For those out there using a 12 string guitar and having problems getting it in tune… I am having problems tuning my 12-string guitar. How do I do it? Answer. Even though it may look like a big challenge, ‘standard’ tuning a 12-string guitar is actually quite easy. For the bottom four strings (four thickest) […]
Lessons
Merry Christmas
Christmas is under a week away and it is an exciting time to be a guitarist. For many, the holiday season offers a well deserved break from the flow of normal life and presents a fantastic opportunity to catch up on some quality ‘self time’. Maintaining a consistent, structured practice regime is critical to the […]
How we play the G Major Chord
Well it’s a rainy day here in Christchurch, New Zealand and lunchtime seamed the opportune moment to pick up the guitars and have a bit of a jam. Something we’ve been exploring lately is the “One Chord” jam. Quite simply we just pick a chord and hold it for the entire jam. This promotes all […]
Starting your own band
Many people begin learning to play the guitar with the intention of playing in a band. For this reason we have decided to put together some helpful advice about starting and playing in a band. What is the definition of a band? A band or musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians […]
Tech Tip: Learn the parts of the guitar
Question. Often when I am reading about guitars on the internet I hear about different parts of the guitar, can you give a brief description of the different parts of a guitar? Answer. Here is a brief description of some of the more commonly misunderstood parts of the guitar. Headstock The headstock is the part […]
LEARNING TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN SOUND ON THE GUITAR
When you first begin learning any instrument it is important to develop a clear picture of what you want to sound like. In other words, having an idea in your head of what style you want to be playing. You can save yourself a lot of time if your playing has a clearly focused goal. […]
Using a metronome when learning to play guitar
This week we look at how you use a metronome to help with your timing while learning to play the guitar. A metronome is a device that makes a sound to indicate beats so you can keep in time when you are playing the guitar. A metronome keeps perfect time so that you can learn […]
Tech Tip: Touching the strings
Question. When I play chords I always touch the strings that I should be playing open. How can I avoid this? Answer. Touching the wrong strings when you play chords is a common problem that many beginners face when learning the guitar. Today we will look at some simple solutions. 1. Try and press your […]
GENERAL TIPS FOR BUYING A GUITAR
One of the most important things you’ll ever do in your music career is buy a guitar. We are often asked to give people advice about how to find a good guitar. The fact is that there is a LOT that goes into buying a guitar, way too much to put in one Newsletter, but […]
Tech Tip: Changing Between Chords
Question. I find it hard to change between chords and when I do it sounds bad. Because of this I can’t make my guitar sound good. What can I do? Answer. This is the most common problem for beginner guitarists. Don’t worry, nearly every professional guitarist has had your problem! The best way to […]