The Guitar Journal
All about guitar.
GUEST POST - The life span of any string instrument is greatly affected by how the player takes care of it. Just like a vehicle, it also needs proper maintenance and special attention to ensure it will sound its best through the years. It’s a …
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I’ve recently been trying out the Arturia Keystep portable USB MIDI controller. Here’s how I used it, and what worked. What is the Arturia Keystep? The Arturia Keystep is a portable musical tool combining the functionalities of a keyboard …
Continue Reading about Arturia Keystep – Ideal Guitar Sidekick
Frameworks Records and An Tran recently announced the release of the debut album from Vietnamese classical guitar virtuoso, An Tran. Stay, My Beloved is an album featuring all Vietnamese guitar music. An Tran’s debut album, Stay, My Beloved, …
Continue Reading about An Tran releases “Stay, My Beloved”, Fingerstyle Guitar Tribute to Vietnam
GUEST POST - Composing music on your guitar may sound like a difficult task, but it can be easier than you think, at least, with some help. Anyone with musical talent and the ability to play chord progressions can easily create their own music. It …
In this world there are a LOT of options for playing guitar. Today, we are going to present some guidance on a few of those options - the difference between a "travel guitar" and a "guitarlele". Choosing the right small-size instrument will make …
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For those of you hip to the Medium.com vibes, The Guitar Journal is now maintaining a regular publication over there called simply The Guitar Journal (medium.com/the-guitar-journal). If you're already a part of Medium, pop on over to our profile …
Ian S. Port's book, "It's Going To Get Loud" (2019), is a long-needed deep dive into the rivalry between Leo Fender and Les Paul - the fathers of the electric guitar. As a young guitar player, even if you're unaware of the history, you can feel …
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It is costing lives, health, and dramatically affecting many people's work and basic finances. Yet the odd reality is that many of us find ourselves stuck at home right now, trying to fill the time. What a contrast. Just to be clear, there are …
Continue Reading about Our hearts all go out to those affected by the coronavirus.
Leo Kottke's album, "6- and 12-String Guitar", was released in 1969, clocking in at a crisp 36 minutes long. While this album was well-received in it's own time, it has grown even more loved with time. It is seen as a landmark in acoustic fingerstyle …
Continue Reading about Flashback Album Review: Leo Kottke’s “6- and 12- String Guitar”
Woodpecker Instruments is a new brand specialized in travel guitars and ukuleles. Adding to the company’s line of travel guitars, Woodpecker has unveiled the new 31” Woodpecker Travel Koa. Here at the The Guitar Journal, we love travel guitars …
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I finally finished the 175 guitar build. I learned some lessons...the hard way. Spoiler alert: Yes, I learned a lot from doing it and am glad that I did. But, no, I will not build another one. I will simply appreciate luthiers so much more for the …
Continue Reading about 7 Reasons Your DIY Guitar Kit Will Be Terrible
The STOMP Bluetooth 4.0 foot switch is a handy (or shall we say "hands-free") way to page through sheet music while you play, remotely activate the recording function in ProTools, or trigger anything else you want to while you play. What is …
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Everybody wants to break out of the standard pentatonic box. While the standard pentatonic box is a great start for learning to improvise, particularly over the blues - it can soon become limiting. Here are three simple methods you can use to "break …
Continue Reading about Beyond the Pentatonic: 3 Simple Ways To Expand Your Blues Soloing
"Can't Help Falling In Love", the Elvis Presley classic, is a great song to play on acoustic guitar. It was performed beautifully in the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, by Kina Grannis. Her arrangement was simple - just fingerpicking acoustic guitar and, …
Continue Reading about How To Play “Can’t Help Falling In Love” on Acoustic Guitar
