Guitar/Playing Guitar

How to develop guitar calluses

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
How to develop guitar calluses

Are you a newbie acoustic guitar player who has been playing for a few days? Do you want to know how to develop guitar calluses on your left-hand fingertips faster? Are your fingertips hurting after playing for a while?

Are you wondering if you should stop playing when it starts to hurt or just continue playing to build guitar calluses? First of all, playing the guitar should be fun. Do not think about building guitar calluses when playing guitar. Just enjoy it while you play your guitar instead. However, when your fingertips build calluses, fretting the guitar strings will be easy and comfortable.

Before your fingertips build-up guitar calluses, it will hurt. But do not worry about that because you are not going to die anyway. Every guitarist is going to pass through this stage. The usual way to develop guitar calluses is to practice, practice, practice. Try not to soak your fingers in the water so it will develop calluses faster. When you play guitar all the time, guitar calluses naturally develop.

Do not press the strings too hard so that you will have more time to practice before it gets soar. Only press the strings hard enough to get a good tone. When your fingertips start to hurt, keep going because guitar calluses develop faster this way. If you can’t take the pain anymore, try to rest for an hour or two then practice again. Just remember that the hard work you put into your practice will pay off in the end.

Your fingertips will eventually get guitar calluses after a month or less depending on how much time you spend playing your guitar. A guitarist usually keeps playing which will keep his guitar calluses thick and hard. I remember getting my fingertip sliced by a sharp string only to find out that the cut was just half the thickness.

Ruff Rider Ruff Grip Callus Builder Caps (Standard)

Sometimes I can feel the heat like it is burning without hurting my fingertips when I play a lot of slides on several songs while practicing for long hours straight. Here are some tips to get guitar calluses other than playing guitar. Put your fingertips into hot water with salt. Not too hot that you can get a first degree burn on your skin. Do this a few minutes a day for one month or less.

Some people say that soaking your fingertips with any liquid water will just soften your skin and therefore won’t develop any guitar calluses. They say that it will make your skin crack and will get even painful. Put your fingertips in pickle juice to help build guitar calluses. I am sure that most of you know what pickle juice is. Or you could use your own urine instead of a pickle juice if you want.

A quick way to build up guitar calluses

Have you been playing bass guitar for many months now and still can’t get the guitar calluses you want for your fingers? Are you getting blisters instead and can hardly touch anything without hurting your fingertips instead? Are you looking for ways to build up your guitar calluses other than what you are currently doing?

I have some good ideas to share with you. 

Try to use rubbing alcohol. This will help develop guitar calluses on your fingertips faster. However, some people find alcohol breaks their skin. So just try it for yourself and see how it goes for you. Another thing is to soak your fingertips into hot water with salt dissolved in it. Again, some people find this method not true. So feel free to try it and see it for yourself if it will build some guitar calluses or not.

Washing your hand with tap water will soften the skin of your fingertips. I am not going to suggest you to not wash your hands at all. However, you can clean your hands using a hand sanitizer instead of water and soap. A hand sanitizer keeps your hand dry and this will speed up getting your guitar calluses.

And like I explained earlier, you just have to keep playing your guitar over and over even if your fingertips start to hurt a bit. This will guarantee you to get the guitar calluses you want. And stop playing for a while when it really gets painful. The more you practice your guitar, the better, and the faster you get your fingertips callused. But you do not have to press the string too hard to get guitar calluses.

Just relax and play as comfortably as you can. I advise you to keep playing your guitar to get guitar calluses faster rather than soaking your fingertips in water. Practicing is the best way to get calluses. The more you play the more you get guitar calluses. The calluses will develop naturally depending on how much time you spend playing your guitar. It’ll start to sting less when you continue to play each day.

Build guitar calluses over weeks 

Just keep your practice going. It will take time. When I first started, I played a couple of times a day. I just stopped when it hurts and when I get tired. The guitar calluses will surely start building up over time. Avoid quitting. I tried stopping to play my guitar for a few months straight. My calluses disappeared faster than the time I spent building them.

Any guitar teacher or instructor will tell you to keep playing and practicing all the time. Setting aside half an hour a day practicing your guitar is already a good investment to earn your guitar calluses. Of course, the more you put the time in it is better and it will not only build up your calluses but it will improve your guitar playing as well which is more important by the way.

Take a break once in a while. You will get used to playing while it hurts and you will start to

Guitar Skill

How to Improve your Guitar Skills

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
How to Improve your Guitar Skills

Do you only know the basic stuff and guitar tips like reading tablature, playing simple chords as well as some bar chords to improve your guitar skills? Are you tired of playing random stuff like this? Do you want to impress your friends and let them see how well you improved your guitar playing skills? Do you want to see improvement from your guitar playing?

Getting better at playing the guitar is a constant learning process.  However, it’s never too late to enhance your craft and we are here to tell you that you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks! Do not become intimidated by the fact that your guitar abilities have remained at the same level pretty much your whole life. In fact, even seniors have learned to play guitar for the first time well into their old age. Guitar and music learning is even utilized as therapy for older and forgetful individual in long-term care centers as a form of dementia therapy. This goes to show that its never too late to get better or even started. I have been playing the guitar for many years now and I still learn new things all the time. So my guitar skills keep improving as long as I keep playing and learning different stuff. One of my guitar tips for you is to start by learning a scale. You can focus on a particular scale like the pentatonic scale. You also need to study the theory behind the scale which will result in improving your guitar skills.

All scales used by guitar players have similar patterns. Another one of my guitar tips is to memorize the five box positions of a particular scale like a Major scale, and you will be able to recognize the minor scale pattern because they share the same notes. You will also notice that each scale will sound and feel differently because you started playing the scale in a different note accompanied by certain chords played in a song.

Feeling the sound is one of the guitar skills you should develop to become the guitar player you ever dreamed of. Learn the 5 box positions of the pentatonic scale. The horizontal line represents the strings of your guitar. The numbers represent the frets of your guitar.

Guitar

6 Important Features To Consider For Choosing The Best Guitar Tuner

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
6 Important Features To Consider For Choosing The Best Guitar Tuner

Easy to follow instructional manual – I have tried purchasing a gadget once and one thing that frustrated me was the difficulty to understand the instructions on how to use it. I wasted time figuring out how to use it first before actually using it for its purpose.

Durable yet inexpensive battery – I usually consider a battery should be not too big and not too small. I hate it when I get little batteries like those of a watch’s because it gets lost easily and is very hard to find.

Works accurately – I look for a guitar tuner that can automatically and accurately detect the string name once you pluck it.

Tuning options – I like it to give me the freedom to choose a note that I can manually or automatically tune.

Good microphone – I make sure it has a quality microphone.

Easy to use – I want a guitar tuner that does not take a tech-savvy to use it. I love a gadget that only takes me a few steps to use it.

 Top Rated Guitar Tuner

These are some of the most popular and top rated guitar tuners on the Amazon.com shopping website. Each guitar tuner on the list has a LOT of high ratings and a very few complaints. And they are in order according to my recommendations based on my experience using some of them.

 #1 – Yamaha YT150 Guitar/ Bass Auto Tuner

This is my 1st choice of the best guitar tuner. And here are the pros and cons I found about this product.

Pros: It has a multilingual user manual so it doesn’t matter where you live, you’ll be able to follow the instructions for sure and it is easy to read. b. It has a 9V battery. Not too small, not too big. Just right. c. It gives you a pitch automatically. You can also pick a note you want to tune. d. It is a very durable guitar tuner. It can last 8 years and more. e. It works smoothly for both acoustic and electric guitars. f. It is more pitch-accurate than Korg tuners.

Cons: a. Not as adaptable. It can only tune EADGBE. b. The meter is not easy to read. It has no backlight. It would be better if the meter is larger or if the manufacturer will add a backlight to it. However, the red and green LEDs make it better.

#2 – Korg TM-40 Tuner & Metronome

This is my 2nd choice of the best guitar tuner. And here are the pros and cons I found about this product.

Pros: a. This guitar tuner is one perfectly built gadget and has a 12 note reference. b. It can be used to tune a violin. c. Easy to carry. You can bring it anywhere. Just put it in your pocket. d. This guitar tuner has a loud beat. It is loud enough to hear it over what you are playing. e. It has a big screen. And its accuracy is good. f. This guitar tuner is better than any combined metronome-tuner while not costing much more.

Cons: a. The mic is a bit sensitive. It can pick up other human voices talking when tuning an instrument. My suggestion would be to tune an instrument when you are alone. b. This guitar tuner can’t seem to recognize a high E.

#3 – Korg GA1 Guitar and Bass Tuner

This is my 3rd choice of the best guitar tuner. And here are the pros and cons I found about this product.

Pros: a. Very easy to use. Just play an open string and it will guide you to tune the string correctly. b. Low price. c. This guitar tuner has LED lights and a meter. d. It can tune both electric and bass guitars. However, it does not pick up the low E string very well. e. It has a built-in sound emulator. This will allow you to tune your guitar strings by ear.

Cons: a. This guitar tuner can only tune a standard tuning. It can not tune other alternative tunings like drop D, drop C tunings, and others. b. It seems to me that it would not work on a bass guitar that well. This guitar tuner does not pick up the low E string very well.

 #4 – Korg CA1 Chromatic Tuner

This is my 4th choice of the best guitar tuner. And here are the pros and cons I found about this product.

Pros: a. This is a chromatic tuner that allows you to tune in any key. b. This guitar tuner comes with a small condenser mic built-in so you can tune any instrument like a piano. c. It is very simple and easy to use. d. This guitar tuner is size small which is perfect to put in your pocket when you go around. e. It has LED lights that worked well indicating whether a string was solid on the note.

Cons: a. This guitar tuner can not tune the higher octaves and the lower octaves.

Guitar/Guitar Lessons

Learn Electric Guitar – Getting Started With Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
Learn Electric Guitar – Getting Started With Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons

Here is a short article on how to learn electric guitar, especially getting Heavy Metal Sound. Regarding electric guitar tuning, I prefer to tune my guitar down one full step to D because it gives a much darker and heavier sound. Some death metal guitarists also dune all the way down to C.

Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica – these are by many considered to be some of the best heavy metal music bands of our time.  For anyone who wants to try their hand at this and learn how to play heavy metal music and learn electric guitar, there are a few heavy metal guitar lessons that will be very helpful to them here.  Anyone can learn how to play heavy metal music as long as they follow the right heavy metal music lessons.  You can’t just pick up any old guitar and expect to be a whiz, and there are a few things that you need to remember to get that heavy metal sound.

To learn electric guitar playing and to play heavy metal music and have it sound right there needs to be a lot of distortion from your amplifier.  Don’t get too carried away if you’re just getting started with a guitar, but for those who have more experience, it will be easy.  Once you have adjusted the settings you then want to focus on your guitar, start by turning the volume control to ten.  Having proper tuning is essential for playing heavy metal music.

You may need to tune your guitar strings down to a full two steps, depending on where they were to start with.  Most guitarists will tune from a half a step to two whole steps.  This helps to give the guitar a much deeper sound, which resonates with the heavy metal music.  You may even want to do what some of the most world-famous guitarists do and remove the highest strings off your guitar completely.

High notes of a chord are rarely used in heavy metal music.  Some heavy metal guitarists will even remove their high E and B strings because they are probably ever used, especially in the hardcore death metal music.  It all depends on the style of guitar player you are and what you prefer.  Another important topic that should be covered in your heavy metal guitar lessons involves the scales used.

The most commonly used in heavy metal music is the Minor Pentatonic scale.  This is most similar to the Blues Scale.  It contains just five notes and therefore is quite simple to follow.  No matter who you are or how old you are, with these tips and the proper heavy metal guitar lessons you can learn to be a heavy metal master.

Guitar Lessons/Guitar Skill

How to learn guitar and why

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
How to learn guitar and why

Learning how to play guitar can be rewarding in many different ways. In addition to the obvious sense of accomplishment, you get to display your skills during various events and occasions. You may do this as a hobby or professional skill where you earn money in exchange for your performance. 

New guitarists should know that there are no shortcuts when it comes to learning how to play the guitar. You’ve got to practice continually, and it takes patience. It doesn’t come simply, but you shouldn’t get annoyed, this new ability will develop over a period of time. Purchasing a guitar can be confusing and overpowering. You must go to a music shop and pick them up and hold them to attempt to select one that feels comfy and if you still can not decide to talk to the store helper and see whether they have any tips and tricks for selecting the correct guitar. Do not be misled by the price ticket most of the inexpensive guitars are fine to start with. 

When you first learn how to play music on the guitar you won’t need a complicated guitar as the majority of the features will go new and will only get in the way. However, as you improve you may need to upgrade in tiny stages to fit your level of expertise. There’s a wide selection of classes to learn how to play music on the guitar.

How To Learn Guitar – Classes

Some classes online are free or need a tiny donation. However, most have a fee attached to cover the expenses of teachers and gear. When you take part in a free class, these are typically not quite as good as a paid class but there are of course exceptions. One of the best things about taking guitar classes is that you get to learn in a hands-on practical environment. You’ll have an experienced tutor showing you exactly how to get things done, and you can ask questions on the fly. 

Many guitar students find that learning how to play is a fun thing to do. But if you do not find it pleasurable, you shouldn’t push yourself to do something you don’t like.

When I first started out, I had a friend help me get started. Then I started searching the internet for various courses and I actually did find a handful of free videos that were good. The problem was however that none of these videos showed me all I wanted to know so to save myself some time I bought a top-rated course and it helped me a lot.

So, start practicing today, and do not forget to share your new talent with folks, family, and pals. Music is to be enjoyed by all.

Guitar

The World-Renowned Brazilian Guitar Quartet

Posted by Mario Wheeler on
The World-Renowned Brazilian Guitar Quartet

Founded by Paul Galbraith, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s unique sound resulted from experimentation with the fundamental design of the contemporary acoustic guitar. Paul Galbraith started to show musical promise at 17 years old at the Segovia International Guitar Contest, where he garnered a silver medal. Paul Galbraith collaborated with David Rubio, an expert luthier, to recreate the acoustic guitar. They incorporated two additional strings both below and above the usual six strings, with the top string bringing a harp-like tone to the acoustic guitar sound. When played, held in an upright position like a viola da gamba or cello, A tailpiece lies, and the resonance box, taking its sound to a further distance than the standard guitar.

In 1989, Paul Galbraith introduced the remodeled instrument to the world at the Edinburgh festival. He then traveled the world and finally settled in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, where he formed the Brazilian Guitar Quartet alongside three other guitarists in 1999. The guitar-playing level is so high in Sao Paulo, and bringing together an excellent Brazilian guitar virtuoso to form a quartet created something extraordinary. The other members that started the Brazilian Guitar Quartet include Everton Gloeden, Tadeu do Amaral, and Edelton Gloeden. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet achieved instant success after the release of Essencia do Brasil, its first disc. Their success continued with the arrangement of Delos’ Bach Orchestral suite. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet was dubbed the “dream team” of guitar players by the Brazilian media. Paul Galbraith left the quartet in 2003 in pursuit of more solo ventures, and Luiz Mantovani took his place in the quartet. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet has traveled around the world, and in 2004 appeared at the first World Guitar Congress in Baltimore as the main attraction. By the 4th recording of the ensemble released in 2006, Edelton Gloeden’s place was taken by its Edson Lopes Pozzi.

By 2011, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet had established a reputation as one of the leading guitar groups in the world and garnered the Latin Grammy awards. The ensemble received praise from the Washington Post for its virtuosic gusto and seductive beauty. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s creative combination of the usual 6-string and extended range, 8-strings guitars, allows the exploration of a unique and original repertoire. In the over 10 years of existence, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet has had more than 250 concerts in Europe, Asia, and the Americas and often receives rave reviews, sold-out halls, and ecstatic audience responses.

Highlights of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s previous seasons features performances at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Vancouver Playhouse, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Street Y, Palm Beach’s Flagler Museum, the National Gallery in Washington DC, Dumbarton concerts, Beethovensaal in Hanover, Chamber Music Albuquerque, Libby Gardner Hall Salt Lake City’s and Houston’s Wortham Theater, as well as at Tel Aviv’s Felicja Blumental Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Ravinia Festival, Carmel Beach Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and some of the most popular guitar festivals in Brazil, USA, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Australia, and Mexico.…