Project Studios: Where to Begin
Be Inspired: The Times They are a Changin’
The days of four track porta-studios are sadly gone. Those who can remember them will do so with nostalgia, but they will also rejoice at just how far technology has advanced in such a short time. A home recording facility is a [... More]
Country music is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable genres of music there is, having spread like wild fire from the Southern reaches of the USA to the rest of the world. The secrets of its success are many – it is aided by captivating ambassadors such as Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton – and it has a romantic image of rugged cowboys, coarse truck drivers and off-the-beaten-path bars.
Another one of the genre’s alluring traits is its unique mixtures of qualities, ranging from Blues and Pop to Gospel and Folk. Indeed if you are a fan of [private_bronze] American culture you cannot but admire this music whose notes are etched onto the American landscape like painted canvass.
One of the most distinctive elements of playing Country Music by guitar is the wide variety of instruments and the sound. The most well known of these is the “slide guitar” style of play which produces a whining sound by sliding an object along the guitar strings. Other styles are the famous chicken pickin’ whereby the guitarist plucks the strings with the right hand and holds the other side of the string down (“damping”) with his other hand, thus producing a snappy rhythmic backdrop to the music.
If you wanted to learn how to play Country Music you will be well advised to learn the characteristic guitar scales that are unique to this style of music. In particular I refer to the following simple tips that are an important part of any learning modes which you may encounter:
1. The Major Pentatonic Scale is the dominant one for Country Music. The style lends itself to specific combinations which you will be well advised to learn by heart. For example
Sixth string, fifth fret, first finger
Sixth string, seventh fret, third finger
Sixth string, ninth fret, third finger
Fifth string, seventh fret, first finger
Fifth string, ninth fret, third finger
For a comprehensive list of the various combinations used in this style you could visit one of the many Learn Guitar Online sites that do a terrific job at outlining these combinations.
2. Beware the Chord progressions, as these have a marked effect on the sound and fluidity you are trying to portray. For example if you were to play a 3 chord song in D Key it would go something like D-G-A. Once you learn key progression by heart you will find the other parts of Country Guitar Scales are much easier as you won’t need to think about your every move. This will make the whole process much more fluid and enjoyable.
3. Unlike other styles of music such as the Blues, it is thought that there isn’t a specific “country scale” onto which the music orients. Whilst this might take away the discipline and rigidity which is important when starting out, it also provides a level of flexibility and to an extent allows you to improvise more. If you start with the basic chords such as A C and D you will be able to capture much of the sound that you seek.
Country music isn’t the easiest of styles to learn when you are starting out; however it is fast and energetic music that will add a level of entertainment rarely matched by other genres. And if you follow some of the tips described here you will play country music like one of the many pros that decorate those guitar posters we often see at the shops.[/private_bronze]
There are a few things in life that are as pleasurable as learning how to play a guitar. The guitar is one of the most diverse musical instruments in the world – it fits into any musical style such as classical, Blues and Jazz, it is easy to carry and is the height of chic to have in any social occasion. Get a guitar out and people will immediately see you as the leader of the pack and will want to spend time with you!
The guitar is a special instrument, and learning how to play a guitar is a [... More]
Picture this – you have bought a guitar, have taken a few lessons, and have learnt your first few notes. You know your frets from chords and your rhythm is just about getting there. The shredding, sweeping and tapping are still years ahead, because you have only just begun.
Your girlfriend / aunt / grandma is coming to your house for tea. She looks at you questioningly and utters the magic phrase . . . “So I hear you’re learning to play the guitar?”
Do you: [... More]
If you have been learning to play the guitar for a little while you’ll probably know that there are a number of building blocks to this area of speciality. You will have probably started with individual notes, plucking the strings and observing the sounds they make.
Next you would have probably dabbled with the chords, which are groups of notes that fit together to make a richer sound, embellishing upon the very basic building block of guitar playing. [... More]
Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a little uneasy at first, especially if you have never done it before!
But it’s really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar maintenance routine. Before you do anything though, take time to make some personal observations, such as:
It is amazing to think of all the people who, whether playing the guitar or not, don’t know what the guitar scales actually are. I can think of very few disciplines in which a sequence of pre-determined notes pave the way for the “right sound”. And this is precisely what the guitar scales are – a collection of notes that have been put together through time, which determine a certain sound or genre.
The guitar scales have therefore made playing simpler, shifting the emphasis away from innovation (creating the music) to execution. In other words, provided you learn the sequence of [... More]
Guitar students often wince at the idea of having to learn the scales. After all, if you can learn note by note, play basic music clearly and find your way through the fret board – why bother?
Certainly the thought of navigating the pentatonic scale has given many an aspiring guitarist a feeling of deep unease, even when they have attempted to learn guitar online which is considered an easier pursuit than the traditional teacher route. [... More]
They say that the pentatonic scale is the king of the scales. It is certainly one of the most prevalent in the world of guitar playing and is used across a range of styles and genres such as the Blues, Jazz and Rock.
If you wanted to hear a simple rendition of the Pentatonic scale try playing or listening to the song “Lyla” by Eric Clapton.
You would probably know by now about scales in general and why they are so important, but in case you didn’t let me reiterate the facts. Guitar scales are a sequence of notes that feature to a wider or lesser degree in set combinations.
I would describe them as building stones for a [... More]
The Evolution of the Pipe Band Drummer and his Drum
Brief History
The earliest form of the snare drum was the medieval tabor. The tabor is a double headed drum. It was often played along with a three-holed pipe in the Middle Ages. Today this combination can still be found in modern European folk music. The tabor gradually increased in size during the 15th century and emerged as a military instrument by the 16th century. It was popularized by the fife-and-drum corps of Swiss mercenary foot soldiers. Their snare was carried over the [... More]
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