Guitar Scale Length: Why it Matters and What Makes a Fender Stratocaster Different Have you ever wondered why a Fender Stratocaster sounds different than a Gibson Les Paul? It all comes down to the scale length of the guitar. The scale length is the distance between the nut and the bridge, and it affects the…
Everybody has their top list of rock stars, and everyone’s list is different. Some may say Ozzy Osborne. Others may say Jimi Hendrix. Some people would even consider Jon Bon Jovi. If you were to ask a large portion of the population who they believed to be the biggest rock stars of all time, there…
If you’re new to the exciting world of electric guitars, then this simple guide will help you understand what a humbucker pickup is and how it differs from other types of pickups. Humbuckers are used in many different styles of music including rock, blues, country, jazz, folk, metal, and more. They can be found in…
When learning to play guitar, you need to master the fundamentals before beginning to learn a song. Most people who are just learning to play learn quicker when applying the fundamental lessons to easy guitar songs. Fortunately, these easy Beatles songs on guitar fill this need quite nicely. 8 Easy Beatles Songs on Guitar John…
Sweet Home Alabama is a 1974 song by the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was part of the band’s second full-length album titled Second Helping, and it was the main single from this record. Sweet Home Alabama is considered a true classic and one of the best songs of all time. It is a very…
Stairway to Heaven is a 1971 song by the English classic rock band Led Zeppelin, and it’s often regarded as one of the best and most iconic rock songs of all time. It was released as part of the band’s fourth studio album, and it was written by the band’s guitarist Jimmy Page and singer…
Guitar solos are some of the most fun and expressive things that can be done on guitar! A great solo is likely the reason that many of us first started playing guitar. They’re fun to listen to, fun to play, and they’re one of the most individual forms of expression that can be done on…
Playing any musical instrument seriously requires a bit of adjustment – it becomes part of your life, and sometimes other things can get in the way of your passion for playing. If you’ve got long nails, you’re probably quite proud of them – but it’s also very likely that you’ve noticed they can get in…
Don’t get me wrong, learning all your favorite songs by the bands that got you into guitar in the first place can be incredibly rewarding, as can writing your own music, but at a certain point, you can ignore improvisation no longer. As you advance as a guitarist, you won’t just be playing in a…
There are so many ways to tune a guitar. This is what makes them such a versatile instrument. Just a few tweaks of the tuning pegs can change the whole dynamic of a guitar’s sound. Changing it from standard tuning to something more unique opens up almost boundless opportunities for unique pieces of music. However,…
There are not many instruments that are as versatile as the guitar. Along with its smaller size, it is one of the most portable instruments too. However, it doesn’t matter how easy it is to carry or play if it isn’t tuned properly. As with all stringed instruments, a guitar requires proper tuning to sound,…
Your guitar strings are one of the most important parts of your instrument. Without them, you cannot play anything and the guitar is essentially useless. They are in contact with your fingers constantly which means that they can get very dirty. There are many different oils on your fingers that can transfer to the strings…
Learning to play the guitar can be a challenging task. There are a number of rudiments and techniques of guitar playing you’ll need to pick up and practice. Understanding how to strum a guitar correctly, however, should be the number one priority of any beginner learning to play the instrument. Yes, studying scales, open position…
Learning the guitar will be one of the best things you will ever do. Just picking up this instrument and playing a few chords can strum away negative emotions. Whether you’re angry, sad, or in a great mood, the guitar can be your trusted friend through life. When it comes to playing the guitar, you…
Diagnosing and Curing that Irritating Rasp That Comes out of Nowhere. Unless a bee flew into your sound hole last time you were having a wholesome jam outside, that irritating sound you’re hearing is the dreaded fret buzz. Plaguing every guitarist at numerous points of their playing lives, fret buzz occurs when the string you’re…
Scientists claim they don’t know what’s in a black hole, but I’m pretty sure it’s all our missing picks. We guitarists are renowned for losing them in sofas, through sound holes, in washing machines…literally anywhere, but the fingerpicking technique allows us to keep on playing when our pick reserves inevitably run dry. No matter what genre…
When it comes to playing a string instrument, you may have heard of fingerpicking before. It is a fantastic technique to learn when you are comfortable playing chords and strumming. It is the natural progression that will allow you to get the most out of your instrument. While fingerpicking is most commonly associated with guitars,…
It may seem like a bit of a hassle, but it’s important to regularly change your guitar strings. Not only do germs build up on the strings (and feel pretty gross to touch), but old strings just sound worse, are difficult to tune, and are more likely to break – a nightmare when you’re playing…