Learn to Play the Guitar

The guitar is one of the most sought-after musical instruments today. Its popularity is manifested all through-out the radio stations and the music videos in MTV. Almost all types of music in modern pop culture have been influenced by the guitar in one way or another.

For people who would like to get their hands on a guitar, they must first learn the guitar lingo. The guitar lingo is made up of weird-sounding words that are unique to the guitar world.

The guitar lingo also applies to the guitar parts. You must be able to know the parts of a guitar to be able to know how to play it. Here are some of the guitar parts:

Body

This is also referred to as the sound box. This is the largest guitar part and it comes in different shapes and sizes. The acoustic guitars usually have a hollow body, while electric guitars have solid or semi-solid bodies. Acoustic guitars have hollow bodies because they rely on the body structure for sound resonation. Electric guitars use electronic pick-ups to amplify the sound.

Headstock

The headstock is the part at the end of the guitar which holds the tuning keys. It is connected to the neck of the guitar.

Nut

The nut is the piece between the guitar neck and the head. It is a small rod with indentations to hold the guitar strings in place.

Neck

The neck is the long section which holds the fret board.

Fret board

The fret board is divided into different notes by small metal rods. The number of frets in a fret board varies depending on the type of guitar and the brand. Modern electric guitars usually have 20-22 frets in the fret board.

Bridge

It is a part of the guitar’s body and it is important in sound resonance. It gives some sort of elevation for the guitar strings so they can produce nice vibrations.

Pick-up

The pick-up is an electronic device which acts like a microphone. It picks up the vibrations from the strings and converts these vibrations into electrical impulses. They are usually found in electric guitars

Amp / Amplifier

The amplifier is like a speaker box where the sounds of the electric guitar come off.

Capo

This is a device which is attached to the fret board. This thing allows a player to play the same chord structures but on a different key.

Listed below are some of the different words that one might encounter in learning how to play the guitar.

Riff

Guitar riffs pertain to musical pieces which are parts of a song.

Reverb

It is added to the sound of the guitar through an effects box or through amplifiers to make the sounds a little bit more natural.

Tablature

Guitar tablatures or more commonly known as guitar tabs are written music for guitars. It is similar to musical pieces (with notes and other musical symbols) but the notes are translated into guitar frets. It’s a useful tool in learning how to play the guitar.

Vibrato

It refers to a guitar technique where the string is slightly bended in a fast rate to make a longer resonating sound.

Arpeggio

This refers to a technique where one takes out notes from a specific chord. He can then use these to make an adlib lead technique or add to the rhythm of the song.

Pick

This is the small device which guitar players use in striking the guitar strings. It is usually made of plastic.

Whammy Bar

This is an attachment to the bridge of electric guitars which can be used to bend the pitch of the notes. One can pull the whammy bar to be able to make his guitar “cry.”

Plucking

It’s a picking technique where a player does not strum the strings all at one but hit the strings one by one to be able to get a softer and more defined tone.

Palm mute

This is a technique where a player uses his picking hand (usually the right hand) to mute the strings while strumming to be able to get a distinct tone. It is very popular in the punk rock world.

The world of guitars is composed of many other new words. One must be able to master these or at least have an idea of what these are to be able to appreciate the wonderful instrument that is the guitar.

Guitars have been used with so much diversity in many musical forms. The instrument is known by many as a classical solo instrument and the basic musical instrument in rock music.

In a previous post we looked at the “lingo”. Now, let’s apply some of what we learned and get acquainted with this magnificent instrument. Here are its parts:

1. Headstock: This is found at the edge of the guitar’s neck. It is tailored with the instrument’s head for adjusting the pitch.

2. Tuners: The tuners keep the strings of the guitar stretched beginning at the base down to the knobs. Tuners likewise allow the guitar player to alter or modify the pitch either flat or sharp, depending on the player’s choice of music.

3. Nut: This is a tiny strip of hard medium or material which supports the strings in the intersection whereby the “headstock” meet up with the “fret board”. The strips can be made of plastic, bone, graphite, brass or any hard medium and indented so as to secure the stings in position. The nut acts as one of several endpoints assisting the tension of the string.

4. Fret board: Also known as the fingerboard, it is a lengthy wood plank inserted with frets of metal that composes the top of the guitar’s neck.

The fret board of a classical guitar is flat and is a little curved diagonally on an electric and acoustic guitar. The curve is calculated by the radius of the fret board that is the range of a “hypothetical circle” of which the surface of the fret board makes up a segment.

The smaller is the radius of the fret board, the more that the curve is evident. When a string is pinched against the board, the string’s “vibrating length” is shortened thus creating a higher pitch sound or tone.

5. Frets: These are strips made of metal, particularly nickel alloy set in alongside the fret board that are positioned in points in conjunction with the string’s length that mathematically divides it.

When the strings are pushed down from the rear of the frets, this cuts the string’s length of vibration to give off different tones or pitches.

6. Neck: The neck is composed of the guitar’s fret board, frets, tuners, truss rod and headstock; all are fastened to long extension made of wood. Usually, the wood that is used for the fret board will be of a different kind from that used on the remaining neck parts.

The firmness or stiffness of the guitar’s neck in accordance to its body is one determining factor of whether it is of good quality or not.

7. Body: The acoustic guitar’s body is an echoing cavity projecting the vibrations through the guitar’s sound hole which enables the audio of such instrument to be clearly heard even with no amplification.

In acoustic guitars, its body is a big determining factor in the overall sound it produces. The soundboard or guitar top is a delicately engineered and crafted component that is usually made out of red cedar, spruce or mahogany.

This very thin slice of wood, generally measuring only 2 - 3 mm thick, supported by different kinds of internal brackets, is the most pronounced and important element in influencing sound quality.

Most of the sound is produced by the guitar’s top vibration as the momentum of the vibrating cords is transmitted to it.

8. Pickups: This is what really amplifies the cords sound. Most guitars have one to a maximum of three pickups. The kind of pickup is reasonably important, depending on a particular sound that you are aspiring for.

9. Pickguard: Commonly called the scratch plate, is a plastic guard or any laminated medium which protects guitar’s top finish.
The pickups as well as almost all electronics in other electric guitars are framed and inserted atop the “pickguard”. On “acoustic guitars” and several “electric guitars”, the pickguard is directly inserted to the top of the guitar, and on guitars having carved tops; the “pickguard” is raised.

10. Bridge: On acoustic guitars, the key objective of the guitar’s bridge is to hand over or shift the string’s vibration to the “soundboard”, which then shudders the air within the guitar, thus increase and strengthen the sound created by the cords or strings.

Go ahead, explore the parts of your guitar to better acquaint you with this wonderful instrument, test it too and see where it will take you. Enjoy!

Caring For Your Guitar: Effects of and Solving Humidity Problems.

The major idea in understanding and being aware of facts about humidity is that what meteorologists refer to as “relative humidity”.

This applies to the air’s ability to take in water or retain or to dry up objects that contain moisture that air surrounds.

The best or perfect level of humidity for a guitar changes from one musical instrument to another, subject to the humidity situations in the workshop or factory where the guitar was assembled.

The humidity at the time that the instrument was being assembled set up the primary dimensions of your guitar. This configuration of dimension is permanently sealed into the entire structure when it is being assembled. Therefore, when humidity changes, each component will expand or shrink unevenly, yet the dimensions of the guitar’s structure will remain uniformly constant.

The most frustrating problem in the care and maintenance of a guitar of high quality is the wood’s tendency either expands or shrinks with humidity changes. Damage brought about by humidity changes requires costly repairs.

Guitars of high quality are made from solid wood all over, which is why these expensive kinds sound much better compared to low-priced instruments. However, solid woods are very much susceptible to changes in humidity because of the fact that they easily can expand or shrink.

High humidity connotes a “waterlogged” sound from your guitar; it will lack projection and volume having a lifeless and damp tone. The guitar can also be damaged structurally when in high humidity.

Usually “bloating” at the back is a problem, most especially when the back of the guitar is made of extremely hard wood, particularly rosewood. This problem is brought about by the expansion of wood causing the glue on the brace’s edge to detach.

When a guitar is kept in the basement, a problem that may occur is wood deterioration triggered by intense humidity resulting in a damp basement area.

The problems brought about by extremely low humidity levels are even more severe. Excessive loss of moisture in the tone woods makes the sound of the guitar brittle. At some point stress on the wood can result in cracks due to uneven shrinkage.
Some ways to fight humidity:

1. Watch your guitar closely. Examine it every so often so you can watch out for signs of humidity. Observe its back; when there is a drop in it will sink a bit and you can notice this clearly. When humidity rises, backs grow an arch. If the back becomes very, very flat, introduce some moisture, such as placing a dish of water in your storage area.

2. Store your guitar in its casing away from any heat, especially in winter. Keep the case lying flat on the floor and never let it lean or hang it on the wall.

3. During certain periods when the humidity is extremely high, keep your guitar in a room where there is available air-conditioning system as it dries out the air.

When outside conditions are not too hot, such as in spring or a rainy day, keep your instrument in a warm room, but do avoid the basement, as it tends to cool a lot.

4. There are many available devices to handle with extreme dryness. When low humidity occurs in your area only in chilly or cold weathers, a furnace-mounted of good quality humidifier can be very effective as well as hassle-free.

There are also console humidifiers having rotating belts that are very efficient and space saving, ideal when your space is limited.

“Dampit,” is a very effective device that is placed inside the guitar to discharge moisture that is directly inside your guitar.

A guitar that is good sounding now can be a wonderful sounding guitar even ten years later as long as it cared for properly and carefully.

The sound of a guitar is created by the echoing of wood. When the wood matures the echoing quality will improve, increasing your guitar’s worth. This, plus the model, make and style that later will not be produced anymore, your guitar could be valued many times your purchase price now, in 15-50 years.

Just keep in mind that a good quality guitar is also an investment worth your trouble.