Friday, January 29, 2010

GUITAR CHORDS - Improve Your Technique!

Many beginners have trouble playing guitar chords because they find it difficult to play them without deadening some of the strings. Students with large hands and big fingers tend to mute the sound when their fingers interfere with the open strings of a chord. However, students with small hands often struggle with chords like C or G7 because they require a bit of a stretch. In both cases, the end result is usually a chord that sounds really bad.

So what can be done to correct this problem? Well, actually, there may be several solutions...

The first thing I would suggest for a beginner is to use the right size guitar.

Occasionally I'll get a student who owns a big, jumbo size, acoustic steel-string guitar, but has small hands and fingers. While the guitar neck may be narrow enough, this student may not be able to apply a sufficient amount of pressure to the strings in order to get a good sound. So this student could experience some frustration until they aquire more strength.

The large body of the jumbo guitar may also cause a problem if the student has to contort their arm in order to position their hand over the sound hole. In time, this could create a fair amount of unwanted tension throughout their neck, back, shoulders and arm.

So, I recommend that a student of small stature and features use either an electric guitar, or a smaller 3/4 or 1/2 size acoustic.

Now a jumbo guitar might be okay for a student with larger features, but they may still have trouble fingering guitar chords because of the narrow neck. If this is the case, students with large hands could try using a guitar with a wider neck, such as a nylon string, classical guitar.

But, neither of these solutions are very good if it hinders someone from playing the style of music they want to learn. The best solution then, would be to correct the problem by simply improving their technique. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions that might help...

Finger Position:

When playing guitar chords, it's important to place the very tips of your fingers on the stings. Many beginners however, tend to use the flat part of their finger, which results in a dead or muted sound. Good chord tecnique is a matter of using the knuckles of your hand, fingertips, and wrist effectively.

Exercise 1:

- Make a tight fist with your fretting hand

- Slowly relax and let your fingers begin to uncurl

- Your hand should now have a soft, round look & feel

- All three knuckles of your hand should be slightly bent, your wrist relaxed

This is called a "cupped" hand and it is what you want to strive for when playing guitar chords.

Exercise 2:

- Place your thumb behind the neck of your guitar between the 1st & 2nd fret

- Put the very tip of your first finger on the 2nd string, at the 1st fret by bending your 1st knuckle

- Hit the 2nd string (if it doesn't sound clear, press harder while holding it down)

- Continue to hold the 2nd string down while you hit the 1st string open

1. ----0---------
2. ----1--------
3. --------------
4. --------------
5. --------------
6. --------------

Both strings should have a clear, clean sound.

Next...

- Keeping your 1st finger down, add your 2nd finger to the 4th string at the 2nd fret

1. ----0--------
2. ----1--------
3. ----0--------
4. ----2--------
5. -------------
6. -------------

- Make sure to use the very tip of your 2nd finger by keeping the 1st knuckle bent

- Now play the top four strings, one at a time, while keeping the 1st & 2nd fingers down


Each string should have a clear, clean sound. If they don't, check you position. You may need to move your thumb toward the center of the neck in order to maintain a "cupped" hand.

Finally...

- Add your 3rd finger to the 3rd string at the 2nd fret

- Check your position- cupped hand, first knuckle bent, fingertips placed on strings just below fingernail

- Now, pressing down firmly, play each string, one at a time

1. ----0---------
2. ----1--------
3. ----2---------
4. ----2---------
5. --------------
6. --------------

If you hear a muted sound, try to identify the problem by determining which string is being muted. If a sting that you are pressing down is muted, you probably need to apply more pressure. If an open string is muted, another finger is probably interferring with it.

Adjust your position by creating a "cupped" hand with knuckles bent so that you a up on your fingertips and repeat the exercise. Continue doing this until you achieve the desired result with your guitar chords.

Taking the time to focus on your technique will not only improve the sound of your guitar chords, but they will eventually become easier to play as well.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GUITAR CHORDS - CLICK HERE!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

INDIE ARTIST SUCCESS FORMULA

What does it take to succeed as an Indie Artist in today's market? Is it a great voice? Excellent songwriting skills? A terrific band? Having your own CD or video? Having an outlandish gimmick, look, style or sound? Is it having personal connections to someone in the music industry?

While these elements might contribute to your success as an Indie Artist, they are not the final determining factor...

Perhaps you have noticed that there are some very talented people who are not very successful in the music business, and some very untalented people who are! Have you ever wondered why that is?

The answer is twofold...

1. Marketing

2. Exposure

These two elements, working hand in hand, are what you need to be successful in today's competitive music industry. You must be able to reach the public with your music AND convince them that you have what it is they want, OR NEED to hear.

As you probably know, anything can be marketed if you wrap it in the right package- even pet rocks! The key to successful music marketing however, lies in finding ways to connect with your audience on an emotional level.

So, as an Indie Artist, your job is to create an image that will enhance your musical style and sound. It's important for your audience to see you as "believable" so they can relate to your music and message. When they can relate to you, they will become your devoted fan.

But, you also need to have exposure. The more public exposure you have, the better your chances will be of marketing your indie music; whether it be selling your own CDs or just growing your fan base. Perform wherever and whenever you can. Be proactive at setting up your own gigs. Don't just wait to be discovered, look for opportunities. They are out there.

We live in a digital age, so having your own website is something you should also seriously consider. I'm not just saying that frivolously either- I'm speaking from personal experience.

It was my own music website that gave me the opportunity to have two original songs used in a TV documentary about Hurricane Katrina several years ago.

Just click the link below if you'd like to read about it...

When It Rains It Pours

Having a professional Web site that taps into your unique passions and experiences will not only help to build your fan base, but it will also provide more exposure for your music. More exposure means more opportunities to market your CDs, which will give you even more exposure, which will create an even larger fan base and so on.

As an Indie Artist, you need a site that will be ready to greet valuable Search Engine traffic so that you can establish a solid online presence. I created my site with a program called SiteBuildIt!

SBI provides a complete suite of push-button easy web building tools that are simple for beginners to use, but sophisticated enough for even the most experienced webmaster.

Now my site ranks #1 on page 1 of Google's search engine. That's pretty good exposure if you ask me!

For a limited time, you can get an exclusive look at how SBI works by signing up for the Free SBI eLearning Webinar. Click the link below to learn more about it...

Free SBI eLearning Webinar

SBI eLearning will show you how to create a dynamic web presence that will enable your music career to succeed. I suggest you sign-up for the free webinar so you can get started creating your own Indie Artist Success Formula today!

Until next time...

Keep practicing!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

MUSIC - It's Power and Influence

Music is a very powerful force. It has often been used to rally fans at a football game, or add to the celebration and joy of a special day or event- such as a wedding or birthday party. Music has even been used to move armies forward in the face of death while in engaged in serious battle.

It's obvious that music has a powerful influence over our emotions and in our lives. Just watch the ecstatic reactions displayed by fans listening to their favorite group at a rock and roll concert! I was reminded of this phenomenon last night while watching the new Creed Concert DVD.

This got me to thinking about the musicians who have used music to influence people in a positive way. Their songs often create public awareness about an issue which helps garner a response to meet a specific need or crisis. The musicians that come to my mind immediately are...

Woody Guthrie
Pete Seeger
Joan Baez
Bob Dylan
John Lennon
George Harrison
The Rolling Stones
Neil Young
John Cougar Mellancamp
U2
ColdPlay

I'm sure there are others, but I know the musicians mentioned above have helped raise public awareness for such issues as:

The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam War, protecting the environment, poverty, hunger, human rights, farmers rights, natural disasters, fair trade...

And because of their efforts, many people have either received help, or been influenced to provide help for others in need. That is what I call a good use of power!

Which brings me to the point of this particular Guitar and Indie Music blog...

Perhaps you would be interested in helping me raise awareness about a very important, life threatening, human rights issue that is taking place right now.

All you need to do is click the link below and then read the page that opens in a new window. Please read the entire page in order to fully understand the situation...

Myanmar - Guitar, Music & Mission

If you don't have time to do that, then perhaps you can watch this short video...

Myanmar Video

If you have any suggestions on how music (maybe yours?) might be used to increase awareness for this project, please leave a comment on this post below.

Be sure to tell your friends about it too.

Your understanding in this matter is much appreciated. Thanks!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Free Guitar Tips