Worship guitar music is a rather new term that commonly refers to the popular "praise songs" that are now being played on the radio by such artists as Jar of Clay, Switchfoot, The Newsboys, and many others...
Churches all over the world are using worship guitar music for services on Sunday morning. Worship teams are created to lead the congregational singing and these bands often include piano, drums, rhythm and bass guitar (perhaps a lead guitar) and several singers.
Every summer the worship team at our church takes a break and my husband and I are asked to to fill in for the music one Sunday. We like to use our own original songs for the occasion and usually have something new to offer.
Both of us have a deep desire to bring glory to Jesus through our music, so we use the opportunity to share our personal testimonies and tell others how He is working in our lives.
Playing worship guitar music in a public setting might seem a bit intimidating at first, but it can be a very rewarding experience. I encourage anyone who is interested in something like this to consider joining a worship team and giving it a try.
If you have your own material and are more independent like we are, then you might consider offering to do "special music" at your church once in awhile.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and getting involved with other musicians can be a great way to develop your guitar playing and songwriting skills too. So... don't be shy, just give it a try!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
Kathy Unruh
abclearnguitar
Monday
Friday
4 GUITAR PLAYING PITFALLS TO AVOID
There are several guitar playing pitfalls to avoid whether you are a beginner or an accomplished musician. I've listed 4 of the more common ones below...
1. The Good Enough Syndrome
This syndrome can happen if you become satisfied with sloppy guitar playing and don't make an effort to improve your technique. As a result, you slowly slip into complacency and don't ever seem to get any better.
Beware of being satisfied with "good enough" when you should be pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Always remember to strive for the best quality sound you can achieve from your guitar. This will require you to develop an objective, listening ear so that you can evaluate and, if necessary, make improvements to the sound you are producing.
2. Never Reaching the Finish Line
Many guitar students will learn part of a song and then move on to another song before they finish learning all the parts of the first one. They end up with a lot of "mini" songs, or licks, but are never able to play one complete song all the way through from beginning to end.
When someone asks them to play a song, they simply can't, even though they may have acquired the skills to do it. Don't let this happen to you.
Make it your aim to learn how to play an entire song all the way through from beginning to end.
3. Becoming a Three Chord Bandit
I used to have a student who called himself "The Three Chord Bandit" because, when he came to me for lessons, the only chords he knew how to play were G, C and D.
Although he could play several songs with these three chords, he had become bored and was not growing as a muscian.
I suggest you add a new chord to your chord vocabulary on a regular basis. An easy way to do this is to learn some chord substitutions for common major and minor chords, then use these substitutions in a song you are already familiar with playing.
4. Getting Stuck on the Same 'ol, Same 'ol thing
This is a very common pitfall. It happens when you become good at playing your favorite genre or style, but never branch out from there.
While this might be a necessary "career" choice for some musicians, it can put limits on your creative expression and stunt your growth as a guitar player overall.
You can always learn something new on the guitar... whether it be a new technique, a new chord, a new style, or a new idea... it doesn't matter how long you've been playing.
Music is a vast reservoir that can be tapped into by simply using your imagination and then acquiring the guitar skills you need to make it happen.
Remember... some of the greatest music we have ever heard was made by people who were receptive to learning and trying new things. So keep your mind open and don't be afraid to experiment with sound!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
K.Unruh
abclearnguitar
1. The Good Enough Syndrome
This syndrome can happen if you become satisfied with sloppy guitar playing and don't make an effort to improve your technique. As a result, you slowly slip into complacency and don't ever seem to get any better.
Beware of being satisfied with "good enough" when you should be pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.
Always remember to strive for the best quality sound you can achieve from your guitar. This will require you to develop an objective, listening ear so that you can evaluate and, if necessary, make improvements to the sound you are producing.
2. Never Reaching the Finish Line
Many guitar students will learn part of a song and then move on to another song before they finish learning all the parts of the first one. They end up with a lot of "mini" songs, or licks, but are never able to play one complete song all the way through from beginning to end.
When someone asks them to play a song, they simply can't, even though they may have acquired the skills to do it. Don't let this happen to you.
Make it your aim to learn how to play an entire song all the way through from beginning to end.
3. Becoming a Three Chord Bandit
I used to have a student who called himself "The Three Chord Bandit" because, when he came to me for lessons, the only chords he knew how to play were G, C and D.
Although he could play several songs with these three chords, he had become bored and was not growing as a muscian.
I suggest you add a new chord to your chord vocabulary on a regular basis. An easy way to do this is to learn some chord substitutions for common major and minor chords, then use these substitutions in a song you are already familiar with playing.
4. Getting Stuck on the Same 'ol, Same 'ol thing
This is a very common pitfall. It happens when you become good at playing your favorite genre or style, but never branch out from there.
While this might be a necessary "career" choice for some musicians, it can put limits on your creative expression and stunt your growth as a guitar player overall.
You can always learn something new on the guitar... whether it be a new technique, a new chord, a new style, or a new idea... it doesn't matter how long you've been playing.
Music is a vast reservoir that can be tapped into by simply using your imagination and then acquiring the guitar skills you need to make it happen.
Remember... some of the greatest music we have ever heard was made by people who were receptive to learning and trying new things. So keep your mind open and don't be afraid to experiment with sound!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
K.Unruh
abclearnguitar
Thursday
PLAYING NOTES ON GUITAR
Playing notes on the guitar is usually easier for most beginning students than playing chords.
Perhaps you have noticed that most beginner guitar books have students start by learning how to play the notes on the first string...
- There are three notes on the first string: E, F, and G
- On the second string is: B, C, and D
etc...
This is a good approach because it gives the student time to develop finger strength and coordination skills in addition to learning where the notes are located on the fretboard.
Learning notes on the guitar also allows the student to play simple songs very quickly and provides the added benefit of training the ear to recognize different pitches.
It's important to memorize both the name and the location of the notes on each string. That is why I like my students to say the name of the note out loud as they play it. This helps reinforce the name of the note and its location on the guitar in the student's mind.
Learning to play notes on the guitar is not that hard to do if you have the right tools and information. In fact, you can teach yourself by simply using instruction books, DVDs or online guitar resources like the one I'm offering you today...
Discover How You Can Learn to Play the Guitar Right Now!
When you take advantage of my special offer you will learn how to play notes, songs, chords and much more.
All the best to your guitar playing success!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
Kathy Unruh
Perhaps you have noticed that most beginner guitar books have students start by learning how to play the notes on the first string...
- There are three notes on the first string: E, F, and G
- On the second string is: B, C, and D
etc...
This is a good approach because it gives the student time to develop finger strength and coordination skills in addition to learning where the notes are located on the fretboard.
Learning notes on the guitar also allows the student to play simple songs very quickly and provides the added benefit of training the ear to recognize different pitches.
It's important to memorize both the name and the location of the notes on each string. That is why I like my students to say the name of the note out loud as they play it. This helps reinforce the name of the note and its location on the guitar in the student's mind.
Learning to play notes on the guitar is not that hard to do if you have the right tools and information. In fact, you can teach yourself by simply using instruction books, DVDs or online guitar resources like the one I'm offering you today...
Discover How You Can Learn to Play the Guitar Right Now!
When you take advantage of my special offer you will learn how to play notes, songs, chords and much more.
All the best to your guitar playing success!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
Kathy Unruh
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