# Guitar/Recording Music

So you\'ve been practicing and practicing, and finally, you\'re ready to
record your first demo. But where to begin? Should you go to a
professional studio, or just try to do it yourself at home? What kind of
equipment and software will you need? Although everyone talks like they
could write and record an entire album in a weekend, recording is a
surprisingly tricky and detailed job. Remember that professionals go to
school to learn how to record musicians.

This page is a guide for musicians that already have their own songs and
are ready to record them. It will cover the basics of the recording
process, what to expect with a professional studio, and outline an ideal
home recording setup.

!A control room with a mixing console, monitor speakers, and a computer
based Digital Audio
Workstation.{width="200"}

## What Gets Recorded When

Drums: Generally speaking, it\'s a good idea to record the drums and
percussion first. This will help all the other recording musicians
follow the right beat, instead of the drummer having to follow the other
off-beat musicians.

Bass: Should be recorded second, as it\'s the middle ground between the
basic beat of the drums and the chords of the rhythm guitar.

Rhythm Guitar: Gets recorded third, as it\'s the foundation for the lead
guitar.

Lead Guitar: Follows the rhythm guitar, and will give direction to some
of the vocalist\'s melodies.

Vocals: Very last, as the vocalist will be able to wrap melodies around
the bass and rhythm guitar\'s chords, and the lead guitarist\'s soloing
melodies. Vocals are sometimes recorded as a \"guide track\" to help the
other musicians \"feel\" their way and then at the final stage is
replaced with a more focused performance.

All in this order, of course, assuming you don\'t have the space and
tools to make a live recording.

## Mixing

When it comes to mixing volume levels and other audio dynamics, one
needs to take several things into consideration. First, which
instruments should be heard the most? In a guitar-focused rock band, one
may want to give the lead or rhythm guitar more prominence. In funk or
dance music, the bass may want to be given more space. However, certain
instruments may also need more focus at different times in the song. If
there is a banjo playing in the background in a rock song, but it
eventually gets a solo part, one may want to increase the volume at the
point of the solo.

The second thing to consider is special effects and left-right panning.
Should the guitar be given a delay effect at some parts? Perhaps the
bass may need a flange effect, or backing vocals should pan from left to
right during the bridge?

Another important thing to keep in mind is the master volume level. At
no point in your song should the listener need to abruptly turn down the
volume for fear of breaking his/her speakers!

## Professional Studio

Although you have more \"creative control\" in a personal setting,
having professional sound technicians taking care of the recording make
things much, much easier.

## Personal Studio

Based on your budget and space available, your home recording studio
layout and design will vary. What really affects your home studio is the
type of instrumentation you intend to record. For a guitarist, you could
use a computer, audio interface, amplifier, guitar and a dynamic mic.
For more advanced music composition, you could add a hardware mixer,
keyboards, drum machines, variety of different microphones, VST software
and percussion instruments.

Putting together a small studio at home is relatively inexpensive
compared to the price of hiring a professional studio. The power of
modern computers gives you a huge variety of recording options and the
computer has become the centre of home recording and pro studios. Pro
studios buy extra audio processing equipment like expensive compressors
and outboard effects which will always give them an advantage over home
recording but with a modest investment the home studio can produce a
recording quality that most people would find acceptable. All
professional musicians usually prepare demo versions of their songs
before they go into a costly professional studio and this should also
apply to your working method.

### Equipment

!An inexpensive USB external audio
interface.{width="200"}

-   Condenser microphones are generally used for recording acoustic
    guitars and dynamic microphones are more suitable for putting up
    close to the amplifier speaker. Try not to buy cheap microphones on
    the basis that the technology used is simple and therefore a cheap
    microphone will match a microphone like the Shure SM57 (industry
    standard microphone for recording electric guitar amplifiers and
    snare drums); the extra cost is reflected in the higher audio
    quality of your recordings.

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-   An audio interface is essential for instruments and microphones.
    Plugging a microphone directly into the computer\'s microphone input
    or a guitar into the line-in input produces poor quality results due
    to the fact that a computer\'s soundcard and microphone/line inputs
    are generally not intended for serious recording projects. Audio
    interfaces can be an external box using USB or Firewire or an
    internal PCI card with break-out jacks.

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-   The PC you use determines the amount of tracks you can record. A
    laptop can be useful for portable recording but they rarely match
    the usefulness of a high specification PC. You should aim for a
    minimum of 4GB of RAM and the fastest processor that you can afford.
    Audio recording and playback places a heavy demand on the
    computer\'s resources and this can lead to timing errors, glitches
    and less tracks but this has become less of an issue with multiple
    processor machines. Recording software usually comes with a
    \"multiple processor\" enabled option and you should check for this
    when choosing between software packages.

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-   A good guitar is essential. An entry-level guitar should be replaced
    with a good quality guitar after a guitarist has mastered open
    chords and a few scales. This usually means within a year or so from
    the day they started playing. Guitarists tend to become attached to
    their first guitar and the danger in this is that the guitar itself
    hinders the development of higher skills. An entry-level guitar will
    always sound like an entry-level guitar when recorded. \* A good
    rule is to find out what some of your favorite guitarist plays and
    play them all through a few different amps. You will then be able to
    see which feels best to you, and not what the \"norm\" is. That
    being said, there is a reason Gibson and Fender are the most popular
    brands to own. Just remember to find a guitar that you like, and if
    you like how it plays and sounds, its all up to you.

### Recording Environment

This is an odd subject. Most studios are specifically designed for
sound, and are built to get the best quality sound available. However,
some of the most famous albums ever where recorded in buildings that
were never designed for music. It all comes down to what sounds good to
you.

That being said, you never want a square/rectangle room to record in.
Always try and uses as much sound dampening possible, so that you can
get the best quality with what you have. As long as there is no reverb
(unless wanted), the recording should be adequate.

### PC or Mac?

This is more a preference than which is better. Certain people are
accustomed to Windows, others feel that an Apple is easier to operate.
However, most professionals use Macs, but it is not uncommon for some
major studios to use PCs. There are a variety of specialized Linux
distributions dedicated to the purpose as well, utilizing real-time
kernels for lower latency and faster processing of audio input.

### Recording Software

There are many companies that supply music recording software (DAW -
Digital Audio Workstation). Professional studios tend to use Pro Tools
by Avid. Pro Tools is expensive and usually needs to be run on a
computer that is built for editing, and are high performance computers
such as a Mac Pro/Alienware, or a custom built PC. However, any basic
PC/Mac can run it.

There is a learning curve associated with music software and it will
take time before you achieve results that match your expectations. A
good example is the virtual mixing desk; one aspect of the software that
matches its hardware version down to every detail. On a virtual mixer
you can assign auxiliary sends and returns, route audio, set instruments
in the stereo field, balance volumes, automate changes and much more.

All recording software allows you choose a software driver from a
multiple list. If you have bought an audio interface and installed the
software, then choose that driver to achieve lower latency. Latency is
caused by the analogue to digital conversion of the audio signal and by
the processing that takes place before it is sent to your audio outs on
your virtual mixing desk. This can be quite disconcerting to the
guitarist; a sense of striking the string but not hearing the sound
until milliseconds later. This is usually overcome by the audio
interface offering direct monitoring. This bypasses the software and
provides you with a signal that is not processed. This has its drawback
in that you cannot use any software effects but these can be applied to
your audio track afterwards.

Here is a list of sound drivers:

MME: early Microsoft driver that still appears as a default in driver
drop-down menus. Low performance makes this unsuitable for DAWs.

DX: Microsoft multi-media driver designed for improved graphics and
sounds. Offers high latency and is therefore not suitable for DAWs.

WDM: later Microsoft driver that offers improved performance over MME

ASIO: developed for high performance and low latency. This driver is
recommended for DAWs. ASIO is not a Microsoft driver and it is essential
to check that the DAW you buy supports the protocol.

## Direct injection

Direct Injection is one of the most hotly debated decisions when
recording the sound of guitar. On one hand, if truly direct (that is,
does not goes through any amplifier or effects), the extremely clean
signal is a blessing for the audio engineer, as he will now have some
thing that can be easily manipulated with any effects. On the other
hand, some people say that there are no rescue for such a clean signal,
no matter what effects were inserted.

## Effects to use

Whether you use direct injection or mikes, using computer or traditional
4-tracks, insert the effect while recording or after the recording, you
will need to have some to bring life to the otherwise sterile sound.

-   Distortion - what makes electric guitar sound great? Distortion,
    that\'s what. When combined with proper amount of compression, the
    sound will be much smoother.
-   Compression - In terms of direct injection, compression of an audio
    signal can help produce a smooth distortion; this effect also
    produce a sustain on the sound.
-   Delay/Echo/Reverb - provide a front-back aural dimension
-   Stereo chorus - provide left-right aural dimension.

Some DI-boxes that is specifically designed for recording may also have
additional circuitry, to help mimic the sound of some certain cabinet
and the position of the mike.

Alternatively, if you can get a hold of a Pre-Dunlop era Rockman, it
provides all the tools and setup needed to produce some of the best
direct-injected recorded Guitar.

## Tips for Recording

-   **Don\'t get frustrated!** - If you can\'t get something to sound
    right, just take a break. Go and do something that is not music
    related and then try again.

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-   **Re-amping** - If your midi tracks sound a bit lifeless then
    re-amping can put some \"air\" into the mix. Play the midi track
    through your amplifier and record back into the DAW onto a separate
    track.

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-   **Creating a great guitar solo** - the professionals may \"comp\" a
    solo from many different takes. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and David
    Gilmour (Pink Floyd) are two guitarists who utilize this method of
    merging the best sections of alternative takes.

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-   **Backup your projects** - essential to save and back-up your music
    projects. Music projects tend to grow quite big as you gain
    proficiency in developing songs and backing up your work is
    essential if you don\'t want to lose earlier takes that you may wish
    to return to.


# Guitar/Tuning Your Ear

Almost as important as learning how to tune your
guitar is learning how to tune your
ear. Most people do not have \"perfect pitch\", which is an umbrella
term for anyone who is really accurate at determining or singing notes.
Although you can naturally be more or less inclined to hear correct
pitches, this is a skill that can be learned, and there are several ways
of learning it. However, the truth of the matter is that no one is
absolutely \"perfect\" when it comes to pitch, and indeed, many songs
you listen to could be deliberately composed slightly sharp or flat.

Some guitar players prefer their instruments not to be exactly tuned,
because it gives some extra texture. Tuning the thinner strings slightly
sharp can make chords sound brighter, while tuning thicker strings down
slightly can give chords some \"bite\". Another important reason to
learn to tune your ear is that one day you will sit down to jam with
someone, and have no tuner available, and you will be forced to tune to
one another. This is especially true if you have a band, and you are
playing live shows; being able to quickly adjust your instrument can be
the difference between a great performance and a terrible one.

## Using a Human Voice

If you are in a band, and you have a singer that can never quite hit
those notes perfectly, sometimes it is easier to retune your guitar
rather than try to retune the singer. Learning to tune your strings to a
note someone is singing is a valuable skill, and is surprisingly similar
to other regular tuning methods, especially if you can tune to a piano.

First the singer should sing a note, preferably an A or an E, and in the
most comfortable range of their singing voice. If they can sing high
notes, or different notes on command, it is sometimes easiest to tune
each string to the singer, and then quickly do some fine adjustments to
make sure the guitar strings are consistent.

## Using Dissonance

Players that have been playing for a long time begin to learn what a
chord or interval is \"supposed\" to sound like. Sometimes this is
because a favourite song starts with this chord, or because they always
play a particular chord type (like a power chord, major barre chord,
etc.).

With this method of tuning, you simply play the appropriate chord, and
then adjust your strings until it sounds \"right\". For example,
switching into Drop D tuning is
often easy for many people, because the open power
chord has a certain
tone when it is properly tuned. Power chords are especially easy to tell
when they are out of tune, because they contain only two notes.

### Chords for Tuning

These are some common chords that players use to tell if their guitar is
properly tuned.

The power chord is a useful tool in tuning as well as it mimics the
natural overtone series of the guitar. Playing a note and a fifth above
it, on a piano for example, will allow you to more precisely tune your
instrument.


# Guitar/Playing What You Hear

The ultimate goal for many guitarists is to be able to create with the
guitar -- that is, to be able to conceive of a
melody or a chord sequence, \"hear\" it in one\'s
head, and then translate it onto the
fretboard. Ideally, guitarists should be able
to do so with the minimum possible latency and with as few errors as
possible, and they should fail gracefully -- that is, when they play an
unintended note, they should be able to recover from the mistake. The
best improvising guitarists, from blues players
like Eric Clapton and Freddie
King to jazz players like Wes
Montgomery and Allan
Holdsworth, have mastered this skill.

## Selected Exercises

-   **Practicing In The Dark**

Staring at the fretboard while playing is considered the mark of an
amateur. In most performance situations, it isn\'t possible to look at
the fretboard while still communicating visually with other musicians
and with the audience. In addition, looking at the fretboard introduces
additional delay between thinking the note and playing the note, because
the guitarist has to visually verify that his or her fingers are in the
right place.

A good way to break yourself of this flaw is to practice with your eyes
closed, or even better, to practice in the dark. You will probably find
yourself playing mostly clichés that lay out well under your fingers.
Resist the urge to do this. Practice until you can play new or difficult
phrases without looking at the neck.

-   **Visualization**

Pianist and teacher Barry Harris stated in an interview for the 2008
Stanford Jazz Series that he believes that piano players would be better
off if they played the \"piano in their head\" more often. According to
Carroll Smith\'s book \"Drive To Win,\" Formula One drivers can sit down
in a chair, close their eyes, and move their hands and legs as though
they were driving a lap, and surprisingly enough, they often get within
several seconds of their actual lap times.

As a guitar player, you should do the same.

Practice running through a solo in your head, humming or singing the
melody line and fingering in the air like you would on an actual guitar.
Without the feedback you get from hearing the notes coming from the
instrument, your weaknesses are exposed. Any chord or melodic fragment
that you\'re not confident playing in the air will likely be played with
hesitation on the actual guitar. The other advantage to visualization is
that you can do it anywhere, since it doesn\'t require a guitar. People
may give you strange looks as you walk down the street playing air
guitar, but you can be self-assured in the
fact that you\'re actually playing the right notes on your air guitar
rather than strumming aimlessly.

-   **The Random-Note Game**

As an improvising guitarist, if you\'re truly creating on the fly, you
will make mistakes. The best improvisers, including guitarists like
John Scofield, can use unintended notes as
starting points for new motifs or ideas. As an improvising guitarist,
you need to know how to recover from a mistake. Recovery requires that
you first know what note you actually played relative to the chord
change, and then find a way to proceed from that note in a logical way,
usually resolving the dissonance into something consonant.

A good way to improve your fault tolerance is to play the random note
game. Put on a backing track with chord changes, such as the ones by
Jamey Aebersold. Close your eyes, move your left hand up and down the
guitar neck, and pick a random string and a random fret. Play the note.
First, listen to the note, and try to hear where it fits into the
current harmony relative to the root note of the chord and to the other
chord tones. For example, maybe you just played the seventh instead of
the sixth, or the flat third instead of the natural third. Next, try to
create a melodic line that starts on the note and resolves logically
into the tune\'s harmonic structure. There are a few devices you can try
here:

-   Is the note a member of the current or next chord or scale? If so,
    you can play something diatonic (in the key).
-   Is the note a member of a chord or scale that can resolve into the
    current chord or the next chord? If so, play something over that
    chord, and then resolve it into the harmony.
-   Is the note a member of a chord or scale that is a half-step off
    from the current chord? If so, you can sidestep back into the
    correct key.
-   Is the note a member of a chord or scale that can be substituted for
    the current harmony? If so, play a line over the substitution, but
    keep a point in mind where you can enter back into the harmony of
    the tune.

This process will be difficult and time-consuming at first, but as you
play more and more and experience the common scenarios and mistakes that
you can make, recovery will move from a conscious (and slightly
terrifying) process to an instinctual (and not so scary) one.

-   **The Science of the Unitar**

\"The Science of the Unitar\" is an exercise popularized by Mick
Goodrick, professor at Boston\'s Berklee College of Music and teacher to
guitarists including Pat Metheny. Basically, you practice playing
major-scale lines using only a single string on the guitar. Most
guitarists spend the majority of their time playing in one of several
positions or \"boxes\" where the major scale or the blues scale are laid
out easily. This exercise helps guitarists to break this tendency and
become comfortable playing up and down the neck.

See the book \"The Advancing Guitarist\" for a more thorough description
of this exercise.

-   **Exploring The Neck**

Most guitarists start out by learning how to play chords and single
notes in first position up to the fifth fret. Next, they learn to play
the blues scale in a few different positions, and if they\'re really
diligent, they learn to play the major and minor scales in each of the
five most common positions. They end up very good at the common case of
playing within a position, but transitioning between positions or
playing licks that don\'t fall nicely within a position remains
difficult.

Here are a few exercises you can try that will improve your familiarity
with the neck:

-   Take two pieces of tape and affix them to your guitar neck, five
    frets apart. For example, put one before the 5th fret and one before
    the 10th fret. You\'ve just created a \"box\" that contains each
    note in the chromatic scale exactly once (with one exception in
    standard tuning). Next, put on a jam track and practice playing the
    melody and improvising using only the notes in the box. When you
    start to get comfortable in one position, move each piece of tape up
    a fret and do the same thing again with the same jam track in the
    same key. You will probably need to start at a slow tempo and work
    your way up. Don\'t be disappointed if you\'re less fluid than
    usual, or even if you sound downright bad -- you\'ve found a
    weakness and you\'re addressing it.

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-   Learn to play scales with four notes per string. Start off with your
    first finger on the 3rd fret G on the bottom string of the guitar.
    Play the G major scale up and down with four notes per string and
    one note per finger (no sliding). As you ascend and descend the
    scale, your hand will have to move up and down the neck while also
    moving across the strings. When you\'ve mastered that pattern, play
    the dorian mode of the G major scale in the same fashion, starting
    with your first finger on the 5th fret A on the bottom string.
    Repeat the exercise, starting on each of the notes in the G major
    scale. Then try it with major scales in different keys, and finally
    with the melodic minor, harmonic minor, and diminished scales in
    different keys. As you\'re playing, think about the patterns in the
    scales. Do this every day until you can play the scales fluently.

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-   Repeat the exercise above using three notes per string, and then
    with two notes per string.

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-   **Using All Your Fingers**

Are you using all of your fingers? If not, why not? Think of how much
more quickly and efficiently you could navigate the neck if you had full
use of all of your fingers.

Note that \"proper\" technique is not an absolute requirement for making
great music with the guitar. Guitarist Django
Reinhardt is renowned for his
contribution to jazz guitar, and what he did is even more amazing
considering that he only had full use of two of the fingers on his left
hand. If you watch video of Wes Montgomery, you\'ll notice that when he
played single note lines, he uses his first three fingers almost
exclusively, using his little finger only for octaves and chords.
Nevertheless, using all your fingers effectively will open up a world of
musical possibilities. Allan Holdsworth is one example of a guitarist
who has mastered this skill, and Kurt Rosenwinkel uses the same
techniques to achieve a horn-like, legato sound on a \"clean\" guitar.

There are a few exercises you can do to improve the dexterity and
strength of your little finger. The \"Exploring The Neck\" exercises
detailed above, especially playing scales with four notes per string,
are extremely useful for this purpose. In addition, placing artificial
limitations on your playing while you practice can help to target
specific scenarios. For example, try playing scales and songs, or even
improvising, using only your middle, ring, and little fingers. You\'ll
probably have to start at a slow tempo and work your way up. For a good
practice aid, try using Jamey Aebersold jam tracks in combination with a
software program that can change the speed of a recording without
changing the pitch.

-   **Tuning In Fourths**

For many jazz and jazz-rock players, after they begin to improvise over
music of a high level of harmonic complexity, the asymmetry inherent in
standard tuning will become a limiting factor in their playing. Songs
which contain rapid transitions between key centers, such as Giant
Steps and other compositions based on
Coltrane changes, may be especially
difficult to master in standard tuning.

Tuning the guitar in fourths (EADGCF) eliminates many of these issues.

Stanley Jordan is the best-known
guitarist to use this tuning. Allan Holdsworth states that \"if I was
starting guitar again, I\'d tune in Perfect Fourths.\" (see
link)

Advantages of tuning in fourths include:

-   Every shape on the fretboard translates directly into a musical
    interval. In standard tuning, the same shape on different groups of
    strings may produce several different intervals.
-   All chord shapes are usable across all groups of strings. For
    example, a voicing on four adjacent strings is usable on three
    different combinations of strings with no change in fingering,
    whereas the same voicing in standard tuning would require three
    different fingerings for the three combinations of strings.
-   All scales reveal their symmetry across the neck. For example, given
    a pattern to play a one-octave major scale across three strings
    starting on the root note, you could apply this pattern at any
    location on the neck and get the same major scale.

The major disadvantages of tuning in fourths are:

-   Obviously, re-learning of chords, scales, and licks is required.
-   Many pop and rock songs that rely upon open chords are no longer
    playable in their original form.

## Selected Resources


# Guitar/Guitar Accessories

This page is a list of common (and uncommon) accessories you can get for
guitar. It is not a buying guide, but it will give you an idea of what
to expect in your local guitar shop. While they are not all necessary
for playing guitar, some of them are extremely useful and are a good
investment.

## Picks

!From top going clockwise: 1)Standard plastic pick 2)Imitation
turtoiseshell pick 3)Plastic pick with high-friction coating 4)Stainless
steel pick 5)Triangular plastic pick 6)\"Shark\'s fin\"
pickStandard plastic pick 2)Imitation turtoiseshell pick 3)Plastic pick with high-friction coating 4)Stainless steel pick 5)Triangular plastic pick 6)"Shark's fin" pick")
Picks are probably the most frequently bought guitar accessory. There
are several reasons, but mostly it is because there are so many types of
picks, and picks are so easily lost. When you go to the guitar store,
you are overwhelmed by the agony of choice, and this is especially true
for the beginner.

Picks are probably as old as guitars themselves, although most modern
picks are made out of plastic, or sometimes metal. Apart from shape and
size of the picks, its strength and the material used to make it are
important, because these affect the \"feel\" of playing with the pick.

Up until about the 70\'s, most picks were made out of horn or turtle
shell. Turtle shell was generally better, because it allowed some
flexibility when hitting the strings. However, over time this was
devastating the turtle population, and now most picks are made of nylon
or plastic. Generally nylon picks have the same properties of the turtle
shells, and plastic picks are thicker and denser. However, the general
disadvantage of plastic picks is that they wear out quickly, especially
if you play fast and hard.

Since the guitar industry constantly experiments with new materials, you
might walk into the guitar shop and find something completely exotic.
For example, you can buy picks made from hard leather, which are
outstanding for classical guitars because of the soft feeling.

Selecting the correct pick for you depends above all on what style of
guitar you want to play. Lead or rhythm? Will you be slowly strumming
chords, or chugging away on distorted power chords? Each style is most
easily accomplished with a particular type of pick. Generally speaking,
how hard a pick you use depends on how hard your strings are. Heavier
strings will require thicker picks, and vice versa. The shape of the
pick determines how much operating area you have to use. For example,
rhythm guitarists usually use blunter, larger picks, and lead guitarists
use pointier picks so they can more precisely hit individual strings.

If you use hard picks, you will get a hard sound out of the strings,
especially with metal picks. Generally the thicker the pick the less
\"give\" there will be when you strum a chord. However, because no two
companies manufacture picks with the same material, Company X\'s 0.76 mm
pick will feel different than Company Y\'s 0.76 mm. Above all, remember
that you should always select a pick based on your ability to handle it.
You can only play well with a pick if it fits well in your hand.

Picks for the guitar typically range in thickness from the ultra thin
0.38 mm to the really thick 1.14 mm, although bass picks can be thicker.
A mid range pick would be something about 0.76 mm thick. Beginners will
usually prefer softer picks until they can learn to hold them securely.

Aside from the thickness and mass of the pick, there also exist
different pick types. There\'s the finger pick, which fits over your
fingers with a ring (thumb-pick is special because it\'s angled), and
even your normal picks may have different shapes, such as shark-fin
(better at chord), sharppoint, etc.

## Strings

Each type of guitar uses its own type of strings. Strings are
specifically designed for a type of guitar to give it a particular sort
of sound. The differences between string types affect the guitar\'s
tone, and it is not recommended to use a set of strings not made for
your guitar. Not only would the result not sound good, but attempting to
string a guitar with the wrong kind of strings would be difficult,
frustrating, and might damage your instrument.

Three of the best and most popular brands of guitar strings for both
acoustic and electric guitar are currently Ernie Ball, D\'Addario, and
Elixir. Ernie Balls and D\'Addarios are much cheaper than Elixirs, but
Elixirs will keep their bright tone for months (which is why they are
higher-priced). But Elixirs can break as easily as any other strings, so
they are perhaps best left to people who have been playing a long time
and rarely snap strings. The difference between the other two brands is
a matter of taste; try them both.

A **classical guitar** has three bronze wound strings and three strings
made out of nylon, which are the higher pitched.

A set of strings for a **steel string acoustic** has four bronze wound
strings and two silvered steel strings, the steel ones being the
thinnest and highest pitched.

A set of **electric guitar strings** are similar to an acoustic
guitar\'s, except the strings are made of nickel instead of bronze and
steel. Often there are three wound strings and three nickel strings, but
you can also get four wound and two nickel.

The two most common gauges for the high E string in electric guitars are
.009 inches and .010 inches (these measurements appear to be used often
even in countries using the metric system). Often a whole set of strings
is referred to by the gauge of the high E string, e.g., \"nines\" or
\"tens\" for .009 and .010 gauges respectively. The beginning guitarist
is recommended to start with .009s; many professionals also use this
gauge, so many guitarists never \"outgrow\" it.

However, if you wish to try something new, you may want to try out .010
gauge strings once you get used to the lighter .009s. This is only
recommended after you have been playing for a while, as your calluses
need time to form, and your fingers need to get stronger. This procedure
also applies to strings above the .010 range. There are also .011, .012,
and .013 gauge strings readily available from all of the manufacturers
mentioned above. The benefit of higher gauge strings is tone. If you are
planning on playing metal guitar, or any other genre that uses a lot of
distortion or overdrive, you probably will not notice a difference in
the sound. Alternatively, if you are playing blues or rock, a higher
gauge string will give you a heavier, \"dirtier\" sound, very preferable
to these types of music. Stevie Ray
Vaughan is notorious
for using very heavy gauge strings (some sources claim .014 gauge),
contributing a lot to his signature tone.

## Tuning Aids

![](Chromatic-tuner.jpg "Chromatic-tuner.jpg"){width="200"} **Electronic
tuners** are a quick, accurate, and precise method of tuning. A tuner
can be used in two ways, either through a built in microphone which
detects sound, or by directly jacking in an electric guitar. When a note
is played, the tuner determines the note you are playing, and then
represents visually how sharp or flat the note is. Most models use a
combination of lights and a display screen to indicate the tone of the
note.

Electronic tuners can be easily drowned out by background noise when you
do not jack directly into them. Because of this, they are best used in a
quiet environment. ![](Stimmgabel.jpg "Stimmgabel.jpg"){width="75"}

A **tuning fork** is a piece of U-shaped metal that, when struck, emits
a particular tone. Tuning forks are good because, unless bent, they will
always emit the same note. The most common tuning forks resonate at
either an A, at a frequency of 440 hertz, or C. Using a tuning fork is
generally recommended for more advanced players. You can buy a tuning
fork that sounds the note E. Many guitarists prefer this due to the fact
that the guitar\'s lowest and highest strings are both E.

To use a tuning fork, gently strike it against the heel of your hand and
it will vibrate. Then, set the base of the fork against the body of the
guitar if it is acoustic. The sound of the fork will be amplified
through the guitar, and you can use it to tune your strings. If you have
an electric guitar, you must hold the tuning fork to your ear, and then
tune your strings. It is important not to strike the fork against a hard
surface, as this may bend the fork out of tune.

If you are using an A tuning fork, then you should tune first to the
harmonic on the A string. However, you can also use the 5th fret on the
low E string, the 7th fret of the D string, the 2nd fret on the G
string, or the 5th fret on the high E string. All of these frets produce
an A, although some are in a higher octave.

A **pitchpipe** is much like a tuning fork, in that it only plays one
note and that note is used for tuning. To use a pitchpipe, you blow
through the end like a whistle. Traditional breath powered pitchpipes
are notoriously unreliable, because temperature changes can affect the
note that they play. You can also purchase electronic pitchpipes, which
emit notes through a speaker. Some electronic tuners also have this
feature.

## Cables

Cables are used to connect two sound devices
together, like a guitar and an amplifier. There are many different
types, each for a different purpose, and it is good for a guitarist to
familiarize themselves with some common types.

## String Crank

A string crank is essentially a handle with a rotating cap, designed to
fit over top of a tuning peg. It makes unwinding strings much quicker,
and some also have a slot to help remove the pegs near the bridge that
hold the strings in the body.

## Slide

!Metal Slide A **slide** or
**bottleneck** is a ceramic, glass or metal cylinder, usually worn on
the fingers rather than held in the hand. The term slide is in reference
to the sliding motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck
refers to the original material of choice for such slides, which were
the necks of glass bottles.

Instead of altering the pitch of the strings in the normal manner (by
pressing the string against frets), a slide is placed upon the string to
vary its vibrating length and pitch. This slide can then be moved along
the string without lifting, creating continuous transitions in pitch.

## Capo

!A basic guitar capo{width="200"}

A **capo** (short for *capotasto*, which is Italian for \"head of
fretboard\") is a device used for shortening the strings, and hence
raising the pitch of the guitar. Capos are used to change the key and
pitch of a guitar sound without having to adjust the strings with the
tuning keys. It was invented by the Flamenco guitarist Jose Patino
Gonzalez.

thumb\|left\|A Shubb capo which uses a lever operated *over-centre
locking action*
clamp-KayEss-1.jpeg "wikilink")

Flamenco and folk
guitar make extensive use of the capo,
while it is used very rarely, if at all, in styles like classical
guitar and
jazz. Capos are useful and good to have, but
sometimes they prevent a player from properly learning how to play barre
chords. Capos and barre chords both have their uses, and there certainly
is no reason you cannot learn to use both.

There are several different styles of capo available, but the basic
method is the same; a rubber covered bar pressed down on the strings,
and it is fastened on the neck with a strip of elastic or some sort of
clamping mechanism. Some special capos can fret individual strings at
individual frets, enabling a player to create an open tuning, or have
two fretting bars, allowing you to quickly change from one tuning to
another without having to move the capo itself.

A simple version can be made with a pencil and a rubber band. Lay the
pencil (preferably one with flat surfaces) across the strings at the
desired fret, and holding it in place by wrapping the rubber band around
both ends and underneath the fretboard.

!A makeshift guitar capo

Because of the different techniques and chord voicings available in
different keys, chords played with a capo may sound different. For
example, placing the capo at the second fret and strumming a C major
chord-shape sounds different than strumming an open D major chord.
Although both of these produce the same chords, they each have a
different tone and texture. Capos also change the timbre of the strings
as the scale length is shortened, making the guitar sound more like a
mandolin. Capos give you a greater varieties of sounds you can achieve
on the guitar, using open chords and
alternate tunings.

A capo is almost essential for older twelve string guitars because
manufacturers would strongly recommend that the instrument *not be tuned
above a tone below standard guitar tuning* to reduce stress on the neck.
Modern 12-strings can be tuned up to pitch with ultra light gauge
strings, but many players still prefer to tune a tone lower and use a
capo to play in tune with six-string or bass guitars.

## Metronome

!A wooden
metronome.jpg "A wooden metronome")

A **metronome** is a device that produces a regulated audible beat,
and/or a visual pulse, used to establish a steady tempo. Tempos are
measured in beats-per-minute (BPM), and a metronome is invaluable for
setting a proper pace, especially when practicing. Although it is
possible to buy metronomes with moving parts, most modern ones are
electronic.

Sophisticated metronomes can produce two or more distinct sounds. A
regular \"tick\" sound indicates the beat within each measure, and
another, distinct sound (often of a different timbre, higher pitch or
greater volume) indicates the beginning of each measure. A tempo control
adjusts the amount of time separating each beat (typically measured in
beats per minute), while another, discrete, control adjusts the meter of
the rhythm and thus the number of beats in each measure. This number is
an integer often ranging from one to six, though some metronomes go up
to nine or higher. Some devices also have options for irregular time
signatures such as 5/4 or 7/8, in which other distinct sounds indicate
the beginning of each subgroup of beats within a measure.

## Music Stand

When reading music, it\'s best to use a music stand, as it can be set up
at a proper angle. Furthermore, with a sturdy collapsible stand, one can
have a reliable platform anywhere.


# Guitar/Effects Pedals

**Effects pedals** are electronic or digital devices that modify the
tone, pitch, or sound of an electric guitar. Effects can be housed in
effects pedals, guitar amplifiers, guitar amplifier simulation software,
and rackmount preamplifiers or processors. Electronic effects and signal
processing form an important part of the electric guitar tone used in
many genres, such as rock, pop, blues, and metal. All these are inserted
into the signal path between an electric instrument and the amplifier.
They modify the signal coming from the instrument, adding \"effects\"
that change the way it sounds in order to add interest, create more
impact or create aural soundscapes.

Guitar effects are also used with other instruments in rock, pop, blues,
and metal, such as electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Electric bass
players use bass effects, which are designed to work with the
low-frequency tones of the bass.

## Distortion-related effects

!Boss DS1 distortion
pedal Distortion is an
important part of an electric guitar\'s sound in many genres,
particularly for rock, hard rock, and metal. A distortion pedal takes a
normal electric guitar signal and combine harmonic multiplication and
clipping through the use of analog circuitry to create any number of
sounds ranging from a mild vintage blues growl to a 1960s psychedelic
fuzz sound to the sound of an highly overdriven tube amp in a metal
band. Distortion is essential to the powerful sound of heavy
metal music.

There are several different types of distortion effects, each with
distinct sonic characteristics. These include overdrive/distortion (or
vacuum tube-style distortion), overdrive/crunch, fuzz, and hi-gain.

### Overdrive Distortion

Overdrive distortion is the most well known of all distortions. Although
there aren\'t many electronic differences between a distortion an
overdrive, the main audible one is that a distortion does exactly as the
name suggests; distorts and clips the signal no matter what volume is
going through it, the amount of distortion usually remains relatively
the same. This is where an overdrive differs. Most overdrives are built
to emulate the sound of a tube amp overdriving and therefore give the
player control of the clipping through dynamics. This simply means that
the effect gives a clean sound for quieter volumes and a more clipped or
distorted sound for louder volumes.

While the general purpose is to emulate classic \"warm-tube\" sounds,
distortion pedals such as the ones in this list can be distinguished
from overdrive pedals in that the intent is to provide players with
instant access to the sound of a high-gain Marshall amplifier such as
the JCM800 pushed past the point of tonal breakup and into the range of
tonal distortion known to electric guitarists as \"saturated gain.\"
Although most distortion devices use solid-state circuitry, some \"tube
distortion\" pedals are designed with preamplifier vacuum tubes. In some
cases, tube distortion pedals use power tubes or a preamp tube used as a
power tube driving a built-in \"dummy load.\" Distortion pedals designed
specifically for bass guitar are also available. Some distortion pedals
include:

-   MXR Distortion+: A distortion which is capable of having a very
    subtle, soft clipping, right through to a heavily overdriven sound
    favoured by many modern day heavy and death metal guitarists.
-   Pro Co Rat
-   Boss DS-1 Distortion
-   Marshall Guv\'nor
-   Line 6 Dr. Distorto
-   T-Rex Engineering\|T-Rex Engineering\'s Bloody Mary
-   Digitech Hot Head
-   Danelectro FAB Distortion

### Overdrive/Crunch

!Ibanez Tube Screamer
pedal

Some distortion effects provide an \"overdrive\" effect. Either by using
a vacuum tube, or by using simulated tube modeling techniques, the top
of the wave form is compressed, thus giving a smoother distorted signal
than regular distortion effects. When an overdrive effect is used at a
high setting, the sound\'s waveform can become clipped, which imparts a
gritty or \"dirty\" tone, which sounds like a tube amplifier \"driven\"
to its limit. Used in conjunction with an amplifier, especially a tube
amplifier, driven to the point of mild tonal breakup, short of what
would be generally considered distortion or overdrive, these pedals can
produce extremely thick distortion sounds much like those used by Carlos
Santana or Eddie Van Halen. Today there is a huge variety of overdrive
pedals, and some of them are:

-   Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS-9 and TS-808): an overdrive which was built
    to work with the harmonics of a push-pull tube amp. This effect was
    made famous by blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan but was and is
    used by hundreds of prominent guitarists since it\'s invention.
-   BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive
-   BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver
-   BOSS OD-3 Overdrive
-   Line 6 Crunchtone
-   DigiTech Bad Monkey
-   N-audio Firesound V3
-   Danelectro FAB Overdrive

### Fuzz

!Arbiter Fuzzface, a fuzz
pedal. Fuzz was
originally intended to recreate the classic 1960\'s tone of an
overdriven tube amp combined with torn speaker cones. Oldschool guitar
players (like Link Wray) (citation needed) would use a screwdriver to
poke several holes through the paperboard part of the guitar amp speaker
to achieve a similar sound. Since the original designs, more extreme
fuzz pedals have been designed and produced, incorporating octave-up
effects, oscillation, gating, and greater amounts of distortion.

Some classic fuzzbox pedals include:

-   Sola sound MK 2 tonebender
-   Univox supa-fuzz
-   Mosrite fuzzrite
-   Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face: This was a favorite of Psychedelic rocker
    Jimi Hendrix who shot this pedal to stardom as he did himself.
-   Electro Harmonix Big Muff: Probably the most popular fuzz effects
    ever designed, the Big Muff is also often used as a sustain pedal
    and sounds excellent in combination with a wah wah.

### Hi-Gain

Hi-Gain (descended from the more generic electric guitar amplification
term high-gain) is the sound most used in heavy metal. High gain in
normal electric guitar playing simply references a thick sound produced
by heavily overdriven amplifier tubes, a distortion pedal, or some
combination of both\--the essential component is the typically loud,
thick, harmonically rich, and sustaining quality of the tone. However,
the Hi-Gain sound of modern pedals is somewhat distinct from, although
descended from, this sound. The distortion often produces sounds not
possible any other way. Many extreme distortions are either hi-gain or
the descendents of such. The Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier Series of amps
are an example.

Some Hi-Gain Pedals Include:

-   BOSS MT2 Metal Zone
-   DigiTech Death Metal
-   Danelectro FAB Metal
-   Electro Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost
-   MXR Dime Distortion: Used by Dimebag Darrell.
-   Suhr Riot

### Power-tube pedal

A Power-Tube pedal contains a power tube and optional dummy load, or a
preamp tube used as a power tube. This allows the device to produce
power-tube distortion independently of volume; therefore, power-tube
distortion can be used as an effects module in an effects chain.

### Power attenuator

A Power attenuator enables a player to obtain power-tube distortion
independently of listening volume. A power attenuator is a dummy load
placed between the guitar amplifier\'s power tubes and the guitar
speaker, or a power-supply based circuit to reduce the plate voltage on
the power tubes. Examples of power attenuators are the Marshall
PowerBrake and THD HotPlate.

## Filtering-related effects

### Equalizer

!Behringer EQ700 graphic
equalizer

An equalizer adjusts the frequency response in a number of different
frequency bands. A graphic equalizer (or \"graphic EQ\") provides slider
controls for a number of frequency region. Each of these bands has a
fixed width (Q) and a fixed center-frequency, and as such, the slider
changes only the level of the frequency band. The tone controls on
guitars, guitar amps, and most pedals are similarly fixed-Q and
fixed-frequency, but unlike a graphic EQ, rotary controls are used
rather than sliders.

Most parametric EQ pedals (such as the
1 Boss PQ-4)
provide semi-parametric EQ. That is, in addition to level control, each
band provides either a center frequency or Q width control. Parametric
EQs have rotating controls rather than sliders.

Placement of EQ in a distortion signal processing chain affects the
basic guitar amp tone. Using a guitar\'s rotary tone control
potentiometer is a form of pre-distortion EQ. Placing an EQ pedal before
a distortion pedal or before a guitar amp\'s built-in preamp distortion
provides preliminary control of the preamp distortion voicing.

For more complete control of preamp distortion voicing, an additional EQ
pedal can be placed after a distortion pedal; or, equivalently, the
guitar amp\'s tone controls, after the built-in preamp distortion, can
be used. An EQ pedal in the amp\'s effects loop, or the amp\'s tone
controls placed after preamp distortion, constitutes post-distortion EQ,
which finishes shaping the preamp distortion and sets up the power-tube
distortion voicing.

As an example of pre-distortion EQ, Eddie Van Halen places a 6-band MXR
EQ pedal before the Marshall amplifier head (pre-distortion EQ). Slash
places a Boss GE-7, a 7-band EQ pedal, before his Marshall amp. This
technique is similar to placing a Wah pedal before the amp\'s preamp
distortion and leaving the Wah pedal positioned part-way down, sometimes
mentioned as \"fixed wah,\" (pre-distortion EQ), along with adjusting
the amp\'s tone controls (post-distortion EQ).

If a dummy load guitar-amp configuration is used, an additional EQ
position becomes available, between the dummy load and the final
amplifier that drives the guitar speaker. Van Halen used an additional
EQ in this position. This configuration is commonly used with rackmount
systems.

Finally, an EQ pedal such as a 10-band graphic EQ pedal can be placed in
the Insert jack of a mixer to replace the mixer channel\'s EQ controls,
providing graphical control over the miked guitar speaker signal.

Equalization-related effects pedals include Wah, Auto-Wah, and Phase
Shifter. Most EQ pedals also have an overall Level control distinct from
the frequency-specific controls, thus enabling an EQ pedal to act as a
configurable level-boost pedal. Some EQ pedals include:

-   MXR M-108 10-band Equalizer
-   BOSS GE-7 Equalizer

### Wah-wah

!Boss V-Wah pedal

A wah-wah pedal is a moving bandpass filter whose frequency center is
controlled by the musician via a rocker pedal. This filter boosts the
frequencies in the instrument signal around the moving frequency center,
allowing the musician to emphasize different areas of the frequency
spectrum while playing. Rocked to the bass end of the spectrum, a
wah-wah pedal makes a guitar signal sound hollow, without upper
harmonics. On the other end of the sweep, the filter emphasizes
higher-end harmonics and omits some of the low-end \"growl\" of the
natural instrument sound. Rocking the pedal while holding a note creates
a sound that goes from growl to shriek, and sounds like a crying baby,
which is how the effect got its name and also the reason behind the
Crybaby line of wah-wah pedals. The wah-wah pedal, used with guitar, is
most associated with 1960s psychedelic rock and 1970s funk. During this
period wah-wah pedals often incorporated a fuzzbox to process the sound
before the wah-wah circuit, the combination producing a dramatic effect
known as fuzz-wah.

Some wah-wah pedals include:

-   Dunlop Cry Baby
-   VOX V847 Wah Wah
-   Danelectro Trip-L Wah

### Auto-Wah / Envelope Filter

!Musitronics Mu-Tron III
pedal An
Auto-Wah is a Wah-wah pedal without a rocker pedal, controlled instead
by the dynamic envelope of the signal. An auto-wah, also called more
technically an envelope filter, uses the level of the guitar signal to
control the wah filter position, so that as a note is played, it
automatically starts with the sound of a wah-wah pedal pulled back, and
then quickly changes to the sound of a wah-wah pedal pushed forward, or
the reverse movement depending on the settings. Controls include wah-wah
pedal direction and input level sensitivity. This is an EQ-related
effect and can be placed before preamp distortion or before power-tube
distortion with natural sounding results. Auto-Wah pedals include:

-   Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron
-   MXR M-120 Auto Q
-   Keeley Electronics Nova Wah
-   Danelectro French Fries Auto-Wah
-   Mu-Tron III

### Talk Box

Early forms of the talk box, such as the Heil Talk Box, first appeared
in Country Music circles in Nashville in the 1940\',s 1950\'s, and
1960\'s, by artist like swing band pedal steel player Alvino Rey, Link
Wray (\"Rumble\"), Bill West, a Country Music steel guitar player and
husband of Dottie West, and Pete Drake, a Nashville mainstay on the
pedal steel guitar and friend of Bill West. Drake used it on his 1964
album Forever, in what came to be called his \"talking steel guitar.\"
The device used the guitar amplifier\'s output to drive a speaker horn
that pushed air into a tube held in the player\'s mouth, which filters
and thereby shapes the sound leading to a unique effect. The singer and
guitarist Peter Frampton made this effect famous with hit songs such as
\"Do You Feel Like We Do\" and \"Show Me the Way,\" as did Joe Walsh on
\"Rocky Mountain Way.\" On Van Halen\'s cover of \"You Really Got Me\"
Eddie Van Halen uses a talk box after the guitar solo to make a sound
similar to a person having sex. Newer devices, such as Danelectro\'s
Free Speech pedal, use a microphone and vocoder-like circuit to modulate
the frequency response of the guitar signal. Some Talk Boxes include:
The Dunlop Heil Talk Box, Rocktron Banshee, and Peter Frampton\'s own
company,Framptone.

## Volume-related effects

### Volume pedal

A Volume pedal is a volume potentiometer that is tilted forward or back
by foot. A volume pedal enables a musician to adjust the volume of their
instrument while they are performing. Volume pedals can also be used to
make the guitar\'s notes or chords fade in and out. This allows the
percussive plucking of the strings to be softened or eliminated
entirely, imparting a human-vocal sound. Volume pedals are also widely
used with pedal steel guitars in country music. It has also been used to
great effect in rock music; the Pat McGee Band\'s live version of
\"Can\'t Miss What You Never Had\" on General Admission illustrates what
the pedal is capable of. Some volume pedals are:

-   Ernie Ball Stereo Volume Pedal
-   Boss FV-50H Foot Volume
-   VOX V850 Volume Pedal

### Auto-Volume/Envelope Volume

Just as an Auto-Wah is a version of a Wah pedal controlled by the
signal\'s dynamic envelope, there is an envelope-controlled version of a
volume pedal. This is generally used to mimic automatically the sound of
picking a note while the guitar\'s volume knob is turned down, then
smoothly turning the knob up, for a violin-like muted attack. An example
is:

-   Boss SG-1 Slow Gear

### Tremolo

Tremolo is a regular and repetitive variation in gain for the duration
of a single note, which works like an auto-volume knob; this results in
a swelling or fluttering sound. This effect is very popular in
psychedelic and trip-hop music. The speed and depth of the flutter are
usually user-controlled.This is a volume-related effects pedal. This
effect is based on one of the earliest effects that were built into
guitar amplifiers. Examples include:

-   Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator
-   Boss TR-2 Tremolo
-   Electro-Harmonix Worm
-   Line 6 Tap Tremolo
-   Danelectro Cool-Cat Tremolo

### Compressor

!Marshall ED-1 Compressor effects
pedal A
compressor acts as an automatic volume control, progressively decreasing
the output level as the incoming signal gets louder, and vice versa. It
preserves the note\'s attack rather than silencing it as with an
Envelope Volume pedal. This adjustment of the volume for the attack and
tail of a note evens out the overall volume of an instrument.
Compressors can also change the behaviour of other effects, especially
distortion. when applied toward the guitar, it can provide a uniformed
sustained note; when applied to instruments with a normally short
attack, such as drums or harpsichord, compression can drastically change
the resulting sound. Another kind of compressor is the optical
compressor which uses a light source (LED or lamp) to compress the
signal.

Some compressor pedals are:

-   Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer
-   MXR M-102 DynaComp
-   Diamond Compressor (optical compressor)
-   Line 6 Constrictor
-   T-Rex Engineering\'s CompNova
-   Electro-Harmonix Black Finger (optical compressor)
-   Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor
-   TC Electronic Hypergravity Compressor (parallel compressor)

## Time-based effects

### Delay/Echo

!Boss DD3 digital delay
pedal
A Delay or Echo pedal creates a copy of an incoming sound and slightly
time-delays it, creating either a \"slap\" (single repetition) or an
echo (multiple repetitions) effect. Delay pedals may use either analog
or digital technology. Analog delays often are less flexible and not as
\"perfect\" sounding as digital delays, but some guitarists argue that
analog effects produce \"warmer\" tones. Early delay devices actually
used magnetic tape to produce the time delay effect. U2\'s guitarist,
The Edge, is known for his extensive use of delay effects. Some common
Delay pedals are:

-   Boss DD-6 Digital Delay
-   Boss DD-20 Giga Delay
-   Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler
-   Line 6 Echo Park
-   T-Rex Engineering\'s Replica
-   TC Electronic Flashback Delay
-   Danelectro FAB Echo

Another technology that is used in Delay units is a feedback circuit,
consisting of a tracking oscillator circuit to hold a note of the last
interval, and after amplifying the signal, send it back to the input
side of the delay. While it was first associated with Boss DF-2 Super
Feedbacker & Distortion, currently, the signal feedback circuit is
employed by Delay pedals, and if used under \"hold\" mode (As in Boss
DD-3) it will provide a sustain effect instead of a simply delay effect.

### Looping

Extremely long delay times form a looping pedal, which allows performers
to record a phrase or passage and play along with it. This allows a solo
performer to record an accompaniment or ostinato passage and then, with
the looping pedal playing back this passage, perform solo improvisations
over the accompaniment. The guitarist creates the loop either on the
spot or it is held in storage for later use (as in playback) when
needed. Some examples of loops effects are:

-   Boss RC-1 & RC-3 Loop Stations
-   Boss RC-300 Loop Station
-   DigiTech JamMan Looper
-   Boomerang Looper
-   TC Electronic Ditto

### Reverb

!DigiTech DigiDelay effects
pedal Reverb
is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original
sound is removed. When sound is produced in a space, a large number of
echoes build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the
walls and air, creating reverberation, or reverb. A plate reverb system
uses an electromechanical transducer (actuator), similar to the driver
in a loudspeaker, to create vibration in a plate of sheet metal. A
pickup captures the vibrations as they bounce across the plate, and the
result is output as an audio signal. A spring reverb system uses a
transducer at one end of a spring and a pickup at the other, similar to
those used in plate reverbs, to create and capture vibrations within a
metal spring. Guitar amplifiers frequently incorporate spring reverbs
due to their compact construction. Spring reverberators were once widely
used in semi-professional recording due to their modest cost and small
size. Due to quality problems and improved digital reverb units, spring
reverberators are declining rapidly in use. Digital reverb units use
various signal processing algorithms in order to create the reverb
effect. Since reverberation is essentially caused by a very large number
of echoes, simple DSPs use multiple feedback delay circuits to create a
large, decaying series of echoes that die out over time.

Examples of reverb pedals include:

-   DigiTech DigiDelay
-   Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail
-   Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
-   Line 6 Verbzilla

## Modulation-related effects

### Rotary Speaker

Before such effects are available electronically, these are accomplished
by the use of Rotary speakers, by spinning the speakers and/or place a
rotating baffle in front of it. This creates a doppler effect, and
depend on the speed of the rotation, translate into phasing, flanging,
chorus, vibrato, or even tremolo.

-   Leslie Speakers: This is a unit that contains a bass speaker that
    blare into a rotating baffle, and a horn speaker that rotate like a
    siren. Originally designed for Hammond organs, they are also favored
    by guitarist; some say that no electronic effects can duplicate its
    sounds.
-   Fender Vibratone: This is a simplified version of Leslie Speaker,
    containing only a 10\" speaker that blare into a rotating baffle.

All the electronic-based effects can duplicate the sound of a rotating
speakers, as all the following effects differ based on speed, volume,
and modulation. In fact, it is not uncommon for a pedal to be capable of
doing two or more of modulation effects.

### Phase Shifter (Phaser)

!Digitech Hyper Phase effects
pedal

A Phase Shifter creates a complex frequency response containing many
regularly-spaced \"notches\" in an incoming signal by combining it with
a copy of itself out of phase, and shifting the phase relationship
cyclically. The phasing effect creates a \"whooshing\" sound that is
reminiscent of the sound of a flying jet. This effect dominates the
sound in the song Star Guitar by Chemical Brothers. The song was not
played with any guitars but you can hear the phasing effect. The
instrument being phased was actually a synthesizer. Some electronic
\"rotating speaker simulators\" are actually phase shifters. Phase
shifters were popular in the 1970s, particularly used with electric
piano and funk bass guitar. The number of stages in a phase shifter is
the number of moving dips in the frequency response curve. From a sonic
perspective, this effect is equalization-oriented. However, it may be
derived through moderate time-based processing. Some phaser pedals
include:

-   MXR M-101 Phase 90
-   BOSS PH-3 Phase Shifter
-   Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
-   Moog\] MF-103 12 Stage Phaser
-   DigiTech Hyper Phase

### Vibe (Univibe)

A Vibe or Univibe pedal reproduces the sound of a rotating speaker by
synchronizing volume oscillation, frequency-specific volume oscillation,
vibrato (pitch wavering), phase shifting, and chorusing in relation to a
non-rotating speaker. The modulation speed can be ramped up or down,
with separate speeds for the bass and treble frequencies, to simulate
the sound of a rotating bass speaker and a rotating horn. This effect is
simultaneously a volume-oriented effect, an equalization-oriented
effect, and a time-based effect. Furthermore, this effect is typically
related to chorus. Some vibe pedals also include an overdrive effect,
which allows the performer to add \"tube\"-style distortion. This effect
is the most closely related to a rotary speaker. Some Vibe-only pedals
include:

-   BBE Soul Vibe
-   Voodoo Lab Microvibe

Some vibe-chorus pedals include

-   Dunlop Univibe
-   Dunlop Rotovibe
-   BBE Mind Bender

### Vibrato

A vibrato pedal cyclically changes the pitch of the signal, giving the
impression that the guitar is out of tune. The depth of the effect, the
speed and the overall level of the effect can be controlled by
potentiometers. Although similar in name and able to achieve similar
sounds at high speed settings, a vibrato is different from a Vibe pedal.

Examples of vibrato-only pedals:

-   TC Electronic Shaker Vibrato
-   Malekko Omicron vibrato
-   Subdecay Siren pitch vibrato
-   Zvex Verter Instant LoFi Junky
-   Boss VB-2w Vibrato

Some chorus and modulation pedals inclue a vibrato section that can be
combined with chorus, vibe or rotary.

### Flanger

A Flanger simulates the sound effect originally created by momentarily
slowing the tape during recording by holding something against the
flange, or edge of the tape reel, and then allowing it to speed up
again. This effect was used to simulate passing into \"warp speed,\" in
sci-fi films, and also in psychedelic rock music of the 1960s. Flanging
has a sound similar to a phase-shifter, but different, yet is closely
related to the production of chorus.

The first pedal-operated flanger designed for use as a guitar effect was
designed by Jim Gamble of Tycobrahe Sound Company in Hermosa Beach, CA,
during the mid 1970s. Last made in 1977, the existing \"Pedalflangers\"
appear occasionally on eBay and sell for several hundred dollars. A
modern \"clone\" of the Tycobrahe Pedalflanger is sold by Chicago
Iron.Famous users of this Flanger effect include Randy Rhoads and Eddie
Van Halen, coincidentally they both used the MXR M-117R flanger and
Eddie Van Halen even has his own signature model now.

Examples:

-   Boss BF-3 Stereo Flanger
-   Line 6 Liqua Flange
-   MXR M-117R Flanger
-   Danelectro FAB Flange
-   Electro Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

!Ibanez CF7 chorus/flanger effects
pedal

### Chorus

Chorus splits your guitars signal in two, then second signals pitch is
then delayed and/or modulated in pitch and mixed back in with the dry
signal. The effect sounds like several guitarists playing the same thing
at the same time resulting in a wide swelling sound. Some common chorus
pedals are:

-   Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (the original chorus effect pedal, and
    first device released by Boss)
-   Boss CH-1 Super Chorus
-   Electro-Harmonix Small Clone
-   Ibanez CF-7 Chorus/Flanger
-   Line 6 Space Chorus
-   MXR M-134 Stereo Chorus
-   TC Electronic Stereo Chorus /Flanger /Pitch Modulator
-   Danelectro FAB Chorus

### Rotary Speaker Simulator

Despite the numerous different analog devices, it is very rare for them
to be able to duplicate all aspects of a Leslie speaker. Thus, Rotary
Speaker Simulator are always going to be digital, utilizing modelling
algorithms to model the relations between the rotating horns and bass
baffle. And how the sound bounce around the cabinet. As Leslie also have
an amplifier section, most of these typically have overdrives to
simulate that aspect. Some of these pedals can even accept keyboard\'s
input.

-   Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble Pedal: This is one of the few pedals that
    is capable of modelling all aspect of a Leslie Speaker.
-   Line 6 Rotomachine: Also a modelling pedal, it is available in a
    compact pedal size.
-   DLS Roto-Sim: Hybrid of analog with DSP modelling.

## Pitch-related effects

### Pitch Shifter/harmonizer

**Pitchshifters** change the pitch of the note played via a
user-specified amount. The range of pitch deviation depends on the
equipment used, but many pedals are capable of raising and lowering the
pitch two octaves above and below the fundamental
pitch. The amount of pitch deviation can be set or controlled via a foot
pedal (which typically offers smooth, continuous pitch control).
Typically, such function will be used with the original signal,
resulting in a **Harmonizer**: the pitch is altered and combined with
the original pitch to create two or more note harmonies. These harmonies
are typically programmed in discrete integer
multiples of the fundamental tone. When used with an expression pedal,
it provides a smooth, abeit slightly digital, bend-like effect. Pitch
shifters can also be used to electronically \"detune\" the instrument.
Some examples are:

-   Digitech Whammy
-   Boss PS-5 Super Shifter
-   Electro Harmonix Harmonic Octave Generator

### Octaver

!Electro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octaver Generator effects
pedal
An Octaver mixes the input signal with a synthesised signal whose
musical pitch is an octave lower or higher than the original. Effects
that synthesize intervals besides octaves are referred to as harmonizers
or pitch shifters. These are frequently used in bands without a bass
player. Octave Up pedals include:

-   Ampeg Scrambler
-   Electro Harmonix POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator)

Octave Down pedals include:

-   Boss OC-3 Super Octave
-   Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer

### Octave fuzz

!MXR M-103 Blue Box (octave down fuzz
pedal)")
An Octave fuzz is a fuzz with an analog octave (up or down). The Octavia
is one of the first octave pedals ever produced. Unlike octavers, the
level of the octave cannot be controlled separately from the fuzz:
increasing the gain makes the octave louder.

Octave up fuzzes include:

-   Roger Mayer Octavia
-   Chicago Iron Tycobrahe Octavia
-   Catalinbread *Octapussy*
-   Electro Harmonix Octavix
-   Fender Blender
-   Foxx *Tone Machine*

Octave down fuzzes include:

-   MXR M-103 Blue Box

## Other effects

### Feedbacker/Sustainer

While audio feedback in general is undesirable due to the high frequency
overtone, when controlled properly, it can provide true sustain of the
sound (instead of using a distortion/compressor to make quiet notes
louder, or a feedback of a signal in a circuit as in a delay unit).
Several approaches have been used to produce guitar feedback effects,
which sustain the sound from the guitar:

-   The most primitive form, as used by Jimi Hendrix, is to use the
    feedback created when the guitar is played in front of a
    loudspeaker.
-   The neck pickup is used as a driver to push the strings based on the
    bridge pickup, such as the Sustainiac Sustainer and Fernandes
    Sustainer.
-   A string driver can be mounted on a stand as in the Vibesware Guitar
    Resonator, which is driven by the selected guitar pickup(s).
    Feedback start, stop and harmonics can be controlled here by
    positioning the drivers distance to the strings and the position
    along the guitar neck while playing.
-   A signal amplifier that powers a headstock transducer, which in turn
    send feedback vibration down the string, as in Sustainiac\'s Model
    C.
-   A handheld string driver can contain a pickup and driver, as in the
    EBow.
-   A dedicated high-gain guitar amp can be used in the control room,
    without a microphone, as a footswitch-controlled string feedback
    driver. The microphone is placed on the speaker cabinet of the main
    guitar amp in the isolation booth or live room.

### Switcher/Mixer (or \"A/B\" pedal)

A switcher pedal (also called an \"A/B\" pedal) enables players to run
two effects or two effects chains in parallel, or switch between two
effects with a single press of the pedal.

Some switcher pedals also incorporate a simple mixer, which allows
mixing the dry guitar signal to be mixed with an effected signal. This
is useful to make overly processed effects more mild and natural
sounding. Examples of the use of the mixer function include:

-   A wah can be mixed with dry guitar to make it more mild and
    full-bandwidth, with less volume swing.
-   A compressor can be mixed with dry guitar to preserve the natural
    attack of the dry signal as well as the sustain of the compressor.
-   Two overdrive pedals can be blended together.
-   A strong phaser effect can be mixed with dry guitar to make it more
    subtle and musical.

Some examples of switcher pedals include:

-   Dunlop A/B pedal
-   Loop Master

Some examples of Switcher/mixer pedals include:

-   BOSS LS-2 Line Selector

### Noise Gate

A noise gate allows a signal to pass through only
when the signal\'s intensity is above a set threshold, which opens the
gate. If the signal falls below the threshold, the gate closes, and no
signal is allowed to pass. A noise gate can be used to control noise.
When the level of the \'signal\' is above the level of the
\'noise\', the threshold is set above the level of
the \'noise\' so that the gate is closed when there is no \'signal\'. A
noise gate does not remove noise from the signal: when the gate is open,
both the signal and the noise will pass through.

Noise gates are also used as an effect to modify the envelope of
signals, removing gradual attacks and decays.

Examples of noise gate pedals include:

-   BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor
-   MXR M-135 Smart Gate

### Boosters

There are three types of boosters.

-   The first are signal boosters. These give a gain boost to the signal
    running through it and appear to make the guitar louder. They are
    known as **clean boosts**.
-   The second are frequency boosters. These are similar to the signal
    boosters but instead of boosting the whole signal, they boost one
    specific frequency range. These include treble boosters.
-   The third are harmonic boosters. These boost certain harmonics
    within the wave and can sometimes give a gritty, octave sound (in
    either direction)

A boost pedal can be used to make the guitar louder (set up last in the
effect chain, often in the effects loop of a distorted amp), or to
increase the gain of an overdriven amplifier. Before distortion, a
booster only increases the saturation, not the volume.

## Bass Effects

### Sound conditioner

Bass effects that condition the sound, rather than changing its
character are called \"sound conditioners.\" Gain booster effects pedals
and bass preamplifier pedals increase the gain (or volume) of the bass
guitar signal. Bass preamplifiers for double basses are designed to
match the impedance of piezoelectric pickups with the input impedance of
bass amplifiers. Some double bass preamplifiers may also provide phantom
power for powering condenser microphones and anti-feedback features such
as a notch filter (see \"Filter-based effects\" section below).

Volume pedals are volume potientiometers set into a rocking foot
treadle, so that the volume of the bass guitar can be changed by the
foot. Compression pedals affect the dynamics (volume levels) of a bass
signal by subtly increasing the volume of quiet notes and reducing the
volume of loud notes, which smooths out or \"compresses\" the overall
sound. Limiters, which are similar to compressors, prevent the upper
volume levels (peaks) of notes from getting too loud, which can damage
speakers. Noise gates remove hums and hisses that occur with distortion
pedals, vintage pedals, and some electric basses.

### Bass Distortion

Bass distortion effects preamplify the signal until the signals\'
waveform \"clips\" and becomes distorted, giving a \"growling\",
\"fuzzy\" or \"buzzing\" sound. Until the late 1980s, distortion effects
designed specifically for electric bass\' low range were not commonly
available in stores, so most electric bass players who wanted a
distortion effect either used the natural overdrive that is produced by
setting the preamplifier gain to very high settings or used an electric
guitar distortion pedal. Using the natural overdrive from an
amplifier\'s preamplifier or a guitar distortion effect has the side
effect of removing the bass\' low range (low-pitched) sounds. When a
low-range note is amplified to the point of \"clipping\", the note tends
to go up an octave to its second harmonic, making deep bass notes sound
\"tinny\".

In the 1990s and 2000s, bass distortion effects became widely available.
These effects contained circuitry which ensured that the low-range bass
signal was maintained in the distorted bass tone. Bass distortion is
used in genres such as metal, thrash, hardcore, and punk.

Bass \"overdrive\" effects use a vacuum tube (or digitally-simulated
tube modelling techniques) to compress the top of the signal\'s wave
form, giving a smoother distorted signal than regular distortion
effects. Regular bass distortion effects preamplify the signal to the
point that it develops a gritty or \"dirty\" tone.

Fuzz bass effects are sometimes created for bass by using fuzzbox
effects designed for electric guitars. Fuzzboxes boost and clip the
signal sufficiently to turn a standard sine wave input into what is
effectively a square wave output, giving a much more distorted and
synthetic sound than a standard distortion or overdrive. Paul McCartney
of The Beatles used fuzz bass on \"Think for Yourself\" in the 1966
album \"Rubber Soul\"

### Filtered based effects

Filter based effects for bass include equalizer, phase shifter, wah and
auto-wah.

A **bass equalizer** is the most commonly used of these three effects.
It adjusts the frequency response in a number of different frequency
bands. While its function is similar to a tone controls on an amplifier,
such as rudimentary \"bass\" and \"treble\" frequency knobs, it allows
for more precise frequency changes. A rack-mounted bass equalizer, for
example, may have ten sliders to control the frequency range encompassed
by a regular \"bass\" frequency knob.

In comparison with an electric guitar equalizer, a bass equalizer
usually has a lower frequency range that goes down to 40 Hz, to
accommodate the electric bass\' lower range. Some bass equalizers
designed for use with extended range basses go even lower, to 20 Hz.
Equalizers can be used to change the tone and sound of the electric
bass. If the instrument sounds too \"boomy\", the bassist can lower the
frequency which is overly resonant, or if there is too much fingernail
or pick noise, the higher frequencies can be reduced.

**Notch filters** (also called band-stop filters or band-rejection
filters) are sometimes used with double basses. Notch filters are
filters that allow most frequencies to pass through unaltered, while
attenuating those in a specific range to very low levels. Notch filters
are used in instrument amplifiers and preamplifiers for acoustic
instruments such as acoustic guitar, mandolin, and bass instrument
amplifiers to reduce or prevent feedback. While most notch filters are
set manually by the user, there are also automatic notch filters which
detect the onset of feedback and notch out the frequency before damaging
feedback begins.

**Bass Phase Shifters** create a complex frequency response containing
many regularly-spaced \"notches\" in an incoming signal by combining it
with a copy of itself out of phase, and shifting the phase relationship
cyclically. The phasing effect creates a \"whooshing\" sound that is
reminiscent of the sound of a flying jet.

### Bass chorus

**Bass chorus** effects use a cycling, variable delay time that is short
so that individual repetitions are not heard. The result is a thick,
\"swirling\" sound that suggests multiple instruments playing in unison
(chorus) that are slightly out of tune. Bass chorus effects were more
common in the late 1980s, when manufacturers such as Peavey included
chorus effects in its bass amplifiers. In the 1990s and 2000s, more
sophisticated bass chorus effects devices were created which only apply
the swirling chorus effect to the higher parts of the bass tone, leaving
the instrument\'s low fundamental untouched.\[5\]

## Multi-Effects unit

A multi-FX unit is a single effects device that can perform several
guitar effects simultaneously. Such devices generally use digital
processing to simulate many of the above-mentioned effects without the
need to carry several single-purpose units. In addition to the classic
effects, most have amplifier/speaker simulations not found in analog
units. This allows a guitarist to play directly into a recording device
while simulating an amplifier and speaker of his choice.

!Boss GT-3 multi-effects
unit

A typical digital multi-effects pedal is programmed, with several memory
locations available to save custom user settings. Many lack the
front-panel knobs of analog devices, using buttons instead to program
various effect parameters. Multi-effects devices continue to evolve,
some gaining MIDI or USB interfaces to aid in programming. Examples
include:

-   Tech 21 Sans Amp - A line of analog effects with distortion and
    speaker simulation capability.
-   Line 6 POD XT Live
-   Behringer V-Amp Pro
-   DigiTech RP series
-   DigiTech GNX series
-   Boss ME-20, ME-50, GT-6, GT-8
-   Zoom G2, G3, G5 series
-   Vox Tonelab series
-   Roland VG series
-   Korg AX series

The quality of sound that is a major feature of separate pedals can
never be matched by a multi-effects unit but they are ideal for a
guitarist on a budget.


# Guitar/E-bow

The E-bow is a device that causes your string to
vibrate without it being plucked, almost like a violin bow makes a
violin string vibrate. It requires a dramatically different technique to
play, as it basically replaces your pick. Furthermore, due to its true
sustain capability, it is possible to actually slide up and down along
the string without the loss of volume.

The Ebow is basically a self-contained amplifier with sensing coils and
driving coils, using the concept of audio feedback. When placed over a
string, the driver coil causes it to vibrate, which is picked up by the
sensing/input coil. The electrical signal is then amplified by an opamp
and produces a varying magnetic field of the same frequency in the
driver coil, which then feeds a magnetic field of the same resonant
frequency back to the string, thus sustaining its vibration.

-   The ebow is easiest to use when using a humbucker in neck position,
    as it provide twice the available effective surface when compare to
    a single coil. If a single coil sound is desired, you would need to
    be able to provide an alternative wiring such that the coils can be
    connected in parallel; one such case would be the Ibanez H-H
    configuration. Alternatively, you can use a \"two-single coil\"
    positions (such as position 2 and 4 on a Stratocaster).
-   Use the pilot light to position the ebow.
-   If the guitar side is not on full volume, the ebow may take 10ms
    before it takes effect; this is especially true on the higher
    strings.
-   Due to the sustain, the guitar may sound more monotone then a normal
    picking if you just keep it over the hotspot. Remember to move back
    and forth away from the hotspot to make it sound more natural.
-   Be careful when moving from string to string, as the two
    stop-grooves may move the string side to side, providing a mismatch
    of string to the driver groove.

## Harmonic mode

The **harmonic mode** of the PlusEBow occurs due a reverse in polarity
of the output coil, which dampens the fundamental frequency of the
string and accentuate the harmonics, which are driven more. Thus, many
normally unachievable harmonic notes are also available. However, the
harmonic mode will only produce a different timbre of the fundamental
note while used on 1st (e) and 2nd (B) string, as well as the higher
notes on 3rd (G string).

In harmonic mode, whether to slide into the note or fret it normally
will easily change the timbre of the sound. Sliding will keep the tone
from before, but fretting it will easily change it. Generally, when a
note is fretted close to the bridge, the note will have more bass than
one that is fretted close to the nut.


# Guitar/Cables

Since you are likely to encounter cables at some point in your guitar
playing career, it is important learn about them. This is especially
true if you play the electric guitar. With the electric guitar, the use
of an amplifier is essential and the cable is the only connection that
links the two together. So in order to ensure a good sound, you need to
use the proper cabling, unless using wireless connectivity.

!A comparison of 4 jack types. From left to right: A 2.5 mm jack (often
used with cellphones), a 3.5 mm mono, a 3.5 mm stereo and a 6.3 mm
stereo, a 3.5 mm mono, a 3.5 mm stereo and a 6.3 mm stereo"){width="150"}

## Audio Cables

!Two styles of 6.3mm
jack{width="150"}

### Jack Plugs

Plugs and Jacks are one style of connector used to connect audio
equipment together. Jacks are the \"female\" side of the connection into
which Plugs - the \"male\" side of the connection - are inserted. Anyone
who has ever used a set of headphones is familiar with at least one type
of jack. A jack is simply the end of a cable that lets it connect to
another audio device. They come in many different sizes, but for
guitarists the most important ones are these:

-   3.5mm mono - small microphones and LINE Out or LINE In small audio
    devices (z. B. sound map)
-   3.5mm stereo - headphones and LINE Out or LINE In small audio
    devices (e.g. sound map).
-   6.3mm mono - LINE Out or LINE In larger audio devices (guitar
    amplifier, mixers, etc.), e-guitar, Send or Return of effects
    equipment, microphones and loudspeakers.
-   6.3mm stereo - combining Send and Return with effects devices,
    Stereo microphones and headphones.

Plugs and Jacks are often referred to among audio professionals as
\"tip-sleeve\" or \"tip-ring-sleeve\" connectors. If one looks closely
at plug at the end of a typical set of headphones, one will note that
there are white or black plastic rings separating metal surfaces. Each
of those metal surfaces is connected to a wire that is used to send
audio from one side to another. The notch found in the tip of the
connector is used to give the connection some resistance to being
inadvertently disconnected (though it hardly compares to the positive
locking of the XLR connector following).

The 6.3mm (or 1/4\" as it\'s commonly referred to) mono connector is
commonly used for connecting a guitar to an amplifier. Since a guitar,
from an audio point of view, really has no sense of left-to-right
difference, only two wires are needed, so this mono or \"tip-sleeve\"
connector is fine for the job. The tip carries the audio signal, while
the sleeve carries the ground side of the audio signal.

Looking at a pair of typical headphones for a portable music player, one
finds three metal sections. The 3.5mm stereo or tip-ring-sleeve
connector uses the tip for left-hand audio, the ring for right-hand
audio and the sleeve for ground. Look further at a set of headphones for
a smartphone like Apple\'s EarPods, and one finds four metal sections:
tip for left-hand audio, ring for right-hand audio, little sleeve for
control signals produced by the volume/play-pause controller, and big
sleeve for ground.

### Choosing Good Cables

Choosing the right cable for an electric guitar is all about preserving
the tone that the luthier and you have worked so hard to create. Many
different styles of patch cables are available in differing lengths and
using different brands of connectors, cable and jackets. A good patch
cable has been made with the rigours of guitar playing in mind: It will
use high quality connectors (look for Neutrik or Switchcraft on the
connectors themselves as two high quality brands), will be constructed
using high quality cable, and will often offer some strain relief using
a reinforcing sleeve or spring-type arrangement at the point where
connector and cable meet. A good cable will lay flat when fully extended
with no tendency to curl or twist. When connected between the guitar and
amplifier, the connections should feel solid, with no excessive play or
looseness. There should be no appreciable noise added to the sound of
the guitar, and when the guitarist grasps the connector body while
connected to the guitar and amplifier there should not be an increased
hum heard.

Patch cords often come with rubberized jackets, fabric jackets or
vinyl/polyvinyl jackets. The first two are particularly good as the main
guitar-to-amplifier connection, while the third is more suited to use
between effects units or from the effects units to the amplifier. The
choice between rubberized and fabric jackets mainly comes down to
personal preference, though, the rubberized cables are somewhat easier
to clean off should they come in contact with sticky or damp substances
common in some performance locations.

Good patch cables will be priced in the US\$20-40 range for a 3-meter
cable. A good quality cable will have a lifespan of five to ten years if
properly cared for.

### XLR plugs

!XLR plug and
socket{width="150"}

These plugs are very durable and they are the plug of choice for
professional recordings, and non-professional recordings. Nearly all
professional stages and sound studios are equipped with XLR
connections\... some home studios have XLR connections, thanks to the
invention of retail outlets. Loudspeakers and mixers are also often
connected with these cables too

The plugs have a catch mechanism, which prevents inadvertent separation
of a patch cord. In order to be able to pull a XLR plug from the socket,
you have to press the release mechanism. A XLR connection always
consists of 3 phases. One phase transfers the mass while the other two
transmit the audio signal. Usually one of the two audio signals is
misphased in transfer, in order to remove any effects from signal
distortion.

### MIDI Cables

!MIDI cable plugged into a
port.{width="150"}

Right now, the 5 pronged MIDI cable are always used for data transfer,
but originally they were intended for use with high quality stereo
equipment. At that time this 5- pronged cable represented a variant to
Stereo, which existed beside the identical, 3 pronged mono execution.

Today these cables are used almost exclusively for the transmission of
MIDI control signals between MIDI capable music instruments, amplifiers
and computers. Since it does not depend on fast data transmission rates,
shielding of the individual wires inside the cable is not necessary.

### Polyphonic or Hexaphonic Guitar Cables

In order to transfer each string to a guitarsynth, polyphonic guitar
effect or guitar2MIDI, a few different connectors have been used, but
the one introduced by Roland/BOSS in 1989 has clearly turned into a
standard. Its a DIN 13pin as it has been used in car radio before and
apart from the 6 strings (pin 1\...6) it contains the standard mono
output (pin7), a volume control (pin8), an up/dn switch (pin10/11) and
+-7V (pin 12/13). A problem is that ground flows only through the weak
housing contact.

Other polyphonic connectors:

-   7pin Lemo, used by ARP Avatar guitar synth (1977)
-   24pin rectangular used by Roland before the 13pin DIN (1977-88)
-   Neutricon used by Paradis Guitars (1985-96)
-   subD used by Photon (around 1984)
-   multiplexed stereo 1/4\" used by Shadow GTM (around 1984)
-   RJ45 Ethernet style used by Gibson Digital Guitar (since 2005)

## Other Cables

### Power Cables

Warning: All these cables and connectors are intended for a high supply
voltage! Changes or repairs to such cables can be dangerous! Power
cables for music equipment are commonly called \"jug cables\" in New
Zealand, because they were the same as the power cord for an electric
water jug!

## Mains Power Cable

!Mains Power
lead{width="150"}
A three slot conductor plug designed to International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) specifications. Sometimes called a \"kettle plug\" or
\"kettle lead\". The kettle lead is designed for use with mains power
outlets.


# Guitar/Bass Guitar

Bass guitars have similar design features to other types of guitar but
scaled up: thicker strings, longer neck and larger body, etc. This
allows lower notes to be created when the strings are tuned to a
playable tension. They are sometimes categorized as guitars but are also
categorized as a separate instrument.

Although there are many variations, the standard bass guitar has four
strings tuned EADG, from lowest pitch string to highest, one octave
lower than the bottom four strings of a guitar in standard tuning. The
next most common variant is the five string, tuned BEADG. While the bass
guitar can be played like an oversized guitar, by playing chords, this
chordal style is rare on bass. Rather, bass is often used to play single
notes. Bass also draws much inspiration from double bass playing,
notably the smooth quarter note style calked \"walking bass\" which is
used in jazz, blues and country. The electric bass has a vocabulary of
playing styles and music all of its own, including slapping and popping.

## Slapping And popping

One of the distinguishing features of the bass guitar is the percussive
slap style. It is most associated with funk, but it is also used in sone
pop, jazz fusion and nu metal styles. It is typically distinct to the
bass guitar, although it has been used on acoustic guitars by skillful
players.

Slapping is accomplished by percussively striking the string - usually E
or A on a standard tuned bass - with the left hand side of the thumb
(for a right-handed player). This is done towards the neck of the bass.
The thumb is then pulled away as quickly as possible, to create a
distinct, \"fretty\" noise.

Popping is accomplished by curling the fingertip of the index or middle
finger under the string - usually the D or G string. The string is then
plucked to create a similar sound to slapping on the thicker strings.
This is, again, performed towards the neck of the bass. Fretting hand
and playing hand muting and percussive \"ghost notes\" are a key part of
the distinctive sound of slapping and popping.

-   Slap Bass Tutorial Video
    (Free)

## Different tunings

The \"standard\" bass is a 4 string bass, tuned EADG (low to high).
Other variations of this tuning include DADG (\"drop D\") and rarely
iiCGCF. These lower tunings are often used in metal and heavier music,
as they extend the instrument\'s range lower. Altering the tuning of a
bass to a lower range (or any other fretted instrumented) by reducing
string tension can cause problems that new players should be aware of:
looser strings are more prone to \"fret buzz\", in which a string
rattles on the fretboard, producing a sound that is usually unwanted.
Loosening strings also alters the tension on the neck, which can lead to
warping the neck.

To achieve a clear tone on notes lower than standard tuning, a standard
five string bass adds a low B string, with the bass normally tuned BEADG
(low to high). Some players may restring a 4-string bass as BEAD,
leaving off the high G. There are thick strings that go even lower in
range, however these are typically found only on specialty instruments.

## Bass runs

Bass runs or \"fills\" are used to add interest and to transition
frommone chord to another. For example if one wants to change from a C
chord bassline to an Am chord bassline, they could do a scalar run that
adds a B note to connect the C to the A.


# Guitar/Harmonica and Guitar Combo

!Diatonic Harmonicas.
Image:Cralize

The harmonica is an instrument that has found favour with many
guitarist. The idea evolved from the blues and country and western
musicians of the early part of the 20th century. The role the harmonica
plays in providing another timbre has appealed to many artists.
Musicians such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young have used the combination to
great effect.

Harmonicas exist in four varieties: diatonic, chromatic, tremolo and
chord. The chromatic can play along to music in any key but is harder to
master than the diatonic version. The diatonic harmonica is made to play
in one key and is easier to learn but you will need to buy more than
one. The guitar\'s natural key is E; so buying a diatonic harmonica in
the key of E major would be ideal. The other diatonic harmonicas you
should aim to add to your collection is G major and C major. Diatonic
harmonicas are cheap and it shouldn\'t take long before you have a
collection of harmonicas that cover every key. The tremolo harmonica is
like a diatonic, yet it vibrates and has more vibrato than usual
harmonicas. It is used for orchestra too.Chord harmonicas are very big
and may require multiple people to play and can be even used in the
orchestra at times.They add a touch to a lot of things really.Chord
Harmonicas are very cool,yet very expensive too and they can run in the
thousands when it comes to cost.Some good Chord Harmonicas can cost you
\$2,000 or more depending on the company selling them.

\[\[Image:16-hole chrom 10-hole diatonic.jpg\|thumb\|right\|Chromatic
harmonica and Diatonic harmonica.

`       Image:George Leung]] `

To play both instruments, one would need a way to hold the harmonica
while the hands chord and strum the guitar. This is done by the
harmonica holder, which goes around the neck, allowing the harmonica to
be always in front of your mouth. However, there are a few things to
keep in mind:

-   Instead of moving the harmonica itself, you will now move your head
    in order to play the notes. Due to this limitation the solos you
    \"blow\" will be slower than if you had the harmonica cupped in your
    hands.
-   Hand-related effects, such as hand vibrato, will be unavailable.
    Also, due to the lack of hands, there will be no additional
    resonance from the cupped hands.

Furthermore, since one is multitasking, it\'s best to know how to play
both instruments individually very well, in order to spend less time
trying to find each note and chord. When you buy your first harmonica,
spend some time learning to play it with your hands. Try playing along
to the recordings of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson.

The harmonica will usually be played in the 2nd position (of course one
can try other positions). Often the guitar plays the chords, while the
harmonica provides the melody. This is because guitars have a much lower
octave range than the harmonica; furthermore, guitarists can play chords
in different keys easily. Since the harmonica is played in a higher
pitch range, this makes it suitable for melodic lines. Another factor is
the timbre of the harmonica tends to cut through the sound of resonating
guitar chords. Still, this should not stop you reversing the roles, as
long as it sounds pleasing.

It is possible to play chromatic harmonicas with a guitar. This can be
done with the following:

-   Valved Diatonic or XB-40
-   Tombo S-50.
-   Take off the mouthpiece of a **straight tuned** chromatic harp.
    However, one may need to make sure the body\'s edge is smooth

:

    :   Note: both S-50 and this method require using the lips to block
        the non-sounding row; S-50, due to greater distance between
        rows, is easier at this.

-   Use the handless chromatic; essentially a special mouthpiece that
    move up and down between the rows, controlled by the movement of the
    head.