10 Things You Need To Know About Guitar Players -Part 2-

3. Guitarists get upset when non-guitarists critique the way they play.

Only other guitarists are the ones who are allowed to offer constructive criticism…and other musicians in general, except drummers. Let’s not go there.

4. The stereotype of the long-haired-tattoo-infested-guitarist on drugs and alcohol has to end.

There is no one way to define us or spot us in a crowd. But we all have that feeling when we play. It’s hard to explain if you’re not infatuated with a guitar but it’s sort of like those euphoric emotions you get when you’re petting your dog except multiply that love by about 100,000.

5. Guitarists always argue amongst themselves on the topic of the world’s most talented player.

There will be those who say it’s Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Slash, Tom Morello, etc. We never get to the answer – ever. If you don’t play guitar, please don’t voice your opinion or say that Kurt Cobain was the best. You’ll get chewed up and spit out alive.

6. You paid how much?

Guitarists don’t mind shelling out crazy amounts of money on their equipment and we can never ever have enough guitars. Whether it’s on the instrument or the boat-loads of other technological necessities (pedals, cables, strings, amps, etc) we love to buy more and more things to get our fill. Our homes are scattered with guitar related paraphernalia and we love every part of it, even it means tripping over stuff on a daily basis to support our addiction. PS there’s no cure for our addiction, so please give up.

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10 Things You Need To Know About Guitar Players -Part 3-

7. If a guitarist is in a band, his/her fellow band members become family.

This applies to most people in a band, no matter the instrument. We  end up spending so many hours hanging out and jamming that it’s hard not to become brutally attached to these people on a much deeper level than anybody else in our social circle. It’s because we all get it – that trance one enters when they’re playing their instrument cannot be compared to any other craft.

8. Guitarists get very angry at non-guitarist’s stupidity.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve face-palmed because of other people’s incredible ignorance and lack of knowledge. For example, I’ve been asked if one my guitars is a lead and if the other is a rhythm guitar… I’ve also been asked if I play acoustic or electric. The best one: “do you get shocked from the strings on an electric guitar? That’s why you need a pick right?” Mind blown. Yeah that actually happened. One my ex’s also said the following: “You always play that song!” … he was referring to the way I was tuning my guitar. We broke up.

9. Guitarists are insanely protective of their gear.

We don’t find it cute when your four-year-old kid picks up our vintage 1960’s strat and starts slamming on the strings. If we do let you touch or hold our guitar(s), take off all of the jewelry on your hands and fingers and place it back in the case/stand gently. And PLEASE don’t bang it on anything, hold it and caress it like a baby…it’s not a “toy”.

10. Once a guitarist, always a guitarist.

Tread lightly if you’re considering this instrument. It will mesmerize your senses the moment you learn your first chord, the moment you successfully learn scales, the moment you’re finally able to play a song you love just by relying on your very own ability to hear. You’ll become so attached to this hobby, many of you will change your life around it – you’ll dream about playing on stage, you’ll start to make friends with other guitar enthusiasts, and you’ll never look back.

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10 Things You Gotta Know About the Fingerboard -Page 4-

9.SHIFT YOUR GAZE 

By using a different graphic symbol for each chord tone as in Fig. 11, it’s easy to see how these five connecting C-chord shapes originate in open position with the circular C roots, the diamond-shaped Es, and the square Gs all happening simultaneously. Practice breaking each chord tone into its own discrete “dipper”—for Cmaj7, play all roots (Cs), followed by all 3’s (Es), all 5’s (Gs), and all 7’s (B’s)—to create unique arpeggios.

10.REDEFINE THE MAP 

Finally, let’s have another look at Figures 1 and 2 from a more informed perspective. Fig. 12 organizes the 12-fret template of natural notes into five distinct C major scale patterns, each of which adheres to the root positions of its related chord shape. The entire template may be shifted up or down to transpose the whole fretboard to any key—up a half-step for C#/ Db, up a whole-step for D, up one-and-a-half steps for D#/Eb, and so on. Of course these are all virtual dots and position markers, so we have to train ourselves to visualize these patterns on demand. The “Big Dipper,” five major chord shapes, and five major scale patterns (which also contain all seven modes) provide a universal point of reference originating from any note in any position. Commit them to memory and you’ll never feel lost again!
Jesse Gress is the author of The Guitar Cookbook.

Source Article : http://www.guitarplayer.com

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10 Things You Gotta Know About the Fingerboard -Page 3-

6.TRAVEL THE SPACEWAYS 

See how the roots in Fig. 5 appear on the fifth and third strings? That’s because we’ve shifted the entire root template down one link and added the missing link one octave higher. This maps out all six A’s between the open and twelfth positions and creates a visual variation in our “Big Dipper,” but all we’re really doing is starting the same template from a different reference point. Fig. 6 bumps the template down another link to reveal six G’s, and Figures 7 and 8 continue the process with E’s and D’s respectively, until we come full circle back to C. Place the template anywhere on a 12-fret grid to immediately locate all six locations for any note, and then repeat it beginning 12 frets higher to cover the full range of the guitar. Why use C, A, G, E, and D as reference points? Glad you asked!

7.REDISCOVER YOUR ROOTS 

Our “Big Dipper” also provides a moveable template of all root locations and connections for the five basic open-string, major chord shapes—C, A, G, E, and D. (What’s that spell?) These are determined and named by their lowest possible fretboard positions, and each shape utilizes a different configuration of root notes, as confirmed by the memory-refreshing chord grids in Fig. 9. Always, and without exception, you’ll find the roots of these chord shapes located as follows:

“C” shape = roots on fifth and second strings.

“A” shape = roots on fifth and third strings.
“G” shape = roots on sixth, third, and first strings.
“E” shape = roots on sixth, fourth, and first strings.
“D” shape = roots on fourth and second strings.
(Did I mention always and without exception?) Line ’em all up on the grid, and…

8.CONNECT THE DOTS 

Fig. 10 shows how the C, A, G, E, and D shapes connect to form five different C-chord voicings between the 1st and 13th frets. This unifies the fretboard and illustrates how each shape connects via one or two root notes. Sing it with me now: “The “C” shape’s connected to the “A” shape, the “A” shape’s connected to the “G” shape, the “G” shape’s connected to the “E” shape, the “E” shape’s connected to the “D” shape, the “D” shape’s connected to the “C” shape,” and so on. Now, look deeper and…

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10 Things You Gotta Know About the Fingerboard -Page 2-

3.ADD ACCIDENTALS ON PURPOSE

The remaining five tones within any octave (an increment of 12 half-steps) are annotated using accidentals, or sharp and flat symbols. A sharp (#) raises a note by one half-step, while a flat (b) lowers it a half-step. Enharmonic notes occur when two different accidentals are used to indicate the same pitch, i.e., A#=Bb, C#=Db, D#=Eb, F#=Gb, and G#=Ab. The grid illustrated in Fig. 2 fills in the holes in Fig. 1 with all of the missing accidentals, completing the “big picture.” Think of it as your universe. Now, let’s start breaking down this giant cluster***k and find out what’s really going on here.

4.REPEAT YOURSELF

 

Fig. 3 diagrams the guitar’s five middle Cs on five different strings. (Fact: Standard guitar notation sounds an octave lower than written.) Notice how the notes on any pair of adjacent strings are equidistant (five frets apart) except between the second and third strings, where the distance is reduced by one fret. Once you realize that this relationship is always maintained regardless of what note you start with, you can find unisons on higher or lower strings by using the same formula, except in the extreme low and high registers where notes only appear once. (Lick of the Day: Pick any pitch that appears four times and play it sequentially on four adjacent strings. Repeat many times in either direction as quickly as possible.) Next, we add some octaves and…

5.ENTER THE MATRIX 

Any given note can be found in various octaves at six locations between open position and the 12th fret. Because the fretboard repeats itself one octave higher starting at the 13th fret, so do any notes and shapes you apply to it. In Fig. 4 we pinpoint on the matrix all Cs below the 12th fret, and connect them to form a six-point template that can be moved to any position on the fingerboard. Like a constellation, this “Big Dipper” maintains its shape as it floats around to different positions in the note matrix. As the “dipper” moves towards the nut, any points in the shape that vanish below open position reappear an octave higher below the 12th fret. Conversely, any points that rise above the 12th fret reappear starting at the 1st fret. Let’s get moving and…

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Why Guitar Players Need to Be Fit

Many years ago I bought a guitar exercise book written by Al Di Meola. The first two things he pointed out in the book was the importance of creating good habits and taking care of your health. I never forgot those two golden rules, although taking care of my health was something I had to learn the hard way. It took me a while to learn the major benefits of living a healthy life.
Body work outs, healthy foods, stress release, finger warm up exercises, taking care of your hearing, stretching, relaxation, etcetera are all part of the journey in becoming and staying a good guitar player. I know we don’t always have the time to work out and we all get into a slump once in a while. That’s okay. It’s part of life and it’s good to have a break now and then, but that’s no excuse to ignore that little voice in the back of your mind who knows what is best for you when you haven’t taken care of yourself the last couple of months or worse. So let’s pick it up where you left of. You know you’ll be a lot happier once you start working out. We are talking about your health here. It’s the most important thing!

Being fit will make you feel good about yourself. It gives you a more overall positive attitude. You will be more motivated to practice and more focused to achieve your musical goals. A good physical condition will also improve your performance on stage and in the studio when you’re recording.
So here are some tips to get you in good shape and stay motivated at all times:

Work out

Working out gives you more energy and a clear mindset. Something most of us need every now and then. Whether you experience a writers block, you can’t figure out why that solo isn’t working or when your practice session leads to nowhere, working out is a great moment to refresh your mind and get new inspiration. So let’s start today. Take a run outside, ride your bike, take a walk in the fresh air, do some push ups or stretching exercises. Working out outside is the best way to get you back in the saddle. If possible, run or ride to places where it’s quiet, where your mind can blow off some steam. Run to areas in your town where you don’t come everyday. It’s good for inspiration. Run where nature is. You’ll feel reborn.

Eat healthy, drink healthy

We all know why you should eat healthy. At least I hope so. Okay for those who have forgotten…
Healthy food is essential for gaining energy, preventing your body from getting sick and keeping you focused and inspired. Unhealthy food leads to laziness, unhappiness, obesity, etc. So this is a settled matter. We need to be in good shape to stay productive and positive.
As far as healthy drinks goes, drink water not soda. Drinking too much soda leads to blood pressure, concentration problems, anxiousness, sadness, tension, etc. Water on the other hand is essential for transporting the oxygen to your cells, flushing out toxins and protecting your joints ( a lot them in your fingers ) and organs. Like food water also gives you more energy and keeps you really focused.

Warming up exercises

To prevent your arms and hands from injuries you need to go through some warm up exercises before you really start playing. Releasing the tension in your finger muscles will make guitar playing run more smoothly and less stressful. You need a good blood flow and circulation to get your hands warmed up. It also wouldn’t be wise to run a few miles without stretching first. The same goes for guitar playing.
Warm up exercises are also great for speed development. So for you race cats out there this is the way to go. If you don’t have a lot of time, just take five minutes to go through some exercises. You’ll definitely feel the benefits. Check out some really good warmup exercises below. Have fun!

Protect your hearing

Besides your fingers, your ears are the most important tools you need in order to play guitar. Your hearing can go a long way but don’t underestimate the vulnerability of your ears. Long exposure to loud music can cause serious damage to your ears. Once you damaged your ears there is no way you can fix it, so don’t mess ‘m up. Whether you’re performing on stage or go to gigs, wear earplugs when you’re exposed to loud music. There are all kinds of earplugs that are designed for listening to music. If you perform on a regularly basis consider using an in-ear monitor system. In-ear monitoring is the replacement for traditional monitoring. All professional musicians use In-ear systems nowadays. It’s a great way to protect your hearing and having a consistent monitor performance.

Meditation

More and more research is discovering the benefits of meditation. While it’s not necessarily a must in becoming a great player, I do really recommend it. If you want to reduce stress, be more focused, motivated, productive and balanced, meditation will get you there. All these things will help you on the way towards your guitar goals. It also fuels inspiration, creativity and gives you a better insight on where you’re heading. It’s something you really need to experience over a period of time. It will change your life!
Health is not valued till sickness comes.- Dr. Thomas Fuller
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What is CAGED System?

Have you ever come across the term CAGED System. I know I have. I used to think it meant barre chords because to me, the shape of the barre chord kind of looks like a cage-like shape. However, I realise that that is not what the CAGED system is.


Recently, I have been taking some guitar lessons (particularly on theory) to further improve my guitar theory because I am really weak at it. So, here's my attempt to explain what the CAGED system is:

CAGED is not a noun or verb etc. In fact, CAGED represents the open chords, C, A, G, E and D. These are the chords that most beginners would have learned first because they are pretty easy to play. In a nutshell, the CAGED system is all about movable chord patterns. So, what this CAGED system is trying to say is that you can use the chord patterns of C, A, G, E and D, to play all major chords.

I know it sounds kind of confusing, but perhaps some diagrams will help. Let us take the C major chord as an example. The diagrams you will see will show you how to play the C major chord using the CAGED system:





All the chords shown above are different ways you can play a C major chord using the CAGED system. Notice the red squares? These are the basic C, A, G, E and D chords that you probably already know how to play. The only difference is that you have to play them on different frets, and barre an extra fret.

So the next question to ask is, "How do we know which frets to play these patterns on?" This is again where you will need to know your fretboard well.

• Diagram 1 - Ring finger is on the 3rd fret 5th string because it is a C note (C)
• Diagram 2 - Index finger barres the 3rd fret 5th string because it is a C note (A)
• Diagram 3 - Ring finger is on the 8th fret 6th string because it is a C note (G)
• Diagram 4 - Index finger is on the 8th fret 6th string because it is a C note (E)
• Diagram 5 - Index finger is on the 10th fret 4th string because it is a C note (D)

If it's still confusing, think of it as though you're using a capo. But this time, the capo is your index finger. 





I hope this post has helped. If it's still confusing, perhaps it's because my explanations are not clear. Do bear with me, I know my theory is not strong at all, therefore I'm trying my best to learn. I hope you all will take time to learn too =)

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