The History of the Guitar

To say that the history of the guitar is debatable is really an understatement. There are many theories as to how the guitar originated which actually makes it all the more interesting. The best theory and the one with the most merit shows the guitar coming into existence sometime during the 16th century. The guitar was a direct descendant of the lute which is considered the "father" of the guitar. Found in the renaissance times, the lute resembles more of a modern bass then it does a guitar with only four strings that were plucked rather than strummed. Because of the oval shape with a rounded back it was not played in any type of band setting.

Tips For Learning How to Play the Guitar

Learning how to play a guitar is going to take a lot of time and a lot of practice. But it can be one of the most enjoyable instruments to play if you learn how to play it the right way. When you first pick up the guitar you may get frustrated and may even want to give up. However, if you follow these tips it can make playing more enjoyable and you might find that it is easier to learn then you think. The first tip is probably the most important. It deals with chords which are going to be primarily what you play. You should start with buying a simple chord book and learning to play the basic opening chords of C, A, G, E, and D.

Various Types of Guitars

When it comes to guitars there is no one size fits all. There are several types and varieties of guitars to choose from and each have their own genres and sound. This is why so many people who sell guitars do not ask what type you want. Rather, they ask what kind of music you play. The answer you give is what is going to help you decide whether you want to play acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar or any of the other variety of guitars that you can choose from. The acoustic guitar is one of the most popular. Made of thin wood they are used in all types of music but are best known in folk, country, and acoustic rock.

Chuck Berry - Mr Rock and Roll Himself

Chuck Berry combined the blues and country music into a form of rock 'n' roll that has influenced just about every rock musician that followed him. Famous for his double string lick, he has been hailed as one of the worlds "most influential musicians", and was awarded the Kenney Center Honors Award in 2000 at the age of 74. Born in San Jose on 18th October, 1926, Charles Edward Anderson Berry sang in a church choir after his family moved to St. Louis, and taught himself guitar while at junior high school. His brushes with the law began before graduation, when he was convicted of armed robbery and spent three years in a reform.

Tommy Emmanuel - A Short Biography

Tommy Emmanuel was inspired by his hero Chet Atkins, and it is perhaps fitting that Tommy and Chet's 1997 duo album, "The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World", was the last album that Chet Atkins recorded before he died in 2001. Tommy was born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, on 31st May, 1955 and began playing guitar at the age of four, accompanying his mother Jane who was a lap steel guitar player. Two years later he was on tour round the Australian outback with his family under the name "Emmanuel Quartet", but the name didn't really portray their style of music so was changed to the "Midget Surfaries".

Guitar Lessons For Children

Guitar lessons for children are not as easy to devise as you might believe, because a child's attention span can be very short, depending upon age. When teaching children anything, guitar included, their interest in what they are doing must be maintained, so in teaching children to play guitar you don't want too much time to be spent on any one aspect of the lesson. Although books are not the best medium for children, they can be used if they are interesting enough. A lot depends on the age of the child of course, and their reading ability, but too many pictures will tend to distract them, and too many diagrams of chords and scales will bore them.

Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons Online

If you are looking for heavy metal guitar lessons online you will find several options to choose from. You have books, CDs, DVDs and online guitar membership sites: these are the usual ways for people to learn to play guitar online, although you occasionally find personal tuition advertised by one or other of the national franchises. The question is, is it possible to learn heavy metal guitar online, or do you simply learn how to play guitar, and then adapt what you have learned into the heavy metal genre? The answer is a bit of both. A guitar beginner won't just start right off learning how to play heavy metal.

How to Play Guitar Harmonics

Knowing how to play guitar harmonics is to possess one of the most difficult skills a guitar player can learn. Harmonics can be produced in a number of ways, but the technique for doing so is a very specific one that requires an intimate knowledge of the guitar and how it produces notes. To create harmonics that sound good, and appear as notes from nowhere, a player has to fully understand the way his guitar strings vibrate, and the exact frets on which they can be produced. It takes many years to master the split-second timing needed and gain the experience required to know upon which frets and strings harmonics can be created.

Learning Guitar For Beginners

There is more to learning guitar for beginners than knowing how to strum along to some tunes. When you learn guitar from scratch you first have to learn the basics of your chosen instrument. A beginner would normally learn how to play guitar before moving on to any specific genre, but many people want to be a jazz guitarist before they have even picked up an instrument. In such cases it is important not to jump right into jazz or rock, but to learn the basics first. Here are some of the things a beginner to guitar playing should focus on, and what you should expect to learn in a guitar beginner's course.

Online Jazz Guitar Lessons

There are many websites offering online jazz guitar lessons, but before choosing it is important that you are ready to play jazz guitar. Many budding jazz guitarists specialize too early and find themselves lacking in technique when they come to the more complex aspects of playing jazz. If you have not had proper formal training in guitar before, it is important that you register for a course that first takes you through the basics, even if you believe yourself to be a good guitarist. You must be well versed in the basic chords, keys, scales and perhaps even be able to play harmonics - both natural an artificial.