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All in Guitar
In 1978 I was a teenager working as a grill cook at a restaurant called Bill Knapps in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I got to know the janitor there who played some guitar and sang (he sounded a lot like Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.) His name was Dave (I can’t remember his last name.) Dave lived in a house with three other guys who were all in local bands. Dave invited me over to do some jamming. I was expecting it to be just him and me, but when I got there, two of his roommates where there.
A capo is a mechanical device that clamps onto the neck of the guitar and changes the guitar's tuning. Capos are typically used by acoustic guitar players, but they work equally well on electric guitars. There are essentially two types of guitar capos: six string capos and cut capos.
You have probably heard the saying “Practice makes perfect” and there is a element of truth to the cliche. If you practice something enough times you should be able to play it well consistently. But should perfection be the ultimate goal for music?
Chicago was one of the most popular rock bands of the 70s to incorporate a horn section into its music. This song is one you can learn in stages. Even beginners can handle the fun, opening riff with a little alternate picking practice. It simply descends down the 6th string moving form the 5th fret to the 3rd to the 2nd to the 1st to the open 6th string. Then starts again.
Did you know that the guitar is a transposing instrument? It is. What’s a transposing instrument? A transposing instrument is an instrument whose written notes are read at a pitch different than concert pitch. What is concert pitch? Concert pitch is a standard set for use in orchestras. In concert pitch the A note above middle C on the piano is 440 Hz.
Note: If you were looking for some magical chords that will make you sound like the guitar player Slash formerly of Guns 'N' Roses, I'm sorry, there are no magical chords, just magical players. This is an explanation of what Slash Chords in musical notation are and how and when to use them. It's almost magical.
A slash chord is simply a chord that uses a note other than the root note as its bass (lowest pitched) note. Since guitar chords often have multiples instances of the same note in a chord, and the root is not always the lowest pitch (bass) note, slash chords are more commonly used by piano players. But guitarists need to understand them and know how and when to play them.
Back in the 1960s when instrumental rock was twangy and cool, Wipeout ruled. Wipeout is a surf music classic that has been featured in over 20 films and countless covers by other bands. It has catchy riff/melody and only three chords. It is a great alternate picking workout, and you get to practice chord stabs. Which is good practice for not playing 3 1/2 beats per measures. Not playing can be just as effective as playing and often better than playing too much. Drummers love this song too, making it more likely to be requested.
A good workman knows his tools. Below are diagrams of the two most popular types of guitars: electric and steel string acoustic (classical or nylon string guitar parts are essentially the same as steel string acoustic guitar parts.) Guitars may have variations but the basic parts are similar for all guitars.
My love affair with effects pedals started back in the 1970's when I saved up enough to get an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man pedal. There was no Internet or YouTube back then, so any information I got about gear came from going to a music store, from friends, or from Guitar Player magazine ads.
The Deluxe Memory Man had three effects: chorus, vibrato, and echo (delay.) It was truly one of the first multi-effects pedals. I didn't really understand all it could do when I got it, but it looked cool and had lots of knobs and buttons, so I figured it had to be good.
The Allman Brother Band were know for having two electric guitar players playing harmonized guitar parts. They fused blues, jazz, and country to create a style that became known as “southern rock.” But this song feature acoustic guitar and the use of open chord shapes ascending and descending the neck with lots of open strings.
Buying an acoustic guitar can be challenging. Many acoustic guitars are similar in appearance and sound. Why do some cost hundreds of dollars, while others cost thousands? In this article I’ll take a look at the different types of acoustic guitars available, what you should get for your money, and what you should look out for when buying.
Buying an electric guitar can be an exciting experience or a source of great frustration, depending on how prepared you are. In this article I’ll take a look at the different types of electric guitars available, what you should get for your money, and what you should look out for when buying.
Types of Electrics
There are basically three types of electric guitars: solid body, hollowbody, and semi-hollowbody. Each type has numerous variations, including 7 string models and “baritone” guitars. I will focus on standard 6 string guitars.
Hollowbody
Deriving from early attempts to “electrify” acoustic guitars, the hollowbody guitar is a blend of old and new. These guitars have large bodies, some are fat and some are thin. Most are arch topped and have sound holes cut out of the body making them both acoustic and electric. Generally, they have humbucker pickups and achieve a very warm, fat tone that appeals to many jazz players.
Like most guitar players, in addition to astrophysics and molecular biology, I also studied electrical engineering. So as a side job I have decided to create a line of boutique guitar pedals. I am looking for feedback from my fellow guitar players. Here are my first two designs. What do you think?
Its name says it all. Simply step on the switch and you will have awesome tone and playing ability. No need to fiddle with knobs or jumper switches or rockers or toggles. Just get awesome.
Johnny Cash’s music is often labelled “country music” but it was really his own unique thing. His driving, train-like "boom chucka, boom chucka" alternating bass note and chord rhythm created a popular rhythm guitar style for both country and rockabilly guitarists for generations.
A common question for first time guitar buyers is “Should I buy an acoustic or an electric guitar?” Obviously the answer has a lot to do with the individual asking. Let’s see what each type of guitar has to offer.
Certain guitar players have a style so unique and new at the time that they influence generations of players who come after them. Chuck Berry is one of those players.
In Part 1 of this blog I gave an overview what effects are. I will now explain some of the more common individual effects and provide some audio examples.
The topic of guitar effects is a huge one. There are many types of guitar effects available for guitar players, and players always seem to be searching for a better model. In this two-part blog I will give an overview of what effects are and then explain what each type of effect does and how they are typically used. I will also include some audio samples.
It is amazing how many guitar players show up for lessons, practice, or even gigs without basic items needed to be ready to play. I am going to list the six items I find most useful in any setting. You should keep these in your guitar case. This list isn't intended to be comprehensive. Some players will have other essential items such as a capo or slide, but these are fairly universal items.
I have owned a few wah-wah pedals over the years. My first was a Morley Wah/Volume. It was huge monster that actually had a built-in power supply with a heavy duty power chord coming out of the unit. It also had a “feature” (at least that’s what Morley called it) that allowed it to be used with keyboards. So when you rocked it back all the way, it was out of the tonal range of the guitar and the volume dropped off. Some feature! Next up was a DOD FX-17 wah/volume pedal. It served me well for a number of years until the switch that turned the wah on and off went bad. Every time I rocked the pedal it would switch from wah to volume. It was time for a new pedal. I did a lot of research and decided on the Dunlop Crybaby 95Q.
