Geoff's Guitar Chords

"Another Musical Year That's Ready To Shift Into High Gear!"

Jordan Warford here, Editorial Manager for Guitar Tips.

Thanks for tuning in to our Guitar Tips newsletter and we hope you enjoy. This week we will be taking the time to start a brand new musical year off on the right foot. Music is an extremely time consuming undertaking for anyone who is interested in learning it and we want to insure that you achieve the goals that you set.

Join us as we look into the simplest ways to attain musical success in 2006.

In this edition:

Have you thought of what you would like to accomplish musically for the New Year? Perhaps you're busy looking at the latest diet or exercise plan but can't seem to schedule out some time to become more proficient at playing the guitar.

Hold on tight, because we're going to show you how to become the best musician you can be for the 2006 year. It won't be easy but you can attain maximum success if you put your mind to it. We will give you the pointers you need to create a practice plan that will last you for years to come.

As you can probably tell, 2005 has been an extremely busy year for us here at Guitar Tips. With new sites launched, a renovated newsletter and much more... it leaves you wondering, "What's next?" Get the inside scoop on our future plans and what we have achieved as we take a look at 05/06.

If you think that we've been going full tilt, take a look at the musical world! See the most recent transformations of the music industry and the technology that soon followed.

Since we renovated our newsletter, some licks have been published that many of you thoroughly enjoyed. We'll take another look at some of those in addition to a New Year's special feature.

As if that wasn't enough, you can check out our Feedback Booth to see what your fellow subscribers are doing.

Let's get started!

Filling The Holes That Are In Your Goals

How to get where you want to be.

We all have people that we aspire to sound like. I remember since I started to play guitar that I wanted to be able to play like Steven Curtis Chapman or B.B King. They were the guys to be like. However, when I actually picked up my guitar, the reality was much different than my perception.

It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. To this day there are still so many things for me to work on as a guitarist, the teaching part of me set aside. This is where goal setting comes in.

While I believe that we should be continually setting goals as musicians, this time of year is a motivating time to get down to business and start things off with a fresh start. If you want to be able to play like your role models, then you need to adopt their practice habits and attitudes.

The two people (amongst many others) that I aspired to be like didn't just get on stage and start playing. They spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours practicing at home when there wasn't thousands of fans watching them. That was the aspect of musical professionalism that took me quite a while to grasp.

Unlike some stars, I didn't have eight hours a day to devote to playing guitar. I had school, various other bands, extra curricular and a social life to maintain... where could I possibly fit in any real practice time? It was a moment in my life that every guitarist faces at some point. "How seriously do I want to take this and am I prepared to take the steps to get there?"

From that point on, I knew that I needed to adopt a new set of skills that honed in on setting goals and achieving them. I simply would not be able to play like my heroes unless some drastic action was taken.

Do you need to play eight hours a day to become a great guitarist or to get famous? No. However, you do need to be an excellent musician and that takes dedication and real knowledge of your instrument. Tabs won't cut it for you any more.

Before you start to freak out, take a deep breath. This doesn't happen over night. That's why we set goals. You can look at them as baby steps if you will.

You may be thinking, "Jordan, I just want to be a campfire guitarist and have no desire to even be heard by anyone other than my family." That's great! However, you still need to know what your doing to play all of those songs that you would like to learn.

No one likes to sound bad and practicing properly with the right stuff will definitely give you the leading edge.

Goals for the New Year.

Sometimes it's hard to figure out where to begin when you have been out of the groove for so long. Perhaps you're just starting out or you're an intermediate player who has just been "Stuck in a box." There are solutions to these problems and you can set goals for practically anything.

The most frequent thing I witness in musicians, especially guitarists, is an extremely weak foundation. Picture this: You are driving down a beautifully paved road going pretty fast when all of a sudden, you hit a strange gravel road, then lose control.

That's what I like to use for a comparison of a strong foundation verses a weak one. Skipping knowledge on the guitar to learn tab will not help you if you want to ever play anything outside of your bedroom.

Many would disagree because they did it but when it comes down to getting a gig with your favorite guitarists, they wouldn't be able to hold a flame to someone who knew music inside and out.

Let's take a look at solutions to these problems that you can work towards during the 2006 year.

Practice: Time management evolves around setting priorities and getting into a routine. Anytime you introduce a new concept into your life, it takes readjustment and is often extremely hard to continue. The good news is that now is the perfect time to start.

Many of us are on Christmas vacation, or will at least have a little time off. Use this to your advantage to get into the swing of practicing on a regular basis.

Let's face it, most of us don't have the time to sit down for an hour to eat with our families let alone practice our guitars. That's why we need to make the best out of what is made available to us. You may recall a series we covered a few months back on proper practice techniques.

We'll revisit that in a little while, but let's take a look at fitting in the time first. Everyone is different and as we grow older our schedule gets even more clogged. Here are some tips for various ages groups.

Teenagers: In my past experience, the best time for a teenager to practice their instrument is at night (much to their parents disapproval). Why? Studies have shown that there is a delay in their internal circadian biological clocks. Their most alert times are at night, while their sleepy periods occur between 2:00-7:00am and 2:00-5:00pm (National Sleep Foundation).

Anytime outside of those boundaries tends to be a good time to learn and get some great practice in. I have also seen success from practicing in the morning before the day begins as it allows you to think more clearly (after a good shower of course).

Insure at least 30 minutes a day. Teens have a great opportunity to master their instruments quickly as their brain develops. What you learn now will stick with you for the rest of your life and give you the proper foundation to grow from.

Adults: When you're dealing with the grind of daily business it can be hard to fit in a New Year's resolution to practice your guitar. Some practical ideas include that of a teenagers with a few added twists for convenience.

Early morning is a great idea for anyone who works long hours or is just to wiped out by the time they get home. Take the time to eat breakfast and go to your guitar for 20 minutes before heading out. It will be sure to put you in a great frame of mind and prepare your brain for the day ahead.

Night time is yet another great opportunity to wind down the day and finish off with a great ending. It can be hard to remain focused but it is a great option for those who are night owls.

If you have an office, you can always bring in a small amp and an electric guitar. Use headphones and you can practice during lunch without disturbing anyone! Be creative and you can find plenty of ways to squeeze in some time for your guitar.

For most of us, cutting down on TV would give us even more time. Once again, it comes down to priorities and what you enjoy the most. Some guitarists aspire to be a "Campfire guitarist" while others aspire to reach new heights in the professional world.

Whatever your desire, you won't be able to achieve it if you don't schedule some time to get there. Consistency is key.

Chords: Chords are probably one of the most underestimated aspect of the guitar world. While everyone wants to learn them, only a handful know how they work. Think of how many different chord names you know.

Chances are you can play more chords than you can name out. The first technical step you can take to rebuilding a solid foundation this coming year is relearning every chord name... and there's quite a few of them.

In fact, there are over 22 different chord name extensions such as Major, minor, augmented, suspended etc. When all of those extensions are multiplied by the available notes and all of the variations of that specific chord, you are left with hundreds of combinations and possibilities.

Here are some steps you can take to build up your repertoire of chord knowledge.

When I ask you to learn all of the chords, I am referring to the most popular versions and variations. As you become more experienced, you will soon start discovering even more wacky and out there chords.

Pace yourself and challenge yourself to learn one new chord and name every single day. You will soon discover patterns and chord "Shapes." For example, there are a few different chord shapes for every chord that allows me to hold my fingers in the same position and move them around the fretboard to get that chord for all of my notes.

If you discover one of those shapes, you can easily learn up to eight new chords a day with no sweat!

Play by ear: One of the most useful tools for any musician is the ability to be able to play by ear, in other words, listen to the music and be able to play exactly what they hear. Not only does this give you an extremely good knowledge of your fretboard but it gives you an innate sense of when you should and shouldn't be playing.

I find it extremely useful for lead guitar. When you listen to the music with that kind of concentration, you learn how the professionals play. When playing lead guitar, you're not playing all the time during a song unless you're playing a solo, so you need to know when where and how to come into a song without looking like someone who has no clue what they are doing.

You also learn how to be a stronger player and become more confident in your ability, which helps you produce a more pleasant tone.

It's great practice on so many levels and it's just one of the many things that we look forward to showing you how to do in the New Year.

Get in a band: In today's society there is a band for every style of music you can imagine and if there isn't, you can create one. Playing in a band creates more than music. You also form friendships, learn from others and experience new things.

It brings coolness to a new level. Don't let your own self-confidence get you down and stop you from joining a band that could help you become a better player and a better person. If you're a beginner, don't fall for the, "I'll join a band when I'm good enough." Get out there now and find three other beginners.

You begin to learn from one another which can show you more than any teacher can. I have found that people who are in a band of some sort from the beginning are more driven to learn more, have a better musical vocabulary and have more self-confidence.

However, don't expect to be cutting records right away. If you're a beginner in a band, you'll be practicing for quite a while and that first band will most likely be stepping stone. Nonetheless, don't underestimate how much it can help you out!

Start recording from home: The beauty of the technology available today is that the ability to make your own CDs has become extremely inexpensive. Now you can buy all of the equipment you need to record at a near professional level for the cost of a guitar.

The ability to make your own music has transformed the music world. Now bands and soloists can easily create a record at their own pace, mix it and burn it. Due to this technology, you have the opportunity to learn a whole new side of music from the production standpoint.

Learn how to set up instruments to get the best sound and how to work soundboards. It's great experience for anyone who is in a band, plays in their Church, or is involved in theatre because you acquire an understanding of how to get great sound in various settings and how everything should work.

I always try to live by the motto, "Don't critize if you can't do it yourself." That's why it's always great to know what you're doing in case your r sound guy isn't the hottest.

Learn how to read music: As most of you have probably figured out by this point, not being able to read music is one of my biggest pet peeves that I encounter with guitarists. For some reason, there is a stigmatism that learning how to read music is dreadfully hard and nearly impossible for someone with no previous background on another instrument.

Do not believe this! A year from now, you could be playing anything you want on sheet music. I will not lie to you, it isn't easy but it is most definitely possible. Why would you want to learn how to read music? Here are some great reasons:

... These are just four reasons out of a dozen that illustrate the benefits of reading music. There are many resources out there to help you and we also plan on offering new lessons in music theory.

All of the above things are great goals to set for yourself. Don't pick two or three... Follow the goal that appeals to you and master it before moving on to something else. This way you won't end up with even more holes along the way.

Keep in mind the first series we did that focused on a practicing system called PACS. Click here to check it out. I highly recommend that all guitarists incorporate some form of this system into their daily practice routine. PACS could be that goal you have been looking for.

Putting it into practice...

Putting it into practice has been one of the most popular segments of this newsletter. Over the last six months we have published quite a few original licks and riffs for you to make your own. Being that it is the end of the year and all, we thought it would be nice to bring back a few of your favorites. Simply click on the picture to go to that lesson.

We also want to share two completely new songs with you that didn't get released in our last newsletter due to space. Enjoy!

Based off of a D harmonic minor scale:

Written in drop D:

Based off of the E minor Pentatonic scale:

Auld Lang Syne - Happy New Year!

The Music Technology Of 2005

It literally blows my mind to see how far musical technology has come over the last year. Whether you're talking about recording, effects pedals, or your everyday gizmos... there was an explosion of innovation over the last year.

I want to highlight the three most innovative products that I believe should be noted for 2005. None of them are guitars this year, although there were some great new models that were released. What I'm focusing on are the things that were modeled after a guitarists' heart. The gadgets that no one else ever really thought of and the gadgets that exceeded expectations.

Here are the top three choices for the 2005 music industry gadget awards (yes, I just made that title up).

#1. BOSS GT-8 Multi Effects Floor Processor 200 Presets

The world of effects pedals has been changed in a very huge way. When Boss came out with this multi effects pedal, everyone took a second glance. What made it so special? A number of things actually. Take a look at these features from Guitar Trader's website:

• Dual COSM Amp engine allows two different amp types to be assigned to the two channels

• Amp channels can be switched, layered, or panned in real-time; Dynamic mode allows channel switching by picking dynamics

• 200 stunning preset patches and 140 user patches; 44 effects categories, up to 13 simultaneous FX blocks

• User configurable effect chain; any effect can be in any order in the signal path; independent External Effects loop section for inserting external effects anywhere in the signal patch

• Solo Switch on the COSM amp section for instant lead tone

• Amp Control jack for switching external guitar amp channels

• 24-bit converters and coaxial digital output for high-resolution recording applications

...This work horse is great for the recording studio or for live stage applications. It's versatility is extremely useful and the way Boss put it together is extremely well done.

While I still prefer single effects any day, guitarists around the world are loving it. Therefore, the top spot goes to the Boss. Click here to learn more.

#2. Tascam US 122

Home recording just got more interesting and affordable. Tascam has produced a great home recording setup that gives you everything you need to start burning CDs right out of the box. What does it have to offer? Check this out (taken from Guitar Trader's website.)

• USB audio/MIDI computer interfacing

• Mac and Windows compatible

• Two XLR-fed phantom-powered mic inputs with inserts

• Two line level inputs (switchable to guitar level)

• Records at up to 48kHz, 24-bit resolution

• 16 channels of MIDI I/O

• Two line outputs with level control

• Headphone output with level control

• Self-powered via USB: perfect for both studio and location recording

• Includes ASIO, WDM, GSIF and Apple Core Audio (OS X) drivers

• Includes Cubase LE 48-track / 96kHz audio recording/MIDI sequencing software

• Includes GigaStudio 3 LE 64-voice sampling workstation software

• Compact and rugged steel construction

...It's a great way to get started and offers professional results. It also comesloaded with great software to meet all of your recording needs. That's why I'll be using it personally in the New Year on all recordings that you hear. I hope that Santa brings it a day or two early because I can't wait!

To be honest, this piece of equipment porbably would have has the top spot if I had the chance to do a full battery of tests on it but unfortunately that won't happen for a few days. We'll be revisiting this piece of gear when we deal with recording in the New Year. Click here to learn more.

#3. Action Tuners - String Master

(Photo taken from actiontuners.com)

This puppy is the gadget of the century in my books. Simply plug your guitar cable into the String Master, place the winder over your tuning head and it does the work for you. It will tune to pitch, do chromatic tunings and help you change your strings. What more could you ever ask for?

Click here to find out more about how to get one.

Keep an eye out for what's around the bend in 2006 as I'm sure it will be impressive!

Taking A Look At Guitar Tips

It's hard to comprehend how much has happened over the last year here at Guitar Tips. The future has quite a bit in store but it's only due to the fact that we have awesome subscribers like yourself that we're still in business.

Over the last year, we launched a number of sites and branched out on our current ones. Guitar Tips received a makeover and now has full video, audio and image compliments each lesson. Guitar Songs were continually worked on and more songs were added to the site as you requested them. We now have quite a collection that is continually growing.

Guitar Backing Tracks came into existence and began offering jam tracks to customers. Then the Guitar Forum came along, where you can network with other guitarists and get your questions answered. While it's still a work in progress, we are happy to say that we have 185 members and there's still room for many more.

To top it off, all of this was followed by one of the biggest hits of the year, Guitar Leads. Finally, a site where you can learn how to play lead guitar at your own pace and get expert advice and lessons. This site is one of my personal favorites due to the incredible video, awesome images and the coolest lessons we've created thus far.

Yet another memorable moment of the year was the introduction of our newly renovated newsletter. We wanted to create a magazine like resource that you could count on to get accurate and concise information. The days of getting lessons from sites that didn't listen to you are over.

We have hosted major contests and gave away a $1000 shopping spree at Guitar Trader. Then, we hooked up with them for yet another contest to give away a signed Joe Satrianie Ibanez guitar. A few months later, GuitarVision came onto the scene with their Lucky Day contest. It seems as if it has never stopped for a second!

Guitar Tips also achieved a milestone this year as we landed our first major interview with the jazz legend Jimi Bruno. We've had great bands featured and really cool gear reviews. The good news is that more is still to come!

What do we have in store for you in 2006? The answer is quite simple... A lot! Check out a sampling of the lessons you can look forward to seeing in upcoming issues.

...Plus much more. In addition to the lessons, we have more interviews, feature bands, contests, gear reviews, and site reviews than ever before. You can look forward to getting the information you need to stay ahead of the game and become the best guitarist you can be.

We also want to create more ways for you to get involved. Stay tuned for new interactive segments that will be popping up in the coming months that will be sure to keep you busy.

Our goal with this newsletter is to give you something that will challenge you until we release our next edition. We always love to hear back from you and encourage you to email us whenever you have an idea or suggestion.

We look forward to starting a new year off with you and wish you all the best in your future musical endeavors!

Feedback Booth

Since we've started up our Feedback Booth, hundreds of you have emailed us with your thoughts, suggestions and questions. I'm happy to say that we're still going strong. We ask that you continue to email us with whatever is on your mind throughout the Christmas season and I look forward to hearing from all of you in the New Year.

If you have sent me an email over the last few weeks and haven't received a reply I give you my sincere apologies. If you have sent an email, you will receive a reply within 48 hours. If you do not get an email in this time period, please send it again as many of them can get lost on their way to our inbox.

Without further a due, let's finish off the last Feedback Booth of the 2005 year!

Brian sends us this email and question:

"Hi you guys, I just went on your site because I not looked at it properly before. It's fantastic! There's all sorts of stuff on there and you have done a great job. I'm impressed and I am telling some of my mates about it. Just a question, I can't seem to grasp tab and was wondering if I could have the chords instead when you have songs for free on the newsletter? I just can't get over your guys website, it is great. All the best for the holidays. Yours gratefully, Brian C. Jeffs"

Great question! While I can't always compose chords due to the subject matter I may be covering, we can help you learn tab. I highly recommend that everyone check out our archive located at the top of the page. It has a wealth of knowledge that can help you out and all of our newsletters are logged there for future reference. Go there to learn how to read tab and I'm sure you'll experience success.

Abraham sent along this piece of feedback:

"I just wanted to thank you for your tips on Christmas songs, they're very useful. I just had to share this with you. Abraham Lamourt"

Jeff Pomeroy also sent along a much appreciated thank you:

"Just wanted to say thank you for the christmas tunes. Took me little time because I'm a rookie. Thanks again, Jeff"

Justin had his own suggestion for a future song:

"I love your newsletters and fine the lessons very useful. But I would love to see the next newsletter to contain a song or two of Dimebag Darrells. The great music legend was killed one year ago on the 8th and I think it would be fitting to have a lesson about this man and maybe a song of his tabbed out. Thanks. Justin Strzyzewski"

Dale sent along a great idea that I'm currently looking at for the New Year. Do you like it? Send us an email and let us know!

"Hi Jordan, I would like to see a section (not necessarily in each and every newsletter) that focuses on a specific geographical area. As you probably know, there are many great acts both locally (Melbourne), and interstate, and I was thinking it would give me and other readers great joy to read something about an artist they may be familiar with or have even seen live!

I realize this is a big ask, but I'm sure the extra effort in studying acts from other countries would excite your readers and bring a bigger audience to your site. Look forward to reading your next newsletter ( I have gained a lot of great advice and techniques from them) and keep on plucking! Regards, Dale Peters Fitzroy - Melbourne, Australia"

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this edition of our Guitar Tips newsletter. The past year has proven to be a tremendous success and we thank you for being a part of it. We truly do look forward to serving you in the New Year. With Christmas just three days away as I write this, all of our staff here at Guitar Tips wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

In our next edition we will continue with our most recent series and show you what jazz guitar is all about. Learn the basics and get a taste of class! We will also have our regular features back and online for you.

If you're in a band, we want to hear from you! I continually give this call but no one responds. I guarantee you that your chances are extremely good considering the number of entries since our last Guitar Tips Feature Band. Please let us know what your band is doing as we approach the New Year.

Take care and have a safe and happy Christmas.

Until next time, keep on picking!