Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar Blog With Steve Krenze

Archive for beginner-guitar

Friday, January 11, 2013

How long does it take to become a guitarist? This article is about becoming the genuine article... 30 minutes at a time. If you’re like most people, practicing is something you don’t have unlimited time for. So you want to make the most of every minute. But, there’s so much to learn that many people don’t know where to start or effectively practice to improve. A [...]

January 2013--30 Minutes to Become a Guitarist

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Name: Bill ApplegateCity: Newport Beach, CAForum Username: appledaddyMy Gear:2007 Martin 000-282010 Fender American Standard Strat 3-Tone Sunburst – Maple Fretboard2009 Catalina ’63 - (This is a little beach guitar. Consider it the “stunt double” for the Martin. It takes all the abuse and I don’t stress about the scratches and dings.I have a borrowed George Denni [...]

L&M Student Profile of the Month: Bill Applegate

Monday, May 14, 2012

I know, I know...You're excited about learning the guitar and this time "you're going to do it right". You've made a little vow to yourself that goes something like this… "I won't move on until every note is perfect!"BEWARE... PERFECTIONISM CAN BE A TRAP! Perfectionism can dampen your enthusiasm and hamper your learning. Frustrations and disillusionment are sure [...]

So You Wanna Be Perfect...

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Name: John LeonardCity: Cookstown, IrelandForum Username: jleo legacyMy Gear:Godin SeaGull S6 Folk Cedar +Q1Crafter GAE 648 CD acousticSquire (Fender) Stratocaster standard (Gun metal black)Yamaha 112J electric. (Blue)Stagg C542 (nylon string classical)M-Audio Keystudio (39 key midi keyboard)Hohner Countryman Hobo acoustic (Satin) (Retired)I rarely play through a [...]

L&M Student Profile of the Month: John Leonard

Monday, April 9, 2012

Name: Dan BrownCity: Bradley Beach, NJ near Asbury Park (born and raised Brooklyn, NY)Forum Username: Dan BrownMy Instruments/gear:Epiphone Lt. Ed ES 355, Fender Squier Strat MIM (1991), Charvel Custom 625C Acoustic Electric, Yamaha FG400A,circa 1958 Harmony Meteor semi hollow body, Harmony LP knock off. Fender Bullet AmpFavorite Artists/Bands: First and foremo [...]

L&M Guitar Student Profile of the Month: Dan Brown

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Wouldn't it be great if you could use the same chords you already know to get fresh new sounds? Taking familiar chords that use open strings and moving them around on the guitar neck creates great sounding new chords. And the best part is you don't need to learn a new chord shape!Download a .pdf here: http://www.learnandmaster.com/email/Creating_New_Sounds.pdfVie [...]

March Video Tip: Creative New Sounds from Familiar Chords

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Man, you ought to be in a band! Some guitar playing concepts like soloing and improvisation can’t be learned from a book or DVD. You only learn them from playing with a band - whether live or recorded. Since you probably don’t have your own back up band jam tracks can fill an important role in your learning.In my formative teenage years, I spent many hot Texas su [...]

Let’s Jam! Tips for Playing with Jam Tracks

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Don’t let head-games steal your guitar playing future! Many future guitar players get way out of whack as they start learning and their head games end up forfeiting their guitar playing future. They start learning with great enthusiasm, practice a few times, hit the inevitable first wall of frustration, and immediately give up.It doesn’t need to be this way! J [...]

Straight Talk to Beginners on Guitar Learning

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Don't just learn one new chord! Learn how to manipulate one chord shape to create chords all over the neck. Plus, find some great rock rhythm chord patterns along the way!

February Video Tip: Chord Shape Magic: The CAGED System

Saturday, January 7, 2012

If you’re serious about being a musician then there is only one road that will get you there - practice. Practicing is a necessary key - really the only key - that will unlock the potential inside of you to become the guitar player you want to be. Practicing is something you are going to be doing a lot of to become skillful, so let’s learn how to do it most effec [...]

How You Should Practice

Friday, January 6, 2012

Don’t practice more, practice smarter! This month's video contains four important secrets to getting more accomplished in less time during every practice session.

January Video Tip: Practice Tips for Success

Thursday, August 18, 2011

This is a promoted topic from our Student Support Forum. The author is slwiegel and the post has become one of the most encouraging posts we have for beginners to keep practicing. Thanks slwiegel for your post and permission to promote it to the blog.I Used To Think...by slwiegel...that I was too old to play guitar. But in doing research on how to learn to play g [...]

I Used To Think...

Thursday, June 16, 2011

This month's video is all about using a capo. There are tons of questions on the Student Support Forum about capos and lots of different capos out there to use, so it seems prudent to show how to use a capo and what it does to your sound!Enjoy,

June Video Tip: Using a Capo

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Guitar players love open chords. The magical sound of open strings ringing is one of the few things that guitar players can do that no other instrument can replicate. Open chords easy to play but unfortunately there are only in a few “guitar friendly” keys like G, D, A, & E. So, if you come across a song in a “non-guitar” it helps to use a capo to adjust th [...]

Capo Magic

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Ever thought the basic chords were pretty boring when you play them? There's the G, Am, E, D, C7 and a few more. Kind of ho-hum, huh? We'll not anymore! This month's video tip for guitar is all about infusing life into those boring old open chords. Check it out and let us know what you think:Now get out there and PRACTICE :)

May Video Tip: Playing Beyond the Average Chords

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Alright, I've given you more than an month to practice Session 5 and it's time to move on! Session 5 introduced you to simple chords - the basics. Like I say each time, be sure to go back to previous sessions to continue practicing and building that base. Session 6 will cover more chords - minor 7th and suspended chords. (est. time 3 weeks)Open Minor Seventh Chor [...]

Course Walk-Through: Session 6 – Minor 7th & Suspended

Saturday, February 26, 2011

If you are unfamiliar with guitar tablature (most of the time called "TAB"), let's set you straight before moving into the main discussion.TAB is a way to notate musical notes and chords that is specific to guitar. (There have been tablature schemes invented for other fretted instruments too, but you'll have to find another article for lute TAB.) Just know that [...]

Guitar Tab vs. Standard Notation

Friday, February 18, 2011

We're already onto our 4th session in the course walk through! After about 2-3 weeks in Session 3 (20-30 minutes of practice a day), you should be ready to advance to Session 4. This session will focus on the final two strings, as well as give a good overview of all strings. (est. time: 2 weeks)Notes on the 5th StringThe last two strings both have three notes per [...]

Course Walk-Through: Session 4 - Notes on the 5th & 6th Strings

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Well, it's been just over 2 weeks since we posted the Session 2 Walk-Through. That is about the length it should take you to get a good handle on the notes on the first two strings and become proficient on the exercises. If you feel like you're not ready to move on, that's OK. Many people take longer than 2 weeks. If you've spent regular practice time on Session [...]

Course Walk-Through: Session 3 - Notes on the 3rd & 4th Strings

Sunday, January 9, 2011

January signifies a fresh start. As such, because this is our first newsletter for 2011, I'll give you some beginning tips to playing. As well, I'll show you how to use 3rds in a scale and make some pretty cool chord progressions!Enjoy!

January Video Tip: Strumming Using 3rds

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Guitar Playing Can Be a Pain in the... Hand!Beginning guitarists have their share of obstacles to their growth. There's the raw fact that at first, the sounds they make never sounds as good as what they heard on the radio. There's the sudden demand for time that this newtoy makes upon them. (This is a bittersweet demand, of course... it hurts so good.)But one [...]

Warm-up Before Playing Guitar to Avoid Pain

Thursday, December 9, 2010

If you are thinking about learning to play the guitar or just starting to learn, chances are you will (or already have) make an investment in a guitar. It's a good purchase. There is nothing like having a new guitar sitting around your house to motivate you to practice! So now that you've taken the plunge and bought a guitar, the best thing you can do is to ge [...]

Best Advice For a New Guitar: Get A Set-Up Job

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