Guitar Note Mastery in Eleven Easy Steps

Craig Bassett, the author of Guitar Note Mastery claims that it can actually be quite easy to learn every note on the fretboard--and the benefits are wonderful! Craig says, "Forget about using useless note learning methods that don't work and improve your guitar playing by learning to find any note on your guitar instantly...with eleven easy and simple steps to Guitar Note Mastery"

Gary Gladwin, of Milton Keyes, UK, calls Bassett's instantly downloadable instructional course "...one of the simplest and most useful educational tools that I have purchased on the internet. You wouldn't think that knowing every single note on the fretboard would make that much difference to your playing, but you would be wrong. All those scale and chord shapes that you already know suddenly seem to make sense when you intuitively understand where to place them. It doesn't matter what key--it's just so much easier. Craig's ebook is one of the best ways to gain this vital knowledge and I can honestly say that it has been one of the simplest and most useful educational tools that I have purchased on the internet. Don't think twice, buy it!" Get Guitar Note Mastery for a special introductory price of $17.00! For all of the details:
Click Here!

Floating...

In bluegrass and old-time guitar lead breaks, open strings are played as often as possible. This is what gives bluegrass and old-time guitar a distinctive sound. The open strings drone after they are picked and are still heard as the fretted notes are played. Because open strings are used so much, the fretted notes are usually played within the first five frets. I've often said that I could get by pretty easily with a guitar that only had the first five frets on the fingerboard.

There is, however, a technique for playing open strings in combination with fretted strings played further up the neck. This technique is called "floating." You can really get some pleasant and interesting sounds by floating. However, in order for this to work, you have to learn the licks thoroughly and be accurate and nimble. If you hit a wrong note or wind up with a dead note, the effect is destroyed. When floating, you want to let those open strings ring out and sustain as long as possible.

Do you want to try a floating lick? If you're not familiar with my tablature, it is really simple, and it is explained at:

http://flatpickpost.blogspot.com/2007/10/mngt.html

Here is a classic floating lick that can be used with both the G and D chords. Pick with alternating down and up strokes as indicated in the tablature:

e/7/d--e/5/u--B/7/d--e/0/u--G/7/d--B/0/u--D/7/d--G/0/u

Here is a lick that works with the C and C7 chords:

e/8/d--e/0/u--B/8/d--G/0/u--G/8/d--G/9/u--D/8/d--G/0/u

Try creating your own floating licks. Just transpose notes that you would normally play within the first 5 frets up the fretboard into the 7 to 9 fret range and mix them with any open strings that will work. You might come up with some nice surprises. Floating is a great technique to use here and there to spice up your lead playing.

Guitar and Piano Chords Side-by-Side

A lifetime of piano and guitar chord education--right on your computer desktop! If you went to a guitar teacher or a piano teacher, it would take months to cover all the chords--and even then you would only be learning them on guitar or piano--not both. But with the side-by-side guitar and piano chord finder, you have a lifetime of chord knowledge on both guitar and piano for just a few bucks.

Many musicians don't read music, but play by ear. That's great, but it doesn't hurt to also be able to recognize a chord written on sheet music! When you see the chord printed on a staff, you will begin to associate it with the guitar chord symbol and the piano chord symbol. So you will be actually br learning to sight-read music without even trying! Check it out at:
Click Here!

Mark Taylor and Crafters of Tennessee

Mark Taylor's "Tennessee" instruments have found their way into places such as the Tennessee State Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Georgia State Museum, and the Smithsonian. Mark is the son of the well-known musician, craftsman, and vintage instrument collector, Tut Taylor. In the 1960's, Mark grew up going to the shows of some of the finest country and bluegrass musicians, such as Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. Mark began building musical instruments with his dad in the 1970's, under the name "Tenessee." He is a master luthier with an eye for detail and an ear for great sound.

You may have read some of my articles where I have expressed my preference for smaller-bodied guitars. Here is a link where you can see and listen to a description of features of a couple of Mark's smaller guitars (Gibson L-00 size), and at the end of the tour is a special treat: Norman and Nancy Blake are in the studio, and they play a couple of songs on these guitars! Check it out at:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=035IctFPcns

The website of Crafters of Tennessee is at:

http://www.crafterstn.com