How to play pinch harmonics(part 2)

How to play pinch harmonics(part 1)

Pinch Harmonics or Pick Harmonics are a cool sounding pick trick that makes notes squeal & howl. The good news is that it's not a hard trick to learn!

So, if you've been wondering how guys like Zakk Wylde, Billy Gibbons, Eddie Van Halen and billions more guitar players do it, here you go.

Basically all you do is pick a note and let the string quickly brush against the side of your thumb as you down stroke (in other words pick towards the floor) and you get a Pinch Harmonic or Pick Harmonic.

Now here are a few good tips to make it easier to make Pinch harmonics really scream out.

* Use A LOT of distortion. The more distorted your guitar sound is, the more it makes the note easy to make squeal.

* Hold your pick very close to the pointed end so the side of your thumb can 'snap' against the string. About an eight to one quarter of an inch of pick sticking out from under your fingers is perfect.

* Make shore you don't stop your pick when you feel the string hit the side of your thumb or, you'll stop the trick from working at all and... you'll just get a lame 'thud' sound.

* Try picking a note in a bunch of places up and down the string (between the bridge and the neck of the guitar) and you'll get a lot of cool squeals that ring out with different pitches.

* Try playing Pick Harmonics on all six strings. The high pitched 'squealing' notes with come from the thinner strings and the lower 'howling' notes will come from the thick strings.

That's about all there is to playing Pinch Harmonics or Pick Harmonics.

The key is to keep trying until you get them going. Then, it'll be easy!

Guitarist-the iphone guitar (part 1)

Never be without your guitar again
Guitarist is an innovative guitar simulator for the iPhone that ensures you will never again find yourself guitar-less during an inspirational moment.



•Experienced guitar players can use Guitarist on the road to experiment with chord progressions, and record riffs or solos on a "musical notepad" for later study back in the studio with their full kit.


•Novices can program in existing tablature and chords to popular songs, and then give note-perfect performances to their friends.


Performances can be recorded and overdubbed multiple times to create the perfect song, which can be saved for later playback. Effects and sustain can be independently applied to two guitars, which can be played together in the same song. Multiple guitar patches are available including acoustic, electric, and a 'clean tone' which can be used to play Guitarist through external effects pedals.

One of the first and best-selling guitar apps on the iPhone (reaching position 14 in the Top 100 Apps List), it has since been recommended by such media sources as The New York Times and T3 Magazine. Guitarist was used in the official Apple Guided Tour video for the launch of the iPhone 3GS.

The Guitars
Guitarist features a selection of guitar interfaces that have been especially tailored to the iPhone to give, for the first time, the ability to play music written for a five foot mechanical device on a three inch touch screen.



The 'Manual Fret' Guitar
The Manual Fret guitar is a complete emulation of a real guitar. Traverse the full fretboard to the 21st fret, then hold the string at a fret and then tap or strum over the pickup to sound that string. Hold that string for note sustain, or release it to mute the note. Each string has a label showing the current fret for your convenience when playing. Although the multitouch capabilities of the iPhone allow you to fret and strum chords, the size of the iPhone and touchscreen limitations mean that complex chords are difficult to play, which is where the other guitars come in.




The 'Hammer On' Guitar
The Hammer-On Guitar assists your playing by removing the concept of plucking the string, and allowing you to concentrate instead on fretting notes. This uses the same principle as the real-world guitarist technique of 'Hammer-On' where notes are played by striking heavily at a fret with a finger of either hand, allowing extremely fast solos and scales to be played. With the Guitarist Hammer-On Guitar you press on a fret to play that note, and then can either Hammer-On again to a higher fret, or Pull-Off (remove your finger) to a lower fret.




The 'Tab' Guitar
The Tab Guitar takes the opposite path from the Hammer-On Guitar and removes the concept of fretting strings, allowing you to concentrate on plucking notes. With the Tab Guitar it is as if you have already trained up your fret hand to fret the song for you before you arrive at the gig, and so no longer need to worry about it. This is represented in Guitarist through the use of the standard musical notation for guitars: 'Tablature'. You will be able to find tablature to any song on the Internet, and even novices can use the Tab Guitar to play their favourite songs.




The 'Scale' Guitar
The Scale Guitar allows you to play runs through a large number of musical scales (from Blues to Chinese) in any key. Both the key and scale can be changed at any time, even while you are playing the scale but running a finger up and down the guitar neck. Not only can the Scale Guitar be used as a live performance instrument, or recorded into the current song, but it provides a useful scale teaching aid by displaying the notes in each scale in each key as you play. Check out part 2 for more.

How to play natural harmonics

A harmonic is bell like tone that is produced by lightly touching the string of the guitar over some specific frets. In this lesson we will only talk about natural harmonics.
These harmonics are produced from the open strings of the guitar only. There are other techniques for playing harmonics (artificial harmonics, touch harmonics, tap harmonics, pinch harmonics) but they will be the subjects of another lessons.

how to buy a guitar

Buying a guitar, whether for the first time or adding a new one to the collection, is not a simple task. It is also a skill and experience here comes handy. This page will give you some tips on how to do that.
Step 1: Decide the type of guitar you want.

Before you start looking for a guitar, you first need to decide what type of guitar you want. Musical styles, budget, and convenience can all factor into this decision.

You can either buy an electric guitar or an accoustic guitar. Both have their pros and cons for example, electrics are not portable but have more variety and are more expensive.

Step 2: Know your budget.

There are guitars available for all different kinds of budgets. Guitar prices can range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Although many things can factor into the price of a guitar, it is mainly affected by the quality of wood and parts it is made out of, as well as the level of craftsmanship that went into building it.

How much you can expect to pay

• Affordable Guitars: On the budget end of the spectrum, you should expect to pay around $150-$500. There are plenty of great beginner guitars to choose from in this price range, such as the Fender Standard Stratocaster. You may find some guitars for under $150, but if you can afford it, a few extra dollars can go a long way to ensure the level of quality of your instrument.
  • Examples: Fender Standard Stratocaster, Ibanez RG-120, Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Seagull S6
• Mid-Level Guitars: This price range for guitars is usually in the ballpark of $500-$1000. You can get some very nice instruments in this price range that will reward you with years of quality. The Fender American Stratocaster (a higher-quality version of the Mexican-made "Standard Strat") is an excellent mid-priced guitar. Mid-level acoustics, such as the Martin D-15, often run up to about $1,200.
  • Examples: Fender American Stratocaster, Martin D-15, Gibson SG Standard
• High-end Guitars: There are also many higher-end guitars for over $1,000. Gibson Les Pauls usually run around $1,000 - $2,000. Paul Reed Smith guitars are expertly crafted and usually fall into the $1,500 - $2,000 range. High-end acoustic guitars are commonly over $2,000.
  • Examples: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22, Gibson Les Paul, Taylor 714

Don't get overwhelmed

• When it comes to any musical equipment, a good rule of thumb is "what you see is what you get." Some things to remember:

1. Usually the more expensive an instrument is, the better made it is and the better it will sound and feel.
2. If you are a beginner, your ear may not yet be developed enough to distinguish between the tone of a cheap guitar and an expensive guitar, so it often makes sense to start with a more affordable model and upgrade as you improve as a player.
3. Determine your level of commitment. If you're experimenting with a new hobby and unsure of whether or not you will stick with it, play it safe and stick to a less-expensive purchase. If you're fairly certain you are serious about playing music, it may be worth your while to invest a little more in your instrument.

Add-Ons and Accessories

• Don't forget that the instrument itself won't be the only thing you'll need to buy. Most guitars won't come with things like picks, straps, tuners, or guitar cases included. Here are some extras that you may need and how much you can expect to spend.
• Picks ($2-4, pack of 12): If you plan on playing with a pick (most guitarists do), you'll want to stock up beforehand. They are easy to lose!
• Guitar Strap ($10-30): When playing standing up, you'll need a strap to hang your guitar on your shoulder.
• Tuner ($15-100): Staying in tune is essential. A tuner helps you tune up any time, anywhere.
• Cables ($10-80): If you're going to plug into an amp (or a tuner for that matter), a cable is essential. Price will vary with different lengths.
• Guitar Case (Soft) ($20-80): To protect your guitar while it's not in use or in transport, a soft case, or "gig bag," is the lower-priced and more portable option.
• Guitar Case (Hardshell) ($80-200): Although they are heavier and more expensive, hard cases offer the best protection for your intstrument.

Step 4: Choosing the Guitar for You

• When you decide to go to a store, try doing some research on manufacturers' websites or online stores like Musician's Friend to narrow down your choices ahead of time if you know something about what you're looking for - price range, guitar style, options

Play guitar scales(chromatic, major and minor)

A scale is a group of musical notes that are played one after the other in either an ascending or descending order. There are many different types of guitar scales, each with their unique characteristics, note patterns and musical qualities.

Now, we will learn about a few of the most common scales and how to use them to improve your guitar playing. They will help strengthen your fingers, improve your hand-eye coordination, and greatly improve your ability to learn more advanced guitar techniques.

Note: Although the diagrams and instructions below show how to play each of these scales in the key of E, they can all be played in any key you want. At the bottom of each section you will find instructions on how to play each scale in the key of your choice.

The Chromatic Scale

• For our first scale, we will start with the most basic scale in music: The Chromatic Scale. The chromatic scale is a series of twelve successive half-steps.http://www.start-playing-guitar.com/guitar-scales.html¹ While this scale might not seem very musically interesting to the ear, it is still one of the most important scales to know (as it contains the basic elements of every other scale). Here's how to play the Chromatic scale in the key of E.

1. Start by playing the 6th string "Open."
2. Next, take the index finger on your fretting hand and hold down the first fret on the 6th string. Pluck the 6th string again.
3. Using your middle finger, hold down the second fret of the 6th string and play it again.
4. Use your ring finger to hold down the third fret and play the string again.
5. Use your pinkie finger to hold down the fourth fret and play it once more.
6. Repeat these steps for each of the subsequent strings (except the 3rd string & only play the first three frets on that one).

Other Keys

• In order to play the Chromatic scale in other keys, follow this simple formula, starting on the root note of your chosen key (H = 1 Half-Step or 1 Fret and W = Whole Step or 2 Frets):
• Root - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - Root

The Major Scale

• The Major Scale is one of the most important and useful scales to know when playing guitar. It is the corner stone of western music and is made up of 7 notes.http://gosk.com/scales/major-scale-for-guitar.php² It has a bright, upbeat quality (much like a Major chord) and can be a great tool for soloing in songs that are in a Major key. Here is how to play the Major scale in the key of E:

1. Play the 6th string "Open"
2. Play the 6th string, 2nd fret
3. Play the 6th string, 4th fret
4. Play the 5th string "Open"
5. Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
6. Play the 5th string, 4th fret
7. Play the 4th string, 1st fret

Other Keys

• In order to play the Major scale in other keys, follow this simple formula (starting on the root note of your chosen key):
• Root - W - W - H - W - W - W - H - Root

The Minor Scale

• The Minor scale has a darker, more moody quality to it than the Major scale (much like a Minor chord) and can be a useful soloing tool for songs that have a similar quality to them. Here is how to play the Minor scale in the key of E:

1. Play the 6th string "Open"
2. Play the 6th string, 2nd fret
3. Play the 6th string, 3rd fret
4. Play the 5th string "Open"
5. Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
6. Play the 5th string, 3rd fret
7. Play the 4th string "Open"

Other Keys

• In order to play the Minor scale in other keys, follow this simple formula (starting on the root note of your chosen key):

• Root - W - H - W - W - H - W - W - Root

 

Check out th next post for more on scales.