Posts Tagged ‘music instruments’
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Bill Collings had a very definite passion ever since he was old enough to hold an object in his tiny little hands. His love for the guitar and the craft involved in building them made his choice to go to medical school an unusual one. But he never showed passion for medicine and eventually he left school to do what he should have done all along. So he moved to Houston where he studied his trade and began building instruments.
Next he moved to California, where legendary guitars have been built and have prospered through the years. He didn’t make it very far, only as far as Austin in fact, where he worked with other luthiers. He then proceeded to set up his own workshop in a converted garage. He worked extremely hard and his reputation has a meticulous craftsman would stand him in good stead. By the time the 1980s were over, he had staff and a facility which stood at one thousand square feet.
That very year, an order of 24 custom guitars placed put Collings guitars on the map. Quite literally, in fact, as it really made its mark from that point on a national level. Staff increased from 2 to 50 and that one thousand square foot facility now stood at 3,200 square feet.
After having reached expert status in building acoustic guitars, Collings quest turned to master the electric guitar. This only served to enhance the brands already highly impressive reputation. He used the same passion and attention to detail and it wasn’t long before he was beginning to impress just as he did thirty two years earlier with the electric guitar. Archtop was his first invention with mandolins a feature by the end of the 1990s.
One of their more successful models is the I-25 Deluxe. It has a semi-hollow Honduan mahogany body and an inset alder centre block. Its authentic feel and tonal range can be attributed to its 1950s style wiring.
Find out more about Collings Guitar
Tags: guitar, Guitars, music, music instruments
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Saturday, March 6th, 2010
For any beginner starting to play guitar the question is often raised whether you should start on acoustic guitar or electric guitar. For some, this will be a simple choice as they will be drawn to one or the other based on the type of music they like.
But the question still stands about which provides a foundation in technique that will form a basis for improving guitar skills? If you are going to teach yourself guitar then which guitar type does not hide your faults?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both at different stages of a guitarist learning so any assessment needs to take into account the short and long term benefits of each. Over the years I have taught other guitarists using whatever guitar they had to hand. I noticed that you can nearly tell from a guitarist’s technique whether they started on electric or acoustic just by watching them play.
So here are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Beginning On Electric Guitar
Pros
* The narrower gauge strings and guitar neck make it easier to play.
* Amplification makes it easier to develop a subtlety of playing as it permits various nuances in your play (e.g. vibrato).
* It is possible to practice using earphones.
Cons
* Muscle strength in the fingers does not increase to the same extent as when playing acoustic.
* Using effects/distortion hides a multitude of sins.
* Natural tendency for incorrect placement of the left thumb on the guitar neck.
Starting On Acoustic Guitar
Pros
* Lower cost starting option.
* Doesn’t require an amp, so allows you to play anywhere.
* Builds up finger muscle strength.
Cons
* Strong temptation to strum through all songs. Beginners should take the time to learn subtle finger picking styles.
* Guitar solos require great dexterity and can get ‘lost in the mix’ if playing in a group.
* Using earphones with an acoustic is not an option.
Guitarists who start out on electric build up speed of playing solos and chord changes which is admirable, but it is often at the cost of proper playing technique. Playing the electric guitar hides faults such as incorrect placement of the thumb and not holding down strings solidly. This results in strings buzzing or being muted during play.
In comparison, the acoustic guitarist builds up the finger strength, learns better hand placement on the frets and fosters clear sounding play.
That said, if you can saddle the cost of buying both electric and acoustic guitars then you could balance out the beginners training on each instrument and they will benefit from both approaches.
Are you frustrated with the lack of progress from your current guitar tuition/guitar course? Read Ed’s review of Jamorama online guitar lessons and start to teach yourself guitar the modern way.
Tags: Acoustic Guitar, bands, beginner guitar lessons, Electric Guitar, guitar, guitar for beginners, Guitar Lessons, guitar tuition, guitarist, Guitars, learn guitar, music, music instruments, musical groups, musical instruments
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Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Before getting excited to buy your first black electric guitar, do not make any of the most common mistakes in buying black electric guitars. You also need to understand exactly the important differences between electric guitars and acoustic guitars. The main difference between the two is that an electric guitar can work with an amplifier to make its sound louder. It need not need to have a sound hole to produce the guitar sound.
An acoustic guitar on the other hand need not require the use of an amplifier and still be heard by others. Acoustic guitars come with sound holes to make that acoustical sound. For some electric guitars with half-hollow guitar bodies, they can be pretty versatile to allow students to play it unplugged or with on amplifier. Additionally, black colored electric guitars pose a special kind of elegance that worth the second look, the black color does not affect the sound quality in any case.
With higher attention, more people are taking up guitar playing as their hobbies. For these clear reasons, there are also more and more retailers selling electric guitars. Electric guitar beginners are just simply overwhelmed with too much information. They are prone to commit mistakes due to some bad information sources or poor advices by sales man who just hoping for higher commissions.
To begin, let us zoom in now the worst five mistakes that players make in selecting their new black electric guitar.
1. It is good to buy an electric guitar first instead of an acoustic guitar for the simple reason that it is easier on the fingers. This can increase their confidence level. If the beginners started off with acoustic guitars, they will need more strength to perfect their strumming positioning. Mastering electric guitars will be more comfortable on the fingers.
2. Is it good to learn guitar playing by owning the most expensive guitar? This may not be true because it is quite often that such pitching is just merely a sale tactics by the sale people. The higher they can sell to you, the better their payout they can get from their companies. It may be always the case especially the guitar beginners are not smart enough to differentiate what are the best guitars.
3. Cheapest guitars may not bring you good sound quality. It is often that a lower grade and cheap guitar will not produce good tunes. If the guitar tune is not nice, will you blame it on the guitar itself or how you play with it? For mid range priced guitars, you can even resell it at a higher price later.
4. Wanted to acquire the same guitar brand and make that is also used by your favourite guitarist? This is not an good idea to follow at all. Different people will have different playing habits. A realistic approach is to get your best fit guitar and master it diligently. Once you get the hang out of it, you can further upgrade to get a better one. By putting in your heart and soul in learning this guitar, you can play it well naturally.
5. Apart from the above mistakes, you need to also avoid picking the wrong guitar size or using the wrong guitar strings. To be the most easiest on the fingers, it is recommended to start with a nylon string based guitar. This applies to both electric guitars and acoustic guitars. For smaller hands, it may be more ideal to consider 1/2 or 3/4 size for the best fit. This is because it will be easier for them to strum a guitar with smaller neck and not affected by its reach.
If you can buy the black electric guitar right at the first place, you will be happy to avoid the possible problems of playing with the wrong guitar. For more user reviews and discounted promotional offers including Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony or the best selling electric guitars like the Epiphone Sunburst, click on the given link.
Tags: arts and entertainment, black acoustic electric guitar, black electric guitar, Electric Guitar, electric guitar for sale, epiphone les paul standard, epiphone sunburst, guitarist, Guitars, leisure, mu blog, music, music blogs, music instruments
Posted in Bass Guitars Amps and Effects | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
There are wide ranges of manner for you to learn guitar no matter if you are eyeing on an acoustic or electrical guitar. Beginner guitar lesson online can be very enjoyable. For people who know a guitarist, they can consider themselves lucky because they can ask their friends to personally give them the guitar lesson needed. For the rest they have to get a guitar teacher to teach them.
Although the outcome is very good, hiring a professional to teach you how to strum the guitar can be a little costly. However if you do not have enough cash to spare then you can always learn by means of using online DVD guitar lessons. You will have the help of a professional plus the bonus point of learning at your own pace.
As learning guitar online does not require high cost, it has become a phenomenon. With the help of online guitar lesson, you simply have to go to the site that offers the tutorial. You can then get started very quickly by going through those basic lessons.
To be of help to different kinds of people, online lessons are obtainable in wide array of platforms like DVD lessons, eBooks, and a lot more. If you are wondering which of them is the best option then you might want to get those which provide videos and software so you can learn easier and in a more enjoyable manner.
If you want to have a fast result while being able to work at your own pace, going for a beginner guitar lesson online where the instructor will teach about the step to step method to play can be the most efficient manner of learning.
As it requires effort and money to create those online guitar course, most of them are available with an inexpensive one-time payment. After your first payment, the preceding lessons are free. In case you are already knowledgeable about the basics such as strumming then you are free to move on to more advanced lessons.
Because there won’t be someone who is learning with you, the software will allow you to learn at your own speed. Some of the other beginner guitar lessons online would include playing acoustic guitar, lead guitar, and blues guitar. You will realize that the price you pay for the course is worth it.
Don’t give up along the way. In due time, you can surprise your friends on how efficient you are in playing the guitar even if they know that you haven’t hired someone to teach you. Just gear yourself with enough patience and later on, you will realize how well you are performing.
Anybody wants to learn to play guitar and play like The Eagles, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Guns ‘N Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and more? You can now learn how to play the guitar using our Free lessons, step by step instructions, tutorials, jam tracks and famous songs!
Tags: Acoustic Guitar, entertainment, guitar, Guitars, hobby, Jamorama, leisure, music, music instrument, music instruments
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Sunday, January 24th, 2010
There is many more things when it comes to learning to play the guitar. It is not just picking up the instrument and starting in. You should begin with the basics. Know clearly what exactly you want to achieve. Next find a good guitar course. There are a list of things that you must learn in any beginner guitar course.
Only after you have know those things, you can then move on to an intermediate guitar course. Here is a list of items you have to learn in any beginners guitar course that you have chosen.
By the time you finish your guitar course you should have the information you need to decide which type of specialty you might like to explore. Your choices include classical guitar, jazz guitar, rock guitar and country and folk guitar, but there are many others. Keep in mind, however, that all these guitar styles start off the same way, with the basics.
First you will learn the parts of the guitar and how they interact. Next you will learn what makes a good guitar and its maintainence. It will help you get the kind of sound you wanted easier.
You will learn the difference between steel strings and nylon, and when you want to use each one, what kind of neck flexibility works for which kind of playing, and how guitar shape affects sound. You will also find out what different strumming techniques do, and the difference between upstrokes and downstrokes. Most players just learning to strum will start with a few basic chords: C, G, D7 and F. Be sure you can find out how the chords are constructed and how they interact with one another.
You’ll also learn finger picking, which may seem too advanced to be in a guitar for beginners course. It also might seem like it would be better with a different kind of music. Finger picking is a valuable technique, however. Learn to use both hands and how to have a fair amount of dexterity with both. Even if you never use a technique like finger picking, it is better to know it than to not know something you need to be able to play what you want.
In your beginner program, there is another important skill you need to master. You must know how to tune and how each chord works with each key. First you will use open tuning before proceeding to barring. Barring mean you will press down the string across the fret and complete the chord using the rest of your fingers.
You will have to learn scales too. They are the basis of guitar playing. After you have mastered your scales, you will progress very quickly.
You could have the temptation to want to jump right in to learn the guitar but do not do that. First you should get a good foundation in your basics before then you can be a truly skilled guitar player. Without a good foundation, you will not be able to handle the advanced techniques. Nobody can become a skillful guitar player without going through the basics. Remember that those professional guitars also started as a beginners many years ago.
I can understand that learning to play guitar can be a bit overwhelming at first. But with patience and focus, you will be jamming with the best in no time at all.
Anybody wants to learn to play guitar and play like The Eagles, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Guns ‘N Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and more? You can now learn how to play the guitar using our Free lessons, step by step instructions, tutorials, jam tracks and famous songs!
Tags: Acoustic Guitar, entertainment, guitar, Guitars, hobby, Jamorama, leisure, music, music instrument, music instruments
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010
It’s fun to watch others play guitar– but it’s even more fun to play it your self! Learning to play the guitar can be intimidating, but it’s time to take those steps toward becoming a guitar player today.
Firstly, you will need to select the method of learning. With the Internet, it makes it easier than ever to learn to play the guitar. There are various interactive online guitar courses for you to choose from. Many all great but there are some differences which you may want to pay attention to.
The course you select should be comprehensive. It should be able to teach you in a manner that you will find that learning guitar is an interesting and fun process.
One of the hottest selling guitar learning course online is Jamorama. Why is this so? It has a very good reputation for delivering a high quality product and many complete beginners is capable of mastering the guitar easily using the course.
The course is presented via a software which works both on a PC and Mac. The great thing about this approach is you can download and access the learning materials only when you are ready to proceed to the next lessons. You will not find yourself overwhelmed with lot of materials at the start. As you become more proficient, you can download more lessons. So far, they have a total of 15 lessons excluding any bonuses.
For those who prefer to read, there will be written materials provided along with the video and software. The lessons are presented in a guitar tablature manner. Each lesson will come with a helpful video which can help you understand clearly what is taught. As different people learn new skill in different manner, this course is able to cater to all learning style. There will be written materials, visual components and software interactivity to ensure you pick up the skill of playing guitar in the shortest possible time.
We found the bonus software and games quite impressive. It comes with the Jayde Musica, Guit-ear-it, Guitar Tuner Pro, Jamorama Metronome, How to Tune Your Guitar, and Advanced Guitar Learning Techniques. These bonus components, along with the actual lesson materials, are done in a very thorough way so you’ll get everything you need by way of instruction in the Jamorama guitar course.
For those who have some background knowledge in playing guitar, do understand that the first few lessons are aimed at complete beginners. It covers basic information like how to hold the guitar and how to strum. You may choose to skip through them.
Jamorama includes everything you’ll need to get started. This course comes highly recommended for those who want to learn how to play the guitar.
Anyone else wants to learn to play guitar and play like The Eagles, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Guns ‘N Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and more? You can now learn how to play the guitar using our Free lessons, step by step instructions, tutorials, jam tracks and famous songs!
Tags: Acoustic Guitar, entertainment, guitar, Guitars, hobby, Jamorama, leisure, music, music instrument, music instruments
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Monday, January 18th, 2010
You may want to ask yourself what are the best pointers when buying an electric guitar at a reasonable price. But often, the best answer is not to buy the best guitar at the best price but rather to buy a suitable electric guitar which meets your needs within your own budgets.
So what are the most popular electric guitar makers that you can think off? Brand names like Epiphone, Gibson, Ibanez, Yahama will be more sought after. These makers not only provide both high end and low end models. One can be also offered a special black electric guitar or a left handed electric guitar.
In terms of good craftsmanship and good quality finishes, Ibanez may be one of the best choices available. There are also other options including Yahama, Takemine, Dean and so forth. But it is always not easy to find a suitable one to suit your needs.
Similiarly, Epiphone and Ibanez are equally good choices for your consideration. In fact, Epiphone is also a division of Gibson that uses Gibson trademark quality with a lower end price tag.
Firstly, you need to consider whether to use nylon strings or steel strings. Often, nylon or gut strings are used for classical music.
Steel strings are more common to provide a richer tone. They can be found in a variety of guages, be it ultra light or heavy. Sound that is produced by steel strings will be lightly affected by a string guage.
Comfort will be the last but very important factor. You need to decide if you prefer one with the wide neck or narrow neck. It depends on the size of the body which can be travel size (i.e. small size), dreadnought and jumbo. Playing should be natural.
If you have smaller hands, perhaps a travel acoustic electric guitar will be just nice and there are some very good ones out there. But most of the times, the dreadnough is a better choice though.
In general, you may want to find one electric guitar that is best fit its neck width as well as it produces tone quality that smooth your ears.
To think economically and spend only within your overall budget and needs, you can consider to shop online which offers electric guitar for sale.
Do not impulse buy by looking at the big names or attractive promotions offered by the sales person. Many times , they can look good to you to catch your eyes but they may not be the suitable ones.
To find the best offer on Black Electric Guitar, Click Electric Guitar For Sale now.
Tags: black electric guitar, electric guitar for sale, epiphone electric guitar, guitar, Guitars, hobbies, ibanez electrc guitar, left handed electric guitar, music, music equipments, music instruments, recreation
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