Putting new strings on a guitar can easily be done improperly, in fact most guitarists Ive seen over the years haven't had the slightest clue on properly stringing their instruments. I say this not to insult anyone, I didn't learn how to string a guitar the proper way for years.
There are a few different techniques to stringing a guitar, for example, there is a different technique for stringing a classic guitar than an electric. For this lesson I will be using a standard electric guitar for the example.
Now if your anything like me, you might be the type that breaks a string and replaces just that one. The type that replaces strings as they break. If you want to get the best sound out of your guitar, I suggest changing out your strings every month. First you want to remove all the strings, and put the new ones through all at once. Then, instead of starting at the top and going down one by one, your going to want to alternate from top to bottom. Start with the top string, then go to the bottom, then back up to the A, then back down to the B and so on. The reason for this, you don't want your neck to twist, putting too much pressure on one side of the neck can cause it to twist over time.
Now when you string it through the tuning keys, you want to leave some slack in the strings, don't just pull them tight then start turning the key, leave enough slack so that you get a nice wrap around the tuning keys, this will help your instrument stay in tune a lot better. Now once you have done all 6 strings, alternating them, get them all in tune, then give each string a little tug to stretch them. Tune them back up again and repeat the process a few times until your strings can hold their tuning. Now your ready to go, and hopefully with this your guitar will stay in tune a lot better and you wont break as many strings if you have in the past. Hope this lesson has enlightened some of you, and as always Keep Rockin!
Showing posts with label Guitar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guitar. Show all posts
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Timing is Everything
I can't stress how important having good timing is. Doesn't matter if your a musician playing an instrument, or a vocalist, if your timing is off, you will stick out like a sore thumb. I played the guitar for YEARS before realizing how important good timing was, of course, when your playing in your room to CD's it doesn't matter if your off, there is nobody there listening, but when your playing in a live band, the other members depend on you to be on your game.
A few things you can do is, obviously, practice to a metronome. I know for most this isn't much fun, but those who are serious about becoming a great player, this will get you headed in the right path. Another thing to make a habit of is keeping time with your foot, once this becomes a natural habit you will be keeping time without even thinking about it. Something else that has tremendously helped me is simply playing percussion on things constantly, whether it be the steering wheel in the car, the desk at work etc etc, it will get you in the habit of keeping time and give you plenty of practice.
For those of you just starting out, new to an instrument, remember something, its always a great idea to form good habits in the beginning, that way it will be with you the remainder of your playing days. Those of you with more experience under your belt who might not have great habits, its NEVER too late, trust me, I didnt form good playing habits till after a decade of playing, and of course, it was a little harder to form these habits, but if you work at it, your determined and persistant, it will happen.
As always, I hope this opens up a few doors for ya and helps ya get on track to where you'd like your playing to be. Keep Rockin!!!
A few things you can do is, obviously, practice to a metronome. I know for most this isn't much fun, but those who are serious about becoming a great player, this will get you headed in the right path. Another thing to make a habit of is keeping time with your foot, once this becomes a natural habit you will be keeping time without even thinking about it. Something else that has tremendously helped me is simply playing percussion on things constantly, whether it be the steering wheel in the car, the desk at work etc etc, it will get you in the habit of keeping time and give you plenty of practice.
For those of you just starting out, new to an instrument, remember something, its always a great idea to form good habits in the beginning, that way it will be with you the remainder of your playing days. Those of you with more experience under your belt who might not have great habits, its NEVER too late, trust me, I didnt form good playing habits till after a decade of playing, and of course, it was a little harder to form these habits, but if you work at it, your determined and persistant, it will happen.
As always, I hope this opens up a few doors for ya and helps ya get on track to where you'd like your playing to be. Keep Rockin!!!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Gettin Better
Some musicians or guitarists are happy with the bare essentials. They learn their chords and maybe a scale and their content, but many of us strive to get better on our instrument as time goes on. It can be a roller coaster ride, once in awhile finding ourselves in a rut, or atleast feeling we are in one, mostly from playing the same things day in and day out. Remember though, just because YOU hear yourself everyday doesnt mean everyone else does. So just because you pull out the same lick you've played a billion times sounding stale to your ears doesnt mean it wont impress someone else or perk up their ears.
Some basic ways to improve your playing are not playing the same songs day in day out. You only get better playing or learning things you dont know rather than playing your favorite Metallica song every single day. Another great tip is: play with musicians who are more experienced than you and better than you are. I know for those of you less experienced players that can be intimidating at times, but believe me, overcoming that fear alone will bring your confidence levels up. Confidence is huge in becoming a better player, and once you cross that hurdle your half way there. If your a serious player, and other musicians sense this, they will respect you either way. Its pretty obvious, playing with those who have more experience than you is going to be a huge learning experience, and will ultimatelly help you in the long run, but dont forget to "give back" once your the experienced one!!! Keep Rockin!
Some basic ways to improve your playing are not playing the same songs day in day out. You only get better playing or learning things you dont know rather than playing your favorite Metallica song every single day. Another great tip is: play with musicians who are more experienced than you and better than you are. I know for those of you less experienced players that can be intimidating at times, but believe me, overcoming that fear alone will bring your confidence levels up. Confidence is huge in becoming a better player, and once you cross that hurdle your half way there. If your a serious player, and other musicians sense this, they will respect you either way. Its pretty obvious, playing with those who have more experience than you is going to be a huge learning experience, and will ultimatelly help you in the long run, but dont forget to "give back" once your the experienced one!!! Keep Rockin!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Buying a New Amp
Buying a new amp is like buying a car, so many to choose from, so many different options and on and on. I always suggest doing your research before purchasing, get some reviews and make sure the product you are interested in is dependable and will suit your needs.
One thing I always like to point out is this: most, if not all of us have a favorite player or main influence, and of course, alot of players try to sound like their favorite players. Keep one thing in mind, even though these players influence us, their styles are usually different, because once we borrow from them we develope our own styles of playing. You might love the way Jimi Hendrix sounds through a Marshall, but then you plug into a marshall and just cant FEEL the tone, and being able to feel the sound is one of the most important parts of playing. Your always going to play your best if you have a good tone you are comfortable with.
When buying a new amp, I suggest going into the music store with your own guitar, if they dont have one readily available, because obviously if your a Les Paul kind of player, a thin Strat sound is going to sound different through the amp. Now remember, Your the one spending money on their product so dont be afraid to crank that baby up to see how it sounds. Amps sound alot different at higher volumes than when turned down, and if you play in a band, your gonna need to get a real feel for the amp. Even if your not that experienced and there are better players in the store, dont be shy or timid to go all out, its your investment.
Another suggestion, if your really in the market for a new amp, dont settle for something because thats all the money you have, save your money and hold out, you will never truly be
happy with "settling" and you might end up with a product that craps out on you instead of having the dependable piece of gear you really wanted. That concludes this article, Keep practicing, and keep rockin!
One thing I always like to point out is this: most, if not all of us have a favorite player or main influence, and of course, alot of players try to sound like their favorite players. Keep one thing in mind, even though these players influence us, their styles are usually different, because once we borrow from them we develope our own styles of playing. You might love the way Jimi Hendrix sounds through a Marshall, but then you plug into a marshall and just cant FEEL the tone, and being able to feel the sound is one of the most important parts of playing. Your always going to play your best if you have a good tone you are comfortable with.
When buying a new amp, I suggest going into the music store with your own guitar, if they dont have one readily available, because obviously if your a Les Paul kind of player, a thin Strat sound is going to sound different through the amp. Now remember, Your the one spending money on their product so dont be afraid to crank that baby up to see how it sounds. Amps sound alot different at higher volumes than when turned down, and if you play in a band, your gonna need to get a real feel for the amp. Even if your not that experienced and there are better players in the store, dont be shy or timid to go all out, its your investment.
Another suggestion, if your really in the market for a new amp, dont settle for something because thats all the money you have, save your money and hold out, you will never truly be
happy with "settling" and you might end up with a product that craps out on you instead of having the dependable piece of gear you really wanted. That concludes this article, Keep practicing, and keep rockin!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Guitar Tuning Issues- Part 2
Now Im going to cover another topic when it comes to out of tune guitars: tuning machines. Not all tuning machines are created equal. A good set of tuners should respond to the subtlest of adjustments. If you find that you can tweak on a tuner for awhile without hearing a change in pitch, thats not good. Sperzel and Gotoh are two examples of manufacturers that offer high gear ratios. The gears in these tuners mesh really well together and hold tuning reliably without backlash.
In addition, you dont want more than three to four neatly wrapped winds around the post of a tuner. Messy winds in excess of three or four can introduce slop and stretching problems. Regardless of what kind of tuners you have, you can always tighten the screw on the tuner buttons to reduce backlash.
I will post the 3rd and final part of this topic soon, till then Keep Rockin!
In addition, you dont want more than three to four neatly wrapped winds around the post of a tuner. Messy winds in excess of three or four can introduce slop and stretching problems. Regardless of what kind of tuners you have, you can always tighten the screw on the tuner buttons to reduce backlash.
I will post the 3rd and final part of this topic soon, till then Keep Rockin!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Guitar Tuning Issues
The One thing worse than an out of tune guitar is a guitar that wont stay in tune. Out of tune guitars aren't just a small problem, they're an epidemic. Im sure over the years everyone reading this has experienced these types of problems, so over the next few days I will be addressing these issues.
There are several reasons why a guitar wont stay in tune. First of all, and this may seem obvious, the strings may not be stratched properly. String stretching should be the first item on your check list when trying to identify the source of your tuning issues.
Once you've restrung with a fresh set of strings, tune the guitar to proper pitch with a guitar tuner. Then stretch the strings one at a time by fretting with your finger around the third fret while reaching under the string with your picking hand and tugging up off the fretboard about an inch to an inch and a half. The distance between your hands should be about three or four frets apart, and work your way up the neck to about the 15th to 21st fret while maintaining that three to four fret increment between your hands. After one pass up the fretboard, retune, and note how much the new string fell flat during the operation. If you repeat this process about three times, you'll find that the string will fall flat less and less until your able to complete a pass with very little detuning as a result of your stretching. At this point, the string is properly stretched and you should repeat the process with the other strings.
When you've finished with all the strings, tune the whole guitar as you normally would, and check it by playing chords and bending some notes to make sure there's no slippage occuring. If there is, its reasonably safe to say that it aint the strings.
I'll be back soon to continue on this issue, and go over tuners. Keep Rockin
There are several reasons why a guitar wont stay in tune. First of all, and this may seem obvious, the strings may not be stratched properly. String stretching should be the first item on your check list when trying to identify the source of your tuning issues.
Once you've restrung with a fresh set of strings, tune the guitar to proper pitch with a guitar tuner. Then stretch the strings one at a time by fretting with your finger around the third fret while reaching under the string with your picking hand and tugging up off the fretboard about an inch to an inch and a half. The distance between your hands should be about three or four frets apart, and work your way up the neck to about the 15th to 21st fret while maintaining that three to four fret increment between your hands. After one pass up the fretboard, retune, and note how much the new string fell flat during the operation. If you repeat this process about three times, you'll find that the string will fall flat less and less until your able to complete a pass with very little detuning as a result of your stretching. At this point, the string is properly stretched and you should repeat the process with the other strings.
When you've finished with all the strings, tune the whole guitar as you normally would, and check it by playing chords and bending some notes to make sure there's no slippage occuring. If there is, its reasonably safe to say that it aint the strings.
I'll be back soon to continue on this issue, and go over tuners. Keep Rockin
Monday, June 29, 2009
Get Signed!
Getting signed to a record deal is just about every band/musicians ultimate goal, but unfortionatelly, unlike wanting to be a Microsoft engineer you cant just go to college and expect a job when you get out. Sure there are music colleges and plenty of success stories to follow, but for those of you who dont have the time, money, or motivation to attend, I have an easier route. This applys to anyone wanting to get heard.
TAXI: record deals, publishing deal, film TV placement, recording your music, songwriting Is a GREAT place to start, or maybe finish your adventure. They are an A&R service, that for a small one time a year fee will accept ANY material you submit. They have ads running all the time, looking for EVERYTHING from bands to sign, different styles of music for tv and movie placement and just about everything else you might think of. The great thing about this service, they have industry professionals in EVERY area of music. So if you are in a metal band, you dont need to worry about someone who deals with soft rock review your music. The nice thing is, these people have worked in the industry for a long time, and have a background you can trust.
Once submitting music through them, their experts will review your submission and critique it. If they feel its up to par to submit to the actual person looking for the music they will forward it and the music is now in the right hands. If the music isnt up to par, they will actually take the time to tell you exactly what it needs to make it worthy of submission. Dont worry, they accept everything from professional recordings, to not so great home recordings, depending on the ad type. Some ads want professional recorded material for direct placement, others are looking for material to re-record. Check out the site, I hope it helps you on your journey, and if you happen to sign up and get signed or sell some tunes, drop me a line, success stories are always appreciated here. Keep Rockin
TAXI: record deals, publishing deal, film TV placement, recording your music, songwriting
TAXI: record deals, publishing deal, film TV placement, recording your music, songwriting Is a GREAT place to start, or maybe finish your adventure. They are an A&R service, that for a small one time a year fee will accept ANY material you submit. They have ads running all the time, looking for EVERYTHING from bands to sign, different styles of music for tv and movie placement and just about everything else you might think of. The great thing about this service, they have industry professionals in EVERY area of music. So if you are in a metal band, you dont need to worry about someone who deals with soft rock review your music. The nice thing is, these people have worked in the industry for a long time, and have a background you can trust.
Once submitting music through them, their experts will review your submission and critique it. If they feel its up to par to submit to the actual person looking for the music they will forward it and the music is now in the right hands. If the music isnt up to par, they will actually take the time to tell you exactly what it needs to make it worthy of submission. Dont worry, they accept everything from professional recordings, to not so great home recordings, depending on the ad type. Some ads want professional recorded material for direct placement, others are looking for material to re-record. Check out the site, I hope it helps you on your journey, and if you happen to sign up and get signed or sell some tunes, drop me a line, success stories are always appreciated here. Keep Rockin
TAXI: record deals, publishing deal, film TV placement, recording your music, songwriting
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Lyrics - Tips on Writing Effective Lyrics
Writing songs for some can be one of the toughest parts of being a musician, especially if you have'nt been able to complete your first song. Its like being a virgin and not knowing exactly what to do, but of course, over time, the more and more you pound away at it, the better you get. 
Lyrics are the part of the song most listeners identify with, it can make or break your song. Some songs start with lyrics, and the music is added later, which in my opinion is more difficult than those that start with a musical arrangement adding lyrics later. For this example I'm going to assume you have the musical part of the song written and its time to start writing lyrics.
There are many ways of accomplishing the lyrical content of a song, different things work for different people, so I'm going to give some tips I personally use when writing lyrics.
Once I have a song arrangement and all the pieces put together and recorded I will start playing a piece of the song over and over, either the chorus or the verse, and I will start humming a melody as a start point. Sometimes it takes a few runs through, but the basis for this is I'm humming a melody to see how many syllables i will need in each lyric phrase. Its the same idea as poetry. Once Ive established how many syllables are need I start filling in the blanks.
Now many you have a subject idea for the song, maybe you dont, but something that works for me is just opening the mind and once Ive got that melody I just start singing one liners until something clicks, usually the one liner will direct me in a direction as far as a subject. Once that subject of the song is established you have a platform to start writing on.
Now of course you want the syllable content to match in each line of the verse or chorus, as well as the last word of each phrase to rhyme. Come up with words related to your subject and find words that rhyme with them, a dictionary or thesaurus is a good reference point as far as word usage goes.
Now remember that your lyrics need to tell a story, and they need to be organized. If you have 3 verses in your song like a typical song does, your first verse needs to be the start of your story, your 2nd verse needs to tell the story, and your 3rd verse needs to basically end your story.
This is just a basic layout for those of you who might have never written a song, those of you struggling to write lyrics, or those looking for different ideas. There are many ways to write lyrics, music has no rules, Make it YOURS. This basic idea has worked for me many times over, and I hope for those of you struggling it gives you an idea of somewhere to start. If anyone else has anything more to add, please feel free to post. I will be back with ALOT more on the subject of songwriting and lyric writing that get more indepth, I wanted to have a starting point here for those having trouble. Hope this helps, Keep Rockin!!!!
Lyrics are the part of the song most listeners identify with, it can make or break your song. Some songs start with lyrics, and the music is added later, which in my opinion is more difficult than those that start with a musical arrangement adding lyrics later. For this example I'm going to assume you have the musical part of the song written and its time to start writing lyrics.
There are many ways of accomplishing the lyrical content of a song, different things work for different people, so I'm going to give some tips I personally use when writing lyrics.
Once I have a song arrangement and all the pieces put together and recorded I will start playing a piece of the song over and over, either the chorus or the verse, and I will start humming a melody as a start point. Sometimes it takes a few runs through, but the basis for this is I'm humming a melody to see how many syllables i will need in each lyric phrase. Its the same idea as poetry. Once Ive established how many syllables are need I start filling in the blanks.
Now many you have a subject idea for the song, maybe you dont, but something that works for me is just opening the mind and once Ive got that melody I just start singing one liners until something clicks, usually the one liner will direct me in a direction as far as a subject. Once that subject of the song is established you have a platform to start writing on.
Now of course you want the syllable content to match in each line of the verse or chorus, as well as the last word of each phrase to rhyme. Come up with words related to your subject and find words that rhyme with them, a dictionary or thesaurus is a good reference point as far as word usage goes.
Now remember that your lyrics need to tell a story, and they need to be organized. If you have 3 verses in your song like a typical song does, your first verse needs to be the start of your story, your 2nd verse needs to tell the story, and your 3rd verse needs to basically end your story.
This is just a basic layout for those of you who might have never written a song, those of you struggling to write lyrics, or those looking for different ideas. There are many ways to write lyrics, music has no rules, Make it YOURS. This basic idea has worked for me many times over, and I hope for those of you struggling it gives you an idea of somewhere to start. If anyone else has anything more to add, please feel free to post. I will be back with ALOT more on the subject of songwriting and lyric writing that get more indepth, I wanted to have a starting point here for those having trouble. Hope this helps, Keep Rockin!!!!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Music News
I would really like to keep this page well rounded in the sense its for ALL musicians, not just guitarists, and it will contain many things music related for the non musicians as well.
Coming to the close of the 90s, many would have said "rock is dead", or atleast the concept of stadium rock might not have been a big thing at the time. Mainstream radio rock seemed to be falling off the charts rapidly with no bright future until one band came along and rocked the foundation. Some will say this band, at one point, "Saved Rock". Others will say they were just another flash in the pan. Either way you see it, and I know opinions of this band are hot and cold, this band did help bring rock music to a popular place again.
If ya havent heard, Creed has reunited for a summer tour and a new album. After walking out on their singer a few years back in Chicago, they have put their differences aside, buried the hatchet and have decided to give it another shot. Now I know that makes some of you cringe, others jump for joy, let just hope they can keep it real for the sake of the music, and dont try to jump on the commercial corporate bandwagon like they did in their ladder albums. Here is a direct link for any other further info and tour dates
Creed.com – The Official Website of Creed
Like always, your opinions and comments are more than welcome. I'll be back very soon with some new lessons, gear reviews and much more, so keep tunin in.. and as always.. Keep Rockin!
Coming to the close of the 90s, many would have said "rock is dead", or atleast the concept of stadium rock might not have been a big thing at the time. Mainstream radio rock seemed to be falling off the charts rapidly with no bright future until one band came along and rocked the foundation. Some will say this band, at one point, "Saved Rock". Others will say they were just another flash in the pan. Either way you see it, and I know opinions of this band are hot and cold, this band did help bring rock music to a popular place again.
If ya havent heard, Creed has reunited for a summer tour and a new album. After walking out on their singer a few years back in Chicago, they have put their differences aside, buried the hatchet and have decided to give it another shot. Now I know that makes some of you cringe, others jump for joy, let just hope they can keep it real for the sake of the music, and dont try to jump on the commercial corporate bandwagon like they did in their ladder albums. Here is a direct link for any other further info and tour dates
Creed.com – The Official Website of Creed
Like always, your opinions and comments are more than welcome. I'll be back very soon with some new lessons, gear reviews and much more, so keep tunin in.. and as always.. Keep Rockin!
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