However, as some of you may have already discovered, you don’t necessarily need to leave your computer to get that relaxing feeling you get from picking up your guitar!

Instead, let your computer open up another dimension of guitar playing.

Today, there is an abundance of computer software that can enhance your playing experience.

Software ranges from the most small and basic shareware (some of which is quite practical), to the extremely elaborate, technically advanced, and expensive industry standard software. For people who are just starting to feel their way around the world of guitar software, the choices can be quite confusing. Here are some software applications that are definitely worth checking out.

“I’m a Mac user!”

The choice is simple. If you are just starting to explore playing guitar and using computers to enhance the experience, check out Garage Band (http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/).

It’s available in the iLife 04 software package. Garage Band is a thorough but simple application that allows you to record, edit, and create your own music. It is specifically designed for beginners to intermediate musicians, and includes pre-recorded loops from multiple instruments with a drop and drag interface. You can be your own one man band without even having to be able to read music!

Keep at it, and you will eventually progress to serious musician. At this stage, you will want to take a look at Logic Pro 7 (http://www.apple.com/logic/).

This could set you back some serious pocket money and is recommended only for people mad about their music. It uses plug-and-play and allows you to network computers to create a massive audio lab. There is not much that Logic Pro 7 can’t do.

“Hold up… I use Windows!”

Not to worry, Windows users have a far greater selection of software to choose from. But with greater choice, comes the task of sorting out the good from the bad.

To save you some time, check out Cakewalk (http://www.cakewalk.com/).

Cakewalk offers numerous applications for the guitar user who is PC literate. They offer software that ranges from to easy-to-use studio applications for all guitar players (Guitar Tracks Pro), to sophisticated production tools (Sonar 4 Production Edition). Their website is worth a visit, as it lists in details all their software and what you can achieve with it.

Another handy piece of software exclusive to Windows users is Power Tab Editor (http://www.power-tab.net/).

As the name suggests, it is a tablature editor specifically designed to create scores for acoustic and bass guitars. It is designed for beginners and advanced players alike. Smart inclusions are a chord and tuning dictionary and printable power tab scores. Best of all, it’s free and can be downloaded from the website.

“Now that I’ve married my guitar to my computer, is there anything else I should check out?”

Of course, there is plenty of stuff out there! To get you started, here are three very practical websites that Guitar Tips Online recommends.

http://www.chordfind.com
A site that allows you to find chords at the click of a button using easy to read diagrams

http://www.metronomeonline.com
An online metronome with too many user options to list. You’ll never miss a beat!

http://www.actiontab.com/view_actiontab.html
A great way to supplement you Guitar Tips learning process is with this easy to use guitar tutor website.

Have a look around the Internet and guitar shops to get a better idea of the range of software available. There is a lot to choose from, and it varies in quality and price. Unfortunately the latter doesn’t necessarily affect the former, so if the software is going set you back some hard earned cash, always try to demo it first.

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Primarily, they cover the octave well (i.e., wholly and at a practical resolution), so there is no necessitate for more chords (to match anyone’s vocal range). Second, for the guitar they include a large number of “full” and simply fingered and easily strummed chords. By the word “full” I mean a chord that includes all six guitar strings. “Easily fingered” means that typically just 3 fingers are required (in “home” position), and that the fingering is not awkward. “Easily strummed” means that (since the E and A (bass) strings are incorporated) the “alternate bass” strum pattern can be used with no fear of unintentionally hitting a note that is not in the chord.

Lastly, learning chords needs some effort, and there is no point to learning a huge number of them when a smaller quantity will do just as well. From time to time you will have to discover another chord to do a particular song, and you can learn such chords when the need arises.

The “essential” (harmonically related) chords for the keys listed above are as follows:

Key of A: Chords A D E
Key of C: Chords C F G
Key of D: Chords D G A
Key of E: Chords E A B
Key of G: Chords G C D

The preceding keys matching the segment C G D A E of the circle of fifths. These keys include zero, one, two, three and four sharps. Traditionally, music for instruments that are played on the treble clef (e.g., guitar, trumpet, and clarinet) is typically written in keys having sharps, and music for instruments that are played on the bass clef (e.g., trombone, baritone) is frequently written in keys having flats. The limitation of the keys to the set C G D A E is conventional for the guitar.

The fundamental chords for the keys C G D A E match to the full “natural-name” (unflatted and unsharped names) segment F C G D A E B of the circle.

Learn these chords well, so that you can play them without difficulty by heart, and with no looking at your fingers. When you start, your fingers will get sore, even with nylon strings. In a pair of weeks, your fingertips will build up calluses, and no longer be sore.

There are numerous other chords than the ones (major, minor, and seventh chords) mentioned before, and they are used in a lot of pieces. As you go on, you may desire to learn and use them. They add diversity and richness to music, but you can go with a large number (and proportion) of popular songs without them. To get well on the road to playing by ear, the ones listed above will do just fine for starters.

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If you are not acquainted with what feedback is — it’s that awful high pitched noise that comes from speakers.

It typically happens when you put your microphone too close to the amplifier or play your guitar straight in front of the amp.

Not only does this harm your ears, but it puts your spectators off when they come to listen to your playing!

Now I’m not an authority on the dynamics of feedback. But I have performed on stage lots of times and have learnt a some tricks to evade feedback from occurring…

The primary step is to turn down your treble on your speaker. A lot of treble invites feedback so don’t have too much treble in your loudspeaker settings.

The second thing is to turn the volume level on your guitar up just 3/4. Don’t turn your volume up full as this is invites enormous feedback! Only 3/4 and I promise you will decrease feedback at least 80% with this tip.

The other advice is to turn down the gain or distortion on your amplifier. When you play tenderly, you can turn your gain maximum. When you begin playing with some grave volume, turn your gain just 50%.

Lastly, if you’re using sound effects pedals, only turn it up 3/4 the way. Similar to your guitar — constantly leave a bit of leeway as it offers more control over the sound and keeps your playing tight!

Keep in mind this - if you are controlling your volumes, you lessen the level of feedback and have a much tighter sound. If you turn everything up maximum and try to rule the world - you’ll sound a muddle and out of control.

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All of them are played in the first box of minor pentatonic and consist of short repetitive phrases - chops. We’ll play them in the key A if you don’t mind. Once you learned these phrases, please move them to other commonly played in rock music keys: E, G, D, etc.

In some clichés found interesting shifting effect by overlapping three-note motive to the four-beat time:

Because these phrases are played with distortion, try to play carefully and watch your playing with mediator, mute some string when it’s necessary.

So, let’s look into them in more details:

Cliché 1 - is one of the most frequently used rock licks, without exaggeration, it is used by almost all rock guitarists:

To properly play it grasp barre with your first finger on the 5th fret and do not remove it until bending the 2nd string on the 8th fret. Bending the 3d string is done by your 3d and 2d fingers.

Please note muting the bend: it is carried out by removing fingers from the 3d strings, moreover, while stroking the mediator on 1 and 2 strings, the first phalange of your thumb of the right hand touches the 3d string, thus, withdrawing the unwanted sound. 1 and 2 strings are not muted.

Cliché 2 is derived from the previous one:

Cliché 3 – is a very popular chop:

Cliche 5 in the phrase double-stops are used widely (intervals, in this case are the major thirds):

Please note that double-stops are taken with barre, not with different fingers, only when playing the 4th string the barre is withdrawn. Such bending is frequently used in the first box and other licks.

Cliché 6 - recurring phrase by the 16th notes:

Here the barre is not used because it only will grip your hand. For more confident performance master the sheaf of 16th triplets separately.

After you have mastered these phrases and transferred them to other keys, try changing the rhythm: play along with 8th and 16th triplets would greatly enhance your guitar playing.

These and similar ideas you can find in the next solos:

Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Tinkertrain
Nazareth - Right Between The Eyes
Motley Crue - Anarchy In U.K
Poison - Apples

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Sound is a natural phenomenon caused by oscillatory movements of air elements or other surroundings. These fluctuations in the air form sound waves, which are captured by ear. As a result, a certain feeling arises - sound audibility.

In our lifes we hear different sounds: the noise of rain, wind, the machine engines, birds singing, the sound of musical instruments, etc. All of them fall into noise and musical. Music sounds, in contrast to the noise, has certain definite characteristics: height, duration, timbre, the volume.

The height of the sound depends on the frequency of vibration, in other words on the number of oscillations per second. The more of them, the sound is thinner, faster, lighter, in other words - higher. The less oscillations, the heavier the sound is - lower. The number of fluctuations, in its turn, depends on the elasticity of a sounding body, such as the string tension (the more the string, is taut the higher the sound is), as well as its length and thickness (the longer and thicker the string is, the lower the sound it produces).

The length of sound depends on the length of fluctuations of sounding body. Timbre (sound coloring) depends on the number of overtones, accompanying each sound. The volume depends on the amplitude of fluctuations (the greater the amplitude the louder the sound).

All music sounds are located in a sequential ascending or descending order form the scale. If we compare with each other all sounds of the scales, we can make sure that each and every one of them at some distance higher or lower has a corresponding sound. These fusing sounds share the same names. The minimum distance between them is called octave.

The keyboard is vividly demonstrates this system: white keys are the basic sounds, black keys are supported.

As we can see the keys are the same in each octave.

To raise or lower the sound the alteration symbols are used:

(sharp) - semi-tone rise.
(flat) - Loss of semi-tone.
(natural) – canceling of sharp or flat.

Thus, the same sound may be called differently. For instance the sound between of the C and D: C sharp or D flat. This phenomenon is called enharmonic.

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