Drawbacks of Guitar Charts?

Something that I have been thinking about lately are possible drawbacks to using guitar charts both in your own studies and when teaching a student. The problem is that when they learn a scale by the visual pattern they don't really understand the notes they are playing and they are unable to really hear them one by one. Patterns can get you going quickly, but they do not work well in the long run when you need to do more and more complex things on the instrument.

The better way to learn things is by ear so that you can play them in any part of the fretboard. When you learn the guitar by ear you don't just develop the muscle memory to play certain patterns, but you develop an actual ear for music and you learn to connect you fingers with your ear. You also become better at improvising because it forces you to make more mistakes and tactfully recover back into the proper notes. This is great practice that will pay off in the long run.

Site About Customizing Guitars

This is just a heads up about a great site out there that deals with modifying a guitar and the different methods and materials you can use in the process. One of the nice things about this particular instrument is just how many after market parts are available to change its look and feel. No other instrument really has that going for it.

The site in question has a lot of posts about different modifications that you can easily perform yourself. Many of the best guitar modifications are also pretty cheap. Thanks to online sites like ebay and other specialized retailers, you can find just about any type of part that you may want for your instrument.

Take a minute and check out the site, and then maybe you will start thinking about some ways to improve your own guitar. A good point is made that it is more than just vanity; the better you like your instrument, the better connection you will have to it and the better music you will make.

Video About A Street Musician

This is a nice little documentary about a street drummer in DC that I saw posted at another site. Not exactly guitar related, but sometimes guitar players do play on the streets as well and it is interesting in any case. Here is the link: street drumming

This strikes me as a more feasible and noble model for homelessness; instead of preying on people's evolutionary emotions, this street drummer provides them with something for their money. Any guitar players out there should be glad they can play an instrument just in case they ever find themselves in this position. It also may be wise to have some kind of acoustic guitar so you dont have to haul around a small amp and all of that, thought I have certainly seen people playing electric guitar on the streets in various cities.

The documentary points out how much money can be made, and it actually seems like it could be a decent living. At the very least, a living.

What A Better Truss Rod Cover Can Do

Many people do not think much about the truss rod cover of their guitars, but it can be a great piece to upgrade or customize. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that it can easily be taken off, and a new one can easily be put on. This allows you to do the procedure all on your own, saving you time and money.

There are plenty of new truss rod covers out there to choose from as well. They come in all shapes and sizes and for all types of guitars. You can get a nice wooden one to give your guitar a more classy appeal, or you can go for something more modern and sleek. The main thing is, whatever you do, it will probably be better than the stock plastic one you have now.

If you are looking to add a little more flash to your guitar, or looking to make it a little more personalized, think about getting a new truss rod cover and improving your instrument a bit.

Theater Guitar Composing Article

Here is a nice section on a site for theater composers. This will help people find the theater music that they need, and it can also be helpful for giving guitar players some ideas for the types of music that they can write on their instrument. Guitar players should explore what can be offered in the way of music composing opportunities, as the guitar is an instrument that lends itself well to writing music and not just playing it.

Doing this will not only help you as a composer, but as a musician as well. There are things that you discover about music that you can only come across through composing and improvising as opposed to playing written music. The creative tendencies that you will develop can open up a lot of new musical territory for you as an instrumentalist.

Guitar Composition in Film

The guitar can be a great instrument for film composers looking to take advantage of a new way of looking at music compared to the piano. It helps a composer to be able to view music in as many ways as possible, so if you only know how to play the piano, you might want to try the guitar out and vice versa. It is a fact that if you play different instruments, you will see that they lend themselves to different types of musical elements, and you will compose different music on each one. The natural tendencies of an instrument have a big effect on the musical aspect, and the guitar can do many things that the piano cannot.

Knowing the guitar in addition to the piano will help you find as many musical ideas as possible, and it will help you change up your writing a little bit. Composers need to keep it fresh with their work or else they could really have a hard time, and playing multiple instruments is a good way of combatting this. So if you are a guitar player and film composer, find out what the guitar can do for you in composition.

Guitar Modifications Article

Guitar modifications can be a great thing to do for anyone who may not feel their instrument is performing up to their standards. This site contains lots of information about custom guitar mods that you can do to your instrument to improve its sound and performance without spending a lot of extra money. It even shows how a good strategy may be to buy a cheaper guitar and then put some money into modding it. In the end, you will have spent less money and you will have a guitar that is somewhat of a custom guitar.

This process of personalization with guitars can create a better connection with your instrument and that will help you make better music. The guitar is one of the only instruments that can really be customized, so these guitar mods are a great thing to look into for players that have a limited budget.