Archive for September, 2009
Acoustic Guitar Lessons “Stand By Me” Tab Included
September 30th, 2009 | 
Author: 
Check out “The Stringery” site for printable tab of this lesson. http://www.thestringery.com/category/video-lessons/sawlon/
People pointed out that the bass line was wrong and when I checked it I noticed the Am chord was wrong. It should be a G instead of E on alternating note. I tried to correct the tab and messed it all up.
It sounds ok the way it is but it bugs me. Maybe I’ll take it down and start over. Sorry,
Dave
Duration : 0:1:18
Posted in 
Tags: 
Acoustic Blues guitar lesson spice up that bluesy playing
http://www.nextlevelguitar.com/pages/1_free_DVD/
Click the link above to receive free exclusive videos, newletters, and lots of free guitar and music goodies from Next Level Guitar.
In this lesson we teach an acoustic blues lesson on how to spice up some blues progressions and move around the guitar neck. Works with electric guitars also
Many more lessons at:
http://www.nextlevelguitar.com
Duration : 0:10:32
What Exactly Is An Acoustic Guitar?
Acoustic guitars remain as popular as ever, but what exactly is an acoustic guitar, and what makes it different to other popular guitars today? Very simply, it is the word acoustic which is significant in understanding what sets acoustic guitars apart from others. Almost every other kind of guitar available today relies upon some sort of external device being used in order to make the sound audible, or at least properly audible from a reasonable distance.
Since many guitars are played alongside other instruments – often quite noisy ones, it is usually necessary for these guitars to have devices attached to them to allow the sound to be heard, but it is not just the volume of the sound which is affected by these external devices. It is the actual sound, or voice, of the guitar which is affected, and there can be no one who could ever be in any doubt when listening to music, which is an electric guitar and which is not, since the sound style or voice is completely different. Electric guitars owe their distinctive voice not to the design of the guitar or the strings, or even the fret board, but to the combination of these factors and the external devices which give the instrument its fully formed voice. Acoustic guitars on the other hand are those that do not require or use any external devices, and can simply be picked up and played straight away.
They provide a far more natural, and often gentle tone, using the physical structure, design and properties of the guitar, and the material from which it is made, to give it its character and tone. The voice of an acoustic guitar is reliant entirely on the combination of the design, the actual materials used in its construction, and of course the person who is playing the instrument. The materials used in the construction of an acoustic guitar are of significance, since certain types of wood will be more elastic, and softer, which provides a dampening resonance to the sound, and the strings themselves will provide a particular tone and resonance of their own. Because there is a limit to the volume reasonably achieved using an acoustic guitar, often it is necessary when playing in a large hall, or with other instruments and musicians, to amplify the sound coming from the acoustic guitar as otherwise its sound would be lost. Simply trying to play harder or louder will only cause the voice to be stressed, and lose its character and tone.
Instead, external amplification devices are often used to increase the overall volume without affecting the tone and intricate characteristics of the instrument and the music being played. Acoustic guitars therefore may either be played on their own without any other devices attached, or with an amplification unit attached, but this in no way affects the style or tone of the guitar’s voice, and therefore should not be confused with other styles of guitar which rely on these electronic devices entirely.
However, there are different types of acoustic guitar, and these provide quite contrasting voice styles. For example, there is the classical guitar, which is the most often considered, and the flamenco, which provides a very Mediterranean feel to the music, honouring the strong Spanish influence in the guitar’s history. Additionally there are steel string guitars which use steel rather than nylon to provide a sharper, crisper sound to the individual notes played. Steel string guitars are most often found being used in traditional folk guitar music, or flat top styles. There are also twelve string guitars in the acoustic family, and one mustn’t ignore the bass guitar, which whilst often seen in an electric form has an acoustic version too, although the tuning of these is very much more similar to that used in electric bass guitars.
Victor Epand
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/what-exactly-is-an-acoustic-guitar-468202.html
A Closer Look At The Acoustic Guitar
The Acoustic Guitar
As was mentioned in our article on “the History of the Guitar,” guitars have been around for centuries. The original guitars were Acoustic guitars, which changed in shape over several hundred years. Since you’ve already been given a timeline of the evolution of the guitar, in this article we’ll go into greater depth discussing the Acoustic guitar itself.
History
The Acoustic guitar is essentially a descendent of the Classical guitar, which, in its current form, has been around for over 100 years. The main difference between the Classical and Acoustic guitars are that one is strung with nylon strings, while the other is strung with steel strings. Since the Acoustic guitar is strung with steel strings, it has a louder, brighter sound which is appealing to folk and blues players.
Another difference between the Acoustic and Classical guitars is that the Acoustic guitar has a bigger body size, stronger structure, and a narrower neck than does the Classical guitar. The structure of the Acoustic guitar is stronger so that it can withstand the immense tension placed on it by the heavier steel strings.
Acoustic-Electric guitars haven’t been in existence for nearly the amount of time that their Acoustic counterparts have. These guitars, which have the ability to be both plugged into an amp and played unplugged, have been around for roughly 70 years.
All about the Acoustic guitar
The bodies of cheap Acoustic guitars are typically made from laminated tonewood. More expensive Acoustics are made from higher cuts of solid spruce top wood On an Acoustic guitar, the material which the body is made from really matters, so those looking for a rich sound will want to choose a guitar with a body made from nicer wood such as spruce top wood.
The neck of the Acoustic guitar is usually made from maple, mahogany, or rosewood. However, some guitar necks are comprised of different woods. Yet again, the quality of wood does matter. Generally speaking, Acoustic guitars with necks made of a high quality maple or mahogany and bodies made with solid spruce top are quality guitars with great tone. These guitars usually cost $250 on up.
The vibration of the strings is amplified by the soundhole of the guitar. This is where all sound that you hear comes from.
If you look inside the soundhole of the Acoustic guitar, you’ll see the construction of the body. There are braces and linings, all essential to keeping the guitar intact and playable. X-bracing, a strong, durable bracing, is typically used on Acoustic guitars because it is heavy and strong enough to withstand the pressure of steel strings.
On the body of the guitar, you’ll find the bridge. This is where one end of the strings goes. The strings are inserted into the little holes and the bridge pegs hold them there.
On the neck of the Acoustic guitar is the fretboard. Most fretboards on the Acoustic guitar are made of rosewood or ebony. More expensive Acoustic guitars have fretboards made of higher quality woods.
The headstock of the Acoustic guitar features six tuning pegs (three on each side of the headstock) and six tuners (three on each side of the headstock). Good Acoustic guitars will have die-cast Grover tuners which usually stay in tune longer than other brands of tuners.
Like their Electric counterparts, Acoustic guitars are tuned in the standard E A D G B E tuning. Most Acoustic guitars have six strings, while some have twelve. If you are curious as to the difference between the two, check out our article on “Twelve string vs. Six string”.
The Acoustic guitar still remains a very popular instrument. It is used in virtually every style of music-rock, pop, country, blues, you name it. Acoustic guitars are wonderful instruments for both beginners and professionals.
Gray Rollins
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/a-closer-look-at-the-acoustic-guitar-137426.html
