Monday, September 30, 2013
Simple Tone Switch
In this post I will show you, how to mount in your guitar a simple, but useful tone switch.
This circuit can help you cut-off a little bit of high-end (high frequencies) from the guitar signal. It means, that your guitar tone will be a little bit fatter and more round after using the switch. It will not work just like a classic, potentiometer based tone control. It's more subtle, and it can be switched only on and off, by a toggle (there's no pot).
The circuit is based on one SPDT on-on mini toggle switch and one capacitor.
Diagram:
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Pickup Selector Switch Connections 3 way
This is about how 3-way guitar pickup selector switches works.
The diagram shows pin-out and terminal connections, according to toggle or lever positions. There are four examples of popular 3-way pickup selectors. These switches are used in Fender Telecasters, Gibsons and many other 2-pickup electric guitars.
Posts about other kinds of switches are coming soon.
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Saturday, September 28, 2013
Pedal Effects VS Multiple Effect
Hi,
I was asked by a friend, which one is better, Indvidual pedal effects(FX) or Multiple Effect(MultiFX).
In this kind of issue there are good side and bad side of both. Thats y some people are prefer to use the pedal FX rather than the MultiFX. Let see:
FOR Pedal FX.
The good thing about PEdal FX is we can tweek the knobs there and then to get the feel and the sound we want to. Moreover its easy to understand how it works and flows. Some people said that the sound come out from the Pedal FX are more determine and big, u know. It sounds really Original ALIVE and beautiful... Thats y many multiFX try to immitate the pedal FX sound.
The bad thing is if need to use a lot of pedalFX in a line from your guitar to your amps, then the problem starts. 1st, economically it is expensive to buy a bunch of pedal effect. THen you will get power supply problem, I dont think most people like to use battery all the time. Even if we use power adapter and daisy chain the power wont stable is certain situation. Even a lot of PEdal FX in line will create some unwanted buzzing sound. I tell you!!! Its irritating.
For MultiFX.
The good thing about MultiFX we can get as many built in effect as we want and change from to another at no cost. Relatively cheaper then a bunch of Pedal FX. Some multiFX has more than 60 effects. So you can get as many sound as we want to. The features that very significant is we can store the setting into many patches. I believe 30 patches is consider alot. Even extra features like amp simulator, built in tuner, drum machine, metronome or many others give a lot of advantage.
The bad thing: I met a person that just bought his MultiFX after a week he got a headache. He doesnt know to do his own setting. Thats the problem, it takes time to do some setting according the sound that we want. I think a must to read the manual, if not u will be lost. Unlike the pedal FX with out manual u can just tweek-tweek and rotate-rotate the knob and done. To tell you the truth some guitarist takes about a month to make use and completely store their desired sounds.
Ask your self with one suits you.
I was asked by a friend, which one is better, Indvidual pedal effects(FX) or Multiple Effect(MultiFX).
In this kind of issue there are good side and bad side of both. Thats y some people are prefer to use the pedal FX rather than the MultiFX. Let see:
FOR Pedal FX.
The good thing about PEdal FX is we can tweek the knobs there and then to get the feel and the sound we want to. Moreover its easy to understand how it works and flows. Some people said that the sound come out from the Pedal FX are more determine and big, u know. It sounds really Original ALIVE and beautiful... Thats y many multiFX try to immitate the pedal FX sound.
The bad thing is if need to use a lot of pedalFX in a line from your guitar to your amps, then the problem starts. 1st, economically it is expensive to buy a bunch of pedal effect. THen you will get power supply problem, I dont think most people like to use battery all the time. Even if we use power adapter and daisy chain the power wont stable is certain situation. Even a lot of PEdal FX in line will create some unwanted buzzing sound. I tell you!!! Its irritating.
For MultiFX.
The good thing about MultiFX we can get as many built in effect as we want and change from to another at no cost. Relatively cheaper then a bunch of Pedal FX. Some multiFX has more than 60 effects. So you can get as many sound as we want to. The features that very significant is we can store the setting into many patches. I believe 30 patches is consider alot. Even extra features like amp simulator, built in tuner, drum machine, metronome or many others give a lot of advantage.
The bad thing: I met a person that just bought his MultiFX after a week he got a headache. He doesnt know to do his own setting. Thats the problem, it takes time to do some setting according the sound that we want. I think a must to read the manual, if not u will be lost. Unlike the pedal FX with out manual u can just tweek-tweek and rotate-rotate the knob and done. To tell you the truth some guitarist takes about a month to make use and completely store their desired sounds.
Ask your self with one suits you.
These are my MultiFX
Friday, September 27, 2013
Are You Going to Listen to Your Teacher or Your Friends
Beware of your well meaning friends
Once a beginner starts learning to play guitar, there are all kinds of advice being given by well meaning friends. They have your best interests in mind, but most of them dont teach and therefore the advice you get may not be all good. A good guitar teacher will steer you in the right direction, make sure you dont pick songs that are beyond your skill level and help you make steady progress. Your friends will suggest what they learned, try to help you, but not remember how hard it was in the beginning. Ive had students who got conflicting advice, ideas that would do harm than good, and shown songs, riffs and licks that were way beyond their current abilities.
Pick a teacher thats right for you
There are lots of guitar teachers available, many of them quite good, some not so good, and some good but not for you. The best advice is to ask questions, make sure your teacher has experience with beginning guitar students, and can play and teach the music you like. It doesnt have to be the only style he or she is interested in, but at the minimum a basic understanding is needed. For example, Ive had students that wanted to learn classical guitar, flamenco guitar, slack key guitar and other types of music that Im not comfortable teaching, so I helped them find a teacher that would be more helpful. A good teacher will be up front with you and tell you if you should find someone else.
Once a beginner starts learning to play guitar, there are all kinds of advice being given by well meaning friends. They have your best interests in mind, but most of them dont teach and therefore the advice you get may not be all good. A good guitar teacher will steer you in the right direction, make sure you dont pick songs that are beyond your skill level and help you make steady progress. Your friends will suggest what they learned, try to help you, but not remember how hard it was in the beginning. Ive had students who got conflicting advice, ideas that would do harm than good, and shown songs, riffs and licks that were way beyond their current abilities.
Pick a teacher thats right for you
There are lots of guitar teachers available, many of them quite good, some not so good, and some good but not for you. The best advice is to ask questions, make sure your teacher has experience with beginning guitar students, and can play and teach the music you like. It doesnt have to be the only style he or she is interested in, but at the minimum a basic understanding is needed. For example, Ive had students that wanted to learn classical guitar, flamenco guitar, slack key guitar and other types of music that Im not comfortable teaching, so I helped them find a teacher that would be more helpful. A good teacher will be up front with you and tell you if you should find someone else.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
D minor6
Weve featured a few different minor chords in previous posts, and played a C minor6 chord with the root on the E string here, todays chord is a D minor6 with a root on the A string. Minor6 chords are constructed by taking a minor triad (1, b3, 5) and adding a natural 6th. They are normally used as chord I in minor keys.
Play the root note (marked as a square on the diagram) on the A string with your middle finger, the G string with your first finger, the B string with your first finger and the D string with your little finger.
Minor 6 chords can be played in the place of some minor chords and can replace chord i in minor keys. Minor 6 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 6
D minor6 uses the notes: D, F, A, B
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, A, B, F
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Minor 6 chords can be played in the place of some minor chords and can replace chord i in minor keys. Minor 6 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 6
D minor6 uses the notes: D, F, A, B
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, A, B, F
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Want to Improve Your Playing Be a Positive Thinker
Sending negative messages to yourself.
It never fails to amaze me how many students start off a song with a phrase like "this is the one I always screw up." Or, "I just cant get that part to sound right." Theyll then proceed to experience the self-fulfilling prophecy and screw the song up or complain, "see, that part doesnt sound right."
What causes these problems?
In many cases its not lack of practice, but lack of confidence. Do negative thoughts or statements instill confidence? Absolutely not. How do you develop the ability to play confidently? Start off by listening to yourself play the song. Isolate the trouble spots, and concentrate on smoothing them out. If you continue to think a part doesnt sound right, listen to a recording of it. Dont try to play along at first, just listen several times so you know exactly what it sounds like. When you can hum it or sing it, then go back and fix your mistakes.
Theres plenty of help available, do some research.
With You Tube videos, guitar teacher websites, recordings, and all types of instructional material available, theres really no reason to struggle on your own. Find a guitar teacher, watch videos of the song youre trying to play, or any combination of those.
Change your attitude and your outlook.
Ive talked a little about this in other posts, but it bears repeating. Think positive thoughts, focus on what youre playing, and try to improve each time you play. Practicing the parts you already do well doesnt help. Work through the difficult passages, playing them slowly at first, then build up the parts around them. I tell my students to work on the hard part, then add a measure or two that lead into that part, and then on the measure or two after it.
It never fails to amaze me how many students start off a song with a phrase like "this is the one I always screw up." Or, "I just cant get that part to sound right." Theyll then proceed to experience the self-fulfilling prophecy and screw the song up or complain, "see, that part doesnt sound right."
What causes these problems?
In many cases its not lack of practice, but lack of confidence. Do negative thoughts or statements instill confidence? Absolutely not. How do you develop the ability to play confidently? Start off by listening to yourself play the song. Isolate the trouble spots, and concentrate on smoothing them out. If you continue to think a part doesnt sound right, listen to a recording of it. Dont try to play along at first, just listen several times so you know exactly what it sounds like. When you can hum it or sing it, then go back and fix your mistakes.
Theres plenty of help available, do some research.
With You Tube videos, guitar teacher websites, recordings, and all types of instructional material available, theres really no reason to struggle on your own. Find a guitar teacher, watch videos of the song youre trying to play, or any combination of those.
Change your attitude and your outlook.
Ive talked a little about this in other posts, but it bears repeating. Think positive thoughts, focus on what youre playing, and try to improve each time you play. Practicing the parts you already do well doesnt help. Work through the difficult passages, playing them slowly at first, then build up the parts around them. I tell my students to work on the hard part, then add a measure or two that lead into that part, and then on the measure or two after it.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Low Output Pickups for Heavy Music
Many metal and hard rock guitarist are using electric guitars with some high-output humbuckers. However, we shouldn't forget also about those guitar players, who are using some low-output pickups, even single-coils, to get heavy tones.
Do you know Yngwie Malmsteen, Brian May or Paul Gilbert? They've got quite „weak” p-ups in their gear collections.
As examples, here are some cool videos:
Paul Gilbert with his Ibanez Fireman guitar
Yngwie Malmsteen - Seventh Sign
Brian May Band - Love Token
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