see someone else playing so that you know where your fingers are supposed to be placed, and you can hear what is played so you know what it is supposed to sound like. However, you don't have to deal with some of the disadvantages of private lessons. Mainly, you can play the learn guitar video whenever you want (and as many times as you want, pausing whenever you need to) rather than having to make a set time commitment. You can also do these lessons from your home, so you won't have to travel. This makes it much easier to schedule your lessons for yourself. However, if you travel with your job, you can learn and practice on the road with this method.

Besides being able to play your learn guitar video lessons whenever you want, you will be able to learn at your own pace, going through some lessons quickly and spending more time on others depending on what comes easily to you and what is a little harder for you to pick up. You can do more lessons when you have more time available, and fewer lessons when you are particularly busy.

The important thing is that you choose high quality learn guitar video lessons. These lessons will be well designed and will teach you everything you need to know, starting with the very basics (including what the various strings are called, how you should hold your guitar, and how to tune your guitar) and then leading on to the more complicated lessons. Eventually you will be able to play all the songs that you wish, as long as you follow along with the learn guitar video lessons and spend plenty of time practicing what you are learning.

David Giles is a professional musician and has been playing guitar for 20 years! He has taught many students how to play the guitar and runs a website showing the top guitar video courses in action at: http://www.BestWayToLearnGuitar.org.

Learn Spanish Guitar - Where Can You Find Lessons on Spanish Guitar

You have decided that you want to learn Spanish guitar. That is a great goal to help expand your guitar skills and introduce a new style of music to your current abilities. Spanish guitar is beautiful, but it can also be challenging. You really need to lessons to properly learn Spanish guitar. Finding lessons can be a challenge if you do not know where to look.

About Spanish Guitarists

Spanish guitar is also referred to as flamenco guitar. You will probably find most information about Spanish guitar referred to as flamenco guitar so it is important to understand that the terms refer to the same thing. It is also important to have the right equipment. The guitar you use needs to be tuned and create a refined sound that has that Spanish influence. Nylon strings will create the best sound and give you the best experience at the Spanish guitar. You can use a classical guitar or a flamenco guitar. Most people find the classical guitar is easier to use and easier to find and so that is the common choice for people who learn Spanish guitar.

Finding Lessons

It can be difficult to find a local teacher who offers lessons to learn Spanish guitar. You may not be able to find a teacher in your area. If that is the case then you will need to look online. The internet can be a great place to find good lessons. You can find video and audio lessons that allow you to see the teacher and move at your own pace. It may actually be easier for you to learn this way rather than with an actual teacher since you have more control over the speed of the lessons. You also have the option to go over lessons however many times you want.

Lesson Options

With online lessons you will have many options. You can find written lessons, audio lessons and video lessons. You will want to check into the different types of lessons and depending on what you feel comfortable with and your learning style, choose the lesson that will work best for you. You can usually try a sample lesson just to see how it feels and to decide if it will work for you.

Online lessons allow you flexibility. You are teaching yourself, but you can also choose lessons that have a teacher who will walk you through each lesson so you feel like you are getting that one on one instruction that you would get from a private teacher. The best part of online lessons are that they are a fraction of the cost of a private instruction.

It can be challenging to learn Spanish guitar. There are new fingerings, techniques and a whole different rhythmic meter than you are probably used to. It is all about focusing, practicing and being dedicated. Finding local lessons is not always an option, but you can find great lessons online that can be even better than private lessons. You can find good online lessons at http://www.thejamorama.info that should help you to learn Spanish guitar in a matter of months.

3 Reasons Learning The Guitar Online is Best

Ever since discovering I could take online guitar lessons I've been hooked. The content is great, it's always available and it's less expensive then taking private guitar lessons offline. This article explores three big reasons why learning the guitar online is best.

Don't feel guilty if you miss a lesson

One down fall I've always found about private guitar lessons is that if I couldn't make it to a lesson I felt bad. I was paying for it and wasn't getting the value. The same went if I didn't have time to practice that week, then the weeks lesson wasn't as valuable because I couldn't profess as I wanted.

When learning the guitar online this is all a thing of the past. It doesn't matter if you miss a lesson, actually you can't miss an online guitar lesson, you take them when it's convenient for you.

You Can revisit old material without wasting time or money

Another thing I didn't like about private lessons was that if you had to revisit something you learned in a previous lesson you didn't want to do it during your lesson time. You were paying to learn to play guitar not to review what you already learned.

Since online guitar lessons are all videos, and stored in a database somewhere you can always refer back to older material and watch it as many times as needed. Just another easy benefit to learning the guitar online.

You can learn any where any time no set schedule.

This is probably the greatest feature to learning the guitar online. Offline guitar lessons are scheduled, same time each week normally. With Online guitar lessons you learn when and where you want. Just need an Internet connection, and likely your guitar. So whether you're a student vacationing retiree or stay at home mom you can learn the guitar online.

Learn more about online guitar lessons [http://www.learnguitartoday.info/online-guitar-lessons/] at [http://www.learnguitartoday.info] a popular website where people visit to learn more about beginner guitar lessons [http://www.learnguitartoday.info/beginner-guitar-lessons/] and learn at home products.

Guitar Playing Lessons - Is Online the Way to Go?

If you are interested in learning how to play the guitar, you have two main things to consider (even if you don't know it):

(A) Should you take guitar playing lessons out of a local shop from an actual instructor?

Or,

(B) Should you find a program that teaches you how to play guitar online?

Traditionally, learning to play instruments was primarily done through a small shop (in a rather tiny back room), and you paid big bucks for around half-hour sessions once a week. You get in your time for the week, then go home and practice everything you learned for the next 6 days; then you go back for another lesson.

What if you have questions during the week, though? What if you'd like more help with the last lesson because you didn't completely understand something? Wouldn't it be nice to record each and every lesson so you can go back to them again and again for more help or in case you have a problem?

This is why I strongly recommend going the other route to learning guitar: finding a program for guitar playing lessons online. Let's briefly discuss the benefits of doing this:

Yes, you still get your private lessons, it's just from an instructor on the computer screen instead of in person. The best part is you get these lessons from the comfort of your own home (without paying the ridiculous costs an average musician charges).

You can work at your own pace. You don't have to cram each and every lesson into a half-hour timeframe, worried about getting any and all questions answered and trying to soak everything in for the coming week's practice. This to me is the best part, and the release of pressure from not having such a rigid schedule let me actually learn more.

Last (but not least), you can revisit each and every lesson again and again, in case you have a question or haven't mastered something yet. I use a program called Team Method Guitar, and I'll be honest: with the amount of times I've went back through the previous video guitar playing lessons in the level I was on (which at the time was the Beginner level), I'd have about wasted a few whole sessions if I was taking them through a local shop.

Having access to previous lessons is amazing, and enables you to learn much, much more than you would from a private instructor.

The moral of my rant here is that if you are serious about learning to play guitar (or any instrument for that matter; for me it happened to be guitar), the best way to go is to find a program for how to play guitar online. As I said before, the one I found that rocks is Team Method Guitar, but there are many others as well. Most are bad, but some are good, so it's just about finding what works, or reading reviews on the various programs and seeing if it's a fit for you.

Good luck with your future endeavors though, and if you're serious about playing guitar. Practice! You will get there.

Here's a complete review for Team Method Guitar, the program I personally used that shows you how to play guitar online. Good luck in whichever direction you chose, and remember to practice!

Guitar Chord Lessons

A guitar chord is a combination of tones strummed together at once and played on a guitar. It is basically composed of three notes. It can be a combination of different notes played on adjacent, different or all strings. Different chords are played to produce different sounds based on different styles. It is essential to learn the different chords to be able to produce sounds that are pleasing to the ear. Also, it is very important to learn the family of chords to be able to easily play different kinds of songs.

Guitar chords lessons are one of most important aspects in learning how to play the guitar. The basic guitar chords are frequent in whatever styles or genres of music there is; jazz, hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, folk, or classic, all use different guitar chords. It is very important to have a deep understanding of the different guitar chords to be able to create beautiful songs. Guitar chords make up almost everything in the different songs of yesterday and today. That is why it is one of the most basic lessons in learning how to play a guitar. So before enrolling in different advance guitar lessons, having guitar chords lessons is a must.

In today's era, you can find these lessons are everywhere. One can find them in books, the internet, and in different music schools. There are many different styles and teaching methods used by these different sources. The books offer the basics mostly through diagrams and simple instructions. Because of the enthusiasm of today's generation to learn how to play the guitar, guitar lesson books are almost always present in bookstores. Guitar lessons in music schools on the other hand, offer an easier way of learning the different guitar chords through personal teaching by professional guitarists. It is however, the most expensive among the different kinds of sources for guitar lessons. But, music schools offer a more holistic and thorough understanding of not only the guitar chords, but everything about guitars.

However, the internet is one of the most frequently used source by the majority of guitar enthusiasts because most of the lessons there are free and easily accessible. One only needs to type guitar lessons in Google and YouTube and there are hundreds of thousands of results that are shown. Its advantage over books and music schools is that it offers different kinds of styles in learning, from videos to basic and thorough instructions. Unlike books which use simple step by step instructions and diagrams, the different guitar chords lessons in the internet provide videos that are easily accessible and very helpful in learning the different basic and complex chords for free. And unlike music schools, there are no worries about having boring teachers or schedule problems because in the internet, one can change the teacher anytime and have the lessons at one's most convenient time.

The guitar is one of the most played instruments nowadays. It can be easily learned and carried wherever you may go. People love guitars and the music made through them. That is why it is very important to learn the different guitar chords to be able to master the guitar. So what's the wait? Go to the nearest bookstore or school or better yet, surf the net and start having guitar chords lessons.

For more information be sure and visit: http://learntheguitar.co/articles

Hi, Patrick (Trick D) here, and I'm a Guitar Hero addict gone Real Rocks Star. Stop by my blog at http://learntheguitar.co and check out the resources I have uncovered to help you learn to play the guitar.. for real! No more air guitar or plastic equipment. If your ready to Rock for Real... come see me!

Do You Want to Learn the Guitar? Top Three Reason to Learn the Guitar Online!

If you have been wanting to learn the guitar, why not learn the guitar online? There are so many upsides to learning the guitar from the comfort of home. I want to share with you why millions of aspiring guitar players decide to learn the guitar online versus learning with the traditional methods such as books or attending private lessons.

Here are my top three reasons why you should learn the guitar online -

Reason Number One -

Comfort! Think about it for a moment. Are you not more comfortable in your home? It has been proven that the success of learning anything new is improved when the individual is comfortable in his or her surroundings. After all, you do want to be successful at learning the guitar right?

You can practice when you want, where you want, and how you want! You are no longer obligated to keeping an appointment as would be if you decided to learn the guitar with a traditional instructor.

Reason Number Two -

Ease of use. When you decide to learn the guitar online, you are provided with a structured, easy to follow regiment including video tutorials. Unlike traditional methods, you have the lessons in front of you WHENEVER you want them! Maybe you want to go back and review a lesson that you took three weeks ago. You can simply log on and review it! When going through a typical instructor, you would need to schedule another lesson and PAY FOR IT!

With traditional lessons, you essentially are required to retain all of the information you have learned. If you forget something or need additional assistance, it is going to cost you more money!

Reason Number Three -

Money, money, and money! On average, a half hour guitar lesson can run you upwards of $20 to $25. Over the course of just one month, you are looking at spending between $80 to $100 for FOUR lessons! Now I would imagine you are a relatively smart person, but how much do you suppose that you are going to get from two hours of lessons? I myself am interested in getting to most possible for my money and private guitar lessons.

When you decide to learn the guitar online, it is usually a one-time charge and you have access those lessons for a lifetime. So you can learn from the comfort of your own home, get easy to use lessons AND save a ton of money. In my opinion, anyone who wants to learn the guitar, needs to really learn the guitar online!

It's time that we stop giving money to instructors that can really care less about your success as an aspiring guitar player. If you want the most dynamic and engaging lessons, it's time that you learn the guitar online! Visit http://PlayTheGuitarOnline.info if you want to start playing like a pro!

How to Learn Acoustic Guitar Fast

As you probably know the most traditional type of guitar is the acoustic guitar. The electric guitar wasn't even invented till the thirties where as the acoustic guitar has been around since 1779.

The Acoustic guitar doesn't produce a loud sound like the electric guitar as it is not amplified, however played well by a trained guitarist, the acoustic guitar is a very powerful and emotion enhancing instrument., this is where you want to get to with your guitar playing, to evoke emotion.

The good news is that playing the guitar is not that difficult when shown correctly. To begin with it is vital that you choose the most suitable guitar to learn to play with. It must be the right size and weight for your individuality. You shouldn't try to use someone else's guitar when you learn to play as the size and weight may not be right for you. Basically to get good we fully recommend that you take the time to find and buy your own guitar which is prefect for you, electric or acoustic.

Guitars are quite easy to obtain. You can purchase them new at most every music store new or second hand if you are on a low budget, again, just make sure it is the right dimensions for you.

Once you have your guitar you're ready to begin. There are many methods that you can learn to play acoustic guitar. You just have to choose the way which is most convenient for you.

The most common methods to learn acoustic guitar are as follows

Take lessons - This is probably the most popular method to learn guitar. You pay someone who is qualified to teach acoustic guitar to instruct you. The advantage is you have someone who can work with you bespoke one-on-one. They will motivate you and ensure you're using proper technique. If you get stuck they will be able to help you.

Taking lessons from a private teacher also has some disadvantages. Your lessons are normally weekly and set for a certain time which may not always be continent plus you really need to practice more regular to get really good and of course you have to pay weekly. These costs can really become expensive. You have to work the lessons in around your busy life and finally, you have to pack up your guitar and get to the lessons.

Online lessons and multi-media courses - Thanks to modern technology you can gain almost any knowledge and learn just about anything you want to on the internet, including of course how to learn acoustic guitar online.

Online you will discover both free and paid courses. However in our experience you can end up wasting a lot of time and effort seeking a good quality free quality guitar lessons. Out of our own trial and error we know it's better to just find a good online digital course of lessons and multi media methods like videos etc and pay the money instead of wasting your many valuable hours trying to learn with a poor quality free course. You can buy a quality course for under £30, the price on say 1 physical lesson.

The advantages of learning online are obvious

- You only have the one small upfront fee of the course
- You have all the instruction and lessons you will need
- You don't have to leave your home
- You can practice at your own pace, fast or slow.

Of course, you won't have one-on-one instruction but some of the excellent up-to-date courses are very similar to personal one on one coaching. If you learn to play acoustic guitar from a good proven and high quality online source, you will have no problem learning the acoustic guitar very quickly and without difficulty if you start with the right steps.

To learn to play acoustic Guitar take a look at our reviews of the current best online multi-media guitar training courses on the market which are the best value and easiest to learn with at http://www.learning-guitar-play.co.uk

Learn The Guitar Online - 3 Reasons It's Better Then Private Lessons

There is a stigma attached to learning the guitar online that you cannot get the same quality of education from a website or video as you can from private lessons. While this might be true in some circumstances, I believe that there are obvious benefits to those that choose to learn the guitar online and it goes deeper then just the quality of guitar lessons taught.

1.) When you take private guitar lessons you normally purchase lessons in a set (i.e. 6 or 8 weeks of lessons for a set price) or pay per lesson. Which ever way you look at it you end up paying between $10 and $20 per lesson. Should you need a refersher on something you've already learned your teacher must take part of that $20 lesson and reteach you something he/she has already done before. There by reducing the value of the current lesson.

When you learn the guitar online the lessons are videos and files. They can be reviewed and rewatched at no extra charge to you as often and when ever you want.

2.) I know I've take private guitar lessons before, and I didn't always have the time to practice. Sometimes work, family or friends had to come before I could sit down with my guitar for a half hour each day. The result? I wasn't always prepared for the next weeks lesson when I showed up, yet I still had to pay for the time. I didn't get the most value from that guitar lesson had I practiced the week before.

When enrolled in online guitar lessons there is no teacher checking there watch to make sure you're on time or that you've done your home work. If you don't have the time to practice for a few days, just take a break from you lessons. There isn't any lost cost or time to you. you are in charge of when and how fast your learn the guitar online.

3.) Cost has to be considered, especially since everything is getting more expensive around us. Let's take the example above of $10 per lesson, and assume four lessons of a half hour each per month. That means you pay $40 per month for 2 hours of lesson time. In contrast most online guitar lesson memberships charge under $30 for unlimited access to thousands of minutes of lessons. The value for your dollar is much greater when you learn to play the guitar online.

To learn more about video guitar lessons [http://www.learnguitartoday.info/video-guitar-lessons/], visit [http://www.learnguitartoday.info] a popular website that helps beginner guitar players choose the best method to learn to play guitar [http://www.learnguitartoday.info/learn-to-play-guitar/].

Guitar Music Lessons

For those interested in playing the guitar as a new hobby or skill they're hoping to pick up, one of the best ways to get started is to find a qualified guitar instructor for taking weekly lessons, or by the use of a lesson book to self-study. Many sources for guitar lessons exist nowadays, however, not just from the traditional methods but also through channels like the internet, computer software, and video lessons. Beginners who seek more options for beginning their own guitar music lesson will find now is the best possible time more than ever for getting into learning how to play the guitar!

Selecting the right option for guitar music lessons is an important one for every beginner. Depending on the way you prefer to learn new skills, and the amount of time or money you have to devote towards practicing the guitar the options could present a clear winner over other choices. For whichever method of taking guitar music lessons you ultimately choose, it's important to remember that lots of practice, hard work, and dedication are required to see any results no matter what. With that in mind, those with a slim amount of free time, and an even slimmer pocket book might find online guitar lessons as a great way to learn the guitar by taking music lessons at their own pace, and at a low cost (or even for free!) If you are interested in non-beginner trainer, or have a bit of experience already with the guitar, music software for teaching advanced concepts using a computer-based guitar music lesson curriculum can be found from many sources. Those who need a hands-on approach to learning the guitar without any reservations time/money-wise are directed towards traditional instructors-just make sure to research them in order to avoid hiring someone you can't work with!

All things being equal, it's hard to recommend one method over the other-they all have advantages and disadvantages. For the most part, a person who is fine studying independently, and has no problems setting practice goals for themselves and/or keeping up a daily practice routine can easily find enough free guitar learning information online to learn at least the basic fundamentals. There are even free online streaming videos that demonstrate more advanced techniques for the self-learning guitar student that can confidently work without the supervision of a traditional instructor. Of course, as the guitar lessons increase in difficulty and the concepts encroach upon the more advanced techniques, it's certainly going to make independent self-study less viable while making traditional options more useful. That being said, many of the more famous guitarists have been entirely self-taught, as have many of the professional guitar trainers that are currently teaching new guitar players. It's very possible to never be exposed to a traditional method of taking guitar music lessons and yet still end up mastering all the techniques you need for realizing your dreams of being the next rock and roll guitar superstar! If you are ready to make the dream a reality, take your first step by choosing to take guitar music lessons today!

by Werner Wichmann - a guitar enthusiast who provides online help and writes independent reviews on learning to play the guitar at http://www.PlayGuitarMusicLessons.com

How to Learn the Guitar - Take it One Step Higher

If you want to know how to learn the guitar, you have to acknowledge that how quickly someone else learns is not a predictor of how quickly you will learn. This is why group classes are so ineffective. A slower learner will hold everyone back while more advanced students can easily leave other students in the dust.

Online lessons have gained its popularity as it provide the flexibility to people who want to know how to learn the guitar at their own pace. When you are studying online it doesn't matter if someone else is stuck on lesson two or if you are struggling with lesson five. You have the option to replay the more difficult lessons until you master the skills or you can skip the ones that you find simple.

Now, let's get to the tips that will show you how to learn the guitar and advance in skill as quickly as possible. They are as follows.

#1 Don't hold yourself back

It's a tragedy when students hold themselves back from advanced level playing because they aren't willing to put out the effort required to move forward. In some cases students may not have enough interest to push themselves to advance while in other cases they simply didn't realize from the start that it takes effort to figure out how to learn the guitar.

You don't have to be one of those students! Ask yourself if you really want to know how to learn the guitar and if you have the desire, use that to drive your practice time and lessons. Put your full effort into every lesson and then spend as much time as possible practicing your new skills.

This drive is the only way to advance to the more advanced skill levels as a guitarist.

#2 Make sure you have a solid foundation of knowledge before moving on to advanced guitar lessons

Everyone wants the validation of knowing they can hang with more advanced guitar players, but don't push yourself into advanced lessons too quickly. Just as you can get a huge confidence lift by making it through an advanced level lesson with your head held high, you can crush your confidence if you jump into something above your head and sink quickly.

The advanced guitar lessons will be a lot easier if you have a solid foundation of guitar playing lessons under your belt. Figuring out how to learn the guitar as quickly as possible doesn't mean jumping right to the good stuff. You should take the time needed to get that foundation to get the most out of those advanced lessons.

#3 Make sure the learning environment is on your own terms

Students who advance the fastest and make it to extreme skill levels are those that find a way to tailor their learning to their own needs. You should be taking interactive guitar lessons at the time that best fits your schedule, in a location that is comfortable so you can focus, and with an instructor that is able to push you to the next level.

Taking online lessons give you the luxury of choosing the time and place to spend time on how to learn the guitar successfully.

These tips will make how to learn the guitar easier. If you would like your own copy of FREE guitar chord book which comes in full color, making it very simple to read, visit: http://www.teachyourselftoplayguitar.biz.

Guitar Lessons: Learning Guitar Step 1 - How to play guitar instructional video

Learning To Play The Guitar Is Now Easier Than Ever Before!
Perfect For Beginners, No Previous Experience Necessary!

Have you ever wanted to play your favorite songs on the guitar? Now you can learn the basic chords,notes and patterns you will need to play your favorite songs today. This easy-to-follow guitar course has a chapter mark at each lesson, so you can learn and practice at your own pace!

Do you find yourself to busy during the day to commit to scheduled private guitar lessons for you or your family?

Are private guitar lessons getting too expensive these days?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, Learning Guitar Step 1 DVD method is for you. With Learning Guitar Step 1 you can learn around your own schedule while saving hundreds of dollars!

Learn to Play Today:

*Tuning
*Open Chords
*Barre Chords
*Finger Exercises
*Scales

Instructor Patrick McCormick teaches you the basics of learning the guitar in an easy-to-follow manner, using step-by-step techniques that break down each exercise into clear and concise segments. Patrick takes you through each lesson, telling and showing you exactly how each lesson is done. Using the easy-to-navigate DVD menu, your control of the guitar fretboard will rapidly become second nature!

Features:

*Numerous Chapter Marks
*Mulitple Camera Angles
*On-Screen Graphics
*Interactive Lesson Library

Price: $14.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Blues Guitar Lessons: Beginning Blues essentials learn to play blues lead and rhythm instructional video dvd

Beginning Blues DVD Featuring Password Access To Exclusive Bonus Materials.

Now is your chance to learn the tips and tricks used by the greats:
B.B. King
Chuck Berry
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Buddy Guy
and many others!!!

"Learning Blues Guitar Doesn't Have To Be Difficult. Learn The Insider Secrets To Playing Like The Blues Greats Quickly And Easily!"

Dear Blues Guitar Enthusiasts ,
I am guessing you are reading this page because learning how to play blues guitar is of great interest to you. And you would like to one day be able to master some of the powerful techniques you have heard used by legendary guitar players.

You are not alone, many aspiring musicians would like to master this playing style but......

• You're not sure where to start .
• The techniques seem to difficult and would take a great deal of time to learn.
• Paying $30-$50 per lesson from a private instructor is simply too expensive.

Maybe you have already bought many manuals and videos or have even taken private guitar lessons but have been disappointed with the results.

To be quite honest.....mastering any guitar style will not happen for you overnight. It requires a lot of time and commitment for players of all levels but....

What if we could offer you one DVD that teaches you the tips and tricks you need to know to start playing like your favorite guitarists easier than ever before?

Here's How:
Beginners Blues DVD - By Charles Sedlak
Charles is an international recording and touring artist that shows you his tips and tricks to get you started playing blues guitar right away.
To be able to discover this style of playing, Charles will reveal the proper form, technique and strumming patterns that are often associated with Blues Guitar playing.

Some of what you will discover:
Rhythms
Minor Blues
Jazz Blues
Rumba Blues
12 Bar Blues
Scales
Blues Scales
Moveable Scales
Bends
Vibrato
Sliding Notes
Double Stops
Hammer-On's - Pull Off's
Trills
Legato | Staccato

** Bonus Video Segment - 25 Essential Blues Licks **
The Beginners Blues DVD also features a special section where Charles comprised 25 essential Blues Licks that are heavily used by all the legendary great blues players. These techniques are now revealed for you!

When you become one of the thousands that found this dvd as the answer to their problem, here are the benefits you also will receive.

1) 80 Minute Running Time
Hundreds of dollars worth of private lessons all in one DVD. Charles brings his instruction right into your living room.

2) Interactive Lesson Library
Quickly review your new techniques and songs at your own pace with a touch of a button!

3) Numerous Chapter Marks
Save time by zooming directly to any technique you want!

4) Digitally Recorded
Vivid picture quality for easy-to-see instruction, not a repackaged old VHS transfer!

5) Multiple Angle Instruction
Some of these techniques require close attention to your picking hand... not a problem with our multiple camera angles.

6)Jam Tracks
The bonus section allows to play along with many Jam Tracks as you test out your new techniques.

You get at least 10 times your money's worth!
The months of private instruction it would take you to cover techniques like these can cost you up to 480.00... O

Price: $14.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

The Acoustic Guitar Method

Homespun and String Letter Press, the publishers of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, have joined forces to create a DVD version of String Letter's best-selling guitar instruction book. This clearly organized, carefully graded set of lessons by popular guitarist and author David Hamburger teaches beginners to play guitar using the techniques and songs of American roots music.

DVD 1 covers all the basic chords and flatpicking techniques; DVD 2 gives you a solid start on fingerpicking along with more advanced flatpicking styles.

David gives total beginners a great start as he teaches you how to tune up, use the capo, play bass runs, vary your strumming patterns and form all the most important chords and chord progressions. DVD 2 continues on an intermediate level, giving those with some previous guitar experience a solid start with fingerpicking and an introduction to more advanced flatpicking styles, including scales and single note playing.

Throughout the lessons you’ll learn to play more than two-dozen classic songs drawn from blues, folk, country and bluegrass traditions, including Careless Love, Columbus Stockade, Darling Corey, In the Pines, Scarborough Fair, Man of Constant Sorrow, Stagolee, Hot Corn Cold Corn, East Virginia, House of the Rising Sun, Banks of the Ohio, The Crawdad Song, The Girl I Left Behind Me, Gambler’s Blues and many others.

Bonus: A four-song play-along session with guitarists Happy Traum and David Hamburger gives you a chance to practice your newly learned flatpicking instrumentals.

Price: $39.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Fender Presents: Getting Started on Electric Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners

Getting Started on Electric Guitar offers a complete course for the beginning electric guitarist. Step-by-step lessons incorporating clear, easy-to-follow 3-D graphics and unique play-along tracks teach the viewer the essential chords, scales and techniques used by electric guitar players in every popular style, including rock, blues and country. This DVD is separated into two major sections.

Part 1 ¯ The First Step covers: tuning methods · string names · essential chords and scales used by all players · musical reference section (notes, rhythms, chords and scales) · practice tips · fretting-hand technique · picking-hand technique · backing tracks for play-along · an animated fretboard · plus much more.

Part 2 ¯ Play Electric! covers: right-hand technique · left-hand technique · rhythm parts (muting, alternate picking, arpeggios) · soloing technique (string bending, vibrato) · rock, blues & country styles · rhythm and solo ideas for each style · backing tracks in each style for play-along · sounds (amplifiers and effects) · caring for your instrument · and tips from the Fender Custom Shop.

Special DVD features include: bonus footage, including a tour of the Fender factory! Also: looping capabilities · web site links specifically for beginning guitarists · a multi-language feature so you can view the DVD in English, Spanish, German, French or Japanese.

Price: $24.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Your First Guitar Lesson (Beginning Guitar)

For kids, adults, and sexy senior citizens. This one-hour DVD is guaranteed success because it follows the logic that the human being can only think of one thing at a time. You will learn the 19 main open chords & 23 songs that will give you plenty of practice to master all 19 chords quickly & easily. Learn how to make a guitar easy to play, how to use small guitars & ukuleles for children & people with small hands. Learn the parts of the guitar & how to tune, & all the tricks that make learning quick & easy. Note: This is a breakthrough in beginning guitar because we sat down & determined how many things "all at the same time" that video lessons were requiring of students. It turned out to be anywhere from 9-12 things at once! That's downright inhumane! Most of the students gave up, & it wasn't their fault. The teaching systems were simply loading them down with too many things at once. The reason we created "Your First Guitar Lesson" was to solve this problem. We give you loads of fun material, but "one-easy-logical-step-at-a-time. Includes: Auld Lang Syne • Amazing Grace • Aura Lee (Love Me Tender) • Away in a Manger • Camptown Races • Do Lord • Greensleeves • Happy Birthday • Heart & Soul • Home on the Range • House of the Rising Sun • Jingle Bells • John Jacob Jingleheymer Smith • Kum Ba Ya • Little Sadie • My Bonnie • Midnight Special • Mountain Dew • Oh Suzanna • Old Time Religion • Sloop John B • This Old Man (Barney Song) • You Are My Sunshine (60 min) (booklet inside the package)

Price: $13.95

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EASY METAL GUITAR DVD - Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons For Beginner through Intermediate

LEVELS: Easy - 1 Finger Metal - –2 Finger Metal - –3 Finger Metal... You’ll be using all 4 fingers in record time - playing at blistering fast tempos! If you want to learn to play Heavy Metal Guitar - look no further –You have found the ultimate course with EASY METAL GUITAR DVD! Expert guitar instructor Mark John Sternal starts you out with simple power chords - riffs - tricks and techniques that form the backbone of Heavy Metal Guitar Playing. Each lesson is introduced with thorough and descriptive instructions - followed by a slowed-down practice section which will insure that anyone - at any level - can play each exercise. These exercises are later combined to form complete Metal Songs. Each Metal Song and Metal Solo is presented at a slow - medium and fast tempo - allowing you to play along and build up your Metal Guitar Chops! Beats Per Minute (BPM) range from 50 BPM practice tempos –and progressively increase to High Speed Metal at 200 BPM! INCLUDES: Power Chords * Power Rhythms * Power Slides * Heavy-Down Picking Alternate Speed Picking * Heavy Riffs * Techniques * Amp & Effects * Settings Metal Songs * Metal Solos * Key Changes * And More...

Price: $12.95

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Guitar Lesson - How To Practice Guitar

If desire is the most important part of learning guitar(without it you wouldn’t have even started), then concentration is the most important part of practicing guitar.

I often say to people that 20 minutes of focused practice can beat, hands down, 2 hours of ‘normal’ practice, or just goofing about.

Many people are discouraged when they are told how much time they must put into practice. The truth is, you don’t have to practice all the time to be a good guitarist.

(I’m not saying you shouldn’t have time to goof off and play around. But if you want to improve quickly, you must keep playing guitar and practicing guitar separate.)

Let me tell you now…

It isn’t how much time you put into practice, it’s the quality of the practice that matters.

When I play guitar, I play to have fun, I play to perform for people, and I play for the fun of playing! That’s why I started learning guitar in the first place.

But when I practice guitar, I focus and concentrate on what I’m trying to achieve, and I work on the goals that I want to complete.

You see, if you completely focus on one thing you are more likely to do it well.

This may sound simple too to some. Some of you may be thinking “this is great, I only need to practice 20 minutes a day and ill improve more than I would if I practicing 2 hours a day”.

Well that’s not exactly true.

Its how focused your practice is that counts, not how long you practice. Can you really focus for 2 hours?

Let me give you this small example to illustrate my point.

Picture a red triangle inside a black box.

Close your eyes, and keep that image in your mind for 5 seconds without letting a single thing distract you – no other thought must enter your mind for that 5 seconds…

How well did you do? Be honest with yourself.

This isn’t an easy thing to do. Most people find this difficult at first. Its difficult to keep a focused mind like this.

I hope this example has shown you that it’s not that easy to keep focused attention & concentration for look periods of time.

But still, you must always remember that its quality and not quantity of practice that makes the difference between a great player and an average player.

This is a perfect time to tell you that you shouldn’t be spending hours and hours ‘practicing’, because you simply can’t focus for that amount of time.

If you are practicing for a solid 2 hours or more you are probably not helping your development as a guitarist that much.

A much better way of using this time is to practice in bursts.

A good idea would be to practice in bursts of 20 minutes or so. You can vary it depending on what you feel like doing, but try not to practice for long periods of time in one go. It’s not helping as much as you think it might be.

Also, it’s important to take breaks from what you’re practicing. You can do something else for awhile, go for a walk, watch TV, or maybe just play around and have fun with your guitar and loosen up a bit before you start focusing on practice again.

It is important for you to have a definition in your own mind of ‘practicing guitar’ and ‘playing guitar’.

This will keep you more focused and allow you to reach your goals as a guitarist much easier.

An exercise for you to try to help you further develop concentration is to sit silently and count slowly from one to ten in your mind.

If anything should interrupt your counting, whether it is a noise, a stray thought, or the awareness of your own breathing, you must start over from one.

Again, it’s unlikely you will be able to achieve this straight-away. It’s a hard thing to do. However how out and 'Zen' this exercise may seem, it will re-focus your mind on the task in hand, and it’ll help you learn faster if you can stay focused on what you’re practicing.

You should try this exercise whenever you start to feel like you’re loosing your focus.

Guitar Lesson – How To Change Guitar Strings

Article Body:

At some point, all guitarists need to learn how to change the strings on their guitar. Sometimes you'll be forced to change one when a string snaps. But usually, you'll simply want to change them, as strings lose their brightness and wear out.

The amount of time you leave between change strings varies depending on several factors. If you play your guitar regularly, then you might like to change your strings once a week or once a month.

Most Professional guitarists tend to change their strings before each gig. But in the end, it all comes down to a matter of personal preference. Something to bear in mind if you're using your guitar for a gig, is that your strings need a few hours of play to break in properly. During this time, your strings will go out of tune as they stretch so you'll have to retune.

Anyway, here's what you do:
Remove the old strings by detuning the machine heads until the tension becomes loose enough to allow you to pull each string away from the headstock.

Another quick way to remove the old strings is to snip them using a pair of wire cutters. Be very careful if you do it this way, and make sure they are loose, since the bare ends of the strings can be sharp and easily flap around. Bare guitar strings are amongst the many things you DO NOT want to catch in your eye.

How you go about installing your new strings will usually depend on the type of guitar you have, as many guitars have slightly different methods. However, the strings are usually held in place at one end by fixtures behind or on the bridge, and at the other by turning the machine head on the headstock.

Here's a small insider tip guitarists have been using for years to get more life from your steel strings once you've removed them: Boil them.

Dropping a set of strings into a pan of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes will remove a lot of the grimy build up and bring a new life back to what would otherwise be lifeless strings.

It won't last for very long, and you can't get away with doing it too many times, but it can be an effective temporary measure.

I wouldn't suggest you rely on this technique too much, strings aren't too expensive - and using new strings saves you a lot of hassle.

Regardless of what kind of guitar you have, your strings need to be stretched after you've put them on. When you first tune your guitar, put your hand under each string around the pickup area, pull the string a few centimeters away from the fretboard, then release it. If the pitch has dropped, retune and repeat the process. Keep doing this until all the strings stay in tune.

On most electric guitars the strings are either secured at the bridge end by an independent tailpiece (like most Gibson guitars), or passed through the body of the instrument from the back into an all-in-one bridge unit (like most fender style guitars).

At one end of every steel string, you will find a tiny disc of metal around which one end of the string is wrapped. This is called the ball end.

Take the opposite end of the string and thread it through the fixture at the bridge.

Pull the string through until the ball end stops you from pulling the string any further.

Most electric and steel-string guitars use a similar system for securing strings at the machine head. The capstan to which the string is attached stands out vertically from the headstock. Strings can be passed through a hole in the side of the capstan.

The end is then passed around and under, trapping it in place when the machine head is tightened. Some capstans have vertical slots instead of holes. To use these, cut the string to length, and insert into the tip of the capstan. Then bend the string to one side and wind it around.

This leaves the string endings neat and tidy.
Here's what you do next: Slowly turn the machine head for each string, increasing the tension until the string becomes suitably tight.

To save yourself time and energy, you can use a cheap plastic string winder, which simply fits over the machine head allowing you to crank it along more quickly.

Guitar Success 101: Your Worthy Idealicle Body:

The great motivator Earl Nightingale came up with the following definition of success...
"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." I love that definition! What does this definition mean to you? Let's take a closer look at the worthy ideal part of it...

Please spend a few minutes writing down what the words "worthy ideal" mean to you. To me it is my vision of perfection...a vision of how I would ideally like things to be.It is a vision that I find inspiring and energizing!

If your success with guitar is totally dependant on working towards a worthy ideal, doesn't it make sense that you first need to figure out what YOUR worthy ideal is? How can you progressively realize something if you don't know what it is? Let's do some exercises to figure your one out...

Please invest at least a couple of hours doing the following exercises. They will really help you to build a picture of your worthy ideal in your mind's eye...

Exercise 1:
Imagine how would ideally like to play.Try and imagine what your guitar playing would sound, look and feel like.What guitar techniques are you a master of? How does your improvising sound? What about your composing? Please write your answers down now.

Exercise 2:
Imagine your ideal guitar playing career. Would you be a master guitar teacher? What about an amazing performing artist? Or what about performing as part of a highly successful band? How about being an in demand studio guitarist? What do you TRULY want to do? Please write down your answers now.

Exercise 3:
Write down your worthy ideal. Write it down in the present tense, as if you have already achieved it.Try to condense it down into a one paragraph statement.

Exercise 4:
Invest 5 minutes every morning and night to read your worthy ideal. This will help you to stay motivated and focused on what you TRULY want.

Clarity is essential. Without it you won't be able to start developing an effective plan to work towards your worthy ideal.

You may find as you answer the questions that self-doubt starts to creep in. You may doubt whether or not what you write down is even possible! This is normal. Just write down your answers anyway :) You don't need to know right now HOW you will achieve your worthy ideal. All you need to do is figure out WHAT it is.

Guitar Lesson: The Power Of Guitar Speed Goals.

Do you ever get the feeling that you're not progressing at your fastest possible rate? Do you ever feel overwhelmed? How about the feeling that you're not really 100% sure if you're improving or not? If you do...you're definitely not alone!

Learning guitar can be a bit overwhelming at times. There are literally enough things to learn to keep anyone busy for MANY lifetimes. This can be both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because you'll never run out new and exciting things to learn. It can also seem like a curse because you'll never get to the bottom of your "to do" list! So how do you keep motivated and constantly have the feeling of progress? That's where speed goals come in...

I've been using speed goals for about the last 15 years. They are one of the most powerful weapons in my guitar practice arsenal. Let's take a look now at what they are, and what benefits you'll gain by setting speed goals.

***What Are Speed Goals?****

A speed goal is a goal that you set to reach a particular metronome setting. For example, you might say that your speed goal for a particular sweep picking exercise is sixteenth notes at 160bpm (beats-per-minute). You would practice that exercise daily until the target speed has been reached.

An effective speed goal has these qualities...

1. No Deadline. Unlike traditional goal setting, there are no deadlines with speed goals. This is because you must allow your technique to develop in a relaxed and natural way. If you set a deadline, you may be tempted to increase your metronome speeds at too fast a rate in order to meet the deadline. Result? You'll basically program tension into your muscles and most likely get frustrated.

2. Challenging. Your speed goal must be challenging. It should be fast enough to make you grow as a player. For example, if you can currently play an exercise at 120bpm then something like 144bpm would make a good goal. Once you reach 144bpm, then you might set another speed goal of around 160bpm. See how this works?

3. Realistic. Don't set your speed goal too high. If you can currently only play an exercise at 120bpm, then 240bpm would probably be too high. I generally set speed goals that I think I can achieve within a month or two.

***Benefits of Speed Goals***

A few benefits of setting speed goals include...

1. They give you something to work towards. This helps you to stay motivated and enthusiastic about your guitar practice.

2. They give you a feeling of progress. You'll feel great each time you reach a speed goal. These small wins help you feel like you are progressing steadily towards the larger goals that you have set for your guitar playing.

3. They tell you when you can STOP practicing an exercise. Once you've achieved your goal you can then move onto something else. The speed goal stops you from mindlessly practicing an exercise that you have already mastered.

4. They give you measurable results. If your speeds are increasing then you have quantitative proof that you are improving. You KNOW for sure that you are getting better. This helps you become more confident about your guitar playing.

I encourage you to set a few speed goals now. If you set them consistently, I think you'll be amazed at how fast you'll progress.

Guitar Lesson - How To Practice In 20 Minutes

Many guitarists don’t have enough time to practice for long periods of time. But if you want to progress fast, you need the guitar in your hands as regularly as possible.

It’s better to practice for 10-20 minutes every day, than 4 hours on just one day of the week.Getting into a rhythm of regularly picking up your guitar for a quick practice session is a great habit to get into.

So if you don’t have enough time for a full practice session, and you have 10-15 minutes to spare, here’s some ideas for what you should practice:

Practice a chord change.
Perhaps switching from an F barre chord to a D open is causing you difficulty?
If you spend just ten minutes going over and over the change, you will increase your ability to do it at the level you require.

The key is to focus, and hone in on one skill that you can improve in a short period of time.

Work on a song you want to memorize.
This will give you a chance to actually play some music! You need to have fun in your practice to keep you fresh and focused.

Listen to a song on a CD and jam along.
This is a great way to improve your playing, and it’s particularly suitable for short practice sessions.

An important part of learning guitar is to train your ear, and jamming along to a CD is the perfect way to do it.

Work on a lick you want to learn.
You'd be surprised how many times you can work through a lick in just a few short minutes. You can also combine this practice technique with practicing chord changes.

This will improve your skills in a short period of time.

Work on picking skills - do drills up and down the neck.
You can use your metronome to work on speed picking skills, or you can slow everything right down and work on keeping your body in a relaxed so that you develop an ease to your playing.

Work up and down a scale.
In ten minutes you can play through a scale around 50-100 times. This will improve your stamina and also help you build speed.

Remember to use a metronome when you’re trying to build speed though. Because you want a smooth rhythmic sound to your speed picking, not a struggling, hurried sound.

So build up gradually.

Be Creative!
Play some chords in combinations that sound good to you, or play some single note melodies. Again, this improves your ear and you could maybe work out some parts to a song of your own.

Okay, that’s all the ideas I’m going to give you for now. Use your imagination to come up with more things you could try, and mix it up so it doesn’t get boring.

Also, keep your guitar ready and set-up. Sure, it’s protected all hidden away in your case, but if it’s ready for you to have a short practice session, then you’re more likely to pick it up and practice, even if it is just for a short time.

So keep that guitar out and ready to practice!

You may not think these short practice sessions help much, but doing this builds up your skills fast – and you’ll surprise yourself by how much you improve just be having the guitar in your hands regularly.

However, you don’t want to solely rely on these quick practice sessions. Like most things, you need to strike a balance. A good way of finding that balance is to set a routine.

When you have a routine, you will find it gets easier to find the time for practice. Once you’re in a habit of practicing regularly, you’ll find it harder to break out of, and that’s a good habit to have!

Guitar Chords: How To Solo Over Chords With The Minor Pentatonic Scale

Soloing over guitar chords is easy when you know how to use the minor pentatonic scale. Add spice and power to your solo's with these simple but highly effective techniques.

The humble minor pentatonic scale is what most guitar players start with when learning to solo. Trouble is, they don't learn to use the scale to it's best potential.

Here, I'll show you an easy way to use the pentatonic scale to solo over the three most common guitar chord types: Major, minor and dominant 7th chords.


1. Major Chords

A Major chord always has a relative minor chord. The easy way to find the 'relative' minor of any major chord on a guitar is to take the note three half-steps (3 frets) below the root note of the major chord.

For example: a C major chord - the root note is C. On a guitar, the note 3 frets below a C note is A. Therefore, A minor is the relative minor of C major.

So to solo over a C major chord, use the A minor pentatonic scale and you can't go wrong.

Another example: F major chord - three frets below the root of F, you will find D. So you use a D minor pentatonic scale over an F major chord.

Another example: G major chord - three frets below the G root note you'll find E. So... you use the E minor pentatonic to solo over a G chord.

Now, you may have noticed that I listed C, F and G major chords there. Coincidentally, They are the 1, 4 and 5 chords of the 'KEY' of C Major. This applies to all instruments, not just guitar.

More about this later...


2. Minor Chords

These are easy... just use the minor pentatonic of what ever the minor chord is. E.g. Use D minor pentatonic for a D minor chord, an E minor pentatonic for an E minor chord, an A minor pentatonic for an A minor Chord.

Now, did you notice I used D, E and A minor chords as the example? Did you also notice that these chords are the 2, 3 and 6 chords of the 'KEY' of C Major?

More about that later, too...


3. Dominant 7th Chords

You have a couple of choices here. But basically, you would use the relative minor pentatonic, or the minor pentatonic a tone below the root of the dom7 chord.

For example, over G7, you could use either E minor pent (relative minor), or D min pentatonic.

The reason you could use the D minor pentatonic over a G7 chord is because the Dmi chord and G7 chord often go together in chord progressions. Forcing a Dmi sound over a G7 chord gives a G7sus sound.


4. Thinking From a 'KEY" Perspective

OK, what we have looked at is the KEY of C Major. And basically you can use just the A minor pentatonic alone for ALL the chords in C, or you can also use the D and E minor pentatonics to add some color and more conformity to the chords being used at the time.

Remember, these principles apply to whatever chord you are playing at any time, but can also be applied on a KEY basis,which is a more encompassing picture.

The Key of C Major has these chords:

C, Dm, Em, F, G7, Am, Bmin7b5.

Ami pent can be used over them all, or just the C and Am chords.

D min pentatonic can be used over the F and Dm chords.

E minor can be used over the Em and G7 chords.

We didn't mention the 7 chord (Bmi7b5) because it's not used very much. But a good choice is the Dm pentatonic. In fact, though, you can use either of the three pentatonics from the C Major scale - Am, Dm or Em. Try them, see which you like best.

I hope you enjoyed this article. You can find more information about guitar chords at my site: http://www.Free-Guitar-Chords.com

The idea of using pentatonics for different chords is a powerful one, don't overlook the cool sounds you can create with such a simple device.

Also, in a future article, I'll be discussing 'Pentatonic Substitution' where I'll show you how to use substitute and altered pentatonics for even more sound choices.

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