To put it bluntly – you must set goals!

Let me explain why this is so important. Hopefully my explanation will show you just how important, and incredibly powerful, this technique is if you want to be constantly improving as a guitar player.

If you set goals you give your sub-conscious mind something clear to focus on.

When you write down your goal, and commit to doing it, you have set something in motion. By writing it down, you’re making it much more likely to happen.

So, you must set some goals and write them down.

I know this may sound unimportant to you at the moment, especially if you have never used this technique before.

But trust me on this…Before I set goals to work on in my practice I was highly frustrated with the lack of results I was getting.

Goal setting keeps you focused and makes you get what you want from your practice.

Also, if you don’t set goals, you don’t have anything clear to measure how well you’ve progressed. This can mean that you don’t progress much at all, or you don’t notice your progress.

This can lead to lack of desire to play guitar and lack of desire is a 100% guaranteed route to failure.

That’s not what you want, is it?

So, in summary:

You must cover each of these points:

• Your must set long-term and short-term goals.
• You must read & review your goals before you practice.
• You must focus on completing these goals while you’re practicing.
• When you finish practicing, review your goals and tick off the goals you have completed.
• If you miss a goal, don’t worry! Review the goal and decide if it was realistic enough. If it wasn’t realistic, change it until it is. If you still feel it is realistic, leave it there and work on it next time.
• It helps to make your goal time limited. (E.g. Within 30 days) This will help keep you focused and accountable.

1) The first guitar playing tip is to use good posture while playing the guitar.

You should sit up straight in an armless chair. If the chair has arms, you will not be able to hold the guitar properly for playing.  Sit up straight to protect your back.

If you get a backache after a bit of playing, you will realize how having good posture while playing the guitar is so important.

<2) The next guitar playing tip is to hold the pick firmly but not too firmly.

If you do not grip the pick firmly enough, you may lose it during a vigorous bout of strumming!  But if you grip it too tightly, you may find your whole arm getting tired.  Middle of the road is the best guitar playing tip I can give you where pick grip is concerned.

3) Choosing the right pick is another guitar tip that is important.

Picks come in finger and flat styles.  Most guitarists use a flat one.  They also come in three different levels of flexibility.

Several professional guitarists have given me the advice of getting the softest, flabbiest pick I can find for learning to keep up with fast strumming.  It’s easier on the arm.  Flabby picks are harder to use, however, if you are trying to pick out individual strings, as in adding a bass line, or flat-picking.

After some practice with a soft pick, you will probably want to move on to a firmer one.  A final guitar playing tip about picks is that the firmest picks make the richest sounds.

4) Here is a guitar playing tip – learn to play arpeggios.

It’s fun, great for old folk songs, and sounds beautiful!  You won’t be able to use a pick, though.  Finger the chord.  Now, pick the bass note of the chord with your thumb. You can use a thumb pick for this, however, it works just fine to use your thumb.  You will grow a little callus there which will make it easier.

Now use your index finger to pluck the third string.  Next, pluck the second string with your middle finger.  And then pluck the top string with your ring finger.  You’ve picked four notes.

If you repeat the sequence, giving each note the timing of an eighth note, you will fill a measure of a song written in four/four time.  This guitar playing tip will make people sit up and take notice, but it does require practice, and calluses, to play this way.  Try playing the strings in different order, and alternate bass strings.

5) A final guitar playing tip involves the chord D.

While playing the D chord, try adding your pinkie finger to the chord at the third fret.  This new chord is often called “D-suspended” or “D-sus.”  Then play D again.  Now try lifting your middle finger so that the top string of the chord is open.  And back to D again.

You can do the same thing with the A-chord, but have to do the change on the second string.  Up one fret to the third makes A-sus, and you can also lift that finger to go down a step on that second string.  C-suspended requires you to go up a half step on the fourth string.  G-suspended requires you to do it on the fifth string.  Learning suspended chords is a guitar playing tip you’ll find yourself using when you play contemporary songs.

I hope you’ve found these guitar playing tips helpful. It’s important to remember that the best way to improve your guitar playing skills is to practice, practice, practice. Good luck!

Used Fender basses or used Fender Stratocaster guitars can be had for relatively cheap compared with buying a new one. This is the route that a lot of people go when they are looking for their first guitar. The best place to find a used guitar is at a music store that is specialized in selling second hand equipment. If you can’t find a store like this in your area, you may also want to search the internet. There are hundreds of online stores that sell used instruments.

Used, cheap electric guitars are also a top seller. Brands like Ibanez, Squier or Epiphone can be found for very little money. Used Gibson guitars or a second hand Fender Stratocaster will cost you probably more, but will still save you a lot of money. In return you will get a top quality guitar which will last you a very, very long time!

You may also be able to find used guitars at a flea market or garage sale. The best way to go about doing this is find a large flea market in your area, and frequent it as often as possible. You will eventually come across what you are looking for.

Many people have also turned to eBay in order to find a second hand guitar. EBay offers hundreds of guitars that you can bid on. The best thing about using this service is that you can keep an eye on each listing, and only purchase what you can afford.

A used guitar can be a great buy for anybody that is just learning, or anybody who simply wants a new guitar. In most cases you can buy a second hand guitar for half the price it would cost you when buying it brand new. Ok it probably will have some scratches on it, but the quality and the sound of the instrument will still remain the same and that’s what counts!

If you know where to look, and stay persistent you should not have any problems at all finding a guitar that suits your needs. Remember, stay patient until you find the guitar that suits your needs and fits your budget.

Iv’e modified several Mexican made Stratocasters and I’ll take you through the process. The first thing you want to decide on is what kind of sound you’re looking for. Replacement pickups are available with a lot of variety in sound output. I like to use Seymour Duncan pickups because they have proven to be of high quality and reliability. They also have a good selection and have a CD of sound samples you can listen to. Most dealers have the CD’s and you can also listen to the samples online. Choose your replacement pickups and you’re ready to upgrade.

You’ll need several things for the job. A good stable workbench or table, with plenty of room to lay your tools out, makes things much easier. Here’s a list of what you need: 1.screwdriver set, both flat head and philips 2.soldering iron 3.solder 4.new set of strings 5.wire cutters/strippers

The first thing you need to do is remove your guitar strings. I usually leave the low E-string on to keep a little tension on the neck. Next remove the pickguard cover. Make sure you save all the screws in a cup as they are small and get lost easily. After you remove the screws you should be able to lift up on it and slide it off under the E-string. You should now see your three pickups and the wiring thats attached to them.

The new pickups come with a wiring diagram that is color coded but take a good look at each pickup before you replace it in case something isn’t quite right with the color code. It’s important that you replace one pickup at a time so as not to mix up the bridge, middle and neck pickups.

Heat up your soldering iron. Remove the first pickup. I usually start with the neck pickup. Cut and strip the wires according to the instructions and solder the wires to the new ones. Repeat the process for the other two. Not too bad, huh?

When you replace the cover/pickguard, be careful not to overtighten the screws or they might get stripped. Now would be a good time to clean the guitar before you put the new strings on.

Replace and tune the strings and plug in. You’ll be pleased with the results. I have several of these upgraded strats for the price of one expensive one and more versatilty with different pickup sounds. You can do the same thing with an Epiphone Les Paul to produce a sound that rivals the Gibson for about a third of the price. Now you can spend more money on all the cool effects gadgets. Have fun and keep practicing.

My tasted in guitars evolved as I learned, and I discovered that every guitar had their own personality in my hands. Some were sassy and bright, others were bad and loud, and still others just wanted to sing the blues. One of the coolest parts about owning a music store was being able to play thousands of different guitars of all makes and styles.

But my roots have always been with the Fender Strat. The secret to the amazing tone for the Strat lies in the traditional single could pickups, two piece body and the types of tone woods used to make the guitar. Fender offers the same pickups played by Jimmy Hendrix, or Eric Clapton. Fenders custom shop ’69 pickups will do the trick, or if you’re into Stevie Ray Vaughn you need Fenders Tex-Mex specials.

Probably the best way to play the same guitar as your guitar heroes is to purchase their signature model. Fender has signature models available for Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson and more.

Rather a “c” or “v” neck dressed up in maple or rosewood, nothing feels like a Stratocaster and nothing plays or sounds the same. In everyone’s life a little rain must fall, and in every guitarist life a Stratocaster must be played.

Strat’s are best known for their warm unique tone, but not all Strat’s are created equally. The tonal range will depend on the tone woods used in the neck and body as well as the type and configuration of pickups. When selecting a Strat to purchase take your time and research the various online forums to learn everything about the model you want to purchase. You may even want to visit your local retailer and play a few, just to get a better feel for the playability of the model you desire. Sometimes you may find that what you think you want and what you really like are quite different. Once you are convinced of what you HAVE TO HAVE, you should check out the various online retailers. In most cases you will find better prices on line then at your local store.

Buying your Strat will be one of the best days of your life. So enjoy every moment and remember that you are not purchasing just a guitar, you are purchasing something from your dreams.

1.    Polish and clean the fingerboard of the guitar at least every six months. A person may use a soft cloth and apply lemon oil on the bridge and the fingerboard of the guitar. This will keep them from drying out when they are not in use. Always handle the guitar with care when cleaning it.

2.    It is important to adjust the truss rod when he changes the string gauge of the guitar. The strings tension may vary if there is a constant change of the climate. The tension tends to tighten if the weather is cold and if the climate is humid, the strings tend to loosen.

3.    He may adjust the saddle by using a little piece of cardboard that will raise the strings vertically or he may remove the shims to lower its height.

4.    When the guitar is transported, it is important that the strings be loosened. It is essential to pack the peg-head portion of the case with towel or a piece of clothing to protect the body of the guitar.

5.    The frets should be polished or he may use a fret dressing that will remove any cloth or lint (from packing materials) remaining on the frets; this may vary with the type of cloth the owner uses to pack his guitar.

6.    He needs to make sure to snug the tuners twice a year. Tuners tend to loosen automatically because they are made of wood or metal that creates contraction at different rates. He must be careful not to over tighten the knot to avoid any cracking on the peg-head.

7.    He must remember not to carry the guitar with the luggage. There are airlines that allow a person to carry a guitar along with him on the plane. He should not forget to call before going to the airport to confirm that they will allow him to “carry on” his guitar.

Taking good care of the instrument is essential to maintain its features. A person must always realize that he should not only know how to play the instrument but should also know how to take good care of his guitar as well.

One of the things a person needs to know before learning how to play this instrument is the parts that make up the guitar.

The top of the guitar is called the headstock. If the person wants to adjust the pitch, it can be adjusted by twisting it and there will be a change of pitch when played.

The part of the guitar that holds the strings near the headstock is called the nut. This can be made of different materials such as bone, plastic, brass, graphite or ivory which may make one guitar sound different than another.

The fret serves as a guide that allows the user to make the sounds of various notes. This happens because each of the six strings is made of a different width.

The truss rod holds the strings at the top of the guitar. If the instrument sounds different, a slight adjustment can make it sound good again. Many musicians do this especially if they are just borrowing it for a gig.

The strings of the guitar are held by the truss rod and the bridge. The purpose or the bridge is to transfer the vibration of the strings to the soundboard so the sound can be amplified.

The regular guitar comes with 6 strings. The weight of each of these strings is in thousands of a diameter which produces the different sounds.

The inlay is a visual element on the guitar. It comes in many forms and the most common are parallelograms, diamond shapes and dots. This is located in between the frets that guide the person when playing and is quite similar to the different keys in the piano.

The neck of the guitar makes up the headstock, nut, frets, truss rod and the inlays.

The body of the guitar will determine the kind of sound that resounds when the instrument is being played and his depends on the type of wood used in making it.

Some people think that a certain item in the guitar is just there for aesthetic purposes. There is a purpose for each part and by understanding it, the individual will be able to distinguish a good guitar from a poor one and have a good time playing it.

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. Most of the music that you hear on the radio uses guitars in many different ways: pop, rock, reggae, blues, ballads and everything else is influenced by the guitar.

The guitar, together with the drums and the piano compose the modern music scene equipment set. The playability of the guitar has made it one popular instrument. A guitar can be played by a learning child or an experienced guitar player. It’s not “picky” about its players.

Today, the electric type of guitar is most often used in musical production. The guitar has been enhanced with a very good accompaniment in the form of the effects box. Today, guitars can emulate the sounds of a piano, a violin, even the sounds of the human voice and is continuously widening its horizons.

With the functions and features of the modern electric guitar, one can’t help thinking about the beginnings of the instrument. Where did the guitar come from? This article tries to give a brief history of the wonderful musical instrument, which is the guitar.

The creation of the guitar cannot be traced to a single person. The guitar came about through the evolution of its predecessors. Its image has also undergone change throughout the centuries. Today, playing the guitar is a symbol of talent and musical prowess, but during the early times, the guitar was actually a symbol of being poor and it was refuted by most classical musicians.

Predecessors

There have been many guitar-like musical instruments in the ancient times, up to as many as 5,000 years ago. Instruments which look like the guitar were seen in statues which were recovered in archeological expeditions in the Iranian region of  Susa. However, the very first documented mention of the instrument dates back to the fourteenth century. At that time the guitar-ancestor had three pairs of strings (usually referred to as double courses) and a single string with the highest tone.

Some say that the word “guitar” came from the word “qitara”. Qitara is an Arabic name for the different kinds of lutes during the early times.

Evolution

The guitar, as we know it, is said to originate in Spain. It is believed that the people of  Malaga invented the instrument. The guitar evolved from having three pairs of strings to four pairs of strings and eventually six single strings.

The guitar began to become popular in the 16th century. It was played by the lower and middle classes as a counterpart for the vihuela which was played by the aristocrats. The vihuela was tuned like a lute but had a body similar to that of the guitar.

The guitar made a serious evolution during the 18th century: the double strings where replaced by single strings and a sixth string was added. In the 1800s, Antonio Torres de Jurado gave birth to the classical guitar. Basically, he increased the size of the body of the guitar. The guitar still struggled because it was considered as an instrument for the taverns – an instrument which could not be used for classical music. In Spain, where people hated the piano, the guitar found refuge. However, it was also tainted by the views that guitars were for gypsies and for no-good bums who asked for loose change in bars.

Electric guitar

The modern electric guitar was invented in 1931. The electric guitar uses electronic “pick-ups” to enable it to produce sound. The pick-ups convert the vibrations from the strings into electric signals. The body of the electric guitar is semi-solid or solid, depending on the design. The structure of the guitar took a great leap when the electric guitar was born, no longer did its sound depend on the structure and construction of the body, but on the quality of the pick-ups and soundboard.

The sounds of the electric guitar can also be altered to be able to achieve a desired tone. The use of the guitar effects box has given the guitar a wide array of sounds. I is continuing to garner popularity in all fields of music, even in classical music.

The guitar is a very dynamic musical instrument. Through evolution, the guitar has made its mark on the modern music scene. From crude instruments with many variations, the guitar has become a real and much-sought after instrument.

The best or perfect level of humidity for a guitar changes from one musical instrument to another, subject to the humidity situations in the workshop or factory where the guitar was assembled.

The humidity at the time that the instrument was being assembled set up the primary dimensions of your guitar.  This configuration of dimension is permanently sealed into the entire structure when it is being assembled.  Therefore, when humidity changes, each component will expand or shrink unevenly and yet the dimensions of the guitar’s structure will remain uniformly constant.

The most frustrating problem in the care and maintenance of a guitar of high quality is the wood’s tendency to either expand or shrink with humidity changes.  Damage brought about by humidity changes requires costly repairs because high quality guitars are made from solid wood. These guitars are expensive the sound is superior compared to the lower priced instruments.   However, solid woods are very susceptible to changes in humidity because of  their propensity to expand or shrink.

High humidity connotes a “waterlogged” sound from your guitar; it will lack projection and volume having a lifeless and damp tone.  The guitar can also be damaged structurally by high humidity.

Usually “bloating” at the back is a problem, most specifically when the back of the guitar is made of extremely hard wood -  particularly rosewood.  This problem is brought about by the expansion of wood causing the glue on the brace’s edge to detach.

When a guitar is kept in the basement, a problem that may occur is wood deterioration triggered by the intense humidity

The problems brought about by extremely low humidity levels are even more severe.  Excessive loss of moisture in the wood makes the sound of the guitar brittle and at some point stress on the wood due to uneven shrinkage results in cracks.

Here are ways to fight humidity:

1.  Watch your guitar closely.  Examine it every so often so you can watch out for signs of humidity damage. Observe its back; when there is a drop in the humidity it will sink a bit and you can notice this clearly. When humidity rises, backs grow an arch. If the back becomes very, very flat, introduce some moisture, such as placing a dish of water in your storage area.

2.  Store your guitar in its case away from any heat, especially in winter.  Keep the case lying flat on the floor and never let it lean or hang it on the wall.

3.  During  periods when the humidity is extremely high, keep your guitar in a room where there is an air-conditioning system as it dries out the air.

When outside conditions are not too hot, such as in spring or on a rainy day, keep your instrument in a warm room, but  avoid the basement, as it tends to cool a great deal.

4.  There are many available devices to handle extreme dryness.  When low humidity occurs in your area during chilly or cold weather,  the use of a furnace-mounted  humidifier can be very effective as well as hassle-free.
There are also console humidifiers that have rotating belts that are very efficient and space saving which are ideal when your space is limited.

“Dampit,” is a very effective product that is placed inside the guitar to absorb any moisture that is inside your guitar.

A guitar that has a good sound now can be a wonderful sounding guitar even ten years later when it cared for properly and carefully.

The sound of a guitar is created by the echoing of wood. When the wood matures the echoing quality will improve, increasing your guitar’s worth. This, plus the model, make, and style of a guitar that will no longer be produced  could be of much more value (often many times your purchase price) in 15-50 years.

Just keep in mind that a good quality guitar is also an investment worth your trouble.

How quickly can your fretting hand switch from one chord to another?  The speed and confidence you have in making chord changes will be key to further mastering the guitar and successfully playing and creating music for the instrument.

The key to learning any instrument, like most intricate human activity, is to develop brain and muscle coordination, more commonly called, muscle memory needed to play the instrument.  If you picture a basketball player, for instance, the key to a good shooting performance is the proper hand-to-eye coordination in order to bring the ball up, prepare, aim, and throw it towards the hoop.  The different muscles of the arms, wrist and hands will learn the right movements and strength needed to score.  Constant practice will condition the brain, eyes, and entire body to know the routine of shooting the ball.

This is similar to guitar playing.  The muscles involved would be the arms, wrists and the fingers, with the eyes, ears and brain working in unison to relate the movements to the music being read and the notes produced by the guitar.  This is the mechanism that works when a guitar player starts to change chords.

Luckily, there are simple techniques that can help the beginning guitar player to develop these muscle memories and ear training for proper chord changes.  Read below and you will see that chord changes are not that difficult to do.

When changing chords, first memorize all the chords involved in the song, and then visualize exactly which fingers of the fretting hand are involved in playing the chords.  When playing simple barre chords, the most important finger is the index finger, which will squeeze all 6 strings across the fretboard.  So as you move towards playing the chord, you have to position the index finger across the proper fret, or place, along the fretboard before positioning the other fingers of the chord.  When playing a broken or simple chord, it is usually the index finger that is the most important finger.  Primarily, the index finger and the thumb will form a stable anchor on the guitar neck in order for the other fingers to press the other strings of the chord.  The index finger is usually played on the lowest fret and the highest string (by pitch, or string 1), where it could more easily find the proper note, and the other fingers can follow to complete the chord.

When playing a particular song, keep time with the music, but anticipate in which bar and on which beat the next chord will continue.  For beginners, it would be preferable to practice the entire song slowly from beginning to end, taking care to change to each chord on time and on tempo.  When the student can play the entire song like this without chord errors, he can start increasing the speed to the song’s proper tempo.  It would also be helpful to identify particularly tricky chord changes.  For instance, 2 consecutive bar graphs would be a relatively simple change, because the guitar player needs only to slide his index finger (which is already in the barre position) to its proper position on the fretboard and quickly press in the other strings of the chord.  Changes from simple chords to barre chords – and vice versa – and chords that are positioned at a far distance from each other along the length of the neck are more difficult to perform.  Isolate these difficult changes and practice those chord changes.  If it is still to difficult with the slow tempo, don’t play the last beat of the last chord and use the time to move your fret hand into position for the next fret.  Keep practicing these changes until the short passage can be played without error.  Afterwards, go back to playing the entire song as discussed above.  When you can play an entire song properly, try different strumming styles to accentuate parts of the song, or a particular beat; or alternate strumming and light plucking to give volume and variety to the music of the song.  First, it is best to complete the song by actually copying how the original artist played it on the guitar; then you can add your own twists and extra technique according to your ear and taste.  This will help you develop your hands for more difficult chords and finger playing techniques.

Do this for every song, and before you know it, you’ll be playing a new song like a seasoned guitarist in a short period of time.