Guitar Lesson: Play Country Licks In D – By Peter Edvinsson
By Peter Edvinsson
guitar lesson you will learn some country licks based on a combination of fretted notes and open strings.
We will first take a look at a D-major scale in one octave:
0/4 2/4 4/4 0/3 2/3 0/2 3/2
How do you read this guitar tablature?
The first digit indicates which fret to play. The digit after the slash gives you the string to play.
2/3 means that you are to play the second fret on the third string.
We will now try to figure out a way to play the previous scale with some ringing open strings. Let’s try this one:
0/4 7/5 4/4 0/3 7/4 0/2 6/3 3/2
A little bit confusing at first of course. If you are used to the ordinary way of playing scales you have get used to finding higher notes on lower strings.
I suggest that you learn the scales and licks by heart by learning just a few notes at a time until you get a little bit more used to this new way of finding notes.
You can probably figure out a left hand fingering that works for you. The principle is to hold the notes as long as possible to let them blend together.
But, what about the right hand?
You can pick the notes with a pick of course. It’s a little bit awkward, though trying to play notes on different strings in succession. Many country pickers use one of the following approaches:
1. Hybrid picking. This means that you hold the pick as usual but also use the middle finger and ring finger along with the pick. This opens for an easier way to play notes in rapid succession even if the are on different strings.
2. Finger picking. You can play the notes with your bare fingers using your thumb, index, middle finger and ring finger. You will miss the crisp sound from the pick but can compensate this with the freedom of having four finger to use and growing calluses on your finger tips!
3. Using a thumb pick. A little bit like hybrid picking but with the advantage of having four fingers at your disposal and a crisp sound from the thumb. Not bad! Not all guitarist like this approach though. But it has to be tested! I have bought a couple of these thumb picks but they have a tendency to dissappear! I guess it’s because I can’t keep them in my hip pocket because of the pain sitting down!
Let’s test a few country guitar licks in the key of D:
I will put the suggested chord in front of the lick:
(A7) 9/6 0/4 7/4 0/3 7/4 0/2 7/3 0/1 6/3 0/2 7/4 0/3 (D) 4/4
Yes, you have to learn it by heart, a couple of notes at a time!
The last lick will use both hammer-ons and pull-offs.
I will put h and p between the actual notes.
(A7) 3/5 h 4/5 0/4 0/3 2/3 p 0/3 4/4 0/3 2/4 p 0/4 3/5 h 4/5 4/0
Don’t play faster than your present technical skills allow you to but of course you have already figured out that the last lick is supposed to be played fast, maybe lightning fast!
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, guitar lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
Guitar lesson: Do You Have To Set Goals?
By Peter Edvinsson
guitar playing. Let’s see if you can play guitar without goals!
I would like to share some memories with you…
Way back in the late 80’s I started to become very interested in computers. Well, not really in the computers but in the things I believed a computer could help me with.
I compose a lot of music and had used ink and paper so far. Mozart used this equipment so it surely is effective in the hands of the right person.
I used my pens and wrote my music sheets with concentrated efforts trying not to make mistakes. The problem was that it was difficult to change things in my compositions. I often changed things then and still do today.
It was quite difficult to use the notation programs back then. I used DOS on my computers and had to peruse the notation program manuals.
However, I had a goal in the back of my head.
To tame the computer to help me in my endeavors to create sheet music!
Let’s stop for a second and go to your guitar playing. What about your goals? Do you have any? In many guitar articles you can read about the importance of setting goals as you try to progress as a guitar player.
Well, there are many advantages with setting goals. Let’s take a look at some of them:
1. As you write down a long term goal you give yourself a chance to meditate upon why you are playing guitar. Is it to impress your friends? Is it because you like to play? Is it because you want to find a profession as a guitar player? Is your desire to play guitar so strong that you think it is worth to take the time and effort required?
In the goal setting process you will have time to think the whole thing over and maybe turn the whole thing off!
2. Writing down a long term goal and splitting it up in smaller manageable chunks is a good way to use your free agency instead of letting circumstances dictate what will happen with your guitar playing.
3. When you have clear goals and also smaller intermediate goals it is easier to measure your progress and feel the satisfaction that you are on your way and to the right place.
But what if you don’t want to have goals? You just want to play!
Let’s go back to the previous story..
Somehow things have turned out quite nice as far as my more or less subconscious goal is concerned. I do write my music with the help of computers nowadays and can change my music as much as I want. I can change keys, melodies, lyrics and feel good about it. I am where I wanted to be back in the 80’s.
Was this a goal of mine?
Some people define goals as something you have written down on paper with clear deadlines and clearly defined and measureable intermediate goals along the way.
Before we discuss if we need goals or not we have to define what we mean. Is a wish a goal? Is a strong desire a goal?
Let’s continue with the story..
There are people using computers the opposite way from what I do. I have friends who have been deeply interested in working with computers and have seemingly aimlessly installed computer programs, messed around with the Windows directory, changed OS, changed hardware, run into trouble, trying to solve the problems and so on.
My friends have sometimes been of great help when I myself have run into trouble with my computers because they have learned a lot about computers by the previosly mentioned activities and accompanying mistakes.
Did the have goals?
In a broad sense we could say that their goals were to have fun with computers. I guess they haven’t expressed it that way but we could say that they reached their goal.
Let us take a look at you!
If you don’t wish to have written down goals is of course completely up to you. You can have fun just sitting down strumming some chords on your guitar sometimes.
The important thing to think about is this:
Whatever you do with your guitar will lead you somewhere sooner or later. Whatever road you take will take you to a place if you don’t change direction. Do you want to come to this place or not? If not, let me suggest that you change road!
Thirty years from now do you want to be a guitar player that is only able to play a few chords and that is not able to play a song on your guitar? We can say that this is the goal you will reach if you are an “occasional strummer”.
If this is okay with you you can relax and continue playing this way. If you want to be another type of guitar player I guess you have to think about goal setting a little bit more consciously!
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
Getting The Most From Your Guitar Practice Sessions
Here we will show you just how beneficial guitar practice can be, just what you can hope to gain, and how you should organize your practice sessions in order to experience a successful practice session that will help you grow as a guitarist.
The Importance of Practice
Practice, in any area of your life, is extremely important. You cannot hope to grow, excel, or better yourself without routine practice. Practice can help you fine tune and advance in your areas of strength, as well as improve on your areas of weakness.
When you pick up the guitar and decide to start learning how to play you have goals. These goals could be anything from just learning to play because of your love of music, a hobby, or even something more advanced in life, such as one day become a member of a band, recording music, or writing music for others.
The only way to excel in your choice is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Even advanced guitar players need routine practice sessions. Just because they are at a higher level of experience, does not mean that they do not have to practice routinely and fine-tune their art of playing.
Approaching Practice with the Right Mindset
When it comes time to practice on your guitar, it is important to have the right mindset. Your mindset can either make or break your practice session.
First, remember why you are practicing. Remember your love of music and the enjoyment you get out of your guitar. If you look at your practice sessions as if they are a chore or a job, you definitely will not gain the most insight out of the session.
Secondly, remember that you are not perfect. You will make mistakes on your journey to perfecting your guitar sessions. Mistakes are what makes us human. Do not dwell on one mistake, simply work to correct it or move on and come back to it after a while. Do not beat yourself up over the mistake.
Try to clear your head of all the day’s worries. What happened at work or in class today should not be on your mind, preventing you from really making the best out of your practice sessions.
Understand your goals for this practice session. Before you start, realize your goals. What do you want to work on? What do you want improve? Is it a new song or an old song? These are all important. Achieving your goals first require understanding your goals.
How to structure your practice time
Scheduling your practice sessions should first be a priority. Even if you work or go to school on a full-time basis, your practice sessions should be scheduled around them, on a daily basis. It is far to easy to because too busy in life and lose track of time. Without scheduled practice sessions, it will be extremely hard to reach your full potential and advance in your skill level. Therefore, be sure that each and every day you set aside specific time to practice.
Make sure the time you schedule is not going to be interfered with visitors or phone calls, or rushed by appointments and commitments.
At the start of your practice session, make time for warm ups. Stretch your fingers and prepare yourself for the session. Warming up can help you work through muscle tensions, so either start up with a few warm up chords or a song you already know.
Then you should start working on your goals, both the long term and the short term. Practice sessions should always be beneficial. While working on things you already know is a great way to fine-tune your skills, you should also, at every practice session, attempt to learn something new. Push yourself to extend that song, learn a new chord, or try something a tad more difficult.
With each session, if you attempt something new, you will find yourself achieving your goals in no time, mastering the concept and moving on to bigger and better things.
In the End
Not everything about playing the guitar is easy. It is important you continue to practice, learn new things, practice some more, and increase your level of difficulty. Practice sessions will help you flourish as a guitarist and find some intense satisfaction as well.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development. http://www.musicianhome.com/
What Waiting For A Bus Can Teach You About Guitar Playing
Is it possible to 
learn to play guitar as you wait for a bus? Well, sort of! Let’s see what you can learn about the art of guitar playing as you are standing there freezing!
One thing we can agree upon anyway is that you are going somewhere. I guess that it is important for you to come to this place otherwise you wouldn’t be standing here freezing.
I mean, the main reason for you standing here is not because you like the bus stop so much. There must be much nicer places to stand freezing.
Let’s think a bit about your guitar playing. If you want to learn to play something on your guitar I guess you feel that it is worth working for. It’s like the trouble waiting for the bus. If you really want to go to a place you can take the work coming to this place.
This wish to go somewhere could be called your motivation. In both cases, guitar playing and traveling, it will determine how much energy you can put into the project and it will also determine what type of goals you can set.
At this point you know where you want to go and why. The same with traveling and guitar playing.
Now you can go to a suitable bus stop as you are prepared to choose the bus that will take you to your destination. In guitar playing this means that you now are prepared to choose the exercises that will lead you to your playing goal.
This step is important because a clear picture of what you want to be able to play on your guitar will help you a lot to be sufficiently motivated and also to take the right roads to your goal.
Well, we are back at the bus stop! There is one more thing. There are many buses going to this destination. Every day, every week, month, year. Yes, you guessed it! You have to decide when you want to arrive at your destination.
To set a date when you will have accomplished your guitar playing goal will motivate you a lot and help you to divide your goal into smaller chunks that will lead to your destination at the right time.
To sum up what we have discussed about guitar playing so far we can say that when you know what you want to accomplish and when it will be accomplished it is much easier to select a proper method to use to reach your goals.
What about buying tickets? In guitar playing goals this is when you make a commitment to accomplish your goal. Either you do this commitment to yourself or even better also to other people. Through a commitment you gain momentum to accomplish the guitar playing goal.
This is why a good guitar teacher is an effective means to become a better player.
With a good guitar teacher, it is two of you knowing what you will accomplish as your homework and also two of you will be present when you report, that is play, your homework.
You will get the proper amount of homework and at the right level and maybe even more important, you will also report at a date you have mutually agreed upon. Having a good guitar teacher is this bus story in a nutshell.
After having bought your bus ticket and entered the bus you can find a seat and then relax and maybe enjoy the trip. You put this into practice in your guitar playing goals by feeling a confidence as you have decided what to do, when and how. You can relax with the confidence that you are on a road leading to a goal that you want to reach.
Comparing 6 String And 12 String Guitars
Comparing 6 String And 12 String Guitars by Gray Rollins -
6-string or 12-string Acoustic guitar, which should you get? Both have pros and cons, and both are excellent instruments, depending on what you’re looking to accomplish on guitar and how much you are willing to spend. In this article, we’ll go over both guitars, which will hopefully help you make an educated decision on which to purchase.
The Main Difference Between Both Guitars:
The major difference, of course, is the number of strings. On a 6-string Acoustic guitar in standard tuning, there is one low e, one a, one d, one g, one b and one high e string, in that order. A 12-string acoustic has two low e, two a, two d, two g, two b, and two high e strings, all in that order. 12-string guitars have the ability to be tuned in two different tunings, while 6-string guitars don’t. On the other hand, 12-string guitars also have a lot more tension on their necks, and as a result, their necks tend to warp after only a few years of playing.
Which should I pick?
That’s a good question, and it depends on a few different things, all of which are discussed here:
The Advantages of a 6-String
To start with, 6-string guitars are much easier to learn than 12-strings are. This is because of the number of strings and how close together they are on the 12-string. It is nearly impossible to perform certain guitar techniques (like bends) on the 12-string guitar, and significantly harder to tune the guitar and change strings. Also, string picking is complicated by the number of strings. Thus, 6-string guitars are really ideal for those looking to play lead Acoustic guitar, that is, those who want to play a lot of individual notes (not just chords) and use guitar techniques like bends/slides/hammer-ons/pull-offs etc. Beginners will also have an easier time learning to play guitar on a 6-string than on a 12-string, for the reasons mentioned above.
The Advantages of a 12-string
Despite what was said in the last paragraph, there are quite a few advantages to 12-string guitars. 12-string guitars produce a very rich, bright sound. This is because they have twice the number of strings as a 6-string does. Chords strummed on a 12-string guitar will sound a lot richer (better) than those strummed on a 12-string. Additionally, the 12-string guitar gives you the option of using two different tunings. You can’t do that on the 6-string. Beginners can learn to play 12-string guitars, but it will take a bit more practice to master than the 6-string. However, if you can master a 12-string, a 6-string guitar will be very easy to play.
What to keep in mind
Most musicians who use 12-string guitars use the 6-string guitar as their primary instrument. They usually pull out the 12-string when a song calls for a big, bright rhythm sound. So, if the songs you want to play feature mainly chords (and the songs call for a very rich sound) then a 12-string would be a good purchase, even if you are a beginner. The learning curve on a 12-string would obviously be steeper, but it would still be doable and worth it. If, however, you are looking to play songs with chords and individual notes, or simply want an instrument that isn’t as complex and difficult to learn, a 6-string guitar is your best bet. You might also want to consider cost. Good 12-string guitars are usually $100-$200 more than good 6-string guitars. If you’re on a budget, you’ll probably want to pick the 6-string guitar.
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for GuitarsLand.com. To learn more about 6 string and 12 string guitars and to learn how to buy an acoustic guitar, visit us.
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