Category Archives: Guitar Primers

Stone Guitar Picks

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A gemstone guitar pick may seem like a luxury, but tonally stone guitar picks are just as different as nylon and metal picks. Typically semi-precious stones are not exorbitantly priced, compared to more valuable jewels, but they will cost around thirty to fifty times as much as the standard nylon or plastic guitar picks. So is the price worth it?

Stone Guitar Pick

Figure 1 - Agate Stone Plectrum

To many guitarists, the answer is a resounding yes! Not only are they longer-lasting, easy gripping, and better sounding; they are also very appealing items to own.

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Guitar Picks

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Why A Pick?

A guitar pick, or plectrum is used to pluck, or strum guitar strings; to improve sound, allow faster strumming, and reduce injury on fingers. You can just use your fingers, especially for picking, but a pick gives far more bite to notes, and hurts a lot less. There are many types of guitar picks to choose from: different materials, shapes, as well as sizes and colors. Some guitar picks are even used for special purposes, such as a double-sided pick for “double plucking.” This article explores some of the diffent types.

Different types of Guitar Pick

Guitar picks are commonly made out of plastic, but also bone, amber, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, stone, metals, and even gemstones. Each of the materials has it’s own unique sound, but also properties such as ease of grip, and durability. For instance, metal has a very distinct bright sound when plucked against a guitar string- but offers little grip. Tortoiseshell is one of the best for gripping, and sounds great, although an international ban on tortoise shell led to the creation of Tortex picks.

Choosing your favourite material is a matter of trying them all out, and deciding on which sound and grip works for your playing style- whether it be metal, bues, or jazz. If all else fails, weird guitar picks aren’t unheard of- from bone, to an Allen wrench- just about anything can become a useable plectrum!

Fender Guitar Pick A thumb guitar pick.A triangle guitar pick.

Figure 1 - Traditional picks, a thumb pick, and a triangle pick example

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What is Intonation?

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What is intonation on a guitar, and is it important? Well, yes, it could be very. If your guitar is poorly intonated it could play horribly out of tune! It may sound fine down low playing open chords, but suddenly, when the solo starts, up at the fifteenth fret… aaaahhhhgg!

electric guitar intonation

Figure 1 - Strings passing over the saddles of  a Fender Jaguar guitar.

I’ve known young guitarists change out tuning keys, and even buy new guitars because their old guitar would never stay in tune. In many instances it was just a matter of a poor setup, with nothing wrong with the guitar or any of it’s components.

But don’t worry, adjusting intonation is really very easy. All you need is a guitar tuner and a screwdriver. This article tells you how.

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How to play Guitar: basic finger picking

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Finger picking is a simple skill that can greatly improve your playing, and it isn’t just for folk and country players! If you are usually a pick player, you may just be surprised about the different textures that become open to you.

From pop and rock songs by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, to the most obscure country blues guitarists, you may be surprised what songs were recorded fingerstyle.

Fingerstyle playing is very different tonally from pick playing; being softer, warmer and less aggressive, but also allowing a greater deal of harmonic complexity than straight chords and riffs. In a band situation it can really work wonders, creating extra space between rhythm and lead guitars.

This video is for the novice fingerpicker – but why not start at the beginning?

Go on, put the plectrum down and try something new. You might find a bit of fingerstyle is what your guitar playing needs.

learn guitar

The Fender PT-100 Guitar Stage Tuner

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 Fender PT100 chromatic pedal tuner

Figure  1 – The Fender PT-100 chromatic guitar tuner

I think i’ve found one of the most useful pieces of equipment any guitarist can own! Such statements shouldn’t be made lightly, but in this case I stand by it. If you need a new tuner you really should consider this one. In the PT-100, Fender have a solid, durable and, most importantly, easy to use tuner that works for guitar and bass. It does the job, and it does it well.

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Choosing Between Time-Based Distortion Pedals

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Time-based distortion pedals (we’re talking flange, echo, an chorus) are less widely used as other types of distortion, but are still the best option for some of the more unique sounds that come from distortion pedals. Much of these effects are great for solos, but some practical uses that the everyday guitar player would experience exist as well. Even rhythm guitarists are cashing in on this less popular type of distortion, but there are a few things to look out for when buying them.

time based distortion

Figure 1 – When it comes to time based effects, don’t be surprised to see Boss pedals take the lead in most categories. (Pictured on the left)

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Are Pop Filters Necessary for Recording?

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Not a whole lot of guitar players cash in on the benefits of a pop filter, but no one can blame them. Most of the affordable pop filters break or fail within weeks of having them- or don’t even work at all. This has led a lot of innovative guitar players who are looking to record vocals to become creative- everything from putting a shirt over their mouth to making makeshift pop filters from tennis rackets.

pop filter
Figure 1 - They may resemble tennis rackets, but pop filters can mean the difference between a professional sound, and just another home-made recording.

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Alternate Picking – Is it Worth the Effort?

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Alternate picking is said to provide more sustain and tone control, as stated by guitar legends such as Steve Morse. This type of picking pattern takes more time to learn than natural picking patterns such as directional picking. Most guitar players seek to use a hybrid of the two picking patterns instead, so the best of both worlds may be enjoyed.

alternate picking
Figure 1 - With alternate picking, up-strokes and down-strokes are alternated. There are a few benefits and disadvantages over direct picking that guitar player should be aware of.

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Music Theory – The Importance of Rhythm

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Rhythm is one of the three building blocks of music theory. Without it, timing wouldn’t exist- much like the basic tablature system lacks timing and rhythm. For music theorists who take the time to learn the three building blocks of music theory- rhythm, harmony, and melody; the payout will be enormous in the long run.

music theory and rhythm
Figure 1 - Timing and rhythm are part of the core essentials of music theory- learning rhythm is vital to grasp harder music theory concepts.

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Recording Options for Guitarists

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Guitar players who are looking to record live sound for the first time will inevitably see a large amount of mistakes and errors along the way. Most beginners are simply satisfied with propping up a cheap microphone headset against the amplifier speaker and jamming away. Once the initial “cool” factor of being able to record music dies, guitarists looking to record their favorite riffs or songs will realize that a little more thought needs to go into the recording process.

microphone recording
Figure 1 - Recording relies on many components- not just a microphone. Monitors, stands, interfaces, cables, and software will likely have to be bought.

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