Archive for the ‘Guitar Playing’ Category

I’ve been playing Hard Rock/Metal and Blues guitar for about 4-5 years and I’ve been working with theory on and off for the past year. Could anyone share a couple tips that could help me improve my playing? Anything that could help me in the long run, something to practice, anything really. I just feel like I should try to take in everything musical that I can if I plan to make a career out of it. Thanks in advance.

One really good idea is to develop a 10 or 15 minute warm up routine.
This will not only warm you up every day, but can be 10 minutes where you run through major scales, minor scales, major arpeggios, minor arpeggios, diminished arpeggios, (do over one octave, two octaves and three octaves), the minor pentatonic in all 4 positions etc

It would take many hours to put this together.
But then every day, you’d be geting faster at these.
And once you’d master all these your playing would improve a lot

I’m horrible with memorizing song names, but I heard this one song by Kanye West, and it had this weird sounding Guitar Playing through the whole song, and it had high-pitched wails by Kanye, and a cool beat from Kanye’s vocal stuff.

Anyone know?

Just go to amazon.com or itunes and look up his cd 808s and heart breaks and listen to the samples of it its most likely from that cd if he is singing high pitched

I have been playing guitar for over 5 years. Recently, I got a segull acoustic guitar which i like quite a bit. The only problems ive had are with bar chords, which have been more difficult to do than on my electric guitar. Any suggestions for makeing clearer guitar bar chords would be great (such as what string gauges to use)

Acoustic guitars, by their very nature, are harder to play than electric guitars. The string gauge is thicker and the action is a bit higher. There is not really anything that can be done to change that other than putting very light gauge strings on the acoustic. This might sacrifice some of the sound quality though. I have played some Seagull guitars and they play very nicely. I doubt if you could get the action much lower on them without running the risk of fret buzz. To be sure, take it in to the store where you bought it and have them put a lighter gauge string on it and ask if the action could be lowered at that time.
I think that you will just need to get used to it. After playing an electric for so long your fingers have gotten used to the reduced tension and lower action. The best thing you can do is just play the acoustic a lot! Doing basic finger exercises like the 4X4 can help improve strength and dexterity.
Here is an example, use all four fingers.
–2-3-4-5–
–2-3-4-5–
–2-3-4-5–
–2-3-4-5–
–2-3-4-5–
–2-3-4-5–
Play each string individually, walking your way across the neck. When you get to the top, reverse direction and come back down. Do this exercise for about 5 minutes a day. It will help immensely with strength and dexterity. It will also improve your coordination and articulation.

This is my son Itai showing his talent to the world.Enjoy it

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Ok I’m 14 and I want to start playing guitar. I know it will take a while to learn and I can’t just pick it up and play so spare me that. I just want any advice on how to get started and learn and any tricks or anything to help. Thanks!

When you’re learning anything for the first time, it’s overwhelming to try to pick the most reliable source of information. You can buy a cheap book or even try to go through reading a lot of free lessons that are offered online. Keep in mind though that just like many things, you get what you pay for. A walmart book or free articles are only going to take you so far, and you probably won’t learn what you actually want to learn.

The best inexpensive yet reliable option is video lessons on the web. You actually get taught how to play. I personally have spent years and years developing a system and creating an online instructional website that is quality (not just trying to make a buck–like most sites out there). In fact, I offer a new video lesson every single week, answer questions, have a forum. It’s set up just for people like you. I actually take the time to help you as you learn. I’ve tried to make a very simple way to learn. I think you’ll like it! http://guitarmann.com

Anyway, here’s a blog post I made recently about choosing on online guitar instruction website. Good luck learning! http://guitarmann.com/articles/the-best-online-guitar-lessons There are also many other guitar blog posts you can check out!

Stephen

I have recntly started playing the guitar, and I have noticed that many good guitar players have very long fingers. Are they so good because their fingers were always long, or did their fingers grow from all that exercise they had while playing an instrument involving fingers? My cousin also plays guitar and piano, and she has long fingers, so I was wondering if playing the guitar will make my fingers grow eventually?

No, your fingers won’t grow but they will be flexible and faster.
I’ve been playing the guitar for 3 years now and I noticed that my fingers became flexible and faster in changing chords, notes etc. You will be a fast learner when your fingers become fast and flexible.

Playing the guitar didn’t make any change in size with my fingers, it just made my fingers used to the guitar. Playing the piano will definitely change your finger’s size because you’ll be reaching notes with your fingers.

I’ve worked with many guitar players and piano players, and when you look at their fingers,I can’t really see the difference of their fingers.

Learn How To Play Guitar notes the right way in this easy guitar lesson. For the purpose of this lesson, guitar notes means how to press down on the strings.
Visit http://free-guitar-lessons-online.com

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I might be going into the military and guitar is my passion. I am afraid of not playing for weeks…it is gonna suck. would doing finger exercises with my thumb help?
guitar is not a hobby and the mil is not a career.

Not playing for 6 weeks probably wouldn’t hurt your skill or technique, I’ve been playing since eighth grade and now I’m out of high school and there have been time when I wouldn’t play for weeks or even months and my skill and technique are they same as they always have been

Get clear instruction on how to play guitar chords. Learn how to switch between easy guitar chords. Visit http://www.free-guitar-lessons-online.com/how-to-play-guitar-chords.html for more free tips.

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I just bought an acoustic guitar yesterday and well i heard it was hard to learn to play and they werent kidding, it is bitch difficult! I practiced for a few hours and still am no better at playing than when i just bought. How long will it take before i can play even the simplest riffs

Here’s a breakdown of the stages of guitar learning and the approximate time it might take you to get there.

- Playing Basic Chords – This is usually the first benchmark most new players reach: The ability to strum and switch between the basic guitar chords. At this point you don’t necessarily have the chords memorized and aren’t able to play many songs, but you’re managing to fret and strum them. This level can be reached within one week.

- Playing easy songs – You’ve mastered more guitar chords and have been practicing them enough that you’ve got most of them memorized and are able to strum and switch between them without too much hassle, and without looking at the fretboard when you do. This means you can play songs! This level can be reached in two to three weeks of daily practice, though for many it might be longer.

- Playing Barre and Power Chords – We’re moving right along and you’re advancing to a level where most self-taught guitarists never go. Barre Chords are much more difficult than open chords and learning these takes extra practice and a whole new set of strength in your fretting hand. It’s possible to play most barre chords in two months, quicker for some who practice a lot.

- Fingerpicking – The ability to pluck individual strings and play simple riffs (short solo pieces on individual strings) is a new skill your strumming hand needs to learn. This can usually be achieved in two to three months if you start to learn and play easy guitar tabs.

- Lead Guitar – A Lead guitarist is the guy or girl who’s got the audience at his/her beckoning. Playing solo’s and using techniques like slurring, vibrato and palm muting is a whole new set of rules and I’d give it three to four months. This might be way off depending on what kind of music we’re talking about – playing acoustic solo’s might take less time, but playing rock or metal solo’s will probably take longer.

- The improviser – A guitarist that can improvise riffs and solos on the spot (and in the middle of a song), have moved from the realm of amateurship to being a pro or semi-pro. Depending on how much talent you have and what you’re musical background is, this might take anything from six months to a year.

Please note that these time lengths are given as a very broad estimate and aimed at people with little musical experience. If it takes you longer than a week to learn the basic chords, don’t get upset. These times are not set in stone and you have to learn and develop at a pace that’s natural and comfortable for you!

http://www.pluckandplayguitar.com/how-long-to-learn-guitar.html