The Guitar Learner

Welcome, Guitar Learners

  • You Love Me and I Love U2

    That’s what I said when I was younger, when some (few) girls asked about love to me, or to the other guitar boys, i guess. Fewer girls loved to hear what i was saying, yes, but none of them wanted me to write down those words on love letters. if they did, they would have known that U2 is involved with everyone’s music. you can love me already, but i love U2 first. (haha, what some wonderful moments at that time..)U2, is the best two letters in music. The Edge is one of most inspirational guitar player on my list, and for me, Bono is still carrying the most soulful vocalist title until now. can’t explain more than this since U2 are already damn famous. what a great band.so, when i have to choose one from their songs, which is actually difficult i think since their songs are great, definitely I’ll choose “stuck in the moment that you can’t get out of“. it’s a long-titled song, but i think soon everyone will say it fluently.

    why? it’s a song for relieving mistakes and help us carrying our burden. i made video with my friend, playing this song, and there were a lot of missed tuning, lyrics  and it wasn’t perfect cover, but STILL, it brought me the melodious remedy.. the best part of music is, when there’s anyone playing it, it has positive effect to him/her and to the audiences, AND THIS SONG HAS IT.


    here I’m not talking about the eclectic guitar sound by the Edge, or get deep in U2 profile. but this is a start for me in sharing my U2 love. right here, right now, I’m just trying to find a decent melody. a song that I can sing in my own company.. yes, U2 has it and share it worldwide.

     

  • Zoom Q3HD for music blog and guitar site

    Zoom Q3HD for music blog and guitar site

    Here’s the case. You are learning guitar and you want to know your own progress by yourself. sometimes only doing practicing and apply it on performance isn’t enough while you are not satisfied by other people comments about your playing, too. sometimes you need to record your own exercises and performances then you make some notes about it. I have something i bought couple days ago and i think  by sharing this, you just might get a clue about what you need in guitar learning.

    Got myself bought a camcorder, it’s Zoom Q3HD  by samson, equipped with hi-tech of audio recorder and video capturing features, ready to grab your action in HD movies. you can modify your video results using HandyShare software. find it on its SDcard inside the box. here pic of it:

    zoom q3hd
    Zoom Q3HD

    now i can only share you the pic and its specification, because after i tried it, it seems i need to make a DIY studio for audio-video recording with this gadget, and i need its accessories too. well, wish me luck in making it happen then 😉

    updated: here i made the video just few hours after i published this post. hope you like it

    zoom q3hd record mode
    zoom q3hd record mode
    zoom q3hd specs
    zoom q3hd specs

    System requirements for HandyShare software:
    Windows
    Windows XP 32bit (SP2 or later), Windows Vista 32bit / 64bit (SP1 or later), Windows 7 32bit / 64bit
    Intel Pentium4 1.4GHz / AMD Athlon 64 or faster
    512MB RAM (1GB or more recommended)
    1024 x 600 monitor resolution or more
    USB1.1/2.0 compatible port

    Macintosh
    Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later / 10.5 / 10.6 / 10.7
    Intel Core Duo 1.66 GHz or faster (Intel Mac only)
    512MB RAM (1GB or more recommended)
    1024 x 600 monitor resolution or more
    USB1.1/2.0 compatible port

  • Upload guitar playing to internet

    this was my promise a year ago and this time, i will fulfill it. yes, uploading videos to YouTube. i have to admit, that saving money for this blog purposes isn’t easy. but whatever. i just bought a camcorder yesterday and i think it is a great camcorder. what do you say if i bought a samson’s ZOOM Q3HD for this? haha.yes, as expected, this camcorder represents the fulfillment of musicians’ needs. it has a great audio recorder and the video format is in HD. I’ve read about it and it doesn’t support capture still images and we can’t use it as external camera device for laptops, still all you need is a bright studio to get your best image captured by it while you need minimum enhancement for audio since this camcorder are meant for best audio recording.my first tryout stuff for my first video is a Yamaha APX 500 II acoustic electric guitar. and i like the result. the audio is astonishing, while unfortunately i couldn’t get the best visual shot because i don’t have special preparation for visual. I’ll make it up soon.

    so here’s my first guitar shootout recorded using ZOOM Q3HD

    so what do you think about the guitar sound recorded by it? in my ears, the recorded audio was successfully delivered by the camcorder. i think that’s the way a Yamaha APX 500 II should be. some reviews said that this guitar is lack of bass tone, but i think this guitar suits exactly to singers who want to play it live onstage. i didn’t record via piezo pickups because piezo pickups are basically delivering the strings tone and only a little wood and guitar tube sound. what i want to share is how Yamaha APX 500 II sounds when it is played in front of you and i did it. i would have highly recommend you to get two outputs when you’re playing this guitar. one for piezo pickups and one more for direct mic output. the oval hole got the guitar some wide treble characteristic so i think it makes the guitar has standard sound for recording and live performance with mid-low budget on market.

    yamaha apx 500 ii

    what about the Yamaha APX 500 II playability?

    well, it has cutaway so you can reach higher notes easier than jumbo acoustic guitar, and it has moderately low gap between the strings and the fret board which allow you to play fast picking accurately.

    so what do you think about Upload guitar playing? which one needs more comments? the ZOOM Q3HD, or the Yamaha APX 500II ?
    ps: i bought domain for the guitar learner site and guitar learning developments. it’s at www.theguitarlearner.com and, you know,.. just in case you haven’t know yet 😀

  • Carlos Santana gets hot in 2014

    Carlos Santana gets hot in 2014

    Carlos Santana ‘s career has become a success story . Gold and Platinum Awards has been the hallmark of his work . 3 Latin Grammy Awards and has won 10 Grammy Awards and the album Supernatural is one of the points of success of a Carlos Santana . supernatural album has sold over 25 million CDs worldwide have earned 15 times Platinum Award for album Supernatural . in 1998 the name of the Carlos Santana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .

    Carlos Santana in 2014

    2014 would mean a lot to a Carlos Santana. This year Santana will be present in the multiple news . The first thing that ought to be followed is the publication of the autobiography of Carlos Santana by Little , Brown and Company . Santana autobiographical story begins in the city of his birth Autlan , Jalisco state , Mexico and the pilot started his music career from being a violinist until towards the pinnacle of success in 1969 Woodstock festival as a professional musician . This book will also share stories Santana music history with world renowned musicians : Buddy Guy , Freddie King , Harry Belafonte , Wayne Shorter , John Lee Hooker , Miles Davis , Eric Clapton , BB King , Otis Rush , Albert King , Herbie Hancock and Jeff Beck . This book also shares the inspirational story of santana and Archbishop Desmond Tutu , Cesar Chavez , Dolores Huerta and his father , Jose Santana . santana life story is a great realization of a dream of all people in the world .

    corazon album 2014
    things you can not pass up is the album of carlos santana entitled ” Corazon ” available on May 6, 2014. This album contains music collaboration with his wife , Cindy Blackman Santana , and talented musicians the world : Gloria Estefan , Ziggy Marley , Wayne Shorter , Lila Downs , Miguel , Romeo Santos , Niña Pastori , ChocQuibTown , Diego Torres , Soledad , Samuel Rosa of Skank , fabulosos Juanes Cadillacs , and more . this is Santana ‘s first Latin music album of his remarkable career . he made the tour for this album before the album,check it out at http://www.santana.com/Santana-On-Tour/

    corazon tour 2014

    Carlos Santana in this year also will start the tour of “The Voice , The Guitar , The Songs ” with an iconic musician Rod Stewart . Everyone knows the musical prowess of  living legends of American music Rod Stewart and Santana , they will come together in one package .

    rod stewart carlos santana
    ‘The Voice. The Guitar. The Songs.’

    here the ” The Voice , The Guitar , The Songs ” tour shedule :
    Albany, NY Times Union Center May 23, 2014
    Uncasville , CT Mohegan Sun Arena May 25, 2014
    Pittsburgh , PA CONSOL Energy Center May 27, 2014
    Buffalo , NY First Niagara Center May 31, 2014
    Louisville , KY KFC Yum ! Center June 3 2014
    St. Louis , MO Scottrade Center January 6 , 2014
    Lincoln , NE Pinnacle Bank Arena June 7 2014
    Eugene , OR Matthew Knight Arena June 31, 2014
    Vancouver , BC Rogers Arena August 2 2014
    Calgary , AB Scotiabank Saddledome August 4 2014
    Edmonton , AB Rexall Place August 5 2014
    Winnipeg , MB MTS Centre 8 August 2014
    St Paul , MN Xcel Energy Center August 10 2014
    Denver , CO Pepsi Center August 12, 2014
    Kansas City , MO Sprint Center August 14, 2014
    Rosemont , IL Allstate Arena August 16, 2014
    Washington , DC Verizon Center August 19, 2014
    Wantagh , NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater August 20, 2014

    It has been traversed by the great Carlos santana and this year is a big move for him . I’m sure that he will makes more inspirational music history .

  • Yamaha APX500 II for your acoustic rhythm sound

    Yamaha APX500 II for your acoustic rhythm sound

    this Yamaha APX500 II is quite famous and i like it. i tried this guitar last night on stage performance and i think I’ll put this guitar to my recommended-gear list. when you’re on low-to-mid budget, this guitar may could be on your top list.

    the APX500II model

    check out these pics i organized for this post, we can see that it has a nice modern look and finish. you might want to perform some acoustic style and you don’t wanna look too old with classic guitar, then this Yamaha APX500 II is going to be the guitar you are looking for.

    yamaha apx500ii guitar
    Yamaha APX500 II acoustic guitar steel strings

    take a look to this black color one. we can take this onstage and perform it live and on standing position. its cutaway made us possible to reach high notes easily. last night’s performance was great, i was being able to perform well.

     

    how does Yamaha APX500 II sound?

    my last night performance was using a Roland JC 120 as monitor and the stage output was through behringer g100 DI box. it sounded beyond average but actually what i want is to have one direct mic output and i didn’t get it last night. the JC 120 wasn’t able to get the rich acoustic tone but it caught the notes clearly and the DI box delivered the tone successfully to outputs. i guess the Yamaha’s system 65 onboard preamp will work nicely through PA speakers. what i suggest you, (which i haven’t done it yet 😀 ) is, try to get the direct mic output for this guitar. this Yamaha APX 500II has a wide treble sound and tone clarity and we will get this sound by using direct mic output, while you can solve the lack of bass tone by equalize it through the on board preamp output. actually the preamp works fine and the other parts is nicely crafted.

    apx500ii guitar section
    Yamaha APX500 II acoustic guitar anatomy

    here you can take a closer look to its head-stocks, on-board preamp (powered by 9volts battery), the oval hole and its saddle bridge. i made brief video shootout so you can make a comparison >> yamaha APX500II

    overall this guitar will meet your standard. it is highly recommended for singers who want to perform their vocal style with playing acoustic guitar on stage. this guitar will enrich your band performance while you don’t have to worry about your band’s mate tone get ruined by additional acoustic rhythm sound. I can assure you that Yamaha APX500 II guitar sounds pretty good on stage.

    if you are a solo performer, this guitar is one of good options. its playability makes possible to play speed guitar-solo, while for me, i love to strum it hard, playing some rhythm and riffs. ( it was difficult to play some solo /speed-picking with this guitar when you play it in standing position, need more practice i guess 🙂 ). see you next post..

  • Zakk Wylde lost his Gibson Les Paul custom on tour

    Zakk Wylde lost his Gibson Les Paul custom on tour

    Zakk Wylde is one of the great guitarist known world wide. He is the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and everybody know his bulls-eye-painted Gibson Les Paul custom guitar. Equipped with EMG hum bucking pickups and raw, unfinished maple necks, this guitar is one of best Gibson series ever made. the guitar suits to his character, a distinctive lead guitarist who has amazing solo outings, scorching riffs and remarkable stage performances. He also known as the founder of the Black Label Society.Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop Zakk Wylde Aged Pelham

     

    what really excited me is when he appeared on 2011 American Idol, he was the guitarist for James Durbin’s performance of “Heavy Metal” by Sammy Hagar.  it was a great performance and I’m sure that America and the world wide saw one of the best about heavy metal. it was the time which everyone think that heavy metal will still rule for the next decades. it never goes off. there in the video you can see his infamous bulls-eye gear and his hilarious stage presence.

    did you know?

    once he lost his 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom “The Grail”. Zakk Wylde lost the guitar after it fell from the back of a truck transporting equipment as he was traveling between gigs in Texas. somehow he got it back by trading it with a black double-neck Gibson.

    latest news

    then i read the latest news and found out that he lost his gear, again. this time is his one of two aged Pelham Blue Les Paul signature guitar with bulls eye pattern. A $10,000 worth guitar was stolen from his tour bus Friday night(March 14, 2014) outside The Chicago Theater while he was on the Experience Hendrix Tour.

    as you can see on his twitter @ZakkWyldeBLS :

     

    i hope he get his guitar back soon.

     

    latest updates:

    this guitar is returned to zakk wylde. this Pelham Blue Bullseye Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar — which was stolen March 14 from his tour bus in Chicago — has been found. a man came in to sell the guitar on March 24 – about 10 days after it was reported stolen- at Royal Pawn Shop, 428 S. Clark St. an employee originally paid around $50 for the guitar…  more details at Chicago tribune

  • feels right to play left, do you?

    feels right to play left, do you?

    for years I’ve been playing guitar right-handed. the fact is I’m lefty. when i took a moment to think, actually it wasn’t easy and i had difficult times in learning right-handed guitar playing (and I’m still learning guitar now). some people might think why i should bother to learn right-handed guitar playing instead of playing it lefty. Here the best reason of all time, “Because at first i didn’t even have a guitar!”… i borrowed my friend’s guitar, which is of course it’s a right-handed guitar,and start learning to play it. Everyday i came to his house and we learned it together.

    i love this sentence, “we learned it to-get-her”. 😀 hahaha, everyone has own reason in playing guitar and mine was to get some cute girls’ attention. what a great reason to start guitar playing.

    anyway, 😀 years gone by and i found myself right-handed when it comes to guitar playing. while until now, I’m still curious about playing guitar lefty. so today i decide to learn the lefty way. i have a Yamaha CX-40 nylon strings guitar and i changed the strings order. this post is a kind of legal agreement for myself to play left guitar. i made promise to myself that i will perform my left guitar playing in front of people on stage a year for now. actually i can’t raise the bar for more. it is a longer-term deadline compared with when i learn the right-guitar playing. no girls get involved in this agreement :D.

    yamaha cx 40 left guitar
    changing the strings order to learn playing left guitar

    so here i show you my Yamaha CX 40 nylon strings guitar which i change its strings order. if you start learning guitar today just like me, then that’s great!! we can share all things about guitar, remember I’m a beginner here so go easy on me guys, see ya next post…

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