tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9596111804892659832024-03-15T01:27:42.228+08:00Guitar Werks.comIt's all about Basic Guitar Courses, Free Guitar Resources, Guitar-Talk, and Random-Rambles..john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-63689818041827445522010-08-17T22:11:00.003+08:002010-08-17T22:16:41.374+08:00Beginner Guitar Chord Charts- Even More Chords!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitar-warrior.com/images/guitar%20chord%20chart.jpg"><br /></a><br />I found this very comprehensive guitar chord chart from the <a href="http://www.guitar-warrior.com/">Guitar Warrior</a> website.<br />It is worth checking out, especially if you are feeling bored with the standard basic chords.<br /><br />Click on the image to get the full size if you need to print it out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitar-warrior.com/images/guitar%20chord%20chart.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 398px; height: 629px;" src="http://www.guitar-warrior.com/images/guitar%20chord%20chart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>(Disclaimer: Chord chart is property of Guitar Warrior. Here is the link:<a href="http://www.guitar-warrior.com/Printable-guitar-chords-guitar-chords-chart.html"> http://www.guitar-warrior.com/Printable-guitar-chords-guitar-chords-chart.html</a> )john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-9545745496811105782010-08-17T22:01:00.003+08:002010-08-17T22:04:59.356+08:00Beginner Guitar Lessons Chord Charts-The 7 Basic Major Chord Patterns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitar-beginner.com/images/beginner-guitar-chord-chart.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br />There are a total of 7 basic major chords every beginner guitarist should master. Start here with these 7 easy chords, and then progress on.<br />Here they are:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitar-beginner.com/images/beginner-guitar-chord-chart.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://www.guitar-beginner.com/images/beginner-guitar-chord-chart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />(Chord chart credits to <a href="http://www.guitar-beginner.com/">http://www.guitar-beginner.com</a> )john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-29208898851641556682010-08-17T21:35:00.006+08:002010-08-17T21:44:48.909+08:00Beginner Guitar Chord Chart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.electricguitarblog.com/images/online-guitar-chord-chart.jpg"><br /></a><br /><div class="post-body"> <div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br />First up, I have to acknowledge that this chord chart does not belong to me, but it is the property of Ty Lombardi from Electric Guitar Blog (<a href="http://www.electricguitarblog.com/">http://www.electricguitarblog.com</a>). I'm now starting to be more careful about copyright violations, after I realised I had ignorantly lifted off a guitar chord chart from someone else's site two years back!<br /><br />He has created this very useful, comprehensive guitar chord chart, and though it was meant for electric guitar, it is actually a good starting place for beginners who are looking for a decent beginner guitar chord chart to learn.<br /><br /><br />To print it out, click the image below and it will pop up in full size. Then press "print" from your file menu or press ctrl+p. That's it!<br /><br />Feel free to share with others whom you know are learning too, and also visit Ty's <a href="http://www.electricguitarblog.com/">blog </a>if you can.<br /><br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.electricguitarblog.com/images/online-guitar-chord-chart.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 398px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.electricguitarblog.com/images/online-guitar-chord-chart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-29173275368117873182010-08-17T21:16:00.002+08:002010-08-17T21:17:41.185+08:00How To Make Full Use Of Guitar Lessons For BeginnersGreat guitarists like John Mayer will attribute one word to their success: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Persistency</span><br /><br />Guitar lessons for beginners require <b>persistency</b>. Persistency is the keyword in becoming a good guitarist. It WILL be time-consuming, period.Therefore, to become a good guitarist, finding good guitar lessons for beginners are a MUST!<br /><br />There are several ways of doing so. Approaching a guitar instructor, or registering for online guitar lessons will be most ideal. However, it will be most ideal to get an instructor for one-on-one training, as you get customised lessons.<br /><br />Usually in the first few lessons,you'll learn musical chords that can be played on the guitar, and the next thing you will learn is how to place your fingers on the guitar strings. Knowing how to play those chords are essential, as they range from A to G. You will also learn how to tune and arrange you strings. After you have tune the six strings on your guitar, with the help of your instructor, you'll be introduced to the concept of open tabs and first position.<br /><br />Persistent practice will make you good in choosing the right tunes to practise with, as well as in changing keys and notes. As a learner you have to know the difference between playing and practice. Both are essential, but don't mistake one for another.<br /><br />The best players are approached regularly by the ones with wide-ranging musical taste. As a beginner learner, exposing yourself to different genres of music is a very fast way of learning guitar,as no style of music sucks. This is a perfect complement to all guitar lessons for beginners. You learn best by hearing!<br /><br />Being persistent in getting the right timing is also another one of most important secrets in learning guitar, as you have to learn how to keep the tempo going correctly for any song you play. It is a habit that needs to be developed over time.<br /><br />In my experience, it is also good if you have some form of guitar learning guide too. Guitar E-Books, nowadays more commonly available online, are one of the best ways to help complement your guitar learning experience. Never understimate the power of having a good guitar guide to help you learn the guitar.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-75397400601755660022010-08-17T21:16:00.001+08:002010-08-17T21:16:40.695+08:00Beginners Guitar Lessons Are The Key To Learn Guitar Quickly!Mention 'beginners guitar lessons',and most people would shudder at the impression of having to go through the pain of pressing their soft fingers against steel strings. If you are one such person reading this article, and have been discouraged trying to take up beginners guitar lessons and you went nowhere, read on.<br /><br />There are a lot of people around that have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar but have never seemed to find the time to seek out lessons. With the internet, a person can get beginners guitar lessons right from the comfort of their home. No longer is there the need to walk out the door and drive to the instructor.<br /><br />Many websites have been designed to allow people to take step by step lessons that will have them playing simple tunes in no time at all. Being able to visualize what is being taught makes it an even easier way for people to learn then the conventional ways of the past.<br /><br />People can learn scales(often a scary subject, but isn't!), how to read the tablature, how to play chords and many other things without spending a dime in most cases. Many of the beginner's guitar lessons that are found online are free.<br /><br />With the beginners guitar lessons offered in this manner you will quickly learn everything that you could imagine with the guitar. The sites even go as far as to teach you what to look for when it comes to buying a guitar.<br /><br />Advice on the types of guitars that are available and the kinds of music that they are often associated with can also be found on websites that offer beginners guitar lessons. For example, the Ukelele (a miniature guitar), is often associated with Hawaiian music. These beginner guitar sites also give good tips when it comes to price factors as well. This is altogether good information to have on hand before you head out and actually purchase a guitar.<br /><br />With the ability to see everything that you need on your monitor it makes learning the vital fundamentals of guitar very easy. There is hope for anyone when it comes to learning the guitar, and all that they need is to show the initiative and effort and the improvements will start to show in due time.<br /><br /><br /><b>But you may question: "Why taking up beginners guitar lessons are the key to learning guitar quickly?"</b><br /><br />Have you ever noticed that the construction time for laying the pillars of a building always takes the longest, but when the foundations are laid, the structure goes up very quickly!<br /><br />When you invest in laying the proper foundations in beginner guitar lessons,you will get up and running learning more advanced guitar stuff such as tabs in no time!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-48779471438125845632010-08-17T21:14:00.000+08:002010-08-17T21:15:52.490+08:00Beginner Guitar Tabs Will Help You Understand Chords FasterThis is a short introduction to beginner guitar tabs<br /><br />Guitar tabs are a very old way of writing music down. This is done so that other musicians or learners can understand how to play a particular song.<br /><br />An example of a guitar tab for the chord (A major) is shown here:<br /><br /><br /> E---<br /> B-2-<br /> G-2-<br /> D-2-<br /> A---<br /> E---<br /><br /><br /><br />Open tabs are usually the first few tabs which a beginning guitar player learns. It may not be easy to learn at first, but with regular practice a learner can quickly get a hang of it quickly. Beginner guitar tabs are used a lot in music compositions. They are used mostly on acoustic guitar, but can be transcribed for electric guitar riffs too.<br /><br />The best way to learn how to play the beginner guitar tabs is by learning musical chords. Beginner guitar tab are used everyday by beginners as well as advanced players in all styles of music.<br /><br />Beginner guitar tabs often are written in such a way that they represent chords, and every guitarist needs to know how these chords work. Chords are named according to letters going from A to G.<br /><br />Here are some of the most basic chords:<br /><br /><b>Minor Chords-</b><br /><br />An 'm' after a letter means that the chords are a minor(etc. Am)<br /><br /><b>Seventh Chords-</b><br /><br />A '7' after the letter means that the chords are a dominant seventh(etc. E7).<br /><br /><br /><b>Major Chords(most common)-</b><br /><br />Letters without 'm' and '7' mean that the chord is a major chord(Bmaj etc.).<br /><br /><br />It is advisable for beginners to practice these chords in tabulature form until they have memorized them. This will greatly help in chord changing fluidly.<br /><br />This is only a beginner's outline but the real musical pleasure comes after learning and practicing. Many people believe that learning the guitar requires some extraordinary skill, and some even have this mythical mindset that becoming a good guitarist requires some unimaginable supernatural blessing(which of course is not true!)<br /><br />Note that guitar tabs are sometimes shared with the standard note script, and once you learn what note each of the six strings on your guitar plays, you would have covered another important step in learning guitar tabs. All the numbers associated with guitar tabs can be played together at the same time, or what is termed as a 'strum'. A beginner can visit online forums or subscribe to a musical band or group to have a comprehensive knowledge of beginner guitar tabs.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-42078836601771125362010-08-17T21:13:00.000+08:002010-08-17T21:14:40.607+08:00Beginner Guitar Music-Stop Playing Ugly Sounding Tunes Today!How you start learning beginner guitar music will come a long way in influencing the quality of sounds you'll play on your guitar in the future.Let me explain why in this article.<br /><br />Music is one thing that has helped man to become a civilized being. It has differentiated human from other planet beings. Every person on the globe likes to listen to good music. There are a number of musical instruments which produce music. The guitar is a very famous music instrument. It is a stringed instrument and produces beautiful, melodic tunes.<br /><br />Many people love to play the guitar as it not only produces good music but also provides great style. A guitar usually has six strings that are stretched over a wooden plane that is hollow. Many people would love to learn how to compose beginner guitar music, but have no idea how to.So they settle for a compromise on wrong methods of pressing their chords, wrong ways to strum the guitar. This explains why how you start learning beginner guitar music affects the sound quality that comes from your fingers.<br /><br />All these could be resolved with <i><strong>proper instruction.</strong></i><br /><br /><br />The following instructions will help you to play proper, nice sounding chords on your guitar. These instructions help you to understand the basic notes in guitar and help you to know your basics in a better manner. In this example, you will learn how to play the "G" chord, a relatively simple chord. The G chord is made of three basic notes: "G,B,G"<br /><br /><br /><b>First Step:</b><br /><br /><br />The first step is to place the second finger of your left hand on the third fret of the first string (top down), to get the root note of the chord and this produces the note, G.<br /><br /><br /><b>Second Step:</b><br /><br />The next step is to place the index finger of your left hand on the second fret of the second string (top down) to get the note, B.<br /><br /><b>Third Step:</b><br /><br /><br />The final step is to place the third finger of your left hand the player on the third fret of the sixth string(top down) and this produces the note, G.<br /><br /><br />If you did do the above mentioned steps correctly, you should see something like this in guitar tabulature:<br /><br /> E--3---<br /> B------<br /> G------<br /> D------<br /> A-2----<br /> E--3---<br /><br /><br />Now, clinching your right thumb and index finger together in a pincer shape, strum the full length of the six guitar strings over your sound hole. Congrats! You have strummed your first chord.<br /><br />I hope this example helps you to understand the most basic guitar playing theory: Chords.<br /><br />If you want to understand the basics better, you should do some research online and practise along with jam tracks. Listening to more songs will expose you to learning to pick up the musical chords behind the song, and you will be able to play the guitar in a more convincing way. However, the best way to really start creating beginner guitar music is to buy a beginner guitar E-Book and read it, as the information provided are very simple to understand.<br /><br />If you would just keep doing the advice shared, you should be able to play more notes, and eventually be able to play good music on your guitar.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-29894043215957201072010-08-17T21:12:00.000+08:002010-08-17T21:13:46.210+08:00Learn Beginner Guitar Chords Quickly In No TimeLearn Beginner Guitar Chords Quickly In No Time.<br /><br /><br />Beginner guitar chords are what every beginning guitarist should start learning. This is the most important factor in order to properly understand how to play the guitar. The guitar chord has a significant role in most guitar lessons.If you do not learn the chords properly, you can not expect to do well in mastering this versatile instrument. Here are five killer tips to master your chords quickly:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.Start with the basic chords</span><br /><br />Basic guitar chords are A, G, D, and C which are open chords. This is a combination of minor and major chords like the D Minor, A Minor, C Major and so on. If you are able to play a few of them, you can begin to create tunes from your guitar.<br /><br />Every learner of the guitar class must learn to play these basic chords to become good players of guitar.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.Practice Smart!</span><br /><br />Practice makes you a perfect exponent of the music. You have to learn to put the fingers at correct places to create correct sound notes and then only you hope to create good musical tunes to please everybody.The key to success in guitar playing is only practicing. More and more of practicing will bring perfection and success with your beginner guitar chords venture.<br /><br />But it is also important for you to practise smart! For a start, you must where to put the correct fingers and press the correct frets on correct strings, so that your guitar playing will improve by leaps and bounds. Illustration charts which are readily available online show the correct position of fingers with a particular chord. While working on the family of chords, practice on songs that are easier to play.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.Experiment with chord families </span><br /><br />Somewhere along the way, you will encounter a new term called 'chord families',which will require a basic understanding of guitar chords. For instance the chord family of A is a contribution of A, D and E chords and so on. It is better to start with one family and to give it a thorough practice to get it imprinted in mind. Once you have mastered a few chord families, nearly every song that you hear at the music shops, you will be able to discern what chord families those tunes belong to,<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.Regular guitar maintenance</span><br /><br />People often overlook this. Regular guitar maintenance like changing old strings helps to boost confidence, and in turn, boost your ability to learn beginner guitar chords quickly. Take care of guitar strings and when they wear out, change those strings and tune them properly for the best sound effect.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.Use a Guitar Ebook as a guide</span><br /><br />Why bother forking out $500 for a private guitar instructor? A good guitar E-Book is sufficient enough to guide any beginning guitarist along the right path of learning the basics. These days, the Internet offers many cheap beginner guitar E-books that also teach the more common beginner guitar chords like A, G, E.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-84844528320818002392010-08-17T21:11:00.001+08:002010-08-17T21:12:44.134+08:003 Hot Tips To Finding A Good Beginner Guitar Lesson Online3 Hot Tips To Finding A Good Beginner Guitar Lesson Online<br /><br /><br />Taking a beginner guitar lesson online can be quite expensive. I know, it is just terrible, but like most things, you can always find something free online. Believe it or not, you can also find a good beginner guitar lesson online, for free.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip 1: Find those that offer follow up lessons!</span><br /><br />Taking up these lessons will bring you through all the basics you need to start practicing and, you may even find follow up lessons. Most basic beginner guitar lesson guides generally consist of learning how to hold a guitar, what parts the instrument is made of, how to pick, a few chords, a scale and even a couple of songs to play along with (so you can quickly taste the fruits of your labor.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip 2: Find those that provide you with special advice</span><br /><br />There are vast amounts of online resources where these lessons can be found, and some sites will even tell you how to fix your guitar if you happened to inherit an old one requiring some form of repair before you can play it. So look for some good guitar lessons which provide you with an introduction to this instrument from a holistic point of view.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip 3: Find those that give you buying tips</span><br /><br />Next you are going to need a six-string guitar, and does much help if the online guitar lesson site you are looking at provides you with solid advice on purchasing a guitar.I think this is obvious, but worth mentioning anyway, because guitar lessons are, after all, aimed at people who have one. If you don't own an instrument, you can always borrow one until you get your own. You will also need a medium gauge guitar pick, a chair which has no arms and a fair amount of patience.<br /><br />By the end of your first guitar lesson, you should have learned how to hold the instrument, the different parts it is made up of, the name of the open strings, how to tune the guitar, how to hold a pick, and how to use what you've learnt to play at least one chromatic scale. It would also be nice if you could play a simple tune using the Dmajor, Gmajor and Cmajor chords.<br /><br />The sooner you see results from your beginner guitar lessons, chances are you are going to want to learn more. But remember, patience is the one key factor that will ensure your success. If you have a short attention span, split your lessons to stay focused.<br /><br />That's all for now folks!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-64474801926158640322009-08-08T23:51:00.003+08:002009-08-09T00:33:34.534+08:00Jamorama Online Guitar Lessons Will Help You Learn To Play Guitar<a href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Jamorama Online Guitar Lessons</a>? Have you heard of it before?<br /><br />Anyway, I don't usually do this, but I've been recently recommending a piece of online guitar software lessons to people, and it's called <a href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Jamorama</a>. Its the hottest selling online guitar course right now on the Internet!<br /><br />It seems that a lot of folks settle for playing the “Guitar Hero 5” console game on the Xbox 360 these days, but I guess if you’re reading this then I assume it's certainly not enough for you if you really wanna learn guitar. I mean, come on, does jamming away on a plastic guitar to the song '<span style="font-weight: bold;">Barracuda</span>' in Guitar Hero really help you to improve your guitar? (I'm chuckling when I think of that..:-))<br /><p>If you truly need to learn how to play the guitar for real then this guitar learning software: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Jamorama Guitar Lessons</a>, is exactly what you need.</p><p>Teaching private guitar for a few months, I now understand better the frustrations my beginner students face learning the guitar. I don't admit to being the best guitar teacher around, but what usually happens is that I've got students who spend lots of time practising their guitar, but still struggle with basic things like strumming after 8 lessons.There is a limitation to private guitar coaching, and it's always got to do with the limited time you pay for having your guitar teacher around.<br /></p><p>I've come to the conclusion that for all the benefits of hiring a private guitar teacher, it is still better for beginners to always have good guitar learning materials at hand that they can practise with at their own pace.<br /></p> <p><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Jamorama </a><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Guitar Lessons</a> really offers that benefit that cannot be found with a private guitar teacher, nor in trying to learn it totally on your own off the Internet. You will be able to learn beginner guitar at your own pace, and if you think in the long term, you save much more by using <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html">Jamorama Guitar Lessons</a> instead of hiring a private guitar tutor. Why? Because with these online lessons you only have to make a one time payment of $49.95 one time, and then you have 100% access to it forever.</p><p> Stick with the old way of learning guitar through instructors, and trust me, it is not as effective and fast as compared to learning with this entire package of online guitar lessons! Don't do yourself a disfavor, and realize that after forking out $1000 for private guitar lessons, you still have not progressed as much as you wanted to.<br /></p> <p>Since every purchase of Jamorama comes with a total satisfaction guarantee, there’s absolutely no risk in trying it out for yourself. There’s a 2 month full cash back refund policy. That essentially means you can try the lessons for 2 months at no cost(no frills).</p> <p>Also, their lessons are very easy to understand. They include step by step instructions that you will be able to follow no matter what your skill level is currently at. These online lessons are great for people just starting to play and more advanced level players.</p><p><br /></p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SQ_akqjvvxW-nrqvNcYSbSaa3aHi90ipaoTySmUvvG1kOG8j1gZ4VvwDeUNMoqfyhmT1ledqFvU3LFBwJvj0JWjWggeIxJgt6-P35Ox5Fc-bod5czcafhBFRpJ2H1mz5tIGUXzJ83OrJ/s1600-h/Achord.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SQ_akqjvvxW-nrqvNcYSbSaa3aHi90ipaoTySmUvvG1kOG8j1gZ4VvwDeUNMoqfyhmT1ledqFvU3LFBwJvj0JWjWggeIxJgt6-P35Ox5Fc-bod5czcafhBFRpJ2H1mz5tIGUXzJ83OrJ/s400/Achord.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367630405402706818" border="0" /></a>On the left is an example of one of the chord lessons:</p><p>Some Features<br /></p> <p>(1) Download on the internet instantly.<br />(2) 100% satisfaction guarantee.<br />(3) Learn how to play guitar with a band(Not Guitar Hero, the real deal!).<br />(4) Learn all styles of music including rock, jazz, pop, & blues.<br />(5) Practice on your schedule at your own pace.<br />(6) Famous song lessons are included.<br />(7) Taught by a great guitarist named Ben Edwards.</p><p>Please do read the full review here at <a href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/jamorama-review.html">http://www.guitarwerks.net/jamorama-review.html</a> for more information.</p><p>Or you may go direct by clicking this banner:</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/send/jamorama.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 120px;" src="http://www.rockstarrecipes.com/affiliates/jamorama/images/banner180x150.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>And lastly.It's officially National Day today in Singapore! And celebrating 44 years, I must say that I'm very proud to be a Singaporean living in this land the past 22 years. Count on me Singapore!</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ndp.org.sg/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 135px;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:4yw0H90XBNEP9M:http://admin.myheritage.com.sg/files/logos/logo_ndp2009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p><br /></p>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-79255593353791906562009-07-31T23:30:00.003+08:002009-07-31T23:58:50.077+08:00<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><object style="font-family: verdana;" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPXGloBYi4k&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPXGloBYi4k&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />Looks like we have another winning application for the iPhone now! Yonac Software has released the very first real steel probably ever to exist on your iPhone and iPod Touch..the steel guitar.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />"With its gorgeous open-tuning sounds (you can change the tuning on the spot, to your preference), easy-to-manipulate "slide bar" and accelerometer controlled string bending, it is a unique app that fits the iPhone interface like the proverbial glove. Unlike the countless copycat guitar apps with pain-in-the-neck controls and non-existent playability, Steel Guitar is a masterpiece of elegance and simplicity that is built to empower your musicality. Experience it for yourself. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >"<span style="font-style: italic;">(taken from their website)</span></span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />These just some of the features that Steel Guitar boasts:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf1.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />1.4 different instruments </span> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />that offer a choice among four unique tube-driven tones. So basically its 4X4</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf2.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />2.Pedal to the Metal</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />You can lay it flat, pluck, and rotate along the four axes to play a lick, or change the chord</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf3.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />3.Playability First</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br />You can simply use a single fingertip to slide through a I-IV-V without the risk of damaging your phone</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.yonac.com/software/steelguitar/steelguitarf4.png" alt="" border="0" /></a></span> <h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></h4><h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></h4><h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></h4><h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></h4><h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></h4><h4 style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">4.Pluck 'n' Tune</span></h4><h4 face="verdana"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" >Never worry about turning the peg of a real guitar and bursting the string. Just tap the arrows and pluck to see where it takes you. </span></h4>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-23073814479371537372009-07-30T14:43:00.002+08:002009-07-30T14:47:04.089+08:00La Bamba Guitar TabsOne of the few early guitar tabs I learnt when I first started out, I first learnt how to play La Bamba on the guitar when a scout leader showed me. La Bamba is very very easy to play, and it is basically a repetition of the intro throughout the whole song. Enjoy!<br /><br /><pre>intro:<br /><br />e-------------------------------------------------------------------|<br />b-------------------------------------------------------------------|<br />g-----------0---0-2-------------------------0---0-2-----------------|<br />d---------2---3--------------0-3-3-2-0----2---3---------------------|<br />a--0-2-3-------------------2-----------3----------------------------|<br />E-3----------------------3------------------------------------------|<br /><br /></pre>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-40863897246983165632009-07-29T21:01:00.007+08:002009-08-26T02:05:13.665+08:00Besame Mucho Guitar Tab<pre><span style="font-family:verdana;">By the way,theses are the guitar tabs for Besame Mucho( compliments to</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Erik Olofsen who wrote these tabs out)</span><br /><br />Intro<br />---------------- | ------5-------7- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----1-------3--- | ----6-------8--- | ------5-------5- | ------4-------4- |<br />--0---0---0---0- | --5-------7----- | ----6-------6--- | ----5-------5--- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | --4-------4----- | --4-------4----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |<br />0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br /><br />------1-------1- | ------1-------1- |<br />----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |<br />--2-------2----- | --1-------1----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- |<br />0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----1-------1--- | ----1-------1--- | ------3-------3- | ------3-------3- |<br />--0---0---0---0- | --0---0---0---0- | ----5-------5--- | ----5-------5--- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | --3-------3----- | --3-------3----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |<br />0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ------3--------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />------3-------2- | ----4-------3--- | ----1-------1--- | ----1-------1--- |<br />----5-------3--- | --2-------1---1- | --0---0---0---0- | --0---0---0---0- |<br />--3-------2----- | 3-------2------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />--------3------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />------3-------3- | ------1-------1- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----3-------3--- | ----2-------2--- | ----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- |<br />--3-------3----- | --0-------0----- | --2---2---2---2- | --1---1---1---1- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />0-------0------- | ---------------- | 2-------2------- | 1-------1------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | 1--------------- |<br />------1-------1- | ------1-------1- | ------3-------3- | --3---3-------3- |<br />----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----1-------1--- |<br />--2-------2----- | --1-------1----- | --3-------3----- | ----------0----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | 2-------2------- | ---------------- |<br />2-------2------- | 2-------2------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----1-------1--- | ----1-------1--- | ------3-------3- | ------6-------6- |<br />--0---0---0---0- | --0---0---0---0- | ----5-------5--- | ----6-------6--- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | --3-------3----- | --5-------5----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 5-------5------- | 6-------6------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />------3-------2- | ------6-------5- | ---------------- | --------------5- |<br />----5-------3--- | ----5-------4--- | ----4-------4--- | ----4-------4--- |<br />--3-------2----- | --6-------6----- | --5---5---5---5- | --5---5---5----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />5-------3------- | 4-------4------- | 3-------3------- | 3-------3------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----3-------3--- | ----2-------2--- | ----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- |<br />--0---0---0---0- | --2---2---2---2- | --2---2---2---2- | --1---1---1---1- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />0-------0------- | ---------------- | 2-------2------- | 1-------1------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />------1-------1- | ------1-------0- | ----1-------1--- | ----1-------1--- |<br />----2-------2--- | ----2-------1--- | --0---0---0---0- | --0---0---0---0- |<br />--2-------2----- | --1-------0----- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />2-------1------- | 2-------1------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />Break<br />------5-------6- | ------5-------5- | ------7-------7- | ------5-------5- |<br />----5-------6--- | ----5-------5--- | ----7-------6--- | ----5-------5--- |<br />--5-------7----- | --5-------5----- | --7-------7----- | --5-------5----- |<br />4-------6------- | 5-------5------- | 7-------6------- | 5-------5------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br /><br />------5-------3- | ------1-------0- | ---------------- | ------2-------1- |<br />----5-------3--- | ----3-------3--- | ------5-------4- | ----3-------3--- |<br />--5-------4----- | --3-------3----- | ----2-------2--- | --2-------1----- |<br />4-------3------- | ---------------- | --4-------4----- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | 3-------3------- | 2-------2------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />------1-------1- | ----1-------1--- | ----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- |<br />----2-------2--- | --0---0---0---0- | --2---2---2---2- | --2---2---2---2- |<br />--0-------0----- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />1-------1------- | 0-------0------- | 1-------1------- | 1-------1------- |<br /><br />--------------0- | ----1-------0--- | ----0-------0--- | ----0-------0--- |<br />----3-------2--- | --1---1---0---0- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />--2---2---2----- | --------1------- | --2---2---2---2- | --2---2---2---2- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />--------0------- | 0--------------- | 3-------3------- | 3-------3------- |<br />1--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br /><br />Besame, besame mucho<br />------3-------3- | ------1-------1- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />----3-------3--- | ----2-------2--- | ----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- |<br />--3-------3----- | --0-------0----- | --2---2---2---2- | --1---1---1---1- |<br />2-------2------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | 2-------2------- | 1-------1------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ---------------- | ------3-------3- | ------1-------1- |<br />--2---1-------1- | ------1-------0- | ----3-------3--- | ----2-------2--- |<br />----2-------2--- | ----2-------1--- | --3-------3----- | --2-------2----- |<br />----------2----- | --1-------0----- | 2-------2------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- |<br />2-------1------- | 2-------1------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br /><br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------5-------7- |<br />----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- | ----3-------3--- | ----6-------8--- |<br />--2---2---2---2- | --1---1---1---1- | --0---0---2---2- | --5-------7----- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |<br />2-------2------- | 1-------1------- | 0-------2------- | 0-------0------- |<br /><br />-10----- |<br />---12--- |<br />-----12- |<br />-------- |<br />-------- |<br />-------- |<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you know how to play the chords A minor, D minor and A, then you shouldn't have a problem</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">playing this song on the guitar.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">major and E major so most guitarists should be able to handle it.</span><br /><br /><b>Learn To Master The Guitar Quickly. FREE Download!<b><p><a border="0" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net"><img border="0" width="400" src="http://www.guitarwerks.net/images/guitar_header2.jpg" height="86"/></a></b></b></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the printable version (.txt) file, please </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/besame%20mucho%20tab.txt">click this link.</a><br /></pre>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-26285717379105001932009-07-29T20:46:00.002+08:002009-07-29T20:57:40.589+08:00Andrea Bocelli Sings Besame Mucho<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Pj5Z48G0zs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Pj5Z48G0zs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't confess to being a fan of romantic classicals,but Andrea Bocelli really blew me off my feet when I watched this video on Youtube!The song was written in 1940 by a 16 year old Mexican girl,Consuelo Velazquez, and the song itself is a forthright expression of her deep feelings to be kissed.Till today, it is still recorded and/or performed by thousands of performers.Jimmy Dorsey,the Beatles, American Idol's Sanjaya are just some of the examples of famous performers who have sung this song.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are the original lyrics to Besame Mucho :</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bésame, bésame mucho</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Como si fuera esta noche la última vez</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bésame mucho</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Que tengo miedo perderte, perderte otra vez</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quiero tenerte muy</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cerca, mirarme en tus</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ojos, verte junto a mí</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Piensa que tal vez</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mañana yo ya estaré</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lejos, muy lejos de ti</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bésame, bésame mucho</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Como si fuera esta noche la última vez</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bésame mucho</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Que tengo miedo perderte, perderte después</span><br /><br />Enjoy!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-66302917681546852312009-07-28T13:45:00.000+08:002009-07-29T14:15:12.581+08:00"How To Play The Guitar Like A Pro" Ebook released<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.guitarwerks.net/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 372px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1q7_jqU1n7JZIfiErM4570erNOJOpVmRHW0bk-G_UtBQdnZNaOAsMlrmY-gTh6ojp7dkhS4dJ4uAVaVLBKQqbK2sGABrv0PlIGfsA_Ct02N2ivFqoLOk4SwQSjM8ZEAckLqA1gdU3gQo/s400/guitar_cover_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363760617881487394" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Hello guys..</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >The 1st release of </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >"How To Play The Guitar Like A Pro!"</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > guide has been released at last! It has been completed after 1 week of intensive compilation of common guitar topics on this blog. The guide is written towards beginner guitarists in view, but there's in harm in reading it if you are a more advanced player. It's offered free currently for the first 100 downloads only, so do grab your copy before it is gone.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >You all </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >STRONGLY</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > encouraged to download it!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >After you have read through this guide, you will:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><b> 1)Learn which guitar techniques really work and which ones don’t</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">-Discover which simple and easy to learn tricks will be right for you</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >2)</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><b>Learn that you don’t need to spend a lot of money on expensive lessons, one book is all it takes!<br /><br /></b>-If given the choice between choosing 2 same apples, in which one costs more than<br />the other, which one would you rather buy right?<br /><br /><br />So grab a free copy today for yourself before you have to fork out <span style="font-weight: bold;">$20</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on the picture cover to go straight)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-43125802486551800102009-07-22T01:47:00.004+08:002009-07-22T02:11:58.181+08:00Free Guitar E-Book in progress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtxh27P_NLwbMJ51_XWUrbr39WR9fLhH5gls1VrLvuwYIWI5VnMTumTlYMpKWw7mI8mGL1qvkjLNOadRunSlLtEQcmWMSGX17sRrb2hJUZdTvhN5QirTp8NLUsbfQ6zdwKF8z6YIUtSUF/s1600-h/guitar_cover_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 372px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtxh27P_NLwbMJ51_XWUrbr39WR9fLhH5gls1VrLvuwYIWI5VnMTumTlYMpKWw7mI8mGL1qvkjLNOadRunSlLtEQcmWMSGX17sRrb2hJUZdTvhN5QirTp8NLUsbfQ6zdwKF8z6YIUtSUF/s400/guitar_cover_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360977539916518050" border="0" /></a><br />Since this blog was conceived in May 2007, the traffic has grown considerably to approx. <span style="font-weight: bold;">100</span> unique viewers and <span style="font-weight: bold;">150</span> pageloads per day, with a couple of repeat visitors as of July 09. I must confess that in 2008, I did not really post much on this blog as I was serving my National Service. However, the traffic still kept growing! And I believe that it has helped many who are looking for useful information on a range of topics like tuning your guitar, what to consider when buying a new acoustic etc. So I want to say a big thank you to all who are reading this, and have supported this blog,<br /><br />I've also received many useful and constructive comments from various people who do drop by this blog. One such thing that I noticed in my logs is that people tend to have difficulty searching for topics like learning how to tune the guitar, learning chord structures on this blog, due to the complicated nature of the categories. As part of my passionate pursuit to share and add value to visitors to this blog, I am in the works of developing a compiled e-book, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Play the Guitar Like a Pro!</span>" which will address common topics searched in Guitar-Werks like:<br /><br /><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Methods for tuning your guitar</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Learning chord structure</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Learning basic 4/4 rhythm strumming</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Strum</span></li></ul><br /><br />The date of launch will be on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">28th of July</span>(Singapore GMT). It's a free download, and it's my way of saying 'thank you' to you for just visiting this blog, and making it possible.Do leave your comments here if you are interested to get a copy of it. Thanks!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-33704538029962581552009-07-22T00:05:00.004+08:002009-07-22T00:18:40.916+08:00PerfectPitch Free Guitar Tuner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nch.com.au/tuner/screenshots/main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 416px;" src="http://www.nch.com.au/tuner/screenshots/main.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Please feel free to download and make use of this free PerfectPitch Guitar Tuner . Quite an amazing and professionally made digital guitar tuner that works for Windows<b> XP</b> 2000/2003/Vista/2008. I'm sharing this cool app as I found it courtesy of the folks at <a href="http://www.nch.com.au/tuner/index.html">NCH software</a>.<br /><br />Some <span style="font-weight: bold;">cool</span> features of it(from their web):<br /><ul style="list-style-image: url(../images/tick.gif);"><li>Tune to absolutely any note you want. </li><li>None of the constraints of conventional tuning patterns. </li><li>Highly accurate pitch detection. </li><li>Simple and intuitive interface. </li><li>Tune your guitar through any available sound input device including Microphone or Line In. </li><li>Excellent tool for checking fret board intonation.</li></ul>Hope it helps you!<br /><a href="http://www.nch.com.au/tuner/ppsetup.exe"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DOWNLOAD HERE</span></a>john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-41194605265238561632009-07-16T17:11:00.000+08:002009-07-16T17:12:57.479+08:00The History of The Electric Guitar: How Music Was Changed Forever<b>In The Beginning</b><br />The guitar’s soft melodic tone made it difficult for people to hear it when being played alongside other instruments. So during the 1930’s an inventive individual decided to change that and invented the first electric guitar. Little did he know, or have imagined way back then how the invention of the electric guitar would significantly affect the course of 20th century music.<br /><br />Like most new things, the electric guitar had its critics but it quickly won people over because of its ability to allow musicians to play much more creatively and express their own individual styles.<br /><br /><b>The First Pickup</b><br />In 1924 an inventive engineer working for the Gibson guitar company named Lloyd Loar, designed the first magnetic pickup. Using a magnet, he converted guitar string vibrations into electrical signals, which then were amplified through a speaker system. This first pickup was crude, but it was a great beginning.<br /><br /><b>The First Electric Guitar</b><br />In 1931 the Electro String Company was founded by Paul Barth, George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker, and developed the first electric guitars marketed to the general public. They made their guitars from cast aluminum and were played on a person’s lap using a steel slide much like today's steel guitar. Because of their unusual material, they were affectionately called “Frying Pans.”<br /><br />The early success of the frying pans prompted the Gibson guitar company to build their first electric guitar, the ES-150 which is a legend today.<br /><br /><b>The First Solid-Body Electric Guitar</b><br />Electric guitars were quickly becoming popular, even though there was a major problem with their construction. Their bodies would vibrate due to the amplified sounds coming through the speakers they were played into, causing what we know as feed-back. The obvious remedy was to build a guitar made with a solid body which wouldn’t vibrate so easily.<br /><br />As with most innovations, there is controversy over who invented the first solid –body electric guitar. Guitar legend Les Paul in the 1940’s developed his affectionately called “The Log” solid-body guitar by attaching a Gibson neck to a solid piece of wood…a railroad tie, hence the name “Log.”<br /><br />Around this same time, guitarist Merle Travis and engineer Paul Bigsby developed a solid-body electric guitar that resembled the solid-body guitars that we’re so familiar with today.<br /><br /><b>The First Mass Produced Electric Guitar</b><br />Leo Fender in 1950 was the first to mass produce an electric guitar which was originally called the Fender Broadcaster. This guitar was quickly re-named to the infamous Telecaster because the name “Broadcaster” was already being used by another company. Leo followed this up in 1954 with the most renowned guitar of all time…the Stratocaster.<br /><br />Leo’s success led other guitar manufacturers into developing their own mass-produced electric guitars. Most notable was the teaming-up of the Gibson guitar company with Les Paul to create the famous Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.<br /><br /><b>More Affordable Electric Guitars</b><br />During the 1960’s and 1970’s famous brand name electric guitars were too expensive for the average person to buy. Less pricey imitations quickly came to market but they were sub-standard in sound and playability. The Japanese, in the 1980’s started manufacturing electric guitars of similar quality to the more expensive American made models, but with much more affordable pricing. This prompted Fender and other leading guitar manufacturers into producing less expensive versions of their classic models. This resulted in electric guitars now being more affordable and accessible to more people.<br /><br />Today, the Gibson and Fender guitar companies are still producing some of the most well-known and best made electric guitars on the market. But it’s getting crowded with other high quality brands such as BC Rich, ESP and Peavey. Innovative designs, shapes and materials are being incorporated with new technologies to produce better sounding electric guitars.<br /><br />Modern guitars have built-in software allowing them to sound like other types of guitars. Some are even fitted with pickups that synthesize the sound of different instruments or record the notes in musical notation.<br /><br />The electric guitar has come a long way with an interesting and inventive past and many in the industry say it has an even brighter future.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-84186861340368850232009-07-16T17:10:00.000+08:002009-07-16T17:11:04.007+08:00What to look for in a Guitar HumidifierDry weather or environments can cause irreparable damage to acoustic guitars, in the form of fine cracks in the wood.<br /><br />One way to supply additional humidity to your guitar is through a device known as a guitar humidifier. These devices are designed to release humidity inside the guitar through the sound-hole. Sound-hole humidifiers all utilize some type of water reservoir with an absorbent medium such as a sponge, water absorbent floral foam or absorbent polymer. The medium is then surrounded by some type of cover which holds the water absorbent medium in place and restricts the flow of water evaporation from the medium. To get inside your guitar, they slip between your guitar strings and are held in place there. Depending upon the brand of humidifier you purchase, it may or may not touch the wood inside your guitar. Dampit is designed to lie inside your guitar, while Planet Waves and Oasis are completely suspended from the strings.<br /><br />Water holding capacity and the restrictiveness of the outer cover are the greatest factors in determining how often you will need to refill the device. Needless to say, you can’t stick a quart container of water inside your guitar, but there are several humidifiers that will hold an ounce (30 cc’s) or more such as Oasis or Planet Waves. If your guitar needs several cc’s per day of water vapor, a humidifier that holds only 5-10 cc’s will need to be refilled every few days.<br /><br />Planet Waves and Dampit utilize holes in the outside membrane to release water vapor. Oasis uses a fabric which allows the water vapor, but not the water, to pass through the material to keep your guitar humidified. One downside to evaporation holes is the risk of water leakage. Very careful handling can minimize, but not eliminate this risk. Oasis is a water-tight, sealed unit which eliminates the risk of water leakage.<br /><br />When to refill your humidifier is one of the great mysteries which have been solved by Oasis. Since Oasis is a flexible sealed container, is shrinks as the water inside of it evaporates through the fabric. When Oasis begins to look like a prune, you need to refill it.<br /><br />All of the sound-hole humidifiers work. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. As with any new product you purchase, please read the directions carefully before use.<br />product you purchase, please read the directions carefully before use.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-56137920655224450262009-07-16T16:55:00.000+08:002009-07-16T17:10:44.851+08:00What It Takes To Be A GuitaristTrue interest in playing guitar comes from a burning desire to be what your heroes are. Its a blind passion. But, before you even pick up a guitar, you must first ask yourself these questions: Do I listen to music differently than my friends who don't play guitar? when it comes to listening to music, do I see myself being able to not only play all of the guitar parts, but be able to play all of the guitar parts on stage? Do I see myself playing guitar above anything else under GOD?<br /><br />If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, chances are you have what it takes to become a serious guitarist. Now, you should pick up your guitar, and if the burning passion's there, never put it down. Never let it go. By now, you should know that playing guitar is much more than just something that you do, You are a musician, and that's not just something that you do, its who you are. So be proud, not just anybody can say their a musician. Your an artist, and that's a beautiful thing.<br /><br />Now that you've figured out that you are a serious guitarist, you should now set out to be the best guitarist that you can possibly be. You are about to set out on a lifelong journey. a very fulfilling journey of mastering your craft.<br /><br />So what do I do first? You might ask. You get lessons, buy books on learning guitar, video tape your heroes every time their on television, and then study them, whatever it takes to increase your skill as a guitarist. You should keep in mind that no matter what, if the passion is there, you will learn. So don't worry if you can't afford lessons, or afford books on learning guitar, if you have the undying desire and burning passion with or without help. No matter if the odds are in your favor or if the odds are stacked against you.<br /><br />How do I know? Well, since me and my brother were old enough to remember, we've had a very close kinship, and a great understanding of music. But, unfortunately, our family was very poor. We were twelve before we got a guitar to create on. Our parents couldn't afford guitar lessons, so what we did was got our friends that were learning to play at the same time, and borrow their books on guitar, and then we would watch as they played the way their teachers taught them to play. We practiced night and day. We very rarely played outside like other kids. We never learned to swim because we played guitar all the time, we didn't go swimming. But, because we sacrificed so much for our craft, it wasn't long before our skill was unparalleled by our peers and we were teaching our friends teachers. We were showing guitarists twice or three times our age who were playing guitar before we were even born. We didn't have a guitar teacher, yet by the time we were the age of fifteen, we were the teachers. When we played talent shows at our high school, we were the talk of the school and very respected.<br /><br />Now, I'm not saying by any means that you have to do to become a great guitarist. I'm just saying that this is how me and my twin brother learned. You should take your own path. Your path is always the best path to take.<br /><br />Well, that's it. As always, I hope you found this article both informative and entertaining. May GOD bless you always, and in always.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-79809418596622158362008-09-14T01:36:00.002+08:002008-09-14T01:48:45.606+08:00An introduction to Martin Guitars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mguitar.com/dealers/1833/models/1122824.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.mguitar.com/dealers/1833/models/1122824.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:xjectL64h75ihM:http://www.guruguitar.co.uk/images/martin%2520logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:xjectL64h75ihM:http://www.guruguitar.co.uk/images/martin%2520logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Martin guitars are hand made by skilled craftspeople, many still using the design and techniques introduced by the company's founder in the 1830s. The privately held manufacturer is acknowledged as the creator of some of the world's finest musical instruments. Although Martin guitars are about the most imitated guitars in the world,there is one characteristic of Martin guitars that the rest of the guitar industry has either been too slow to pick up or not implement; the fact that Martin guitars are numbered sequentially. Because Martin guitars are built right in the back yard of Nazareth PA(where their headquarters is), it is definitely a great thing to have an acoustic guitar icon in your living room.In fact, at least 80% of guitar artistes own a Martin or have owned one before!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Qualities of Martin Guitars:<br /><br /></span>Martin guitars are light, aesthetically pleasing instruments. They possess ease of play, with lyric al qualities, and also possess clear, balanced and precise tones. They are also very rich in color that projects well. Martin guitars are often the first choice for acoustics, whereas Gibson and Fender guitars are often preferred for electrics.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Value for Money<br /><br /></span>Martin guitars are the best guitars for the money out there today especially the D-18GE which is the best buy for a high end mahogany dreadnought. Another, like the Martin D-18 Authentic 1937 goes way beyond the D-18GE in detail to create an exact reproduction of a prewar D-18. Martin guitars are wonderful, but for some reason, they have elected to use really cheap looking pickguards. Many Martin owners replace them, and that's what I have done as well. Martin guitars are always a good investment and they are highly recommended!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-27057340798622214372008-09-14T01:22:00.002+08:002008-09-14T01:30:55.360+08:00What are guitar strings, and how gauges are used to measure them?In its essence, the guitar string is wrapped around the arm of the tuning mechanism and it sticks out about a 16th of an inch out the end. Also, the guitar string is fixed at the bridge and neck of the guitar and hence each guitar string must have a node at these positions. Attaching guitar strings at the bridge or at the neck will place a restraint or boundary condition on the guitar string's movement. If you've played with the Slinky toy before, you will notice that the guitar string works just like it.<br /><br />Also, the measure of guitar strings go by their gauge size. Gauges vary from really light 8s up to heavy 12s. Your choice of strings will depend on the type of music you play and what you feel comfortable with. Gauge classifications differ among manufacturers for electric guitar strings, but are generally divided into extra super light, super light, light, medium, medium heavy, heavy and super heavy. Once you find strings that suit you, note the dimensions of each string on the packaging. Usually, they are either heavy, medium or light. There’s no need to go through this procedure when ordering string sets in the family of Stick 4ths/reversed 5ths tunings, including Baritone Melody, Deep Baritone Melody (down a whole step), Matched Reciprocal, Deep Matched Reciprocal (down a whole step), and the Grand Stick equivalents for these.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-59566822182878313332007-12-05T00:55:00.000+08:002008-12-09T07:30:33.821+08:00Advertlets- the better choice for guitar advertisements?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGB72NvTI1Pv82KrK4H8HTK68yF8UVswqsO07l82Oied5rDyC8JJMmA3PX376vEEMiSGJr0uAbzvVqHyc2R1aQtV40DOAbHHKHwsUKUAp_inHl7RoPU-wSwh1r-xDywDGD94mBZ3xVwqr/s1600-h/adverlets.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGB72NvTI1Pv82KrK4H8HTK68yF8UVswqsO07l82Oied5rDyC8JJMmA3PX376vEEMiSGJr0uAbzvVqHyc2R1aQtV40DOAbHHKHwsUKUAp_inHl7RoPU-wSwh1r-xDywDGD94mBZ3xVwqr/s400/adverlets.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140166896181473218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well..chanced upon Advertlets.com from Galvin's (<a href="http://www.galvin.worshipsingapore.com">www.galvin.worshipsingapore.com</a>) site.<br /><br />Was quite intrigued to find out what it actually was, and its advert "Blog advertising has finally arrived in Singapore" caught my attention at first glance.<br /><br />Upon re-directing to the home page, I realized that Advertlets is actually strikingly similar to Kontera's pay-per-ad advertising system, which i do use on my other blogs. However, what really impressed me was that it is an Asian-targeted one, and it had already made payouts to its Malaysian bloggers who joined, and was now expanding its Malaysian reach to Singapore. (I've been waiting eagerly for someone to launch a Singapore version, and I'm glad Advertlets has done it!)<br /><br />Ok, here goes the workings of Advertlets... It's almost similar to how Google Adsense works;- You insert code to allow Advertlets to display targeted ads to your theme topic on your blog, and relevant ads are displayed, which bring in revenue for you when visitors click on them.So for a try, i decided to try Advertlets and experiment if it can bring in better focussed ads relating to guitars on Guitar Werks. Advertlets also does allow user-defined polls to be placed on your blogs, so that you can better keep track of the profiles of users to your site, thus bringing in more targeted ads that generate more revenue.<br /><br />So far, it looks really promising. I do hope that Advertlets will help take Guitar Werks one notch higher in terms of providing relevant and quality ads to my visitors, not just any other irrelevant ad that so often surfaces with other platforms. So here goes<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.advertlets.com">Advertlets.com</a></span>...check it out!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-65430850757841811732007-11-07T22:48:00.000+08:002007-11-07T23:12:34.158+08:00Beginner Guitar For Toddlers?Ever imagined a 2 year toddler playing a guitar to the tune of the the 'ABC' song? I just had that stray thought shoot past my mind. I'm sure its quite difficult to fathom that picture, but to see if that could be true, i did a search on Youtube and saw a video of this little kid who could strum a song on the guitar perfectly in rhythm!So, its a reality!<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fkFYH1Zr_m0&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fkFYH1Zr_m0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Also,from the Google search results I discovered a company named iPlayMusic.com that actually sells beginner guitar videos that are tailored for a fun and interactive family learning experience for parents as well as their little ones. Check it out at the <a href="http://www.iplaymusic.com/play-music-together-pc-demo.html">iPlayMusic</a> website here..<br /><br />Well, thats it for a long time away from posting on this blog due to military service. And happy Deepavali to all my friends as you enjoy the public holiday!john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-959611180489265983.post-38092655986995098022007-10-06T23:47:00.000+08:002007-10-06T23:49:24.736+08:00Playing guitar...Is it difficult?I'm not going to kid you; playing guitar is extremely difficult at best and almost downright impossible at worst. I am not just talking about picking up the guitar and playing a few songs I am talking about real practicing for the environment that you will eventually be playing in which is, of course, in an ensemble with other musicians who we hope will always be better than you.<br /><br />In this world with all kinds of styles of music and bands, finding someone to teach you what you really dream of playing is kind of tough. The problem is finding a teacher who’ll give you a good guitar lesson that doesn’t include all the stuff that really doesn’t matter when it comes down to just playing a song.<br /><br />What's interesting is you can use the note intervals of whatever mode you're playing and use each note as a starting point for the next mode in sequence. The students who work hard on this area of their playing always do better than those who don’t. Your playing will open up to a diverse range of styles.<br /><br />As such,I've divided learning the guitar well from past experience into three main parts:<br />Learning,Practicing and Tuning.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Learning</span><br /><br />I have found that learning to play guitar is like many other activities. The main considerations in choosing guitar gifts are experience level, style of music preferred, and what gear and learning material they already own. A person can get along fine these days by learning a few chords and knowing how to read tab, right.The traditional way of learning guitar is by taking private lessons from a guitar teacher.<br /><br />The array of choices is staggering, ranging from free online guitar lessons, to high-end distance learning guitar instruction leading to a certificate from Berklee College of Music,. The best and easiest path to becoming a competent guitar player is by learning some chords and then applying them to learning the rhythm parts of songs. Chord Diagrams are the single most powerful tool for learning and improving your guitar playing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Practice</span><br /><br />There are many principles involved in an effective practice session and I think some of these are a motivation founded on a love and passion for the music you can produce on the guitar, an acceptance of the fact that you must practice on that technical level you have reached, a working knowledge of muscle tensions and how to minimize them when you play and how to work on reducing them when you don't play. Is there a best way to practice on your guitar? If you decide on an electric guitar, then you'll want to purchase a practice amp too.<br /><br />The most basic requisite is that you want to learn this art and with this desire you will find ways to practice improvisation in all your guitar playing. For example, take a two bar passage in a classical guitar piece that you like and practice it until you master it and then memorize it. The remedy for this is of course to practice reading the sheet music without looking at the fretboard.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuning</span><br /><br />By cleaning your strings you not only increase their tuning life but they will retain their crisp, bell-like tone for longer. Worn strings are by far the most common cause of a bad tone and contribute to a lot of tuning problems. I have always used pitch pipes, and great though automatic tuners are, you cannot beat the training given by tuning the guitar with just a pipe and your ears.<br /><br />Some things on guitar can be learned in minutes, some in days, and others in weeks, but tuning will sometimes take even longer, because you have to train your ears. In order to keep the string in place during tuning (winding) put a ½” 90 degree bend at the end of the string with a pair of pliers.john leowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03924889731330207268noreply@blogger.com2