Learning to play guitar is probably a dream many people have. Nevertheless, it’s complicated to start from zero and become a great guitar player. The Internet offers valuable advice for those who want to learn and master guitar, starting with free online guitar lessons.

Some of the greatest songs in the world have awesome guitar licks. We have all grown fond of such music, learning to appreciate the input of professional guitarists. If you dream to learn and master guitar on your own, then you have the Internet to help you out. You can take full advantage of free online guitar lessons and discover sounds you love and hum all the time. Guitar is present in various music genres, including country, folk and especially rock and roll. This is probably one of the reasons why so many people want to become guitar players.

Music, someone once said, is food for the soul. If you are looking to feed the soul of other people through your guitar playing, then free online guitar lessons are a great place to start. Thanks to the World Wide Web, you now have access to specialized resources, allowing you to learn and master guitar. In just a short period of time, you will certainly impress all of your friends and family members with your skills. Or maybe you need free online guitar lessons for your kids. There are so many motives for wanting to become a guitarist. They are all worth it.

Do you want to learn and master guitar playing? If the answer to that question is positive, then do not hesitate. Surf the web in search of professional free online guitar lessons and prepare yourself. Learning to play guitar can be an impressive journey, especially if you have follow a professional course. Why pay incredible sums of money to be trained by an instructor when you can have the same type of training online? Free online guitar lessons are particularly useful for beginners but there are many people who have played guitar before, looking to develop their playing abilities. As a guitar player, you can never say that you are done practicing.

The courses presented online for those who want to learn and master guitar are made by professionals in the field, guitarist with years of experience. They can help you learn all different style of guitar music, accompanying their lessons with photos and instructional videos. You will get the right kind of practice, learning all about guitar playing, hand positions and tempos. There are also plenty of books for you to discover on the subject, showing the notes and offering instructions on how to read music. Before you even know it, you’ll have accumulated all the basic knowledge a guitar player needs to have.

Guitar is a complicated instrument but one that offers the most incredible music. If you are really serious about learning to play, then you can definitely use the Internet. Thanks to free online guitar lessons, you will learn and master guitar, including: strumming, rhythm and key changes. All this information might seem new to you but it won’t take too long before you ‘master’ it!

If you want to learn and master guitar, then our website is more than perfect. Make sure you discover all the information presented online and check out free online guitar lessons! Are you ready to start jamming?
learn and master guitar,free online guitar lessons,music,key changes,hand positions,tempos,guitar music.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

So, you would love to learn to play the guitar? Then why not learn to play guitar online. Yes you heard me right learn online! Who said you had to pay ridiculously high rates to a teacher when you can learn it yourself. No more trying to fit in lessons when they don’t suit you because you can do it at home at any time that suits you. No dealing with transportation, babysitting, illness, cancellations and so on.
 
You maybe someone who doesn’t have the money for lessons so this could be a great opportunity for you also. Most people who learn this way love the fact that they can do it at any time of the day. No traveling required or times to juggle. If you’re a mum with little kids then it can be done when they are in bed. In this day and age most people’s lives are very fast paced and there is often little time for going back and forth to lessons.
If this sounds like you then why not take the plunge and do something that you have always wanted to do in the privacy of your own home and for a minimal amount of money.

With the development of the World Wide Web, music teachers have gone online to offer lessons to adults in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. 
 
In This article you will learn the importance of learning how to play acoustic guitar by a very famous guitar player and teacher, Ben Edward.
 
Ben Edward is a highly respected guitar teacher. He is the former lead guitarist for the popular down-under band “DegreesK”, who he toured with internationally.

Before joining the band he gained a Bachelor of Education. His passion for teaching others, especially guitar, sparked him to develop Jamorama – The Ultimate Guitar Learning Kit and now the Jamorama Acoustic Guitar Learning Kit .

 He designed Jamorama Acoustic Guitar to be a complete learning system, and the easiest to follow guitar learning method available. It comes jam-packed with information. 

He teaches guitar fluency and teaches you how to use your ear to bring you to the stage where you can play virtually any guitar song that you hear. He uses well known songs to guide your learning right from the start! He has made each song very easy for you to learn by breaking them down into small parts, so you can practice each part individually and then put it all together. 

 
Jamorama Acoustic Guitar is packed full of quality step-by-step lessons, video files, games and other resources to get YOU results fast! .  

Ben has integrated 153 video lessons and 26 high quality Acoustic Jam Tracks for you to play along with! You can turn the guitar track off and play along with our percussionist and bass guitarist or you can leave the guitar track playing and try and keep up.

All in all, Jamorama Acoustic Guitar contains 259 pages of information in 153 step-by-step acoustic video lessons in two high quality books that take you on a journey from beginner to advanced in your guitar playing. That includes high-quality video lessons, Acoustic Jam Tracks, hundreds of lines of tablature, and my hugely popular software learning games.

To read more about What Ben Edwards has provided and done for you to make this as easy as possible to learn to play the guitar and also more about Jamorama Acoustic Guitar kit, please visit.. . http://tinyurl.com/4nzs5r,

http://tinyurl.com/4nxand. 

 

Advantages of Learning to Play the Guitar Online:

 

1. A beginner may forget about textbooks and magazines because online learning will provide a beginner the exact guitar lessons and have audio visual images that allow a person to see and hear the tones he will follow.

2. A person will be provided with high quality tablature. Online lessons will teach a person how to read TAB. This will allow a person to easily pick up the guitar TAB, and read it faster than learning from textbooks or magazines.

3. Online lessons about the same as hiring a personal guitar instructor. There are techniques and methods a person may develop in his continuing learning about the guitar.

4. It will provide a person unlimited access to the guitar lesson. A person may choose when he wants to access his lessons.

5. Online lessons will help a person develop his own technique of playing the guitar. He will be able to execute soloing styles and he may apply these when playing.

6. A person may save more money because of the free access that an online guitar lesson offers. Hiring a personal instructor may be expensive especially if he is a slow learner.

7. A person will learn the correct way to use finger style techniques and realize that he will have more knowledge of picking and strumming.

8. A person may learn how to write his own songs and be creative with the notes of his composition.

Jacqueline Gharibian has reviewed lots of jamorama guitar lessons and courses.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

Guitars are the most common instruments played by many music lovers of all ages. Even kids can easily learn to play the guitar. Choosing the right guitar is very easy. There are many types of guitars that can go along with any kind of music. All a guitar player needs to do is identify the kind of music he prefers to know which type of guitar is best for him.

The following are the most common types of guitars.

Classical Guitars

Classical guitars are the father of all guitars. They have been used for many genres and all kinds of music. Classical guitars come with nylon strings which give the guitar a unique and colorful sound. The sizes of classical guitars have been standard for many years. Classical guitars that are of the finest quality are made with spruce or cedar tops. The guitar is able to produce various sounds even with the use of fingernails.

Electric Guitars

Electric guitars are the next most common guitar especially in the 20th century. Electric guitars are known as the main attraction of rock music. These guitars have been famous since rock music was introduced and blend very well with jazz, pop and even blues music. The main difference between other guitars and electric guitars is that they are played with amplifiers because they are unable to produce sound without amplification.

Steel Guitars

Steel guitars acquired their name because they are literally made of steel. These types of guitars are played horizontally. A guitar player may place the guitar across his knees or legs or on a stand. The pedal steels of these guitars are the ones responsible for their unique sounds.

Bass Guitars

Bass guitars are similar to electric guitars. However, there are also variations in these guitars such as the acoustic bass guitars. Although bass guitars fall under the family of guitars, the sounds they produce are very distinctive and separate from any other guitar. The reason is that bass guitars usually have four strings unlike standard guitars that have six to twelve strings.

Many other guitars may be found on the market. There are also the archtop guitars, twelve strings guitars, solid body guitars and the resonator guitars. All these types of guitars produce different kinds of music that can satisfy the taste of many music lovers. All a person has to do is identify his taste for music to be able to decide which guitar is perfect for him and his music.

For More Information on Guitar Playing by Ian Williamson please visit http://guitar.you-can-learn.info

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

There is not any other single product that has taken the world by such a storm since the invention of the video game console itself. The history repeats again with the world famous Guitar Hero World Tour Video Game. With this awesome video game rock star wannabes everywhere can now rock out and play to their favorite songs using pressing buttons on a pretend guitar. The most amazing thins about this is, it doesn’t bound with the age as everyone from grandparents, soccer moms to teens can play their favorite songs. And since parents, grandparents and kids alike love this awesome video game it is a great way for parents to bond with our kids.

Well Guitar Hero is the fourth version of well famous version of Guitar Hero series. The new version of this instant classic possesses even more rocking capability of any of the other three video games combined. Another exiting thing about this game is it is not bounded with the video gaming console as the game is available with Nintendo Wii, Xbox, and Sony Playstation. The most recent version of game includes main tool the guitar, drums and microphone. That means no hassle to buy separate accessories, all in one go.

These new accessories will allow players to add drumming and lyrics to their songs, creating a more vibrant rock star experience. These new version supports multiplayer support up to four players so the new version is perfect for families as well as friends. It will allow you to experiment on you means you can even create and record your own songs giving you the ability to show just how big of a rock star you really are.

This new version of Guitar Hero World Tour allows player to customize their favourite rock star, which includes even age and tattoos, I am sure that will add really great fun. The game can even virtually represent real life music venues from around the world. So don’t wait and get your copy today and start rocking the world.

Angelina Maben – Author, Editor, Marketing Manager, Authorized Representative, Website Co-ordinator.For more information about Guitar Hero World Tour and for Memory cards visit at www.blueunplugged.com

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

Guitar Hero Cheats 3

There he was, on a dark stage. Everything was silent; the only light was coming from the television. Then we heard a drum and some guitar feedback. Then out of nowhere a guitar hero 3 “artist” screeched, squealed and raced on while nearly deafening everybody in the crowd (house). Who is this madman? He plays Guitar Hero 3 like no other. He never misses a single note. He’s flawless, he’s incredible he’s ……………….dad cheating haha.

Ever feel like you want to get the best of that game? Hey we all need to get ‘er done some how. Sometimes Guitar Hero 3 seems more difficult than the real thing. Yeah I play an actual 6 string guitar but sometimes I like to play my sons guitar hero game. You should have seen the look on his face after I found these killer Guitar Hero 3 Cheats. He didn’t know I was cheating and I was blowing through those guitar licks and never missed a single note. Yeah, most everybody reading this probably thinks I’m an old man who has to cheat, but I can play a mean guitar.

Haha I can even play a mean Guitar Hero 3 when I’m cheating. Ahhh…… it’s priceless for once to see his jaw drop to the floor.

Sneak on over to my website and you will find every cheat needed to freak out your dad, mom, brother, sister and best of all, your own kids hahaha. This stuff is priceless guys & gals. Especially for you fellow guitar players who can’t stand to play guitar hero and want to show your kids something. It may be fleeting but the look on their puss will be priceless!

You can unlock 13 new guitars and 3 guitar players, Slash, Tom Morello and Lou. You can also simply unlock everything!

You will be able to play the most diffiicult songs mistake free. You will be a Guitar Hero!

Visit My Tip Search site and look up my Guitar Hero Cheats 3 page!

Written By Steve Snyder

Find this page and lots more tips at TipSearch.info

Feel free to use this article in your newsletter or website, just make sure the links point toward my site and you give me credit.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

What would a rock band be without a bass guitar? It is one of the most overlooked of the rock instruments, but it is also one of the most essential. Without a bass, the only beat you have to go with is the beat of the drums, and that does not always work for certain songs.

The bass guitar is also one of the easiest of instruments to learn how to play. It only has a few chords, and often in songs, it uses the same beat over and over, with a few variations. Due to the ease of use, as well as its role as a part of rock and roll, many kids will want to take up the bass guitar.

However, the problem with bass guitars is that they are not cheap. This is not a problem for the child, but it is a problem for the parent who wants to encourage their child to try musical instruments to broaden their horizons.With bass guitars costing upwards of a few hundred dollars, what can parents do to ensure that they will be able to afford to buy a bass guitar for their children.

The answer comes in the form of a used bass guitar, which are a dime a dozen and can be found in stores and online.When you have the option of paying hundreds of a new bass guitar, or paying as little as $50 for a used bass guitar, which are you going to choose?

As any parent can tell you, children often get bored of things they are enthusiastic about, very quickly. If you spend hundreds on a new bass guitar and your child gets bored with it, then you are going to be out a lot of money. Even if you sell it, you will be selling it for a lot less than you bought it for, and you will take a heavy hit in the pocket book.

However, with used bass guitars, you will not pay a lot and if your child bores of it, then no harm no foul. You can then sell it and make a profit, or break even, whichever is good. When you are looking for a used bass guitar, try online and pawn shops. Online, you will find sites like Craigslist.com and eBay.com, which often have excellent instruments for sale. Pawn shops also have very cheap prices and if you decide to sell the bass guitar, you can sell it right back to the pawn shop.

Bass guitars are essential in rock music, think of bands like The Who, Nirvana, or The Red Hot Chili Peppers, without their signature bass rifts. As a result, many children want to learn to play the bass guitar and they will often go to great measures to convince their parents to buy it for them. If you are going to buy a bass guitar, make sure it is a used one, because the last thing you want when you spend a lot of money is to have your kid toss it into the closet after a month.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used bass guitar CDs, autographed bass guitar CDs, and used bass guitars.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

Probably the most popular type of instrument for starting out musicians is the guitar. How can it not be? Children these days are raised on the music of the guitar, from Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page to Kurt Cobain, Kirk Hammett and Jack White.

The guitar is something that so many people play, that there is a surplus of guitars all over the world for kids to try their hands out on.While not the easiest instrument to use, it is certainly not the hardest. For this reason, millions of kids in North America and around the world take up the guitar, about the time many take up the piano, because it has proven to be so popular.

This then creates a problem for parents because often the price of guitars is not low, and that means many families have to choose between paying for the guitars and encouraging the growth of their musical child, or not buying the instrument that may result in a lost opportunity for the child, and the family. So what can a family do?

Well, the best thing they can do is to buy a used guitar. A used guitar is not something that is going to be dinged and barely playable, but will in fact be an excellent training tool for your child to try out their musical gift on.Buying a used guitar has many benefits to it that parents need to look at.

First of all, there is the cost. Used guitars cost much, much less than other new types of guitars. Often, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars for a new guitar, but only $100 or less for used guitars. These savings mean that you will have a much easier chance getting a guitar for your son or daughter to begin training on.

Second, there is a risk your child may bore of the guitar and stop playing it. If this happens, you are on the hook for a lot of money with a new guitar and if you sell it, you are looking at a huge loss. However, with a used guitar from a pawn shop, you pay little for it and you will not worry about breaking the bank when it only cost you $75. Then, if your child stops playing, you sell it at another pawn shop for $50 to $100, and you are no worse for wear. If the child does not bore of the guitar and begins to love it, then you can think about trading that guitar in for a newer and better one.

Used guitars are very popular among parents because they allow them to encourage their children to try musical hobbies that may benefit them later in life. They cost less, they don’t force you to hope your child does not bore of them, and they can be traded in for the same cost when you do get rid of it. For any parent, used guitars are the best option.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used guitar CDs, autographed guitar CDs, and used guitars .

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

So you’ve wanted to be a rock star since you were a kid, (maybe you’re still a kid), and you’ve decided that to be a rock star you need to learn to play the electric guitar.

Problem is you really don’t know a lot about electric guitars, and if you’re going to buy one you need to learn a little more about them. A lot actually.

The best piece of advice is to buy yourself a cheap electric guitar. When you’re first learning it’s not essential that you own a hugely expensive model of electric guitar. It’s usually harder just to make it produce the sound you want it to produce, so you don’t need the best guitar.

Secondly, it’s important to start learning about the different types of electric guitar available. As you progress through the process of learning to play the guitar you will eventually need to trade up to a more expensive guitar, and if you know what sound it is you want to produce and which guitar is more likely to do that you’ll probably be happier with your choice. But remember, first all you need is a basic cheap electric guitar till you’ve learned how to play the basics.

The start to your journey learning about electric guitars is to learn what all the part of the guitar are. And what different options there are with each of the parts. This is a pretty complex subject to tackle and you can spend years learning all about what produces which type of sound from an electric guitar, but here’s a few basic terms,

The body of the guitar isn’t always the same. You can get solid bodied guitars, and hollow bodied, or even semi hollow. Each produces a different sound. There is usually a sound hole where the sound comes from and these can be in different places, depending on the style of guitar. Pickups catch the resonance of the strings and transmit them to the amplifier to enable it to produce the amplified sound.

The soundboard is timber and is mounted on the front of the guitar and helps amplify the sound.

The neck of the guitar is the long piece that holds the strings and has a series of frets along the neck, this can also be known as the fingerboard. At the top of the neck is the head of the guitar and this holds the tuning pegs which help in the tuning of the guitar by tightening or loosening the strings.

The strings can vary in number according to what type of guitar you play. A bass guitar can have as few as 4 strings whilst some guitars have up to 12 strings. Guitar strings can be made from a number of different materials.

That’s the very basics of electric guitars, and that’s only the first step in the process of learning about guitars and how to play them. The sound that you want to produce will require you to learn a lot about the way the sounds are produced, and you’ve got many years of learning in front of you if you’re serious about becoming a rock star, or even just an accomplished guitar player.

But remember the first bit of advice. It takes a long time to learn to play, and if you’re just starting out take your time, learn as you go, about how guitars work as well as how to play one, and start with a basic cheap electric guitar until you’ve attained a basic proficiency.

Then you can splash out on the electric guitar that only can make sing. Good luck.

For a website totally dedicated to cheap electric guitars visit Peter’s Website Cheap Electric Guitar Deals and find out about cheap Ibanez electric guitars and more, including cheap Takamine electric guitars.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

Different styles convey that is trying to find beginner guitar lessons can be within all types regarding places. Will no longer can it be just around a tutor to show you the ropes, or strings today it is possible to buy some awesome DVD’s or online course that can get you up in running right away. Electric guitar lessons need to be fun if the keen student is always to learn every one of the skills and techniques that take chords, and chord progressions and turn them into well known songs.

 

Let’s say the student doesn’t have much time? Once again there are some awesomely powerful learning tools which can be purchased for as few as $30.00USD understanding that isn’t for one lesson which is for a whole series of beginner guitar lessons that with just 15 minutes per day will produce outstanding results.

 

Young university students have a number of things to bother with – exams, lack of money, lack of time and never know it start with all the studying they should implement it beginner guitar instruction is a fool proof and fun solution to relieve a bit of stress and build something which is just for the kids as they quite simply take their career dream.

 

Back to the old problem of energy? What if practicing his guitar student – be it someone planning to university, a mum with small children, a dad or husband that is rushing round wanting to keep everyone else’s dreams alive – where do they find the time and energy to take beginner guitar lessons? With all this busyness and craziness guitar lessons for beginners seems impossible. How possibly do they easily fit into guitar lessons when the boss wants his reports in from the end of the week, or kids need their to understand another set of all important Baby Einstein CD or student just wants to find time to learn how to cook!

 

With just a click on the internet these money strapped and time strapped must explore and find what the market has to offer, spend just 15 minutes on the net as well as the tools will simple grab you and take one to the promised land of making real music, and in just 15 minutes a day practicing while using right pair of methods.

 

Learn quicker, enjoy faster and build music in no time will turn those stressful, anxiety filled days with peace, love and guitar music that will turn that $30USD into something which is really a lot more priceless – your happiness!

www.ultimatebeginnerguitar.com/smain.php have taken beginner guitar lessons and turned them into something fun, enjoyable and affordable. While using right tools, DVD’s and feedback anyone taking beginner guitar lessons are going being blown away just by how learning the proper steps means their time is not wasted. Exploring and experimenting in this way guitar lessons for newbies will create the right style and help amounts right path for musicians.

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids

<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} h2 {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-outline-level:2; font-size:18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; font-weight:bold;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>

Playing your first chords

 

When you first pick up the electric guitar and are unsure exactly what to do with it, one of the first things you will generally learn are some simple chords.

So, just what is a chord, anyway?

Technically, a chord is a set of harmonically related notes, played simultaneously.  To be less academic about it, a chord is what happens when you strum several strings together to create a pleasing sound.

The first chords you will learn here are known as Open Chords.  These chords take advantage of the open strings.

There is another type of chord known as a Barre Chord.  These chords involve pressing one or more fingers down across several strings.  Because barre chords involve no open strings, the same shapes can be moved up and down the neck to create a chord in any key.  In theory they are not any more complex to play than an open chord.  However, they do require more strength in the fingering hand, which can make them frustrating for very new guitarists.  This is only a problem for beginner guitarists, after a brief time learning electric guitar you will quickly have enough strength not to be bothered by having to barre a chord.

Chords are named after their root note.  The root note is just what musicians the note around which the chord is built.  They come in two basic varieties, major and minor.  A major chord can be said to have a “strong”, “bright” and “happy” sound, while a minor chord has a comparitively “darker” or more “melancholy” sound.

To start with here, for your first chords, we will play 3 different major open chords.  For help reading the chord charts, see my post on how to read chord charts.  And now, without any further ado, here are the chords:

To play an Open E, place your index finger on the G string at the first fret, place your middle finger on the A string at the second fret, and place your ring finger on the D string at the second fret.  Then play every string and let the chord ring out.  You’ve just played an open E!

To play an Open A, place your middle finger on the D string at the second fret, place your ring finger on the G string at the second fret, and place your pinky on B string at the second fret.  Then play every string except for the low E.

To play an Open D, place your index finger on the G string at the second fret, place your middle finger on the high E string at the second fret, and place your ring finger on the B string at the third fret.  Then sound the 4 high strings, leaving the low E and the A strings unplayed.

That’s it, you now know three chords on the electric guitar! If they feel a bit awkward at first, that’s okay.  Keep playing through them so that they feel a bit more natural, and stay tuned for more posts on how to use these three chords to play a song.

 

Gibson’s Top 50 guitarists of all time – 50 to 41

 

The Gibson guitar company is compiling a list of the top 50 guitarists of all time.  They’ve got their list from some fairly inscrutable process involving votes from their website’s readers, and from their own team of judges.  They are releasing their results ten at a time, so here are guitarists #50 to #41- I’ve included a little bit of information about each guitarist.

49. (tie) Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmore’s night)

One of the most influential guitarists of all time, who managed to combine raucous blues-rock riffing with european classical inspired phrases in a way that nobody had attempted before.  His raw panache, affinity for the harmonic minor scale and love for the Fender Stratocaster inspired many guitarists throughout the years, including a young Yngwie Malmsteen.  A truly prolific and prodigious performer, he is probably most widely known for writing the instantly recognisable riff to Smoke on the Water, as well as for his much-publicised disputes with his bandmates.

49. (tie) Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)

Though not a master technician by any stretch, and an extremely unlikely guitar hero, for a brief time in the early 1990s this guy probably did more to prompt young kids to learn guitar than anybody else on the planet.  His band Nirvana was the flagship band of the grunge movement, which combined punk and alternative attitude with much of the riffmanship of hard rock and early heavy metal.  He was known for playing heavily modified, discontinued Fender guitars, and an ever changing variety of amps and effects.

47. (tie) Robert Fripp (King Crimson, solo)

Robert Fripp is not the pioneer of progressive rock guitar, but over the years he has probably become it’s principal exponent.  A left-hander who plays right-handed guitars, he is notable for being one of the few famous guitarists to emerge from the late 60s and early 70s without a significant blues influence in his playing.  His crossing of avant-garde jazz and european classical ideas with rock instrumentation became a key part of progressive rock and jazz fusion.

47. (tie) Andrés Segovia

A spanish classical guitarist born in the nineteenth century, he influenced classical guitar both as a performer and as a transcriptionist, teacher and arranger.  The video recording of him playing live at the Alhambra are an excellent introduction to his work.

42. (tie) Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters)

A blues guitarist and singer from Arkansas, whose work with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters managed to influence Jimmy Page, Robbie Robertson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Joe Perry.  At 78 years old, and despite health complications, he is still touring.

42. (tie) Clarence White (Nashville West, Muleskinner, The Kentucky Colonels, The Byrds)

Clarence White was a bluegrass guitarist who moved to Los Angeles to find work as a session player.  By joining The Byrds he became one of the key influences in marrying country music to rock.

42. (tie) Rory Gallagher (Taste, solo)

An Irish blues-rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, who formed the band Taste in the 1960s and performed solo for decades after.  Along with Van Morrison and Phil Lynott, he was among the first Irish musicians to become famous by performing blues-based rock.  Such was his influence on the genre that David Coverdale invited him to replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple, although he chose instead to pursue his solo career.

42. (tie) John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

After replacing Hilel Slovak as the guitarist for funk-rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, he found himself launched into mainstream celebrity after their breakthrough album Blood Sugar Sex Magic.  Drug problems saw him replaced for some years by Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro, though he has since returned to the band.

42. (tie) Richard Thompson

An electric folk player from the 60s who still performs today.  A performer in his own right, he has also written songs for artists as diverse as Dave Gilmour, Bonnie Raitt and The Corrs.
41. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd, solo)

A progressive rock guitarist who has influenced players for decades ever since joining Pink Floyd in the early days of the band when led by fellow guitarist Syd Barrett.  While he is often cited for his innovative use of effects and adventurous song ideas, the lead guitar playing which he is most noted for is deeply rooted in the blues.

 

So why learn to play guitar?

For many of us, our decision to learn guitar is not something we ever thought about too hard.  It was almost as though it was made for us.. we just knew that it was something we had to do.  For other people though, it’s something they will need to find some logical reasons to do it.  Here are some of the best reasons why you would want to learn to play electric guitar.

It will make you smarter

Studies have shown that kids who learn musical instruments do better in school.  An interview with over 1000 CEOs and congressmen found that over 90% said that playing a musical instrument helped them “develop character and leadership skills”.  It’s not to see why.. learning a musical instrument will improve your concentration, your hand eye coordination, and makes you think for yourself.

It’s a good way to connect with other people

Playing guitar can seem like it might be a solitary activity.. and when you just feel like chilling out on your own, it can be.  But it also provides so many chances to meet new people, and make friends that last a lifetime!  Playing in a band, jamming at jam sessions, having a bash at an open mic night all get you out of the house, socialising and having fun.  Even when you leave the guitar at home, simply being a guitar player will give you something in common with other guitarists, and players of other instruments besides.  I don’t know of a single guitarist who doesn’t owe some of their strongest friendships to the instrument.

A guitar is an excellent songwriting tool

If you want to write your own music, you will find it much easier to do if you have the grasp of an instrument.  And the best instruments for this are guitar, and piano/keyboards.  Both instruments allow you to play both chords, riffs, and single note melodies.  They also let you easily sing over the top of what you are playing.

It’s a great way to blow off steam

Playing guitar can relax you – in those times when you are too tense or angry to relax, it can also be extremely cathartic.  Way back in the 17th century (some 250 years before Leo Fender built his first guitar amplifier) the poet/playwright William Congreve knew this already, writing that “Musick has charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.”

Learning Electric Guitar will help you play acoustic and bass guitar

The electric guitar and acoustic guitar are basically the same instrument.  There are differences, of course. Acoustic guitars tend to have heavier strings, and less upper fret access.  They also don’t really get the same sweet singing tone of an electric guitar plugged into an overdriven amp.  However, you can play the same notes and chords on the same strings and frets, provided they’re both tuned the same.  A bass guitar is also similar to an electric guitar.  Basically, if you take the bottom 4 strings of an electric guitar, tune them an octave down, and put them on a much longer neck, then you will have a bass guitar.  The left hand technique is much the same.  Bass guitarists often use fingers instead of a pick, however knowing the guitar will make the bass easy to approach.

It will challenge you

Playing guitar is difficult.  Even when you become good, there is always something new to tackle.  Learning to play guitar involves finger strength, wrist strength, a great deal of coordination, a good ear, a little bit of reading, and a head for what you’re playing.  And somehow you have to combine all of those things to create something that communicates a thought or a feeling, and that speaks to people.  Every new chord, every new song, every new piece of theory and every new approach to constructing melodies and phrases that you master is a real and substantial achievement.  This is part of what makes playing guitar such a deeply rewarding pursuit – the satisfaction that you feel when the work you put in turns into results.

It will give you a creative outlet

Playing guitar lets you express creative energy and emotion.  It gives you a way to share it with an audience – or not, if you’d rather not.  Either way, it’s a wonderful tool for self expression, and for creative experimentation and for pursuing musical ideas.

A guitar is easy to transport

You can carry a guitar with one hand.  An electric guitar fits easily in even a small car, in either the back seat, the passenger seat or the boot, with plenty of room to spare.  It can be packed in a case with all the cables and accesories you need packed in there as well.  You can walk down the street with it, or catch public transport with one.  There are even guys who strap them to their back and ride a motorcycle with one.  Try that with your piano or your drumkit!

It’s so much fun!

A friend of mine likes to remark that playing guitar “is the most fun you can have with your clothes on” – although, I guess, that’s not always strictly necessary.  It’s hard to explain just what it is about playing guitar that can make you feel so damn great.  But it’s a great activity that you can enjoy throughout your life, and that will comfort you in the bad times and keep you happy in the good.  There’s something about it that just puts a smile on your face.  Give it a try!

Buying a gift for a guitarist

Birthdays, anniversaries, christmas time – these are all times when you might need or want to buy a gift for someone.  What better thing to get a guitarist than a guitar related gift?  It’s a good idea, but there’s just so much out there you could choose from.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Picks and strings:  These make a great gift idea, for a number of reasons.  Firstly, because they’re fairly affordable.  And secondly, because guitarists can always use more of them!  Even the guitarist who has everything will wear out his picks and strings and need to replace them periodically.  Make sure you get the right type though!  Strings need to be replaced by strings of the same gauge, otherwise the guitar will need a new setup for a new string gauge.  Picks will also need to be a similar material and thickness to what the guitarist is used to.  If you don’t want to ruin the surprise of the gift by asking what they use currently, you can always ask their partner or somebody who lives with the guitarist to see if they can have a look at the packaging of the strings or set of picks that they last bought

Tuning a Guitar – What should you tune to?

An electric guitar really does sound a lot better when it’s in tune.  Even the nicest, priciest, most gorgeous fourteen thousand dollar special edition Les Paul will sound terrible if the tuning is out.  If you’re not sure exactly what you should tune to, here’s a guide.

Standard tuning on a guitar is – going from the lowest pitch strings to the highest – E, A, D, G, B, E.  This is the “normal” way to tune a guitar, and if you see a song written with no guide for what to tune to, this is what you should assume you tune to.  Refer to the picture on the left for a guide.

You will often hear of tunings referred to as “C standard”, “E flat standard” etc.  This means that every string has been lowered from standard tuning by the same number of steps, so that the low string is set to the note in the name of the tuning.  Because each string has been lowered by the same amount, the guitar can be played exactly the same as a standard tuning guitar, it will just sound at a lower pitch.

Open tunings are tunings that will play a chord when you simply strike all the open strings.  They are popular with slide players, because you can get a new chord just by moving.

Drop tunings are guitars tuned to standard tuning, with the lowest string “dropped” an extra whole step.  “Drop D” is a standard tuning except with the lowest string tuned down to D.  Drop C is a standard tuning with every string lowered a whole step, except for the lowest string which is lowered two whole steps to C, etc.  Drop tunings are popular with a lot of guitarists, who like how they allow you to play a power chord by playing the bottom three strings all on the same fret.

Tuning to Concert Pitch

Until a little over a century ago, there was no standard in western music for the correct pitch for each note.  Different instruments could be perfectly in tune with themselves, and then be woefully out of tune when played together.  To allow instruments to play together, some standards of pitch were introduced over the centuries, however these could vary wildly between region to region, and even in the same city.

In 1939, an international conference set a standard that the A above Middle C should be set at 440 Hz, and this is now known as Concert Pitch.

So what does this mean for you as a guitarist? Well, if you’re just going to be playing alone, not a lot actually; it will be enough that your guitar is in tune with itself.  But if you are going to be playing along with a band, or with a recording, then you will want your guitar to be in tune not just with itself, but with everyone else too.  If you are using an electronic tuner then you can pretty much rely on it to tune you to concert pitch.  If you are tuning by ear to another instrument, be aware that it might not be in concert pitch!  Some pianos are tuned slightly flat, not being able to be take the strain of being tuned all the way to concert pitch, due to age or design.  If you tune to one of these, and then try to jam with some dudes who have tuned using an electronic tuner then things might sound a little sour.  You have to be just as careful if you are tuning by ear to a recording.  Many recordings are not in concert pitch too – bands like Pantera often tuned slightly flat of the notes on purpose because they liked the sound – many older bands often didn’t have an electronic tuner available, and just tuned to a note from an electronic organ or from the bass guitar.  Some even had the pitch of the recording changed by altering the speed of the magnetic tape they recorded to, sometimes by accident, and sometimes on purpose. Chuck Berry was famously sped up a great deal, because the record company wanted to “make him sound younger”.

So does this mean you will always want to tune to concert pitch?  Most of the time you will probably want to.  But when you are going to be playing along to recordings or with instruments that are tuned to a different pitch, then you will want to be in tune with them.  Some electronic tuners can be set to a pitch sharp or flat from concert pitch.. otherwise you can tune by ear to a note from the recording, or to one of the other instruments.  If there is a fixed-tune instrument in the band, such as a piano or keyboard, then tune to a note from that.

Charvel Guitars

I’m a big fan of Charvel and Jackson guitars myself.  I first became interested in them when finding out that a lot of my favourite players, such as Eddie Van Halen, Warren Demartini, Randy Rhoads, Vinnie Vincent, Richie Sambora, George Lynch, Jake E. Lee and even Billy Gibbons were, and often still are, players of the brand.

Charvel are one of the most important and influential innovators in the history of guitar making.  Starting off as a repair, parts and customisation shop, Wayne Charvel was one of the first luthiers to provide exotic and adventurous finishes for guitarists not satisfied with the plain sunbursts and solid colours offered by the major manufacturers at the time.  Wayne Charvel was a hotrod enthusiast, and brought the hotrod flames over to guitars, customising some of ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons’ fender guitars with a hotrod flame finish.  The original charvel shop also sold high quality parts, at a time when the big makers had definitely let their standards drop.

But it’s as the originators of the “superstrat” that Charvel really had their biggest impact on the electric guitar.  A young Eddie Van Halen bought a stratocaster style neck and body from the Charvel guitar shop, and put a humbucker in the bridge, using a nail to fix it to the body, and painting it white with black stripes.  When, under Grover Jackson, Charvel started making their own guitars, this guitar was the template that they took for their superstrat.  This guitar had a similar body shape to a Fender Stratocaster, but had a humbucker in the bridge, and very soon were made with Kahler and Floyd Rose tremolo systems, allowing for excellent tuning stability.  The necks were made especially well, allowing fast playing and excellent access to the upper frets.  They also featured rear routed electronics cavities, instead of the pickguards contained on the traditional stratocaster, making for a better tone with no plastic right underneath the strings, not to mention a more tasteful and streamlined appearance.

Charvel also introduced the compound radius neck.  This is a neck that with a lower radius near the headstock than near the body.. meaning that the neck felt rouder at the nut, making chord work and riffs much easier to play.  Up high though, the neck was flat and wide, making it easier to play leads and to bend notes.

The original Charvels are known as “San Dimas” Charvels, named for the neck plates which contained the words San Dimas, though only the companies PO Box was in San Dimas, while the actual production was in Glendora, California.  The first runs of japanese Charvels were also exceptional quality instruments.. these being known as the “model” series guitars because they were named Charvel Model 1, Charvel Model 5 etc.  These are some of the most original and innovative guitars made, offering superb tone and breathtaking styling, along with extremely high quality parts and manufacture.

Unfortunately, while the original non-american guitars were as good as the San Dimas Charvels, the company started cutting costs aggressively and making some absolutely abysmal instruments.  By the end of the eighties, Charvel had gone from being a custom luthiery workshop into an extremely well recognised brand, with their guitars featured on the album covers and in the music videos of many of the defining bands of the era.  As happens way too often, once a guitar brand becomes well known and sought after, it becomes possible for them to produce substandard instruments and sell them purely on the strength of the name on the headstock.  This certainly happened with Charvel.. by the time the grunge revolution hit music and superstrats were no longer fashionable, the brand no longer had its reputation for quality to rely on.  Charvel guitars are now owned by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and are produced in the USA again, with many of the original Charvel employees working on them.  The original 80s instruments are also still available on the second hand market, and more than 20 years later remain excellent instruments.

If you want to know more about this articles, You can go and them at

Learn electric guitar

To browse the latest electric & acoustic guitars for kids at their current best prices please go here Guitars For Kids