I was born in a small town and grew up playing the bars and clubs there, making a small amount each week, but I wanted more. I initially thought that the only way that I would make a ‘decent’ living would be to become a famous musician and to be able to tour the world in my private jet (well I never quite got a private jet but I did manage to tour extensively overseas).

Most people, like myself initially, think the only money in the industry is with being a famous musician and many people overlook the other options that are out there to make money from your guitar. Here are a few ideas:

- Teaching guitar (once you have mastered the skills share them with others for a fee)
- Making/designing guitars or amps (if you are handy with tools or electrical knowledge this could be an option)
- Playing covers in café’s/bars (there is a large market for playing songs that everyone knows and loves)

The most important thing, however, is to DECIDE you’re going to succeed and don’t let anything or anyone stop you. Like anything, just stick at it and you will succeed. Well, that’s about it for this newsletter. Next week I’ll talk about the Star Spangled Banner, and in our Tech Tips section I’ll answer a question about getting a “metal” sound on your guitar.

Good luck with your practice.

Posted by Ben Edwards.

After the last post on listening and guitar  it’s time to focus upon one of the world’s greatest listeners, Evelyn Glennie, the Scottish virtuoso percussionist who has been profoundly deaf since age 12.

This does not inhibit her ability to perform at the international level. She regularly plays barefoot for both live performances and studio recordings, to better “feel” the music. Glennie contends that deafness is largely misunderstood by the public. She claims to have taught herself to hear with parts of her body other than her ears.

In the photograph at top we can see Evelyn with English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith who uses some highly unusual and  enlightening techniques. Here is Evelyn discussing how to listen with your whole body rather than simply using your ears.

Indeed, this is a highly valuable lecture for any musician and the reason I’ve included it here on the Jamorama guitar blog is because of the highly tactile nature of the guitar – especially the electric guitar – and how the guitar as an instrument makes such a tight connection possible between physical approach (strumming, fretting, vibrato etcetera), the intellectual (musicality) and the emotional. Remember there are no rules and no right or wrong – we all hear differently, we all play differently! Groove to the beat of your own drum.

Cheers,

Jake Edwards

It’s small enough to tuck into your bag and whip out on the train, bus, at the office, in front of the TV when you have a moment to spare to work on your guitar techniques. Kitted out with strap knobs it also allows you to warm up when gigging so you’re ready to rock when it’s time to go on.

While it does have tuning pegs, they’re not intended to be used like those on a standard guitar. Instead, you use them to alter the string tension to replicate the feel of your guitar in effect allowing you to practice on your guitar without actually having your guitar with you.

This headstock also doubles as the body of the guitar so you can grip the Shredneck, keeping the neck steady while you practice your licks. As you can tell it’s not your usual guitar but with the first 7 frets of a guitar neck, you’ll have plenty to work with.

You can work on your fingering techniques, from those lightning quick lead runs, chords or just simply warming up in anticipation of playing your ‘real’ guitar. However, it’s not really set up for working on your picking technique as there is no place to pick the strings in the same way you would on a standard sized guitar.

The guys at Shredneck are passionate guitarists and as such don’t make claims as to any medical benefits of using the Shredneck – as other ‘hand exercisers do’. Instead they see it as the closest thing to playing the guitar without actually playing the guitar. With the ability to always have a guitar on hand, you can continually work on your playing techniques to increase your effectiveness when it comes time to play the real thing.

Check out this video to see Sonny Lombardozzi run through some exercises he uses on the Shredneck to stay primed.

Posted by Dan Orr.

For a very reasonable fee ($9.99), you can load your iPad, iPhone or Ipod Touch up with a tuner, metronome, chord, scale and arpeggio library. The tuner will give you accurate tunings not just for 6 string guitars, but also 7 and 12 as well. It also support 4, 5 and 6-string bass, banjo, mandolin and ukulele, with alternate tunings for each instrument. You can also dial in your own custom tunings.

The metronome can be run in the background while you use other Guitartoolkit tools. It features a tempo tap pad, 25 sound effects and 22 time signatures meaning you’ll be keeping rock steady rhythms from now on.

The massive chord library gives you over 2 million chord diagrams, scales and appegios so you’ll never get stuck finding a chord and if you need to transpose a song, you can add in a capo and the chords will automatically adjust for the new key. For scales you can simply click on a note and a range of possible scales will be displayed. You just need to know how you use them.

There’s also an app upgrade ($4.99) that will give you the Advanced Metronome (for your iPad now and iPhone/Touch soon), giving you the ability to create your own drum beats with 32 instrument tracks and 75 distinct sounds to make your practice sessions all the more fun.

You’ll also be able to create your own interactive chord sheets and print or email them to a band member or friend. Click on any chord in the progression you’ve created and hear how it sounds.

And if that wasn’t enough, you will also have 60 instrument sounds at your fingertips to create custom instrument sounds for both acoustic and electric guitar through Agile Partners’ AmpKit tone engine.

For a quick video overview, check Agile Partners’ release video.

If you want essential guitar tools at your fingertips then Agile Partners’ Guitartoolkit 2.0 is well worth considering.

Posted by Dan Orr.

Playin’ tha blues – it aint no big thing and it aint nobodies business if i do!

To play the blues you only have to count to five. Well holy schmoley Batman! That`s one number too darn many fo` some! Right , look out people because today’s post is about as much fun as a mouthful of sand – dry, uncomfortable and nitty-gritty; but just like  your monster-in-law its a necessary evil if you want to reap the rewards!!!

The blues is built almost exclusively around I – IV – V

Let’s refresh what we’ve learned so far about scales and chords.
Before you learn how to form certain chords you must first learn about scales.

A scale is a series of notes that play in an ascending and descending manner. For every scale (major or minor) there are 7 notes, for example in the key of C the notes are C – D – E – F – G – A – B.

The 8th note (in this example C) goes back to the root note but an octave higher.

Each note of a scale has a corresponding number from 1 to 7. So for the key of C it will be as follows:
C = 1
D = 2
E = 3
F = 4
G = 5
A = 6
B = 7

In order to make a major triad you will play the 1st + 3rd + 5th notes of a major scale.
In our example it is C – E – G, that’s the C major chord.

Let’s have another example this time using the C minor scale:
C = 1
D = 2
Eb = 3
F = 4
G = 5
Ab = 6
Bb = 7

In order to make a minor triad you will play the 1st + 3rd + 5th notes of a minor scale. In our example it is C – Eb – G, that’s the C minor chord.

Roman Numerals

Sometimes instead of numbers Roman Numerals are used instead. We go back to our example and use a Roman Numeral for each note in the key of C:
C = I
D = ii
E = iii
F = IV
G = V
A = vi
B = vii

Those with a Roman Numeral that is capitalized (I, IV, V) represent notes from which the major chord is built. While those that have lower case numerals (ii, iii, vi) represent notes from which minor chords are built.

The I, IV and V Chord Pattern

For each key there are 3 chords that are played more than others known as “primary chords”. The I – IV – V chords are built from the 1st, 4th and 5th note of a scale.

Let’s take the key of C again as an example, looking at the illustration above, you will notice that note I on the key of C is C, note IV is F and note V is G.

Therefor the I – IV – V chord pattern for the key of C is:
C (note I) = C – E- G (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the C scale)
F (note IV) = F – A – C (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the F scale)
G (note V) = G – B – D (1st + 3rd + 5th note of the G scale)

There are many songs that have been written using the I – IV – V chord pattern, “Home on the Range” is one example. Practice playing the I – IV – V chord pattern for every major key and listen to how it sounds as this might inspire you to come up with a great melody for your song.

Here’s a handy table to guide you.

I – IV – V Chord Pattern
Major Key         – Chord Pattern
Key of C                C – F – G
Key of D               D – G – A
Key of E               E – A – B
Key of F               F – Bb – C
Key of G              G – C – D
Key of A             A – D – E
Key of B             B – E – F#
Key of Db          Db – Gb – Ab
Key of Eb          Eb – Ab – Bb
Key of Gb         Gb – Cb – Db
Key of Ab        Ab – Db – Eb
Key of Bb         Bb – Eb – F

An old piano teacher of mine used to record my playing at different times throughout the year. At the end of the term she would give me a tape that contained a selection of pieces that I had played running from work that I had completed early in the year to the things that I was working on at the end of the term. I would take this tape home and I would play it to my friends and family. People listening to the tape would say, “Man, you’re getting good”.

This did two things for me. First of all, it made me go back to my teacher for more lessons, so it was definitely a good move on her part. Secondly, it made me practice more because I could see the benefits of working on something over time. Basically, the progress that I could hear on the tape motivated me to get even better.

I strongly recommend you to start recording your practice sessions for future reference.You will be surprised of what you hear and how much you improve with the past of the time!

Posted by David McKinnon.

How do I find musical ideas? How do I write music?
Not an easy question to answer I would say!

One of the challenges all musicians have is finding ideas for music. When you are creating original music it is important to have steady stream of inspiration. It is important to note that people can find inspiration from many differing things depending on their personality.

Living your life is the best source of material for songs. Try and be aware of everything around you. Take notes about people and situations you experience, documenting your reactions to them. Your own reactions are important because personal songs are often the best and easiest to write for many musicians.

Another tool that can be very useful when writing a song is to put yourself in someone else’s shoes or situation. If you find yourself stuck in a rut then this can also be a good way to change your style of writing.

When it comes to writing music it is important to try and develop you musicianship. New skills are like doorways to new songs. Many times you will learn a new technique and a whole song can be built around that. For this reason it is important to always be on the lookout for new skills and ideas.

One of the best ways to pick up the new skills is to learn other musician’s techniques. When you see one of your musician friends playing something interesting try and learn it. This does not mean you should rip off another person’s song, however use those musical ideas to inspire you.

Becoming proficient at your instrument will make it a lot simpler to think of good ideas for your songs.

Melodies are all inside you and they don’t have to be complex. When you are singing to yourself in the shower remember that even the simplest three note melodies have the potential to become songs.

You can find ideas for music and lyrics all around you. Don’t be afraid to open your mind and come up with new and interesting concepts. Experiment with your song and music writing until you create something that you believe in and that is fun to play. And be sure to let me know how your writing is going!

Posted by Dan Orr

To simply define it; playing is when you are out on stage or in the studio by yourself or with a band. Practicing is when you are in a room by yourself or with your band getting ready to play a gig or record some music.

Practicing is important. If you never practice you will never reach a high level of skill and you will not get a tight sound with your band. When you practice you should concentrate on playing correctly and in time. These principals should be followed whether you are playing with a group or in your room by yourself.

Though you should try and be as accurate as possible when you are practicing, when it comes to playing you should feel free. Meaning that when playing live you should be in the moment and ignore mistakes.

It is important to remember the distinction between practicing and playing. You should always be trying to improve with practice, but when you are on stage playing you shouldn’t be worrying about playing perfectly. You should be worried about putting on an energetic performance, playing hard.

Some times musicians can fall into the trap of over-practicing. You do this when you spend too much time practicing and not enough time devoted to getting yourself out there and playing your songs.

Many musicians are perfectionists and they feel that they can never be ready to perform. You need to ignore the little problems when you are deciding whether or not to play a gig. Work had to fix any problems but don’t stress out about them.

In conclusion get out there and play your instrument in front of people. You can iron out problems as they come up but don’t forget to keep motivated and play hard.

Posted by Dan Orr

We receive tons of emails from left handed guitarists asking for advice on how to learn; which course is good for them; what do they need; is there anything special I need to do when it comes to playing the guitar? Do I need a left handed guitar? Does your Jamorama course cater to left handed players?

Many people feel that left-handers are at an advantage when it comes to learning guitar. First if you are learning the guitar around the left handed way then you will have your guitar the same way as anyone you’re playing with and also your guitar will be the same way round as traditional chord diagrams (this of course makes it easier to understand what the diagram shows). Also if you are left handed and play your guitar right handed then you will have your strongest hand (your left) fretting the strings which is one of the hardest things for beginners to master.

Please note that Jamorama doesn’t recommend learning to play the guitar around the “wrong way” as it can impede developing a good solid sense of rhythm. However playing round the wrong way can be beneficial for SOME players.

In terms of the actual guitar when it comes to classical guitars it is not problem just to reverse the strings. With electrics and other acoustics it can be better to invest in a left handed guitar. Some players have no problem stringing electrics upside down (Jimi Hendrix for one) so if you think that will suit you try it.

Check out these “tributes to left handed guitarists” by Youtube user hardandheavyvideos2 and toastedaudiolab:

Good luck to all the lefties in the world! You guys rock!!!

Posted by Dan Orr.

But now, playing this technique is a completely different thing. If you are having problems with it, this is what you can do:

The main problem with alternate picking comes when you are picking a note in the opposite direction of the next string that you’re going to play. For instance, if your last note was a down stroke on the G string, and your next note is an upstroke on the D string, then your pick has to travel a more complicated path than if you are picking up on G and down on D. What to do?

Some people just refuse to let their picking hand do the more difficult move, by trying to put a hammer on or a pull off to time the direction of the pick to a more favorable direction. Others might just be using the pick to start the string in motion, but are doing all hammer or pull offs other than the first note on a string.

But let’s concentrate on what to do if you are using the versatile alternate picking method. Since we don’t want to limit the note choices, or string choices, in any way, we have to just get good at dealing with the problem.

Practice going back and forth between two strings picking in the opposite direction. For example, play a C on the 3rd string (5th fret) with a downstroke followed by an E on the 4th string (2nd fret)with an upstroke. Repeat the C and E one more time.

Next, bring the C down to a B (1 fret) on the 3rd string with a downstroke, followed by the same E on the 4th with an upstroke. Repeat the B and E. Just to make a slightly musical pattern, do the same thing, but change the B down to an A, doing the same pattern. To make the pattern symmetrical, return the A back up to a B and play B,E,B,E, just like the second pattern.

It will take a lot less time to play this than to read about it, so try to muddle through this explanation to get to the actual notes, it’s not hard to play this as long as you don’t try to play it too fast.

As with all exercises, do it slowly and as accurately as possible at first. Doing this exercise addresses one of the most important points about practicing and improvements.

If you have some free time, check out this video which is an extract from Paul Gilbert´s instructional DVD “Get Out Of My Yard” – It is insane what you can do when getting this technique right! Check it out:

Good luck with your practice. See you next week!

Posted by Moses Robbins.