Learn Acoustic Guitar – Play like The Best Players

Learning to play like the best acoustic guitar players is an admirable goal. If your goal is to reach this level then continue reading to get an understanding of what it will take to start this process. Building or having a lot of musical experience is instrumental in learning to play the acoustic guitar. You will need to learn to read and write music to help you learn to accompany other instruments in playing different songs.

When learning how to play the acoustic guitar from professional instructors or with interactive software, you will learn many short cuts that will enhance your playing abilities. Using interactive software to analyze the notes you are playing will help you make immediate changes in your finger placements to correctly play the notes.

Selecting the right acoustic guitar will also play a role in learning to play. One of the best investments you can make is buying a quality guitar to play. Quality equipment will add to your confidence level as you learn and practice playing the acoustic guitar. The sound coming from a quality guitar has a richer tone and the guitar will withstand the many practices required to become one of the best players.
The best players are constantly practicing and improving their skills.

Tips On Learning The Best

While some people have a better ear for music than others, it is always recommended to learn how to read music when learning how to play guitar. It’s important to be able to hear the sound differences while learning the notes but it is essential to learn how to read music in the early stages of your guitar playing career. This will allow you to blend in with other instruments without using additional time to transfer tabs into notes.


When selecting an instructor to learn how to play acoustic guitar, you will be searching for someone that have a proven record of successfully teaching others. You may want to ask to speak to a few of their students to get a feel for their methods of teaching.

If you are satisfied with your results, it is time to start learning how to play the acoustic guitar. Now is the best time to start your acoustic guitar learning program.

How To Approach Guitar Sales

If you're in search of information on guitar sales, how to buy a guitar or how to buy a bass guitar, there are some points you should take into consideration before you part with your hard earned cash. Whether you buy new or used, these steps should be taken in order to avoid disappointment. So, 'how to buy a guitar' is a question easily answered if you do the following.

1. Play the guitar
2. Inspect for cracks, dents and scratches
3. Test the neck for strength and twist
4. Sight the neck for straightness
5. Check a bolt-on neck's alignment
6. Inspect the nut's shape, slots and action
7. Check the fret condition and height
8. Make sure the truss rod works
9. Check the bridge and tailpiece
10. Check the tuning keys
11. Make sure the hardware is secure
12. Check the electronics

If you follow these steps, your questions about what to look for at 'guitar sales', 'how to buy a guitar' or 'how to buy a bass guitar' will be quickly answered. The rules for either are the same.

Here some more excellent tips on how to buy a guitar, when investigating a guitar for sale, from Dan Cross:

Have patience - do not decide you HAVE to buy the guitar that day. Plan on taking at least two trips to the music store.
Maintain control - You are in charge! Don't let music store salesmen intimidate you.
Research - The web is a great place to find info on guitars. Use it to your advantage!
Get help - if at all possible, recruit a friend who plays guitar to help you choose an instrument. If not, don't be afraid to ask music store employees multiple questions.

You do not have to be an expert guitarist to get a good deal on a good guitar at a guitar sale. What you do have to be is a disciplined shopper.

For many guitarists, especially novices, trying out a guitar in a music store can be an intimidating experience. Invariably, there are several other guitarists in the store who feel the need to show off their skills on the instrument, by playing all their most impressive licks. Understandably, this can be scary, but you'll need to focus on your goal - finding the best instrument possible, for the least money.

Scan the store until you find an instrument that appeals to you. Make sure you are given a good stool, and a pick (although I suggest you bring one you're comfortable with). If you're looking at electric guitar sales and playing an electric guitar, make sure you're plugged into an amp similar to the one you plan to use. If you've only got a small practice amp at home, don't allow the guitar to be plugged into a Marshall half-stack through a rack of pedals.

The first few times I tried out a guitar in a music store, I remember playing very quietly so no one would hear that I wasn't very good. A perfectly natural instinct, but in retrospect I've realized it was the silliest thing I could have done. In order to really hear the tonal qualities of a guitar (either electric or acoustic), it needs to be played at a reasonable volume. Do not be afraid to strum the open strings hard - listening to the guitar's sustain, and keeping an ear open for problems like buzzing strings. If you're having a hard time hearing (due to other guitarists in the store, etc.), ask to play the guitar in a separate room, or in a quieter part of the store. It should be noted I've been in music stores where owners glared at me for turning up the guitar a little, or strumming an acoustic vigorously. My solution to the problem - I hand them the guitar, say thanks, and take my business to a store that allows me to find out what the guitar sounds like before I buy it. I urge you to do the same... these people are obviously not very familiar with the way guitars work, thus not the best stores to deal with anyway.

Let's look for a moment at guitar makers and manufacturers and which are at the top of the heap. Probably the 3 most widely known and respected guitar makers are Martin, Gibson and Fender guitars. These manufacturers have been a huge part of the industry for decades and their reputations speak for themselves. Martin guitars however, are slightly different than Gibson guitars or fender guitars in that they don't make electric guitars, per say but only acoustic and acoustic-electric models. Hopefully, before you start hunting down the guitar sales in your local area you'll learn these simple steps.
Article Source: http://www.articleset.com

Guitar Amplifier: For Boosting the Pitch

Guitar amplifier is an electronic sound booster used to increase the volume of the sound coming from an electric guitar. It is connected to the electric guitar via a cord, and the sounds produced by plucking the strings of the electric guitar are fed through the amplifier first, and then the speaker. This amplifies the sound pitch and volume 4-5 times of the original, thereby allowing listeners to hear it more clearly.

Guitar amplifiers come in two main varieties. One is the combo variety, in which the amplifier head and the guitar speakers are contained within a single unit. In the other form, the amplifier head is separately placed and connected to the speakers with cables.

Amplifiers can be of four types, based on their inside structures. These are:

1. Tube: These are the oldest types of amplifiers, and provide the richest sound quality even at louder volumes. These amplifiers contain glass tubes on the inside. The cost of maintenance for these is quite a setback though. The glass tubes must be cleaned at regular intervals, and promptly replaced in case they get cracked or chipped. These fragile amplifiers are also quite bulky to carry around.

2. Solid state: These have transistors built into them instead of glass tubes. These transistors take care of the amplification. These amplifiers are comparatively lighter in weight, damage resistant, and thus easy to carry around. The sound quality produced is good, but can get distorted at higher sound volumes.

3. Digital: These guitar amps are probably the best after tube-based ones. The problem is, the ones with low price tags may not be that good and make the sound feel synthetic. But a high priced one with good quality components can even beat some high-end tube amplifiers. Besides, maintenance and transportation is very easy. This is often the tool of choice for professionals nowadays.

4. Hybrid: These are combinations of tube and solid-state technologies. The sound is first amplified by the transistors, and then fed into the glass tubes, resulting in double amplification. Purchasing the low-priced ones is not advisable, as in those, the poor quality of transistors can result in distortion of sound at higher volumes. The high priced ones produce much better sound quality. However, this would never stand up to a good quality tube amplifier or digital amplifier.

Getting an amplifier is certainly a good idea if an artist wishes to enhance the quality of his/her music. But, getting the right kind of amplifier is very important. Otherwise, the purpose of the whole process could be defeated.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com

Some Very Useful Guitar Clean-up Tips

Submitted by robertoms2003
Wed, 19 Nov 2008





Guitar, a dynamic musical instrument, is played in almost all kind of music; be it pop music, rock music, lounge music, country music or even contemporary classical music. The modern music can`t be imaginable without guitar.

The demand of guitar in every music sphere has made it one of the most sought after musical instruments. As guitar is an expensive musical instrument, it only makes sense to take proper care so that you can continue playing it for years to come. Here are a few tips discussed in the following on how to clean this amazing musical instrument so that its longevity can be increased.

Dust is the main form of debris that is collected on the surface of guitar. Don`t let dust cover on your guitar for dust buildup that can actually affect your guitar`s performance. A very simple approach to keep your guitar clean is by regular dusting. You can wipe off your guitar with a clean and soft cloth. You can either opt for any of your old but clean cloth or you can purchase special cloths that are available in music stores.

If you are a bit fancy about your cleaning, then you can choose many products available in the market that are designed for cleaning guitars. Guitar cleaners, fancy cleaners, liquid solvent and even solutions especially meant for cleaning the fretboard of guitars are available. If your guitar has a matte finish surface, it is suggested to use a water-based guitar cleaner as the creamy polished cleaners have a tendency to be slightly abrasive.

Often sticky residues from tape or stickers are left on guitars, which are a bit tough to remove. Use only mineral spirits or any other lighter fluid such as naphtha to remove the stains on your guitar. These solvent won`t harm the finish of your guitar. You just have to damp cloth with the solvent and wipe off the tape and stickers of your guitar. It might be surprising, but if you clean and dry your hands before you start playing on your guitar, it will significantly lengthen the life of your strings.

Like cleaning, polishing is equally important. A polish from a good brand not only gives your guitar an excellent shine, it also preserves the wood of your guitar. However, you should always choose a polish that is designed specifically for guitars as any general polish might ruin the smooth finish on guitars. But be careful of covering only the major surfaces of your guitar. Areas such as bridge or tuners or even the neck region of the guitar should not be polished.

Another major area which needs regular cleaning is the fingerboard of a guitar which includes the strings and the fret wire. These areas are prone to high-temperature and humidity and also of acidity by the constant touch of the player`s hands. The lower-end manufactured guitars especially suffer from this fret buzzing problem.

Though some simple adjustments raising the string action can correct the problem for some time, but this is not a permanent solution. If the surface of the fingerboard is not much damaged, a simple application of lemon oil can prevent the wood from further cracking. It is suggested to use a piece of extra fine grade steel wool to clean the fingerboard of your guitar. Don`t wet the steel wool; just rub it in up and down motion of the fingerboard area without catching the ends. The frets will be shiny only after a few motions.

Last but not the least is how and where you store your guitar. A guitar-case is a must and it should not be stored in too humid, warm or even too cold surroundings. Also make sure it does not get bumped around. An interior closet is the best place to store guitar.



About the Author
You can have access to portuguese articles about guitars from page www.polomercantil.com.br/instrumentos-musicais.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.polomercantil.com.br