I Learn Acoustic Guitar

What are guitar capos? Capos are used to change the pitch and the key of the guitar without adjusting the strings with the tuning keys. Capos are used for players to play the guitar easier and to be able to produce different sounds.

Here is a short video about guitar capos. In the video, you will see different types and brands of guitar capos. This will also serve as a guide for you in buying capos for your guitar. This video also differentiates one capo from another. Have fun watching and learning from the video.

More accessories for your acoustic guitar

More things you need to know about acoustic guitar

Making sure you have a properly tuned guitar especially when you start learning to play is important. Acoustic guitars or guitars in general need to be properly tuned each and every time it is being used. There is no fun in playing an out of tune guitar. So why endure the hideous tune when it only takes a few minutes to bring your guitar to pitch perfection?

Learning acoustic guitar tuning by ear is not easy and it is impossible to learn it overnight. That is why beginners would rather use and is better off with the electronic tuner especially if you don’t have any previous musical experience. It may cost a little but as they say it’s worth it than playing un-tuned guitars.

Not having this device is not a hindrance though. There are other ways to tune up you guitars. You might need a source and a reference pitch if you have no prior experience. A piano or the use of another in tuned acoustic guitar is the obvious choice. A CD, an Mp3 or even online videos are available to help you. All options are fine as long as you’re sure you have the correct tuning.

Here is a simple step by step to tune your guitar by ear:

1. Play your (in tune) sixth string on the fifth fret, and tune the open fifth string to that note;
2. Next, play your fifth string on the fifth fret, and tune the open fourth string to the note it produces;
3. Go over the previous step, but this time with the fourth string on the fifth fret to tune open third;
4. OK, here’s where we need to pay a bit more attention – play the third string on the fourth fret to tune your open second;
5. Time to switch back – play the second string on fifth fret to tune your open first string;

And that’s it. Easy, right? Now, you can start playing songs with your in-tuned acoustic guitars.

Learn more great guitar tuning techniques

Start practicing strumming techniques with your in-tuned guitar

Music is undeniably one of the most beautiful ways you may ever communicate yourself or convey your emotions in a sophisticated way. For so many years, people played music and musical instruments to create amazing compilation of musical tunes that grouped together and brought together mankind.

An acoustic guitar lesson will open opportunities in ways you can’t possibly imagine. A magical feeling will empower  you as you excite the strings of your guitar. You will feel detached from your emotions and words, and your usual emotions disappear and leave you an untainted channel for your feelings.

One of the reasons why people choose to play an acoustic guitar than any other instruments is that it has very easy chords to play. Learn some basic chords and you’re good to go. Most songs consists of three to four chords only, so you can jam along very easily. Another reason why they’d rather play the acoustic guitar is that it is very portable. It is lightweight and very easy to carry around. No need for amplifiers or stands, chords and other stuffs. A pick and the guitar alone can brighten the mood of bored people.

If you have the determination and the desire to play the guitar, what are you waiting for? Why not start today? Why not right now? The sooner you embark on this fascinating instrument, the easier for you to hit the thrilling conduit of pure emotions that it offers.  Try watching this video and be inspired.

Learn finger styles in playing the guitar

Understand more your guitar strings

Beaten by the conventional means on learning how to play the acoustic guitar? No improvements even to a single song? How bout the blisters on your fingertips yet nothing makes sense? Check yourself. There might be something wrong on how you handle your guitar. Learn and love your acoustic guitar in an easy way. I’ll show you  tips on learning the guitar as easy as 1-2-3.  Watch this amazing video and free yourself a stress at no cost. Enjoy!

Strengthen your strumming fingers

Secrets of good guitar players revealed

Don’t have the luxury to buy an electronic tuner? Having problems with tuning you guitar? Tired of playing out of tune songs? Tune with us now! This shot video teaches you the basics of tuning your acoustic guitars without using any electric tuners. It’s the best way to stay in tune.  Click the link to watch the video.

Learn how to maximize your guitar’s sound

Taking care of your guitar’s neck

Looking for the right guitar to use?  It is important to know what you want when looking for an acoustic guitar. The guitar you need to find should make you feel comfortable.  You should feel a “spark” and a “connection” just like what they say to lovers.

Truly, there are people who see their guitars as a way to create a personal connection with their music and other instruments. This is one thing you should put in mind when you want to buy a guitar.

Find out which guitar you would like to buy in the first place. Would you like an electric guitar? A classical guitar perhaps? How about an acoustic guitar? Mostly for starters, they usually stay away from electric guitars because it could be so expensive. It is better to start of with acoustic guitars for the reason that it is much cheaper than electric plus, acoustic guitar is best to practice and learn from in the beginning.

There are several types of guitars. The two main types are nylon-stringed acoustic guitars and the other one is the steel stringed acoustic guitars. Just as the name implies, one uses steel strings and the other uses nylon stings.

Though there are people who prefer to use nylon-stringed guitars because it is much more “finger friendly” so it does not hurt the fingers too much. Steel-stringed guitars on the other hand can be very painful to the fingertips especially when the strings are well tauten.

Picking a guitar to buy really depends on the kind of music you like to play. Nylon strings produces a soft classical guitar sound thus it is used for playing folk and classical music. In contrast, the steel strings produces a clear and sharp sound hence it is used for playing rock, country and almost all other styles of music.

A common misconception though about the guitar in view of their strings is the presence of pain during the first few attempts of playing the guitar. Some says that the fingers do not get sore when using the nylon stringed guitar. This is really untrue. It is to be expected that your fingers will definitely get sore as you begin to play the guitar. It’s just that it is easier to put pressure on the nylon strings because it less dense than steel strings. Therefore, steel strings can be very painful to press because they are thinner and harder push.  To conclude, though both strings in truth will really make a novice guitarist’s fingertips sore, nylon stringed guitar users will have a more bearable pain.

So look for that “spark” in choosing your guitar and stay connected.

Know what thumb picks are best for you

Facts and Fictions you should know on acoustic guitars

Do you have a guitar player idol that you just can’t get enough of? With all the skilled guitar artists out there it has been very difficult placing them in top 10 choice awards. Based on opinions of other guitar players, below is a top 10 list of the greatest guitar players of all time. Find out if the one you’re idolizing is on the list.

No. 1 – Jimi Hendrix

One of the greatest players of all time, Jimi Hendrix taught himself to play the guitar during his high school days. Playing big hit songs such as, “Hey Joe”, “Are you experienced”, and the considered as one of the greatest works in the rock era, “Electric Ladyland” , Hendrix’s innovations, influence and soul continues to exist in the playing of every rock and roll guitarist.

No. 2 – Duane Allman

Perhaps one of the most emotional charged players who ever existed in the music industry, Duane Allman was one of the most prolific musicians in his time. Allman was actually left handed but plays the guitar as if right handed. This technique added strength to his fretting hand giving him a good deal of control when bending notes or adding vibrato. Cutting songs with the likes of Wilson Pickett, John Hammond, Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Johhny Jenkins among others, Duane Allman also had a great career with his own band The Allman Brothers Band.

No. 3 – B.B. King

B.B. King’s talent and perseverance paved the way to his popularity and stardom. A series of trial and error, B.B. King’s musical career paid off when he made an advertisement jingle on a health tonic called Pepticon. After a series of recordings and 2 divorces, B.B. King’s big break came with his symbolic appearance on the Ed Sullican Show in 1971. That signaled that a new performer had arrived with the American public.

No. 4 – Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton’s story is a series of winding and groundbreaking musical career with extreme personal suffering and misfortune. Despite of all the tragedies that befell his life, Clapton’s passion and talent for music was unparalleled. He is considered a paragon of rock as well as an authentic musical genius.  His enigmatic presence would show when playing on stage. He earned the nickname “Slowhand” due to his forceful string-bending would result to broken guitar strings which he would then replace onstage whilst the crown make slow hand clapping. Clapton is the only triple inductee in the Rock & roll Hall of Fame and continuously delight music lovers.

No. 5 – Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was seen as the greatest primitive blues singer of all time.  On top of the blues genre for which he was famous for, he had developed a very well rounded selection of music including all the pop tunes of all time, hillbilly tunes, polkas, square dances, sentimental songs and ballads. He was such an enigmatic player especially among women that when words go out where he would be next playing, people would follow knowing that they would have a good time and be entertained with some fine music.

No. 6 – Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry’s is a true entertained that earned him respect through his music which transcended lots of generations. A musical icon who made rock and roll an established music. His ability to recognize attitudes and reactions of his audience to the music he played brought him incredible success. His music was inspiration of groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his #1 Pop chart Hit “My Ding-A-Ling.”

No. 7 – Stevie Ray Vaughn

Stevie Ray Vaughn’s talent for music runs in the family. With both parents and his brother musicians, Stevie was good at playing the guitar by the age of 11. Deciding one night to pursue his musical career after falling into a barrel full of grease, Vaughn went to become one of the sensational players in the rock and roll business. He is the second guitarist in the history of mankind to win three Guitar Player Awards in a year next to Jeff Beck.

No. 8 – Ry Cooder

One of pop music’s premier talents, Cooder become an expert on guitar rudiments while still a young child. His mentor was Rev. Gary Davis and by the age of 17 was already a part of a blues act with singer Jackie DeShannon. His impressive debut album contains material by Lead Belly, Blind Willie Johnson and Sleepy John. Known for his slide guitar work, Cooder is also well known for his interest in blues-rock and collaborations with traditional musicians from several countries.

No. 9 – Jimmy Page

One of the most influential, important and versatile guitarists and song writer of all time in the rock industry is Jimmy Page.  He has influenced just about every rock guitarist from the late 60’s to the early 70’s even up to the present with his work with Led Zeppelin. He has a big contribution to what is now called heavy metal.

No. 10 – Keith Richards

Keith Richards at a young age found his interest in Rhythm and Blues music with fellow young friend Mick Jagger who later became his band mate in the rock band Rolling Stones. He has received a number of awards which include ABC’s “Living Legend Award”, the Billboard Charts award for “Artistic Excellence”, The Ivor Novello Award for “Outstanding Contribution to British Music” and a member of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Richards is also the inspiration behind Johnny Depp’s marvelous portrayal of the enigmatic character Captain Jack Sparrow, which Richards agreed to play sparrows father in.

Find out which guitar is most preferred and used by famous players

Choosing a brand when buying acoustic guitars is never easy. One has to do a lot of research and a lot of considerations whether in a tight budget or not, one must know which guitar would suit a player best. Below is a top 10 list of guitar brands with a short background based on people’s preference according to some reviews.

NO. 10 – OVATION

Ovation guitars were personalized by Aeronautical pioneer Charlie Kaman who revolutionized the acoustic guitar. Since Kaman was an aeronautical pioneer, he incorporated aeronautics concept in his acoustic guitars with round backs and new ideas.

NO. 9 – KRAMER

One of the leading guitars in its prime, it had a roster of the biggest, baddes, meanest. Loudest, fastest and best guitar stars in the world. According to a lot of artists, Kramer sounds great and famous when the rock and roll era emerged. Ed Van Halen and Richie Samobra were among those who used Kramer.

NO. 8 – YAMAHA

With Japanese style quality, Yamaha grew to be one of the best loved manufacturers of musical instruments across the world. The finest hand-selected tonewoods and conventional craftsmanship combined with delicate new construction finish and wood giving Yamaha acoustic guitars amazing sound and good looks.

NO. 7 – JACKSON

Jackson guitars are known for its sleek and elegant guitar designs. It is also very appealing to to the hard metal syle of playing with its aggressive designs. Best known for their Rhoads-V guitar which was made for the late Rhandy Rhoads and later for Ozzie Osborne which made this guitar amazingly sought after.

NO. 6 – B.C. RICH GUITAR

B.C. Rich guitar makes handmade custom guitars delivering high performance and basses with simply stunning styles. In the guitar’s shape, features or performance – there are claims that no other guitar sounds or looks more like a heavy metal than B.C. Rich guitars.

A lot of influential players have chosen B.C. Rich guitars offering vicious tones, playability and looks earning their way to a solid reputation especially on concert stages around the world.

NO. 5 – ESP

Short for Electric Sound Products, which can only be found in Japan until 1976 when it found its way to the US. This product line boasts a lot of celebrity endorsees from Wayne Static, James Hetfields to George Lynch. It has been described as best guitar for shredding and heavy metal riffs.

NO. 4 – EPIPHONE

Sometimes described as just as good as Gibson guitars, Epiphone guitars are one of the most successful and respected instrument manufacturers on the planet offering a quality of the most famous US models in various good prices. Retaining the pioneering spirit by always challenging tradition, Epiphone thrives on the risk always developing new things all the time but still delivering good results.

NO. 3 – IBANEZ

Looking for an affordable guitar that sounds great? Ibanez is both that as well as sturdy. This guitar company collaborated with players Steve Vai, Satriani and Paul Gilbert during the rising of the rock and roll era in the mid 80’s. One of the top selling bass companies in the world, Ibanez is known for its jazz guitars as it is for rock.

NO. 2 – FENDER

Many says that the Fender’s finest is the world’s finest. Known worldwide for their artistry in making guitars, skilled craftsman in Fender’s Company, it has been a dream factory to a lot of famous people. Fender guitars sound amazing and have nice basses as well. Fender guitars have been made to famous players like Clapton, Beck, Burton, Cray, Gilmour, Townshend, Page, Hendrix and a lot more. So when you buy a Fender guitar, you can also have guitars made for you by the very same people who made who made the guitars of those famous players.

NO. 1 – GIBSON

Gibason is known all over the world in being able to produce classical models especially in acoustic guitars. It is the premiere musical instrument manufacturer and leader in the music industry. Its family brands include Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Oberheim, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Take Anywhere Technology, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Gibson Baldwin Music Education,Baldwin, Chickering, J& C Fischer, Hamilton, Sunshine and Wurlitzer.

Now that at least you have an idea of the best guitar brands offered in the market, you can now streamline your search by selecting which would work for you in both performance and budget!

Guidelines in getting a guitar

Know your guitar needs

Not all guitarists are great strummers. When observing a guitarist strumming his guitar, we have a tendency to lean forward and watch it more intently. It’s a big awe for first time guitar players how these great guitarists have a way of exciting these strings and come up with beautiful tunes. To some, strumming the guitar comes naturally, while others are not so lucky. It’s like they love playing the guitar yet the guitar has its own way of not cooperating with them.

Learning the art of strumming guitars needs time and determination, plus constant practice makes it better if not perfect. To get a better idea what one has to bear in mind while learning to strum, below are some simple steps that with constant practice, will make you a very good

• You should be conscious with your hand movement. It should match the counts and beats of the song you are playing. It’s like a robotic movement. But begin with placing your hand low down and strum in a smooth natural movement;
• Strumming is basically the DOWN-UP, UP-DOWN movement of your hands. In short, hand movement should always move down;
• Base your strumming on the rhythm of the song you are playing. You can either hit or miss the string while strumming.;
• Divide the basic counts into patterns like 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 and so on. Then apply it on the movement of your hand. Move your hand down on ONE and up on AND (&) and do it continuously.  You may hit or miss the strings in order to follow the rhythm of the song.

You can try these easy steps and improve your strumming abilities. As you constantly do the strumming tips when playing, you will get better in time with constant practice. This should help you with your strumming problems. Remember that Strumming is an art. Every guitarist strums differently. You may have your own style in strumming but as a beginner try to learn the basics of strumming first. Most expert guitar players usually mastered the basics first then as their skills got better, tried adding their own styles for their convenience.

More tips on strumming

Tune your guitar to better strumming

In learning to play acoustic guitar, here’s one principle that we all should understand – the longer hours of practice does not always translate to better performance. That’s right! Take it from the 80/20 Rule.

In a nutshell, the principle behind the 80/20 rule can be described as the following:

• 80% of your practice time brings you only about 20% of your total progress
• 20% of your practice time brings you only about 80% of your total progress

The basic idea is: the duration of practice is not always as important as to what you choose to focus your practice time on. This is about maximizing whatever time you have on the specific skill that you want to focus on.  FOCUS is the key.

For example, you are focusing on guitar scale mastery. With the given two-hour practice time that you have, you can directly go ahead with feeling your ways across the scales rather than researching the historical data why guitar scales came about.

On the surface, this may appear to be a positive thing for guitarists to want to know, but in a way, this also slows down the learning curve because of the following reasons:

1. It doesn’t help them play better. Learning the historical development of a guitar does not do anything to help you improve your playing skill. Sure, the knowledge might help you pass a music history course but it will not help you survive a solo performance.
2. It takes away valuable time from more important learning activities, The time spent researching unnecessary theory could be spent better on useful activities that will help improve your strumming, finger strength and agility.

In short, the 80/20 rule is learning or practicing things that directly improve your ability to use guitar scales.

When you have all the time in the world and you’ve mastered all the guitar skills there is, you may want to discover the theories and history behind every guitar part and technique. However, for beginners and those that do not have the luxury of time, it helps to stick to learning the practical, useful and immediately applicable theories.

To be effective, a guitar player must have a clear idea of what he wants to accomplish in each guitar session, following this guide:

• Any weak area that is preventing your strengths from being used to the fullest potential is a weakness that you must overcome as soon as possible. These weaknesses are part of your important 20% that you should focus on because overcoming these weaknesses will likely bring you 80% of your total progress
• Any weakness that does not interfere with harnessing your strengths to the fullest potential is non-essential that will likely bring you only 20% of your total progress.

If you follow the 80/20 rule, you can accomplish a lot of positive forward momentum in your playing even with a limited practice time. So, the next time you find out that you only have 20 minutes of your day to cuddle that guitar, you now know what to do and make the most of your time.

More effective ways to play acoustic guitar

Facts and Fictions on acoustic guitars