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Monday, November 15, 2010

Lovely Blues-ee Acoustic Guitar Compilation

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Came across a post from a friend of mine in Canada - an awesome compilation of the old hit "Stand by me" introduced by an elderly man with a great blues sound and his acoustic guitar on the side of the street in California. As i kept watching, the video changed to different parts of the world including: Italy, South Africa and France. Someone had recorded this song from various street artists from around the world - awesome compilation worth 5 minutes of your time!!

 

Friday, November 12, 2010

Jamming at the Farmer's Market with the Acoustic Guitar

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Every Saturday morning in Dunedin the Farmer's come to town to sell their goods. Often, several buskers will set up and play their acoustic guitars for the crowds; this morning was no different. The little guy I saw about a month ago was back and this time he had company; and they were pretty good!

Typical crowd on a Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market

 

The Little Master doing his thing

Watching on was his mother and his tutor

A bunch of young guys doing their thing; the guy on the right sang - he was good!

Another student trying to make ends meet - his finger picking style was crisp - he had some skill!

 

Another great start to the weekend in Dunedin - 25 degrees, slight breeze, good food and great music provided by 3 different buskers; some with their acoustic guitars impressing the crowd!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, October 25, 2010

Easy Acoustic Blues Guitar Lessons

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E7 and A7 Blues Guitar Chords

The E7 and A7 blues guitar chords are formed easily with two fingers. The following diagrams depict both chords using guitar tab and appropriate images showing the placement of the fingers.

acoustic
E7 Blues Guitar Chord



Acoustic Blues Guitar
Guitar TAB for E7 and A7 Blues Guitar Chords



Acoustic Blues Guitar
A7 Blues Chord





Muting Technique

The Muting technique which gives the blues its' distinctive sound is accomplished by muting the strings with the edge of the palm of the strumming hand. This technique is displayed in the following diagrams.

Acoustic Blues Guitar
The Muting Technique applied near the bridge

Acoustic Blues Guitar
The edge of the palm is used


Extend your Learning

These two simple blues chords (E7 & A7) and muting technique will give any beginner a good head start in learning how to Play Acoustic Blues Guitar. As a beginner you should not be paying for basic guitar lessons; when you want to increase your skill level you need to find yourself a tutor (or online-tutor). For the price of a dozen (12) or so flat whites or for the cost of a nice meal at a good restaurant, you can get an entire year of tuition delivered to your lap top or PC. These lessons will help you to master the basics and will teach you techniques in rock, country and Acoustic Blues Guitar.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

BLUES Guitar Lesson

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A simple blues guitar lesson


Without a doubt, Blues Guitar music is in a unique world of its own. Its  distinctive sound is recognised widely around the world; and it is a sound that sets it apart from other guitar music. The good thing for beginners is that there are some blues guitar techniques that are easy to duplicate once you unravel the mystery. This post provides a couple of  essential techniques that any beginner can easily master with patience and practice - actually patience and practice are the keys to good guitar playing

Blues Guitar Technique

The best way to learn any guitar techniques is to actually see it being done and playing along; the internet has a whole range of lessons available to anyone to learn acoustic blues guitar. Check out Your Easy Blues Guitar Lesson below that shows you how to play the 12 bar blues. Now although this guy uses the A chord as his root you can substitute the E root - so your chord progression will use E,  A and B. The E and A have been explained in the EZINE article (Acoustic Blues Guitar Easy Lesson) and the B chord needs to be explained

E power chord
Acoustic Blues Guitar




power chord
Acoustic Blues Guitar




The B power chord is formed by placing the first finger on the second fret of the second string (the A string) and the third finger on the fourth fret of the third string (the D string); both the second and third strings are plucked simultaneously!

Acoustic Blues Guitar

Following the video below to get an idea of the strumming technique used in 12 bar blues - in addition you need to drop the fourth finger (the pinky) down onto the sixth fret of the third string (the D string) when playing the B power chord.




If you are just beginning to learn how to play the acoustic guitar the key is to find a series of easy guitar lessons that you can manage by yourself first, without any cost before you jump into paying for lessons to extend your skill level and accelerate your learning. Once you get some playing time under your belt you may want to consider learning how to Play Acoustic Blues Guitar or extending your Acoustic Guitar Skills. Whatever you do, do it well and you will reap the rewards.

Your Simple Blues Guitar Lesson 



Never too Young to Learn or to Start Playing Guitar

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Kid Blues Guitarist

I was down at the Farmer's Market (Dunedin, NZ) on Saturday and came across this young man - 6 years old busking! Absolutely inspiring to watch the young guy with his mother sitting behind him supporting her son. I had a quick yarn to his mother and found out that he is studying guitar at one of the local music schools.
Acoustic Blues Guitar Acoustic Blues Guitar Acoustic Blues Guitar
See and download the full gallery on posterous

Easy Guitar Lessons

A beginner shouldn't be paying for basic easy guitar lessons - there are enough lessons on youtube for any beginner to kick off their guitar career. When you want to increase you skill level and guitar music knowledge it may pay for you to get tutoring - then you will be able to Play Acoustic Blues Guitar and any other genre of guitar music good enough to play in a band.



Friday, October 15, 2010

Basic Acoustic Guitar Maintenance

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Basic Guitar Maintenance

It is important to keep your acoustic guitar in pristine condition to preserve the instrument and to prevent it from aging prematurely. Basic Guitar Maintenance is one of the essential lesson every beginner must learn and adhere to and is the domain of every serious guitarists; especially if you make a living with your instrument.

Acoustic Blues Guitar
A well maintained guitar should look good













Basic Tools to carry in your case


  • Cloth x2 - soft, clean and lint free for wiping your guitar down after every session
  • Super-fine grade steel wool - for cleaning the frets
  • New strings - for when you need to re-string
  • Polishing oil - for polishing the neck and body before you re-string
  • Wire Cutters - for cutting the ends off the new strings once they are re-strung
  • Art Brush - for cleaning those hard-to-reach places like near the bridge
  • Adjustable Wrench - for tightening up the nut on the tuners
  • String-Winder - for winding on new strings

For the electric guitar

All the above plus:

  • A deep socket (half inch/12 or 13mm) for tightening up the jack
  • Allen Keys
  • An assortment of screwdrivers

Cleaning the Fretboard


Acoustic Blues Guitar
Cleaning the Frets







Use a super-fine grade steel wool to clean the frets of your guitar down to make them shiny and smooth. You will need to protect the fretboard with a home-made cardboard template. The template will expose the frets whilst protecting the fretboard from scratching. 

Wipe the fretboard with a clean cloth whenever you re-string your guitar; follow that with a rub down with oil (woodwind bore oil can be used). You should clean the guitar after every play session; slip the cloth under the strings and wipe the fretboard and body down.




Acoustic Blues Guitar
Re-string when the strings are worn

Re-Stringing the Guitar

Always put new string on your guitar when the strings are worn out. Often you will 'hear' the dull sound the strings make, you will see dull spots and fraying in the strings - especially the steel strings. If you have forgotten the last time you have re-strung, then you probably need to put new strings on. New strings will make your guitar sound crystal clear and beautiful.




Acoustic Blues Guitar
Basic Tools for Guitar Maintenance
A well tuned guitar is a pleasure to play - especially if it is well-maintained. These basic
Acoustic Guitar maintenance tips are imperative to keep your guitar in primo condition for playing and longevity of the instrument!


Monday, September 13, 2010

Play blues guitar like Jimi Hendrix

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Acoustic Blues Guitar





















Blues guitar Hendrix Style

One of the most colorful and distinctive guitarists to come out of the late 60's and the decade of the 70's was Jimi Hendrix. He was considered to be a musical/guitar genius; one that was ahead of his time and who influenced the future direction of both blues and rock guitar.

While he was performing in the New York, he was noticed by Chas Chandler of the Animals. Chandler convinced him to move to London where he eventually formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with drummer Mitch Michell & bassist Noel Redding. Their first album Are you experienced produced notable songs such as Hey Joe, Purple haze and Foxy Lady


Follow along with Phil Mason as he describes how to play the E7 chord used Hendrix's Foxy Lady!







Intro: increase volume until feedback peaks --------------------- -10------------------ -10(11)~~~~~~~~--11\- --------------------- --------------------- ---------------------  Verse riff:   F#7#9    ||----5------5------5-5------------|| ||----5------5------5-5------------|| ||---------------------------------|| ||-------4-4-----------------------|| ||--------------------------2-3-4--|| ||2-2-----------2-2-----5----------||   + ------------------------------- --------------------14--------- -16(18)-14~--16(18)----14~----- ---------------------------16\- ------------------------------- -------------------------------  chorus riffs: *                 **  ---------------|------------------ ---------------|------------------ ---------------|------------------ -----4-----2h4-|------4-6p4----4-- -4h6---2h4-----|--4/6--------6---- ---------------|---------------2--  Solo: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -17(19)~(19)17----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------14~-14\--/9(11)~-9p7-----------9-11(13)-11(13)--11~~--11-9h11p9----9~- ------------------------------------7~----/11----------------------------------11---- ----------------------------------------9-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  -------------------14------------14----14----14-17(19)-17~--14----14-16-14----------------- ----------------14----17-17(19)~----17----14-------------------17----------17-14-----14-17- -9~9~-----16(18)--------------------------------------------------------------16(18)------- ------11----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------14----14-----------14----14--------14-- -14-----14-17-14-----14------14-17(19)~--17~----17----14-----14----17-14-14-----14-- -16(18)-------16(18)-16(18)---------------------------16(18)-------------16(18)----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- -16p14----14-------------------------- -------16----16p14----14-------------- -------------------16----16\14----14-- -------------------------------17----- --------------------------------------  


A beginner doesn't have to pay for basic guitar lessons - there are plenty available all over the internet. You will need some lessons eventually if you want to accelerate your skill to a level good enough to play in a band - for the cost of a dozen or so large flat whites you can learn how to Play Acoustic Blues Guitar and many other genres of guitar music.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Acoustic Guitar - The Polynesian Festival

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Acoustic Blues Guitar

This is my cousin Carl: singer- guitar player - he and I were directing traffic for the Polynesian Cultural School Festival in Dunedin, NZ. Schools (from pre-school to secondary) gather together over the course of two days to sing, dance and perform!


When we weren't directing traffic we would be talking and catching up. A friend of ours dropped by for a korero (confab) with his guitar; cousin Carl picks it up and starts playing - he really has a nice touch! (you can feel when someone has a nice touch!)


To get a nice touch is to feel your way around the fretboard, to hear the music in your head and to translate what you hear onto the fret-board. Knowing your fretboard give you options - some very colorful options limited only by your imagination and creativity! This suggest practice and lots of it! But first you will need to get instruction - GOOD INSTRUCTION if you want to learn how to play acoustic blues guitar well - - - so try this:

Play Acoustic Blues Guitar: click here for more information

Enjoy!


Lets get started

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Kia ora everyone, just set up a Posterous account and i am looking forward to using it to increase my Internet presence!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Acoustic Blues Guitar Inspiration

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The Key to goo Acoustic Blues Guitar

I was browsing through articles and blogs looking for some acoustic blues guitar information when I came across a blog comment pointing to a Youtube Lesson. I checked it out but wasn't terribly impressed; then I came across this little gem (below - Andy McKee) - good inspiration for learning the basics of acoustic guitar. AND that is what it is all about for BEGINNERS! Master the basics - and then you can master most styles of guitar music even Acoustic Blues Guitar.




Now, as a beginner how do we master the basics?


You need to take lessons (teacher, mentor, another guitar player, youtube, books, DVDs and the list goes on). A mentor/teacher reduces the frustration and the wasted time - and helps you to perfect and master your techniques!

Jamorama: Master the basics of acoustic (blues) guitar
Try out the free lessons offered by this programme - once you get a feel for it then you can make up your mind and branch out into styles that you want to pursue: rock, country, and even Acoustic Blues Guitar. (Click here for a review on Jamorama)


Friday, September 3, 2010

Master the basics of acoustic blues guitar

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Acoustic Blues Guitar



Master the basics of playing acoustic blues guitar without wasting your time

Playing the guitar has always been a life-long dream. So, if you want to master the basics and learn how to play acoustic guitar –have a look at Jamorama – an online choice for learning to play guitar.




Jamorama: the people

There are two things to consider: the company and the product.
I look for a company that stands behind its product provides the support you need to learn how to play the guitar. For me that means three things: access to experts, information and a guarantee. Jamorama provides a forum with access to a massive online community of like-minded guitarists and teachers; a blog that keeps me up to date with new developments and information and a refund (60 day 100% refund). The Jamorama team is totally dedicated to your guitar playing education.


What will Jamorama do for you?

Jamorama promises “the most comprehensive guitar course for beginners” which will help you Master the art of playing acoustic Guitar and develop skills such as: alternate picking, bending, finger picking, hammer-on, legato, palm muting, slide, strumming, vibrato, arpeggios, play-by-ear training and more. The course also offers guidance on how to set up your guitar to make it sound great (tuning, re-stringing, cleaning, guitar maintenance, buying a guitar and so on).

What do you get?

You get 12 months worth of lessons packaged up into:
  • 250 pages of step-by-step lessons
  • 216 chord shapes
  • 148 high quality video lessons (SAMPLE)
  • 8 major styles of music and 55 unique strumming patterns (Jazz, Blues, Rock, Reggae, Funk, Hip Hop, Country & Metal)
  • 26 professionally recorded jam tracks (you get to jam with professionals!)
  • Five Bonuses: training your ear, sight reading, tuning methods, a metronome & a chord kit.


What will it cost me?

For the cost of a good meal at your favorite restaurant or 2 half-hour one-on-one guitar lessons with a tutor you can purchase a year’s worth of lessons for $50.

My Two-cents worth?

I picked up the guitar when I was 9 and just followed my Dad, older siblings and friends who played in bands – eventually I became good enough to play in my own bands - I learned with no strategy or plan. If I could wind back the clock I would jump right into this course and devour it every single day until I mastered the basics. So, if you want to save time, money & frustration and learn how to master the basics of playing guitar, get this course.

P.S. Try FREE LESSONS online

P.P.S. Don’t take my word for it – check out the TESTIMONIALS from students, Guitar Reviews & the Press
P.P.P.S. Their TEACHERS have worked with Bob Dylan, Keb Mo, Crowded House, Taj Mahal, Patti Smith & others
P.P.P.P.S. Try out the Jamorama Beginner to Advanced course for a full 60 days – if it doesn’t work you get a 100% REFUND GUARANTEE