Learn Lead Guitar

By Matt Maguire

If you are looking to learn rock guitar, search the internet for online guitar solo lessons developed by a professional musician, international performer and experienced musical instructor.

If you're looking for an inexpensive and fun way to learn lead guitar, you need to check out online guitar solo lessons. Years of performing experience and a strong musical background have enabled talented musicians to create highly acclaimed compilations of guitar solo lessons.

Delivered through instructional videos, online guitar solo lessons begin by teaching you about basic bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and before you know it you are heading towards more of the most difficult techniques that can be played on the guitar such as, rakes and sweeps.

Online guitar solo lessons are not just for beginners, but also serve to help professionals continue their studies and solidify their already established skills.

Learning to play by ear is one of the most important skills a live guitar player can have! Being able to listen to a background section and pick up the key naturally and efficiently may come naturally to some, but playing by ear can also be taught. Not only do guitar solo lessons come with instructional video lessons, they also typically come with customized instrumental tracks that will assist you with learning to play by ear!

Online guitar solo lessons will show you the tips and tricks on how to unlock this skill, which will be crucial to the future of your shredding. Taking the time to learn lead guitar also means taking the time learn exactly the right finger placements on the fret-board based on the key of the song. As you may have noticed most experienced guitar players can pick up a guitar and jam to almost any key.

Online solo guitar lessons are a great place to start, or to finish honing your already well established skills. - 32186

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Guitar Tutorials: Buy The Right Guitar The 1st Time

By Josh Dexter

What is Magnum PI without a Ferrari or a Jedi Master without his lightsaber? Are there any tips for purchasing a good guitar?

You need a good axe if you I you aim to became a great guitar player. Now it doesn't have to be a 1960's Strat or something fancy like that but it should fulfill a few simple requirements.

What do I mean exactly? Well carry on reading I have a few tips on getting the instrument of your dreams or at least something close enough to it.

Always remember you should try and buy the best axe you can afford from the start and there are a few reasons why you should do that.

Having a good sound and proper feel will help you more and make you want to pick it up often. That's the idea behind this whole exercise, isn't it? You can't learn guitar without actually playing an acoustic guitar!

If you can buy a decent axe it will have better resale value which will help big time once it comes to upgrading to a better model.

Now what if you don't have a big budget and trust me I've been there and know all about it. Well you could find someone with a guitar that they're not using and ask them if you can borrow it for a while so that you can practice while you save for your own instrument.

What if you already have a guitar and it's not good what do you do then? Well get a guitar tech to have a look at it, make the necessary adjustments and change strings on it and you're off you go. A not so expensive guitar with a great setup is all you need to get going. And a crappy guitar is better than nothing.

I strongly suggest you get some good guitar tutorials and start learning the instrument the right way from the word go. You don't want to learn bad habits or even worst get stuck in your learning process just because you don't want to spend cash on good guitar tutorials. Here's to your success as you start learning guitar! - 32186

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The Beginners Guitar Dilemma - Electric Or Acoustic?

By Ed McMahon

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 pros and cons to each at different stages of a guitarist learning so any evaluation needs to take into account the short term and long term benefits of each. I started on acoustic guitar. My brother started on electric. Over the years I have mentored other guitarists who brought along to sessions whatever guitar they had to hand. What I noticed, is that you can almost tell from a guitarist's technique whether they started on electric or acoustic, just by watching them play.

So here are the pros and cons we saw of each approach.

Beginning On Electric Guitar

Pros

* The narrower gauge strings and guitar neck make it easier to play.

* Easier to develop a subtlety of playing as amplification of what you play permits various effects and nuances in your play.

* Practicing using earphones is possible (neighbors will appreciate this).

Cons

* Don't build up muscle strength in the fingers.

* Using effects hides faults (string buzz, poor left hand placement).

* Strong tendency for incorrect placement of the left thumb on the guitar neck.

Beginning On Acoustic Guitar

Pros

* Lower startup costs.

* Doesn't require an amp, so allows you to play anywhere.

* Finger muscle strength is building up from day one.

Cons

* Temptation is there to strum through all songs. Beginners should take the time to learn 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.

From my perspective, guitarists who start out on electric build up a speed of playing (solos, chord changes, etc.) which is admirable, but it is often at the cost of good playing technique. Playing the electric guitar hides a number of faults such as incorrect placement of the thumb and not holding down strings solidly that results in strings buzzing or being muted during play (this is highly noticeable when recording an electric).

By comparison, starting out on an acoustic guitar builds up finger strength, fosters better hand placement on the frets and nurtures clear sounding play.

That said, if you can handle the bill for buying both electric and acoustic guitars then you could split out the beginners training on both instruments and they will benefit from both approaches. - 32186

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Get to Know the Blues with Blues Guitar Lessons

By Neil Gierlach

Learning to play music and more specifically learning the guitar is a very rewarding experience. A lot of people teach themselves how to play the guitar, and they get to a stage where they want to take their playing to the next level. In order to truly understand music, one must delve in to the world of the blues guitar.

The blues came from the slaves along the farms of the mighty Mississippi. During the day the workers would sing as they worked on the plantations, and then by night they would spend their time in the Juke Joints in their habitations. From here the blues developed and grew, and from the blues rock and roll was born.

When you learn the guitar you will probably start by learning chords and piecing together songs from these. Once you get a bit more used to working the fret board it is time to learn some lead guitar moves. The best way to start learning is to learn some of the scales.

The most common, and perhaps important of the scales you can learn on the guitar is the blues scale. Once you understand how the blues scale is constructed you will be able to understand how it is used in other varieties of music. The blues scale therefore is the best place to start on your lead guitar journey.

In order to learn the blues guitar well you want to make sure that you master the basics properly. The best way to make sure that you avoid beginner's mistakes and get a proper understanding of the music is to have lessons. You can have blues guitars lessons delivered in a variety of different ways.

You could go for lessons given by a local tutor. You can find names of tutors from a music or guitar shop in your area, or you might find adverts for them in local newspapers. There are other ways to learn however.

There are many resources online that you can use to learn the blues guitar. One of these ways is to purchase a set of video lessons that take you step by step through the blues. With this method you will follow a structured learning approach and get a much better understanding of the music.

If you want to take your guitar playing to the next level then learning the blues is one of the best ways to do this. Learn the foundations of the blues and then make sure that you play as much as possible to get a real feel for the music. Once you master these you'll be able to take your playing to new heights. - 32186

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Guitar Strings - Why Should I Use Nylon Strings?

By Phil Zertisky

When playing your guitar, the choice of the guitar strings will create a different sound depending on which type you use. Depending on the type of music that you prefer to play also has an impact on choosing the correct strings. Many guitars are built and tuned to use the strings that are originally with the instrument and should be used when being replaced. If you choose to change them, you will likely hear a different sound and in many cases, your guitar will lose some of the quality.

If you play an acoustic guitar, you will use different strings than if you play an electric one. Some strings that are used on acoustics are only designed for this instrument and will not give a pleasant sound at all, if used on any other kind. What you will find is the variety and cost of strings will vary, dramatically, depending on the quality of your guitar.

The simple explanation is this. Nylon strings are predominantly for acoustics and steel or bronze strings are for electrics. There is also consideration for how you play. If you are seeking a more mellow and deep sound, this will be achieved much easier with nylon strings. Think John Mayer, Eric Clapton (post Cream genre) or Jimmy Buffet. Your electric guitar, with steel strings, will have a more brash sound and allow you to reflect more emotion. Consider the sounds of Pete Townsend, Slash or Richie Sambora.

With each of these consummate professionals, they create their sounds based on how the strings tie into the song that they are performing. You should do the same. Some of the newer companies on the market are adding a liquid nitrogen to their strings and have added a new sound. These are designed to add more tone and have an additional life expectancy. They are also more expensive.

Whereas nylon strings are almost exclusively used on acoustic guitars, you can get a great sound using bronze strings on them as well. Because of the echo that is created in the body of the guitar, you get a very rich and full sound, but if you are not playing the notes perfectly, you will likely hear some vibration and incomplete notes or chords. Using these on electric guitars, you do not have quite the same challenge.

One of the biggest concerns for the casual player is comfort. Using nylon strings is easier of your fingers, especially if you are just starting out. To get the best sounds from your chords, you need to develop callouses on your finger tips and you will not engage in quite as much discomfort learning with nylon stings. With all other types, just be prepared to experience some learning curve pain, as you develop your finger tips. This will go away, the more you play, but in the early stages, if you are really determined to play a lot, there will definitely be some discomfort.

As with most everything, your guitar strings need care. Your perspiration and body oils will get on the strings and change the sound and make it more difficult to perform your chords and note playing. So, clean them often and maintain the quality. If you are planning to perform, always have an extra set of the same strings, in case of breakage.

If you are a seasoned player, try some of the new technology and see if those allow you to be more creative and generate better sounds. Guitars are a great instrument and once you get started, you will likely never put it down, so best of luck with creating your sounds. - 32186

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Teach Yourself Guitar: How Learn From Home

By Tommy Beltrani

Learning any skill these days is becoming easier every day. There is so much information available on the web in books, magazines and DVDs that has become very easy to teach yourself guitar or anything else for that matter without the need of a tutor. All you need is determination and a good practice routine to follow.

Choose a good guitar course and then set yourself a practice routine you are comfortable with. The secret is consistency so you should be doing a little bit every day or at least six days a week. It's better to do a little every day than a lot once week.

You must be realistic with your practice and don't over do it unless you really have the time for it. Half an hour x day is probably good enough for most of you and it's definitely a good start. During you practice work on your guitar tutorial exercises and don't waster your time on jamming too much.

Your practice time is crucial! The less time you have for your practice the less you have to waste, therefore make sure you practise the right exercises that gets results ASAP.

Your first goal when you teach yourself guitar is to master the main open chord shapes, a few rhythms and with that you can start practicing easy guitar songs. The trick is to make the song flow by keeping the beat and Bob is your uncle.

I know I'm making it sound a bit easy but that's all you need to start learning guitar. As long as you practice daily and you introduce the right exercises gradually you are set for a great start. - 32186

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Learn Guitar Fast With This Approach

By Melissa King

No one can learn how to play guitar overnight. There just isn't any magic formula. But don't let that discourage you, because you can dramatically shorten the learning curve with some of the excellent tools that are available to help you learn guitar fast. You can learn guitar from the comfort of your own home with a little help and some coaching.

Famous guitarists make playing look easy because they have dedicated a significant portion of their time to learning and refining their skills. They have channeled tremendous energy into practice and they have disciplined themselves to be patient.

Almost all renowned guitarists played guitar for a number of years before they ever made it to the big leagues. And even for the most skillful players, there is always something new to work on.

Go Slowly

If you are new to the guitar you will first want to learn the parts of the guitar and their functions. Then you can start learning to play simple chords. Beginners sometimes become overzealous and try to learn complicated chords too soon. Also be careful not to try to play too fast. The best way to learn is to play slowly until you have learned a few chords, then a simple song. After that, gradually speed up until you are able to play at the speed the song was written for.

Learn and practice just one chord at a time. Find the chord you're learning to play on a chord chart and position your fingers as shown on the chart. Do your best to perfect each chord before you move on to the next. Play each chord using the proper hand placement and pressure on the guitar strings. If the chord you're practicing sounds a little off, change your finger placement and pressure until it sounds right.

Repetition Works

Practice the same two or three chords enough times to be able to find them without looking down at the guitar neck. Then, you are ready to start playing simple songs. Find songs that use the chords you have already practiced and perfected.

Your confidence will increase with each new chord you master. Playing your first song is extremely rewarding, and once you succeed, your skills will quickly build and you'll start to learn guitar fast. This encourages you to study and practice even more.

You want reliable guitar lessons when you are a beginner. Several options are available. You can choose to take guitar lessons from an actual instructor at a music store, purchase DVD guitar training, or buy and download guitar instruction through the Internet. No matter which of these methods you choose, make sure your instruction is the best.

Learning at Home

Time Many guitarists prefer to study at home. There are several advantages of this approach. You don't have to schedule time with a teacher. You can learn at your own pace. You can stop and repeat lessons until you are comfortable before moving on. You can skip lessons if you choose. Also, the cost of home-study is minimal when compared to live lessons.

First-class instruction, realistic goals and a commitment to practicing an hour every day will let you learn guitar fast. It's as easy as that. - 32186

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