November 25th, 2009 §
Let’s say you practice five hours a day on your guitar. What happens when you become a father with children around your feet. Can you still be a guitarist and practice?
As a father and a guitarist I have some advice. The story on how a mother can continue playing guitar has to be written by an expert on that subject.
I guess the problem is that many guitarists think that if they can’t practice the way they are used to they might as well quit.
What happens with you as a guitar player when you become a father with small children?
1. You will still have time to play guitar but not when you expect it.
I have many times wondered why people that practice a lot on their guitars as they become parents suddenly stops completely to play guitar and become desillusioned with this part of their lives.
It’s like a person who wants to train on a gym two hours a day. If this doesn’t work he quits completely. Why?
To make ten push ups a day is better than doing nothing. I takes maybe ten seconds to make this exercise and it will have positive results. The most important thing is that you are still trying to work with your body and the time will probably come when you can increase the amount of training.
Of course the same principle applies to guitar playing. Change the way you play but don’t quit. I’m sure your children don’t want that.
2. Time to play guitar will come in small portions.
As you don’t always know when you have time to play on your guitar you have to have your guitar or guitars extremely accessible. Have the guitar on your bed or somewhere else very close at hand. Maybe you have to buy a cheaper guitar in order to feel comfortable with this arrangement.
Personally I have an very expensive classical guitar but I mostly play on my less expensive guitars as I have them nearby all the time.
3. You might be interrupted in the middle of your guitar playing at any time.
I suggest that you give yourself a reasonable amount of homework to practice on your guitar. Try to learn this homework by heart as soon as possible so you don’t need pieces of paper around as you practice. I guess you know that small children like the taste of paper..
If you give yourself just one task to perform as your guitar lesson homework you will even with small amounts of time to practice spread all over the day see yourself progressing. The important thing is to focus on this task long enough to see results and long enough for the skills to become part of your playing.
4. You will have to concentrate on more things than your guitar playing.
If you have a long term goal with your playing you will always be able to look back on what you are doing as a guitar player and can see yourself progressing. I suggest that you put your long term guitar playing goals on a place out of reach for your children but within reach of your eyes.
5. You must feel that your guitar playing is of benefit for your wife and your children.
Is it selfish to play guitar when you have children? Let me give you an example from my own childhood:
My dad was a musician playing violin, cello and guitar in our home. He was working as a guitar teacher and I heard him play classical guitar pieces, cello pieces and violin pieces everyday.
I can still remember some of those melodies and they invoke a feeling of peace and memories of childhood in my heart. I have a special relation to those pieces of music and they have certainly enriched my life.
In other words, you will need to have a repertoire of nice melodies to play for your children. Focus on learning melodies to play and try to find opportunities to play them for your wife and children.
Having a family has certainly enriched my life and made me a better musician and guitar player.
November 19th, 2009 §
Fernando Sor was a classical guitarist and composer who was born in Spain and he lived from 1778 to 1839. He was a contemporary of Beethoven and is often referred to as the “Beethoven of the Guitar”. He wrote many different works for the guitar including his famous Sor Method for the Guitar and his 20 Studies for the Classical Guitar. Both of these works are still in use today.
His Life
Sor grew up in tumultuous time is Spain. It was during the time that Napoleon and the French were attempting to take over Spain and Sor spent time in military service. For a period of time the French successfully occupied Spain but eventually they were ousted. After the war was over and France had been successfully ejected from Spain Sor moved to Paris (around the age of 35) and he never returned to his homeland. He also spent time living in Russia and in London but he eventually returned to Paris where he would live out the remainder of his years. It was during this time in Paris that he achieved a significant amount of fame as a composer, a teacher, and a performer, and he spent many years touring the great cities of Europe.
As a Performer
In Spain during his younger years and early adulthood he achieved an amount of fame that began with a performance of his opera “Telemachus on the Calypso’s Isle” and this lead to a short lived sponsorship by the Duchess of Alba. While living in Europe he reached the height of his fame as both a composer and performer and he performed concerts all over Europe including Paris, Russia, and London.
As a Composer
As a composer of music he had a remarkable wide variety of pieces that ranged from instructional in nature to songs, duets, vocal music for voice and guitar, and even an opera. His style of music ranged from sheer classical to very Spanish in sound.
Some of his more famous work
Much of his work is no longer played and some of it is lost but he does have some pieces that have withstood the test of time and are still regularly performed to this day. Or course there is his method for guitar and his twenty studies; and while these are instructional works they are also comprised of many pieces and arrangements that stand alone on their own right as legitimate performance pieces. A couple of his more famous individual pieces include his Opus 35 number 22 in B minor which is often called “The Moonlight Etude” and his Opus 9 variations on a theme by Mozart (The Magic Flute). Both these pieces are remarkably beautiful and perennial favorites of modern guitarists.
Recordings and More
Many contemporary classical guitarists have incorporated Sor’s compositions into their repertoire and you can readily find works. There are many CD’s by current performers that are devoted solely to the work of Sor. There is also a book about him (Fernando Sor: Composer and Guitarist). It is written by Brian Jeffery and it is a comprehensive and detailed account of Sor’s life. The first edition was published in 1977 and a second edition published in 1994.
Fernando Sor was a remarkable multi-talented man who was a gifted performer, a teacher, and a composer who wrote across many forms and genres of music. His music still lives on today, and through his methods for guitar he is still teaching students over 150 years later.
November 7th, 2009 §
Classical guitar is a beautiful instrument that helps in transforming your feelings into music. You can express grief, melancholy, cheerfulness, distress, faith and love among other feelings as you strum through the various chords of the classical guitar. It is also known to some as the Spanish guitar.
The basic body and style of the classical guitar is similar to that of a normal acoustic guitar but does have its difference. The classical guitar generally has a wider fret board and utilizes nylon strings than other guitars. A notable playing style difference between the classical guitar and its relatives is that it is played by picking the strings rather than strumming.
A classical guitar lesson will not only teach you how to play the instrument but also let you deeply involved in it. If you want to learn how to play the classical guitar well, weekly classical guitar instruction under the guidance of a good instructor is the way to go. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, good classical guitar teachers and daily practice are great assets. Quality classical guitar lessons will save you time and frustration. And it will keep you from acquiring bad playing habits that will eventually hold you back.
The initial (first) phase of classical guitar lessons will focus mainly on the fundamental sitting position, how to hold your guitar, left-to-right and right-to-left hand motions, and the motion of thumb. These are essential to learning how to play the guitar flawlessly. Once you start learning how to hold the guitar and use it, then I will be convenient for you to go ahead with the second stage which brings more excitement.
The second phase will be focusing more on beats, notes, and sound of the guitar. Beats basically refers to of the sound that comes out when two different notes are played together. Depending on how you play it, beats can vary in speed. The notes are of primary importance as you will learn to get used to playing each and every note individually, simultaneously and finally together. After acquiring understanding of the basic notes, the phase three will start. It includes free stroke and the rest stroke and will throw light on understanding artificial harmonics.
Phase four of classical guitar learning is quite important as you will start to understand the difference and similarity between the pitch, dynamics, rhythm, and timbre. Each of these has to be understood in detail and practiced in order to achieve perfection in playing the classical guitar. Last but not the least, you will learn to understand and play the various scales including common scales and their application.
Regular classical guitar lessons will help you stay focused and motivated. Advanced classical guitar players, including concert performers, can learn an incredible amount by studying with other musicians too. Accomplished musicians, other than guitarists, are a gold mine of musical knowledge and inspiration.
November 6th, 2009 §
If you have come to the conclusion that you want to play guitar the next step will be to choose a guitar to buy. There is a variety of instruments out there at different prices. Let’s look at your choices.
What types of guitars will you find in a guitar shop?
1. The classical guitar. The classical guitar or Spanish guitar has nylon strings which produce a soft and mellow sound suitable for classical guitar music and for accompanying soft songs with finger playing.
Personally I have grown up with the Spanish guitar in my home as my father was a guitar teacher and we had a lot of guitars in our home all of them with nylon strings.
I have played a lot of styles with Spanish guitars like blues and rock music. Yes, it is possible to bend the nylon strings on a classical guitar when you play blues if you get used to it!
2. Steel-strung flat-top guitars. The steel-strung guitar is very good for strumming with a plectrum and for playing solos.
Nowadays I play steel-strung guitars a lot both with right hand fingers and with a pick. I like the crisp sound from the steel-strings. The drawbacks with this types of guitars are that they can be hard to play if the strings have too high action.
3. Electic guitars. An electric guitar has electromagnetic pickups transforming the vibrations from the strings into currents that in an guitar amplifier becomes sounds.
In this type of guitar the direct sound from the guitar is not important which makes it possible to have light gauge strings that are easy to bend. This makes it easier to play blues licks for example.
I usually play on an American Stratocaster because I like the crisp, clean sound and I can play different types of music on it. There are a lot of different types of electric guitars to choose from.
Nowadays you can find inexpensive electric guitars of good quality for example Ibanez or Yamaha guitars that are easy to play. I have a rather inexpensive Ibanez guitar that is very easy to play.
If you are a beginner wanting to start to play guitar my advice would be that you ask an accomplished guitar player to help you choose the right guitar for you. Even two guitars of the same model can differ in playability and tone.
I would also suggest that you buy your guitar in a music shop with experienced musicians and guitarists that can help you find out the best guitar for you.
I would also suggest that you buy an electronic guitar tuner to help you to always have your guitar well tuned. There is no guitar that is nice to play if it is out of tune.
November 4th, 2009 §
There are lots of instructional books that show you how to play classical guitar. So which one should you use? That depends on your goals with the guitar and your style of learning. Here is a guide to some of the more popular instructional books.
If you are looking for a traditional instructional book you should consider the Carcassi Method. It has been the standard guidebook for generations of classical guitarists. If you want to go the traditional route this is a solid choice. It was written over a hundred years ago and although a bit dated it is still a fine choice. There is a second part to this method called twenty-five progressive studies that are extraordinary in that they give you a solid repertoire of professional pieces to learn.
For a more contemporary guide to playing you should consider the Christopher Parking Guitar Method. It is a modern method for learning classical guitar and it comes in two books. The first book focuses on learning how to play and the second book teaches you all about refining and improving your technique while developing your repertoire. This is an excellent set of books on classical guitar and Christopher Parkening is a world class guitarist who was a pupil of Andres Segovia.
If you are looking for an easy to understand and more relaxed way to learn classical guitar consider Mel Bay’s Complete Method for Classic Guitar. Mel Bay has been publishing easy to follow, and easy to understand guitar books for decades now. And this book follows this formula. It is clearly written and easy to understand. It assumes you know nothing about music or guitar and this book is very well suited for younger players.
If you want the benefits of being able to watch someone play and hear what the guitar sounds like you should consider the Basic Classical Guitar Method books 1 and 2 by Scott Tennant. The first book has a dvd so you can see how the guitar is played and the second book has a CD so you can hear what the exercises and pieces sound like.
As your skill with the classical guitar develops you are going to want to expand beyond the traditional instructional book and choose books in two different areas. They are technique books that improve your technique and repertoire books that give you pieces you can perform. One of the best technique books you can get is Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant. This book is a practical approach to really improving your playing technique.
If you are looking for an inexpensive collection of music to play I highly recommend The Library of Guitar Classics by Jerry Willard. This enormous book covers classical guitar across centuries, genres, composers and difficulty levels. It has a great variety of works that will keep you learning new pieces for many years. I own this book and refer to it all the time.
If you are interested in getting a better look at the whole subject of music theory I recommend you take a look at a book called: Scales, Intervals, Keys, and Triads. This book is an in depth look at music theory and music composition. It is independent of any instrument and is just a self-taught course on the theory of music.
There are lots of great books that will teach you how to play classical guitar and you can almost not go wrong choosing a book that works with your goals will make the process move much faster and easier.
For more interesting insights and information about the beautiful classical guitar or to hear pieces played by the author visit his website at:
The Classical GuitaristCheat Codes
October 24th, 2009 §
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that produces an acoustic sound through the vibration of its six strings. When we talk about guitar, the first thing that comes in our mind is Spanish guitar.
Acoustic guitars have a rich history. It had changed its design many times. Acoustic guitars are 5000 years old. Spain has a big contribution in its development.
The earliest form of modern acoustic guitar is the Cithara. Romans introduced this instrument in Hispania. After this, Moors developed the shape and made it a four-string instrument. But in Europe, the six-string lute guitar was very popular.
A Spanish guitar like instrument called Vihuela was introduced later in the 16th century. It’s body looked like guitar, but it had to be tuned like Lute.
Modern acoustic guitars are of various types. Like, twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, still guitar etc.
Given below are some of the popular names and description of acoustic guitars.
- Renaissance and Baroque guitars: These guitars are very similar to the classical guitar. But they are smaller and quieter than classical guitar. Their strings are paired up like twelve string guitar. But they do not have six courses of strings like twelve string guitar. They have only four or five courses of them.
- Classical guitars: Classical guitars are made of nylon strings. That’s why they are also known as nylon string guitar. Playing system of the classical guitar is somehow different. Fingers play it. Plectrum has no role in this specific playing process.
- Portuguese Guitar: This guitar is used in Portugal. This guitar is playing their traditional Fado song. This is guitar is a Portuguese twelve string guitar.
- Flat top guitar: This guitar is almost like classical guitar. But it is larger than classical guitar. It has got still strings. Still string produces louder sound. This guitar is used with varied kind of music like, jazz, bluegrass etc.
- Arch top guitar: This instrument is very much inspired from violin. This too is a still stringed guitar. Lloyd Lure invented this guitar this guitar is very much popular among the jazz guitarists.
- Twelve string guitar: Twelve-string guitar is a still stringed guitar. This guitar is made of six courses of paired up strings. This guitar is very popular in rock and roll, folk and blues music.
- Russian guitars: This is a seven-string guitar. It is a Russian guitar. This guitar is tuned in open G Major.
- Acoustic Bass Guitar: Strings are made of steel. Have only four strings.
- Guitar battente: have four or five metal string. Smaller than classical guitar. Used to accompany with voice in Calabria (Southern Italian region).
Apart from these there are other sorts of acoustic guitars also. Like, Extended range guitars, Harp guitars, Tenor guitars, Dobro guitars etc.
Acoustic guitars are very interesting instrument. The best thing about them is, they are absolutely hassling free. They are very easy to carry. And you can create magic with them in a family gathering also.
December 19th, 2008 §
cuestión guitarra acústica?
ok asi que me encanta tocar la guitarra pero yo solo se pegan con una acústica … por lo que hace esta guitarra, yamaha c40 y yo estaba pensando en comprar una nueva guitarra y vi una guitarra con un buen precio creo que es la Fender CD-60 … por favor alguien puede decirme si el guardabarros es mejor que el i yamaha propia? ¿merece la pena? por favor ayuda ps: i dont uso toma .. sólo mis dedos Cuz I como fingersttyle y esas cosas oh se me olvidaba .. me gusta más usar cadenas de nylon .. me refiero a sus más suaves y bien .. por favor alguien me ayude No sé si debo comprarlo
Ambas empresas realizan un buen instrumento. Compare las características y el precio y luego sentarse con ambos y en realidad ellos juegan para decidir qué te gusta más
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December 5th, 2008 §
Classical Guitar
Although the precise origins of the classical guitar are open to debate, there is plenty of evidence of the existence of similar instruments dating back as early as 5000 years ago. The idea of a hollow body with tensed strings anchored between two points is seen in many instruments, including the violin family, sitar, piano and harp; they all use the string’s vibrations to resonate the body and produce sounds. However, because the guitar is fretted, it allows pitch-perfect chords to be played over six strings, which differentiates it from the unfretted (and often bowed) violin family. The guitar as we know it today started to take shape during the Renaissance and Baroque period, when it was used mainly as an accompaniment. Cousins of the guitar are the mandolin, balalaika, banjo and lute. There are enough similarities between these instruments to relate them all, but to give a guitar a unique definition, it would be a six-string, fretted instrument tuned between low E (a thirteenth below Middle C) and the E two octaves above. Of course – these are merely the open-string tunings. Notes approaching two octaves above this are achievable through fretting. This tuning allows the guitar’s whole range to be represented on the treble clef, albeit with three ledger lines for the lowest notes.
Playing the classical guitar
The classical guitar is played in the seated position, the curvy shape of the body helping to keep it steady by resting on the thigh. Right-handed players fret with their left hand and pluck with their right, and the highest toned strings are nearest to the ground. If a purely rhythmic sound is required, the guitar can be played using a plectrum strummed across all or some of the strings; the plectrum can also be used to pick out monophonic melodies. More expert players will use their fingers, however. This allows very complex tunes to be played, with bass notes and melodies plating simultaneous. In the hands of a true virtuoso, it can sound to the untrained ear like several musicians are playing at once. Chords can still be played with the fingers, either by simultaneously plucking multiple strings with various fingers or stroking the strings and taking advantage of the instrument’s sustain. Playing with the fingernails gives a sharp, almost rasping sound, whereas playing with the soft front of the finger gives a softer tone.
Composers of classical guitar music
The rich history of the guitar and its forebears means that many composers have written music that can be played on a modern guitar with some degree of success. J.S. Bach is perhaps the most well known, and his many pieces written for the lute and even the cello and violin have found their way onto the classical guitarist’s repertoire. Bach was predated by Dowland and Narvaez, and his contemporary Scarlatti wrote some enduring music that works well on the guitar. In more modern times, Villa-Lobos, Rodrigo and Segovia have written music specifically to be played on the guitar, and Stanley Myers’ classical guitar theme tune to The Deer Hunter proved to be hugely popular.
About the Author
Charlie Buquette wrote this article about
Classical Guitar Sheet Music
November 29th, 2008 §
Tips on How to Play Classical Guitar
If you are aware what a classical musical instrument the classical guitar is, you would always love to play on it. Even if you do not know much about it, you can always learn to play classical guitar that has a glorious history. It is truly intimidating to see masters back in 16th century play the instrument with such an ease and elegance! It is really a challenge and a person like you must accept it to learn and enjoy the music on classical guitar.
You can try out numerous online sites that are available for you to learn classical guitar. Right from instruction manuals they provide everything needed to play the classic instrument. There are free classes as well. You can enroll in one of them online or if you want in-depth study of the classical guitar, you can enroll for paid versions. For beginners, the initial information is definitely available free of charge on internet. How to begin, proper posture to be maintained, and good playing positions are among some of the information available online.
Well, classical music is not like easier sheet music. No doubt, learning classical music is a great challenge. Many special notations and marks can take away your breath initially. But don’t worry. There are some free websites that offer ample information regarding these notations and marks free of charge that can be of great help to you.
In your strumming hand, you are advised to grow your fingernail little while playing classical guitar. The fingernail is very crucial for playing the instrument. Therefore, care or grooming of your fingernail becomes a part of your routine to play classical guitar. You can also seek more information online regarding the care of fingernails because you don’t want to lose your fingernail in an attempt to learn classical guitar. Have patience, you can do it!
The classical music is never-withering through generations. After the death of original composer’s death, music can seek a public domain in most cases and doesn’t abide by copyright law. It is possible for you to find much of classical guitar music for free. You may also get music online that can be available in easily downloadable format. For complex pieces of music however, the companies usually charge some fees. Many MP3 and Midi files are available that can give you correct idea of classical music played on guitar.
Well, it is obvious that patience and practice form the crux of any drive for learning music in any form. Classical guitar may fill your void and help you secure your new hobby or even a new profession if you are serious about it. Internet can be of great help for you to help your hobby bear fruits. Buy the classical guitar and you may find lot of info absolutely free on net!
About the Author
Learn how to play guitar scales by using these guitar playing tips.
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February 6th, 2008 §
What are some good classic Spanish guitar songs?
I have to perform soon, but it has to be a spanish classic guitar song. And thats normally not my specialty. But I know if I have the tabs or something Ill be able to work it out.
Any idea of what are some good classic spanish guitar songs?
Thank You in advance. =D
Searching spanish guitar guitar tabs & lyrics | TabCrawler.Com
Searching spanish guitar guitar tabs & lyrics @ TabCrawler.Com
www.tabcrawler.com/search.php?q=spanish+guitar – 98k – Cached
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