Guitar Noise

Since we’ve posted a number of chord melody lessons of late, it seemed like a good idea to make “Chord Melody” a “topic of the month.” As with most of our topics, Guitar Noise has lessons at almost all levels, from beginners just getting started to intermediate and advanced students who want to try out creating their own chord melodies. So take a closer look at all the lessons on this page. It will hopefully get you psyched to try out this style of playing.

This month we’re putting the spotlight on learning to play blues guitar. Beginners may want to start with the easy songs for beginners lessons that will swiftly bring you up to speed on the 12 bar blues, the shuffle and playing lead. We also have many blues lessons from other GN contributors, such as Paul Andrews, Alan Green, Darrin Koltow and others.

Have you ever wanted to teach guitar but then thought you might not be qualified? This month we will dispel a lot of the myths about what it takes to teach guitar. Be sure to look up the articles, both here and on our sister website, musiccareers.net, written by some great teachers who are also GN contributors, such as Darrin Koltow, Tom Hess, Tom Serb, Alan Green, Nick Torres and many more.

This month we’re featuring the many articles here at Guitar Noise that deal with “Soloing and Improvisation.” There are articles from many past GN contributors, such as Josh Urban and Gilbert Isbin and Randell Young and Mark Yodice as well as a wonderful piece from our favorite guitarist from the Netherlands, Arjen Schippers. Not to mention all eight parts of the current series, “Turning Scales into Solos.” You’re bound to learn something!

If you’d like to delve more into the wild and wonderful world of Music Theory, check out this month’s topic “Theory Without Tears.”

Over the past ten years many talented writers and teachers have supplied Guitar Noise with many great lessons on music theory. They range from basic introductory overviews, such as “The Musical Genome Theory” trilogy of lessons to articles on specific topics, such as extended and altered chords.

Since we recently had two lessons involving both alternate tuing (the DADGAD arrangement of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s All I Can Do Is Write About It) and open tuning (the recent lesson on Buckets of Rain by Bob Dylan), it kind of made sense to highlight the many articles here at Guitar Noise on this particular subject. So the “Topic of the Month” for June is Alternate and Open Tunings.

Here you’ll find links to some great articles here at Guitar Noise on alternate and open tunings, including some wonderful song lessons featuring music from the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones and Coldplay.

Also check out the old Guitar Columns, which not only do a wonderful job of exploring the many aspects of alternate and open tunings, but also contain some “hidden gems,” such as a terrific arrangement of the Police’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, played in open D tuning (see Here There Be Monsters – Open Tuning Part 2).

Alternate and open tunings are a great way to explore more of the potential of your guitar, so why not give them a try?

Recently we’ve been profiling some great guitar playing songwriters like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and George Harrison. The combined work of these artists over the past fifty years is impressive. But it doesn’t need to be daunting. Songwriting can be incredibly accessible and fun even for beginners. This month we are going to take a closer look at some of the songwriting resources on our site.

If you are ready to jump in, don’t miss The Sunday Songwriters Group. The Sunday Songwriters club is a stretching exercise for your mind. Arpeggios for the brain cells, so to speak. After all, writing is like playing – to get better, you have to practice.

You’ll also want to head over to The Guitar Noise Songwriting Club. Get help writing songs, find composers for your lyrics or set up songwriting exchanges. You can post messages here to find songwriting partners or post your lyrics and get feedback. Questions about copyright? They go here too.

Both groups are located on our forums and are free and easy to join.

The most important thing about learning guitar is to remember it’s supposed to be fun. Whether you are playing live in a band or just jamming with friends, it’s all about having a good time. This month we’re going to take a closer look at performing and playing live. You’ll find all sorts of tips and more than a few stories of encouragement on these pages.

Buying a guitar or any musical instrument can be daunting. Arm yourself with a little knowledge before heading to the store and you’ll likely enjoy your time there a lot more. We have tons of articles and advice on buying guitars and musical equipment. Many questions you may be thinking of asking have already been answered here.

The most common complaint among guitar players is not being able to find time to practice. This month’s topic is all about maximizing and using your practice time. Under the “Practicing” header, you’ll find links to some of the many wonderful articles and lessons we have here at Guitar Noise about practicing, written by a wide range of contributing authors. You’re bound to find a lot of interesting and educational material.

Have you ever wanted to play guitar and sing at the same time? It’s a lot like chewing gum and walking, entirely possible to do both simultaneously. These lessons lay out the basics of singing for guitar players.

Christmas only comes once a year, but you can learn to play these holiday classics any time. These lessons and arrangements make learning Christmas carols fun and easy. With these songs in your repertoire you will have a greater sense of structure and melody that will help you learn many other songs and develop an ear for writing your own songs.