July 4, 2009

Learning Guitar – Simple Tips to Help You Play Even Better

Learning the guitar is difficult, though it is definitely admirable and rewarding. There is a lot of work, and there is just as much fun involved. Though you may practice again and again however, there is a chance that you will feel your efforts are getting you absolutely nowhere. Fortunately there are a few tips here that may help you to hone your kills and become the guitar player that you have always wanted to be. You will find these to be very helpful regardless of what your skill level currently is; novice or beginner, it will help you out either way.

If you wish to develop even better skills, then you need to remember to keep your posture when playing. There are a lot of people that don’t understand how much of an impact posture has on your guitar playing ability. You need to sit on a chair or even bench which has no arms that make it easy for you to hold a guitar. Also make sure that your back is straight because your posture affects not only the sound but also your back.

Ever thought about the way you hold your pick? You should if you want to play guitar even better. You see, you want to hold the pick firmly, but you don’t want to grip it too hard. You need to have a good enough grip on the pick that you won’t accidentally drop it.

If you hold it too tightly then you will no doubt experience some numbness in your arm, and no doubt some fatigue. Make sure that your grip is firm, though not too firm, and if you follow these simple rules your playing will so und wonderful.

Of course it also matters whether or not you have chosen the right pick. Yes, there are several different types. There are flat licks, finger picks, and even picks which vary in feel. If you are a beginner then it would probably be best to start out with a flat pick that is soft, but of course later on that choice will be totally up to you.

If you really want to have some fun then you should try learning some arpeggios. You likely have never heard of these, but they are a lot of fun. Not only are they fun, they are important in learning the proper way to play your guitar.

When you play arpeggios you will not be able to sue guitar picks of any type. These are played by your fingers by placing them on different notes. You generally pick four notes and play from there, and you’ll have to learn to do it fast. When you become quite good at this your guitar playing will sound beautiful.

Those are just a few of the things that you need to know in order to become a great guitar player. So long as you keep practicing you cannot fail so long as you stick to them. Regardless of whether you’re brand new to the guitar or if you’ve been taking lessons for a while, these are more than certain to give you a helping hand.

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Filed under Music by Scott Forrester

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Guitar Instructional DVD: Become A Pro Learning With The Pros

Knowing the fact that the approach you use to learn the guitar is the key-determining factor in your success or failure to actually learn, these three conclusions follow:

Despite the fact that many successful don’t really talk much about this, you can find some that do. Believe me, becoming successful is a lot more than just practicing and luck! REMEMBER that their strategies won’t necessarily work for you because your goals may be different than theirs were. Still you can learn from it.

Remember that its ok to daydream and fantasize about where you are planning to go, but it can’t stop there. Don’t wish without planning! Don’t dream without doing! And always, always, have a strategy.

You may need to revise certain aspects of your strategy as time goes on and that’s ok, but don’t try to go forward without one if you want the maximum results in the shortest amount of time. In my early days learning to play guitar, I wasted a lot of time aimlessly desiring to get better without having a clue as to how to plan for it. Sure I practiced a lot, but without direction and without an efficient path to follow. Most of my substantial progress as a musician came only after I developed a strategy and worked with it.

The way you view yourself (as an artist and not merely someone who owns a guitar and plays it sometimes) is very important to the way you will think about what you are doing musically. The way you see yourself will also effect the results you will get as you are expressing yourself.

But for many people, it is a very disconcerting experience. I have gotten letters from people who have read some things I have written, and become afraid to practice! They are so aware of, and on their guard against, excess muscle tension, and the devastating effects for the developing player, they are afraid to touch a string!

I believe “Self Expression” is the pinnacle of all art. Anything less, “is less” in my opinion. I’m not going to debate that view or try to persuade any of you to also believe it. Instead I am going to assume you already hold that view and discuss ways in which I may be able to offer you both philosophical and practical advice.

Think about the masters of music. Mozart was probably most naturally gifted in only three of the musical areas: technical skill, a great ear (perfect pitch), a great musical memory. But he had to work hard at all the other areas of music just like everybody else.

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Filed under Music by Corey Larson

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The Early Years Of Van Morrison, In To The Mystic

George Ivan Morrison AKA Van Morrison, OBE, was born on 31 August 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was the only child of George Morrison, a shipyard worker and Violet Stitt Morrison, a singer and tap dancer in her youth. Morrison’s father had one of the largest record collections in Ulster and the young Morrison grew up listening to artists such as Ray Charles, Lead Belly and Solomon Burke.

He is renowned for being stubborn, but is critically acclaimed with a devoted fan base and he often gives astounding live performances. His albums Astral Weeks and Moondance are often rated as being some of the best records recorded.

When he was eleven, his father bought him his first acoustic guitar and learned a few basic chords from a teach yourself book and it was clear that he had an aptitude for music. Van started performing in the late 1950s having become competent on the harmonica, guitar, keyboards, and saxophone and has already honed his trade in a number of cover bands playing the latest tunes of the era.

His first band “The Sputniks” in 1958 was named after the Russian and shortly after forming, they began to perform in intimate locations with Morrison on bluesy rich vocals and taking care of the arrangements.

Morrison left school in 1960 with no qualifications. As a member of a working-class community, it was expected that he would get a regular full-time job, so after several short apprenticeship positions, he settled into a job as a window cleaner” later alluded to in his songs, “Cleaning Windows” and “Saint Dominic’s Preview”. However, he had been developing his musical interests from an early age and continued playing with the Monarchs part-time. Young Morrison also played with the Harry Mack Showband, the Great Eight, with his older workplace friend, Geordie Sproule whom he later named as one of his biggest influences.

He toured Europe for the first time with the International Monarchs at seventeen, with Morrison playing saxophone, guitar and harmonica, and bass and drums as required, touring clubs and Army bases in Scotland, England, and Germany, often playing five sets a night. The band cut a single, which was Morrison’s first recording at Ariola Studios in Cologne. He played saxophone and it just crept in to the German charts.

In the mid-1960s he was the lead singer with Them and recorded the classic “Gloria”, one of the favorites in his sets. When he returned to Belfast the group disbanded and he began his solo career.

Under the tutelage of pop impresario Bert Berns, he released the hit single “Brown Eyed Girl” in 1967. Warner Brothers bought out his contract shortly after his manager had died. In several sessions he recorded Astral Weeks in 1968 which was critically acclaimed, but sales were initially poor. It has now grown to become an all-time classic. The album and title tune Moondance, established him as a major recording artist, and throughout the 1970s he built his reputation. Van Morrison continues to tour, record and collaborate with other artists, producing albums and live performances that are well received. In 2008 and in to 2009 he continues to perform Astral Weeks live always leaving the crowd wanting more.

Morrison has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and appearing on several “Greatest Artists” lists as well as receiving six Grammy Awards.

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Filed under Music by Violet Demora

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