Guitarist

The quality of your guitar sound depends on a range of different factors. Even guitarists with a cheap set up can shape a good sound. On the other hand, there are some musicians who build rigs out of the very best gear going and still are somehow able to make nothing but the sound of a cat slowly dying. An incredibly essential point when it comes to shaping your guitar sound is one that often flies over peoples’ heads: setting up your guitar amplifier.

If you’re still getting familiar with playing your acoustic guitar, then changing the strings can seem a little bit daunting. But don’t be scared! You don’t need to pay a qualified technician to do it for you! Once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy and can be pretty satisfying. Simply follow our step-by-step string-changing guide and watch your self-confidence grow string-by-string. In this blog, we’re focussing on changing the strings of a standard steel-string acoustic guitar. If you play a classical or Spanish guitar and want to change your strings, you can find some helpful tips on how to do it here.

The most iconic guitars of all time are still made by guitar giants, Fender and Gibson. When a guitarist is asked to think of a well-known single-cut model, they’re probably going to be thinking of the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Telecaster. When you ask them to name the first double-cut they can think of, it’s probably going to be a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson SG. Gibson’s daughter company, Epiphone, also make versions of legendary Gibson models while Fender’s daughter company, Squier, does the same with their iconic models.

“When do I need to change my guitar strings?” While this question comes up a lot, there’s no clear-cut answer that will suit every guitarist. Many famous guitarists actually change their strings completely after every gig, but for most … less-famous guitarists, this might be a bit much. So, how regularly should you be changing your strings? Every month? Every year? Only when one of them breaks?

So, you’ve already decided that you want to start playing the acoustic guitar, but how are you supposed to know what kind of acoustic guitar you want and which is actually the best to start learning with? In this here blog, we aim to offer all beginner guitarists a basic explanation of the differences between steel-string guitars and classical or Spanish guitars, to hopefully leave you fully equipped with the information you need to make the right decision. The first thing we’ll say is, maybe check out your favourite band or artist and see what they’re playing first. There’s a pretty big chance that they’re making the sound you want to hear and playing the kind of guitar that you want.

It seems like a fairly simple question: how can I connect my electric or acoustic guitar to a computer, like a PC, Mac or laptop, smartphone or tablet? It may or may not be a surprise to hear that our helpdesk get asked this question a lot, and quite right, since this kind of stuff is not always as straightforward as it seems. In this blog, we cover all the ways and means you can hook up your guitar and start playing and recording.

Singing while playing guitar or piano, or any other combination of vocals and an instrument for that matter, all comes down to high-level multitasking. While for some the thought alone can cause nightmares, anyone can learn to do it. Start by asking yourself two questions: 1) Can I sing? and 2) Can I play an instrument? If your answer to both questions is “yes”, then you can also do both at the same time. It’s a really just a matter of practice, practice and mostly, practicing both individually.

Sooner or later and for every guitarist, the time will come when the strings need changing. In the beginning, this can be an exciting job but get pretty awkward and fiddly. As such, I’ve put together a few tips that will hopefully make the process a little smoother and less painful. This blog is focussed on changing the strings of a classical or Spanish guitar. If you need to swap out the strings of your steel-string acoustic and need a few tips, then you might want to check out a different blog.

Ok, so you want to play guitar but, having looked through all the many variations and flavours of guitar available, you still have no idea what an absolute beginner is going to need to really get started. As such, we’ve put together a little blog to help pick through the confusion and help you decide. We’ll lay out the differences between acoustic guitars and electric guitars so you can hopefully walk away, better informed and able to find the perfect study buddy.

The tiniest of adjustments in the set up of your guitar can have a massive effect. If you’re trying to learn a new lick or just want to play smooth rhythm transitions, things go a lot faster with a guitar that’s not working against you. If you have problems with string buzz, have to fight with the machine heads to get your guitar in tune, or, even though you’re perfectly tuned, playing a chord sounds like you’re abusing a cat, then it might be time to give your instrument a little care and attention. Of course, you could take it to a local guitar tech (luthier), or you could learn to make some adjustments and set up your guitar yourself. Setting up an electric guitar doesn’t have to be difficult but there are a few basic rules that need to be followed. With the expert help of this here blog […]

Guest blogger Teo Lazarov from Chordify looked at the most-played songs on their music education platform since 2013. Let the cherry picking from the all-time play-along favorites begin!

By the time he was ten years old, child prodigy Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer (2003) was a proficient guitarist who went to school by day and performed on Broadway by night. Now, at age 15, this talented teen from Long Island, New York has retired from life in the theatre to pursue a thriving career in music and acting.