The GuitarBlog

The Intellitouch Tuner (TM) Good for musicians

I believe in supporting companies that stand behind their products.

The Intellitouch Tuner (TM) features a very compact housing, to be clipped on the head of a guitar. The guitar may either be an acoustic or an electric instrument. This tiny tuner even may be used on other instruments, as it is triggered by contact vibrations.

I purchased an Intellitouch Tuner and somehow during a gig the device that clips onto the guitar was broken. I was pretty upset that that piece broke- and I found out much later that someone had stepped on it. I carried the pieces in my gig bag for about a year. Later I purchased a second tuner-for about $50 and I really liked it. However I was upset everytime I saw the broken tuner parts in my case.

In September I attended the Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas- I saw that The Intellitouch Tuner people had a booth there. I explained what happened to my tuner and they happily gave me the replacement parts to fix my tuner...which now is perfect. Not only that- they showed me how to fix it.

Now when I see my The Intellitouch Tuner- I smile.

I use both my Intellitouch tuners frequently.
In my performances I use on average 10 different tunings- and at most 2 guitars. I always keep an intellitouch in my gig bag. Even though I have an inline tuner in my gig rig- I still often use the intellitouch back stage and I keep one onstage as a back-up. It's handy when someone comes up as a guest performer to get them tuned quickly.

I recommend this tuner for acoustic players. It's got a nice backlit display and is easy to use. This tuner will help you train your ear- by watching the display as you tune you will get better at hearing when you are in perfect tune. My tuners have been very dependable and the batteries last a long time. I've never had to change one!

The intellitouch will work on an electric-but the tuner works on vibrations so if there is a lot of loud resonating sounds- like your band- you will have some difficulty getting an accurate reading.

Overall- it's a great product. And I would definitely buy the REAL Intellitouch Tuner (TM) and not the cheaper Korean version.

These guys are the originals- and I can tell you from my personal experience with them that they support musicians and they will never perform nuclear tests.

KEV-Kevin Rones

Squeaky Guitar Strings

How do you stop string squeak?

String squeak is the annoying sound that happens when you slide your hands up and down the neck and when you change chords.

Like living next to a busy street- after a while your mind subconsciously ignores the sound of passing traffic and car alarms. Its the same principle with the infamous guitar squeak.

When you focus on the mechanics of playing your mind moves to other awareness and it starts to mask out your perception of string noise.

Most players become painfully aware of string noise when they attempt their first recordings. The microphones never lies. That's when string noise sticks out like a pimple on prom night!

Some ways to reduce string noise:

Monitor your technique. Pay attention.
Often small adjustments in the way you play make big differences in your tone and how "clean" you play.

Try changing the arch in your chording hand by moving your thumb to a different position behind the neck. You want your fingers to pull up from the strings- no pull off of them.

Use less pressure when you slide up and down the neck. Only use the minimum force to get the job done.

Clean your strings and fretboard
Strings get gunk build-up. Wipe your strings down- particularly if you have sweaty hands.

Some players use Lemon Pledge to wipe down the neck, strings and frets.
Collectors cringe at the idea of using a furniture polish and don't advise it. Players go for it.
A good combo is Lemon Pledge and Murphy's Oil soap for the fretboard.

The John Pierce Company makes a great product for wiping strings down- John Pearse String Swipes. Each wipe contains CAIG DeoxIT that will help to protect and extend the life of your strings. I have found it to add a little spark back to tired strings and it definitely adds time to the string life. You get about 50 little wipes per container.

Lube it up!

Finger-Ease Guitar String Lubricant is a good choice. It comes in a little spray can for around $5.

Other tricks to lessen "String Talk":

A little Dab will do ya. I saw a classical guitarist tap the back of his guitar neck just below the tuning pegs several times during a performance. I asked him why he did that and he showed me his guitar. On the back of the neck was a dab of VASOLINE. He used it to cut down on his string noise by tapping his fingertips on it and rubbing into his fingertips when needed.

Use baby powder for sweaty hands
Wipe your strings with a tiny bit of WD-40

For recording:
Try different microphone- remember different mics are designed to pick up different frequencies.
Move the position of the Microphone during recording- experiment.
Filter out the squeaks in the Mix-down and Master (better to just play it right)

Do not use Hand Sanitizer Gel- it clears away the oils on your fingers and causes more friction and squeak.
If your nervous and your hands get dry during your $90 an hour recording session- as strange as it sounds- run your fretting hand through your hair. The natural oils in your hair can sometimes help!
Sorry bald dudes. Stock up on Finger- ease!

Remember- non-guitarists are at your shows to- and they hear the traffic! I loaned an acoustic guitar Cd to a non-guitar player. She returned it the next day saying "This sucks- All I can hear is that squeaky noise so I took it out after two songs"

Practice playing clean and it will inmprove your game! String noise is a reality of guitar playing - but the great players learn how to control it.

KEV-Kevin Rones
Click to hear my squeaks!

Stinky Guitar Practice Ettiquette- Don't be Clueless

Do you remember the kid at Gym class who smelled really bad- but didn't seem to know it?
Everyone else knew it. And they all talked behind the kids back and avoided him when ever possible.

BEWARE: You could be the Stinky Kid on the guitar.

Here are some Practice Ettiquette tips for beginners.

1. Performance and practice are two different things.
You practice for yourself- you perform for others.

2. You may think you sound great- but others may not share your enthusiasm.
Not everyone will like your playing when you are a beginner- be aware of that and understand that its perfectly natural. Be considerate of others.

Don't be discouraged when someone tells you they don't like your playing- even the best players have people in their audiences that don't like what and how they play. Play what YOU like and what makes YOU have fun. If your having a good time- your audience likely will too- no matter how good you are!

3. Never force your family and friends to hear you practice.
Don't subject your friends and family to endless repeats of the same song parts. Even the most patient person has their limits.

You want people to support your efforts - don't abuse them!

Be considerate- find a place to practice where you won't disturb others and then play your version of Stairway to Heaven as many times as you like.

4. Don't have band practice at Guitar Center
Don't be one of the clueless incessent riffers at the music store. As a professional musician I can tell you first hand that there is nothing that identifies you more as a "guitar hack" than bringing your band in for a improvised jam on the showroom floor and turning the amp up to 11 so everyone can enjoy your genius as it happens.

Don't be in the same league as the knucklehead with the ear damaging subwoofers in his pimped ride- blasting his music at ear splitting decible levels. They want to prove to the whole world that they have bad taste in music and are proud of it. Ingnorant, disrespectful and annoying- 3 things NO guitar player should be.

Defintion: a Guitar Hack is someone who is inconsiderate, thinks they are much better than they are and has a burning need for everyone to hear them.

A constructive thing for a beginner to do is to go to a music store and play on different guitars. Ask questions and learn!

5. A lick is not a song.
A common mistake that beginners make is performing a technique or a phrase on the guitar instead of a song. People like songs, not licks.

6. Don't practice in public places
You've just learned part of a Jack Johnson song or a new Mettalica lick and you want everyone to see how amazing you really are. You don't want to seem like a show off- but you secretly want people to give you compliments on your playing.

You decide to go to the local coffee shop and bless people with your newly acquired abiity. There are people talking, working on computers, doing homework...you think- PERFECT- a captive audience.

You are craving positive feedback on your guitar playing. You begin to play. You finish your first song. As someone leaves they say to you - "sounds good". You are energized and play with even more gusto!

The reality of what just happened - you annoyed and inrerrupted several people. The nice ones will clap for anything and the compliment you forced was simply a rhetorical social comment.

What the person likely thought was: "Man- I can't work with that guitar banging relentlessly on that guitar. As soon as she stops playing- I'm out of here!"

Don't practice in public areas.

7. Get feedback from like minded people who play.
Find some guitar playing buddies and get together to jam, write songs and learn.

When you have 3 songs ready to perform in Public find an open mic in your area. Openmike.org is a great resource to find a place to play where ever you are.

Join a Guitar Society and get involved with local community events like Blues jams, Bluegrass jams. Celtics Sessions, and Folk groups.

KEV-Kevin Rones

Who's the Best guitarist in the World?

I often get asked who the best guitar player is. Is it Segovia, Steve Via, Chet Atkins, Jimmy Page, Steve Morse, Jimi Hendrix, Eric lapton, B.B. King?

Guitar Playing- like art- is largely subjective. Every style has great players that rise to the top of the pack. Sometimes players become well known by getting their name in the media. Some players are hardly known at all yet everyone in the guitar community knows them.

Was Stevie Ray better than Micheal Hedges? You cannot compare them.

When a player reaches a certain level of technical skill- they are considered good.

When a player reaches a certain level of technical skill and showmanship they are considered great.

When a player reaches a certain level of technical skill, showmanship and they take their playing in an innovative and new direction that contributes to guitar playing as a whole, that player becomes Legendary.

When a player is able to affect the energy of large amounts of people through their music and effect the dynamics of the social conscientiousness that player becomes an icon.

The bottom line is: Once you are great- you are beyond compare and it is a matter of your personal preference in music, genre and player that fits your qualifications as the BEST in the World.

KEV-KevinRones

The proper and correct way to hold the guitar

One of the first things a new guitarist asks is "How do I hold the guitar the right way".

There are many schools of thought on what the proper position is.

A classical player might sit upright with the guitar at a precise angle and the foot carefully positioned on a foot rest with the thumb of the left hand anchored in the center of back of the neck and the right hand in a position to get the best tone.

A blues player might grab a comfortable chair and stomp out a rythm with their feet while they lob their thumb over the top of the neck and squeeze out their favorite squeaks and buzzes that give them an authentic blues sound.

A rock and roll player might strap on their guitar so low it hangs below their belt buckle and position the guitar so they can look "rockstar" and play loud and fast.

A Classical and a traditional Flamenco player may seem similar to someone who is not a guitar enthusiest- but there is a world of difference in the way they approach the guitar.

The bottom line: There is NO best way to hold the guitar. Every Genre of guitar playing requires you to use a different skill set of tools and techniques to get the tone and the flavor of that style.

TIP: Learn more than one style. If you are a classical guitarist - you might consider learning some downhome Delta blues. If you play Heavy Metal you might choose to learn some Django Gypsy Jazz to develop new speed picking techniques. Learning a new style ALWAYS adds to your ability to express yourself in other styles. KEV- Kevin Rones

7 ways to improve your practicing

I often have people tell me that they have practiced their guitar playing on a daily basis and they never get better. They don't understand why they are stuck in the same level of playing while other players seem to excel after only playing a short time.

To quote my good friend and San Diego musician Tom Baird "Practice Makes Permanent"

If you practice being a bad player- you will become excellent at being a bad player.

If you don't want to suck - here are a few pointers...

1. When you practice don't repeat your songs over and over like a robot.
By practicing like a drone- you play like one. Don't just go through the motions- put some heart into it!

2. Focus on what you are doing
Pay attention. Are you making string noises and fret buzzes? Are your hands in the proper position to get the best tone and technique?

3. Set a Practice Goal and Stick to it.
Make the time. Remember 10 minutes of focused practice is worth a whole day of bad practice.

4. Practice with a metronome
Learn to groove with the metronome. Other musicians will enjoy playing with you and your audience will tap their toes and bob their heads.

5. Record yourself and listen to it.
Don't play it for your family and friends- use the recording to hear how you sound. When you play you are focused on the mechanics of playing and other distractions in the room. You will be suprised at how much you can learn from some honest self- critique.

6. Break it down
A little goes a long way. You might isolate a problem spot in a song and focus on that section until you play it perfectly. You will be amazed at how much you will learn by mastering only a few bars of a song.

7. Learn something challenging and something easy and fun.
Avoid practice burn-out. It should be fun. Choose a song that you WISH you could play- something that really challenges you. Break it down and tackle it bit by bit. Remember- they are only notes!
When your fingers hurt or when practice is getting to repetitive balance it outwith a fun and easy song thats just your speed. Switch it up. KEV

Welcome to GuitarBlog!

Welcome guitarists!

“My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.” Joan Jett

This is the first in a series of blogs designed to inspire, educate and instruct you to take your guitar playing to the next level. Throughout this blog series I will be sharing tips, giving you insight into the world of the guitar and recommending resources and products to help you on your life long affair with the guitar.

In future posts I will be discussing topics for the beginner as well valuable information for the more experienced players and professional touring musicians.

Future topics will include: altered tunings, playing styles, essential guitarist equipment, how to develop a repertoire, tips on performing live, how to choose the right guitar, gig rigs, and a variety of things every guitar player should know.

I am committed to sharing the best information on guitar playing and guitar related topics with you and wish you the best of times on your guitar playing adventure.  KEV

Hear a sample of my Solo Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar playing