Guitar Lessons For Beginners - What Do Michael Jackson, Keith Urban and Creedence Have in Common?

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With the media's focus on visual presentation for music promotion it's easy to understand how somebody learning to play guitar can miss the important clues in learning how to play quickly and easily.

Today's music buying public tend to "listen with their eyes"; if you want to learn guitar fast you need to develop your ability to focus on the audio and develop your musical perception skills.

Learning how to bypass the visual presentation and quickly notice the similarities in the music is an essential skill for the advancing guitarist.

Whilst the majority of guitarists will be either confused or discouraged with the information they are learning from TAB or sheet music you will be able to mentally pigeon-hole songs as you hear them; making it a breeze to remember and instantly recall songs.

To illustrate my point, here are three songs that on the surface all appear to be different; different artists, different music styles... ever different video clips!

But... dig a little deeper and you will discover they are all based on the blues; the same blues chord progression, even the same key, how's that for high speed memorization? Three songs in an instant; just add guitar!

Here we go:

Michael Jackson's - Black or White

E /// | E /// | E /// | E /// |

A /// | A /// | E /// | E /// |

B7/// | A /// | E /// | E /// ||

Keith Urban's - Somebody like You

E /// | E /// | E /// | E /// |

A /// | A /// | E /// | E /// |

B7/// | A /// | E /// | E /// ||

Creedence Clearwater Revival - The Night Time is the Right Time

E /// | E /// | E /// | E /// |

A /// | A /// | E /// | E /// |

B7/// | A /// | E /// | E /// ||

One of the biggest issues to overcome is how music is often stereotyped by the music marketing people in an effort to create soaring sales. When you think of the blues what visual image comes into your head? For many it's some smokey bar in New Orleans or a Jazz band playing in a nightclub in New York.

The last thing that would cross many guitarist's mind would be how the blues could have an influence on a pop or country song, but as you can see the blues is a universal language that can speak to all audiences and age groups.

Sometimes the newbie guitarist does not notice the similarities because a song is preformed in a different key.

Ray Charles plays "The Night Time is the Right Time" in the key of Eb.

Ray Charles - The Night Time is the Right Time

Eb /// | Eb /// | Eb /// | Eb /// |

Ab /// | Ab /// | Eb /// | Eb /// |

Bb7/// | Ab /// | Eb /// | Eb /// ||

Can you see the similarities? Would you have noticed that?

There are thousands of other songs that use exactly the same blues chord progressions and even more songs will be added to the list over time as songwriters continue to utilize this proven musical form.

Keep your ears wide open and you will have much more fun playing the guitar.

Why Aren't There More Women Playing Guitar in Bands?

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There are women who do, before anyone points out any well known names, such as Chrissie Hynde (favourite guitar, the fender Telecaster), Joan Jett (armed with Gibson Les Paul), Nancy Wilson or Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson's guitarist, no less).

It's just that there aren't that many. It may be that it's seen as a mans role, or due to the weight of a guitar, or even that you have to cut the nails on your guitar hand short!! But whatever the reason, I think that it's nonsense that this is the case. In fact, I am living proof that a woman can successfully play guitar in a band, and I've only been playing for a year!

My singing career has lasted my whole adult life, but until now I've left it up to my husband, Bill to play guitar in our band, while I sing and the rest of the band play their parts in equal measure.

It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg either, past the initial outlay. I've managed to borrow a guitar from Bill, but with only a couple of hundred pounds you can pick something respectable up. Less if you're truly on a budget. eBay, car boot sales and pawnbrokers are good places to look.

The lessons themselves are much cheaper if you book them as a group. Group lessons are inordinately less expensive than individual lessons, and your local college may well have a course, so get on down there!!

The oldest member of my group at college is 70 - and they're as good as any, so if you're thinking of learning an instrument, don't delay, book your lessons today!

How To Tune Your Guitar By Ear

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1. The very first thing you need to know is that learning to tune your guitar takes time.

Some things on guitar can be learned in minutes, some in days, and others in weeks, but tuning will sometimes take even longer, because you have to train your ears. If results come slowly or don't seem to be making any progress, don't be discouraged, just keep working at it.

2. It will help you to know that the ear is a very skilled instrument for taking in sound. Your ear hears four things in each sound: Pitch, Duration, Volume and Tone Quality.

Pitch is how high or low the sound is. Duration is how long it lasts. Volume is how loud it is. Tone quality is the "character" of the sound. If we were to play the same pitch, at the same volume, for the same length of time on piano, clarinet, flute, violin, guitar, doorbell, or car horn, your ear could tell one instrument (or car horn) from another because of the tone quality. That's because each instrument has a different "character" or "personality" of sound. You can prove you have this ability to tell one sound from another by listening to sounds without looking where they come from.

The point I want to emphasize is that you already hear very well. Learning to tune your guitar is learning a new way of using your hearing.

3.The next thing to know is that when you are tuning your guitar you want to listen only to the pitch of the strings. The quality of the pitch will differ between two strings, and this may at first confuse your ear. You'll mistake the difference in quality as a difference in pitch. For example when playing the first string open and the second string at the fifth fret, you may notice that the first string may sound 'crisper', while the second string will sound a little "darker" in quality. The darker quality of the string at first can be misunderstood to sound lower in pitch. (You may use different words to explain how the strings sound to you, but the idea is that the tone quality of each string will sound different). If you understand that the ear hears a combination of pitch, volume, duration and quality all at the same time, it will help you to filter out the quality from the pitch and overcome the basic problem of tuning.

4. The steps involved in tuning your guitar: The first step is to tune one string to a note from another source. You could use another guitar (one that has already been tuned), a piano, or somebody that know how to tune could guide you along.

A better source is a tuning fork. (It's better because you don't need anybody else around or any other instrument. If, for example you learn to tune to a piano, you're going to have a problem if ever you need to tune and there's no piano handy).

A tuning fork is a U shaped piece of metal with a stem on it. The fork is designed to vibrate at a particular pitch. You can get one that gives you the pitch of the first string on the guitar. (Look for one that has the letter E and the number 329.6 stamped on the stem).

To use the tuning fork you hold it by the stem, tap the U shaped fork against something solid, and place the stem (not the tip of the fork) on either the body, or the bridge of your guitar. (For electric guitars can place it on the pickup). You should hear the note which the vibrating fork produced. The note is the correct "source".

You now adjust the first string to match the pitch of the tuning fork. You do this by finding the correct tuning gear for this string and then turning the gear slowly in one direction or the other. After about half a turn you should hear the string change pitch either up or down. This will tell you which way you have to turn the gear to tighten the string (to raise the pitch) and which way to loosen the string (to lower the pitch).

Now compare the sound of the string with the sound of the tuning fork. If the string is lower than the tuning fork, tighten the string to raise the pitch. If the string is higher than the tuning fork, loosen the string to lower the pitch.

Go slowly. Do not turn the gear rapidly. Turn about a quarter of a turn and then compare the string to the tuning fork again. (You'll have to strike them both again). You'll probably have to repeat this process several times. When the string sounds close to the fork make smaller turns.

When you think the first string is in tune, use the following steps (one to five) to tune the rest of the strings. (Remember, you can only tune as well as your ears hear now. With practice, you can become a better tuner). The following steps repeat the process of matching one pitch with another. The difference is that instead of using a tuning fork you will listen to the string you have just tuned, and try to match the next string to this one.

1. Place the finger behind the fifth fret of the 6th string. This will give you the tone of the 5th sting. (A)

2. Place the finger behind the 5th fret of the 5th string to get the pitch of the 4th string. (D)

3. Place the finger behind the 5th fret of the 4th string to get the pitch of the 3rd string. (G)

4. Place the finger behind the FOURTH FRET of the 3rd string to get the pitch of the 2nd string. (B)

5. Place the finger behind the 5th fret of the 2nd string to get the pitch of the 1st string. (E)

Breedlove Guitar Review - Model AJ250SM

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I love Jumbo guitars and I have over the years, including a 1993 Guild FJ4-NT, which I purchased new. In 1997 I installed a JLD bridge beams. Over the years, my guild has a good Jumbo Mellow Tone developed, with a deep bass, but not strong.

AJ250/SM Breedlove reminds me of my guild FJ4-NT. In fact, the two both have solid spruce top with mahogany sides and back. Both have JLD Bridge Truss (standard for Breedlove jumbo, custom) for my guild, and areFurnished in a simple - simple position markers on the neck, etc. The two also share a similar tone - smooth and soft.

However, the guild is more of a guitar strumming, with its large body size, large pickguard, and not split, making it even more difficult on the keyboard - It 'track 14 to receive the federal government. When I play myself, I feel the touch of Johnny Cash tunes and actually can be, there is no shortage of time I played "Folsom Prison Blues" to ".

The BreedloveJumbo on the other side is a selection tool or finger guitar finger stylist. Has a slightly shallower body and also in contrast with the guild, the Breedlove is no pickguard. Has a soft inserts for easy access to 18 federal permits. I came to know a little 'the 19th and 20th Frets on Breedlove, while in the guild, I put my thumb behind the neck, be that high.

Breed love guitars AJ250/SM has a balanced sound with a deepstill quite low. Other noteworthy features include Fishman Classic 4 electronics, Grover tuners and a satin finish.