This may sound dramatic but learning how to play bar chords on guitar is one of the best things I have done in my life and if I had to learn again, I would want to have explained to me in exactly this way.
Whether you want to play bluesy shuffles or power chords, it will be good to know what a bar chord is and how it works. By just taking a little bit of time at this stage, there is the added advantage of getting a range of new chords almost instantly.
Step One
Take the normal E major chord 0-2-2-1-0-0, play it without using your first (index) finger.
Step Two
The 'nut' for the guitar is where the six strings pivot at the end of the fret board/neck of the guitar. Rest your first finger beside the nut of the guitar, just before the fretboard starts. This won't make any difference to the sound of the chord - yet.
Step Three
Slide your whole hand up the neck by one fret. Your first finger now acts as a 'bar' on the first fret, making the bar chord F major. Only the first 3 strings are normally played for a power chord, but before don't disappear yet.
Quick Tip How to Play Bar Chords On Guitar - If you find this difficult to get a clean sound, move the shape up to, say, the fifth fret. This could make it a little easier to press down, particularly if you have smaller hands. Don't worry, it gets easier.
Step Four
You can now play each major chord by sliding the exact same shape fret by fret up the neck, so that's 12 chords for starters.
Boost Your Chord Count With Your Pinky Finger
Now, if you take off your pinky finger and keep the rest the same, you have access to a whole new range of chords on each fret.
So:
1-3-3-2-1-1 is how the F major bar chord looks (all the 1's being the bar with your first finger)
1-3-1-2-1-1 is the above, simply with your pinky finger removed (Fmaj7) we'll call it the pinky-less chord
1-3-1-2-3-1 is the above with the pinky adding more to the blues feel
1-3-1-2-2-1 is an Fmaj6 - sounds weird on it's own but mixed with the previous two fits in well
1-5-1-2-1-1 now we're talking, play this and the pinky-less chord and you are in blues heaven
1-6-1-2-1-1 more blues - but it may be a stretch with the 'bar' on the first fret
1-3-1-3-1-1 alternated with pinky-less chord, beautiful.
This is just the start of learning bar chords. You know that this is the same on the 1st fret is F, 2nd fret is F#, 3rd is G etc so with the 7 variations on 12 frets that is an amazing 84 chords that you did not know at the top of the page.
I hope this has helped you learn how to play bar chords on guitar, but just before you go, you know that 0-2-2-0-0-0 is E minor, so you can apply all the same rules above to that shape too and you have well over 150 new chords!
If you are on the search for guitar courses, a free Jamorama course for absolute beginners is worth a look if you want to play electric or acoustic guitar. If you like the feel of it and want to continue, it leads on to a popular budget course called Jamorama.
After the free course for absolute beginners, the full Jamorama course helps you learn using famous songs and is a decent price. There is a long 60 day moneyback guarantee, so you have nearly 2 months to see whether it will work for you.
Phil Gaskell has been playing guitar for 25 years and feels it could be done in a fraction of the time these days. With the help of his tips, hopefully you can save yourself a lot time and money and be a better guitarist as quickly as possible.
Many, if not most of us who had been to school would have had music as a part of our curriculum. We have all studied do-re-mi and the different notes like the whole, note, half note etc. We have also been taught about the Treble Clef or the G-clef and the Bass or F-clef. If you had music as a subject, as a second grader you should been taught the basic theories of music and are most probably acquainted with FACE and the Every Good Boy Does Fine notes on the staff. If not, let me refresh your memory.
The black notes on the line or spaces of the grand staff (g-clef and F-clef) represent the tones on your piano. The letter F, A, C and E falls on the four spaces of the G clef of the grand staff (the upper 5 lines) and in that order. F occupies the first space at the bottom and E occupies the last space at the top. So we have F for the fa note, A for the La note, C for do and E for mi. Now the phrase "every good boy does fine" falls on the lines. The first line is E or as was said earlier the note mi, G is sol, B is ti; D is re and F is again fa. So your basic do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti notes are the tones C-D-E-F-G-A-B in order.
A piano keyboard has 88 notes or keys, with seven sets or octaves beginning with the A tone on the left or the lowest octave and a C tone at the right or the highest octave. The "middle C" as the name implies is at the very middle of the whole keyboard it is the 40th tone if you count all the keys on the piano both black and white beginning at the lowest end or at the left end of the keyboard. So all the notes on the G-clef or Treble clef of the music piece falls on the right side e of the middle C in your piano; while all the notes on the F-clef of the Bass-Clef falls on the left side of the middle C.
You should also remember that all the natural notes are played on the white keys of your piano while sharps (#) and flats (b) in your music piece are played on the black keys. If it's a sharp you go the black key on the right. If it's a flat you play the black key on the left. These are the basics you should know before even exercises on the piano itself.
Want to learn more? Visit http://www.teachyourselfpiano.info For more tips and resources to improve your piano playing.
Most of us, at one time or another, tried to learn an instrument as children. Maybe we were forced to join the band and play a ridiculous clarinet at the age of 10. Maybe we were forced to endure years of piano lessons by an overbearing father. Whatever the reason, most of us are left with bad feelings about our skills, the instruments we played (or tried to play), and never want to play music again.
One of the things that makes playing guitar so different than other instruments, is that most people learn to play the guitar because of their love of music.
They learn to play the guitar because they admire some rock star, they love a style of music or particular artist, or because they simply want to be rich and famous. And, who doesn't fantasize about standing on a stage, with a guitar slung low, in front of a crowd of screaming fans?
Acoustic guitar lessons online are really the fast track to achieving not only fame and fortune, but tangible skills on the six-string. You can try and learn on your own, and many people do, but it takes years and years of practice. Acoustic guitar lessons online allow you to take a lesson when you want, practice as much as you want, and even choose what it is that you want or need to learn.
For many people, the thought of sitting across from a real-life guitar tutor is too much to bear. The embarrassment, the boredom, the stupid folk songs they make you learn are enough to turn anyone off the guitar. By choosing acoustic guitar lessons line, you can learn quickly, at your pace, and enjoy playing the music you love in no time at all.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? To see a comprehensive and in-depth look at the top guitar lessons review, visit http://www.onlineguitarlesson.biz
Are you looking to learn how to play electric guitar online in easy and simple way? You will find many courses online which offers guitar courses. But the reality is that there is really no easy way to master the art of guitar playing. You have to follow regular practice and reliable teaching mentor to become a successful guitar player. Read further to know how you can master this art in easy to follow steps.
1) Master the basics first: The very first thing you have to learn is the basics of guitar playing. You can learn these basics from the guitar instruction books and then
try it yourself at your home. Once you learn the basics then it is time to learn some advanced stuff like riffs and chords.
The most efficient way to learn guitar is try something which you are comfortable in playing and try to become proficient in that part first. Once you become comfortable in that part then move onto the next. When you get familiar with the basic chords then you can start to learn the advanced riffs.
2) Select the right instrument: The most important thing many people ignore is the selection of the right guitar instrument. Selecting the right instrument is a very delicate and lengthy process and should be done under the guidance of an experienced sales person. It is always a best practice that you should hold the instrument in your hand and try to play something on your own. In this way you will get the feel of instrument and you will be comfortable while playing it the next time.
3) Your body Movements: Your body movement is also an important part while learning to play guitar. The best way to play guitar is considering the instrument like one of your body part. Try to move your body with the instrument and make all the body movements very neat and precise. This will make you feel comfortable and relaxed while playing the instrument.
4) Get the most of your training: One more important thing is try to get the most out of your learning process. It may include recording your training session so that you will be able to watch it later on to find your mistakes and improve upon those mistakes next time. You can also make notes in your book so that you can refer them again when required.
Learning how to play electric guitar online is very easy and rewarding at the same time. Only thing you have to concentrate is getting the most out of everything you learn from these online courses with the help of your online mentor. Never be afraid of asking something which you have not understood. Clearing your mind from the confusion is very important thing while learning the guitar online.
The last but not the least is try to have fun while learning and do not make it too serous task for you. In this way you will be more relaxed and composed to learn and master the art of guitar playing.
If you want to learn how to play electric guitar online with some of the well known guitar masters then click the following link to read our in-depth reviews on the best guitar courses available online. http://www.vbmarticles.com/bestguitarcoursesreviews
The Importance Of Guitar Scales
All of the great lead guitarists have mastered guitar scales to the point where they really don't even have to think about them. And that's really the key to being a great soloist. You have to internalize the scales so that they are really a part of you.
Guitar Scale Mastery Features
There are other ways to learn guitar scales (such as buying guidebooks or hiring an expensive private guitar tutor) but I don't believe any of these other methods
measures up compared to the Guitar Scale Mastery approach and the following list of the excellent features of this program should make it clear why that is.
(1) Focuses on the five essential factors for being a great guitar soloist (ears, eyes, fingers, intellect, applications) in such a way that complete mastery of the guitar is guaranteed.
(2) Teaches you how to use scales in a musical way. Obviously this is essential in taking your playing from just going through the motions to really making great music.
(3) Teaches how to move your hands up and down the fretboard in a fluid way. How to be so "in tune" with your guitar that you don't have to think about what you are playing, it just comes naturally.
(4) Greatly improves improvizational skills.
(5) You will gain supreme confidence in jamming with other musicians.
(6) By using this approach the musical scales will become a part of you.
(7) 100% satisfaction guarantee with a 60 day full money back refund period so that you can try it out without any risk.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can download this program to learn guitar scales 24/7/365.
Learning to play electric violin shares many similarities with studying acoustic violin, with a few important differences. The first is that almost every acoustic violin is shaped and tuned the same way. Electric violins, however, can come in many shapes and varieties, including 4-string, 5-string, 7-string, fretted, and some with the upper bout removed entirely to allow easier playing in the higher positions. And, in fact, your acoustic violin can be "converted" into an electric by attaching either a microphone or a piezo pickup to the body. Most other electric violins use a solid
body, just like most electric guitars (such as the ubiquitous fender stratocaster). What follows is a review of electric violins and a discussion of some of the additional equipment you will likely require
While there are many electric violins on the market by large volume manufacturers, most of these just don't sound very good. Some of the better (and mostly handmade) electric violins are reviewed below. I made my selection from instruments that I have either played or owned.
In general, I am not a fan of mass produced instruments. But Yamaha makes some of the best. Part of the Yamaha silent series, the model SV-200 features a dual piezo pickup. This is supposed to improve the sensitivity of the instrument to the subtleties of your playing, especially dynamic (volume) range. Coming in at around $1000, this instrument is cheaper than the others I will review below. On playing the instrument, I thought it was indeed responsive, certainly more so than previous Yamaha instruments. The on-board pre-amp allows for some sound manipulation on the instrument itself rather than in a separate, detached unit. The down-side of this is that it increases the weight of the violin.
Another popular model is made by NS Designs. This company uses a proprietary piezo pickup that is designed to be very clean and sound more like an acoustic violin in its unprocessed state. I sampled a a 5-string model, and I thought that the neck was overly thick and the instrument rather heavy. Still, if you are looking for a clean sound, this might be a good choice.
Zeta has earned itself a lot of hype in part because Boyd Tinseley, of Dave Matthews Band, uses a Zeta instrument called (what else) the "Boyd Tinsley." Zeta also uses a proprietary piezo pick-up that has a very characteristic sound. If you have ever heard Santana play guitar, then you probably recognize his distinctive sound that comes from the combination of his Paul Reed Smith guitar coupled with a Mesa Boogie amp. Most of the sound coming out of that amp, no matter how the sound is EQ'd sounds "Boogified" to me. Similarly, I felt playing on this instrument that my sound would get "Zeta'd" by the pick-up. And you either like this sound or you don't. A big downside to this zeta model is that it is quite heavy.
Mark Wood, Another "boutique" maker of electric violins, recognized that trying to hold a 7-string fretted violin under the neck is quite difficult, due to the weight. Thus, he designed and patented a "flying v-shape" with a strap that fits around your torso and holds the violin up in a playing position. Though it can take some time to get used to, this design really does support the weight of the fiddle well. Make no mistake -- adding frets to the violin is a big adjustment for the classical player. In fact, if you have ever played a mandolin, you probably realize how much the frets can change things. Sliding and vibrato techniques are very difficult on a fretted instrument. In my opinion, the frets are best for allowing guitar players and others familiar with fretted instruments to circumvent the usual requirement of pinpoint accuracy with finger placement which is necessary for playing in tune on the an acoustic violin. The 7-string fretted model, which is the flagship instrument in his line of electric violins, is priced at $3500. Mark Wood does not use proprietary piezo pickups. Rather, he uses either Barbera or Schatten pickups, which are mass produced piezo pickeps that are used in many different electric violins.
A former Zeta employee, John Jordan makes custom electric violins in almost every combination of material, strings and frets that you can imagine. Jordan started his own design studio when he became disillusioned by Zeta's increasingly commercial attitude. Jordan handcrafts each instrument using his patented shape, which eliminates the peg-box and puts machined tuners near the bridge. This is designed to make the instrument lighter. Jordan is very much the true luthier of electric instruments. Many of his models, particularly the ones made of wood, are very attractive. Jordan uses a variety of pickups, including Zeta's proprietary model. In addition, he likes the Barbera piezo pickup for a more "Stradivarius-like" sound, and recommends this pick-up for classical musicians. For rock, jazz and pop, he suggests using the darker, more "Guarneri-like" Ashworth piezo pick-up. Like most other electric violin makers, his 5-string unfretted is his most popular model. It seems to have a thinner neck than other electrics, which allows the classical 4-string acoustic player to make an easier transition to electric.
All of the violins described above are solid-body models. This means that the instrument has no hollow, resonating chamber and therefore produces little to no sound unless it is "plugged in." However, another way to create an "electric violin" is to replace the bridge on an acoustic violin with a piezo pickup bridge-mount that can be plugged in just like a solid body. The downside to this is that these pickups can generate feedback. However, this option can sound quite nice and retains the customary shape and light weight of the acoustic violin. Common piezo models are the Fishman series and the L.R. Baggs. There are also several smaller "custom" companies that make these pickups, and it can be useful to try these if you don't like the sound of the Fishman/Baggs. This setup shares all of the same disadvantages as any other violin fitted with a piezo pickup, as described below.
What all electric violins share is the need for an electronic pickup to transmit your playing to a unit capable of sound manipulation, such as a pre-amp or rack unit, and ultimately to another unit capable of sound production. The two major types of pick-ups in use in today's plugged-in instruments are piezo and electromagnetic. Piezo pickups are used almost exclusively for electric violins. They have certain characteristics that some players find less than ideal. While a bow change on an acoustic violin can be completely silent to the listener, the piezo pickup will always transmit bow changes and bow noise. The reason for this is that they use sensitivity to pressure as their primary means of reproducing sound, and bow pressure is always variable. Also, piezo pick-ups have a tendency to sound fuzzy. Many different piezo pick-ups exist on the market, and some electric violin companies use their own proprietary models. The other type of pickup in use for electric violins is the electro-magnetic pickup. This is the pickup found in most guitars, and is considered the ideal form of sound transmission. While it is possible to build this type of pickup into an electric violin, it requires rather extensive modifications to the electric violin's internal design and is rarely used. Perhaps in the future this type of pickup will become more available.
En route to reaching our ears, the electric violin's signal usually is passed through a unit (or more often several units) capable of sound manipulation. Many of the same devices used by electric guitar players may also be used for the violin. For instance, reverb and delay units by Lexicon can provide warmth and depth of sound, while distortion boxes can allow the violin sound to approximate that of the guitar (a la Jimmy Hendrix playing America at Woodstock). There are literally hundreds of different devices, including foot pedals, that can manipulate the sound. Below is one of Lexicon's top of the line reverb rack units. Computers are also increasingly used for sound manipulation and may eventually replace bulky sound manipulation boxes.
For electric violins employing a pickup, a pre-amp is necessary to intensify the signal from your violin, and to allow you to EQ the sound. One popular example of a pre-amp is the L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic DI. Some electric violins also have on-board pre-amps.
Further sound manipulation and signal intensification occurs when the signal is passed through an amplifier. Because most amps work best with mid and low frequency tones, it can be difficult to find a good amp for the electric violin, and even then it is usually necessary to spend a lot of time playing with the EQ. A popular amplifier for electric violin is the Fishman Loudbox 100. An important consideration when choosing an amplifier is that each leaves its own imprint on your sound. Thus, trying before buying is particularly important with amps.
For a more true reproduction of your sound, a PA system with speakers can also be used. The sound can still be EQ'd with a personal PA system and it is possible to preserve the acoustic sound.
Finally, the signal, after passing through the different sound manipulation devices, is broadcast to our ears by speakers. Often, these are built into the amp. You can also add additional speakers to create a stereo effect.
If you are looking to more or less duplicate your acoustic sound, playing electric violin may not be very satisfying to you. But for participating in a band, it allows the player to adjust their volume to match the other instruments, and to alter the sound to fit in better with a rock or pop style of music.
That being said, electric violin usually requires a potentially rather expensive foray into electronic equipment, which can be a lot of fun but also difficult since the sound you are searching for may take a lot of time to find, and may require testing a lot of different gear. Finding "your" sound can be a long journey. Some of the more interesting things you can do is to play on a 5-string, which adds a "c string," below your "g-string," or employ an octave pedal, which can drop your pitch an entire octave. Or you can play with distortion or a wah-wah pedal. And, while excellent technique is vital for classical music, electric violin can be more forgiving.
In the end, going electric can allow the violinist to participate in groups where ordinary acoustic violin simply cannot match the volume of the other instruments. In addition, the almost endless ability to manipulate the sound allows the electric violinist to go where no acoustic player has gone before.
Lisa Ann Berman, M.M.
Masters of Music in Violin Performance, Yale School of Music http://www.simplyviolin.com