All About 3D Glasses & 3D Movies

The idea for 3D movies began with the concept of stereoscopy. Many adults will remember View-Masters. These devices looked like binoculars, but slides were put in and viewed for a 3D image, giving the viewer the perspective one would see if viewing the object or scenery in person. Slides had two separate pictures combined to make one picture. The two pictures are actually the same scene, but are taken from a slightly different perspective. One image is presented to the right eye while a slightly different image is presented to the left eye. Combining the imagery is perceived in such a way that appears much more realistic to our minds.

The same stereoscopy idea was used when creating 3D movies. Live 3D movies, that is those which are shot using real human actors, are simply shot using a 3D camera which has two separate angles incorporated into it. Thanks to digital technology, special effects are also easily added and able to be created in 3D while maintaining their realistic integrity. Animated 3D films are created in a similar way and digital technology is used to make movements precise and clear when viewed with 3D glasses. Anyone who has removed their glasses or goggles out of curiosity during one of these films will notice that the edges of each object or person appear blurred or etched; this is the effect created from filming from two different angles. Filming in 3D first began in the 1950s but was very unpopular because each theater venue had a different format and films may not have been suitable to fit all theaters. In the 1980s 3D movies became very popular but eventually less 3D movies were made due to the expensive equipment required to make and produce these films.

So how is it that when seated in the movie theater, a baseball coming toward the camera in a 3D film will appear to almost hit the viewer in the face causing a jolting reaction? In order to complete the equation of a 3D movie, 3D glasses are required. Anyone who remembers 3D movies from the 1980s and 90s will remember that these glasses were once made of paper with a clear blue film on one side and a clear red film on the other. Now most 3D glasses look like giant sunglasses with gray lenses that are polarized and designed to display one image to one eye and another image to the other eye. The result is identical to that of the View-Master's stereoscopic image produced: it creates the illusion of depth dimensions on each object, as they would seem if viewing them in person. The resulting ocular illusion creates the effect of objects moving close enough to touch. It is expected in the summer of 2010 that the newly invented biodegradable version of 3D glasses will be released due to the regained popularity of 3D production and, consequently the harmful gases from burning the large amount of improperly disposed 3D glasses in the landfills.

For more information on 3D movies and television, visit http://3dbuy.com/p157668-d-technology-the-future-s-new.cfm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Parks

Learn Guitar Online - He Who Dies With the Most Chord Shapes Wins Myth

Listen Love

It's a popular misconception that the more chord shapes you learn on guitar the better you will be able to play.
Cost of believing the myth: Every day heaps of guitar chord books are sold around the world to newbie guitar players, some books contain thousands of chord shapes others have cool pictures of famous guitar players sprinkled throughout a book chock full of guitar grids. The latest gadget for learning chords is an electronic pocket chord dictionary where you can dial up any chord shape and hey-presto the shape appears on the screen.
Reality: The reality is that whether you know three chords or three thousand is irrelevant it all comes down to (a) knowing which chords go together to make a successful accompaniment and (b) knowing how to connect the chords musically on the guitar fretboard.
To put it another way... let's say a song only required two chords to create a satisfactory background for a song if you don't know which two chords go together it doesn't matter how many chords you know.
Chord books full of random chord shapes without teaching you the necessary musical skills of how to connect chords together are a waste of time and money, there are many standard chord progression templates that musicians must learn to play and recognize by ear and not one of these templates have ever been presented in a chord book.
Learning isolated chord shapes is the same as learning isolated words the trick in both cases is acquiring the skills to string the material together to enable us to communicate our ideas.
To gain control of your chord playing you must:
1. learn to spell your chords.
2. understand how to create open voiced chords to make your chords easy to play on the guitar.
3. Study voice leading concepts to produce smooth, musically strong chord progressions.
Benefits of going with the reality: Once you learn these skills you will be in control of your rhythm guitar playing, your chords will sound more professional and you will be able to accompany vocalists and other instrumentalist better. so let's take a look at how to get started.
Learning how to spell chords: Each chord is not an unrelated group of notes they are created from scales usually by stacking notes from the scale in thirds although certain types of chords are created by stacking the scale in fourths.
To see this concept in action I will use the "C" scale
C scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
If I start on the first note "C" then skip one note (D) to select the next note "E", I will have the first two notes of a C major chord. Indicated []
C scale: [C] - D - [E] - F - G - A - B - C
Since the traditional definition of a chord is "three or more notes played together" I will have to continue my leap-frog concept to find the third note of the C chord.
Back to our scale, next step is to hop over the "F" note to land on my third chord tone the "G" note. Indicated []
C scale: [C] - D - [E] - F - [G] - A - B - C
C = C - E - G
You can create other chords from any point in the scale via the same leap-frog style system of playing a note, skipping a note, playing a note etc., until you have the three correct tones.
Here is another example this time starting from the second note of the C scale.
C scale: C - [D] - E - [F] - G - [A] - B - C
The resulting chord structure will produce a D minor chord this time.
Dm = D - F - A
How did I know this chord was a minor chord and not a major chord like the previous chord?
Each major scale produces exactly the same chord structures.
chord 1 = major, 2 = minor. 3 = minor, 4 = major, 5 = major, 6 = minor, 7 = diminished, 8 = major.
No matter what key you are in the chord structure create from each degree of the scale will remain the same.
The really neat thing about learning chords this way is right from the start you will know which chords work together since you will be learning to spell and create chords all constructed from the same scale, try working out a few and playing on your guitar.

And now I'd like to invite you to get free access to my "How To Remember 1,000 Songs" eCourse. You can download the course for free at: http://www.guitarcoaching.com
You'll learn about hit song templates, easy chords, simple scales, red hot rhythms, and successful practice strategies in text, audio and video.
From Mike Hayes - The Guitar Coaching Guy & the Express Guitar System

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_P_Hayes

Advice For Beginning Guitar Players - A 10 Article Primer

Greetings fellow aspiring guitar players everywhere! I am an amateur guitar player. Over the years I have developed a great love for this amazing instrument. I decided it would be fun to write a series of articles targeted towards the beginner guitar player or the person who is thinking about taking up the guitar as a hobby.

I put together a 10 part series of articles that might help those that are interested in pursuing the guitar, or who are just in the beginning stages of playing. Hopefully you'll get something out of the series that will be helpful to you as you begin this fulfilling journey of creating beautiful music with your guitar.

How To Choose A Good Guitar (Part 1)

Picking out your guitar can be a fun experience, especially if you have the money to buy the one you want. You may not even know what kind of guitar you want or what kind of music you'll end up playing. You may also wonder if you'll play it enough to make it worth spending so much money.

Actually there are some good, relatively cheap guitars out there that will provide you with many hours of playing pleasure. They also won't break your pocketbook.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when you're shopping for a new guitar.

Electric or Acoustic?

It is generally recommended that beginning guitarists buy an acoustic first. The main reason for this is that it's harder than you think to get an electric guitar to sound good. Another reason you may not want to start with an electric guitar is, you'll also need to buy effects and an amplifier, and that can get very expensive.

If you're starting out and you're not sure what you will be playing, don't spend big dollars on a guitar at first. When you buy an acoustic guitar there's no need for all the extras. What will concern you is finding a guitar that feels and sounds good. Once you've been playing awhile, you'll know a lot more about what you want and then you can choose more wisely.

Cheaper Isn't Always Better

Here's the bottom line. Just because you don't have a whole lot of money to blow on atop of the line guitar, doesn't mean that you should get the cheapest thing either!

If the guitar that you buy doesn't feel good or sound good to you, you won't want to play it. I'll
say it again, don't buy the cheapest guitar. In fact, a badly made, cheap guitar is no fun to play. If your guitar sounds bad, chances are you're likely to put it down and never pick it up again.

The good news is, there are lots of good, inexpensive guitars out there. What I mean by inexpensive is anywhere between $99.00 and $300.00. If you look around and are patient, you will find a guitar in this price range that's a pleasure to play.

Play Everything

The best way to find out what features and feel you like in a guitar, play as many as you can. Play your friends guitar. Go to all the guitar shops and play everything there. Take notes. There are a lot of factors to consider.

Don't be swayed by popular brand names. Just because a guitar has a name you've heard of on it doesn't mean it's a good guitar. It also doesn't mean its right for you. It's best not to go shopping with preconceived notions about which guitars are "the best." Every individual guitar is different. Every manufacturer turns out the occasional dud -- and the occasional gem. Don't be a snob and refuse to look at unknown brands. You might miss out on something special.

What is it made of? Some cheap guitars have tops made of plywood. You don't want that, because over the years the guitar will pull itself apart. (It also won't sound very good, since plywood isn't known for its fine resonant qualities.) For acoustic guitars, a spruce or cedar top is ideal. Most acoustics you see will use one of these two for the top. As long as it's real wood, though, if you like the sound, it's probably fine. The back, sides, and neck can be just about any solid wood; mahogany and curly maple are both popular and attractive.

The fretboard is usually either rosewood or ebony. (Fender Guitars puts lacquered maple fretboards on many of its models, which seem to hold up well.) Ebony is preferable, because it's extremely hard and won't wear as easily, but rosewood is perfectly fine. If the fretboard has been painted or stained, it's probably bad news.

Is it well-made? Look carefully. The frets should be even, and none of them should stick out more than the others. Many acoustic guitars have binding around the edges of the body. That's a good sign, but it isn't strictly necessary. Run your hands all around the edges of the body. If it feels like the wood doesn't quite meet properly in some places, don't buy that guitar. Hold the guitar up and sight down the neck. The fretboard may be either flat or slightly curved side-to-side, but if it doesn't look even, the neck may be twisted or warped. (This is something you're more likely to find in used guitars than new ones.) From the side, the neck should look straight. The tuning machines should work smoothly.

Does it feel good? This is the most important consideration. It's even more important than the guitar's sound

Is the neck a comfortable width? Different guitars have necks of varying widths. Classical guitars have very wide necks. Electric guitars usually have narrow necks. Most steel-string guitars' necks are somewhere in between. If you have thick fingers, a wider neck will make it easier for you to play. If you have small hands, a narrow neck is more comfortable.

Are the strings at a comfortable height from the frets? This is called action. Most people prefer a guitar with "low action," meaning the strings are relatively close to the frets. Low action makes a guitar easier to play.

Is the body a comfortable size? This is something a lot of people overlook. Most steel-string acoustic guitars have what's called dreadnought style bodies. These are big guitars, and if you're a small person they can be quite uncomfortable to play. When you sit down with the guitar in a normal playing position, you should be able to reach the sound hole easily, without having to stretch. If it's even a little uncomfortable, it will affect your playing. People play best when they're relaxed and comfortable. If the dreadnought body is a problem for you, consider a smaller guitar.

Does it sound good? Have someone else (a salesperson or a friend) play the guitar for you. Just because it sounds good to you when you play it doesn't mean it will sound good to your audience. What "sounds good" means is subjective, of course. If you like the sound, it sounds good.

What else do you need?

o A case. A flight case or hardshell case is best. Cardboard cases and nylon gig bags don't provide nearly as much protection.

o A strap. Pretty much any strap will do, but it's a good idea to buy a strap lock at the same time.
o Something to tune with. Since you're just starting out, a pitch pipe or electronic tuner will make things easier for you.

o Strings. The strings that are on the guitar when you buy it have been on it too long already. You need to change them. To start out, (for electric or steel string guitars) buy "light gauge." They're reasonably easy to play, but aren't so thin you'll break them right away.

o Picks. Buy a lot. You're going to lose them. To start out, get an assortment of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and try them all. Decide what works best for you.
In the next article, we'll discuss the basics of learning the guitar.

Eric Jacobson lives and plays his guitar with his wife and 4 kids in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. He is passionate about sharing his love for the guitar, and is always on the lookout for good programs and learning systems for beginning guitarists. He reviews some of the better programs he has found that teach good fundamentals and are easy to follow.

You can find out more at his blog here: [http://youtoocanplaylikeapro.blogspot.com/]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_N._Jacobson

Buy a Guitar - How to?

You're off to buy your first guitar. I remember the first guitar I fell in love with. I used to go and just look at it in the store window. It was a Fender Telecaster.

Of course in those days my family couldn't afford to buy a guitar, so it was 10 years later when I finally did buy my first guitar.

So what do you do? How do you know which one is right for you? Should you buy the same one your friend owns? Do you choose a Gibson, Martin, a Taylor? How about Fender, Yamaha, Takamine, Guild, or Ovation? Should you buy a Vintage guitar, a used guitar, a cheap guitar?

With the huge number of guitars available on the market today, going out to buy a guitar can seem to be
an overwhelming task. But with a few basics under your belt you can buy a guitar easily.

While the proven brands (like those I mentioned above) are generally the best built guitars using the best materials, they are also considerably more expensive than lesser known brands.
But those lesser known brands, beginner style guitars, have become surprisingly good values in the last couple of years.

You will hear many opinions on what to look for when you buy a guitar. for example I was recently in a guitar store when I noticed a young couple looking at guitars.
I overheard the husband saying that his friend had told him he needed to buy a guitar "with a spruce top". He kept saying this over and over again while looking over every guitar in the place.

His wife kept looking over the guitars saying "this one is pretty, don't you think? or "This one looks nice."
The husband kept repeating his mantra " We need one with a Spruce top."

When it was obvious to me that he didn't really know what a "spruce top" was and that they were both quite lost and didn't have a clue on how to buy a guitar, I decided I'd better save them!

So I talked with them for a few minutes and within 10 minutes they were happy, smiling, and on their way with a new guitar.

When you buy a guitar I feel there are 4 aspects of major importance. The points listed here are for an acoustic guitar. I believe that should be everyone's first guitar.

1. You have to be happy with or like the way the guitar sounds. Play around with a few guitars or if you don't know how to play yet, have the salesperson play them for you. Have him play the same tune or melody (so you can compare apples to apples). Listen to the way they sound. Some are loud, some have a deep wooden quality, and some ring with a crystal like tone. There isn't a right or wrong sound there is only which do you like best! After a while you may decide to buy a guitar for each sound. For now though pick the one you like the best. When you have settled on a couple that you like the best go on to the next steps.

2. The guitar must be comfortable. Have a seat on a stool or a chair (no arms on the chair please) take hold of the guitar and place the bottom curve of the guitar(if you are right-handed) on your right thigh
(if you are left-handed) place the bottom curve of the guitar on your left thigh. Lean it back slightly so that you can see what you are doing and ask yourself, Does it feel comfortable ? Does your strumming hand feel comfortable on the front of the guitar? Is it too big? Is it too small? Do you have to bend over too much or sit up too straight? Now strum the guitar, can you do that comfortably? If the guitar is not comfortable put the guitar away and repeat this step with another guitar. Don't bother going on to the next steps. If you are not comfortable with the guitar DON"T BUY IT. Try other guitars until you find one that meets your comfort level only then go on to step 3.

3. Now lets look and work with the neck of the guitar. It must be easy for you to wrap your hand around comfortably. There are many shapes to the guitar neck and various widths as well. The most Important thing in buying your first guitar is that it must be easy for you to wrap your hand around comfortably. When you find a guitar that is comfortable, check two more things. The frets( the wire strips that go across the fingerboard). You have to make sure the ends are finished correctly if not they will be sharp and can cut your fingers when you play the guitar. You must also check the string height If they are too high they will be tough to press down and play. Too low they will buzz and clunk when you strum or pick the notes. Sometimes the guitar shop has a set up or repair dept. that will "set up" your guitar for you but this can sometimes be expensive . One you have found guitars that you like the sound of are comfortable in your lap with a neck that is th correct size and shape, you are ready for the last step.

4. You should buy a guitar that is within your budget. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a guitar that is decent and will serve your purpose.. My daughter surprised me with a guitar she bought for $100. I was ready to take her back and set the clerk straight for taking her $100.00 and ripping her off. "How could they do that, take her money..." That's what I was thinking. Well, to make a long story short, she brought me the guitar and I must say it sounded better and felt more comfortable than guitars I've seen that cost $250.00 to $350.00 ! So you can buy a guitar and stay within your budget. Once you become a better guitar player then go invest in a really good guitar for now remember something, You are playing the guitar to have fun. So have some fun playing the guitar and learning the guitar and you decide when you want to buy a guitar of higher value!

OK, Those are the tips I have successfully shared with others when they ask me how to buy a guitar. Good Luck on buying your first guitar!

Carlos Gamez has been playing guitar and performing for many years. His website, http://guitar-magician.com was established to help others learn how to play guitar and to help already established guitarists improve their guitar playing skills. Guitar-magician.com is committed to providing useful, practical, information on playing the guitar. It is a resource for beginning guitarists and more advanced players as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_Gamez

How To Buy A Guitar - Advice for Beginners

Every year thousands of people get guitars with the hopes of learning to play. But truthfully, not all guitars are suitable to learn on. If you are serious about learning to play yourself or if you’re buying the guitar for someone else to learn on, the following information is what you must know to properly select a guitar.

Playability

The most important aspect of any guitar is that it must have a good playable action. What this means is, the strings must be close to the fretboard to make them easy to press. When the strings are too high the person attempting to learn to play usually quits in frustration. They find it too hard. The saddest part is they think that it is something wrong with them. As a sales consultant at a music store I've heard so many adults say, “Yeah, I tried to learn when I was a kid, but I just couldn't do it.” I then put my right hand fingers under the strings at the sound hole and lift the strings away from the fretboard. I’d say to them, “I'd bet the strings were up like this.” They almost always say, “Yes!” I am emphasizing the playability of the guitar so strongly because strings that are too high is the #1 reason why a person quits.

A Simple Test for String Height

The quickest and easiest way to check for the proper string height is to stack two quarters (25¢) and place them under the 1st string (the thinnest string) at the 12th fret (two dots). Ideally the distance should be the equivalent spacing of 1½ quarters. Two quarters that just fit without lifting up the strings is the maximum acceptable height. Anything above this is too high.

Tuning

The next thing that is crucial is getting the guitar in tune and it playing in tune. A clear indicator of cheap tuners is seeing the tuning gear exposed. Better quality tuners are die-cast which are completely encased. Also, if the strings are too high at the nut (near the guitar tuners), the guitar will sound out of tune even when it is played properly. This is common when the guitar is very inexpensive.

Should You Buy Acoustic or Electric?

When it comes to purchasing a guitar, you have two immediate choices; whether to buy an acoustic guitar or an electric. They may look somewhat different, but the finger positions for chording, picking and strumming are identical. If you can play an acoustic then you can play an electric and vice versa. It is identical in the way that if you can drive a car you can drive a van. The differences are in the body of the guitar.

An acoustic guitar has a hollow body and doesn’t need an amplifier. The topboard if it is laminated (plywood) must have each layer made of solid strips of wood. The “toy store” variety has particle board for the middle layer. This does not provide the proper support for the strings so in no time the strings will become too high and the guitar will become unplayable.

Electric guitars normally have a body that should be solid wood. Electric guitars are designed to be used with an amplifier.

There are people who will tell you that it is better to learn on an acoustic guitar first. This is simply not true. You can begin on either one. If a person wants an electric, buy an electric. If they prefer an acoustic, buy an acoustic. If a person “loves” their guitar they will practice more.

Guitar Sizes and Finishes

When you select a guitar there are a few different sizes to choose from. A three-quarter size acoustic has a smaller body so it is ideal for younger people ages 8 - 12. The folk or parlor size is an adult guitar that is marginally smaller than a full size and is well suited for young teenagers and preferred by many women. The full size dreadnought is comfortable for anyone who is an adult or young people who are adult size.

At the entry level stage of beginning to play the guitar, the woods and finish of the guitar are the least important providing they meet the previous criteria. Of course, I wouldn’t buy a guitar that I didn’t like the sound or the look of but that determination only comes after the playability and tuneability have been assessed.

Where to Buy a Guitar

If you truly want to learn to play the guitar, your best bet is to buy from a music store. They are staffed with musicians who are qualified to help you select a good beginners instrument. They know what you’ll need to get started.

If you are buying a used guitar from a second-hand store, pawn shop or privately, it would be to your benefit to take a guitar-playing friend with you to access the guitar. If your friend has even a couple of years of playing experience, they will know if the guitar has a playable action, if the guitar tuning heads seem to be working fine and if the guitars "nut" and "bridge" are OK. Their experience will tell them if the guitar is generally OK.

How Much Should You Pay

You would be wise to purchase a guitar from a company who makes guitars that are used by professional musicians. These companies know what a beginner needs for an instrument in order to succeed.

For a good quality beginner guitar the retail price is generally between $175.00 and $375.00. In that price range you'll get a playable guitar action as well as all of the other necessary components. Naturally the closer to $375.00 the better the guitar will sound. Guitars above the $375.00 range are entering the intermediate level and are not necessary at this point. As well, you can get complete electric guitar packages (guitar, amp and accessories) within this price range.

For buying used, the rule of thumb is to pay around half of the guitar's new retail purchase price. This includes everything. The guitar, the case, the strap and the tuner etc.

Buy the best instrument your budget can afford. Select the kind of instrument the person learning wants to play and get some good instruction.

Buy a Guitar Tuner

It is important that your guitar is in tune. Tuning is a process that is learned. Nobody automatically knows how to tune a guitar. Fortunately, there is a small battery operated device called a “guitar tuner” which by picking a string and watching the meter you’ll get your guitar in tune easily and quickly. They are relatively inexpensive, starting at around $20.00. Remember that even professional musicians sound lousy out of tune. Using a tuner and always being in tune helps to train your ear and you will sound better.

Conclusion and More Help

Guitar is a great instrument. You can learn a few chords and have a lifetime of fun or you can spend your lifetime becoming a master.

At the website [http://www.5-easy-guitar-lessons.com/guitar-how-to-get-started.html], there is access to various pages and other information for beginning guitarist. Pamphlet #2 will give you the chords you need to know to get started and Pamphlet #3 tells you how to take care of your guitar.

Go ahead, get started and have fun.

Brian Hawthorn has been a professional musician for more than 35 years. He has also taught hundreds of people to play the guitar, some of whom have become professional musicians and teachers themselves. Brian is also a sales consultant for a music store chain in Eastern Canada. His focus is on helping beginners get a solid start at learning to play the guitar. He has written guitar books for beginners such as: "Guitar - How to Get Started - 5 Easy Lessons" which is found at http://www.5-easy-guitar-lessons.com and "The Easiest Way Guitar Method" at http://www.easiestwayguitar.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Hawthorn

Buying Your First Guitar - How to Choose the Right Guitar to Give You the Best Value For Money

INTRODUCTION
Buying the right guitar to start learning on is an important step that should not be rushed. You need to consider a range of factors. I will go into detail on each factor I believe you should consider when buying your first guitar.
For many people, starting a new hobby is like trying out a new car before buying it. They aren't sure if they will like it two, three, ten years down the track and it is hard to guess if you will like it. Many people who start to learn the guitar will give it up after a short time for different reasons. For this reason, a lot of people don't want to spend too much money that they aren't sure will go to good use. One option you could take is if one of your friends or relatives owns a guitar. You could ask if you could borrow it for a short time to get an idea of whether you like the idea of playing it or not. If after a while you feel that this is the right hobby for you, come back here and read this article to give you assistance in buying the right guitar for you.

BUDGET
This is the most important issue to consider for most people. Guitars can range all the way from cheap $20 acoustics found in garage sales all the way to prestige guitars costing thousands upon thousands. You should think about how much you want to spend and stick with it. Salespeople will give you plenty of reasons to pay more than you want to, but understand that you can get a good guitar for even low prices. Consider the following points and how they will sit within your budget.

STYLE OF MUSIC
If you have in mind what musical direction you want to take, it will influence the type of guitar you buy. If you really want to play heavy metal or similar styles you wouldn't buy a nylon string acoustic because it won't help you reach that goal. Likewise if you want to play soft ballad type songs that you can sing along while playing, an electric guitar may not be the right choice for you. If you have a certain style in mind, find out what type of guitars musicians of that style play. Have a search for your favorite artist's gear to see the type of guitar they play, don't look at the model or brand of the guitar (because famous artists normally buy the top of the range products that are extremely expensive).
If on the other hand you are not sure what direction you will be taking or want to play a range of styles, the type of guitar you buy won't be as important to your decision in regards to style. Instead, focus on the below points to find out which guitar will be best for you.
Remember: you can always buy another guitar later on, so don't worry if you change directions after you buy your first guitar.

PLAYABILITY

STEEL STRING VS NYLON STRING ACOUSTICS
For a beginner, how easy it is to play the guitar will make a big impact on the rate you improve and the skills you develop. If you start off with a steel string acoustic for example, you will quickly notice that is hard to push the strings down and may hurt your fingers. Many females (and some males) will have a lot of trouble starting on a steel string guitar because it takes a lot of finger strength to play. If you are worried that this will be a problem for you, maybe you should consider a nylon string acoustic instead. Nylon string acoustics are much less of a strain on your fingers when pushing the strings down. For this reason, most teachers will recommend students start on nylon strings so their first month or more won't be too painful.

ACOUSTIC VS ELECTRIC
There is a big difference between starting on an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Many teachers don't recommend starting on an electric guitar for the following reason. Electric guitars are easier than acoustics to play. For many people this is a good thing. The problem with electric guitars being easy to play is that you will get comfortable playing the electric so much that when you pick up an acoustic and try to play the same music, it will most likely be a major strain. Many guitarists who only play electric guitar struggle to play acoustic. It is very hard to swap from playing electric to acoustic. Likewise, it is very easy to swap from acoustic (especially steel string) to electric. This is because of the strength acoustic guitars build up in your fingers. Once you switch to electric guitars, you will find your fingers can play with ease. So have a think about this issue and if you want to play both electric and acoustic, start off on acoustic. If you want to only play electric guitar, then the choice is simple. Later down the track if you decide you want to play acoustic as well, you may find it difficult at first, but with practice playing an acoustic can improve your playing.

QUALITY
There is a great range in the quality of guitar available today. It is similar to the car industry: you can buy a super high quality Ferarri, you can buy a rundown second hand Toyota and everything in between. What you should aim for is to buy the best quality guitar within your budget. But don't be fooled into thinking that only high price guitars are high quality. You will be surprised at the quality of guitars available at low prices. Your best choice is to bring a friend or relative (who are competent players) in with you to test out the guitar you are thinking about. As I explain below, you shouldn't rely solely on the music store salesperson's advice. Remember to stick to your budget.

BRAND
Many guitarists suffer from 'brand loyalty'. This is when they are so devoted to a particular brand that they will never buy or play a guitar with a different brand name. Don't be one of those people. It is okay to prefer a certain brand because you like the style of their guitars, but don't get sucked into thinking that one brand is better than all the rest. Every brand has their advantages and disadvantages.
Just like in supermarkets where you can choose between 'brand name' products and 'home brand' products, guitars will have well known 'brand name' guitars and unknown 'home brand' guitars. Sometimes the only difference between the guitars is the name that is printed on the guitar headstock. People pay big dollars for guitars that have the names fender, Gibson, Ibanez, PRS, Martin printed on the headstock. Although buying a brand name guitar will most likely give you a very high quality guitar, it can be a very expensive choice. My suggestion is to find a guitar that you like regardless of the brand name. If it is good quality and within your budget: go for it. Don't buy a guitar solely because it has fender written on it. If on the other hand you prefer the security of buying a quality guitar from a reputable brand, it's okay to buy one for that reason.

SALESPEOPLE TRICKS
This section is to warn you of potential issues when dealing with music store salespeople. This isn't to scare you off or to insult salespeople, it is to protect you from the people looking to make a high commission rather than give you what you want. Hopefully you will deal with an honest salesperson who genuinely wants to help you. Just be aware that they aren't all honest.
My first point you need to consider is that the people working in the store are normally excellent guitar players. So good that they can make every guitar sound good no matter how poor quality it is. In a future lesson I will explain how you can make any guitar sound great. Just be aware that a salesperson can make the dodgiest guitar in the store sound better than the $2,000 fender in the glass case. This is why I recommend that you have a go playing the guitar if you can play at least something simple and even better bring a friend or relative who can play. If they know what they are doing they should be able to tell you the problems with the guitar.
It is well known that audio salespeople use a trick to make a stereo systems sound higher quality by turning the volume up slightly louder than another one. Salespeople may use a similar trick when comparing two guitars. By plugging the guitar they want to sell to you into a high quality amp and playing it loud, it can make it sound fantastic. Some people may try this to get you to spend just a little bit extra. Don't think a great sounding guitar will automatically make you sound great. It takes a lot of work to be a competent player. Great players can make any guitar sound great and bad players can make any guitar sound bad.

My experience with buying a first guitar:
I was unaware of many of these issues when I bought my first guitar. Luckily the salesperson we dealt with genuinely wanted to help us out and made sure we got a great guitar at a good price. I had been playing my dad's old beat up acoustic guitar for a couple years and my parents bought me an electric guitar. It is a good quality guitar and I still use it today for recording and performing. So if you make a good decision, the first guitar you buy will be useful for a lifetime.
Because I started off on an acoustic guitar, the transition to electric was incredibly simple. Consider buying an acoustic even if you want to play electric guitar down the track.

SUMMARY
I have pointed out a few important issues for you to consider when buying a first guitar. There are many more factors you should consider but these I believe are the most important issues. If you take your time to find out what your best option is and then shop around for the best deal, you will save money and hopefully end up with a great instrument that can last you a lifetime.

If you want to learn guitar from the very beginning for free, check out my guitar lesson blog at http://aaronmatthies.wordpress.com/

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Learn Guitar Online - How to Play the C Major Scale and Master Your Guitar

There's three basic types of scales every guitarist should learn, they are the minor pentatonic, major pentatonic and the blues scale once you have them down pat it's time to move on to the next type of scale the major diatonic scale.

The major scale is where all the real fun starts, you see even a newbie guitarist can create acceptable sounds by simply running up and down the minor or major pentatonic scale that's because the pentatonic scales do not contain any semitones therefore the are passive scales, meaning providing (a) you are in the right key and (b) you have selected the correct pentatonic scale your particular musical application e.g., major pentatonic for country or pop songs or alternatively minor pentatonic for rock or blues style songs you cannot play a 'wrong' although some choices will be better than others.

Because of the passive nature of the pentatonic scale the player can force the notes of the scale over almost any background created from the original key provided the song remains in that key.

Scales that contain semitones require a lot more careful handling it's easy to land on a note that 'clashes' with the background if you do not have enough experience in soloing.

So without any further ado we will begin our musical journey into the land of the major scale and it's related modes.

The C major scale.

I have made several references to the major "diatonic" scale, let me explain the term diatonic; diatonic means 'one tonic' which in effect means that all the notes of the scale relate to a particular 'key' note. This key note gives music a sense of completion a sense of arriving 'home'.

Think of our diatonic scale system as a mini musical solar system whereby the 'key' note acts as a musical 'sun' all other notes in the scale are in the gravitational pull of that keynote; regardless of where your notes travel in a solo or composition they always want to arrive back on the key note because of this
musical gravitational pull. If the notes don't resolve back to the keynote the composition will sound incomplete or unfinished to your musical 'ear'.

Here is the structure of the major scale.

tone - tone - semi-tone - tone - tone - tone - semitone

or the shorthand version...

T - T - [S.T] - T - T - T - [S.T]

This means that between the first and second note of the scale the musical distance of measurement is one tone (two frets), between the second and third note of the scale there is a tone (two frets); between the third and fourth note there is a semitone (one fret) etc.

Since the neck of the guitar is divided into semitones with each fret equaling a semitone a great way to visualize the major scale structure is see it directly applied to the guitar fingerboard.

C major scale played on the second string.

C = 1st fret; D = 3rd, E = 5th, F = 6th (notice the semitone); G = 8th; A = 10th; B = 12th; C = 13th (again, take note of the semitone).

Here is the same scale for you to study.

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-1--3--5--6--8---10--12--13---
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When you play your scale is this linear fashion you begin to see and understand the basic major scale structure as applied to the guitar.

And now I'd like to invite you to get free access to my "How To Remember 1,000 Songs" eCourse. You can download the course for free at: http://www.guitarcoaching.com

You'll learn about hit song templates, easy chords, simple scales, red hot rhythms, and successful practice strategies in text, audio and video.

From Mike Hayes - The Guitar Coaching Guy & the Express Guitar System

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