Guitar chords are the most frustrating thing to master when taking easy guitar lessons. Everthing in life comes with practice.You can be asured that all the effort cursing and swearing will be well worth it in the end.Teaching students have allowed me to see the common mistakes that are made while learning to master the chords.I present (more…)
Learning to play the guitar is easily accomplished by anyone if they persevere. Excuses should not be in your vocabulary. Nothing can be accomplished without practice. I am about to show (more…)
The most important aspect of playing bass is the way the guitar is picked.The picking determines the way the notes will eventually sound.Good or bad habits learnt will surface in your playing.Bass guitar lessons will determine the quality of your playing.A change in hand positioning can (more…)
While there is no one answer that can solve everyone’s problem, there are a number of concepts and theories that can help you break through the barrier that keeps you from reaching your full potential.The one thing that you need to realize is that you don’t need to be a genius to become a great guitarist. The two key things you need to have in your possession are interest and commitment.
The guitarist who dares to challenge himself takes the risk of failing. This is where many musicians lose their battle with low self-esteem and quit.
It’s not that they didn’t take the risk, rather, that they failed and couldn’t pick themselves up again. If you realize that failure is a part of growth and that it takes many jam sessions to get some tricks down, you have just acquired the first skill you will need to become the ultimate guitarist. (more…)
The less than upbeat state of the world’s economies doesn’t seem to have dampened the widespread interest in vintage guitars; the buying and selling, maybe, the interest, no. For those with the fever who find their guitar budget tightening, Modern Guitars magazine columnist Saiichi Sugiyama reminds us that some vintage instruments have an allure often overshadowed by concerns about investment potential: they play well, sound great, and the ugly ducklings in the category might be a bargain. In his latest article, “Why Do People Buy Expensive Guitars?”, Sugiyama chronicles a shopping expedition in a well-stocked Tokyo guitar store where he meets two old Gibson electrics, one with a broken neck repair, the other a botched converion attempt, and both completely refinished and lacking original parts. Old, yes, collectible, no, but each had a unique charm. More »
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United Airlines may have reason to sing the blues, but if they are, it’s unlikely they’re playing Taylor guitars. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Carroll’s viral YouTube video “United Breaks Guitars” (close to two million views as of this writing), tells the story of his guitar’s mishandling by United Airline employees and the indifference with which his claim for compensation from United was met. A well-produced and engaging musical rant, the tale’s told with humor while giving voice to a scenario often recounted in the guitar community. Though in 2003 the American Federation of Musicians and the Transportation Security Administration produced an agreement whereby guitars would be considered carry-on luggage, there are restrictions on the size of the case and situations in which airline baggage handlers still come into contact with instruments destined for the cargo hold or passenger compartment. Carroll’s unfortunate experience occurred in 2008 when he and his band, Sons of Maxwell, flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) to Omaha, Nebraska, via United Airlines. More »
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Cary, North Carolina, resident Peter Geiger has found a way to unite two of his passions, cars and music, by creating actual-sized guitar sculptures that incorporate old automobile license plates. A long time guitar aficionado and car enthusiast, artistic inspiration struck during a home jam session when Geiger’s eyes fell on his own old plates hanging on the wall. Combining elements of both wood and metalworking, Geiger now creates his guitar sculptures for custom orders. Each piece is unique and customers can choose the style and license plates that suit them. “Sometimes people say, ‘I live in Texas and I’m moving to Louisiana. Can you make a guitar with these?’” says Geiger, and he transforms them into a piece of visual art that has special meaning to the customer. “Others” he continues, “bring me their license plates and say, ‘Here, I don’t need them, you use them. Make something special.” More »
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Guitarist Steve Vai has announced the release of a live concert film (DVD, Blu-ray) and live CD on September 29, 2009. Titled Where The Wild Things Are, the material was recorded before a sold-out audience at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2007 during Vai’s Sound Theories world tour. With 20 million units sold worldwide to-date, Where The Wild Things Are represents his 21st solo project over a 30-year career. The two-hour and forty minute set contains both several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces from his rich catalog and was filmed at the State Theatre because of the venue’s lush acoustics and attractive interior. Vai’s Sound Theories Tour supported the release of the Sound Theories Vol. I & II CDs featuring Vai and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra. Volume I presents Vai performing with the orchestra, while Volume II consists of the orchestra playing tunes written by Vai. The orchestral nature of Sound Theories accounts for the presence of two violinists in the touring band’s lineup, Alex De Pue and Ann Marie Calhoun, both of whom double on keyboards. The other band members were Jeremy Colson (drums and percussion), Bryan Beller (bass), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar), and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel). More »
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Dr. Brad DeRoche is one of the hardest working guitarists you will ever meet. He is regarded as a world-class classical guitarist who maintains a busy performance schedule of concerts and clinics every year. DeRoche is also one of the most sought after classical guitar educators in the Midwest and he holds teaching positions at Delta College, Central Michigan University and the Interlochen Arts Camp. On top of all of these commitments, DeRoche is the co-owner of the highly successful company, Strings by Mail. Currently teaching in his second season at the Interlochen Arts Camp, DeRoche took time from working with his students to talk to us about the Interlochen experience and the many projects in which he is currently involved. More »
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In July of 2009, Modern Guitars columnist Peter Wolf announced the launch of his new business, Brandwolf Consulting, LLC, aimed at helping music instrument makers with sales, marketing and related strategic concerns such as branding and distribution. Wolf recently left Paul Reed Smith Guitars where he served as the company’s Director of Sales & Marketing from 2004, having previously been the International Sales Manager for PRS since 1997. His business relationship with PRS, however, goes back to 1990 and Wolf’s founding of PRS Guitars Germany, a distribution company that imported and distributed high-end guitars and amplifiers to Central European countries. According to a recent press release from Brandwolf Consulting, “Under his direction, PRS Guitars’ export sales increased 10-fold in only 10 years and distributors and dealers in 56 additional countries were appointed and cultivated.” While on some levels the driving force behind guitar lutherie and making is a passion for the art and craft, economics plays a significant role in the contined health of the industry. Today’s financial climate poses a challenge to how guitar makers and manufacturers go forward, if not an outright threat to whether or not they can. More »
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