How to get a Jazz Guitar Sound By Adrian Martin
The word Jazz often evokes a darkly light Smokey club with musicians expertly improvising against seemingly complex chord progressions. Featuring passionate tone – getting that jazz sound can be a complex process – in this article we’ll address what you’ll need to get a great jazz guitar sound.
A Jazz Guitar
Getting the right guitar for a jazz sound used to be expensive. Jazz masters such as Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass may have played expensive Gibson Semi’s but these days there are a variety of entry level guitars that are suitable for getting a jazz tone.
For an authentic jazz tone, you should have a semi-acoustic hollowbody electric guitar. Models such as the Gibson ES-175 or the Gretch Tennessean can run into thousands of dollars but there are also excellent entry models such as Ibanez Artcore line of guitars. Guitar manufacturers such as Yamaha or Guild also make entry level semi-acoustics similar to the more expensive Gibson 335. There are also numerous Epiphone hollowbody guitars that will also be suitable and come from the Gibson stable. Explore your local music store and try out what they look for something that is comfortable to play and can produce a tight clean tone with plenty of sustain.
Hollow body guitars will provide a suitable mellow tone and most will be fitted with two humbucker pickups allowing you to vary your sound accordingly. Most guitars will be fitted with tone controls. Practice rolling the treble off your tone and experimenting – Jazz guitarists often play with a less trebly sound as it produces a rich mellow resonance that is suitable for the style.
A Jazz Guitar Amplifier
Whilst it could be said that there is “no jazz amp” there are a number of considerations for the jazz guitarist when selecting an amplifier. Firstly it is important to determine the playing style and sound that you wish to attain. Traditional jazz guitarists often choose amps that can produce a clean sound which compliment acoustic archtop guitars. For this sound solid state amps produce a nice clean tone. For a more distorted sound a tube amp may be more applicable. There are many popular amps that are used by Jazz guitarists for example – try experimenting with a Fender Pro or a Polytone Another requirement may be on board effects this may range from simple reverb to an overdrive channel – again this will depend on the style your trying to achieve.
Effects
Traditional Jazz may only require a hint of reverb but many modern jazz guitarists apply a range of effects from Chorus, Overdrive through to delay. There are many effects units available from single stomp boxes to complex digital “modeling” devices such as the Line 6 Pod. When choosing effects ensure they compliment your playing style and that you retain that “clarity” in your tone. Too many effects often muddy the sound and do not produce a quality sound.
Conclusion
In summary there are primarily 3 things that you should investigate when trying to get a jazz tone. Ultimately you should also listen to a wide range of jazz greats – listen closely to their sounds and try to emulate them. Ultimately when you have done this a few times they will begin to merge and you will begin to develop your own tone that will sound equally brilliant!
ShanzuGuitars.com offers the latest guitar news, resources, online lessons,tools and tips for budding guitarists everywhere.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Martin
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How to get a Jazz Guitar Sound
Fender Guitar - A Rock-N-Roll Legend
Fender Guitar - A Rock-N-Roll Legend
By Daniel Wright
"Fender" is the dream of every lover of the guitar. It's one of the most popular guitars, being used by many guitarists. Before going to buy one of the various types of fender guitar, let us take a overview of the Fender musical instruments corporation.
Arizona is the home of this guitar manufacturer. The wild success of Fender's "Stratocaster" and "Telecaster" guitars has helped it's rise to fame. A solid body is a feature of both of these electric guitars. Even though many popular brands of electric guitars are on the market today, the reputation and likability of Fender guitars is without comparison.
To date the Fender guitar at the top of the popularity list is the Fender Stratocaster. The Stratocaster is a solid body electric guitar which features a maple neck and maple, rosewood or ebony fret board. This versatile guitar also has three single-coil pick-ups. The Stratocaster is known for being able to produce a very diverse spectrum of sounds. Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and many other guitar greats have chosen to use Fender guitars.
Likewise, another well-known Fender guitar is the "Fender Telecaster". This electric guitar has two single-coil pick-ups. The Telecaster is popular for its prominent sound quality. Even today, after almost six decades of its birth, the Telecaster continues to impress millions with its crystal clear sound. Many beautiful melodies have been developed on the Fender Telecaster.
Fender manufactures other electric guitars like the "Fender Esquire". Designed in 1950, the Esquire had one single-coil pick-up. This guitar is also a solid body guitar. Though essentially being a single pick-up guitar, the Fender Esquire never failed to impress the audience with its perfect tone and melody.
If you know the type of sound quality you want in a guitar, then it's not hard to select a Fender guitar to meet your needs. Fender electric guitars are available worldwide, plus there are many online music stores where you can purchase your chosen musical instrument.
Browse dozens of Fender guitars and hundreds of other electric guitars at The Guitar Center. New merchandise every day!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Wright
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Popular Brands of Electric Guitars
Popular Brands of Electric Guitars By Victor Epand
Are you an guitar freak? Do you want to know about the popular brands of electric guitars? Then here is the just what you want.
There is a long list of popular electric guitar brands. Information about some of the most popular ones among them is given below.
Fender:
Fender is a very renowned name in the arena of electric guitars. Mr. Leo Fender introduced this company in the year 1946. For times, Fender has supplied series of brilliant electric guitars. Their guitars are used in every genre of music. Like, rock, pop, rock and roll etc.
They have got different models of electric guitars like, VG Stratocaster, American Deluxe telecaster, Showmaster FAT HH (Flame Ash Top), Showmaster QMT HH (Quilt Maple Top) etc.
Ibanez:
Ibanez is another popular brand of electric guitars. Mr. Hoshino Gakki started this company in 1978.
Ibanez have a varied range of electric guitars. Like, Ibanez RG220, Ibanez IJX40, Ibanez GRG170DX, and Ibanez SZ320 etc.
Ibanez has made some brand new guitars in 2007. They are, Xiphos XPT700 (X Series), V Blade VBT700 (X Series), RG 8 String RG2228 (RG Series).
Gibson
This is one of the best among popular brands of electric guitars. Mr. Orville Gibson founded this company in 1902.
Some brilliant models of Gibson electric guitars are, Gibson ES175 Reissue Electric Guitar, Gibson ES137 Custom Electric Guitar, Gibson Standard SG Electric Guitar, and Gibson SG Standard Left Handed Electric Guitar.
Washburn:
This company was started in Chicago, in the year 1883. From then on it has not stopped creating quality guitars.
Washburn WI66PRO Idol Pro Electric Guitar, Washburn HB30 Hollow Body Electric Guitar, Washburn WI64DL TBL Electric Guitars are some of their high in demand guitar models.
Yamaha:
Yamaha is a very old and reputed company. They are somehow different from other popular brands of electric guitars. This company is in the instrument circuit since the end of 1800. But at that time they used to make organs. In 1900 they made piano. And in 1942, they started making guitars. Their guitars are very much popular and loved by various musicians all over the world.
Some very popular Yamaha electric guitar models are, Yamaha AES420 BL Guitar, Yamaha AES420 RM Guitar, Yamaha PAC012 Pacifica Electric Guitar Pack BL, and Yamaha PAC012 Pacifica Electric Guitar Pack DBM.
ESP:
ESP is a very famous brand now. E.S.P. stands for Electric Sound Products. At first they used to make replacement parts of other guitars. But from 1976 onwards they started making guitars.
ESP LTD Standard M100 guitars, ESP LTD H200 , ESP LTD Standard EX50, ESP LTD Deluxe EC1000 etc.
These are some popular brands of electric guitars. These brands of guitars are useful, user friendly, stylish and of good quality. Sometimes they are a bit expensive. But it is worth spending handsome amount of money for real good brands.
Overall these brands are very famous and they have a reputation to keep. So you can rely on them and can believe that they won't let you down.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: electric guitars, yamaha guitars, fender guitars, drums, drum sets, and synthesizers, keyboards.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand
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Guitars - Yamaha
Guitars - Yamaha
By Michael Russell
In the world of guitars, Yamaha isn't exactly the first company that you think of. Known more for keyboards, digital pianos and synthesizers, Yamaha still makes some decent guitars which are more than reasonably priced. We're going to go over some of the guitars that this 40 year old company makes.
Yamaha started in 1966 long before the first synthesizer came out. But by the mid 80s they were making some of the best synthesizers on the market, including the classic Dx-7. But in spite of their reputation as a keyboard giant, the land of guitars was not very far away.
Yamaha guitars are not the fanciest looking models around but they do have a decent sound. The AES series includes the AES 420 through 920 series numbers, with the exception of the 820 which doesn't exist. No explanation is given for the missing number.
The Pacifica series, which has a somewhat sleeker look than the AES series, includes the PAC 012 through 812, again missing a couple of series numbers including, again, the 8 series. They must have something against that number. Yamaha was always very unoriginal when it came to naming instrument models, whether they were keyboards or guitars.
The Gigmaker series is one of Yamaha's newest additions. The look is very similar to the Pacifica series but that's where the similarities end. The Gigmaker series features 20-watt, 2-channel drive guitar amp, protective gig bag, Qwik Tune Digital chromatic tuner, guitar cable, instructional DVD, guitar strap, extra strings and guitar picks. It may not sound like a big deal for those who have purchased the bigger name brands but for the price, this isn't a bad guitar. The best part about this series is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. Even if you drop it off of a building, they'll replace it free of charge.
One of the smaller series of guitars as far as how many are made, is the E series, which consists of only three models, the 112, 103 and 121. The guitars are actually very well made and come with not two, but three pickups. Two single coil and one humbucking pickup. Plus, they come with a vintage vibrato system and tremolo bar. And they don't cost a fortune.
Another small series of guitars is the RGX series. Consisting of the 320, 520 and XA2, these guitars feature two Yamaha humbucker pickups and the original Yamaha AES series bridge. The three position pickup switch is a nice touch.
The Archtop series of guitars, which have some really fat looking bodies include not one but seven different models. They come with three single bar coil pickups, duel three way selector switches and a chrome Bigsby tremolo. These are some nice sounding guitars.
Rounding out their line of electric guitars is the Eterna. This guitar also comes with three pickups, two single coil and one humbucking.
No, you won't find Yamaha guitars being played by your bigger rock and roll bands, but that's not to say that they don't make a decent instrument, especially for somebody who doesn't have $2500 to spend.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
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Best Acoustic Guitars
Best Acoustic Guitars
By Damian Sofsian
Some of the best-built acoustic guitars include the Alvarez, Gibson and Yamaha. The Alvarez offers the Yairi models. Their Aj60SC acoustic electric and the 12 string are two of the most popular. These models have a solid spruce top with maple back and sides. The have die-cast tuners, white pearl rosette, multiple binding and the Alvarez logo on their headstock. They are comfortable to play and have a powerful sound.
The handmade Gibson models offer many choices for beginner and seasoned guitar players. There are two new Gibson models that have recently hit the market and are making quite an impact --The J-150 and the J-200. The J-150 is reasonably priced (much less than the J-200), but has all the features and sound of the J-200. It has a big body, solid spruce top, figured maple back and sides, mother-of-pearl crown inlays, decorated pickguard, and the trademark Moustache bridge. The differences in the two guitars are mainly cosmetics. The J-150 is not bound on the neck and headstock or around the truss cover like the J-200 is. The J-200 has a more colorful pickguard and stands out a bit more than the J-150. But, they basically sound the same.
Finally, the Yamaha has introduced a premium acoustic guitar at a very moderate price. The FG series Yamaha's come with solid Sitka spruce tops, multiple top binding, bound fretboards, and precision craftsmanship. The Yamahas look and sound fantastic and are considered the best buy for any serious guitar player. Serious players will tell you that the Yamaha sounds as good, if not better, than guitars that cost hundreds of dollars more.
Acoustic Guitars provides detailed information on Acoustic Guitars, Acoustic Guitar Tabs, Left Handed Acoustic Guitars, Used Acoustic Guitars and more. Acoustic Guitars is affiliated with Used Banjos.
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Tools For Learning Guitar
Tools For Learning Guitar
Submitted By: Jon Broderick
Guitarists are insatiable learners and the world is full of great guitar learning material. First of all, there are countless tablature books which show you in the easy-to-learn guitar tablature format how to play all your favorite songs even if you can’t read sheet music. If you can read sheet music, then there is sheet music available for every popular artist and thousands of classical and lesser-known composers. There are also “method books” that teach how to play a particular style, and there are instructional guitar DVDs that show you and tell you everything a single guitarist knows how to do. There are books with CDs full of audio examples, there are DVDs that come with tablature books; the list of available guitar learning resources is endless.
Guitar lessons are still the number one way that guitarists pick up new information. In-person guitar lessons with a local guitar teacher are probably the most effective way to learn new things about the guitar. The world is full of part-time and full-time guitar teachers, who put their heart and soul into teaching their students how to be an ever-improving guitar learning machine. Guitar teachers are expensive, however, and not everyone has the money or the time to commit to in-person lessons. So while this is a truly effective method, it is not for everyone.
Over the last 5 years, online guitar lessons have become an outstanding resource for guitarists wanting to learn guitar at a convenient pace and at very low cost. In my opinion, online guitar lessons have come of age, and are now the best tool for learning guitar available to anyone anywhere. I don’t propose that online guitar lessons should supplant books, sheet music, DVDs, and in-person guitar lessons. What I would like to suggest is that online guitar lessons are more convenient, cheaper, more useable, and provide more breadth of information than any other method available.
Convenience: Tablature books are OK, as long as they come with some audio examples. DVDs are OK, as long as they come with a book. The problem is that keeping your place in the book and your place on the CD/DVD in synch is difficult. Every time you take a break (every day basically) you lose your place and have to synch up all over again. Online guitar lessons, on the other hand, solve the problem of synching the tab, explanation, and audio/video samples. A web page is the ultimate guitar lesson format: audio, video, and text all together in one document.
Price: Books and DVDs have to be manufacturer, shipped, and inventoried. If you have ever burned a CD or made some copies at a copy shop, you know that manufacturing a product costs real money. Imagine if you had to turn around and sell your product at a profit? Shipping a book or DVD to the retailer is another expense in traditional publishing that occurs before the product is even ready to be sold. Inventory, the hidden expense, can be the largest: every month the book sits in the store, it costs the owner a percent of the price to pay for it to be kept out of the rain, and if the inventory is bought on credit, there is interest on the loan as well. All told, it is no wonder there are few places that sell guitar lesson products even in a large city.
Breadth: Guitar books generally can only have a few hundred pages; DVDs can only hold a couple of hours of video. A web site can expand to the size of a whole library full of books and DVDs. This is one aspect of the size advantage of online guitar lessons, but the more important aspect is this: getting a book published is so difficult, that many great guitarists simply never try it. Publishing a web site is so easy that many fantastic guitarists who would never previously have published their knowledge can now publish their guitar lessons online where you can find them.
As you can see, online guitar lessons have significant advantages that should make them an important part of any guitarist’s learning strategy. As the internet continues to grow, and the use of video on the internet spreads, look for online guitar lessons to one day be the recognized leader in helping guitarists improve their skills in a convenient, inexpensive way.
About the Author:
Jon has been playing guitar for over 30 years. He is the webmaster for http://www.guitartricks.com/, which has been publishing online guitar lessons since 1998. Guitar Tricks now has over 2500 lessons from 43 guitar instructors from all over the world.
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Classical Guitar
Classical Guitar Submitted By: Charlie Buquette
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
Article Tags: classical, guitar, strings
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