Anything Mark Joyner offers is worth checking out. And, if you’ve never used Simpleology before I highly recommend it. It’s free. Personally I like it better than GTD and Stephen Covey’s system for managing priorities and goals!

1. Specialty Picks for Speed? Not
   So why would you spend good money on one of those technologically designed specialty picks that promises to speed up your playing to a bazillion miles an hour? Well, because they probably do speed up your playing. I’ve never used them though. I have my own secret weapon–I call it “sand paper”. What a cheap thrill! Here’s a before and after above. You get the idea. Does this speed up your picking. Heck, yes! Try crafting your own pick edge, I believe you’ll like it. I know Dunlop caught on and has sharpened picks, and I love Dunlop picks, but they are way too sharp. I like to customize mine to be “just right”. 60 to 80 grit works well just about any gauge of pick.
2. Perfect Pitch Ear Training Course
   I bought this years ago because I just had to know if it worked. Just imagine being able to name any pitch you hear! I admit I didn’t go the whole 9-yards and complete the program. I spent probably about 10 hours with it total, because time was scarce for me in college. The reason I recommend this product anyways is because it’s such a unique instruction, AND I was actually seeing results. But I’m not going to tell you this was easy, at least it wasn’t for me. Think of this like learning a completely new instrument from scratch. The lessons get you listening to tones on a super detailed level so you listen to the quality of each pitch like you never have–you get intimate with each note. But it was paying off. Also, it’s nice because you can practice with whatever instrument your comfortable with, of course I used my guitar. I’m still pining to get back to this program one day. Maybe I’ll make it a new years resolution. Since I got it they’ve updated the courseware quite a bit.
3. BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone
   There is non more better than this. This is one of the few indestructible and highly versatile distortion pedals on the market. This is an old favorite. It’s been used by Kirk Hammet of that Metallica band for decades (I realize for some of you that could actually be a turn off thanks to the last few albums), and it hasn’t gone down in price for about as long. You still pay about $80 to $90 bucks for it. The real reason that this is great isn’t because it goes to 11 (well it actually does because this thing has a dual gain circuit!), but because it’s got a 3-band EQ like no other stomp-box featuring the ability to dial in the frequency of the midrange band, and then cut and boost in all three major bands, that’s low, mid, and high BTW. You can dial in any friggin’ tone with the thing. My personal favorite setting is to put the mid frequency at medium and then bass and high all the way up, and then boost just enough mids to get a little bite. Check it out at Zzounds.com.
4. Coffin Case
   Okay, technically this won’t fit into any stocking I know of, however it makes the list because it’s just cool. Whoever was the genius who thought up this product and then created the company’s scintillating marketing materials deserves to sell plenty of these, and this company has been around for a few decades doing this so I imagine they have. Get a closer look at their line here.
5. Wireless System = Freedom
   Freedom you say? Yes, wireless freedom. The prices of wireless guitar transmitters has dropped to the sub $100 level. For me brand doesn’t matter so much so shop around a bit. The Nady Encore is a favorite. You can check out all of the wireless systems under $150 here. One nice thing about this is parents and spouses even think it’s “practical” and cool, so they’re likely to get this one for you. Why tether yourself to a amp if you don’t have to? However, if you must there’s this….
6. Conquest Wrapper Cable (The cable that was impossible to destroy…)
   Before you go thinking that cables are lamo, please let me tell you this is NO ordinary cable. This cable could survive a nuclear attack and an ice age and still service you perfectly. This is the single most durable cable I have ever used. I’ve had one of these cables for over 20 years, and I still use it and have never repaired it–I kid you not. Despite it’s age and the fact that it’s been one of my most used cables, and even though the shrink wrap around the plugs has finally loosened and tends to slip off… and that a rabbit chewed through about a 3rd of it’s width in a few places… it still works! No static, no dropouts when you move around. This will be the best $15 buck you’ve ever spent!
7. Sure SM 57 Mic
   Much like the cable you might say this borders on lamo. But if you don’t have one of these mics you need one. It’s just a requirement folks. Once you own one you will notice it everywhere on TV, in movies, on stage, you name it. It’s the most popular mic ever because it’s versatile. It has a relatively even pick up along the frequency spectrum except for an emphasis on the upper mid-range frequencies helping this mic produce a sound that is clearer up top and letting guitars and vocals cut through a mix. It’s also indestructible (throw it in your suite case, guitar case, at the wall), and is an old favorite to mic amp speakers. I’ve let children scream Ol’MacDonald through this mic and I don’t have to think twice about drool short circuiting the thing. Read more reviews here.
8. How to Play In Two Hours Flat
   Yeah, it does really work! If you’re an absolute beginner you’ll be playing in 2 hours, or if you’re someone who’s been playing a short time this method can get you playing at a much higher level and much faster in 2 days. If you’re an advanced player or instructor and you’re looking for a good method for teaching your friends or students to play, you also can’t go wrong. The trick in how this works is that it only focuses on very specific exercises which are the most essential for learning to play well quickly. It was developed by an instructor using over 20 years of experience. This is a good methodology for someone who doesn’t want to sift through the jungle of guitar related instruction materials out there. It’s humble, simple and effective (which is why I like it). This is actually an electronic e-book product so doesn’t look exactly like the book on the right, but gives you an idea… Check out the audio of a student playing guitar for the first time after just 2 hours.

So, I think I’ll stop at 8. I’m going to quit while I’m ahead. Anything you think I’m missing from the list?

These cover mostly the really well known guitarists, but you’ll also find in there the Misfits, Les Claypool (Primus), and Michael Angelo. So a pretty fair representation, I think. You can check out their top 28 here.

This is Stig Pedersen from Denmark’s band D-A-D. Thanks to blogger G L Wilson for finding this image. Check out his blog for more funky ars guitar photos like the concrete guitar.

However there’s one thing you can add that can just take your playing over the edge and give it powerful soul, and that’s your voice. Probably every guitarist has tried to sing and play, I’m sure with varying degrees of success. So, what’s the reason for the difficulty, and what can you do that helps to overcome it?

Syncopating your voice to a guitar piece can can range in difficulty from “piece ‘o cake” to “friggin’ near impossible”. The difficulty will be due in large part to your skill level and comfort with the guitar, and in part due to the complexity of the piece of music you’re playing. For example if your strumming a simple 1-2-3-4 chord pattern on your guitar, it’s pretty easy to sing over that because your strumming hand isn’t doing much more than keeping beat like tapping your foot or tapping your finger on a table–1-2-3-4. But…

What gets tricky is when your strumming hand is playing something much more rhythmic, and add to that some complicated fingerings and you’ll have the formula for “how the hell do I sing over that”. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. The majority of radio friendly songs aren’t going too be too difficult, but certainly some will be, and if you’re into a demanding genre like thrash metal it’s time to think about a strategy for approaching the vocals. Simply playing guitar riffs up to speed and trying to force yourself to sing along with a recorded song can lead to frustration quickly.

Here are 5 tips for successful vocals, whether your just starting to play, or your playing advanced riffage.

Tips for Singing While Playing Guitar

1. Practice the riff, then practice it again.
   Know the riff so well, and have it ingrained in your brain to the nth degree. You need to be able to play the riff and have a conversation with someone else in the room without skipping a beat. The riff should become almost involuntary like a heartbeat. This is especially important for complicated music.
2. Listen carefully.
   Okay, you might think this is obvious, but I’ve found it’s easy NOT to listen carefully, and it’s easy to want to rush into playing and singing. If you don’t take your time and listen to the music you’re trying to sing–and I’m assuming here for many of you you’re working on singing something that you didn’t write yourself–then you may be practicing mistakes. Unfortunately when you practice mistakes you train yourself to sing it the wrong way. Slow down and take time to listen carefully to each bar of the music. If you have an MP3 player or CD player put on some headphones so you can tune the world out and get intimate with the music. You might find after careful listing that some singers come in just before or after the beat, or during mid measure. It’s hard to pick up on details like this without a careful listen.
3. Slow it down, and break it down.
   Break the riff into parts and practice rhythmically vocalizing the lyrics over the riff slowly. Take it a measure at a time. Don’t worry about sounding good at this point, singing is rhythmic and the challenge here is to make sure you’re saying the right words at the right time.
4. Put down the guitar and come back.
   If you find a part of the song that is very tricky and you’re getting frustrated–stop! Take a break and come back. Often with a refreshed ear your vocals will click in to place and you’ll hear the music more clearly.

I’m sure these aren’t the only tips that are helpful, but these are the tips that have worked for me and some of my students. If you’ve got some of your own tips, I’d really like to hear about them. Drop your tips in the comments below.

I can see from my logs that there are still hundreds of people each day still visiting this blog, so I want to thank those of you who are still there checking in! Or, if you’re new, welcome! My goal with these posts is still the same as before…

to deliver some great, useful, and sometimes controversial opinions, tips, and guides for the beginning guitarist. Of course this blog is being read by some more advanced guitarist too.

I want to ask something. I’m looking for other great guitar oriented blogs to link to from my blog roll list. I’ve found it surprisingly difficult to find great guitar blogs! (And, I consider myself pretty good at doing Google searches). Do you know of any or have a favorite? If so please leave a comment and let me know.

Guitarists like “Jerry C” who exploded in popularity and became and oft interviewed face in the mainstream media got a lot of attention because of their YouTube playing. Jerry C played a nice solo guitar rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon in D-minor. If you’ve never seen it check it out here (link opens in new window). His YouTube video has been watched over 27 million times.

While the media was going wild and everyone couldn’t believe how awesome his video was, us guitar players were scratching our heads. So the guy can play a scorching solo version of Canon in D–big deal, we’ve seen great guitar solos before, why did this guy get all the attention all of a sudden. Well, while you may have seen scorching guitar solos up close and personal, this was new to a large portion of the online world who either missed the Van Halens of the ’80s or only heard but never saw a technical solo played up close.

Really, when you get right down to it it’s very impressive to watch. The intimate setting of a dude playing his guitar in his room with no distractions, and the added mystery of “we can’t see his face, who is he?” really set things on fire.

The bottom line is watching amateur guitar on YouTube is a voyeuristic fascinating experience, and for some of us it beckons us to jump in and contribute. I’ve compiled the top 10 female YouTube guitarists doing their thing. The rules were it had to be one girl, one guitar, one voice, and their own song. These are not scorchers folks. These are the unsung guitar heros of YouTube, the other guitarists that the media missed.

I want you guys to know I really did do my best to select the best of the best out there… and the most charasmatic I could find (with miarose being the most charasmatic of the group)… it really doesn’t seem to get better than this (for better or for worse)

Oh, and just so you don’t think I’m biased toward one gender, I’m also working on the top male guitarists. If I get a good response to this post I’ll finish that one up as well.

The Top 10 Unsung Guitar Heros of YouTube

1) miarose

2) annafree

3) toaana

4) mischaaa

5) kimdivine

6) AffairWithGravity

7) merbloo

8 ) brittanyanne17

9) TracyChapman

10) emmydaisy

Bonus instrumental vid…

11) csybu

I hope you enjoyed the top 10 list of YouTube guitarists. Did I miss anyone? Share your best below by leaving a comment. If you liked this post please share the love and Digg it or Stumble it, or add it to your fav social bookmarking site.

If you’re a guitar player, or thinking about becoming one, this article is for you if you have ever:

• Felt guilty for not knowing how to read standard music notation, or read it better. (Don’t feel guilty–I don’t.)
• Heard that in order to learn how to play guitar you must learn to read music. (It’s just not true.)
• Thought that without learning h0w to read standard music notation you are very limited as to what you can learn to play. (This used to be true.)
• Felt that standard music notation is not intuitive, takes years to learn, and is too complex. (This is true! And in a moment we’ll see why it’s just not necessary.)

Why Standard Music Notation is Unnecessary for the Guitar Player

Let’s not waste any time. The reason that standard notation is unnecessary is multi-fold:

• Tablature existed before standard notation for stringed instruments and it is easier to learn and read. There’s no guessing. Typically standard notation leaves you guessing which notes you should finger because all you get is a note, not the specific string and fret to play. You have to memorize what each of those black dots means, and then do it in multiple keys! This might be okay for piano, but it’s unnecessary for guitar.
• Tablature is more robust, and communicates more about how to play a guitar than standard notation. For example standard notation has no provisions for notating slides, note bends, or artificial harmonics. Nor is it very good at displaying muted notes, whammy bar effects, or the exact location your fingers should be on the fret board (as mentioned).
• Tablature is now plentiful with the growth of online tabs and incredibly wide selection of tablature books available. 20 years ago, tablature for guitar wasn’t as plentiful as it is now and you had to learn to read standard notation to play a wide range of music. Not anymore.

The One Area Where Standard Notation Has an Advantage Over Guitar Tablature

Standard notation has a very complex and thorough structure for conveying the duration of notes. Unfortunately with guitar tablature it is typically harder to convey time.

One common method to help display time is to space the notation fingerings farther or closer apart depending on how long they are to ring out. And, often standard notation will be displayed above tablature, and this is just about the only time I look at the standard notation is to read the duration value of the notes.

I have also seen tablature that uses a hybrid method of displaying time by putting standard notation note stems on the tablature fret numbers. This is similar to drum notation.

So here are some options to tackle this issue:

• Get used to and learn to read just the timing aspect of standard notation
• Just listen to the song to hear the timing and then play along using the tablature
• Pay attention to the space between the tablature fret number notation AND listen to the song to hear the timing

Personally I try to do the last option as much as possible and fall back on the first option above when I really need to understand the timing in detail.

Now Don’t Get Me Wrong…

Of course learning to read tablature isn’t something you can do over night, but it does take significantly less time to learn to read tablature proficiently than it does standard notation. If you already know how to read standard notation, then more power to you. And, if you can read standard notation, don’t overlook learning to read tablature efficiently because in the end it saves you time, and it’s a better fit for the guitar.

I hope this article has been helpful to you and maybe relieved some of the feeling that you’re missing out my not learning standard notation. Now-a-days, it’s just not important.

If you’re one of those folks who believes that not knowing how to read standard notation is a huge disadvantage, let me know why below. Likewise if you think tab is all you need to know, share a comment below.

UPDATE: I’ve added a poll on this topic to the left hand column of this page. Just scroll up a bit and you’ll see it.

First, while I don’t want to dictate to anyone what is the absolute length for fingernails and stifle your ultimate creativity, I am going to suggest there’s a best length; sort of a perfect balance.

The good news is IN REALITY your nails don’t need to be very long at all for the best effect. So if you’re someone who has poor nails, there’s hope for you making this work without having to resort to finger picks. More about exactly how long in a moment, but first let’s take a quick look at the problems you’ll have with nails that are too long or too short.

If Your Nails are Too Long for Playing Guitar:

Your sound will be brittle, and weak. And your nails will break more easily.

If Your Nails are Too Short for Playing Guitar:

You’ll have too much flesh which will hit the strings and cause poor or inconsistent contact between your nails and the strings, this will give you a weaker softer sound.

Just the Right Nail Length for Playing Guitar:

With the right length you’ll have a strong sound that projects easily. The tone will be smooth and mellow (depending on your attack) and full. You’ll also be less likely to break a nail.

So What’s The Right Length?

You’ll want to clip and or file your nails down so that when you hold your hand in front of your face with your palm facing you, you can just barely see the top tips of your nails over the top of your finger tips. Yeah, it’s that easy, and there’s no need to go longer. You need just enough nail to make consistent contact with the string without the strike being all flesh.

A Few Maintenance Tips

1. Buy a few nail clippers and keep them around. Put one on your key chain, put one in the car, leave one at work, and leave one in your shower or bathroom. The point of this is that anywhere you are that you realize you need to clip your nails (I mean who sits around and watches them grow) you’ll have some clippers right on hand and you can take care of it immediately. Don’t let your nails grow too long, they will break!
2. Use new or sharpened nail clippers so you don’t crack or stress a nail.
3. Once you clip your nails the edges will be rough and this will make the sound of your nail hitting the string scratchy and more brittle then it needs to be. To fix this just take a few moments to rub the newly clipped or filed edge of your nails on your pants, jeans or whatever fabric you have around to polish the edges and smooth them out. If you have a nail product made for polishing, more power to you.

Taking these steps will produce a great sound and a manageable nail length.

I hope you found these tips handy. So what do you think? In your experience what length or tips have you found works? Please let me know below in the comments if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Thanks for reading.

Just see if this sounds like a problem with your guitar. And if you don’t really know what “intonation” means then this will be a valuable lesson.

Here’s John’s comments following a question about why someone would tune each string to the same note (A) over and over again, instead of just tuning each string of the guitar to it’s complimentary note on another guitar or piano:

If you have a single bridge common on acoustic guitars, you’ll either have to buy a better guitar with better intonation or not play up really high, which is the case with 90% of acoustic playing anyway. Messing with a single bridge is a nightmare, but the overall concept should be the same (I mean “should” because I haven’t done it on a single-piece bridge and I don’t want to).

SUM for setting intonation:
(every time you change strings)

1. Use a tuner (unless you have perfect pitch).
2. Tune all the OPEN strings so the neck tension is normal (in its final position).
3. Then tune one OPEN string again.
4. Next, use the tuner to check that string’s pitch at the 12th fret, but only move the BRIDGE to adjust the 12th-fret’s pitch (don’t use the guitar’s twisty tuner). Check the open pitch again with the tuner. Repeat 3-4 as many times as necessary on the same string since messing with the bridge will change the OPEN pitch, too.
5. Next, GENTLY press the string to OTHER frets to test pitches on the SAME string using the TUNER. This is where you’ll find out if your guitar’s intonation sucks. If the other fretted notes are out of tune yet the Open and 12th-fret pitches are in tune, your guitar’s fret layout probably sucks.
   6) Compromise if necessary by slightly sacrificing perfect intonation on one part of the fret board for another section you use more (e.g., low E’s priority: frets 1-7).

A very helpful process regarding tuning and intonation is to record yourself and your band digitally then use the killer mac/windows app “Transcribe” to see how much you over-grip or unwittingly sideways-bend strings, making them sharp. Click the mouse on any part of the wave in transcribe and it’ll show you how many hundredths (cents) that pitch is sharp or flat. You can also evaluate your bassist’s and other instruments intonation on a recording and ID the cause of any sourness. NOTE: a flat bass won’t sound out of tune so much as make the higher-pitch instrument (the guitar) sound sharp even when guitar’s in tune!

I’m working on my intonation and have found I actually prefer a little sour offness in many cases (not on unison melodies). I decided this in the studio and decided to use the take with a more bendy, slightly-off sound than the near-perfect intonated take that sounded a square to me.

Nonetheless, I still need to work on my intonation.

And regardless, you can still make beautiful music on a severely out-of-tune guitar!