by Manuel Marino | Guitar, Music
Every guitarist will tell you that the first guitar you own is the one that will hold a special place in your heart for the rest of your life. It’s there for you when you’re tired from practicing chords, and it’s there for you when you sing a melody from start to finish for the first time. That’s why it’s crucial to give proper attention to the task of buying your first guitar. If you’re interested in doing it the smart way, keep reading.
First and foremost, you need to determine your budget and goals for this instrument. This means understanding where you plan on playing it and what purpose you have in mind. For instance, if you aspire to be a professional guitarist, you’ll undoubtedly want a high-quality guitar that may come at a higher price. However, if you’re just looking to play for fun or with some friends, a standard, affordable instrument will suffice.
Next, consider the physical characteristics that matter most to you. Perhaps you have a specific look in mind for the body or neck of the guitar, or maybe you care about the materials from which it’s made. These factors can impact both the sound … ...Read the rest.
“Tips On How To Buy A Guitar”
by Manuel Marino | Guitar, Music
Photo by judy_breck
Guitar improvisation is an essential aspect of playing, as it can help you master different lead guitar scales and enable you to play solos.
Guitar improvisation can be divided into various categories, such as utilizing scales like the blues scale, minor and major pentatonic scales, and others, along with applying techniques like bends and tapping. Many guitarists spend a lot of time trying to learn how to solo using only one or two scales.
Most guitarists typically rely on the 5th and 12th frets, but this is not true improvisation. Guitar improvisation involves using more scales and exploring the entire fretboard. The scales that can be used for guitar improvisation include the basic scales. There are primarily five basic scales that every lead guitarist should be able to play.
Learning these scales will help you in several ways: building finger strength so that your fingers can work independently on the fretboard, training your ears to recognize standard note combinations, and providing you with multiple note options for guitar improvisation and composing music.
Once you are familiar with the basic scales, you can move on to the open position major scales.
Open position major scales represent the five … ...Read the rest.
“Using Major Scale Patterns For Lead Guitar Improvisation”
by Manuel Marino | Guitar, Music
Photo by Surat Lozowick
Bending strings is used to give the guitar a more personalized and harmonic quality. This technique is primarily used by lead guitar players but is also employed in various styles of playing. When it comes to shaping your playing style, two major components are vibrato techniques and string bending. The combination of these skills largely defines what sets your playing apart from others.
The goal is to bend the strings to reach the desired pitch. Using three fingers instead of just one to bend the string is the key to achieving this. Place your third finger on the fret you intend to bend and position your first and second fingers on the frets behind it. Utilize the strength of all three fingers when performing a bend.
For example, fret the note on the 7th fret of the third string with your third finger, while your other fingers are on the 6th and 5th frets. The objective is to bend this note up one step, equivalent to two frets, and then release the string to return it to its original pitch. Before attempting the bend, play the note on the 9th fret as a reference. The goal … ...Read the rest.
“Playing Guitar – What Is String Bending?”
Manuel is a passionate, driven, and techsavvy AV technician, 
Recent Comments