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Whether you’re learning to play the guitar on your own or with a professional, you will surely hear this suggestion: you need to tune your guitar. If you don’t, then the sound that you’re going to produce will be a total mess. You can’t get any sound right, and everything will just remind you of the scratching sound of the chalk on the blackboard.

1. Better listen to the sound real carefully. Tuning is all about making sure that your guitar is on the right pitch. You will never be able to do it properly if you don’t try to listen to the sound every time you tune down or up your guitar. It’s very important that you can learn to practice how to listen music through your ears.

2. Obtain a reference pitch when you are tuning. A reference pitch can come from another musical instrument. You can also make use of an electronic tuner. However, it would be best that when you’re tuning up or down your guitar, the musical instrument where the reference pitch will be coming from should also be the one that you’re going to utilize together with your guitar.

3. Tune up, not tune down, your guitar. If you’re going to make a choice between tuning up or tuning down your guitar, the best preference will always be to tune up. This means that you have to increase the string’s tension. You should do so until the desired tone is achieved. However, if it becomes too tight, you may loosen it and just retune it. Tuning down usually causes wrong pitches for your guitar, and it could be a little more difficult for you to achieve the right tone.

4. Go for standard tuning. The very first thing that you need to accomplish is standard tuning. It means that the notes should be adjusted from low to high. These include, A, B, D, E, and G. You can make use of other tuning strategies, especially when it comes to notes. Nevertheless, if you’re still practically new with tuning, it’s always best to stick with standard tuning first.

5. Don’t try to make any improvisations if you haven’t mastered proper tuning. It’s normal for guitarists to wish that they can actually go solo with their guitar playing. However, you shouldn’t tread in this more difficult aspect unless you really know how to tune your guitar. This is because improvisations usually involve changing notes as well as pitches.

Tags: Music by Z Roberts
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Pickups.

The pickup was the core ingredient that made the electric guitar possible. Now manufactures have transformed the acoustic world by introducing pickups that allows that beautiful acoustic sound to be amplified.

Every year we are left in awe with the new technology being developed and think, “How could they out do this?” Yet they constantly rise the bar higher. The top systems that have been introduced over the last three to four years are here to stay.

While the models may be refined again and again, I think we’re just getting started down a new path to acoustic amplification.

We’re going to take a snapshot at some of the most popular pickups released by various manufacturers over the last few years. Lets get started.

The Expression System (Made by Taylor Guitars) – This is one of the most innovative pickups systems on the market today. Far too often the sound of your beautiful acoustic is altered when put through amplification and Taylor set out to put an end to that.

It uses a system of sensors strategically located in the neck, and two in different areas within the body. These sensors are known as “Dynamic String Sensors”. They measure string vibrations throughout the body and convert them to an electric signal which is then transferred to the preamp. In short, it uses a contact pickup system.

The reason why the ES produces such a natural tone is due to it’s multifaceted approach to the electronic placement. There isn’t just one specific area around the sound hole being covered by a mic, rather, the entire body and neck.

Now you can shape your sound via three discrete knobs. The truth of the matter is that you may not want to use them because the guitar sounds so good on it’s own.

I haven’t seen another pickup system quite like this, nor do I anticipate to see one to match it for quite a while. Go check them out for yourself and hear the difference.

Piezo System – This is an under the saddle pickup that consist of a strip of piezo electric crystals that line up below the strings. These pick up the vibrations and transfer them into an electric signal. They are generally used by manufacturers in student level instruments but some companies have taken them to a new level.

Fishman and L.R. Baggs are examples of companies that have used piezo technology to produce decent sound quality.

The number one complaint associated with these pickups is that they sound extremely bright and have a verily weak output volume. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to keep things simple and relatively cheap. You’ll have to spend some time working on your tone but you can compensate by using a few different pedals and making use of a sound board.

Aura System (Made by Martin) – I really like the ingenuity of this pickup system. Martin combined the best of two worlds to create something known as the “Aura system”. In reality, it’s just a form of a blender that uses an actual mic and the piezo element to produce a more natural sound.

I use Martin as the example here because they did a great job. However, there are feedback problems with these pickup systems that can jeopardize your gig if you’re not paying close attention.

The condenser mic in and of itself is nice but doesn’t add a tonne of color until you mix in the saddle pickup. While that’s my personal opinion, many other guitarists seem to agree with me.

Magnetic Soundhole Pickups – These pickups are modeled after the electric guitar. They look like electric pickups and function in the same way. The good news with these pickups is that feedback is rarely a problem.

The bad news is that they look awkward and you’ll have a cord hanging from the side of your guitar unless you get a jack put onto the end of your guitar. That’s kind of a bummer because it costs more money to put in a jack. However, if you’re looking for something cheap and affordable, this may be a great option for you.

Sound projection.

Every acoustic model has it’s own body type. Some are smaller in stature, some are larger, and some fall in between. They all have different size curves and details. While they may have these curves and shapes in the same places, the size of the guitar combined with these curves produces a very unique tone known only to that individual instrument.

When playing various guitars, it is relatively easy to hear how an acoustic guitar’s physical dimensions project, contour and balance the tone it produces. Through the generations there have been a few model shapes that have stuck around.

While different companies make slight adjustments on the various models, they still resemble the classic shapes to some degree. Here are the four most common shapes available on the market today and a description of the sound they produce.

Dreadnaught – Made famous by Martin guitars, the dreadnaught earned it’s name from the great British battle ships of World War I. Very nice all around tone with pronounced bass response and great treble tone. This model is slightly chunky but many prefer it over any other due to it’s pallet of tones.

Jumbo – If you thought that the dreadnaught was big, it doesn’t have anything on the jumbo. Introduced by Gibson, the jumbo has been first choice for many of the artists in Nashville. It’s considerably louder and has a very deep tone. Treble can get lost on a six string due to being over powered by the bass. However, when you slap on 12 strings, you get a wider range of frequencies, making for a very well balanced guitar. That’s why you’ll see many jumbos serving as 12 strings.

Concert – The smallest shape. Great for the stage as you can control feedback issues and have a tighter handle on your fretboard. Every time your body gets smaller, you loose certain frequencies. In this case, the guitar sounds on the higher end of the spectrum because the bass tones don’t come out that well.

Auditorium – The bass is slightly less pronounced on this guitar. You also lose some volume. The bass aside, the only real difference that separates this shape from the dreadnaught is size. This guitar is far more cozy and controllable.

Tags: Music by Eugene W
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When you plan to learn how to play the guitar, it is very important that you have your own. Finding the best guitar the first time can be a little nerve racking. When you go to the music store, you will see lots of guitars; different sizes, different types and different styles and since it is your first time to buy it, you get lost on what you should do and what you should pick. To help you with the trouble of choosing which one is the best for you as a beginner, below are some tips that might help you narrow down your choices:

1. Decide on the type of guitar. This is the first thing you should have in your mind before going to the music store. Decide on the type of guitar you would like to learn and master. There are many types of guitar. You can choose from classical guitar, flamenco guitar, acoustic guitar, base and electric guitar. This will shorten your decision time when you are already in the music store. Most people prefer to learn and buy an acoustic guitar simply because it is suited to a variety of music styles. Electrical guitar is best for beginners. It looks more complicated than the acoustic one. However, it is more recommended for first time guitar players as it will be easier to play. The strings of an electric guitar are closer and it doesn’t require much pressure to reach the different strings especially when your fingers are not yet familiar with transferring and moving on the fret board.

2. Test the sound. It is very important to test the quality of guitar by checking its sounds. Do this by plucking the strings. A good quality guitar has a clear and crisp sound otherwise you are holding the wrong one.

3. Have the strings changed. If the guitar you have chosen has already strings on it, do not forget to ask the seller to change it. This way, you are sure that the strings are new and that you can use them for a long time.

You may also choose to buy a beginner’s guitar. This type of guitar is cheaper than the others however you will need to buy a new one as you progress in your learning. Remember the basic, the guitar you should buy must look good and sound good. You might encounter good salesman that would make you fall for his tactics. Do not give in. Be smart as the guitar that you will be buying shall be with you for as long as you want it to.