Radio Interview - InDepth You
Posted on March 4, 2008
Filed Under General Interest | Leave a Comment
Hello folks,
Here’s a link to an interview I recently did for an on-line radio show. Lots of fun.
Enjoy,
John
New Kid in Blog-ville
Posted on August 13, 2007
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Hello to anyone who may be reading this. Playtheguitar.com has been around for awhile but mostly as a static Q & A type of page. Recently I’ve been brought - kicking and screaming - into the blog world. My buddy and web-meister Chuck says this (blogging) is the think to do. When it comes to web stuff the C-Man is usually right so I’ve agreed to give it a try. Everything that was posted on this site up to today was simply cut and paste from the old site. This - yes, this that you are reading right now - is my first real blogging.
Here’s the deal I’ve spent much of my life studying the guitar and how it is used in several style of music (rock, pop. classical, blues, bluegrass and a bit of jazz). The music I’m most conversent with is fingerstyle acoustic guitar. You can find sample of my music on www.freesologuitar.com and http://myspace.com/morganguitar.
Along the way I’ve picked up a few things - some large and some small that may help you become a better musician and guitarist. If you ask a question that I can answer I’ll be happy to do so. Feel free to give it a shot and I’m sure we’ll both learn something along the way.
John Read more
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Tabs - to play | Leave a Comment
tabledit file of Redemption Song
Getting Started on Guitar
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Beginning Guitar | 14 Comments
I’m 13 years old, and i just got an electric guitar (Gibson) and i am so confused. Do you have any tips for me?
- yasmin
Yasmin,
Congratulations on getting a guitar for Christmas. The guitar is a great instrument – lots of fun to play but it takes a little effort to figure it out.
Here some good starting points:
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Understanding the Fretboard
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Fretboard | 1 Comment
Many years ago I was playing with a band at Christian Coffee House in a Northeast Ohio resort town, just a seagull’s swoop from Lake Erie. Late in the evening, a fellow who had been imbibing freely at one of the many local watering holes wandered in. He stared at our bass player for over 45 minutes, mesmerized as Steve’s fingers flew flawlessly up and down the neck of his Fender Precision Bass. When we finished the entranced listener immediate came up to Steve and said, “Man, you know your notes!” He spent the next half hour regaling the rest of the band with slight variations on “Man, that guy really knows his notes!”
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Yet another question regarding tab
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Tabs - Understanding | 3 Comments
How can I read tabs in the guitar!!!!!
Tablature (Tab for short) is a kind of musical notation that works very well for guitar and other fretted instruments. Unlike the piano and single note instruments such as the trumpet, flute and clarinet, the guitar can play the same note in more than one location. An “A” note can be played on the fifth fret of the low E string or on the open A string. If you see “A” written on a piece of music, which location will you choose?
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Finger stretches
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Technique | 2 Comments
I am having trouble playing notes on tabs because my fingers wont stretch far enough or they’re just too short. i try really hard to get it right, but it just doesn’t work. do you have any suggestions that would help me? Natalie
Natalie,
I’m not sure what specific problems you are having with stretches but one of the advantages of the guitar is that there are lots of “work-arounds” once you learn something about how the fretboard works. Here are a couple of thoughts:
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Those knobs on the guitar
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Hardware | 1 Comment
First off thanks for answering my last question it was really helpful. So here’s my next one you know those tone knobs on electric guitars, what are they supposed to do exactly? because whenever i turn mine the sound doesn’t change. Oh wait i just thought of another one is there such a thing as a standard action height and if so what is it? and again thanks so much for making this site it’s awesome. God Bless!!!!!
Matt, glad to be helpful.
Guitars can be wired in different ways but generally speaking there are two knobs for each pickup on an electric guitar. One controls the volume, the other controls the tone.
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Teaching a child to play guitar
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Beginning Guitar | 4 Comments
(This response was given to a question regarding how to begin teaching a your child - 8 years old - guitar. - JDM)
Ellyn,
The first thing you want to do is get in tune. If you have some kind of reference point (i.e. a piano, keyboard, a pitch pipe or an electronic tuner) that would be very helpful.
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Tab - What does this mean?
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Tabs - Understanding | 1 Comment
What do the letters mean like the song?
Example:
e |——————————————————————|X2
B |——————————————————————B|
G |——————————————————————-|
D |——–6———4———6——-4p2—————————-|
A |-0-0-2—–0-0-2—–0-0-2—-0-0-2——————————–|
E |——————————————————————-| Caleb
Caleb,
The letters on the left side of the diagram are the names of the strings - the notes that each string is tuned to. The lower case “e” is the 1st string (unwound), the B is the 2nd unwound string, G is the thinnest wound string, etc.
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