Using itunes As A Source For Backing Tracks
One of the best things that you can do to further yourself as a guitar player is to play along with the recordings of the songs that you are working on as well as to use backing tracks to jam along to. Actual recordings are pretty self-explanatory, after you learn the song you just hit play on the cd player and play along to the tune. Backing tracks, also known as jam tracks, are a little different in that they will usually have one element of the song missing, usually the lead or rhythm guitar part. This makes it easier…
Teaching Someone Else How To Play Guitar Makes You A Better Player
One of the best ways that I have found to give thanks for something, especially a skill or talent, is to teach it to someone else. While there are many benefits in doing this, some very specific ones come to mind and they are: It makes you better at whatever your doing, It gives someone else the opportunity to learn what you know, and its a great way to show that you aren’t selfish and want to help others. So with this idea in mind, let me give you some in depth reasons why teaching other people guitar makes you…
The Importance Of Warming Up On Guitar
I chose to write about this topic this month because I am actually recovering from a pretty bad hand injury that I sustained over a month ago. The actual injury was a result of a combination of things but it has given me a very good reason to remember the importance of warming up before playing and practicing because, due to my injury, I have not been able to play my guitar for over a month! Not cool to say the least. I’ll first give you a quick recap on what happened and then I talk about some exercises and…
Understanding How Guitar Chords and Music Scales Work Together
If you are learning to play guitar and are starting to get into playing leads, solos, and improvising, then it is very important to understand what guitar scales to practice and when to use them. Before we go shredding away playing crazy guitar solos, we need to take a look at what type of chords are being used in our song or chord progression to help us decide what scales on guitar will work the best. The basic idea of how chords and scales go together is this: If a chord is only made up of a couple notes (such…
Guitar Tablature – Pros and Cons
When I start working with a new student I have a huge responsibility on how I am going to train them to read music so that they can play the songs that they want to play. There are two main options for any student to work with; reading real sheet music or reading guitar tablature. The biggest factor that I consider when deciding what path to lead my students down is their age. Basically if they are 12 or younger, I start them off on site reading and teaching them how to read real music. If they are a teenager…
How To Choose The Right Amp For Your Electric Guitar
Students who are just starting to learn guitar often ask me “What is a good guitar amp to buy”? This usually comes right after the initial question of “what is a good guitar to buy”? My answer to the second question is much simpler than the first. I always tell people to buy the guitar that inspires them the most that is within their price range. When it comes to amps however, you should put a little more thought into deciding what is right for you. Hopefully the rest of this article will give you some insight on how to…
What Kind of Guitar Should I Buy?
By: Mike Deiure This is certainly one of the most common questions that I hear from people who are interested in learning to play the guitar. My answer to this is simple but I will go into detail so that you can make a well-informed decision when it comes time to pick up your first axe. So the quick and easy answer is……. “Buy a guitar that is going to make you want to Play and Practice!” This sounds simple enough and to be honest, it is as easy as it sounds. Now let me elaborate on this idea and…
The Top 10 Reason Why Students Quit Taking Guitar Lessons
1. They are not focusing on playing the kind of music they want to If you want to learn how to play Rock music and your teacher is pushing you to learn classical guitar, then chances are, you are not going to want to play at all. Always tell your instructor what you want to learn so that they can keep things fun and interesting. There is always a certain amount of basic technique and skill that needs to be developed, but you can do this while still learning the style of music that interests you the most. 2. The…
Teaching Others To Play Guitar Make You A Better Player
One of the best ways to get better at playing guitar is to teach it. This article talks about the benefits of teaching and how to go about getting started.