A Guide To Beginner Guitar Songs

By Payo G Perry

The whole reason for learning chords and strums on guitar is so that eventually you can start playing some beginner guitar songs but which ones should you begin with?

Well there are lots of them available. Assuming you have completed the necessary ground work youll be spoilt for choice and quickly building a list of easy guitar songs you can play.

It could be that you are already well versed in the standard beginner guitar songs such as Please Mr. Postman, Knockin on Heavens Door or Stand by Me however many more exist. Each era of music has dished up its own collection of simple guitar songs to choose from.

One of the most important things to own is a Capo. This simple device will allow you to play in many different keys and avoid, should you wish to, the challenge of mastering Barre chords.

A quick look through beginner guitar songs will show you that they are almost always built from open chords and not the harder Barre chords. Having said this, by using a capo even harder songs can be converted into open chords and made suitable for beginners to play!

It takes a little bit of music theory to be able to convert songs this way but if you cant do it on your own perhaps a tutor or sources on the internet can assist you. Its main advantage is to widen the number of beginner guitar songs you can play by 10 times or more.

Please put time into learning your basic chords and strumming patterns before attempting to play songs. I know its easy to want to rush into playing songs and these beginner guitar songs look very tempting! But honestly its a mistake to attempt them too soon and before you are ready.

As a guitar teacher I would say that 4 weeks of daily practice is enough for anyone with average ability for guitar to get properly prepared for beginner guitar songs.

Ive found that beginners respond best when each element required to play the songs is broken down and isolated before putting it all back together. This means that you should avoid trying to do everything all at once, master the chord progressions and strum required for the song separately.

So try to follow that process of practice and preparation, it really will make life easier in the long run. Once you get your first few beginner guitar songs down the rest will follow very quickly. - 18762

About the Author:

The writer is a professional guitar teacher and has used his expert knowledge to teach 1000s of students how to play guitar. Check out his great website Guitar in a Nutshell for lots of free tutorials on beginner guitar songs as well as tutorials on every aspect of guitar playing.

Simple Guide to Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners

By Payo W Perry

I've no doubt that some of you who are reading this have already learnt your basic chords and a strum or two... yet you have failed to make the transition from 'learning' into playing real songs... even just easy guitar songs for beginners.

Whats the reason behind this rut of constantly feeling youre at the level of a beginner and cant seem to make the transition into playing well and with confidence?

Actually there are some concrete reasons why and Im going to tell you. One: youve never been taught correctly. When you learn a system of strums and chords for playing guitar it should make total sense to you in every way. It should become so simple that you understand it perfectly. You cannot play well unless the system you use is second nature and automatic. Only then can playing guitar feel easy and effortless.

The next critical factor is called an even learning curve. What sense does it make to learn guitar in a step by step fashion only to drive recklessly into songs? Even easy guitar songs for beginners require respect and preparation.

Expect a lot from your guitar tutor or method! You should expect that they teach you in a logical and simple manner, that they are going to understand things from a beginners point of view. They should know how to make the careful transition required out of simply learning guitar and into the big world of playing it. A large part of this is knowing which easy guitar songs for beginners are suitable and up to the job.

More than that, don't just stick to the same old classic beginner guitar songs everyone else can do. Instead also convert a lot of harder songs traditionally out of reach for beginners and transform them into easy guitar songs. This is the true power of a guitar method properly taught.

Luckily there are a wealth of easy guitar songs for beginners to choose from and the website you subscribe to should always adding to their songbooks with new examples of how you can use your strums, chords and capo to play them all. In the videos you should be taught how each element is used to play the song.

Hey, if you find a site which does the above and works for you then spread the word. There are lots of people stuck on the beginners level of guitar playing so help them out. Easy guitar songs for beginners combined with quality teaching are a critical part of escaping an eternity of frustration " remember that. - 18762

About the Author:

The writer is the founder of a new and exciting system to learn guitar called Guitar in a Nutshell. On the website you'll discover lots of free sample tutorials including ones for easy guitar songs for guitarists. Many guitarists are excited about the results they have already achieved.

Memorabilia: Collecting Advice !

By Mark Turgeon

People can spend a lifetime trying to find or obtain that one of a kind item for their memorabilia collection. Unless youre a millionaire and money is not an option, memorabilia collectibles are easier to obtain.

Since the beginning of the internet age, buying and selling memorabilia has never been easier. Also finding memorabilia that you have been looking for countless years can be seen and found from the comfort of your own home.

If you've got the money, go ahead and spend it on whatever you'd like. However, if you're not able to drop $5,000 on an autographed guitar, you might want to keep your music memorabilia hobby to a minimum until you can afford it. Hobbies are nice, but once you spend money you shouldn't, it becomes an unhealthy obsession, and that's never good.

One way to build a healthy collection of memorabilia is to start small, and with what you can afford. If you want to spend $20 on that autographed CD, go ahead. Just don't spend money that you need on something that you want.

No matter how much of a fan you are towards a band, artist or celebrity, its not worth it to jeopardize your financial security and invest into a memorabilia collectible. The good news is that you can find plenty of affordable memorabilia collectibles online, especially eBay.

There are things as simple as posters and pieces of paper with autographs to limited edition items and high end items like signed guitars and other big ticket items. No matter what you want, you can usually find it somewhere online. Even stuff you never thought possible can be found courtesy of other die hard fans.

How you begin to search and pay for your memorabilia collectibles is up to you. A few notes to take before you spend your money on memorabilia is to do research on the signature and the dealer. Its always best to have an idea what an authentic signature looks like before you buy the product.

You just need to find an authorized personal or expert that can verify the validity of anything you buy before you buy it. Memorabilia is a great way to share your passion and explore it further, as long as you can afford it. - 18762

About the Author:

Before you purchase any autographsor music memorabilia online, make sure to view Mark's website for music memorabilia, and music memorabilia

Learn to Play Piano by Ear

By Michelle Edward

Are you curious if the knowledge you have about playing the piano is correct? Below is the latest information on playing the piano for you to think about.

Think on this information...

Would you like to play the piano without the fuss of dragging your music sheets?

Or make music with just humming along with the tune?

Have you always wanted to play but your visual senses make it quite impossible?

Haven't you realized that if you can hum a tune, then you are capable of playing that tune?

Quite a few musicians that are professionals, didn't use instructors or any manuals to begin their careers. They learned by listening to a tone and then playing to the specific beat that the music had. No notes on a paper, or teachers helping.

1 - Get your things together. The main thing you have to have is a piano of maybe you have a keyboard. (We will be using the piano for our info though.) You need to have at least 3 fingers that you can use on your hands. Have time to do the necessary practice. Be sure the piano has been tuned recently.

2 - A regular piano happens to be made up of 88 keys. (A keyboard has less keys.) There is a total of 12 notes counting the regular notes, sharp notes, and flat notes. The white notes begin with an A note, then the white notes go like B, then C, then D, then E, then F, and finally G.

Following the last G white note it starts over with the A note and continues to repeat. The whole sequence is actually repeated a total o 7 times. The same follows with the black notes that are the sharps and flat notes.

3. The C note is also known as the Home Key. To trace the C note, it is the white key on the left side of two black keys. If you're still amazed, stare at your piano. You'll notice that at the middle part is the C - note. Thus, that would be the first major chord.

If your playing piano facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don't let important playing piano information slip by you.

The right thumb is number 1 due to it going on C in the middle. From here you have to count the keys that go to the right. This include the black keys too.

When you have counted till 5, that would serve as the 2nd note in C chord. Place your middle finger there. From counting to number 5, count till 8, that will be your final note. Put your pinkie on it.

Sound it all together and you'll hear quite an impressive cycle.

4 - Memorize the above sequence to use in your playing...1, and 5, and 8 to count. You can do with any note as a starting point, as long as you count right, be sure to count those sharps and flats.

Use the chords mentioned as your base. You can even do this if you want to begin on one of the sharp notes. That just makes this one of the sharp chord.

5. If you have time on practicing these easy chords, you'll finally realize that through counting and attentive listening, you'll easily get through.

If you drop the 5 and go to 4 then you will have a minor chord, in place of the major chord.

Then if you are doing the C chord, then just move the finger to the left one key and you will play a C minor chord.

Through the advantage of listening, you'll be able to distinguish the difference in sound. You'll be able to spot the slight differences in tune. Not unless you're deaf.

Some advice:

Don't just stay in the piano's middle section. Travel around to other areas of the piano though for more unique sound.

Learn how to play with both hands, utilizing all your fingers. Don't just peck around with one or maybe two fingers.

Practice, practice, and more practice.

This is up-to-date information that has been covered in this article. Keep your mind open for future developments though that may be found through research. - 18762

About the Author:

Michelle Edward is classically trained to Grade 8 in Solo Piano. To learn how to play the piano by ear, check out Michelle's Review of Hear and Play at her website now.

Wonderful Music Memories: My Time With U2 Live Music Concerts

By Ian Sawyer

Back in 1987, when I was 15 years old, my father took me to see U2 at, what was then, Foxboro Stadium. It was the Joshua Tree Tour, in support of their Grammy winning album that would go on to catapult them to the top of the rock 'n roll food chain. I was old enough to appreciate the vibrant synergy of the audience and the incredible hold the band had over so many people. But I was too young to fully commit to each song, and took away more of the awe of being amongst 50,000 people than the awe of being in the presence of Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton. I remember squinting to see Bono, in a cowboy hat and an arm sling (he had separated his shoulder the night before in New York) because he was so far away. For days after the show, I wore my concert t-shirt with pride even though it was too big for me and hung lifelessly off my bony frame. My friends, and even some strangers, would praise me in the hallway, impressed that I had actually seen U2 live. One year later, the t-shirt would be worn through and reduced to a dust rag.

U2 returned to Foxboro in August of 1992, supporting Achtung Baby!, I had just turned 20. Things had certainly changed. While I wasn't technically of drinking age, I will admit that the pre-show tailgating before the concert was one of the most glorious times I'd ever had in a parking lotuntil then, at least. The show itself, featuring an immense stage, inspired set list, and compelling onstage antics, would go down in the history books as one the most over-the-top and impressive live concert events ever. To say that the crowd was into it is like saying a starving man is into filet mignon. It was awesome. Highlights of the Zoo TV Tour included a stage so tall that blinking air-traffic lights were required, a gorgeous belly dancer seducing Bono during "Mysterious Ways," and Bono phoning the White House to talk to President Bush between songs. In retrospect, the entire production was one long highlight.

U2 returned to Foxboro five years later, and I made sure I was there. The Popmart Tour, supporting a combination of POP and Zooropa came to town in July of 1997, and I was 25-a pretty good year all around. I was newly single, had a good job, and was living in the Boston area. I had already seen the band in Philadelphia on the same tour and was as big a fan as you could find back then. While many people consider POP and Zooropa to be less than stellar albums, at least by U2 standards, I've always found them quite enjoyable. Similarly, the Popmart Tour was considered, by some, to be weird and self-indulgent-a far cry from the successes of Zoo TV. The infamous giant lemon-shaped disco mirror ball, and the enormous yellow arch (suggesting half of the McDonald's golden arches) were meant to reflect the album's themes regarding pop culture and commercialism-elements that were lost on many concertgoers. However, I was a big fan of the set list and the techno-heavy nuances they brought to their songs, new and old.

4 years between Zooropa and U2's next studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, the band shrugged off the flawed character-driven cultural study of the Popmart era and embraced their more personal lyric writing roots. Songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Walk On" were inspiring and uplifting. Appropriately named the Elevation Tour, U2 took the opportunity to leave outdoor stadiums behind, playing strictly arenas. Inside, U2's heart-shaped stage and cutting edge surround sound system were a welcome departure from the overwhelming grandeur of past tours. The Elevation Tour was more intimate, and more accessible for fans. I caught a couple shows at Boston's Fleet Center in June of 2001. Having an Irish-based affection for Boston, U2 pulls out all the stops when in town, and I am always proud to be present at a U2 concert in my hometown.

Not much changed from the Elevation Tour to U2's next tour. Again taking place in arenas, the Vertigo Tour came to Boston's Fleet Center in December of 2005 in support of How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The heart-shaped stage was now a giant circle, and a vast curtain of high-tech light bulbs surrounded the stage, making a floor-to-ceiling see-through screen. The stage was nearly centered in the arena and fans enjoyed seating pretty much all around the stage, upping the intimacy factor. The show I attended was one of the best sounding concerts I have ever been to and, as usual, the crowd was hanging on every guitar riff and vocal chorus.

When U2 recently released No Line On The Horizon and is in the midst of warming up for their next world tour. On September 20, I'll be attending U2 360 in Foxboro. Early stage design research suggests that U2 will be playing in the middle of stadiums on a huge, circular, rotating stage. Reports claim that every seat in the place will afford fans a totally immersive experience. While ticket prices border on outrageous for high quality seats, I feel I owe it to myself to be as close to the band as possible since I've supported them on every tour since 1987. For almost 30 years U2 have provided me with a lifelong soundtrack that's gotten me though the best and worst of days. It's likely that this will be the last time I'll have this opportunity to enjoy the tailgating, the crowd, the stage, the lights, and, above all, the music. Hopefully it will feel more like a thank you than a goodbye. - 18762

About the Author:

Ian Sawyer is a Freelance Writer for YouMusic.com, The Social Networking Site for Musicians, Featuring a vibrant Music Community has Music Chat Rooms, Music Forums, Music Blogs, Instant Messaging, Music Groups and Concert Tickets such as U2 Concert Tickets