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"Feel Like You're Hitting A Brick Because of That Trick?"

Jordan Warford here, Editorial Manager for Guitar Tips.

I would like to start this week's newsletter by sending out a huge thank you to all of you who took the time to fill out a contest entry form. The feedback was unbelievable and I am incredibly impressed with many of your ideas! You'll hear more about our winner later on in the article.

I'm also pleased to announce the new addition of video! Luckily, we were able to pull it together for this article and now you can see, hear and watch!

In this edition:

One of the most popular questions I receive are in the form of "How do I play this?" This week's article is going to show you! Learn how to do hammer on's, pull off's , palm mutes and trills. We'll also cover things like artificial harmonics.

There's so much information evolving around techniques that I've decided to break it up into two newsletters, one dealing with rhythm and one dealing with lead. In this article we'll dive into the tricks of playing lead guitar as we will be using them when we switch over to rhythm.

You'll also get to see some more acoustic guitar incorporated into the newsletter, as many of you have requested it.

Check out our latest edition of our newly implemented, "Guitar Tips Feature Band." This month we have a real gem for you that you are sure to enjoy. They are known as the Darla & Rich Quintet and you'll hear all about them later on in the newsletter.

Learn more about the winner of our latest contest who had a shopping spree at Guitar Trader. She'll tell her story and what it means to her.

We also have plenty of great comments in our Feedback Booth. With all of that in mind, lets get right to it!

Seek Better Technique...

Building a foundation.

Remember when you picked up your new guitar for the first time? It was like love at first sight but then you started to play it. It didn't sound like you expected it to. You wondered, "Why is it so hard to hold that note?" and "Where do I put my fingers?"

Now perhaps the questions have changed to,"How on earth can he/she get that sound?" Once you have discovered how to hold the strings to actually produce a sound, it sounds quite plain. Some find this to be a devastating problem and give up before they even give themselves a chance.

Then there are some of you who keep on trying and have been working on it for weeks, months or maybe even years! Today we're going to give you a crash course on the fundamentals of techniques, otherwise known as tricks.

Keep in mind that these techniques listed below only scratch the surface of what you can do with them. We'll get more in-depth on each of them in future newsletters. The goal over the past few weeks has been to get every subscriber on the same level and we'll take things more advanced later on in the year.

First thing is first, make sure you're holding the guitar correctly and that you have the proper posture. Achieving these tricks requires that you don't play sloppy. You'll be doing very fine and precise movements with your fingers, so insure that your doing the following:

With that in mind, let's move into the basic techniques that are used in everyday lead guitar. Listed below, you will find the most common tricks along with video and audio.

Hammer On's: Hammer on's are one of the most widely used techniques in guitar playing. They can be played a multitude of different ways and are invaluable when it comes to wowing your audiences. To begin, take a look at the music pictured below:

Take notice of the tablature. The numbers are "tied" with an H below them. This signifies that the piece wants you to perform a hammer on from the first note to the second note.

To play a hammer on, place your finger on the second fret and strike the string, allowing it to ring out. Then, without hitting the string again, place you finger on the 3rd fret of the same string. The sound then switches to the sound of the 3rd fret.

You will need to hit the string with more pressure the further your fingers are apart to get the desired effect. The closer the two notes (like shown above) the easier.

Here is how it looks and sounds when played:

Pull Off's : This technique is the exact opposite of the hammer on. It's used quite often in unison with the hammer on's to create spectacular trills (going back and forth between two notes really quickly,) dazzling finger tapping and more. The possibilities are literally endless when you use these techniques.

To perform a pull off, you need to use two fingers. Place one finger anywhere on the fretboard you like and then take your second finger and place it higher up on the fretboard. Continue to hold down the string where you placed your first finger, even though it will make no noise because another finger is holding down the string further up the fretboard. The reason for this will be explained in a moment.

Then you strike the note and let go of the string you are currently on. The sound will then change to the sound of the fret you had your other finger on. If that finger wasn't held down, you wouldn't have gotten the same effect you were looking for.

Note: You can hammer on and pull off using open strings. This is very commonly used but for the example above it does not apply.

Take a look at this picture and see the similarities between the notation that tells us to use the pull off and the notation to hammer on:

See how it's really just the reverse of what you did to perform a hammer on? The numbers are tied together exactly like the hammer on, so pay close attention to the letter at the bottom of the tab to see what it's asking you to do.

Here's how it looks and sounds:

Slides: You may have noticed by taking a look at previous newsletters that I enjoy using slides when I play guitar. I believe it adds that something extra to a piece of music. Plus, they're a lot of fun to do!

Take your finger and place it on any note you wish. The next step is simple, just keep your finger pressed down and slide it to the desired note that you want to land on. You can use this going up the neck or sliding down the neck. The distance doesn't matter so long as you make sure to keep your finger held down.

You don't need to place a ton of pressure down on the string, you would be amazed at how little pressure it takes. Press down until you hear sound and away you go!

Here's an example of the notation commonly used to signify a slide:

See how the lines indicate which way to slide? When they are pointing up, slide towards your pickup. When pointing down, slide towards your headstock. Here's how that simple example looks and sounds:

String Bends: One of the most common yet least understood aspect of basic techniques are string bends. Many people use them but the thing is, sometimes they aren't used correctly. The goal with a good string bend is to bend the string up or down (making the pitch higher or lower) while keeping it in tune. Not everyone has perfect pitch but there is an easy solution to this problem.

There are different types of bends, such as a halfstep bend and a full bend and even a 1/4 bend! However, the most common bend, which will be the one that we will cover in this lesson, is the halfstep bend.

The halfstep bend is equivalent to achieving the sound of the next fret up on your guitar. In other words, the note in front or behind the note you are currently on. Sound the note that is one fret above (or below) the note that you wish to bend. Try to match that sound when you bend the string.

To bend a note, follow the following steps:

The result of a string bend is an awesome and powerful sound that take the pitch up or down. It can be used in many settings (too many to list in this lesson.)

Now here's a simple exercise to get you going:

Here's how it sounds and looks:

Trills: This technique is essentially hammer on's and pull off's used together at a really fast pace. It's a great technique to use at the climax of a really cool solo or when you are ending a song. It can be used for rock, jazz, blues, country, and many other genres.

To play a trill, set up for a hammer on. Play the note and let it ring. While the note is ringing, hammer on and then pull off and keep repeating this at a very fast pace. It will take some practice to get the timing right but once you have it, you'll have a lot of fun!

Here's what the notation for a trill looks like:

In tab, a trill will always be shown in little brackets in front of the note along with the abbreviated tr with a squiggly line. If you can't see the brackets, look for the tr and the squiggly line to see if it is a trill. In this case it's between the fifth fret and the sixth fret.

Here's how it sounds and looks like when played:

Palm Mutes: Palm mutes are played exactly like the name implies... with your palm! Palm mutes can be used in a number of settings. I normally use them for adding in a rhythmic swing to the music I am playing or to cut a note short. Those are just a few of the examples of what you can actually use this technique for.

To play a palm mute, simply place the palm of your picking hand on the bridge. Make sure to cover the strings that you wish to mute. Then simply hold your palm there and play the notes. They won't ring out because they can't vibrate. Instead, you get this "thump" type of sound.

Here's what the notation looks like and a quick example:

Harmonics: Ah, the wonderful world of the harmonic. It's one of the most beautiful and fascinating tricks around that is sure to leave your audience on their feet. However, the unfortunate part about harmonics is learning how to play them. It took me quite a while before I started to get a good grasp on them.

Then I learned that there's actually quite a few different types of harmonics that can be played on guitar! Every note you play on the guitar is actually a harmonic which is most commonly known as the "Fundamental" harmonic. I look at it as the "First" harmonic.

To play the harmonic that we want, you need to eliminate this fundamental harmonic. To keep things simple, all harmonics can be looked at as artificial harmonics. However, not all harmonics are fretted (where you place your finger down on the fret to produce a note, which is what "artificial" means.) So to tell us what they are we use different notations in music.

For beginners, a natural harmonic is the best route to go to learn how to play harmonics. These are the harmonics that you can play just by using your open strings.

The easiest place to hit these natural harmonics is on the 12th and 7th fret. Gently place your fretting hand on the string directly above the fret of your choice. While placing your finger lightly on the string, pick the note and remove your finger as soon as the string makes a noise.

This happens pretty fast so you need to be prepared to move that fretting hand as soon as you pluck the string.

Here's a little example of what it would look like on tab:

Note: There are different notations for different harmonics. This signifies natural harmonics.

Here's how it looks and sounds:

Vibrato: This is another great technique to use in a number of different situations. I prefer to use it for rock but I tend to end up using it quite a bit in jazz and blues riffs as well.

Take your finger and place it on any fret you wish. Then pluck the string and shake it! Yes I said shake it (your finger that is.) This will produce a very nice sound that is famous on tracks ranging from B.B King to Van Halen.

Here's what the notation looks like:

Putting It All Together...

Now that we have the basic techniques covered, it's time to apply them. Here are a few riffs to hone your skills on. I hope you enjoy!

Key: C Major

Key: D Major

Note: This will give you an idea of what to expect in next weeks newsletter. It's rhythmic and percussive but also has a lead.

Guitar Tips Feature Band

The Darla & Rich Quintet

Every so often, I come across a band that is composed of pure class and style. Last week, a member of one of those bands emailed me and guess what... he's 71 and still rocking! Actually, he was in the process of emailing me to tell his story and encourage his fellow subscribers when I took notice of the band he was in.

The Darla & Rich Quintet has something that is truly unique to add to the music scene. They've put together a warm and soothing blend of various genres, the end result is bound to be a product that is something worth listening to.

I was immediately impressed when I read up on the background of these musicians. Not only were they well educated and accomplished but they also had a sharp and polished appearance.

Here's what Jim, the guitarist for the band, had to say about the members of The Darla & Rich Quintet and what they're all about:

"The Darla Rich band started out as a duo then became a trio, quartet and the current Darla Rich quintet.

Rich, our leader is classically trained and does wonderful things with bossas using the classical finger style playing. He is also an accomplished flat picker and can combine the two styles in any mode of music.

Darla, our band manager would be an asset to any group because of her beautiful voice. Darla can do justice to any tune be it up tempo, slow ballad or Latin type tunes. As if this were not enough, she is a very accomplished bassist. Darla while doing her job of keeping a beat and forming the bottom of the group will play base lines that are so fine that sometimes I listen to her and forget what I am there for.

Joe Bezek plays alto sax and his tone is reminiscent of Paul Desmond. Joe's hero is Charlie Parker and when we do tunes like Lady Bird and Au Privave he really can swing.

David Stier, our drummer, is an accomplished artist and has had showings of his paintings at Philidelphia art galleries. He is currently studying with Tony Di Nacola. David really swings and can change styles and nuances at the drop of a hat to match anything the band is doing at the moment.

The band also features original compositions written by both Rich and I. As far as age is concerned Rich and Joe are in their 40's Darla is 29+ and David is the youngster of the group in his early 30's."

Jim is so humble, that he actually left himself out in the description! The following is paraphrased from the band's website:

"Jim has studied with Tony Noto, a protégé of Chuck Wayne, and later with Hy White, staff quitarist with CBS and NBC. Jim, started when he was only 16. At 18 he went on the road and, at that time, appeared on the Johnny Mathis "Wild Is The Wind" album.

Due to business commitments, Jim discontinued performing in 1973 and did not play guitar for twenty- five years.

In 1998 he retired from the brokerage industry and began seriously studying the guitar again. His most recent study has been with local jazz guitarist Jerry Topinka who has performed with many notables including Les Paul. He joined the Darla Rich Quintet in 2002 and is extremely happy in his new music career."

To check out their website, click here. I strongly suggest that you listen to their sound clips to hear a sound that is reminiscent of the old jazz standards with a taste of other genres that are bound to wet your palate. If you like jazz and swing as much as I do, you'll fall in love with their songs.

We love hearing about your bands. Send me an email and you might find your band featured in our next month's newsletter!

The Winner Of Our $1000 Sweepstakes

Carol Amore

Pictured above is Carol with Chris Botti at a Boston jazz club!

It's not everyday that you get the opportunity to sort through over 6,800 contest entries! Amongst those countless emails were some truly inspiring stories and ideas. However, one of them was out of this world. There are many valid reasons why someone should win this contest.

For instance, I heard of many people who came to me saying they simply couldn't afford any new gear due to a bad financial situation. In my opinion, that a really good reason to win this contest. Others came telling me how they wanted to give back to their community... Yet another great reason.

Then along came Carol with this entry:

1. What would you like us to include in the Guitar Tips Newsletter?

"I would like to see more songs with both tab and the musical notes. I also would like to be able to play the track. I loved "Every Breath You Take.""

2. Why should we send you the free guitar?

"I should win the prize package because I am a single mother whose full time NON paying job is taking care of my 23 year old special needs daughter. I live on child support. I owe $45,000 for a school loan when I went back to get my masters in interdisciplinary art in 2000. I am trying to develop an artist support center here in my home so that I can continue to be here at home with my daughter and be able to support us in the future. I like to be able to inspire people to pursue their creativity. "Winning" this is a step in that direction, to be able to say you can do anything when you have your heart in it."

3. Any final comments / suggestions? "I love music. P.S. I am left handed and learning guitar is a challenge.

Some may ask what is so special about that? Well the answer is that she was the "Triple threat." She had a financial need, she's a single Mom trying her best to give her child the best life possible and she wanted to do something for her community. I think that deserves some recognition and I'm sure many of you would have to agree!

I had the chance to catch up with Carol earlier in the week and do an interview with her. Here's the result:

Guitar Tips: You mentioned in your entry that you are trying to develop an artist support centre from your home. What is your vision for this foundation? How will winning this contest help you achieve your dream?

Carol: Not far from my home in the city of Gloucester stands two lighthouses called Twin Lights. A long time ago I heard this story--When a boat is out in the water and sees only one lighthouse it means that they are perfectly lined with true North. Although I have not been able to document the truth of this story, I liked it. The name of my business is True North and is named after this story..

This contest not only satisfies me on a personal level as to finally have an acoustic guitar but in the bigger picture it stands for everything that my business intends itself to be. It is a place where people can be supported in being true to whom they are, not to society or peers or the latest trend. It is a place to let your true colors show. It is a place of connections first to the self and then to others. It is a place to be engaged with life, true north, where two become one, where art becomes life. The true self is and will always be the creative self. It brings me peace, when the distinction between art and life blur with no defining line. It is this peace that I want to share in my living space and in my community. It is why I loved school so much, the bringing together of creative endeavors. I felt that you never really knew a person until you saw their art.

Guitar Tips: How did your children react when you told them that you had won our contest?

Carol: I also have two other daughter's Natasha 20, and Felicia, 18. Natasha said that I am the most deserving person for the shopping spree. My friend Felicia said the same thing. My daughter Felica took the news in and raised one eyebrow. Tasha also mentioned that her boyfriend would say positive thinking always gets you positive results.

Guitar Tips: You have become an instant celebrity among our subscribers. What does that feel like?

Carol: It was an odd feeling when Jordan told me that 30 subscribers had responded with congratulations for me. The only thing they knew about me was that I was a mother, a giver, and a beautiful person, in Jordan’s words. It felt like the value of being such things was being recognized in a way that I myself had not quite acknowledged. To those people I say thank you very much.

Guitar Tips: What are some of the items that you are looking at getting with this money?

Carol: As stated in my “p.s.” I love music. Music has got me through it all. There is a constant soundtrack playing in my life. When I was young I played the organ ‘by number.’ I sang like an opera singer. All of it went underground and did not resurface until my forties. I started piano lessons and then guitar. I craved music theory and the understanding of it all. I have a long way to go. Getting an acoustic guitar means I am free to travel within my home, inside or out, in my daughter’s room when she is going to sleep, in the backyard in front of the firepit (Without lugging the amplifier!) I look forward to the next fifty years growing old with my new $1000 Martin. Yeah!!!!!!! THANK YOU!

Well that concludes our contest. As you can tell, Carol is one very special lady and I'm happy she won. I do wish I had about $20 000 to give away to many of you but unfortunately that's how the cookie crumbles. I'm looking forward to implementing all of your awesome feedback in our newsletter over the coming year.

Don't forget about our most recent contest! Click here for details on entering.

Feedback Booth

This week many of you took the time to email us congratulating Carol. A lot of you have also started to email us with feedback on each newsletter and to you we send out a huge thank you. I know I say this in every newsletter but if we don't hear back from you, we don't know if we're on the right track.

Here's some of the contest related feedback we have been getting:

Katherine Torias write to us with this:

"Hi and good morning to you Mr. Warford. I really wish I won but its not my fortune to have that, maybe for me it's better luck next time. For Carol Amore it's a simple word but it comes from the bottom of my heart CONGRATULATIONS to her. Even though the contest is finished, I'm wishing that you will keep in touch Mr. Warford. Until then, thank you very much and God bless..."

Nelson Tomboc comes to us with these kind words:

"Hi Jordan! Thanks a lot for the information of the winner Carol Amore and congratulations to her. Well, it's fine that you have chosen one and the best of all the entries. Because music always there and unlimited still going on for strumming favorite songs during leisure time, breaktime and night time. I am so inspired of you and because of you my desire to learn is in your hands. Once again thanks and more power to you and in the future ahead. Yours truly, Nelson"

Jah Bless has this special message for Carol:

"Hi! Happy to hear that Carol, a mother won. I hope this day will remain as a memory to her and her entire family. I pray that this reward shine light to her children so that they all/some join the field of music in future. I hope they will be able to use the cash to improve on their music school and probably The Guitar Tips School. Congratulations Carol and I wish you all the best."

Jim Morrow writes to Carol with this:

"Jordan, thank you for allowing me to enter, and I am sincerely happy that a deserving Mother is the lucky winner, please give her my best, and tell her to never give up hope, it will get better, - Jim"

...The emails never ceased! If I were to include everyone's congratulations it would exceed 40 emails!

Finally, I thought I would end with a word from Keith Hillman:

"Jordan, I find the info I purchased very useful but I also find that your newsletters are very illustrative and give me just enough info in one short setting that I can absorb and begin applying in my daily practices. Thanks, Keith Hillman, Wyandotte, MI"

Conclusion

Well that raps up this edition of our Guitar Tips Newsletter and thank you for tuning in! We hope you enjoyed the new addition of video. We'll be taking a more "Hands on" approach to our newsletters over the coming months.

Next week we'll dive into new aspects of rhythm guitar and teach you things that will blow your mind! We will also apply the concepts we've covered in this edition to playing chords and different strumming patterns. In our upcoming articles you can expect to see more gear reviews and new and improved lessons.

Until next time, keep on rocking!

"Improvisation Should Be an Auditory Sensation"

It's been an extremely busy Summer here at Guitar Tips and things are just starting to heat up. I have had the pleasure of hearing back from some of you with great suggestions and ideas, which are now being implemented.

In this edition:

Over the last few months, we have been taking a closer look at how to practice arpeggios, chords and scales. This week's edition is going to use every aspect of those skills as we dig into a new frontier... Improvisation!

Learn how the greats conquered their fretboard and played riffs in front of millions that they had never played before. You too can be this good and we're going to show you how!

In this week's Feedback Booth, we will give you an inside glimpse at what we have in store for you over the next few months as I personally answer some of the most popular questions.

We also have a brand new section of the newsletter called "The Severe Gear Premiere". It will be giving you some great gear ideas and show you how to get it through our friends at Guitar Trader. We also have a new contest to tell you about!

Whew, that was a mouth full so let's dive right in.

The Musical Organization of Improvisation.

What it's all about.

Over the last few years, improvisation (hence forth known as "Improv") has become a personal favorite that has taught me the most about my fretboard.

Before I began my journey to learn how to master my fretboard, I had little knowledge on improv and didn't understand how important it really was. What I failed to see was that all of the greats, such as Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck used imrov as an important tool.

They would start their original songs with a little lick that they found when practicing or jamming with the rest of the band. Then, they began to expand on it using different techniques and key signatures. Before they knew it, they had a hit song waiting at their fingertips.

This may be known by the common public as composition, which is writing songs. Improvisation is a form of composition, the main difference being that you don't know exactly where you're headed with the song other than the key that you're in. In other words, you don't prepare for it.

This is common place in many venues. For example, if you're going to jam with a couple of your friends, you probably won't have enough songs to fill three or four hours. So you use what you have and change it around, mix it up and add on. That's a form of improv.

Another scenario is that your band is holding a concert and thousands of people show up to see you play. Maybe you get a little tense and when you're performing a solo, you slip up. Then you jump into action and use a beautiful lick in that key and save the day!

It could go anywhere you want it to and sound completely different every time. Jazz and blues made improv famous but don't kid yourself, it's a tool that can be applied to every genre.

Where to begin when there is no start.

To be honest with you, there is no "correct way" to teach improv. Many purists would say that you need to know music and music theory, how to perform over harmonies and chords etc. This once simple idea of having fun and playing your heart out just became a lot more complicated and now there are all these strings attached.

When I read articles in famous guitar magazines, I'm often left shaking my head. They have the right concept and the music is certainly correct but the medium that they deliver it over is quite complicated and hard to understand for the general public.

When I started out, I just looked at the tabs and played them because I simply didn't know music theory to that level for guitar. It doesn't have to be like that for you to sound good!

Playing improv truly involves putting together a good balance of technique, chords, scales and emotion in a mix that reflects you. It's not that hard at all.

Basically, I have three rules that I use when playing improv. They are as follows:

Notice what I said with #2. Use what you currently have. No one ever said that you need to be professional to make up cool riffs. If you know how to do hamer ons and pull offs , then try to incorporate that. If your strength is chordal work, then improv with chords. Use your current strengths and add on as you learn more.

In doing this you not only get experience with practical applications of your skills but you also polish them and learn new things along the way. This is why improv is so helpful to a guitarist.

Over the last few articles, we've covered a range of material that is essential for improv. The most important aspect that we've covered is scales.

Taking a look at the sounds you want.

Everyone has their favourite type of music. Some of us love to play it all, while others are drawn to one particular sound. To make your guitar sing to the style that you prefer, there's some ground work to cover.

Continuing from our last scale lesson, different scales tend to be used for different types of music. However, one aspect that we didn't look at was different forms of the same scale.

I have received a lot of emails asking why I didn't include more variations on some scales and the reason is simple, too many scales at once can be confusing.

What we're going to do now is take two identical scales that are in different positions on the fretboard. This will take your knowledge a level higher as you will not see patterns when playing these scales, even though they are the same notes. The reason for this is the location of the notes on the fretboard changes.

Take this E Mixolydian scale in fourth position for example:

... Now compare the scale above to the scale below:

E Mixolydian(1st posistion)

Two completely different note sets and different root positions. This makes them similar yet gives them a different tone. Perfect for improv. You may have noticed how certain notes overlap one another, making them ideal "links" between the scales.

This not only gives you a nice working space on the fretboard with lots of options but your fingers are there in the correct spaces, only a slide away. Here is an example of the two scales in action:

The riff above uses some relatively simple techniques that spice things up. In our next edition we'll go more in depth on using these techniques.

Putting It Into Practice...

Now that we have an understanding of the frame work evolving around improv, let's see it in action. Here are some riffs that I've written for you that will give you the leading edge. Change them and make them into something that you like to listen to.

Based off of an E minor pentatonic scale:

Based off of an A natural minor scale:

Based off of a D harmonic minor scale:

A common reoccurance throughout all of these riffs are the techniques. Slides and bends are relatively simple things that truly add to a piece of music. I encourage you to learn some new scales and play around with them.

Everything listed above is written off of a scale. You may have noticed that in the D harmonic minor riff, the "5" on the G string shouldn't be there.

That's called an accidental, which is a great tool and you can do that when playing improv. You will know it's an accidental by the sign in front of the note. For example:

All of those sharps in front of the notes are examples of accidentals because there are no sharps in the key of C. More on this will covered in a future lesson.

Playing accidentals will allow you more room to use the fretboard and give you the desired sound you are looking for.

The Severe Gear Primiere!

Welcome to our brand new section dealing with gear reviews and how to's! You can also get the information you need on how to get your hands on some of the hottest items available on the market.

Each month, you will be able to check out whats the best gear at the best prices with some commentary from myself. Guitar Tips would like to thank Guitar Trader for their assistance in making this section possible by providing the information on their products.

Now on to the reviews. Hope you enjoy and let us know what you think!

OVATION CS257 Celebrity Deluxe Vintage Flame Acoustic/Electric

Ovation has been making quality guitar since 1966 when Charlie Kaman, an aeronotical pioneer, decided to revolutionize the acoustic guitar world by creating a product that was tailored for high peformance. He wanted something that fit guitarists' needs while still making it an affordable choice.

He hand picked a select group of engineers and what they ended up with was of pure beauty and tone. Known for their rounded backs, Ovation guitars have a unique feel with a good balance of bass and treble.

I have personally played them and was impressed with the quality. I was very sckeptical when I picked up the guitar as I wasn't used to having a "bowl" in my stomach. I quickly adjusted to that and my negative thoughts of plastic replacing wood soon faded as I jammed away and enjoyed the great response the guitar gave me.

I reccomend this guitar for anyone who wants to take their playing to the next level. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this guitar has a little something to offer everyone. Don't let the killer low price deter you as I guarentee that this deal is one that shouldn't be passed up. Plus, it's half off!

Check out the guitar here.

Ibanez AEF37SSG Acoustic/Electric Trans Sunset Gold Quilt Maple

Ibanez is a company that's founded on making an affordable guitar at a reasonable price. The beginnings of Ibanez actually started in 1908, however, the company didn't actually pick up the name "Ibanez" until 1971. Since that time, this company has come a long way and it wasn't always a smooth ride.

Ibanez has been sued by the big name companies like Fender and Gibson for their headstock designs. Ibanez soon changed to it's own original design and crept away from those issues. Now they are known for their professional models that are coupled with affordable prices, Ibanez has made a come back. bb

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez)

I like these guitars quite a bit and almost bought one of their acoustics a little while back. I enjoy listening to shredders use these guitars masterfully and seeing what guys like Joe Satrianie and John Petrucci can do with them.

They have a very unique distortion tone and are a great value for the money. Don't kid yourself, this company can be rivelled to any other proffesional guitar when put in it's own class. They just happen to be one of the more sensible ones that realizes not everyone has $2000 to spend on a decent guitar.

This week we have two Ibanez guitars that are both half off! The acoustic is featured above and below is the electric guitar on sale. These prices are unbeatable!

Ibanez RGT42HH Red Pearl

Link to Ibanez Acoustic

Link to Ibanez Electric

So You Want To Play Like Joe Satrianie?

Satch Givaway

Here at Guitar Tips, we always like to spice things up and make life a little more exciting. With our latest contest nearing an end, Guitar Trader thought it would be a great idea if we teamed up again. This time, we have an Ibanez SCA220 BP electric guitar signed by Joe Satrianie to give away!

To enter, click here and enter your details. I will pick a winner sometime in September and one of you could be a proud new owner of a guitar signed by Satch himself. It's just that simple.

Guitartists Dream Package Update.

For those of you who are wondering, the current contest of the $1000 givaway will be ending on the 31st July 2005.

To enter click here and enter your details. We'll broadcast the winnner to all of you and if you win, you will hear from me before we announce it to the public as I will need to get some informaton from you.

The feedback has been astounding and is continually improving the way we do business, so a big thank you goes out to all who have participated so far.

Feedback Booth

This week, I thought I would respond to some of the most popular requests and tell you where we're at and where we plan to take the newsletter. Here are some of the most popular requests that I recieve on a daily basis:

Al Busby Writes:

Hi, how's it going down under? Anyway, I'm fairly sure I'm not the only one asking this, but could you print detailed info on techniques please? I've just started guitar, and most 'aids' I've found are really vague and crap. Really detailed instructions on stuff like tremolo, slides, hammer-ons, etc would be damn helpful. Thanks

P.S. Love the newsletter, great idea!!

Al is right, he isn't the only one asking me about getting some articles on techniques launched. We have recieved hundreds of emails requesting the same thing. I absolutely love the whole concept and truly think it is needed.

This is why I have chosen to focus our August newsletters on this very issue. We'll cover everything you see your favourite professional guitarists perform! Before you know it you'll be playing with new tricks that you never knew your guitar was capable of.

Beth Hackett writes to us with yet another popular request:

I love the newsletter as it is....but since you asked me, there is one thing I think would be great. What if there was a song tab of the day everyday? Maybe displaying one tune by classic artists each day like zeppelin, the dead, beatles, stones, some hendrix or whatever people would want to learn. I think it would be cool to see a random song up there everyday that we (as readers) could (try to) learn. That is just one suggestion. You are probably getting a lot of cool ideas from other people, but I just thought I'd try mine out!!

Many of you have emailed asking for specific songs and tabs over the last few months. Unfortunately, my answer thus far has been "Sorry, due to the large number of requests, I cannot give you the individual song" and then I go on to talk about where to go.

Here's the deal. I still can't give people individual songs simply because I would have to work 23 hours a day. What I can do for you however, is help you work through some rough spots if you're having trouble.

If you want to locate a specific song, check out these site for the best in tabs and chords:

www.guitartabs.cc

www.ultimate-guitar.com

www.tabcrawler.com

Keven Murphy writes to us with this great compliment from our last newsletter:

Hi Jordan, just aquick note to say how valuable I found this weeks newsletter, sometimes when you look at scales they can seem "intimidating". I now feel more confident about using scales and also learning them. Keep up the good work. Regards, Kev

Finally, I thought I would end on this inspirational note from Mike Steffani - Tacoma, Washington

Thanks for the great stuff you guys put out... I am getting old(48) and thought I'd never really learn guitar. I tried lessons when I was young and recently but came to the same conclusion each time, it doesn't work for me. This newsletter and your practice tips and PACS have done for me in the last month alone more than any lesson I have ever taken. I think I can do it this time, and I have you guys to thank. keep up the great work.

Thank you Mike, it's wonderful to hear that. As of the last few weeks I have had a handful of emails from people who ask me this question:

"Jordan, I'm getting up there and I just started. Is there any hope for me and is this obtainable?"

My answer to that queston will remain the same until the day I die, you are never to old to learn music. I encourage all of you who are in this situation to email me and I would be happy to go over it with you.

Insider look to the future...

Soon you're going to get an article unlike any other you have ever recieved from us before as we will have pictures, audio and the new addition of video! You will now be able to see me perform the techniques and songs in slow motion and try them out for yourself. We will get this video up and running for late August so stay tuned!

I'm also in the progress of getting some interviews for the coming months. When you put it all together, there's a lot happening and a lot left to learn!

Conclusion

I certainly hope that you have enjoyed this week's article. There are a lot of new and innovative things popping up in the near future but we can't do it without you! You're ideas and support are the driving force behind this newsletter.

Improvisation can be made as complicated as you want it but take the time to sit back and enjoy it. The possibilities are limitless with the endless arrays of tones, scales and chords out there waiting for you to discover them. This article had barely scratched the surface of improv but it gives you the idea of what it's all about.

Until next time, keep on rocking!

"Climbing The Scale To Success"

In this edition:

This week we're going to take a look at what it takes to become a solo guru. Many of you have emailed me over the last two weeks asking for tips on soloing and scales. I've heard your cry!

It just so happens that the last installment of our new practice regimen, PACS, deals with how to practice scales like the pros. We'll cover everything you need to know to get started with soloing by taking a look at proper practice techniques for scales.

We also have our ever growing feedback booth for you to check out and see what your fellow subscribers have to say. See our new segment that will be featuring a new band called "T.A.T.U.M." Starting now, you will see a new feature band in the first newsletter of every month. So start telling us about your band!

So lets dive right in!

Get the proper foundation...

Are you confused yet?

I remember how intimidated I was of scales when I first started out on guitar. Lets face it. There's literally thousands of variations of them and they have the tendency to sound like nails on a chalk board if you don't know what you're doing.

Plus, there's that whole, "Is this the right fingering?" dilemma or the, "Is this the correct way of playing it?" factor.

Then, you go and read one of your favorite guitar magazines only to see some professional guitarist list off hundreds of major and minor scales. They go into detail about how they found the tonic of some exotic scale that you've never heard of.

To top it off and really keep you confused, you may then hear from a famous guitarist who only uses a few select scales to get their sound. Where do you go next?

Get the basics down.

Scales aren't the beasts that everyone makes them out to be. The truth is, in Western music there are select scales that are very popular and the rest are sort of like a bonus.

Knowing what scales are used for what and how to finger them will take much of the anxiety away. The first major problem that many of my students face is that they make life harder for themselves by not fingering the scale correctly.

Fingering

What proper fingering does is make the most out of the space that is available on the fretboard. On your fretting hand, you have four fingers that are numbered. Each finger will be responsible for a certain area of the fretboard. Take a look at what fingers represent certain numbers:

1 = index

2 = Middle

3 = Ring

4 = Pinkie

T = Thumb

These numbers will appear over many professional scales that you see. When you see a number that isn't a part of the music or tab, it indicates which finger it wants you to use to produce that note.

You will find that when you are playing scales, the fingerings will follow a certain pattern. Although they may go around different frets, the finger responsible for that general area will be there to hit it. See this example to see what I mean:

A pentatonic (minor)

Notice the pattern of your first, third and fourth finger? The fourth finger takes care of the long stretches and the first and third are responsible for the closer distances. This is designed to increase your speed and accuracy.

The pattern essentially goes 1-4 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-4 and ends on a 1. That's not too bad is it?

Keep in mind that when you are playing scales and there's a nice little fret jump, like seen above on the low E string, then you should use your pinkie finger. This may be a little bit painful at first but I highly recommend you keep at it. Practice a scale that needs your pinkie finger every day and before you know it, your pinkie will be as strong as your other fingers.

If you are playing notes that are really close, use your first and second finger. If you are playing notes that are around a fret or two away, try using your third finger.

Far too many players rely only on their first, second and third fingers. While this may seem comfy when you are starting out, you will find that it will wear off quickly and you won't be near as fast as you could be.

What scales are used for different styles?

So here's the source of confusion for many people. What kind of scale are you supposed to use to play your favorite genre of music? We're going to list all of the ones you should know for the type of music you like to play.

Major Scale: The major scale is everywhere you look in modern music. No matter what your style, the major scale is one that you're going to want to know. There are many forms of the major scale, both movable and stationary. I recommend you learn all of the major scales because it will serve you as a great reference tool and a cool warm up.

The major scale includes quite a few notes but don't get frustrated because they are all in a pattern. From this movable scale below, you can play all of the major scales.

G Major

Take note of the fingerings for this scale and try your best to memorize them. After a couple of practice sessions it will be a piece of cake! Take a look at the rest of the major scales you can produce using this fingering pattern.

Note to advanced players, all scales shown below are in Ionian form.

A Major

B Major

C Major

D Major

E Major

F Major

With those scales in your arsenal, you can eventually work up your speed and do warm-ups that sound like this:

Don't worry, you can do this too! All I did was cut off each scale before I went to the second bar. In other words, don't play anything in the second box of the tabs. Practice with a metronome and work your way up.

You may have noticed that I didn't play in straight even notes. The technique makes the notes (after the first one on the E string) sound as if they fit into the syllables of "Triple it".

There are eight notes in a scale so when starting out, hold your first and second note on the E string a little longer and then make the three notes on the A string fit into the "Triple it" sound. Do the same for the notes on the D string.

After a lot of practice you'll find yourself speeding through them!

Pentatonic Scale: This scale is extremely popular among rock and blues guitarists. It's known to have the flavors that drives the best chart topping songs. It's definitely one of the most functional scales at your fingertips. It's recommended for rock and blues but I believe it's useful in a number of situations. Here's an example:

C Pentatonic (Major)

The Blues Scale: This scale is one of my favorite. It's very similar to the pentatonic scale but adds it's own twists. The history of this scale is quite lengthy and it's heard on millions of CD's. It's simple yet you can write the most complicated solos. Recommenced for blues, rock, soul, gospel, and more!

A Blues Scale

Putting it into practice

So now that you have the scales, you need something to see what it looks like in action. Here's a quick little lick that will give you an idea of what you can do with some of the notes from the A blues scale. You may notice that it isn't arranged like you may have expected...

"A Little Piece of Heaven"

Guitar Tips Feature Band

T.A.T.U.M.

Over the last few months I have received a lot of emails from people telling me about their bands and the things that they have been up to. A few weeks ago, I discovered a new band that's just emerging onto the music scene in their Country.

This particular band grabbed my attention because they just started to perform recently and are achieving great success for the time that they've been involved with gigging. This is what Craig Henning, rhythm guitarist, had to say about the recent success and how Guitar Tips helped them out.

Hello Guitar Tips Subscribers,

Our name is T.A.T.U.M. (Tried and Tested under Music) and we started about 5 months ago in a warehouse. So far, we have made 8 great songs already and working on loads more for future gigs and possibly a global battle of the bands! The first time T.A.T.U.M performed was on June 24th , and everything went down as planned ( thanks to Guitar Tips letting us know about organizing and planning gigs.)

The second gig also went down well and we have been winning one battle of the bands after the other. We have been asked to play gigs by SA Music and we are already organizing a tour with other awesome South African bands ( The Hellphones , PTD etc.)

I would really like to thank the guys and gals at Guitar Tips for making our road a lot easier for the future of our band and the great advice that constantly comes through to us come hell or high water! Besides the great chords and advice you send us, it looks like we are going to need some more articles on signing big record deals!

~Craig From T.A.T.U.M. - Rhythm Guitarist

Feedback Booth

In the last two weeks, I have received more emails with updates than ever before! If you feel that you have a suggestion for us, please send along an email and you might find yourself in our next issue.

Just as a side note, one of the more popular emails I have been getting are with regards to the contest. Remember to put your name down! I have a lot of great entries with no one to claim them. If you forgot to put your name, please reenter.

Here's what a few of our subscribers are saying this week.

Jess G write to us this week with this comment:

"I've really been enjoying the arpeggio practices... I don't take lessons or anything and I don't want to learn someone else's style. I really like how I can just look at something tabbed out and do my own thing. Thanks again! Chances are, you'll be getting one of these every time I get the newsletter."

Rosa Evans had a great topic suggestion and question, which I am still researching for her. She writes:

"Hope you are having a good day! I would be really interested to read some tips and ideas for female guitar players, especially those who have extremely small hands like me! I find some chords literally impossible to reach. I know there must be heaps of successful tiny-handed players out there. Do you know any of their tips or secrets? Does the size and style of the guitar have much of an impact? Keep up the good work!"

Stay tuned as we address this issue in the coming months.

Henry Flores write to us with another great suggestion:

"Congratulations for your new