http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/ 2009-11-18T08:17:15-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/ http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/lib/images/favicon.ico text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=12_string_guitars&rev=1252652292 The twelve string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with twelve strings, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six string guitar. For those of you who have always wondered, let's take some of the myth and mystery out of this beautiful instrument. If you can play a six string, you can play a twelve string. But just as playing an electric guitar requires a different mindset than playing an acoustic guitar, one also needs to develop the right feel for the twelve. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=13th_chords&rev=1252652292 When building a chord like “C13th,” there are seven notes shown. The most notes that can be covered by one hand on the fretboard at one time is six. So, which note (s) do you leave out in order to actually play the chord? As you can imagine, there's a lot of debate amongst music theorists as to what is the “proper” thing to do in such a situation when you have a chord that has more notes than you are able to produce. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=acoustic_effects_pedals&rev=1252652292 An effect or two can add something to an acoustic guitar sound. Generally, you can add any effect pedal or multi-efx unit that was designed for electric guitar to your acoustic setup, too. There are also effects that are made specifically for acoustic guitars. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=acoustic_or_electric_guitar&rev=1252652292 This question gets asked a lot at and everyone that answers it has different opinions. There are a lot of similarities between the electric guitar and acoustic guitar; they each have advantages and disadvantages to the beginner. It is easier to learn to fingerpick on an acoustic. Barre chords and power chords are easier to learn on an electric. Because of the nature of the acoustic guitar, most people learn how to strum them but rarely take the time to explore the many styles and sounds that it… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=alternate_tuning&rev=1252652292 An alternate tuning is any tuning that is neither standard nor open. Firstly, let us rid ourselves of a burdensome subcategory, namely any tunings that have the same intervals between each string as standard tuning. For example, tunings such as: STANDARD E A D G B E Alternate #1 Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb Alternate #2 D G C F A D Alternate #3 Db Gb B E Ab Db Alternate #4 C F Bb Eb G C text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=alternate_tuning_examples&rev=1252652292 This page is a list of different alternate tunings. This is by no means a definitive list of all the possibilities. If you decide to play your guitar with the first string tuned to Eb, then you’ve got an alternate tuning. It really is all that simple to do. The tricky part comes when you try to do something with that tuning. many of these tunings do not have formal names, but some notes have been made about a few of them. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=alternate_tunings_for_twelve_string_guitar&rev=1252652292 There are many excellent tunings for the 12 string guitar. You can do any alternate tuning that you’d use on a six-string guitar on a twelve string. Open G and D and DADGAD are especially nice as well as any that highlight fingerpicking patterns, such as CGDCGD. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=artificial_harmonics&rev=1252652292 If you grip the tip of your pick so that when you strike the string it catches your thumb, you will hear a harmonic generated over the initial note. This is called a Pinch Harmonic, a type of artificial harmonic. This is a common technique for lead guitarists and while it sounds great on an electric guitar you can also do this on an acoustic. It simply takes a little more practice. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=barre_chords&rev=1252652292 Barre chords (sometimes shortened to Bar chords) are a type of guitar chord where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the guitar fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the strings). Barring the strings enables the guitarist to play a chord not restricted by the tones of the guitar's open strings. Barre chords are often referred to as “moveable” chords, as they can be moved up and down the neck as needed. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=bass_guitar&rev=1252652292 The bass guitar is similar in appearance to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, and, usually, four strings tuned an octave lower in pitch, in the bass range. Someone considering taking up the bass might benefit from reading Choosing bass over guitar. Some of the most common questions that beginners ask concern Changing bass guitar strings and reading bass tabs and notes. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=beginner_chords&rev=1252652292 A common questions concerns which chords would should begin learning. How to practice practice switching between chords is also an important concept to master. Simply learning chords is not always the best way to start out, particularly for younger children. Many teachers advocate learning the notes within the first five frets on each of the strings before moving on to chords. There is some merit to this. For starters, it helps someone who's not played a single note on the guitar before a chan… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=beginner_guitar_prices&rev=1252652292 Before determining what a good price for a beginner guitar is there are some questions that need answering first. Do you want an acoustic, electric or classical (nylon string) guitar? What sort of music do you envision playing? Are you serious about learning to play? text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=best_way_to_learn_guitar&rev=1252652292 While everyone will find their own best way to learn guitar, this page has been written to collect answers to the question What is the best way to learn guitar? In many of his articles, David Hodge has said you should use everything that is available to you when learning the guitar. Whatever you can get your hands on that will be of use to you is worth trying. There are many helpful books, videos and websites. The thing to always bear in mind is: there is no royal road to success. It is not … text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=blues_tunings&rev=1252652292 Many blues artists tune their guitars differently. This is especially true of slide guitarists, who tend to use open tunings such as DGDGBD, DADF#AD, EBEG#BE, etc. Guitar Noise has a lesson on Acoustic Blues in Standard Tuning. External links * Blues Guitar Tips - Learn To Play The Blues * Alternate Tuning for Guitar * Open Tunings and chords on slide guitar and bottleneck blues * Slide Guitar Tunings text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=bridge_tuning&rev=1252652292 Different guitars bridge tune in different ways. Essentially, it comes down to this. On on end of the bridge (usually the side furthest from the neck) there should be a set of very small screws. These screws adjust where the string sits on the bridge. By turning these you are adjusting the intonation of the guitar. Some newer guitars use these in conjunction with a “nut-lock” which is a device that, in effect, clamps down the nut end of the strings to prevent them from moving. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=building_speed&rev=1252652292 Before we dive into the realm of developing speed, let's dispel a few misconceptions about it. Firstly, speed in and of itself is irrelevant. However, speed used within the context of a good piece of music and with taste is a good thing. The second misconception of speed is covered in the article The Art of Practice. Most people believe that in order to play fast you must practice fast. While you will eventually need to practice fast in order to play fast you need to develop some basic technique… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=capo&rev=1252652292 A capo is a device used for shortening the strings, and hence raising the pitch, of a stringed instrument such as a guitar, mandolin or banjo. A capo is a device that allows you to move the nut of your guitar around. Not exactly, but if you think of it in those terms you'll be able to get a lot out of one. Essentially a capo is a strip of hard material (usually rubber or plastic) which is clamped onto the neck of your guitar at a position of your choosing, effectively providing you with a full… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=careers_in_music&rev=1252652292 Start dreaming, but never let go of the dream. Especially during the hard times. You hear about so many people who've tried to make it but failed. The truth is that not very many people have tried to make it and failed. There are some, obviously, but not many. Most people get discouraged once they see the work involved. Once their band breaks up and they realize they have to start all over again, that's it. That's when you start separating the men from the boys. Or the women from the girls. Go o… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=celtic_music&rev=1252652292 One of the common misconceptions about Celtic music (not to mention all sorts of other genres) is that it contains different chords and/or scales than other music. Now while Celtic music may have a lot of “character traits” for lack of a better term, it still uses the chords and scales with which you are already familiar. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=changing_bass_guitar_strings&rev=1252652292 First you need the following items: * a new set of strings * a Tuner * a wire cutter Step 1: Open the pack of new strings. Notice that they have a size or gauge labelled on each sleeve. The biggest (thickest) string is the E string, and the next smaller is A, followed by D, and the thinnest is the G. Write the name of each string on the sleeve. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=choosing_a_brand&rev=1252652292 There is a lot of information on Guitar Noise regarding this topic. An entire section on How to buy equipment has many months worth of articles. You should definitely browse through those articles if you are not sure about what to buy. Many “no-name” brands are actually, generally speaking, good. A “no-name” brand is a brand that has no brand marking or simply a brand that isn’t “famous”. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=choosing_a_guitar&rev=1252652292 If you are starting off there are two good choices to pick. There are many packaged deals out there, mainly around $300. They generally come with a guitar, amp, picks, strings, gig bag, and all the other little things needed to get you started. The drawback of these is mainly quality. After you get better you will want to get a better guitar, since your ears have matured and your taste for tone has increased. The dilemma now is that you’ll have to invest another four or five hundred dollars. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=choosing_bass_over_guitar&rev=1252652292 Aspiring musicians may want to know why one would choose to play bass over guitar, or guitar over bass? The problem with starting with the bass is that it is not a very good instrument to play by yourself. Many bassists started because their band needed a bass player. Most would never go back. If you sing, you will probably get more pleasure from the guitar (or piano). However, you can play more than one instrument, it just takes a little more effort (and money) to play bass. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=chord_formation&rev=1252652292 A guitar chord is a chord as played on any type of guitar. There are so many combinations of notes that can create chords on the guitar that it is difficult to represent them all graphically. This article therefore demonstrates some of the theory behind chord construction on the guitar. Other chords not listed here can be created by following these principles. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=chord_progressions&rev=1252652292 A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, a series of chords played in order. What makes a chord progression “good?” Why are some transitions almost automatic, for lack of a better word? Why is C to G pleasant to the ear while C to Eb minor is worse than fingernails on chalk? text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=copyrighting_songs&rev=1252652292 There are only a limited amount of notes and chords. Nothing you can think of has never been done. Perhaps a song you wrote will be written by somebody else tomorrow. Some people steal songs. It's unfortunate, but some people are dishonest. Others will steal a song without realizing it. Take the case on George Harrison. On his first solo album was a song that's become a classic: “My Sweet Lord”. However, that song was plagiarized from a sixties song called “He's so fine”. In court, Ha… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=demos&rev=1252652292 A demo is a way for musicians to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists. Unfortunately, there are no sure-fire ways of to avoid having record company execs toss demos into a pile of trash with all others they are not interested in. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=developing_both_hands&rev=1252652292 So much emphasis on teaching the guitar is on the neck end of the instrument, that a lot of the subtleties of playing the guitar are lost. Both hands are equally important and if you truly want to be a good / better / best guitarist, then don’t ignore practicing and developing techniques for your strumming hand. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=diminished_chords&rev=1252652292 Generally, in music, a diminished chord is a chord which has a diminished fifth in it. More specifically, it is a three-note chord (a diminished triad) consisting of a minor third and diminished fifth above the root - if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E flat and a G flat. The interval between the upper two notes is also a minor third - thus, the chord consists of two minor thirds stacked on top of one another. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered (or diminished) fifth. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=ear_training&rev=1252652292 Wouldn't it be great if you could figure out any song by ear without the help of guitar tab? How about tuning your guitar by ear without the help of an electronic tuner? With practice you can do this. Believe it or not, hearing some chord changes will become second nature over time. Be prepared to spend time and energy on something called “ear training” and be aware that it is much more of a puzzle than a mystery. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=easy_guitar_songs&rev=1252652292 If you already have a grasp of guitar basics (holding your guitar, tuning it) then the next step is to start building a repertoire of songs. Unfortunately most guitar courses or teachers don't allow you to learn the songs that made you want to play in the first place. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=embellishing_chords&rev=1252652292 Say a song is in the key of A. The guitar tab will usually list the chords as A, D and E. However, the guitarist may chose other, “embellished” chords (that is, chords with the same basic triads but with added notes for flavor). Instead of an A, he may play an A7 and then add to the confusion by playing it with this voicing: text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=finding_other_musicians&rev=1252652292 One of the best ways to improve as a guitar player is by playing live with other musicians. Finding someone to jam with shouldn't be too hard, even for newbies. Have you tried to post on college boards? There may be some amateur musicians in school that would be willing to jam. Another good resource is a music school that teaches guitar lessons, drum lessons, etc. Students are usually encouraged to play in some kind of ensemble, so jams can be arranged with them through teachers. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=finger_nail_grooming&rev=1252652292 If you have ever shaken hands with a classical guitarist or seen a close up picture of his/her right hand, you will have seen that they have long nails on just the right hand. The nail is 50% responsible for tone, volume, and aids in accuracy and speed. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=fingerpicking&rev=1252652292 Fingerpicking is a technique for playing the guitar, or some other stringed instrument using the fingertips and/or fingernails, rather than with a plectrum (or “pick”). The term is often used synonymously with fingerstyle guitar. On Guitar Noise * House of the Rising Sun * Scarborough Fair * Blackbird text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=flatpicking&rev=1252652292 Flatpicking is a technique for playing the steel-stringed acoustic guitar using a plectrum or flatpick. Although the term is used in other genres, it is probably best known as the lead guitar style in bluegrass music and old-time country music. Flatpicking involves holding a plectrum with only your thumb and index finger to play the lower notes while picking the upper notes with your middle and/or ring fingers. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=fret_buzz&rev=1252652292 There are many causes to fret buzz, though the biggest cause is Action. Raising the action will lower fret buzz. Since fret buzz is just the strings hitting the frets, raising the action – distance between the fret board and the strings – the strings arc of motion won’t hit the strings. High action means harder playability, the string is harder to push down. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=fretboard_map&rev=1252652292 Learning all the notes on your guitar's fretboard is an important early step for the beginning guitarist. Knowing where all the notes are will help you with forming chords, playing scales, soloing and improvising. This chart shows all the notes on your guitar's fretboard up to the twelfth fret. After the twelfth fret the notes repeat in the same order. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=fretless_bass&rev=1252652292 The fretless bass is a bass guitar without frets. It operates in the same manner as most other stringed instruments and traditional guitars, but does not have any frets to act as the lower end point (node) of the vibrating string. The way your fingertip pinches the string against the fretboard dampens the highest overtones without disturbing the middle ones, so you get a “warm” sound that is not “dull”. Dan Lasley's column Tone Loco discusses this in more detail. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=getting_in_tune_with_cds&rev=1252652292 The first thing you have to do is to have your guitar in tune, period. And tuned to standard tuning. To do this you need a keyboard or a tuner. Now for the most part this should allow you to play along with your CDs. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this: text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=getting_started_on_guitar&rev=1252652292 The greatest learning you can get is from a teacher. One on one lessons allow you to grasp the concepts at a faster rate and help you understand more effectively. If you are low on money and can’t afford a teacher then the internet is the next best thing. This, though, is going to mean that you will be learning “on your own.” text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=ghost_notes&rev=1252652292 The best description of a ghost note, is a note that is felt but not heard. You will play the note softer, and without emphasis. The note is usually in-between 2 parentheses. In addition, notes in parentheses could mean optional notes. For instance, if a particular riff is repeated, but sometimes the guitar player throws in some additional notes, those additional notes may be in parentheses. Do keep in mind the use of parentheses for bent notes as well. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=glossary&rev=1252652292 This page lists many useful guitar or music terms you are likely to encounter. Please help expand this page by adding new words guitarists may encounter. * Alternate tuning * Artificial harmonics * Barre chords * Bridge tuning * Capo * Diminished chords * Fingerpicking * Flatpicking * Ghost notes * Guitar tab * Harmonic tuning * Intervals * Keys * Modes * Modal scales * Nashville charts * Natural harmonics * Open tuning * Palm Muting * Passing tones * … text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=guitar_fills&rev=1252652292 If you listen to good guitarists you'll note that they often put in a riff or a run of notes when changing from one chord to the next. It's usually very short and rarely complicated - a hammer on here, a pick off there, maybe a bit of a scale. But for all its simplicity it adds a great deal of flair to your playing. A fill is nothing more than an interesting transition from one chord to another. Often what keeps a good beginner or intermediate from making the next step forward is an inability to… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=guitar_knobs&rev=1252652292 Most guitars have only two types of knobs: Volume and Tone. The volume knobs adjust the overall, or individual pickup levels. These are often left at 10, and the amps level adjusted instead. Use them to quickly fine-tune your volume, or if you're using distortion, the amount of distortion. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=guitar_solos&rev=1252652292 The term guitar solo is commonly taken to refer specifically to the idiom of rock music. Although solo passages for guitar are found in many musical genres, the 'guitar solo' has an almost iconic place in rock, and particularly in the subgenre of heavy metal. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=guitar_strings&rev=1252652292 A string is the vibrating element which is the source of vibration in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. They are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may freely vibrate. Strings may be “plain” (consisting only of a single material, like steel or nylon), or they may have a core of one material with an overwinding of other materials to increase their mass and thickness. Such strings are called “wound strings.” text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=guitar_tab&rev=1252652292 Like standard notation, guitar tab consists of a series of horizontal lines forming a staff. Each line represents one of the instrument's strings, so guitar tab has a six-line staff, and bass guitar tab has four lines. Reading guitar tab is easy and the preferred method of many beginning guitar players. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=harmonic_tuning&rev=1252652292 This is essentially the same as tuning by what we'll call the “normal” method (tuning the A string to the 5th fret of the E string, etc.). The difference is that you use the harmonic notes to tune between the strings. I'm assuming you know how to do harmonics. The easiest places to produce them on your guitar are at the 12th, 7th and 5th frets. The thing that you may not know is exactly which notes are produced by harmonics. Let's take a look: text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=how_to_tune_a_guitar&rev=1252652292 This page details how to tune a standard six string guitar to the standard EADGBe tuning. First, you must know which string on a guitar is tuned to which note. The low string (the biggest/thickest one) is tuned to E. The string beside that is an A. The next D. Then G, followed next is a B. Finally, the top string (the smallest/thinest one) is tuned to E as well. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=improvising&rev=1252652292 Improvisation is an important aspect of Music in general. Musical improvisers often understand the idiom of one or more musical styles - e.g. blues, rock, folk, jazz - and work within the idiom to express ideas with creativity and originality. Improvisation can take place as a solo performance, or interdependently in ensemble with other players. When done well, it often elicits gratifying emotional responses from the audience. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=index&rev=1252652292 This index lists all of the articles available here. When adding or editing articles please try to cross-link items as much as possible, and don’t forget to add new items here. Guitars and Equipment Types of Guitars * 12 String Guitars * Acoustic or electric guitar * Bass Guitar * Choosing bass over guitar * Fretless bass * Jumbo frets * Spanish and Hawaiian guitars * Tenor guitar text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=inspiration&rev=1252652292 It's ironic that, in spite of the fact that the guitar is such a versatile instrument, so many guitarists find themselves stuck in a rut. When your favorite songs don't excite you anymore you get bored playing the same stuff over and over it may be time to break out of the box. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=intervals&rev=1252652292 Here's our C major scale: do re mi fa sol la te do C D E F G A B C An interval is the distance from one note to the next. We name the intervals according to their place on the major scale. From C to E, for instance, is called a third (okay, a major third). From C to A is a sixth. D to B is also a sixth. Do you see this? The starting note becomes your root and B is the sixth note in a D major scale. Using this same logic, D to F is not a third, but a MINOR third. How about E to A? Right, it's a… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=iv_of_iv&rev=1252652292 There are times (quite often in fact) when you will be playing a song in one key, just for example, let's say the key of C, and you will come upon a chord which doesn't really exist in that particular key, but hey, there it is. It sounds perfectly fine though (in the context of whatever particular chord progression that you're playing) so maybe you won't think about exactly how this chord “fits” in. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=jumbo_frets&rev=1252652292 Jumbo frets are usually used on electrics and sometimes acoustics. Jumbo frets are a cheaper way of producing what is known as a “scalloped” fretboard. The idea behind this is to make it so that your fingers don't have to actually press all the way down onto the neck of the guitar, thus allowing you to have a lighter (and therefore (supposedly) faster) touch. What some guitarists would do is to have the fret board slightly dug out (scalloped) between the frets. Putting slightly higher (or … text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=keys&rev=1252652292 In music theory, the key identifies the tonic triad, the chord, major or minor, which represents the final point of rest for a piece, or the focal point of a section. Knowing the key a song is in will help with transposing when you are playing with other musicians. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=main_page&rev=1252652292 Welcome to the Guitar Noise Wiki, a free guitar resource that anyone can edit. Like the rest of the site, the aim here is to offer as much useful information about playing guitar as possible. There are already hundreds of articles here and the hope is that things will continue to grow with your contributions. Registered users can add new content or improve existing articles. If you are interested in asking a question, or joining a music-related discussion, the place for that is on the Guitar No… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=modal_scales&rev=1252652292 In addition to the three minor scales (natural, harmonic and melodic), there are also quite a number of modal scales. ”Modal” is one of those theory terms that gives people the willies. If you want a scholarly approach to modes, check out Jimmy Hudson's column Modal Thinking or pick up your favorite textbook. It's possible to think of modes in terms of food. Your C major scale is your steak or chicken or soup stock or whatever you decide to start out with. The various flats and sharps that… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=modes&rev=1252652292 In music, a mode is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. A lot of people look at modes as if it were a big mystery, but they are really a fairly simple concept once you learn how to use them on guitar. There are seven tones to the major scale hence there are seven modes to the major scale. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=nashville_charts&rev=1252652292 As far as I can tell (and fair warning, I may be wrong about this), Nashville “chord charts” aren't actually chords or charts per se as much as they are a way of being able to play a song in any key. If their intention was to not have to read music they made it a lot harder on themselves. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=natural_harmonics&rev=1252652292 A natural harmonics is when your finger is directly above the fret desired and you are barely touching the string. Immediately after picking that string you come away from the string and it should ring quite a bit higher than normal. This works very well at the five, seven and twelfth fret. Although there are some very high notes at about 2.5 and 1.7. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=open_tuning&rev=1252652292 In guitar playing, an open tuning is one where the strings are tuned so that a chord is achieved without fretting, or pressing any of the strings. With such a tuning, other chords may be played by simply barreing a fret or through the use of a slide. The result is a major (or minor) chord when we strum the open strings. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=open_tuning_examples&rev=1252652292 Open tunings have been making a “comeback” of sorts lately, but they have always been a staple of serious musicians. Many fledgling guitarists are unaware that artists such as Keith Richards, Dave Mason, Richie Havens, Leo Kottke and Mark Knopfler have been using various forms of open tuning for years. Slide guitar players often tend to utilize open tuning; it suits their particular playing styles quite well. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=outdoor_gigs&rev=1252652292 Here are a couple of quick questions, and some ideas to start. First, is the stage protected and secure? Are your going to have to tear it down every night? Either way, be sure that you get a rack with locks for your mixer and effects. Also get a DJ style CD player for the rack. I'd get a Mackie CFX (12 or 16) if I was spending other people's money. The biggest problem with outdoors is that the bass disappears into the sky. You should consider sub-woofers and put them as low as you can. For the… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=palm_muting&rev=1252652292 The palm mute, also known as palm muting, is executed by resting the edge of the picking hand's palm on the strings near the bridge, producing a dampened sound. The name is a slight misnomer, as muting is performed by the heel of the hand in general. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=passing_tones&rev=1252652292 A nonchord tone, nonharmonic tone, or non-harmony note is a note in a piece of music which is not a part of the chord that is formed by the other notes sounding at the time. Nonchord tones are most often discussed in the context of music of the common practice period, but can be used in analysis of other types of tonal music as well. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=pitfalls_for_beginning_students&rev=1252652292 Writing down a list of pitfalls facing the beginning guitar student one could say that most of them, if not all, could be lumped into a single category: Impatience. Perhaps this is a bit of my trying to lump a lot of stuff into a small and neat package. Impatience, however it might be disguised, is at the root of a lot of frustration, for guitarists and many other people as well. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=playing_guitar_standing_up&rev=1252652292 The first thing that I would ask is where is the guitar (should I assume it's an electric?) in relationship to your body? Most people tend to play their guitars really low because that how they see it in videos and I guess it's really cool but it's harder than anything to play well like that. Worse, you can develop serious wrist problems by doing that for long periods of time. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=power_chords&rev=1252652292 The term “power chord” is used to refer to a perfect fifth (or its inversion, a perfect fourth), with or without octave doubling, in rock music, especially when played on electric guitar with distortion. It is sometimes notated 5, as in C5 (C power chord). text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=practicing&rev=1252652292 Whenever someone asks “how much time,” a teacher is going to respond “as much time as you can.” That's almost a pure reaction. The reality, however, relies on two separate things: the amount of free time you truly have and the physical condition of your hands. Let's tackle the second one first. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=reading_bass_tabs_and_notes&rev=1252652292 This article will help you learn to read bass tabs and notes. Learning all the notes on your bass' fretboard is an important early step for the beginning bassist. Knowing where all the notes are will help you while playing along with others and improvising. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=reading_guitar_tab&rev=1252652292 Guitar tab is one of those things that once you know how to read it, you never forget it. There are six horizontal lines. The bottom one is the sixth string, the low E, and the top one is the high E. The rest are just the ones found in-between in order. The numbers on the lines only tell you what fret to play that note on, but not what finger to use. The writers of tab expect you to figure out the best way to play the notes they wrote. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=reading_music&rev=1252652292 First off, I’d like to direct you to a great discussion about this very topic that took place on the Forum pages a little while back. You can find it here: <http://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11059> One of the arguments here, that when you learn another instrument such as piano, saxophone or even drums, that the teacher will teach you to read notation, is very telling I think. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=reggae_guitar&rev=1252652292 Playing reggae on guitar, particularly if you're not overly familiar with it, can seem very daunting. But like just about anything, the more you play around with it, the more it becomes second nature. I recommend starting out with a very basic beat to start out with. It doesn't even have to be a reggae song, but it should be something you know well and that does not involve a lot of chord changes. The classic “Stand By Me” works well as do many simple songs. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=relative_minors&rev=1252652292 Try playing a G chord followed by the E minor. Can you hear how similar they are? If we look at the notes that make up the chord, we see the following: I III V G G B D Em E G B Notice that these chords share two of their three notes. This is because E minor is the RELATIVE MINOR of G major. The relative minor shares the same notes in the major scale, but it's root is the sixth of the major. Here's our G major scale: text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=retuning_a_guitar&rev=1252652292 A couple rules of thumb: * Try to tune downward whenever possible. Too much stress on the strings is not good for the guitar or the strings (or you, for that matter). If you do tune up to a note, try not to go higher than three half steps. * Use a capo. It's much easier on your guitar to tune to Open D and then put a capo on the second fret to get your Open E. Ditto with Open G to get Open A. If you listen to the Rolling Stones' Happy, you'll find it's in the key of B. Richards uses Open G… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=scales&rev=1252652292 In music, a scale is a set of musical notes that provides material for part or all of a musical work. Scales are typically ordered in pitch, with their ordering providing a measure of musical distance. Scales differ from modes in that scales do not have a primary or “tonic” pitch. Thus a single scale can have many different modes, depending on which of its notes is chosen as primary. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=scales_chart&rev=1252652292 Common scales Here are some common scales that will come in handy for guitar players. Exotic scales The following table lists some rare scales that may lend an exotic sound to your playing. Neapolitan Minor: C Db Eb F G Ab B C Neapolitan Major: C Db Eb F G A B C Oriental: C Db E F Gb A Bb C Double Harmonic: C Db E F G Ab B C Enigmatic: C Db E F# G# A# B C Hirajoshi: A B C E F A Hungarian Minor: C D Eb F# G Ab B C Hungarian Major:… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=seventh_chords&rev=1252652292 A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root. What does the 7 in C7 mean? Whenever you see a number after a chord, it refers to the note in that particular scale that you should add to the basic chord. If you know that the C scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C), then C6, for example, is the basic C chord (C, E, G) plus the 6th, which is A. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=songwriting_credits&rev=1252652292 When writing with other people or bringing songs into a band context, there are several ways of sharing the credit. Usually, credits are split 50-50 between music and lyrics. If you compose the music by yourself, but write the lyrics with someone else, you should get 75% of the credit of the song (50% for the music and 25% for the lyrics). The best thing to do is to come to an understanding before you write the songs. It's not always possible, but it can cause a lot of problems in the long run … text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=sound_check&rev=1252652292 Scott Hysell has written the ultimate article on Sound Checks for Guitar Noise. The sound check should be done with a song that's very flexible and easy to play. It should start off easy with just the rhythm guitar, bass, and simple drums. Then add in the second guitar, and then sing a simple verse and chorus, then let the lead guitar wail for a brief solo, followed by a power instrumental chorus (everyone plays their loudest, the drummer goes wild), then end with a strong vocal chorus with ful… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=sound_difficulties&rev=1252652292 A common problem is that your stage volume is way too high. It's not good if you can't hear your own sax! But if you turn down the amps, then you'll need to feed more of the amps through the mixer for the mains. The keyboards and the bass can go direct using 1/4” cables, but the guitars will need to be miked. Once this is done, then you can face all of the amps in toward yourselves so you can hear each other even at lower levels. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=sound_engineer&rev=1252652292 Why should our band have a sound engineer? Because everything sounds different in front of the speakers. If you have a newly formed band, you'll need to focus your efforts on stage to making the music, not worrying about how it sounds on the dance floor. It is true that many experienced wedding bands play without a soundman, but I've often found that they have succeeded in sounding over-produced, flat, and boring. If you are going to play a gig where you are the center of attention (as opposed… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=spanish_and_hawaiian_guitars&rev=1252652292 The term “Spanish guitar” is what we nowadays call a ”classical guitar.” The guitar as we know it now was developed in Spain close to three hundred years ago. The classical guitar came to America, and later Hawaii, along with the Spanish explorers and sailors. It was smaller than the typical acoustic model of today and the strings were made from gut (nylon in the present day). Nowadays people use the term “Spanish guitar” and “classical guitar” almost interchangeably, although it… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=speaker_types&rev=1252652292 Omni-directional speakers usually send sound in all directions, front and back. They are not standard, and are usually found in outdoor plazas. Uni-directional speakers only send sound in one direction - forward. This is normal for most PA speakers. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=standard_tuning&rev=1252652292 Beginners should start with How to tune a guitar. What we guitarists consider “standard tuning” has been around pretty much since the fifth and sixth strings were added to the instrument in the late 1700's. And, artists being artists, “non-standard” or “alternate” tunings have existed for just about as long. For the sake of our discussions, we will divide guitar tunings into three categories - standard tuning, open tuning, and alternate tuning. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=strumming&rev=1252652292 Like just about anything, strumming (and coming up with strumming patterns) can be learned fairly easily. But, and again like just about anything, how good you get will depend on how much effort you put into it. Some people are naturally talented in this area while others will have to work at it. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=suspended_chords&rev=1252652292 A suspended chord is a chord in which the third is replaced or accompanied by either a fourth or a major second, although the fourth is far more common. Difference between A9 and Asus2 One of the problems in music is that people often ignore (or simply don't know) the “standard” notation. I have been guilty of this myself simply because it can be very tedious to write out “Aadd9” all the time! There's also another problem that is less apparent and we'll come to that in a moment. Fir… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=teaching_children&rev=1252652292 Many teachers start off their younger students with partial chords, using just the first three or four strings. For instance, you can play a G like this: xx0003 and a C like this: xxx010. Another thing that one can do is to use an open tuning (usually G or D). This is especially good if the child it adept at strumming. You can show where to barre the frets (or even use a slide) for your typical three chord song and the two of you can have a blast. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tenor_guitar&rev=1252652292 The tenor guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string version of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument (in its acoustic form) was developed so that players of the four-string, tenor banjo could double on the guitar. Later, solid-body electric models were also produced. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=theory&rev=1252652292 Music theory is a field of study that investigates the nature or mechanics of music. Many music theory studies involve identifying patterns that govern composers' techniques in an effort to better understand the compositional process. Theory can increase your ability as a player dramatically, and since it’s always a good idea to learn more, theory is another bit of knowledge to acquire. Theory can help you work with other musicians such as keyboardists, horn players, other stringed instrument… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=things_to_do&rev=1252652292 If you find any red links on the wiki, they lead to articles that still need writing, or are incorrectly linked. You should feel free to write anything you think would be helpful for other users. If you see a section lacking content, feel free to add on to it. If you wish, you can also create a whole new section of useful information. As with the forums, you must register before doing anything to the wiki. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=thumb_position&rev=1252652292 There seems to be a real conflict of opinion as to whether this thumb should be pressed against the back of the neck or hooked around it with the flat of the thumb on top of the neck. Most books say to press it against the neck, but some say that although this is the proper way many guitarists use the lazy way. Indeed, most rock guitarists have their thumbs hooked around on top of the neck with the span between the fingers gripping the back of it. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=time_signature&rev=1252652292 The time signature (along with the key signature) is one of the first things you encounter when you read music. The time signature usually consists of two numbers written one on top of the other, almost like a fraction except there is no line (other than the lines of the staff and that doesn't count). These provide you with two important pieces of information about the song that you are going to play. The top number tells you how many beats are in a measure. Measures are explained in the lesson … text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=transposing&rev=1252652292 f you ever decide to play music with musicians other than guitarists (and bass players don’t count!) you will very quickly run into a situation where one of you knows a particular song in one key while the other knows it in another. The guitar has a natural disinclination towards keys that contain flats. Unless you’re incredibly adept at barre chords knowing how to transpose a song will prove to be an invaluable skill. And not only is it easy to learn, it’s actually a lot of fun when you g… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tremolo_bridge&rev=1252652292 The Floyd rose is a tremolo bridge, and basically acts as a movable bridge – both up and down. What makes the Floyd Rose system independent is that it can lock the string both at the bridge and the nut. When you connect the tremolo arm to the bridge, you can push/pull it down/up in order to shift the pitch either up or down. You can push and pull on a Floyd rose system and still get the same result, but the tremelo arm makes moving the bridge up/down much easier. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tuning_a_12_string_guitar&rev=1252652292 A lot of people like to number the strings of a twelve-string guitar from one (high E) to twelve, but it also works to number them as a six-string guitar, that is one through six, adding the designation “a” or “b” to each string. “A” means closer to the floor (as viewed when I am sitting with the guitar) and “b” is closer to the ceiling. The main reason for this is readily apparent when all the “a” strings are tuned just like those of a regular guitar in standard tuning. So i… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tuning_down_half_a_step&rev=1252652292 If you have a chromatic tuner this can be easy. A half a step down is having every note “half a step” down – a half step is an interval and to the guitar it’s a one-fret distance. So, E becomes Eb and so forth. From the low E to the high E it goes text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tuning_other_than_standard&rev=1252652292 For as long as there's been the guitar, there's been different ways of tuning it. What we think of as "standard" tuning has evolved over time. Our modern guitar came from the lute and lutes were tuned to fifths instead of fourths (I'm not the greatest historian, so please don't take me to task). text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=tuning_tips&rev=1252652292 The easiest way to get into tune and stay there is buy an electronic tuner. These small and inexpensive devices can save you a lot of trouble, especially in live situations and noisy environments. While an electronic tuner is a great addition to your guitar case, you should not rely on them exclusively. Do not neglect learning the skill of tuning for yourself as it is great for developing your ear. text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=vocals&rev=1252652292 EQ is the prime cause of Muddy Vocals. You should try setting up with just a rhythm guitar and the 4 singers and sing some Crosby Stills and Nash type harmonies. Play around with increasing the EQ between 800 and 6KHz. Do this with the tone controls on the mixer set flat, only adjust your equalizer. Try doing too much so it sounds harsh or tinny, then back it down until it sounds better. It's OK to leave it a little bright, so long as it doesn't distort. You can then adjust each individual voice… text/html 2009-09-10T23:58:12-08:00 http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/doku.php?id=words_or_music_first&rev=1252652292 Always keep in mind that the music has as much to say about the song as the lyrics do. So the music and words should be saying the same thing. If they don't, people will notice this immediately. Personally, I tend to start with the music. But not all the time. I usually begin by playing around with chords or individual notes or a bit of both until I stumble on to something that reflects the way I'm feeling. Then I use it as a starting point and work around that.