Guitar in a Minute

Rhythm methods for the beginner

2011-01-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from a post that I did on a question about how to better play rhythm on guitar.

Practice counting to 4. 1-2-3-4,2-2-3-4,3-2-3-4,4-2-3-4. Can you do that? Great! Now strum a C chord on your guitar so all the notes ring out and sound good. Strum the chord whilst counting and getting a regular beat to it. Use a metronome at a slow tempo. Lather rinse repeat for at least 15 minutes a day for a week. you will see improvement, I guarantee or your money back.

OK, you need to break it down into its component parts. once you really have the counting down, count 1 And 2 And 3 And 4 And, etc down strum on the 1 and strum up on the And. Go as slow and be as precise as you can. once you have that down, go to whats called sixteenth notes. the count is 1 E And Ah 2 E And Ah 3 E And Ah 4 E and Ah. Try down strumming the 1, up strum the E, down And, up Ah. Again, go as slow and be as precise as you can.

In theory this looks simple and it is, however you have to put the time in to really grok it and be able to do it consistently. Kind of like learning how to ride a bike.

The trick, IMO is to break down difficult rhythm's one measure at a time, slowly, get it down cold and move on. There are tons of little exercises I use for my kids.

Getting a better tone with your slide

2010-10-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I had a great question about getting a better tone with your slide.
It's not a specialty of mine but I will throw in a few cents.

Let me know what you think..

How to tune a guitar with a fork

2010-10-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

I want to show you how to tune a guitar with a tuning fork in my next video and tune the strings relative to one another.

I like to tune the strings relative to one another on an older acoustic or classical guitar so that when you play in a higher register the chords will be in better tune. It always helps to have a zen like state of mind when doing this. Once you do this enough times your ear and intuition will kick in and it will feel automatic and natural.

Ok, let's get started!
1. You can get a tuning fork at any music store or online for a few dollars. When you hold the fork, just touch the handle and not the tines as this will dampen the vibrations.
2. Hold the fork, tap it on your knee then place the ball end on your bridge of the guitar. This will cause the sound box to resonate the A note and allow you to tune your A string.
3. Pluck the A string and gently turn the tuning knob to make sure that the string and fork notes sound the same with no beats. Its always a good idea to start tuning the string from flat to tuned. The mechanics of strings on the guitar will allow it to stay in tune longer, by doing it this way.
4. Once the A string is tuned and there are no wobbles between the sounds, then its time to go to the top E string. I like to plat the high A note on the 5 th fret of the high E string and the A string at the same time and listen to see if they are in tune. If there are any wobbles, I will hold the notes on the fret board the open A string and the A on the 5th fret E string and then reach around with my right hand and gently adjust the tuning knob for the high E string from flat to tuned.
5. Onto the B string! I will finger a B note on the second fret of the A string and pluck the B string at the same time. Gently reaching around to bring the B sting into tune.
6. Onto the G string. I will finger the G note on the E string 3rd fret and pluck the open G string, reach with my right hand to adjust the G sting in tune.
7. On the D string I will finger the D note on the B string on the 3rd fret, playing together I will adjust the tuning for the D string.
8. Now I will double check the A string to make sure that I'm doing it right. I will finger an A note on the G string at the second fret, they should match pitch, if not adjust the tuning on the G string.
9. Hit the low E string and the high E string and tune together. You can also check by hitting the E note on the D string second fret.
10. enjoy!

This is probably a more intermediate type of lesson but it is a pretty sweet technique once you get it down.

Let me know if you have questions!
Peace,
Tim
A Tuning Fork - "A" 440 Hz with Soft Shell Case

How to hold a guitar pick

2010-10-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've attached a video on how to hold a guitar pick. It's easier for me to show you than tell you how.

A word about technique...

2010-09-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Here is my first post about playing. Take a look at my attached video, Suite Venezolana. I am playing it a bit slower to show you how the notes are supposed to run together and ring out. Let me describe a little bit what I am doing.

1. Keeping my left arm in close to my body.
2. Placing my left palm under the neck and reaching my fingers in an almost "claw" of my finger tips on the strings.
3. This helps to prevent my fingers from hitting any other string and deadening the sound.

Look at the video again and tell me what else you see?

Hi There!

2010-09-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting my blog! My goal is to show the beginner and intermediate students and teachers new and tried and true ideas on how to play guitar and have fun!

Along the way I will show you things that I do to keep my playing fresh and show you the hottest new songs and must have gear!

It takes a life time to master guitar, you have to learn how a minute at a time!