Guitar Lovers

My uncle taught gave me my first guitar lesson at age 7, and many of the tips he shared back then have continued to stick with me. It turned out that while we both have musical tendencies in our blood, we don’t learn in the same way or at a comparable pace. He has an impressive ear for notes and melodies and is able to replicate most songs after hearing them just a few times. I’m not like that at all.

Maybe it’s because of my classical piano training, but I need to be able to see notes in front of me. Playing by ear just doesn’t work until I’ve got a song down cold. That’s why a guitar tuner is so essential to my playing. It would take me far too long to tune the guitar during a performance without some aid. Perhaps some day I’ll develop a better ear, but until then I’ll have to rely on technology.

As a young child, I grew up listening to some of my parents’ old records. They had a full complement of Beatles music and some stuff by The Beach Boys. But I wasn’t immediately drawn to the Fab Four’s pop craftsmanship or the sunny surfing anthems coming out of California. Instead I turned to the monster guitar riffs supplied by The Rolling Stones and The Who.

My musical tastes evolved as I got older, of course, but the electric guitar is still my favorite instrument. The versatility of an electric ax is impressive as well. It can be utilized for jazz noodling sessions and Delta blues licks alike. When I pull out an electric guitar, I like to emulate my childhood gods by unleashing a monster solo. Guitar music transports us to another place and time; for that, I will always owe the electric guitar my allegiance.

Last year, a guitarist named Dave Carroll was travelling across the country with his band. He was waiting for his flight to leave Chicago when he notices the baggage handlers throwing guitar cases to each other – his band’s guitar cases! Upon arriving in Nebraska, he discovered that his Taylor guitar had been smashed. United Airlines did nothing to help Carroll, despite his repeated requests and complaints. So he recently wrote and performed a song called “United Breaks Guitars,” which got more than 3 million views in its first 10 days on YouTube.

United Airlines has probably learned its lesson after the whole world knows that its employees broke someone’s guitar. But the point of this story is that not everyone will handle your guitar as carefully and lovingly as you do, so you should invest in a good guitar case. Even though Carroll’s case didn’t prevent his guitar from being ruined, his situation was the exception – few people would actually throw someone’s guitar like that. In general, a good guitar case will prevent damage to your guitar. Don’t leave home without one!

Traditionally, heavy metal bands play a step or two down from standard tuning. Though some may dismiss metal as a bunch of noise, listening to a band like Slayer, early Metallica or even newer bands like The Bled or Killswitch Engage will let you know that these guys can play as well as any bona fide blues guitarist.

The major chords are typically E or D (the latter being the most popular), but it really depends on your own personal tinkering. Personally, I like to alternate between standard (EADGBE) and D-standard when I’m playing on stage and I can do this with ease with a guitar tuner.

Tuning that is catching on, however, is BF#BEG#C#. It’s great for thrash, but if you’re looking for something on the technical side, I highly recommend standard or D-standard.

If this is your last summer before you venture off for college, you might be concerned about what college life is going to bring. Whether you’re in the dorms or you’re going to rent an apartment, life is about to change quite a bit, and it’s natural to worry about that change. The biggest concern among incoming college freshmen is that they won’t find any new friends or that they won’t be popular. But being a popular college freshman isn’t rocket science. It just takes some of the following pointers.

The biggest mistake new freshmen make is not being outgoing or confident. Nobody knows you at college, so you have to make the effort. Introduce yourself to a lot of people, and get them involved in fun activities. Whether you take the initiative to organize a dorm Frisbee game or you teach somebody on your floor the acoustic guitar, just remember to be friendly and involved. The more people you meet, the more likely you are to find people that share your interests. Your high school reputation doesn’t follow you to college, so you’re free to become the person you want to be.

Many people who are interested in music gravitate towards the electric guitar. Especially if you’re interested in learning music with a bit more of an edge to it, it’s a fantastic place to start with your musical training. Whether you’re teaching yourself or you’re turning to a professional tutor for help, there are some amazing and iconic songs available for new or established lovers of electric guitars.

If you want to learn songs that feature the electric guitar, try learning the main riff of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. Or perhaps you’re more interested in Weezer songs, in which case you should learn “Say It Ain’t So.” And if you want to take your guitar lessons to earlier works, tackle “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix or “Layla” by . Whatever song you learn, don’t forget that there are numerous online videos with step by step tutorials, so if you ever get stuck, you can probably find a video to help you along.

When the Rolling Stones released “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” Keith Richards inadvertently set the music world ablaze with the usage of a Gibson fuzzbox that he used during the recording.  By the end of 1965, Gibson sold out of the pedal and other guitarists began experimenting with finding their own tones and sounds.

These days, there are a variety of different guitar effect pedals out there, all of which can produce different sounds based on the pedal type, guitar, and amp.  Many guitarists use pods, which can emulate a variety of tones, while others will use traditional pedals to change their sounds quicker. 

Finding the perfect tone can take time, particularly if you’re using multiple guitars and pedals.  While it can be time consuming, it will be worth it once you’re able to find the best tones for your songs.

For many seasoned guitarists, playing in Drop D (DADGBE) is a bit of a cheat.  Personally, I find it easier to play my guitar in Drop D, especially in a live setting when I prefer to thrash around and get out my inner Greg Ginn. 

Drop D utilizes power chords better on guitars, particularly for punk rock and metal bands.  Before writing off Drop D as a farce for people who can’t read or play music, give it a try and you might be surprised how it can open up songwriting options and playing.

Whether you like it or not, rock n’ roll is here to stay. What used to be a music that was frowned upon by the older generations is now the music that almost everyone loves. This music has been dominating the charts time and again, thanks to its youth appeal. Rock n’ roll has been an avenue for self-expression.

What differentiates rock n’ roll music from other music genres is the type of instruments being played. Sounds mostly come from electric keyboards, drums, and guitars. It then doesn’t come as a surprise that the number of electric guitars for sale has gone up. More and more music lovers, particularly guitarists, have traded their old guitars for the funkier ones. Knowing how to play an electric guitar is a skill and an art. The arrangements can be quite difficult that it takes talent and a lot of practice to master it.