Guitar Today

 A guitar arpeggio is a broken up guitar chord where each note is played individually instead of playing them all in one strum. It is like taking a guitar chord and stretching it out, note by note across several strings and frets on the guitar neck.

Arpeggios are a great easy way to add interest to your guitar solos by using them to transition from lick to lick or even to another key. You don’t have to be a Guitar Hero like Yngwie Malmsteen or even Zakk Wylde to make use of arpeggios in simple forms here and there. It is easy and sounds great to take one chord and play it in the form of an arpeggio within your normal guitar soloing routine.

There are three ways to play an arpeggio:

Conventional guitar picking - This would be the method of picking you are likely used to by now. It is simply plucking notes individually alternating between up and down strokes.

Hammer on / Pull-off technique- You can mix hammer-ons and pull-offs ‘ into any peice of music to give it a smooth guitar solo style.  When playing a multi-string arpeggio on the guitar you may want to use either a hammer on or pull off, or several of them to add more interest to your playing.

Sweep-picking technique - Sweep picking is an easy guitar method to master which produces a very cool effect. You can practice sweep picking by fretting a guitar chord that you are comfortable with (such as a Am) and strumming with a rigid wrist to pluch each note individually. Use a sweeping motion of the pick and combine with your fret hand technique to sound each note of the chord indivually.

Example of a major guitar arpeggio:

Practice this arpeggio using each of the three techniques for arpeggios that we have covered in this online guitar lesson

Did you know the Gibson SG’s double cutaway ‘horned’ design was intended to compete with the Fender Stratocaster? Gibson introduced the new design in the 60’s when Les Paul sales were slumping.

Vote for your favorite right now !

Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster was designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares in 1954. The Strat has been played by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Yngiwie Malmsteen, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour or Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix as well as Buddy Holly who is known as the “first Strat Hero”.

Gibson SG

The Gibson SG was originally the redesigned Les Paul model for 1961. Les Paul didn’t like the new design and asked for his name to be removed. They renamed it the SG for Solid Guitar.

The Gibson SG electric guitar was played by Angus Young of AC/DC, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Black Sabbaths’ Tony Iommi and Robby Krieger from The Doors. Eric Clapton played an SG in the 60s with Cream and Jimmy Page is known for using various SG model guitars.

Gibson VS Fender: Which of these classic guitars do you prefer?
( polls)

Log! Log! Its’ big. Its’ heavy. Its’ wood!

I take it this wasn’t Les Paul’s original design?

Well the answer is: It couldn’t not exist. Not in this world. Being as there is a reality show for just about anything these days.. I’m surprised this one isn’t on network television stations yet.

Nope. Guitar Idol is a web based reality show complete with 8 shredding judges. Entrants upload videos and submit them for viewer voting heat after heat until the final round of judging takes place. The musical genres range from jazz to rock to blues and, of course, Shred.

Thousands of guitarists will battle for 12 places to perform live on the main stage at the massive London International Music Show in June 2009 and be crowned Worldwide Guitar Idol 2009

The competition has some major sponsors too. The likes of Ernie Ball, Paul Reed Smith and even the mighty Marshall are backing the Idols.

Guitar Idol is free to enter and open to all ages.

http://www.guitaridol.tv/

Yesterday’s guitar amp storefront photo got me interested in more guitar-theme architecture (or guitarchitecture) and I decided to look for some more. I found there are some very creative guitar themed buildings and items available. Some more impressive than others, no doubt.

Have a look at some of these amazingly creative bits of eye candy from around the interweb.

Guitar shaped mansion

Another guitar shaped house

Guitar shaped swimming pool

Not a guitar shaped building per say… but a string instrument and impressive feat of architecture nontheless

Guitar toilet

You’ve likely heard of famous photos of musicians playing guitar on the toilet.. but what about playing guitar on a guitar shaped toilet seat?

Guitar made from lego blocks

via geekasaurus

Guitar boat

via vubx

And if that guitar shaped boat should sink… you can still be laid to rest in style with this fabulous

Guitar shaped coffin

via crazy coffins exhibit

Is it too tacky to have everyday items like tables and chairs shaped like guitars? Would your wife let you have ANY of these things? Found something great that should be on this list? Let me know by posting a comment.

This guitar shop in Southampton, England looks just like a Fender Champ when the place is closed. Notice the knobs go to 11!  Why? Because its’ louder than 10.

This store has been a longstanding landmark known among guitarists’ for some time but recently hit the front page of major social bookmarking sites’ like Digg and Reddit when it was posted to Flickr .