One of the most common things I hear from fellow guitar players when I ask them if they’ve been playing at all is “man I just don’t have the time”. I totally understand since I’ve been there before myself so I usually throw out this simple guitar playing  tip.

It’s real simple….make sure you see your guitar at all times. Just set that sucker next to the TV, computer or somewhere else where you will be able to see it alot. If it is there you will pick it up, trust me. It will call to you. I started doing it with my PRS Guitar all the time and it worked like a charm.

Hell, even if you pick it up for just two minutes and it doesn’t do anything for you that time, that’s fine, I guarantee there will be that time where a quick pick-up turns into a stress relieving marathon or an inspiring journey of learning and discovery (how’s that for cheesy?).

But seriously, go right now and dig that sucker out from under the mounds of crap in your basement and set it up. If it doesn’t pull a few chords out of you right then and there, just find a good spot to put it and go about your business. It will call to you sooner or later.

Oh and before I let you go, a few words of caution. Wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfreinds, or all of the above, may not find the instrument visually appealing as it relates to your home decor (which is hard to understand if you’ve ever seen my PRS Guitar and now my Taylor). You’ll just have to figure that part out by yourself. I suggest learning or writing a ballad or two (wink, wink).

Happy jamming!

Related posts:

1. Three Ways to Learn Guitar Online
2. Have You Heard About the Self-Tuning Guitar
3. 8 Plus Guitar Tools Every Player Should Have

Get A Free Snark Guitar Tuner!

As a performer and guitar player, I often get asked questions about playing guitar. So I figured I would get them out of my brain and in writing. Today, lets talk guitar tools.

Here are a few that I use that make life with my ax easier and more productive .

1. Electric Tuner - It is ideal knowing how to tune your guitar by ear but if your pitch is a little off, your guitar – and therefore your songs – may sound a little off. Tuners are very inexpensive (as low as $10-$15) and they will ensure that your instrument and your songs are sounding their best. (psst..here’s how you can get one free).
2. Metronome – If you ever want to play in a band or are looking to record anything, it is a good idea to practice with a metronome. These handy little devices will help you stay in time. Again, these are a pretty inexpensive devise to have around ($10-$15). Also, there are some great beat generators that are free to download too. The cool thing about them is that they sound a little more like a drum beat. HammerHead Rhythm Station is one I can think of off the top of my head and you can usual set something up in a DAW’s .
3. Digital Recorder – This little device can really help you improve by keeping you honest. You may think you are sounding good but when you listen to a recording of yourself, you might find out otherwise. Digital recorders always tell the truth and will help you hone your skills. Also, if you are thinking about doing some songwriting, this thing will become your closest friend. You always want to record your ideas because they can escape your mind almost as fast as they came in to it.
4. Small Tool Kit – Get yourself a small tool box or small plastic container and fill it with the following items: string winder, wire cutter, peg puller, cotton cloth, extra picks, extra strings, toothbrush and toothbrush.
5. Notebook - It is a good idea to keep one of these around. You can jot down a few notes after each practice session to keep tabs on your progress. And, like the digital recorder, if you plan on doing any songwriting, you will need one to keep track of all those timeless nuggets flowing from your inner genius.
6. Music Stand - To keep your music organized and positioned right where you can see it.
7. Capo – A capo isn’t absolutely necessary but you will come across tunes that require one.
8. Guitar Lessons DVD’s/Books/Online – If you want to make progress and get better, you are going to need some help. Since personal instruction can be very spendy ($20 an hour and up) and results can vary greatly depending on your instructor, having a reliable set of lessons can be invaluable. The most thorough course, in my opinion, would be Learn and Master Guitar (affiliate link). It is a home study course so you’d have all the material in front of you but there are some great online resources like Jamorama (affiliate link) and GuitarTricks (affiliate link).

There ya go. Once you cross everything off this list, you’ll have everything you need to be the best guitarist you can be.

Hey veterans, what do you think? Did I miss any?  Let us know in the comments below.

Psst, to learn more about guitar tools and how to use them to set-up your guitar like a pro, check out the Learn and Master Spotlight Series: Guitar Set-U (affiliate link).

Like This Stuff? So do 600 plus Musicgoat diehards. Subscribe via RSS now or learn more about what I am doing to find more fans by signing up for the newsletter .

Related posts:

1. Guitar Playing Tip: One Simple Way To Find More Time For Your Guitar
2. Have You Heard About the Self-Tuning Guitar
3. Three Ways to Learn Guitar Online

Distortion can sound great, we all love distorted guitar sounds, however there is a big audible difference between overdriving valves in a guitar amp and overdriving semi pro recording equipment.The following explains how to reduce harsh unpleasant distortion during recording and mixing.

All current digital audio workstations can operate at 24 bit resolution so what does this actually mean and how will it help your music sound better? One of the most important factors of improvement by using 24 resolution in recording and mixing is being able to set your recording and mix gain structure up for lower distortion.

A few easy figures firstly, when you peak an input signal at -18dBFS (on a digital meter) you are still theoretically in excess of the audio resolution of cd quality audio by 30dB. Initially -18dBFS sounds low doesn’t it ? Well in actual fact it is electrically equivalent to +0Vu. A Vu meter is an old school needle type meter on a large format SSL or NEVE mixing console. 0Vu to +4Vu was the nominal suggested channel operating level on these desks, so you see -18dBFS is not as low as you might have first thought.

With this in mind when you make recordings at 24 bit resolution you can now afford to leave much more headroom than you previously did. This has significant advantages related to distortion on your recorded music. When you peak at -18dBFS the electronics in your audio equipment (mic preamps and outboard compressors for example) will be operating more cleanly because the small integrated circuit (IC) opamps which reside in your equipment will not be working as close to their operational limits. As such cleaner less distorted recording will be made. This is just the first advantage at the recording stage of operating with lots of digital headroom.

In addition when you next start mixing a track try this different technique of creating a reference instrument to mix against. I suggest peaking your kick or snare drum at -18dBFS on your master stereo output bus and balancing the instrumentation against this as a reference instrument. There may be temptation to adjust the level but try not to change it by more than a dB or 2 and balance all other mix elements against it. By doing so, you will have built in significant mix bus headroom from the outset. This is great because you have just upgraded your monitoring courtesy of not running the small opamp IC’s in your soundcards outputs (post digital to analogue conversaion) at such hot levels. i.e. less distortion and cleaner monitoring. The icing on the cake is that your 24 bit mix will be perfectly levelled for either self finalizing or professional online mastering.

Guest post: Barry Gardner operates SafeandSound online mastering a low cost high quality online mastering studio.

Like This Stuff? So do 600 plus Musicgoat diehards. Subscribe via RSS now or learn more about what I am doing to find more fans by signing up for the newsletter .

No related posts.

I just had to share this with all you guitar players out there. Check this out. Gibson has developed a self-tuning guitar.

Not only does it handle standard tunings but it also has presets for alternate tunings. Great news for anyone who wants spice up the play list without the need to spend the time or lug around multiple guitars.

Now if someone could come up with a way for the guitar to change its own strings.

Related posts:

1. Guitar Playing Tip: One Simple Way To Find More Time For Your Guitar
2. 8 Plus Guitar Tools Every Player Should Have
3. Three Ways to Learn Guitar Online

This stuff comes right out the “I wish they had this stuff when I was a kid” category. Check out these sites and develop, or start learning, your guitar chops.

Pick your medium. I’ve only found three but I just bet there are quite a bit more

Via video – GuitarTricks.com

Via email – GuitarTips.com.au

Via blog – GuitarMX.com

Like I said, I just bet there are a ton more out there. Come on…share the love brothas and sistas! Show us what you got in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Guitar Playing Tip: One Simple Way To Find More Time For Your Guitar
2. Things You Should Know About Guitar Strings
3. 8 Plus Guitar Tools Every Player Should Have

Hey! Do you want a really short blog post telling you where you can go kill some time and maybe even write a hit single?

I thought so.

Go now and check out the website Chordstudio. You can choose your very own chords and then pick the instruments to play them.

No musical talent required and you might even learn something. What could possibly be more entertaining than that?

Related posts:

1. How To Write A Song – Study The Masters
2. Three Ways to Learn Guitar Online
3. Top Twenty List of Music Review Blogs

Are you thinking about learning an instrument or maybe just sharpening your skills? Check out this cool site. A week or so ago I came across this cool site. The good people over at the Berklee School of Music are offering some free music lessons.

They have a little something for everyone. You can get great instruction from these professionals on instruments like guitar, horns, keyboards and drums as well as tips on being a DJ and using turntables. You can also let them help you develop your singing voice.

Check it out. Very cool.

Related posts:

1. Three Ways to Learn Guitar Online

Being a child of the 80′s, I remember when everyone had a boombox. They were everywhere and pumping out everything from Run DMC to Slayer. I figured they were a thing of the past.

But then, the other day I stumbled across this state-of-the-art beauty and had to share. Check it out – TDK Life on Record 77000015360 3-Speaker Boombox Audio System(affiliate link).

No related posts.