7 Different Types of Guitars

By Bill H. Sheers

Have you ever thought about learning a few guitar chords, even if it's just for your favorite song? It doesn't look hard when you are watching them play, but it is a little tricky. Not nearly as tricky as you might think though. With a few quick lessons you'd be amazed at what you could do.

We have all been seduced by learning to play the acoustic guitar at one time or another. If you like music, you most likely had thoughts in your head about whether you could do it or not. Well, I'm here to tell you that you would be surprised how easy it is to learn some basic chords.

What is an acoustic guitar? -- An acoustic guitar produces its sound through stings, a soundboard, and the body of the guitar. An electric would produce sound through the strings, but uses electronic amplification that allows you to hear the sound.

What are some different types of acoustic guitars? -- Like any popular industry, there are many different type/brands, but there are always a few that seem to stand out. Here are a few of those:

The Classical is the Gold Standard -- This is pretty much what people think of when we are taking about acoustic guitars. It has 6 strings: 3 treble strings and 3 bass strings. I recommend getting a basic one of these to get your guitar playing off the ground.

The Flamenco Guitar -- A little bit more advanced this Spanish guitar uses a little bit different strumming pattern than you will learn on the Classical guitar.

Steel-String Guitar -- Plan on accompanying you guitar playing with some Folk singing? Then you will probably want to play a steel-string guitar eventually. It gives you the crisp sound you hear in a lot of Folk music. It's a fun way to play.

The Big 12-String -- If you like 1970's music then you have not doubt heard the 12-string in action. It creates more of a chorus effect than a regular guitar.

Arch-top -- A cool design by Gibson, which is particularly popular with Blues and Jazz players alike.

Acoustic bass guitar -- These bass guitars have a hollow wooden body and four strings. They are tuned to E,A,D, and G which is an octave below the lower four strings of a regular 6-string guitar.

The Banjo Guitar -- Sometimes known as the Guitijo, this round bodied guitar become popular in the 20's. It as a unique sound as is played by many amateurs because of it's ease to learn.

The guitar is awesome and fun to play. It is really one of the few instruments that you can purchase at a reasonable price and actually learn a few chords quickly. Give it a try. I think you will be you will be surprised at how well you do. - 32370

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Left Handed Electric Guitars: What Makes Them Different

By Sarah Shipley

Is always no problem for left-handed people to play guitar because most guitar models are made for those who are right-handed. For this reason, left-handed electric guitars have been becoming more common over the recent years. This is great for anyone who is left-handed, because it allows them to play their favorite instrument more easily. There are some few key differences between the two types besides the fact that they are meant to be played from different sides.

As the name implies, left handed electric guitars are used differently than their right handed counterparts. In such guitars, the strings are attached in the opposite direction, and the thick strings are on the top, with the thin ones near the bottom. The chords and picking styles of this guitar moves from lower notes to higher ones.

Further, it is important to ensure that the nut slots are properly fixed in such a way as to accommodate the reversed order of strings and reduce the possibility of wear and tear. Knobs on left handed electric guitars should be arranged so that they do not affect your drumming, preferably on the lower right hand side of your guitar. The pick guard should be placed below the strings when held in the right direction, in order to keep the guitar body protected while it is being played as well. Cutaways in such guitars should be placed on the lower side so as not to interfere with the musical experience. Also, if a particular model has two cutaways, then the larger one should be on the lower side of the guitar as opposed to the higher end.

Further, the method of holding such guitars is different from the regular ones. Left handed electric guitars are held in such a way that the body of the guitar is in the front and to the right of the musician while its neck reaches out to the left of the musician. The left hand is used to press the strings on the neck while the right hand is used to strum the strings so that a note is produced. This enables a person with a strong left hand to easily play the instrument without having to take the extra trouble of learning to operate one with his or her right hand.

Because left-handed electric guitars can be so different for right-handed variations, it will take even and experience guitar player some time to adjust. If you been playing with a right-handed guitar for some time and are left-handed, and you decide to pick up a left-handed model, that is going to take you a while to get used to. However, after you have practiced with it it will be more comfortable for you use. - 32370

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Learn Guitar With KillerGuitarTips.com - How To Hold The Guitar Pick Or Plectrum

By Mike Jones

Mike here from KillerGuitarTips.com

Here's a great tip for beginners learning to play the electric guitar. Most guitar playing is done using a pick or plectrum to strum the strings. If you don't hold the pick or guitar plectrum correctly you will find it a lot harder to progress so here's how you do it.

The best way to hold your pick is to hold it between your thumb and index finger and to have hold of most of it with only a small amount protruding. When you strum the guitar, angle the pick so it glides over the stings and use only the very tip of the pick. Avoid letting the pick go to deep into the strings and strum using your wrist rather than your elbow (you have more control in your wrist than your elbow).

Practice this strumming one easy chord that you know until it sounds melodic and each string rings evenly.

As the old saying goes... A picture is worth a thousand words! May I stress that in my brand new Audio/Video guitar tutoring program which uses uniques speed learning techniques that have taken me over two decades to perfect, you will be able to hear exactly what is being shown and be able to follow seeing demonstrations close up and be able to play it back to yourself over and over again on demand.

I always tend to try to give you more than one great tip each week in this series of articles... This is no exception so here's goes with your second tip.

This next tip is a great alternative to strumming your guitar and will make you sound really cool.

So using your pick (plectrum) we are now going to try to pick out each note of the chord in a regular order.

In this exercise we will use the chord progression G,D,C,D as we need a nice chord progression to work with.

Holding down a G major chord follow tis picking order: Play the bass note of the chord (which will be on the 6th string) then pick the 3rd followed by the 2nd string and then pick the 3rd again.

Now to cover one bar play the 1st, 2nd 3rd and 2nd strings. Follow the chord sequence for one bar of each chord remembering the bass note for D os the 4th string and for C it is on the 5th string.

Play this chord progression with this picking style over and over againfor a really cool sounding guitar piece. Tip: Check out "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton (especially the verses!).

I know quite a few people who will be reading this will be relative beginners and it may sound a little confusing. Don't panic! My full home study DVD course will cover everything you need to know in a step by step chronological order bringing your guitar playing on as fast as possible. There you go for now, take care

Until next week. Mike - 32370

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Beginner Guitar Lessons - What Every New Player Should Know

By Jeff Mackie

Here are some useful beginner guitar lessons to help you form a strong foundation. In my 10 years of playing the guitar, I've learned quite a bit. When I was just starting out, I was forced to learn things through trial and error. By following my tips, you'll hopefully avoid many of the frustrations that I encountered.

Get Lessons from a Real Person First

Online lessons, books, and dvds are excellent resources. But, I believe, they just can't take the place of a real live instructor - especially when you're just getting started. An actual live person has the ability to reach out and demonstrate the proper way to hold your guitar, exactly how to position your fingertips, and the correct ways to strum. But, the most important thing that an actual person can do is correct your mistakes in real time. This just isn't possible with online guitar lessons, books, and videos. This is essential when you're just starting out. Go to your instructor for a few lessons, or a few weeks until you get a good foundation established. Then you'll be better prepared to seek out other types of instruction.

Practice Consistently

You should try and practice every day - don't skip more than 2 or 3 days between practice sessions. You don't need to put in 1 hour everyday. 10 or 15 minutes a day is all it takes to progress pretty fast. It is not as effective to practice once or twice a week for an hour at a time. This fails to build up consistent muscle memory and reflexes.

The First 2 Weeks are the Hardest

Everyone struggles in the beginning. Your arms, hands, and maybe even your back will get sore. But you will overcome this with time. If your back is hurting, that means that your posture is incorrect. You need to take steps to try and relax while playing, and don't lean your neck over when playing. Your hands will get stronger and your fingers will get tougher after the first week or two. You will begin to form tough calluses on your fingertips and this will be a big help in your playing.

Get the Right Guitar

In an effort to save money, many beginning guitar students start out with a low-cost, poor quality guitar. This is never a wise decision. You might be saving money, but these cheap guitars are difficult to play - even for an experienced guitarist. The string action is usually way too high (strings sit high off the neck) - which makes it difficult to press them down and form notes and chords. These guitars have a hard time staying in tune. They often go out of tune after a couple minutes of playing. It's no fun having to stop and retune your guitar every few minutes. And fret buzz is usually an issue. Fret buzz will make your playing really suffer. Good quality beginner guitars don't cost a lot of money. You can get a nice, playable guitar in the $180 - $200 range. If you can't afford a new one, get a used one. Go to your local guitar shop and try out as many guitars as you can to get a feel for them. If you don't have much knowledge, take a knowledgeable friend with you or ask a sales clerk to demonstrate them for you. I would advise getting a name brand guitar - because they are known to put out quality instruments. What are some good name brand guitars for beginners? Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, and Epiphone are companies that can be counted on to produce quality instruments.

Hopefully, these beginner guitar lessons will get you off to a great start. Just be consistent in your practice schedule and you will definitely make consistent progress. - 32370

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Where to Buy an Electric Guitar

By Jaquelin Michaels

If you happen to be in the market to get an electric guitar, for either yourself or for someone else who is the aspiring guitarist in your life, you could be confused by all of the choices on store shelves. Most guitarists put a great deal of importance on just starting out players to begin their creative endeavors with an easy and high quality instrument. Beginning by learning to play an electric guitar is easier for beginners than learning on an acoustic-style guitar due to the fact that electric guitars usuallyhave lighter gauge strings as well as less playing movement while requiring decreased hand muscle in order to play the guitar. Simply put, when you choose to use an electric guitar, it is significantly easier on the fingers of the beginning musician. This allows for optimum comfort without the discouragement of painful fingers that usually accompanies figuring out to play on an acoustic unit.

Getting A Well-Known Name Guitar is a Good Idea

When you buy an electric guitar, it is usually the best idea to stick with a brand name of guitar that you know of and has a consistent history of producing quality instrument models that will last through many years of usage. The extra cost is generally more than well worth it, both in terms of performance and in the lifespan of the investment. Good choices include Ibanez, BC Rich, Gibson, and Jackson branded electric guitars. And do not worry if your newly started guitarist decides that they suddenly don't want to play guitar after all, by getting a good quality, brand name electric guitar model, you can usually get most of your investment back when you decide to resell the guitar to another person. High quality guitars hold their value.

Are Used Guitars An Option?

Some people do find that they can find good used guitars at affordable prices. Although buying an electric guitar that is pre-owned is not like buying a used computer because a guitar will never become obsolete or outdated, there are some downsides. For instance, you will not be getting a warranty, although as mentioned earlier, used guitars are often as expensive as brand new ones. And you usually cannot ask for a refund of your money if the guitar has problems at a later date down the road like you can with a brand new electric guitar.

Facts to Know About Before You Buy Electric Guitar

Before heading out for some shopping comparisons on electric guitars, it is a good idea to contact a long-term guitarist for solid pointers. You should also have a budget already in mind. A brand new electric guitar model can be a few hundred dollars in cost or even more than that. Also be aware of any possible upgrades that you would like to have when you get an electric guitar since some retailers charge less for the upgrades along with the guitar than they otherwise would for an upgrade for your guitar later on. - 32370

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