Reignite Your Guitar Journey: 10 Tips to Conquer Procrastination and Rediscover Your Passion

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Guitar Procrastination

Have you ever found yourself staring at your guitar, feeling a pang of guilt for neglecting it, despite even sometimes years of playing?

As a guitarist who has experienced the ups and downs of the musical journey, I understand the frustration of losing focus and struggling with limited time for practice.

The excitement that once fueled your progress may have dimmed, and the routines of life may have taken over, leaving you longing to rekindle that spark and advance once again.

1. Acknowledge Your Struggles:

Let’s start by acknowledging that every guitarist experiences moments of stagnation. It’s crucial to recognize that this is a normal part of the learning process. By accepting this reality, you can relieve the pressure and anxiety you may feel when facing a plateau in your progress.

2. Reflect on Your Journey:

Take a moment to reflect on your journey as a guitarist. Remember the excitement and joy you felt when you first picked up the instrument. Recall the milestones you achieved and the songs you mastered. This reflection will help you reconnect with your initial passion and serve as a reminder that you’re capable of overcoming any challenges that come your way.

3. Set Realistic Goals:

When time is limited, it’s important to set realistic goals for your guitar practice. Break down your aspirations into smaller, achievable objectives. For example, instead of aiming to learn an entire song in one practice session, focus on mastering a specific section or technique. This approach will make your goals more attainable and prevent overwhelming feelings of frustration.

4. Create a Consistent Practice Routine:

Consistency is key when it comes to progress on the guitar. Establish a regular practice routine that fits your schedule, even if it’s just 10–15 minutes a day. Consistency builds momentum and helps you stay motivated. Set aside a specific time each day dedicated solely to your guitar practice, treating it as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself. You may have already tried this in the past or even think this is obvious. But you need to force yourself to do this. It really helps to have a plan and stay accountable.

5. Embrace Variety in Practice:

Spice up your practice routine by incorporating variety. Instead of repeating the same exercises or songs every day, explore new genres, techniques, or styles. Experiment with different chord progressions, scales, or rhythmic patterns to keep your practice sessions fresh and engaging. Variety stimulates creativity and prevents monotony.

6. Seek Inspiration:

Seeking inspiration is crucial for overcoming a rut. Listen to a diverse range of guitarists and explore different musical genres. Attend live performances or watch inspiring guitar videos online. Engage with the guitar community by joining forums or social media groups, where you can exchange ideas, seek advice, and celebrate achievements. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals will reignite your enthusiasm for the instrument.

7. Break It Down and Focus:

When time is limited, break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable parts. Instead of trying to tackle an entire song, focus on learning a single riff or chord progression. By breaking it down, you can make progress even with a busy schedule. Celebrate each small victory along the way to maintain motivation.

8. Experiment with Technology:

Embrace technology to enhance your practice routine. Utilize guitar apps or software that offer interactive lessons, chord libraries, and backing tracks. These tools can make practicing more enjoyable and provide additional guidance when you’re short on time. Embracing technology also helps you explore new avenues of learning, such as online tutorials and virtual lessons.

9. Be Kind to Yourself:

Remember to be kind to yourself throughout your guitar journey. Avoid self-judgment and comparison to others. Progress on the guitar is unique to each individual, and everyone learns at their own pace. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and acknowledge the effort you put into your practice.

10. Find a Guitar Partner for Accountability and Musical Growth

This is the real game changer. Playing guitar doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavour. One effective way to reignite your passion and maintain consistency is by finding a guitar partner to play with and keeping each other accountable. Collaborating with someone who shares your musical interests can be both inspiring and motivating. This doesn’t mean just turning up to jam and having a few beers. You should focus on learning new techniques and songs together along with figuring out musical theory concepts and why a song is composed in a certain way.

Conclusion:

Rekindling your passion for the guitar and breaking through procrastination is possible, even with limited time and years of experience. By acknowledging your struggles, setting realistic goals, establishing a consistent routine, seeking inspiration, and embracing variety in practice, you can reignite the fire within you. Remember, every small step counts, and the journey itself is as valuable as the destination.

So pick up your guitar, embrace the challenge, and let the music guide you to new heights of creativity and fulfillment.

Dan

Fret Success — Founder

www.fretsuccess.com

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Guitarists Holding Slugs – Guitar Solo Faces Make A Lot More Sense When Guitars Are Replaced With Slugs

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Guitarists Holding Slugs

Ever wondered what guitarists holding slugs would look like?

This is a work of genius and very true! How awful some of these guitar solo faces are!
These images have replaced the guitar to show a more appropriate set of guitarists holding slugs.
The faces they pull are not only more appropriate now they all look like they have a slug’s face.

When a guitarist rips into a solo they always let there inhibitions go and dive straight in. But it appears that sometimes it looks like the roadie threw them a bit slimy slug.

These are definitely some of the more emotional players in the game. Personally, I think Slash and Santana look the most horrified by their slug/solo.

Are you a face puller. I must admit that I’ve never been a big face puller when it comes to solos. But I might just not be doing it right!?

Santana holding giant slug
John Mayer holding giant slug
The Boss holding giant slug



Original images here: https://imgur.com/gallery/R9NCh
#guitar #johnmayer #guitarslugs #slug #sluglife #slugface

Join the Free Fret Success Academy for the lessons you need in your guitar life: Fret Success Academy – Home Page

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Guitar Lessons Calgary – Fret Success

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Guitar Lessons Calgary

Wanting to have guitar lessons in Calgary? I'm your man!

Getting a guitar teacher is the best decision you will ever make. I'm even considering having children in that statement.

I know you're feeling stuck or want to just start playing, after putting it off for years! Getting a teacher will help you avoid the mine field that is YouTube.

What order? Am I doing it right? These are questions I get all the time. With a teacher, you don't need to worry about this. You'll be taken through a structured and custom tailored learning program to get you where you want to be.

I'm now accepting new students. Always wanted to pick up the guitar? Frustrated that you're not progressing and confused by all the free content out there?

I'm here to help.

We can also do the guitar lessons online, it works really well and you don't need to leave your home!

Visit here to book your free first lesson and chat: https://fretsuccess.com/online-guitar-lessons-free-call/

or

Send an email to learn@fretsuccess.com to arrange a free introductory chat about starting lessons either online or in person (Calgary).

Feel free to share with anyone that might want to start playing or need help!

Cheers,
Dan

Check out some of my customer reviews here: https://www.facebook.com/fretsuccess/reviews

guitar lessons calgary

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Learn Guitar In A Day – Marlene Hutchinson – Interview on the Fret Success Guitar Show

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Learn guitar in a day? Marlene Hutchinson is a guitar teacher with that promise. In this episode of the Fret Success Guitar Show we chat about teaching guitar and provide some tips and tricks we've learnt along the way so far. Check out Marlene's website here: https://marlenesmusic.com/

Video

YouTube: https://youtu.be/K4ciRhy1KU8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fretsuccess/videos/332336424494093

Podcast

FS Website: https://fretsuccess.com/podcast-fret-success-guitar-show/

Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marlene-hutchinson-learn-guitar-in-day-s2-ep5-fret/id1456545405

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NGVdbkahOGwCtAoq699Iw

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8yNjk3NTcucnNz/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC00ODg2MjY3?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjAvoPam4DsAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

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Lollar Pickups – Jason Lollar – Interview on the Fret Success Guitar Show

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I caught up with designer and founder of Lollar Pickups, Jason Lollar in this latest episode of the Fret Success Guitar Show.

These are some seriously tasty pickups and what a great guy to talk to.

If you're looking to upgrade your guitar and get the best bang for your buck then these are an amazing choice.

They also go on some of your high end guitars for some of the big names.

We talk about what changes the pickup characteristics, how to create a great pickup product line and how some artists use Lollar Pickups on the sly, even when endorsed by others...

Video

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y3tS43_LsbM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fretsuccess/videos/332336424494093

Podcast

FS Website: https://fretsuccess.com/podcast-fret-success-guitar-show/

Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lollar-pickups-jason-lollar-interview-fret-success/id1456545405

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mVdwLQ5vopYTirI68Og5K

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8yNjk3NTcucnNz/episode/ODE3OGUzZTEtYmRhNC00MTY4LTlmM2ItY2QxNjE3OWUyMjU4?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjQ9rbn0f_rAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

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What are the guitar string frequencies?

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The guitar string frequency, is the number of times a string displaces by its maximum amplitude (one full cycle) in one second, after being struck.

What each string frequency is, depends on what you tune them to.

If we’re talking standard tuning for open strings on a 6-string guitar, then they are the following:

Going from thickest to thinnest strings:

E: 82 Hz (E2 Musical Note)

A: 110 Hz (A2 Musical Note)

D: 147 Hz (D3 Musical Note)

G: 196 Hz (G3 Musical Note)

B: 247 Hz (B3 Musical Note)

E: 330 Hz (E4 Musical Note)

So, the lowest note on the frequency produced by a tuned guitar is 82 Hz from the open thick E string (E2).

Some guitars have extra strings in the lower region i.e. 7 and 8 string guitars.

7 string guitars add an extra B note (B1) under the E2 note of a standard 6 string guitar. The B1 note has a frequency of 62 Hz.

8 string guitars add a further string below the B1 note of a 7 string, which is normally tuned to F# (F#0). This note is a frequency of 23 Hz.

Are you stuck in your guitar practice? I’ve put together my best practice tips on a free email course on my best guitar practice strategies.

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Right, where were we?

This is a great thing to know when mixing music, as basically all frequencies in a guitar recording below 87 Hz are useless. They are likely to contain microphone rumble etc. rather than anything guitar related. Remove this can really clean up your mix and help your compressors out.

You just need to be careful of filter roll off (dB/octave) when applying any high pass EQ/filtering to a signal. As setting the cut-off frequency at 87 may lose you some audio information at this frequency and above it.

So, if you are going to cut, then keep this in mind and keep it a bit below 87 Hz.

It’s important to also note that the frequency content of a guitar string in motion is not just its fundamental tone.

A string vibrates with many harmonics that are numerically related to the fundamental frequency.

This combination of fundamental sound from the string resonance and the additional harmonics give the guitar its frequency content and sound.

What are the string frequencies dependent on?

The frequency of sound a guitar string produces is dependent on a few physical properties. Namely,

  • string tension (how far you’ve wound the string);
  • string mass (gauge of string); and
  • string length (nut to bridge).

The higher the tension, the higher the pitch.

The higher the mass, the lower the pitch.

The longer the string length, the lower the pitch.

Here’s a link to an article with more information on this topic  – How do guitar strings produce their sound?.

What’s the lowest it will go?

The limit to how low you can take the guitar is dependent on the setup of your guitar including:

  • string gauge;
  • height of bridge; and
  • guitar action (how high strings are above fret board).

Thicker strings can go lower in pitch, just think about the difference in thickness between a guitar and a bass guitar. The bass guitar strings are much lower in pitch.

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Drop C Tuning

Drop C Tuning is common place in heavier styles of music and most commonly the following notes (going from thick to thin):

C: 65 Hz (C2 Musical Note)

G: 98 Hz (G2 Musical Note)

C: 131 Hz (C3 Musical Note)

F: 175 Hz (F3 Musical Note)

A: 220 Hz (A3 Musical Note)

D: 294 Hz (D4 Musical Note)

People in the know among you will perhaps see this as simply being drop D tuning (DADGBE) but dropped down a full step.

It has a much deeper tone than standard tuning and is often found easier to sing to.

Bass Guitar

The lowest string of a 4-string bass guitar is one full octave below that of the standard 6 string guitar. The notes and frequencies of the 4-string bass guitar (going from thick to thin) are:

E: 41 Hz (E1 Musical Note)

A: 55 Hz (A1 Musical Note)

D: 73 Hz (D2 Musical Note)

G: 98 Hz (G2 Musical Note)

5 string bass guitars add an extra B note (B0) under the E1 note of a standard 4 string bass guitar. The B0 note has a frequency of 31 Hz.

6 string bass guitars add a further string above the G2 note of a 5 string, which is normally tuned to C (C3). This note is a frequency of 131 Hz.

How does the frequency range of a guitar compare against other instruments?

I’m going to stick to the fundamental frequencies of a standard 6 string guitar, when I compare it against other instruments.

In general, the guitar frequency range starts at the upper end of the low frequency range and typically goes as high at the thin E string on the 24th fret, which is an E note (E7) with a frequency of 2637 Hz.

If we compare this range to other common instruments we can see the guitar has a good range and sits near the middle.

Check out the image below:

In the traditional instrument pool, the piano has the biggest frequency range; which is based on strings too!

Modern music and synthesizers go lower and higher than this but the issue then becomes having the audio system to adequately reproduce the sound.

I hope this article helped you to understand more about the elusive topic of the frequencies of guitar strings.

I could carry on further and, in more detail, but thought this was a good place to stop for now.

I also have lots of free guitar lesson guitar available when you subscribe to the free membership are called the Fret Success Academy.

Thanks,

Dan

(Founder)

www.fretsuccess.com

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Is it normal for my hand to hurt while playing guitar?

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Is it normal for my hand to hurt while playing guitar?

First, a little about me!!

Feel free to scroll on, I won’t be offended; much!

I’ve played guitar for 20 years, been in all sorts of bands (professional and amateur), recorded songs, taught guitar (now have a website: https://www.fretsuccess.com), degree in acoustics, built a guitar etc. etc. So, I’ve been around a bit.

So, is it normal for my hand to hurt while playing guitar?

The short answer is, YES! It can be normal.

It can be normal in two ways:

One: we must work through a little bit of strain and muscle fatigue when building our strength, so it can be perfectly normal to feel some discomfort. But, if it lasts from session to session with no improvement or it gets worse, then there’s a more significant underlying issue with your body or technique; and

Two: it’s normal in the way that a lot of guitar players over do it and cause themselves harm. Let’s try a stop it from being a regular occurrence.

What are the different types of pain or uncomfortable feelings when playing guitar?

There are a few different types of pain that you experience when playing guitar.

But, most of them are related to overusing a muscle or just using it in a way you haven’t used before.

There’s a difference between pain and fatigue.

There’re a few conditions that can be developed if you’re not careful when playing guitar.

There is such a thing as too much practice.

Let’s investigate this in more detail.

I go into more practice tips on a free email course on my best guitar practice strategies.

You can click here to sign up to it!

The more people I get signed up will help me know that my content is helping. So, please sign up! It would be brilliant if you took the 30 seconds to enter your email in a box and click Go!

Right, where were we?

Where is the pain coming from?

In general, if you are experiencing pain during playing guitar it’s likely to be due to muscle weakness or disorders linked to over playing.

Pain is where your body is physically experiencing trauma and it is very uncomfortable to do anything with the pain. This is caused from putting too much pressure into your playing or putting your muscles and joints through a lot of repetitive motions.

You can develop pain through having your hand in the wrong position. I’ve seen this happen but it’s not as common as just over doing it.

I’ve been there.

Locking myself away for 6 hours playing Satriani licks or doing that 8-hour Jam session. Seems like you’re doing great things for your development, but you just need to remember to take it easy. Even the pros do that!

Cramp

That’s right, sometimes the pain is just cramp.

It comes from:

  • playing to tight on the neck;
  • not stretching before playing; and
  • issues with salt content in the blood.

Cramp can be alleviated easily my taking it easy, stretching and drinking enough water. You may also find that you could need medication if you find cramp happens too regularly and after little exertion.

Repetitive Strain Injury

This bracket covers the general area of guitar related injuries.

Repetitive strain injury is quite simply a muscle strain from doing a task over and over and over and over and over…

The muscle/joint/tendon gets tired.

If you have a short-term repetitive strain injury, where it’s a new feeling, then just taking it easy and relaxing for a day or two should get you back on track.

But, it’s important to then figure out what was causing you to get this RSI?

Most likely it was just playing for too long and maybe going over a certain track or riff repeatedly. Your muscles, and joints are tired, and they don’t like just doing the same thing repeatedly.

It may be that you’re playing a new chord shape that it outside of your comfort zone. It’s OK for your hand to feel uncomfortable.

But, just remember to take regular breaks; especially if you’re doing unusually long stretches of repetitive drills.

If you carry on through the pain, you may develop some of the more lasting disorders like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Tendinitis.

So just take regular breaks and work on drills to build more strength in your hands (tips at the end of the article to help) to minimize strain.

If you find yourself still being strained with relatively simple tasks, then it’s time to get a lesson with someone to get you playing in the right position.

The thing about lessons is, you don’t need to have a guitar tutor on a weekly basis, you can just book a “check up” lesson with someone to just put you in the right direction or sort any immediate issues out.

I’ve done this a few times over the years and it’s a great way to keep the cost down but still get structured guidance and ability to sort any potential issues out early on.

Having a couple of lessons at the start of your playing will really help you get off to the best start.

From then on you can probably just get away with correspondence based lessons.

Having a regular tutor isn’t cheap, it’s the best way, but not all can afford it!

So, if you carry on feeling pain and play through it then you’ll probably be able to expect some of the following, more serious issues.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is where you get a tingling sensation or numbing of the hands. It’s related to getting extra pressure on the wrists.

All you need to help with this is building up strength, which comes from doing specific exercises.

Tendinitis

This is a more serious result from overplaying.

It’s when your tendons become inflamed and they go tight and rigid.

This is normally caused by playing the guitar in the incorrect position and/or playing for a significant amount of time.

So, we know there’s a problem.

What can we do to reduce the effects of this? I’ve got a few suggestions to consider.

Tips for avoiding fatigue or pain when playing guitar

Here are some of my tips for reducing and hopefully avoiding pain/muscle fatigue when playing guitar:

  • Take regular breaks and adjust the number of breaks in relation to how strenuous the thing is that your trying to play. This isn’t meaning technical difficult but more strenuous on your fingers, wrists and arms;
  • Build up strength in your fingers and joints. There are plenty of tools out there to help but you just need to work on building up them muscles either using a Gripmaster style device or just something firm to squeeze, like a stress ball or tennis ball etc. You can do this whilst watching TV or doing other non-guitar related tasks;
  • Avoid playing repetitive segments for a long period of time. If something is repetitive, then be aware of this and take breaks from it.
    That doesn’t mean you have to stop playing it just means opt for something to break up that repetitive motion.
    If you’re working on a solo, then opt to mix in some chord or theory practice to break it up;
  • Warm up your hands. Do this by doing hand, wrist and arm stretches but also make sure your hands are physically warm.
    If they’re not warm just go wash your hands with hot water for a few minutes. Plus, your strings will last longer because your hands will be nice and clean before you start😉;

I find that if I haven’t played my acoustic guitar for a while, concentrating on electric too much, I get more fatigue. This is normal, but you need to just ease yourself back in to rather than assuming you have the same stamina as on electric.

  • Electric guitars are generally much kinder on your joints and muscles for a few reasons:
    • Neck profile is smaller, so easier to get your hands around the neck;
    • Electric guitar strings are generally lower gauge, so easier to press down; and
    • The electric guitar is typically an easier shape to get around, acoustics can be large and cumbersome. Whereas electrics are generally more ergonomically shaped;
  • Lower you string action. The height of the strings makes a big difference to play ability, especially if you’re just starting out;
  • Switch to a lower guitar string gauge. Careful, this will increase the height of the strings from the fret board, so make sure you adjust your truss rod or get someone to set it up for you, you should do this anyway as it will make your guitar play at its best;
  • You will typically get more strain on your joints when standing up, it’s a fact. So, try doing periods of standing up and sitting down; and
  • Design your set lists for live performance so that you mix up the playing style, so mix between chord work and solos.

I hope this article has helped you understand more about the sources of pain when playing guitar and how to reduce/stop them.

Just take it easy and plan your rehearsal time accordingly.

I go into more practice tips on a free email course on my best guitar practice strategies.

You can click here to sign up to it!

Happy guitar playing.

Cheers,

Dan

(https://www.fretsuccess.com)

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If I could have only 3 guitar pedals, what would I choose and why?

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Having guitar pedals is something you should really consider.

There are many different options when it comes to pedals.

Pedals come in many forms including those with single effects (the traditional ones that probably look most familiar, and the multi effects units.

As technology improves, there are many FX solutions on the market that are starting to combine amplifier and FX together in to a single unit that is then programmable and re callable.

I’m still a romantic and enjoy the single pedals, as I find you must tweak everything for each gig any way.

I play many different styles so picking 3 pedals only is very hard.

In my decision process, the way I decided was which pedals have consistently hung around on my board over the years.

I think picking a single pedal type rather than just a style is difficult. Especially as technology improves. Some people opt for the older vintage pedals, but I must admit that with the improvements in DSP, the digital pedals are hard to beat.

Note that I’ve always had an amplifier with a distortion channel, so my pedal selections assume this. Also, I’ve excluded channel selector pedals and attenuator pedals for your amp. My Orange Rockerverb Mark III has a brilliant attenuator on it, so I can have a fake boost switch by taking off the attenuator to produce the lead channel. Get an amp with an attenuator capability, it will change your life!

Here’s my list.

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Pedal 1: Tuner Pedal

This style of pedal has been on my board since I can remember, even before I got a board. Having a tuner is the most important thing in your guitar playing.

If you’re going to play live, then a tuning pedal is a definite fixture on the board for me.

However, having one for practice and recording is also crucial, especially one that can quickly check the tuning of all strings at once. If you don’t have a tuner in your chain for recording, overdubs and retakes can become messy. If one take is slightly out of tune compared to another then you’ll get an unprofessional sound, which will stand out.

Being in tune is King!

In terms of specs, for me, it needs to have:

    • Strobe tuning (very high level of sensitivity and resolution);
    • Multistring tuning (check if any strings are out of tune instantly from a single strum);
    • Output mute function when tuning (no one wants to hear you tune, it also doubles as a mute pedal for those instances you stop playing); and
    • True Bypass (having no influence on the sound).

I used a Boss TU range of pedals for a long time but when I saw that TC Electronic had released a tuner with all the capabilities above, I had try it out. The TC Electronic Polytune 2 has been on my board since it came out and I don’t really see me needing any other tuner ever, it’s brilliant.

Pedal 2: Compressor Pedal

This may be a slightly odd choice to some people, especially rock players. A distorted signal through an amp is already well compressed, so adding compression isn’t necessary.

A compressor pedal reduces the difference between the quiet and loud signals from your guitar, giving more consistency to the level.

However, compressors also make the noise floor signal higher due to increasing the lower signals. You must apply compression carefully. If you over do it, it will sound noisy and choked with a horrible slow and noisy decay. Use compression gently.

The reason I’ve selected a compressor pedal is for when I need to get a certain clean sound for Jazz, Country and Funk styles. These styles generally call for a consistent volume in the guitar parts and this is achieved with a compressor.

A compressor is part of the tone and sound for guitar in these styles.

If you dial in the compressor just right, you can make your clean sound pop and it also requires less effort to get the notes out and makes things sound more even in the process.

My current compressor of choice is the MXR Custom Comp. It’s much quieter than any compressor pedal I’ve tried and only having the two knobs makes it easy to use.

Pedal 3: Delay Pedal

The third pedal was a tough one to choose for me.

His could have been so many other pedals including Digitech Whammy DT, TC Electronic Mojomojo, Vox Wah, TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, the list goes on.

I came to a decision by thinking what pedal I would need to complete a small board to take on tour with me. What is my most basic 3 pedal setup that I see myself needing?

Recent projects have seen me need to use the Digitech Whammy DT style pedal to change tuning or do some pitch shifting.

But this isn’t the norm, it’s an exception.

When it comes down to it, a delay pedal was the best candidate to fit that third slot on my board. It just makes sense.

I find that having a delay pedal to add space to a guitar sound, especially lead, is something that I often must do.

I’ve had my current delay pedal for over 10 years and that’s the BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay. It sounds great and is easy to use and adjust on the fly, especially to get some cool high feedback loops going for song transitions.

I’m sure others have their own choices and I have many more than 3 pedals on my board that have specific uses. I wrote this based on the pedals I use the most and tend to go to as a standard when writing, jamming and doing general performance work.

I hope this was interesting and maybe even useful to read.

I’d love to hear more about the pedals you would choose and why.

Drop a comment below with your pedals!

I hope this article has been of use.

I also have lots of free guitar lesson guitar available when you subscribe to the Fret Success Academy.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW!

Thanks,

Dan

(Founder)

www.fretsuccess.com

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What guitar scales should I learn?

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So, your asking the question “What guitar scales should I learn?”? Let’s dig in!

Summary

When thinking about what guitar scales you should learn, it can seem very daunting.

There are so many scales out there but there’s lots out there that are standard ones you should really know as a guitarist.

All the scales in western music come from the same origin, the Chromatic Scale.

The Chromatic Scale contains 12 notes.

All other scales then choose a selection of notes from the Chromatic Scale to give a certain sound.

Scales themselves have no real meaning to a listener.

It is the order in which the notes are heard and the harmonic backing to those notes i.e. chords being played that give the notes of a scale their character.

I’ve referred to two types of scales, Diatonic and Pentatonic. The difference being the number of notes in the scale.

Diatonic has seven notes and Pentatonic has 5.

Many guitarists get by with only know the simpler Pentatonic Scales. I recommend you learn the Diatonic Scale versions first and then understand what the Pentatonic is after. It will help you understand where it all fits together.

If you struggle with learning all notes in the Diatonic Scale, then just get your head around the Pentatonic Scale first and fill in the extra notes when you’re ready.

The main article goes into more detail on each scale, but I’ve summarised the scales that I recommend you learn below:

  • Major Diatonic Scale;
  • Natural Minor Diatonic Scale;
  • Major Pentatonic Scale;
  • Minor Pentatonic Scale;
  • Blues Scale; and
  • Mixolydian Scale.

I’ve no recommendation for the key you select, it doesn’t make too much difference. The best way to dive right in is pick a scale that you’ve never heard of.

I’ll give you a few of the standards to

Some scales are linked to each other.

So, learning scales that are linked together would make the most sense to start with.

For example, learning the minor scale than uses the same notes as the related major scale and vice versa. If you learn the C Major Scale, then you’ve pretty much learnt the A Natural Minor Scale.

The only difference is that the notes are either heard in a different order or played against a different harmonically related backing.

Musical scales that guitarists tend to know are:

  • C Major Diatonic;
  • A Natural Minor Diatonic
  • C Major Pentatonic;
  • A Minor Pentatonic;
  • A Blues Scale
  • A Blues Scale
  • G Mixolydian Scale

There are obviously more scales you can learn but if you don’t know these then get them under your belt!

I’ve gone into more detail on the theory behind the list of scales and the notes within them I’ve recommended at the start in the Main Article below.

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Read on for the main article.

Hope this helps!

Main Article

So, you want to know what guitar scales you should learn?

(Make sure you just briefly read the summary above first before reading the main article, if you haven’t already)

You’ve picked up some basics or even learned a few songs but want something more.

The most obvious next step in the progression is to start thinking about scales.

You may have heard someone talking about them or just know they exist and that they’re something you should probably think about learning.

The thing is, learning scales is so important!

Asking this question puts you ahead of a lot of people who are happy just reading tab and learning songs without the context of what they’re learning.

That’s fine!

But if you really want to develop as a guitar player you must learn some scales. You’ll thank your past self later for doing so.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the massive task of learning all the scales.

But if you learn a few basics then you’ll find learning the rest a lot easier!

Let’s get into these mythical scales then.

Chromatic Scale

The chromatic scale is the master scale.

It’s the scale that contains all the notes we can use in Western Music.

All the other scales just cherry pick a selection from the Chromatic Scale to create a certain sound.

What is the Chromatic scale?

The chromatic scale is a representation of all possible notes in music. It’s an important concept to grasp that musical notes in the chromatic scale are not linear (i.e. in one line) but actually circular in a continuous pattern; increasing in pitch with no start or end point.

Check out the figure below to see all the possible notes in western music.

Each note is a semitone apart, and the smallest amount we can move in music.

So, let’s learn more of these other scales that come from selecting certain notes from the Chromatic Scale.

For simplicity, I’m going to first list the formula for each scale type and then give a real-life example for the A tonality, i.e. A Major, A Minor etc.

Major Diatonic Scale

What is this scale?

The major scale is one of the simple diatonic scales that all musicians should learn.

Major Scale Formula

It’s really important that you get your first guitar scale under your belt as soon as possible. Scales are very simple to understand, once you grasp the basic concepts. It’s very tempting to put off learning scales but understanding them now makes life so much easier in the long run.

A scale is a set of notes that are related to each other, when played either together or one after each other. The spacing between these notes is known as the ‘interval’ between them, which are normally described as either semi-tones or tones (two semitones).

The best way to think of scales is that we’re picking a grouping from the Chromatic Scale Wheel, which all relate to each other harmonically (i.e. they complement each other when played in sequence).

We need to pick a starting point, which is our “root/tonic” (name) of the scale and then move around the wheel in a set pattern to get the notes of the scale.

The major scale has an associated set of intervals that give it that happy character. The concept to grasp here is that the sound of each note in the chromatic scale does not give the scale its character. It’s actually the intervals between them that do this. Your brain automatically recognises the intervals between the notes and that is the basis of harmonic music.

The intervals for a major scale, starting from the root, are Tone; Tone; Semitone; Tone; Tone; Tone; and Semitone. Each note in the scale is also given a reference name which is the ‘Scale Degree’ i.e. Tonic, Supertonic etc. See the image below to get more of an idea of this.

C Major Scale

The C major scale is the simplest to understand as there are no sharps or flats within it. The figure below shows how the notes in the C Major scale are taken from the chromatic scale of all possible notes. The notes are C, D, E, F, G A, and B; easy to remember right?

C Major Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the C Major Scale, with the yellow notes indicating the root of the scale.

Minor Diatonic Scale

So, let’s talk about Minor Scales!!!

Just like the Major Scale, we need to pick a starting point, which is our “root/tonic” (name) of the scale and then move around the wheel in a set pattern to get the notes of the scale.

The minor scale has an associated set of intervals that give it that unhappy character. The concept to grasp here is that the sound of each note in the chromatic scale does not give the scale its character. It’s actually the intervals between them that do this. Your brain automatically recognises the intervals between the notes and that is the basis of harmonic music.

We’re going to go through the most commonly used Minor Scale, the natural minor.

The intervals for a natural minor scale, starting from the root, are Tone; Semitone; Tone; Tone; Semitone; Tone; and Tone. Each note in the scale is also given a reference name which is the ‘Scale Degree’ i.e. Tonic, Supertonic etc. See the image below to get more of an idea of this.

A Minor Scale

The A minor scale is the simplest to understand as there are no sharps or flats within it. The figure below shows how the notes in the A Minor scale are taken from the chromatic scale of all possible notes. The notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G; easy to remember right? Do you notice a similarity with the C Major Scale?

A Minor Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the A Minor Scale, with the yellow notes indicating the root of the scale and blue notes the rest of the scale.

Major Pentatonic Scale

What is this scale?

The major pentatonic is a simpler version of the major scale. So, if you already know the major scale then you probably don’t need to know the pentatonic version. Pentatonic scales are used by beginners or those instances where you’re not too sure what notes to play over a chord progression, taking the dissonant notes out of the equation, i.e. the ones that are harder to fit in harmonically.

The Major Pentatonic is the notes 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the Major Scale.

C Major Pentatonic Scale Notes

In the instance of the C Major Pentatonic Scale, we’re looking at notes C, D, E, G, and A.

C Major Pentatonic Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the C Major Pentatonic Scale. The root notes are in yellow and the rest of the scale in green. The remaining blue notes show the remaining C Major Scale notes that aren’t in the C Major Pentatonic Scale.

Minor Pentatonic Scale

What is this scale?

The minor pentatonic is a simpler version of the minor scale. So, if you already know the minor scale then you probably don’t need to know the pentatonic version. Pentatonic scales are used by beginners or those instances where you’re not too sure what notes to play over a chord progression, taking the dissonant notes out of the equation, i.e. the ones that are harder to fit in harmonically.

Minor Pentatonic Scale Formula

The Minor Pentatonic is the notes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 of the Minor Scale.

A Minor Pentatonic Scale Notes

In the instance of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale, we’re looking at notes A, C, D, E and G.

A Minor Pentatonic Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale. The root notes are in yellow and the rest of the scale in green. The remaining blue notes show the remaining A Minor Scale notes that aren’t in the A Minor Pentatonic Scale.

Blues Scale

What is this scale?

The blues scale is probably the next scale that guitarists learn after the basic major and minor scales and their pentatonic versions. It’s a versatile scale in some ways but also has a definite sound to it.

The blues scale is in the middle of the natural minor scale and the minor pentatonic, in that it contains six notes. It is in essence the minor pentatonic scale plus the flattened 5th note of the scale (same for major and minor).

Blues Scale Formula

The Blues Scale contains the notes 1, 3, 4, 5b, 5, and 7 of the Minor Scale.

A Blues Scale Notes

In the instance of the A Blues Scale, we’re looking at notes A, C, D, Eb, E G; with Eb being the flattened 5th note. Flattening a note means to drop it by a semitone on the chromatic scale.

A Blues Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the A Blues Scale. The root notes are in yellow and the rest of the scale in green. The remaining blue notes show the remaining A Minor Scale notes that aren’t in the A Blues Scale for reference.

Mixolydian Scale

What is this scale?

The Mixolydian scale is a very interesting scale and one of my favourites. It’s a very cool scale for adding flavour in the blues style. This is because it has both a major and minor sound depending on the part of the scale you’re in.

Mixolydian Scale Formula and Theory

If we think in terms of the Major scale, the mixolydian scale contains notes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and b7. The flattened seventh note is similar to the natural minor scale. If you play through the mixolydian scale in note order you can hear the little nuances of the scale with it’s major and minor flavour.

G Mixolydian Scale Notes

In the instance of the G Mixolydian Scale, we’re looking at notes G, A, B, C, D, E, and F.

G Mixolydian Scale Fretboard Example

The fretboard diagram below shows the notes of the G Mixolydian Scale. The root notes are in yellow and the rest of the scale in blue.

Drop a comment below with your favourite scale from the list, or even one that you’ve been struggling with!

I hope this article has been of use.

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Thanks,

Dan

(Founder)

www.fretsuccess.com

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