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The Anatomy of a Guitar

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The modern guitar has evolved over the years from the early vihuela, invented in 15th Century Spain, to become the instrument that we all know and love. There are some lovely instruments out there that would make even those who don’t particularly care for the guitar sit up and take notice. There also exists a dizzying array of options and paint jobs to choose from these days, and the salesmen in the music store use so much jargon that it can be quite intimidating for a beginner who just wants to buy their first guitar.

So let’s demystify the guitar jargon and explain what all the different terms mean that relate to its anatomy.

The Parts of a Guitar

The different parts of a guitar have quite exotic sounding names that don’t necessarily give any obvious clues about which bit of the guitar they relate to. You wouldn’t expect a musical instrument to be made partly from a “nut”, or a “bridge”, would you? Some of the other pats are more logically named, for example the “sounding board” is a no nonsense description of the the function of that part of the guitar.

So lets look at a few of the parts in turn.

The Body

The body of an acoustic guitar is hollow and has a hole in it between the fretboard and the bridge. The purpose of the hollow body and the hole are to amplify the sound generated by the vibrating strings. Electric guitars on the other hand do not require hollow bodies because their sound is amplified electronically using an amplifier, or “amp”.

The Headstock

The headstock of the guitar is right at the opposite end of the guitar to the body and is the important section of the guitar from the point of view of making sure it is in tune. The headstock is where the tuning pegs are located. The tuning pegs (sometimes called “machine heads”), are used to adjust the tension of the guitar strings, thereby altering the pitch produced when they are played.

The Nut and the Bridge

The nut is usually made from plastic or bone and is a narrow strip with grooves cut into it across which the strings are stretched. The strings reach along the length of the guitar and pass over the bridge, which is located on the body of the guitar. The distance between the nut and the bridge defines the length of each of the strings that is free to vibrate when plucked. The further this distance, the lower the note produced.

These are the basics of the guitar. Now you know them you can go to the guitar store with confidence and not feel intimidated by all the jargon.

Don’t forget to take your wallet!

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How to play Guitar for Beginners

Have you started playing guitar lately? It’s hard when you are starting out and when you have a very few resources. But there are actually some things you need to do first to make the most of your guitar playing. Once you focus on these guidelines, you’ll be off the beginner phase already. Try to check on them on these ways on how to play guitar for beginners.

Get a good guitar

First and foremost, one should have a good guitar. One that sounds well and that is fine with your playing. If you are still planning to buy, you might want to check on this checklist to get the best guitar:

  • It should tune well
  • Stays in tune
  • You should like it
  • Comfortable
  • It should be audible enough or no blockage from its sound for acoustic, while electric should sound well when plug (without any hissing or muffing)
  • Complete strings

It’s quite simple, but some people just go through buying a guitar without checking these things, resulting to returns or other repairs.

Practice chords and play a song

Learning chords is one of the hardest part of the beginner phase. However, to play guitar you’ll have to learn this first. To start learning, you’ll need to devote time and patience. An hour a day is fine. The technique here is to learn the easiest chords, which includes C, D, E, G, and A. Exclude the F and B first. From those chords, you can already play a song. Find those songs and sing through them. Once you learn a song you’ll b e able to learn a lot, you sing through a song, you improve timing, you improve chord transition, you don’t mind much about forming chords and so on. Learning songs is a technique to help you learn the chords quick. Over time you’ll gain the strength of the finger and thus helping you form more chords.

Learning guitar scales

You should learn guitar scales as early as you can. This will easily enhance your skills in both rhythm guitar playing and much especially with lead. This is where you understand the keys of a major scale and learn to transpose them in the fret board. It’s simple once you know how the major scale looks in the fret board. It stays the same among other chords as well. So a C major scale that starts at the 8th fret can turn into another key, let’s say G major when started on the third fret.

Once you knew these concepts and guitar tips, your playing also develops. It swiftly makes you become a beginner to an amateur and well-trained guitarist. You’ve got nothing to lose, start your journey as a true guitarist today.

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How To Personalize Your Guitar

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A lot of guitar enthusiasts are constantly looking for ways to customize their musical instrument to not only make it unique and better looking but also to improve the sound that their guitar produces. There are various ways to personalize your guitar. You can simply add different accessories to your instrument or you can also choose to change an entire part. The cost of customizing your piece will depend on the type of customization made.

One part that is popularly customized by many guitar enthusiasts is the guitar neck. A simple way to customize the neck of your guitar is by adding a guitar neck plate. You can choose between gold and chrome neck plates. These plates can be engraved with one of your chosen designs. Installing a neck plate will not only make your guitar look a whole lot cooler but will also improve how it sounds.

Another way to change the look of one’s guitar neck is by painting it with a new color. You can choose to do the painting by yourself or have it done by experts. If you opt to do the painting on your own, it is important that you have the basic knowledge of painting a guitar’s neck. Painting the guitar neck is different from painting its body. There are several things you have to consider like the fret board, strings and the head of the guitar.

To have a custom guitar neck, you also have the option to change the type of wood that is used for the neck. There are several types of woods that are ideal to be used for a guitar neck. Some of the most common woods that are used are mahogany, rosewood and maple. Each wood produces a different sound and tone for the guitar. The type of wood that you choose will depend on the sound that you are going for.

When customizing your guitar, you do not have to spend a lot of cash. There are still many ways to personalize your instrument without burning a hole in your pocket. All you need to do is let your imagination run wild. What matters most is that you have a musical instrument that will not only represent your individuality with its looks but also by the way that it sounds.

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A History Lesson About The Record Player

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These days we’ve got digital video disks , compact disks, MP3s, and of course the internet for all of our music needs. But none of them would have been possible without the advent of the record player, one of the more significant components of technology of all time. It was so cutting edge that after its invention in 1877, it took almost 100 years for it to be replaced by new technologies. And even now, record players have a vintage musical feel that ensures they are still extremely popular with fans of music everywhere. Nowadays, anytime someone thinks of a record player, it’s often the Technics or the Crosley Record Player. But more than a hundred years ago, the name that mattered most was Thomas Edison.

In 1877, Edison developed what he referred to as the phonograph. Edison’s initial records had been made of tinfoil. These records had a spiral groove that went up and down the surface area. A hand-cranked appliance with a pin, or stylus, was utilized to read the grooves of the record, vibrating based on the feel. This became eventually referred to as the hill-and-dale method. The vibrations ran up the stylus, through a metal tube, all the way to a large speaker. These early speakers made the vibrations into more audible sound.

At the time Edison completed his creation, he was much more interested in its numerous scientific purposes as opposed to what it could do with music. This left further enhancements to other inventors.

10 years later, Emile Berliner made the first disk record, and patented it in 1896. Berliner’s design took its origin from Edison’s, but instead of using the traditional hill-and-dale method, which had the grooves go up and down, his method, named the varying lateral direction method, featured textures on the edges of the grooves. The VLD caught on very quickly, and soon Edison’s original hill-and-dale method was no longer in use.

It was not long before mass production of records became possible when Emile Berliner invented the matrix record. This master copy enabled duplicate records to be manufactured indefinitely. At this time, record players were still hand-cranked. But with the late 19th century came the nationwide use of electricity. Then soon after the electric-powered record player was unveiled. Contrary to the hand-turned players that would range in speed based on the strength of the person, electronic record players provided consistent speed. This resulted in no variation in the tempo of the music.

Eventually, record players got so well liked that whole households gathered around them in order to enjoy quality entertainment. Early versions of the previous-song and skip-song functions of today’s waterproof Mp3 players were introduced during this time period. To be able to choose which tune was to play, a person placed the stylus in one of the blank grooves in between the textured ones. And for many years, the record player won the hearts of music fans.

With the seventies came cassette-tape decks and 8-tracks, and soon thereafter, records and record players seemed to be phasing out. However, when DJs became all the rage in dance clubs and discos, the turntable remained strong.

No matter what technology throws at us, music fans will always appreciate the record player!

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How to find cheap electric guitars with good quality

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If you’re on a quest to learn how to play guitar, congratulations!  It’s an extremely rewarding instrument to play.  It’s also extremely frustrating in turns, and periods of great gains seem to be punctuated by long periods of mediocrity as you learn.  Rest assured that this is a natural part of the process of learning how to play guitar.

If you’re teaching yourself to play guitar, it’s important that you do a couple of things right.  First, while it’s easy to find cheap electric guitars, you need to make sure you find a reasonable quality instrument.  You’re going to be spending a lot of time with your new guitar hanging around your neck, so it should feel comfortable.  It’s also an equal participant in your musical experience, so it’s key that your new guitar not hamper your progress.  It’s a frustrating enough evolution without your guitar struggling with you at each step of the way.

With that in mind, here are some things to be on the lookout for as you start your guitar search.

  • The golden rule of guitar buying is this:  never buy an instrument you haven’t played.  Even if you buy a reputable brand and a particular guitar style that you’ve played before, you should play the exact instrument you’re going to buy.  Every guitar is unique, and you need to become familiar with any idiosyncrasies.
  • Be sure to play every string at every fret location in order to find out if your potential guitar has any spots that don’t sound good.  Sometimes guitars have “dead spots” that don’t produce a clean note.
  • While there are tons of cool guitar straps available, your most important consideration should be comfort.  You won’t enjoy your practice sessions much if your guitar strap keeps digging into your neck.

These tips should keep you out of trouble.

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Today’s Easiest Way To Learn How To Be A DJ

If you’ve ever thought of being a professional DJ/Mixmaster read on: These days everyone wants to be a DJ. Because of the low barriers of entry, there is no better time to learn how to mix than now. But how do you cut through the noise floor to become a Top DJ?

Hi, I’m Dan Morrell, DJ / remixer / producer / guitarist and now author. The decision to become a DJ has led me around the world to experience places that most people will never see or can afford to visit. I’ve toured in Japan with 14 cheerleaders for the troops, played Canada, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico and more clubs around the US that I can even remember, all because I know how to make a record go wikki wikki. Ok, there’s a little more to it and we will cover all of it, but before we do let’s talk more about me… I’ll make it as quick as possible, I promise.

When I left for Normal, Illinois in the Summer of 1995, besides getting wasted there with great friends a few times in the past, I had no idea why I was going to ISU. Due to a piss poor GPA, my high school guidance counselor told me don’t waste my time even applying there. Luckily for me, they had a Hispanic box on the application. Unluckily for me, they sent my acceptance letter in Spanish, so I didn’t know I made it in until my Grandpa translated it for me.

I’ve never been one for following a traditional path or being influenced by the cautious advice of friends and family. Following my heart has led me to become who I am today, and now for the first time ever, I want to share how I did it with you.

The “Be A Top DJ in 10 Easy Steps” DJ course will help you achieve your dreams to be a Top DJ for a portion of what it would cost for group or personal DJ lessons. I wish that your journey takes you even farther than mine already has, and it will, if you follow the simple path I’ve laid out for you.

About the author:

With over 12 years of experience as a radio DJ, and even longer playing clubs along with high end bookings throughout the world, DJ Dan Morrell (formerly known DJ Smurf) is a well-qualified source to share insight on this competitive industry. The mixmaster shares tips and industry secrets that no other DJ would dare share, complete with proven road map on how to “Be A Top DJ in 10 Easy Steps.” Time saving shortcuts based on knowledge compiled directly from the best DJs in the world make this book a must-have for the entry level AND seasoned jock. The book was released by Mixmastered Publishing and is available in print, audio, and E-book versions through www.BeATopDJ.com, Apple’s iBookstore, and Amazon.com.

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