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Choosing the Right Music Accessories Part 3 – Guitar Picks

2012-02-15T16:20:00.001-08:00

Once you have settled on the most appropriate brand and gauge of guitar strings it is time to focus on another key component that will determine your playing style – the guitar pick. Probably one of the most over looked accessories when people first learn to play guitar, the guitar pick has a huge impact on your playing technique and your sound.

There is more to this small little triangle then perhaps first meets the eye, and as any guitarist will have seen when shopping around on the internet or going in to music stores, there are millions of different guitar picks to choose from, all varying in size, colour, and material.

So here are some things you should take in to consideration when purchasing your first guitar pick.

• Material – As mentioned above there are a variety of guitar picks available made from a range of materials including Nylon, Plasttic, Tortex, metal, and even stone. Different materials create different sounds. For example metal guitar picks tend to give a heavier, harder sound, where as nylon picks might be more suited for lighter or more pronounced sounds.

• Thickness – This also has an impact on the overall tone of your guitar playing. Thinner picks with a sharper point tend to create bright sounds with a fair amount of pick ‘flapping’. A thicker plectrum (e.g 1.5mm) will create a broader, warmer tone with less pick noise when hitting a string.

• Size- As well as thickness, the general size of the guitar pick is something to consider. Although it might not have as big an effect on your overall sound as the material and thickness does, it will affect your guitar playing. Some people will have larger hands and fingers and therefore might prefer larger sized picks, which might prove to large to handle for other players with smaller hands, it’s all about what you feel most comfortable with using.

As I have said in many of my posts before, it’s all about experimenting and finding the pick that is most comfortable for you, and that helps to create the sound you want as well. If we have any experienced guitarists reading this it would be great to know what picks you use. And why you use them particular ones.

Author: Graham Burton

A guitarist with over 10 years of experience, Graham Burton is an avid user of Bandshop, suppliers of guitar picks, guitar strings, effect pedals and much more in the world of music accessories.

Choosing the Right Music Accessories (Part 2) - Guitar Straps

2012-02-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

For the second part in my series on ‘Choosing The Right Music Accessories’ I will be advising on how to chose the right guitar strap.

There are a wide range of guitar straps currently available on the market, and just like any other accessory, it can be a bit of a headache trying to work out what one you should buy.

So I hope this guide will make things a bit easier, particularly for beginners who haven't owned their guitar for very long and are looking to buy a strap for the first time.

1. Electric Guitar Straps – There are thousands of different varieties of electric guitar straps, in many wonderful designs. I would recommend you look for leather guitar straps, as this is the best material, giving both strenbth and durability. You might also want to consider buying one with extra padding; if you are playing for long periods of time you dont want the strap to cut into your shoulder.

Attaching a strap to an electric guitar is very easy, There are generally buttons at either end of the body which are designed to attach your guitar strap to, making it very easy to connect.

2. Acoustic Guitar Straps- Generally acoustic guitars come fitted with one button at the bottom of the body, and the guitarist then has to attach the top end to the headstock, This can be accomplished by tying one end of a bit of string around the strap and then tying the other end around the headstock, underneath a nut and behind the strings.

3. Bass Guitar Straps – In General, bass guitars are heavier than acoustic and electric guitars, so I would advise you look at buying a wider strap - the wider it is, the less it should dig in to your shoulder whilst playing.

4. Guitar Strap Locks – I would recommend purchasing some guitar strap locks. They fit on to each end of the guitar strap and lock in to place on the strap buttons, meaning that the strap won't just slide out of the button in the middle of playing, thus preventing the embarassment of having to stop playing in the middle of a jam or gig as well as potential damage to your guitar.

Once you have considered all of these things and you have found a guitar strap that is right for you, it’s now time to start practicing and find a way to wear the strap that is most comfortable, whilst making you look cool at the same time of course!

Author : Graham Burton

Graham Burton is an experienced guitar player and endorser of bandshop, suppliers of a wide range of guitar straps, effects pedals, guitar strings , tuners and many more music accesorries.

Choosing the Right Music Accessories (Part 1)

2012-02-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be useful to put together a guide for helping musicians choose the right accessories for their musical instruments. In this guide I aim to talk about accessories for a wide range of instruments, but if there are any in particular you would like some advice on, please do not hesitate to let me know in the comment box and I will try my hardest to help you out.

In Part one I will be covering guitar strings. As you probably know there is a vast range of guitar strings to choose from and for beginners it might be quite bewildering, so here is a list of things to consider when purchasing some new strings.

1. Material – The most common materials that guitar strings are made from include Bronze, Stainless Steel, Silk Steel, Nickel and Nylon. Different materials create different tones so it’s worth trying some different ones out to find the sound that suits you best. Keep in mind that certain materials are suited to certain guitars, for example nylon should really only be used on acoustic guitars.

2. String Gauge / Size : Once you have decided on a material the main thing you will need to consider when choosing a set of guitar strings is the gauge. Gauge / Sizes include extra light, light, medium, heavy and extra heavy. Lighter strings are perfect for those people who have small hands, and are much easier to press down when playing. Heavy strings, as you would expect are harder to push down, but at the same time allow you to abuse them more if you tend to be more aggressive with your guitar playing. Medium gauge are in the middle, and perhaps best for beginners and tend to be the most common choice; it’s a good idea to buy these at first and experiment until you find the right strings to suit your style of guitar playing.

3.Brand: There is a wide variety of guitar string manufacturers out there, including Ernie Ball (who probably offer the widest range), Elixir, DR Strings, D’addario and many more. Ernie Ball guitar strings are endorsed by lot of well known guitarists and are certainly a very popular choice, but it’s worth doing your research and seeing how well people rate other brands.

Hopefully this guide will help you to find the guitar strings that are right for you, but the key thing to do is experiment with different ones until you find the strings that you are most comfortable with and give off the sound you want.

Author: Graham Burton
Graham Burton is a musician with over 30 years experience and endorses Bandshop, who supply a range of performance accessories including music stands, orchestral accessories, guitar strings, guitar tuners and much more.

Preparing for a Jam

2011-12-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Rehearsing with a band is probably the best way for any musician to learn his instrument. Sure you can learn how to play at home by reading tabs off the internet, or watching tutorials on Youtube, or you could even take professional lessons, but in my experience nothing teaches you better then getting in the same room as a group of fellow musicians and having a Jam.

If you are in a band and you are due to pay a visit to a rehearsal studio there are a few basic, but extremely necessary things you need to think about in order to be fully prepared for the rehearsal:

1. Back Line set up: When booking the room it is strongly advised that you enquire about the back line arrangements, how many amps etc, as you may be required to bring your own.

2. Drums: when booking the room you should enquire about the drum kit. From my experience the studios always supply a kit, but you generally have to pay extra for the necessary drum symbols etc.

3. Bring back up: Perhaps most importantly, each respective band member should bring spares as a matter of necessity. So the guitarists should remember to bring plenty of spare guitar strings, guitar picks, a tuner and effects pedals if needed. The Drummer should always have spare drum sticks and bring their own cymbals if they don’t want to rent them from the studio. The singer may want to bring their own microphone. You might also want to bring along a spare microphone stand, again it is always worth enquiring when making the booking for the room what musical accessories are included.

4. Recording equipment: Not essential, but extremely worth while, you can pick up portable recording equipment for a very low cost, and if the whole band chips in that’s even better. You can record your jams in MP3 format and then upload them on to the internet when you get home so the whole band can listen back.

From my experience there is usually someone who forgets something when you show up at the studios, and although you might be able to buy certain accessories there, it’s worth being organised to make sure the jam goes as smoothly as possible.

Author: Arthur Charles

Arthur Charles has over ten years of experience playing guitar in a variety of bands and endorses bandshop.co.uk who supply a wide and varied range of guitar strings, effects pedals, drum sticks and music stands.

Buying Your First Guitar

2011-11-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year again, Christmas is fast approaching, and one item you might find on your child's list is an electric guitar. Or maybe you have decided to learn guitar for the first time. Some people might pay a visit to their local guitar shop and get advice from the sales assistant, however other people prefer to buy online especially as you can find so many good offers on the web. But there are such a wide range of electric Guitars available now, it can be difficult to know where to start, so here’s a few tips on what to look out for:

1. Chose the right guitar: Of course there are the very famous and reputable guitar manufacturers such a Fender and Gibson, but buying one of these guitars can prove very expensive. Look into the cheaper makes such as Squier or Yamaha. The internet is a fantastic resource for reviews on guitars, so do your research.

2. Buy strings : When you buy a guitar it’s important to buy extra guitar strings, you are always going to need them, so it would be worth buying a few packs. Again do your research, good quality strings can really affect the sound of the guitar, Ernie Balls are highly recommended.

3.Buy a tuner: Chances are if you are buying a guitar for a first time, you won’t be able to tune it by ear, this takes years of practice, and even the most experienced musicians still use guitar tuners to get it exact. There are a wide range of tuners available, but you can get a good one for a very reasonable price.

4.Buy some Guitar Picks: although you can play guitar with your fingers, and some guitarists actually prefer this, it is recommended you start playing with a plectrum. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of different designs for picks available, but standard plastic ones will be fine at first, it’s always worth investing in extras as they have a tendency to go missing.

5.Buy a strap: Not as essential as the other accessories listed above, but still quite important, especially for when you start gigging or practicing with other musicians.

6.Buy a guitar Stand : Again not quite as essential, but always a good idea to purchase a stand to hold your guitar, it will prevent it falling over and causing any damage, which is likely to happen if you just rest your instrument against a wall.

7.Buy a guitar case: Not really needed straight away but vitally important when you start practicing and gigging for obvious reasons, preventing damage during travel.

8.Buy a good amp: If you are buying an electric guitar for the first time you don’t HAVE to use it with an amp, but there’s not much point in buying an electric car if you wont be getting the proper use out of it. If it’s a first guitar you can buy some practice amps from a variety of manufacturers and at some very good prices.

Author: Arthur Charles

Arthur Charles is a keen Rock and Roll enthusiast and has been playing guitar for over 10 years. He supports Bandshop, a leading online music accessory store where you can buy a wide variety of guitar straps, pedals, guitar strings and music stands.

Survival Kit for the Gigging Musician

2011-11-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

Whatever music you play, performing in public can present unique challenges when you least expect it. Being prepared for the unexpected could make the difference between a fantastic performance for you and your audience or a gig to forget for all concerned. So here's a reminder of what to have in your gigging toolkit:

1. Always carry a spare set of guitar strings. Ideally, if you can afford it, have a spare guitar to hand - this will save having to stop the performance whilst you change broken guitar strings! Bass players should also have a spare set of bass strings - they do break! This happened to me in the middle of a crucial gig - I had no spares and had to perform the gig with a 3 string bass!

2. Carry an assortment of cables and connectors - think of all the connections you make with your backline rig and PA system and either carry spare cables (microphone cables and guitar cables are top of the list!), or connectors (such as XLR-Jack) that will get you out of trouble. And don't forget MIDI cables - I have been asked on more than one occasion by the other band if they could 'borrow' a MIDI cable!

3. Make sure you have some basic tools with you - screwdrivers, pliers, drum key etc. If you are proficient with a soldering iron (and you should be!), carry it in your gig bag - it can be a lifesaver!
4. Batteries - always carry a healthy stock of all the batteries you use and make sure that each guitar, radio microphone or effects pedal has a battery that will last the gig - you do not want to be fumbling around mid-song to change a flat battery.

5. Guitar stands and music stands - try to have robust and stable guitar stands and music stands, such as those by Hercules. Not only will they protect your instruments on stage, it will look a lot neater and more professional.

6. If you use backing tracks, bring along backups of all the media files or discs. For the ultimate backup, put your backing tracks onto an mp3 player (or even your mobile phone!) so that you can play them back through the PA if necessary. If you use a click track, record the tracks with the click to one side and the backing track to the other, so that they can be separated on the PA mixing desk. I used to use a minidisc player for this and it got me out of trouble on more than one occasion!

Okay, so much of this might seem obvious, but I am constantly surprised by the lack of preparation and forethought that is given to some live performances. We need to concentrate on producing a great gig, not on managing a showstopping crisis!

Author: Graham Burton

Graham Burton has been a performing bass player and singer since the late seventies. He also helps run the Bandshop online music accessory store - a fantastic resource for performing bands, musicians and artists. Visit Bandshop today to see a full range of guitar stands, microphone stands and music stands, as well as strings, effects pedals and much more!