Guitar Lovers

By Shawn M. Tomlinson

There are three main types of guitars: the classical, the acoustic and the electric. Inside these groups are subsets and hybrids that have specific uses. The use depends on the type of music to be produced. These are some of the general types.

Types

The classical guitar generally uses nylon strings. The classical, or Spanish guitar, is the eldest of the guitar family. It consists of a hollow body and a neck without a truss rod. Nylon strings are used mostly in classical guitars these days because they give a softer sound. It isn’t a good idea to put steel strings on this kind of guitar because the neck isn’t designed to take that kind of force. Most often, this kind of guitar is finger-picked rather than with a plastic or steel pick.

Identification

This is a dobro-style guitar. The acoustic guitar and classical guitar are very similar. Both are referred to at times as acoustic guitars. They both produce sound without requiring amplifiers. Most acoustic guitars are big with bold sound. They are built in the “dreadnought” style perfected by C.F. Martin Guitar Co. in 1916. Martin also was the first guitar maker to use the X-bar bracing design under the top of the guitar. This made guitars stronger and allowed the use of steel strings.

As guitarists, we tend to use the minor pentatonic scale way too much, especially as beginners. Let’s stop disrespecting a great music style by playing the same thing over and over
again. There’s more to the blues than just 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7.
First, let’s talk about the most basic of the blues style: the 12-bar (I-IV-V) blues progression. Usually someone will noodle with the I Minor Pentatonic over that. One thing that often confused me is that the I chord is usually played as a major chord, yet we play a minor scale over it. Isn’t that against the rules? Well, the modulation of the major and minor 3rd is the foundation of that sound we call “blues”. You should use the b7 tone instead of the major 7 tone, because the b7 tone sounds more bluesy, and the b7 can be found in both major (Mixolydian) and minor (Dorian, Aeolian, Locrian, Phrygian) scales. So, you can sound a little more original by simply making the chords minor and using a Mixolydian Pentatonic scale (1, 3, 4, 5, b7), and still get the blues sound.

To expand your melodic approach even more, let’s try using a scale that isn’t pentatonic. In my opinion, the two best modes to use over blues are Mixolydian and Dorian. Why? They only differ in their third - Mixolydian has a major third while Dorian has a minor third. So, we could use Mixolydian when we’re playing over minor chords and Dorian over major (remember, we want to get that modulation of the 3rds going). Or you could just make an 8 tone scale consisting of 1, 2, b3, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7; this would put the modulation in the lead line. Then, you could also do that in the harmony (play a minor 7th chord and hammer-on/pull-off the major 3rd note).

To expand your harmonic approach, we can do chord substitutions, or add color tones to the chords. A simple way to make the progression sound more jazzy (better) would be to play something like I(13)-IV(9)-V(13). The Miles Davis tune, “All Blues” uses a I(7/min7)-II(m7)-bIII(maj7)-II(m7) progression (the “7/min7″ means modulate the chords 3rd from major to minor quickly, usually with hammer-ons/pull-offs).

The main thing that I want to get across is that the blues sound is created by the dominant 7th tone, and by the third, modulating from major to minor. This is an important realization for any blues or jazz player.

Most, if not all bands today have a front man.  And more often than not, the front man is the vocalist, the most well-known member, or the group’s official spokesperson.  He is backed by a handful of other musicians who play one or several instruments such as the guitar, drums, and keyboard.  All members of a band work in harmony to create pleasing melodies and songs for their audience.

Guitars are well-liked musical instruments, favored by numerous amateur and professional artists around the world.  When performing, guitarists use either acoustic or electric guitars.  Country and classical singers with their slow, gentle music are usually seen strumming acoustic guitars.  Those into rock and heavy metal on the other hand, enjoy the amplifying and tone-changing capabilities of electric guitars.

Every time you travel, you always want to make sure your belongings are safe in your bag or luggage.  The same is true of your musical instruments. You want them to be protected and safe as well.  Whether it’s a saxophone, trumpet, violin, or guitar, your instrument needs a case so you can take it anywhere.  For guitars, you can have an acoustic guitar case, electric guitar case, or a bass guitar case.

Some of these cases are made with ballistic nylon and foam padding for everyday travel.  They are very lightweight and have pouches for carrying extra strings, tuners, and more.  If you will be traveling frequently and will have to put your case in car trunks, vans, or airplanes, you will need a sturdier case.  For those times, there are strong box guitar cases that are made of hard shell plywood.  Its interior is plush lined for superior cushioning, and there are three buckles for a more secure closure.  It also includes a lock and key.

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed by four members in 1968.  Their members featured Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboard) and John Bonham (drums).  Though they are characterized as one of the first heavy metal bands, the band truly incorporated styles and sounds from several different sources, which makes it difficult to pin them into one particular genre.  Hailed for half a dozen albums which reached the Billboard #1 spot, Led Zeppelin is often though of as the greatest rock band ever formed.  One of their hit songs, Stairway to Heaven, is talked about as the greatest song ever written, with sheet music sales for the guitar chords one of the highest ever recorded.  Led Zeppelin’s legacy was cut short by the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980. 

The band disbanded following the death of Bonham, but reformed for a concert in 2007 which featured the three original members and John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham.  The hype for the concert was enormous, and the performance by all accounts lived up to the hype, signaling the demand for a reunion tour which has yet to be set in stone.