AXEWIELDER
Series 1 Exercises
In order to properly understand your instrument, you have to physically know your instrument. Below is a diagram of a PRS guitar, and how the parts properly function.
BRIDGE- This is one of the major components of the guitar. It holds the strings and supports lots of pressure. Occasionally, a bridge will not have enough support and will appear to 'float'. Refer to the Gear section for more information on this problem.
PICKUPS- Are the main core of the instrument. The pickups detect the vibration of the strings, and the sound is transmitted from coils to the output jack, where it is transferred to the amplifier and converted into sound.
NECK- This is where the notes of the guitar are played. The neck is divided into 22 or more FRETS, which produce specific notes. The neck can come in a variety of woods, from mahogany to bubinga.
HEAD- This is the other main structure for supporting the strings. It is also the location of the tuning pegs.
TUNING PEGS- Are used to tune the guitar to the correct pitch desired.
In music, there are 7 notes. They are: ABCDEFG, at which point the series continues over again.
Below is what the notes look like on a keyboard.
Look at the notes. Notice that there are no black notes between B-C and E-F. They're laid out on a similar pattern on the guitar, with 'black' notes in between them, with the exception of B-C and E-F.
You can see that the keyboard and fretboard diagram are laid out in the same manner.
THE BLACK NOTES- On the keyboard, the black notes are unmarked. They are "augmented" notes. They are both sharps (#) and flats (b).Sharps are half a note higher, and flats are half a note lower. Every black note has two names. For example: a D# is also Eb.
NOTE: The same goes for the keys that do not have a black note. For example, a C note can also be called a B#.
I recommend learning all the notes on the fretboard diagram. It will make learning the guitar a lot easier. Soon I will post tips for memorizing the names of the notes on the guitar.
The guitar is a very versatile instrument, it can perform in many different tunings. The most common or "standard" tuning is E. The guitar has 6 strings- EADGBE (I started at the 6th string (fattest) and went to the first string (thinnest). To properly tune your guitar, you can either play the notes on a pitch pipe or piano and tune from there. I will post more on different tunings and using interval tunings soon.
A guitar to many is a priceless possession. A lot of people would like to buried with their instrument. With some basic maintenance, you can keep your guitar shining and those notes resonating.
1)STRINGS- Although these are not a permanent piece of equipment, they deserve to be mentioned. Strings should be changed often. When you notice that the process of corrosion has begun to take major effect, it's time to replace those strings. Basic care can keep those strings on your guitar. 1) Wash your hands before playing. 2) Brush the strings down after playing 3) Keep the guitar in a dry plac.e
2)NECK- The neck generally does not require much general maintenance. When changing strings, you should wipe the neck down with a damp cloth so that the dirt doesn't seep it's way into the wood. If you've owned your guitar for a long time, a refinish may be in order, but this can devalue your guitar, so be careful. Be sure to keep the guitar in a dry place to keep the wood from rotting. When changing strings, put the new set on as soon as possible. If you leave the guitar stringless for as long as a day, the neck could start to bend slightly towards the guitar, because the tension that is normally there is no longer there. This costs about 30 bucks to get fixed.
3)PICKUPS- Try to clean them when changing strings, and keep the guitar in a dry to place to protect them.
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copyright of Axewielder.
All pics of guitars are copyrighted by their respective
companies.
Special thanks goes out to everyone who contributed.