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Category: Guitar how-to’s

What Is Fingerboard Radius and Why Should You Care?

If you’ve ever shopped online for a new guitar, you may have come across a piece of information that you didn’t quite understand.

Sites like Sweetwater are great in that they will tell you the exact specifications for any guitar in stock — sometimes down to the exact weight of the guitar in the picture. And buried in the lengthy list of specifications is something called “fingerboard radius,” followed by a measurement of so many inches.

And you might be thinking, “That’s great — but what the heck is this telling me?” Today we’re going to answer that question and look at how important — or not — fingerboard radius really is.

What Is Fingerboard Radius?

A fingerboard’s radius refers to the amount of curvature on the fretboard. In other words, the radius tells you how much higher the middle of the fretboard is than either edge. Common measurements range from 7.25” to 16” inches. But how is this number derived?

Very simply, guitar builders think of the side-to-side curve of the fretboard as an arc from a circle. If you were to take a compass and draw a circle on a piece of paper with a 12” radius, the curve of a 12” radius fretboard would match the curve of that circle.

What that means in practice is the larger the radius is, the flatter the fretboard will be. A 7.25” fingerboard will look and feel much more curved than a 16” one, which will feel almost flat.

Common Fingerboard Radii by Brand

Although not always the case, there are certain generalities when it comes to fingerboard radii among electric-guitar brands. Vintage-style Fenders are usually the smallest (most curved) at 7.25”. Modern Fenders are still quite curved but measure at a slightly larger 9.5”. Gibson prefers to make flatter-feeling fretboards that have a 12” radius. PRS, meanwhile, locates itself in the middle with their standard 10” radius. (PRS does the same thing with their scale length, too, typically splitting the distance between Fender and Gibson.)

Other brands will adopt one of the above or determine their own desired radius. You’ll also sometimes hear of a guitar with a compound radius. While it sounds complicated, all this means is the radius measurement changes as you move up the fretboard. Generally, a compound radius will be rounder on the lower frets and flatten out on the higher frets, the idea being a smaller radius is easier to play chords on, while a flatter radius lends itself better to lead work.

Acoustic guitars tend to have very flat fretboards, often in the 15″-16″ range. In an interesting twist, classical guitars traditionally have very flat fingerboards, and often there is no radius at all. The flat, wide fretboards are preferable when playing intricate compositions using the PIMA technique.

Does Fingerboard Radius Matter?

As briefly alluded to above, there is some thought put into fingerboard radii, at least by manufacturers and luthiers. A tighter-radius guitar, such as a vintage Fender, will probably be more comfortable when strumming chords, all other things being equal. A flatter-radius guitar will lend itself toward faster soloing work. But these are significant generalities, and while fingerboard radius probably matters more when it comes to playability than tonewoods, one would be hard pressed to argue that radius size is a critical dimension on a guitar.

My Preference

I’ve owned and played a lot of guitars in my time, and without really thinking about it, I’ve tended to gravitate toward guitars that have flatter fretboards. I have several Epihones that play very well and are in the Gibson 12” range. I’ve also got a Danelectro with a 14” radius that I absolutely love. My guess is because I have larger hands, it makes for a more comfortable playing experience (although to be honest, this is more of a guess than a fact). But I also have a Strat copy with closer to a 9” radius that I enjoy (although it does feel quite a bit smaller in my hands).

I’ve also noticed the same preference holding for acoustic guitars. My favorite brand, Seagull, has a very flat fretboard at 16”, which happens to be the same as Martin. Add to it the classical guitar-like wider neck, and it really works well for my hands and playing style.

Fingerboard Radius — a “Nice to Know” Guitar Characteristic

In the end, is having a comprehensive understanding of fingerboard radius necessary? I would argue unless you want to get into building them yourself, probably not.

But thinking about fingerboard radius may help you understand your own preferences better, so in that regard, it can be helpful. If you notice that all of your favorite guitars to play are Fenders, part of the reason might be because of their narrower fingerboard radius. I personally know to steer more toward flatter fingerboards, because that’s what my hand naturally prefers. But I don’t think it should be viewed as a critical criterion. There are countless elements that factor into which guitars you like; fretboard radius is simply one of them.

January 14, 2023
A Primer on How to Understand Signal Chains
I don’t like jargon.

For instance, I have a master’s degree in biblical studies. But whenever I teach or preach, I rarely — if ever — use big theological words. Yes, I know what “hypostatic union” and “weltanschauung” mean, but odds are my audience doesn’t. And my interests don’t lie in showing everyone how educated I am; I’m much more concerned with actual communication, which means my hearers have to understand what I’m saying.

Hence my disdain for jargon. But jargon exists in every area of interest. And as shorthand for talking with other people “in the know,” it’s fine as far as it goes. But it has the unintended consequence of potentially shutting newcomers out of the conversation.

For me, “signal chain” is one of those terms in the guitar realm.

When I started playing guitar a very long time ago, I had a cheap electric guitar and a cheap amplifier. No pedals, no noise suppressors, no nothing. I had never heard of a signal chain and would have had no insight into what it might be.

Only many years later, when I started to really learn about guitar, did I start to figure out terms like “signal chain.” So today, I’d like to provide a basic overview of a signal chain to help anyone out there who, like “past me,” hears such terms and needs an explanation.

What is a signal chain?

Thankfully, a signal chain is a pretty straightforward idea. The “signal” being referred to is simply the signal that runs from your guitar to the amplifier via the cable. Your guitar’s pickups are basically electromagnets that translate the vibrations of your strings into an electrical signal. This signal is then transmitted to the amplifier by your instrument cable, where the speaker converts it into sound waves.

With a basic setup like I had when I started, your “chain” is literally just the 10-foot cable connecting your guitar to the amp. But as you progress, most guitarists start wanting to add to or change their guitar’s sound. For most of us, I would guess, a distortion pedal is the first thing we buy to achieve this.

Once you add something like a distortion pedal, you have what could truly be called a “chain” — a signal path with multiple links. In our example case, you now have a guitar signal that is interrupted and modified by your distortion pedal before being sent on to the amplifier.

Of course, most of us soon realize that if one pedal is good, more must be better! So we save up and buy all kinds of effects pedals: phasers, delays, fuzz, chorus, octave, wah… If you want an effect, there’s probably a pedal designed to do just that.

So as we slowly build up our pedalboard, we extend our signal chain. In fact, you could almost consider the terms “pedalboard” and “signal chain” to be synonymous.

How do I set up a signal chain?

One thing you’ll notice about guitarists is how many of us have so many pedals. I’ve seen players with at least a dozen pedals stuffed onto a board, and it seems like you need a master’s degree in electrical engineering just to understand all of the buttons and knobs.

But it doesn’t have to be that complex — you can use as many or as few pedals and effects in your signal chain as you want.

And even for the most convoluted pedalboards out there, most players are following the same basic order of effects — and here it is:
- The first effects in your signal chain are typically compressors, EQs, and wah pedals. These are called “dynamics” or “filter effects.”
- Next come overdrive and distortion pedals, sometimes called “gain effects.”
- Time-based effects like delays, chorus, and flangers come next in line.
- Reverb effects often come last.
I’m not a tech guy, so rather than explain why this order works, it’s much easier to say, “This is the order a whole bunch of guitarists over the decades have come to agree is best,” and get on with your day.

But that statement, while true, doesn’t mean it’s the order you have to put your pedals in. When you are playing your guitar into your amp with your own pedals, you have the freedom to try any signal chain you want. And who knows — you might come across a combination you love and that comes to define your sound.

The more you know

At its core, a signal chain really is that simple. It’s just a way to refer to the pedals and effects that sit in between your guitar and the amplifier.

Like anything, you can dive into signal chains as deep as you want. I’m perfectly happy having a pedalboard with just a few basic pedals, but other people want to go all in and spend thousands of dollars on a massive board. I’m also perfectly fine not understanding all of the theory and intricacies behind how the electronics work, but you may be a person who enjoys such things. In either case, it’s totally fine. You do you.

Hopefully this has been a helpful, albeit basic, primer on signal chains. So I encourage you to go out with your newfound knowledge with confidence!
September 8, 2022
Triads Are the Ultimate Cheat Code for Guitar

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine who is just starting her guitar journey asked me a question.

She was having trouble playing an F chord cleanly. And if you know anything about guitar, you know that an F chord requires barring — either partial or full. This isn’t the easiest technique for a beginner, and it usually takes a while before it “clicks.” I told her as much but suggested that until then, she could just use a triad. I showed her how easy it was and sent her on her way.

Triads: the ultimate cheat code

If there is anything that I feel took my playing from beginner to intermediate level (whatever those concepts might mean to you), it has to be triads.

If you aren’t familiar with them, the very concept might seem daunting. What the heck is a triad? you might ask. I could never play something that sounds so…terrifying!

In actuality, they are easy to learn and incorporate into your playing, and they open up a myriad of fresh, new ways to play chord progressions.

Cowboy chords: the basics of guitar

Everyone learns the basic open chords when they first start playing the guitar. You know the ones: G, C, D, Em. They are played on just the first few frets to allow you to have open strings form part of the chord, which makes them easy to play. They are often called “cowboy chords,” presumably because cowboys are known more for their singing than their guitar prowess.

But what if I told you that if you know your basic chords, you have all you need to start using triads? Well, I am telling you that, because it’s true.

Understanding triads

Triads might sound complicated, but in reality, they are very simple. “Tri-“ just means three, after all.

Triads, therefore, are nothing more than three-note chords. That’s it.

They usually comprise the root, third, and fifth of a chord, since those are the three notes that define (most) chords. A triad, essentially, is the most basic chord you can possibly play. And that’s part of what makes them so easy to learn.

The other reason they are so easy to incorporate into your playing is they are embedded in the open chords you already know.

Take, for example, the aforementioned F chord, which we can represent as:

x-x-3-2-1-1

This notation means you press the top four strings on the third, second, first, and first fret respectively and strum them (the x’s represent the two bottom strings, which you don’t play). So how can we make this into a triad shape?

Easy: by choosing the root, third, and fifth. In this case, that becomes:

x-x-3-2-1-x

You can easily make this shape by using your first, second, and third fingers. But you’ll notice we’re only playing the strings we have fretted — the rest are not played (the x’s). This makes the triad shape moveable, which is why it’s so handy.

How to move triad shapes

You can move this F triad shape anywhere up and down the fretboard, and it will make a major chord. Move the whole shape up two frets:

x-x-5-4-3-x

and you’ve discovered a G triad. Play it starting at the eighth fret:

x-x-10-9-8-x

and you’ve got yourself a C triad. And on it goes.

This holds true with every triad shape, of which there are a number. One shape, however, you are almost guaranteed to already know is the D triad. This is because the regular D chord is played like this:

x-x-0-3-2-3

Forming the triad shape is as simple as not playing the fourth string:

x-x-x-3-2-3

This triad can be moved up the neck exactly like the F triad. For instance:

x-x-x-7-8-7

makes a G triad, while the following:

x-x-x-4-5-4

is an E triad.

I’ve included a simple list of the main triad shapes below, and you should be able to see 1) how simple they are, and 2) how they are mostly formed from parts of chords you probably already know.

Various triad shapes at their (typically) lowest fretted positions. Any of these can be moved up and down the neck to play any chord.

Using triads in chord progressions and songs

Imagine you are playing a song that has a long crescendo, or buildup, to the most intense part. Let’s say for the purposes of demonstration that you, the guitar player, need to keep strumming a D chord during the buildup. You could just strum the regular, open D chord and just gradually get louder. Or you could use triads to increase in pitch as the song builds. For example, you could start with:

x-x-7-7-7-x (which you can make by just putting your index finger down in a straight line across those strings — see the picture below)

and then move up to:

x-x-12-11-10-x

and then finally reach your peak at:

x-x-x-14-15-14.

Each of these is a D chord, but each one is higher in voicing than the last, which helps add to the anticipation building in the song.

The author forming a D triad using one finger to press down the second, third, and fourth strings at the seventh fret.

You will also often find if you start using triads that they can make for very easy chord changes. Let’s take a song in C this time. If you play:

x-x-5-5-5-x

that’s one option for a C triad. But if the chord changes to an F (which is very likely at some point), you can play:

x-x-7-5-6-x

which is an F triad, without moving your position on the neck at all. Am — another oft-played chord in the key of C — is just as easy:

x-x-7-5-5-x

To round out the song, a G triad is just two frets away, at:

x-x-9-7-8-x

While all of this may look like a jumbled mess of x’s and letters, once you begin experimenting with a guitar in your hands you should be able to see how it all fits together.

Beauty in simplicity

The beauty of triads is in their simplicity. You can find triad shapes and move them all around the fretboard, because again — you’re only playing the fretted strings; there are no open notes to ring out and foul things up. You can choose to focus on different voicings depending on the song or even your mood. And you can incorporate new sonic elements to any song beyond strumming basic chords.

I hope this was a helpful tutorial for you if you’ve never encountered triads before. They are among the most useful guitar techniques to learn, and they are very simple to understand and apply if you have even a modest amount of guitar knowledge.

I’d love to hear your “guitar hacks” — the simple things that make a big difference. Let us know in the comments!

August 17, 2022
Five Tips to Get a Better Tone out of Your Electric Guitar

Guitarists are tone chasers.

I suppose we can’t help it. After all, it’s very likely that for most of us, the sound of the instrument was a significant part of what drew us to the instrument in the first place. Whether it was the raunchy tones of Stevie Ray Vaughan or the infamous Eddie Van Halen “brown sound,” something we heard clicked with us and is at the heart of driving us forward.

And so for many of us, that means dialing in a sound we are happy with. But it’s not an easy task.

Finding the perfect tone is a never-ending journey

It is exceptionally difficult to find the perfect tone, and I dare say it’s impossible. That’s especially true for those of us who are primarily bedroom players. It’s undoubtedly much easier to dial in a kick-ass tone when you’ve got a producer or a professional sound guy to help and the best in gear at your fingertips. That’s not to say a guy like The Edge doesn’t still work hard on his guitar sound (he probably does), but he has more tools at his disposal than a no-name hobbyist like me.

Not that the impossibility of the quest stops us — far from it! And I personally am still a long way from finding my own ideal tone. But in the spirit of improvement, I want to give you a few tone tips I’ve learned along the way that can at least help you take a few steps down the path toward the perfect tone.

1. Use the volume and tone knobs on your guitar

Those knobs on your guitar aren’t just for show — you can actually use them! It took me way too long to start adjusting the guitar’s controls instead of just leaving them all set to 10.

Those knobs on your guitar aren’t just for show — you can actually use them!

The volume knob, besides just adjusting loudness, can help with tone. You can actually reduce or enhance the amount of distortion in your signal, for instance, just by rolling off or turning up the guitar’s volume. I like to keep my volume set to around 8 for most playing, which then gives me a little extra room to go up or down when I need to.

The tone knob can also be your friend. Again, I use somewhere around 6 or 7 as “home base” and then start to experiment from there. As you roll the knob toward 10, you will bring in more highs, while turning it toward 0 will darken the sound. Different tone knobs produce different results, but the change can be dramatic — and you just might find a sound you like.

2. Don’t scoop the mids

This is guitar newbie 101: turning down the mids on your little practice amp while maxing out the bass and treble. Why do we all do this? Because it sounds good in your bedroom.

But when you graduate to playing in front of people, scooping the mids doesn’t make the transition well. This is because the electric guitar is actually a mid-range instrument. Its sound profile generally sits between the bass and the keyboard.

Set the middle tone knob on your amp a little higher than your bass and treble controls, and see what happens.

So if you want to enhance your tone, a great way to do it is to accentuate the mids instead. Set the middle tone knob on your amp a little higher than your bass and treble controls, and see what happens. Especially as you turn the amp up louder, this one trick could help you develop a more pleasing sound.

3. Try switching from 9s to 10s

Here’s a good trick I discovered that works well when you’re just starting out and still (probably) using cheap gear. I had a very cheap setup at one point — a low-end Epiphone and a small Behringer amp — and this actually worked like a charm.

I simply switched from using nine-gauge strings to using 10-gauge strings.

I’ve noticed this doesn’t provide as drastic results on better gear, but I believe it works because a higher-gauge string means there is physically more metal interacting with the pickup’s magnetic field. For cheap pickups, it seems to make a big difference.

For cheap pickups, using a higher-gauge set of strings seems to make a big difference.

In any case, my tone noticeably improved just by moving up to 10s.

4. Switch to a tube amp

I played on a solid-state amp for over 20 years and always wondered why people said a tube amp was better.

And then I bought a tube amp.

Wow, what a difference! The range of tones available in my tube amp was much greater than my solid state. And for my style of playing (rock and blues), it worked much better for my needs.

The range of tones available in my tube amp was much greater than my solid state. And for my style of playing (rock and blues), it worked much better for my needs.

In particular, the advantage of tube amps, besides having a more well-rounded sound in general IMHO, is that you can set your “clean” sound to just before the amp begins to break up (i.e., sound distorted) — something a solid-state amp can’t do. (They generally have separate clean and dirty channels.) This gives the guitar a nice, rich tone, with just a little bit of dirt if you start strumming a little harder. And if you dial back a little using your guitar’s volume knob, you’ve instantly got a great clean tone.

That’s not to say that there aren’t great solid-state amps out there, and depending on the genre of music you play, a solid-state amp may be the better choice, but personal experience has shown me how much a tube amp can impact your guitar’s tone.

5. Practice, practice, practice

At the end of the day, your unique tone comes from your fingers. Yes, amps and strings definitely contribute, and you can see great improvements with some simple setting adjustments, but the foundation of your sound is you.

Simply put, the more you practice and play, the more you will develop your own, unique tone.

The foundation of your sound is you.

I could pick up your exact rig set to your exact specifications, and I would not sound like you. And likewise, you could pick up my guitar and play into my amp and not sound like me. There is just too much variation in the way we each approach the instrument: how hard we pick, how much vibrato we add, how we mute strings, and the list goes on.

But that’s the wonderful thing about playing guitar — we each have something unique to bring. We all have the freedom to develop our own sound, a sound unlike anyone else in the world.

Hopefully, these tips will help you dial in your unique sound. What other tone tips can you share with us? I’d love to hear them — so let us know in the comments!

August 15, 2022
How to Use a Compression Pedal — and Why You Might Want To

The first rule of Guitar Club is there are no rules.

Okay, that might be a bit melodramatic, but there is an element of truth to it. When you play an instrument like the electric guitar, there is a bit of rebellion and innovation baked in.

Rebellion and innovation don’t preclude a good foundation — they require one

Yes, there are “rules” to follow, but often they are more like guidelines. And that’s the beauty of the guitar, and rock music in general: you can try anything.

That being said, it takes a special person to start with nothing and make something magical. Most of us have to have a baseline understanding of things like music theory, how the neck is laid out, and how pedals and amps work before we try to get our inner Eddie Van Halen on.

So today that I want to help you understand — without being dogmatic about it — how a compressor pedal works, why you may want one, and how to use it.

The mystery of compression demystified

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that compressor pedals were a bit mysterious. They “compress” the sound — okay, what does that really mean? And why do so many people use them?

But rather than go into a technical, “sciencey” explanation, it’s much easier to think of it as if there were a very tiny person living inside of your compression pedal. This little guy — let’s call him Carl — is pretty finicky about music. He doesn’t like things too loud (it gives him a headache) or too soft (he’s had some hearing loss over the years). Thankfully, Carl is sitting next to a big volume knob.

Whenever you play your guitar, Carl listens. If you play a little too loud, Carl reaches up and turns the volume down. And if you play a little too soft, he turns the volume up.

This is essentially what a compressor pedal does. It evens out the dynamics, or volume, of your playing.

What can I do with a compression pedal?

A compression pedal can help you out in a couple of different ways. For one, it can add a little bit of a “professional” feel to your playing if, like me, you occasionally mess up and play a string or chord a bit too loudly (or softly). Or it can boost your clean tone to help you stand out in the mix without having to crank your amp. (But let’s be honest, who among us has ever been concerned we were playing too loud?)

It can also help to add sustain to lead guitar parts. Since compression pedals adjust volume, it makes sense that they can increase sustain by dialing up the volume of a note as it begins to die, thus prolonging the sound to our ears.

This kind of pedal can also help ramp up your high end, which means you can use one to give you a more funky or country-western tone.

How do I dial in a compression pedal?

Most compression pedals have the same or similar controls.

The Attack dial focuses on the start of the notes you play. The more you turn this knob up, the more you will hear the pluck of the strings.

The Sustain or Release dial is going to control the end of the notes you play. This is the dial to crank if you want that epic bend to ring out long enough for you to go have a bite to eat.

The Level knob, as is the case with most pedals, just controls the overall volume of the pedal. Usually, you would want to find the setting that matches the same volume as when the pedal is off.

It’s hard to say how you ought to set the dials on your pedal because there are too many variables to consider. You have a different guitar than I do, with different pickups, playing into a different signal chain and amp. You also no doubt have different sonic preferences than I do.

Your best bet is to just set all the dials at noon and adjust them one by one, using the guidance above, until you get something you are happy with. And if you’re looking for a specific sound or effect, it’s very likely there’s a YouTube video dedicated to your exact scenario.

Where should I put the pedal in my signal chain?

Signal chains (i.e., what order you put your pedals in on your pedal board) are great fodder for internet arguments, and experimentation is usually encouraged. Generally speaking, however, the compressor is going to be among the first pedal in your chain — before overdrives, delays, or reverbs. On my pedal board, it’s first in line.

You don’t usually want to compress effects, because it can change the sound in ways you may not like. But then again, you might find a combination that gives you a unique sound you love!

Do I need a compression pedal to sound good?

In the end, I’ve played plenty with a compression pedal and plenty without one. I think it made the biggest difference in sound when I was playing a cheap guitar into a cheap solid-state amp. It really did make the whole setup sound more professional.

As I upgraded guitars and amps, I started to use my compression pedal less and less. I just no longer needed it for the reason I initially did (to compensate for crappy gear). But I did just put it back on my board after several years, and I’m excited to see how it responds to my latest rig.

So, no — I don’t believe anyone needs a compression pedal to sound good, but it is a tool that may help you achieve a certain sound more easily, and it’s been my experience that it can help low-end gear sound better.

So how about you — do you have experience with compressor pedals? What advice would you give your fellow guitarists on them? Let us know in the comments!

August 3, 2022
Learn These 4 Roman Numerals to Unlock Rock and Pop Music Forever
I — IV — V — vi.

That’s it.

These four Roman numerals represent 75 percent of the music we listen to today. Learn how to apply them and you can almost instantly play thousands of songs.

And it’s simpler than you think.

The Way-Too-Short Explanation of Western Music

Western music is based on a 12-note scale. If you ever took piano lessons or played in a junior-high band, you might remember that each note is assigned a letter between A and G and sometimes includes symbols like # or b. Furthermore, each note is one half-step from the next.

The full 12-note scale is called a chromatic scale, but a majority of the music we listen to actually narrows it down to just seven of those notes: the major scale. If we started at the note “G,” for example, we can write out the major scale as:

G — A — B — C — D — E — F#

These are the notes of the G major scale, but they also represent the chords that can be played in the key of G major. It’s simply a matter of remembering that the first, fourth, and fifth chords in the progression are major chords; the second, third, and sixth are minor chords; and the seventh is a diminished chord (which we can safely ignore almost all of the time!). This gives us the following chords:

G — Am — Bm — C — D — Em — F#dim

So now we can talk about Roman numerals. To make it easier for musicians to play songs in different keys, sometimes Roman numerals are used. All they do is indicate the relationships between chords in a song. You simply start at I and work your way up chord by chord to VII. And to indicate a minor (as opposed to major) chord, just use lowercase numerals.

In our example key of G major, then, you can write out all of the chords like so:

I — ii — iii — IV — V — vi — vii°

So let’s go back to the beginning of the article: I — IV — V — vi. We can now determine that this sequence refers to the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth chords of a key, with the sixth chord being a minor. So if you stick with our example key, G major, I — IV — V — vi lines up with G — C — D — Em.

And it just so happens that much of rock and pop music is based on using these four chords — and only these four chords.

How to Use I — IV — V — vi to Make Music

That means learning just four chords on a guitar — G, C, D, and Em — opens up a vast library of tunes you can quickly and easily learn to play. And if you want to learn a song in a different key, then all you have to do is repeat the exercise. So if you wanted to play songs in C major, then I — IV — V — vi becomes C — F — G — Am. Or for the key of E major, it’s E — A — B — C#m. And this approach works for any major key.

The list of songs you can play using some combination of I, IV, V, and vi chords is long and varied. And the great thing is, these chords work together in any progression, meaning you can play them in any order and they still sound good together.

For example, here are just a few examples of songs that use some or all of these chords in varying orders:
- “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry: I — IV — V
- “Sweet Home Chicago” by Robert Johnson: I — IV — V
- “With or Without You” by U2: I — V — vi — IV
- “Demons” by Imagine Dragons: I — V — vi — IV
- “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver: I — V — vi — IV
- “Save Tonight” by Eagle Eye Cherry: vi — IV — I — V
- “Glycerine” by Bush: I — V — vi — IV
Even though these songs are not all in the same key, they have the same basic chord progressions, and using the Roman numeral system makes them easy to learn and transpose to any key you want quickly.

How Music Theory Helps You Become Better at Guitar

Even learning a little bit of music theory — like I — IV — V — vi chords — can unlock all kinds of musical possibilities. If you’ve never seen this before, I’d encourage you to play around with these chords and see what songs you can figure out by ear. You might be surprised at just how many you’ll be able to play with very little effort.

And if you still doubt me, then allow me to remind you of one of the earliest viral YouTube videos that proves the point:

Every song in this video uses just the I — IV — V — vi chords.
July 26, 2022
How My Favorite Pedal Can Make You a Better Guitarist

I admit it: I have more guitars than I need.

I’ve got a bit of a hobby — perhaps an obsession — with collecting them. I’m holding steady at about a dozen instruments these days, which seems to be enough to keep me from wanting any more…for now.

But strangely enough, my GAS (that’s Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) doesn’t extend to amps or pedals. I am actually quite minimalistic in this regard.

I have one amp, for example — a cheap Chinese clone of a Fender Blues Jr. It sounds fantastic, so I don’t need anything else.

And when it comes to my pedal board, I only have the bare minimum: overdrive, chorus, and delay.

Actually, I have one more pedal on my board, too, and it’s my favorite one — because it’s the one that helps me become a better musician.

Enter the looping pedal

I’m talking about my looper.

I have the most basic of loopers on the market: the TC Electronics Ditto Looper. With one footswitch and one knob, it’s extremely simple, but it does the job.

If you’re not familiar with looping pedals, they allow you to record yourself playing for a period of time and then replay the recording on a loop. Once you’ve laid down the basic loop, you can add on new layers to form the backdrop of a song.

In essence, a looper allows you to accompany yourself.

Looping stations can get quite complicated, and some musicians can do amazing things with them. If you want to see an example of this, go no further than the great Phil Keaggy.

Geez, Phil! Leave some talent for the rest of us!

I’m not Phil Keaggy. My playing is not even in the same universe as his. I don’t craft intricate songs with my pedal or bring in egg shakers.

I use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician.

But I do use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician. In fact, here are three ways that help me and hopefully can help you too.

Be your own metronome

I have a bad practice habit. I hardly ever use a metronome. (Don’t be like me, kids!)

But with my looper, I can lay down my own tracks to practice things like scales or solos. And in order to lay down a good backing track, I have to have the tempo and the beat dialed in. Otherwise, the track will be off and I won’t be able to play over it.

I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop.

Thus I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop, and I can then use that loop as a makeshift metronome to work on other aspects of my playing.

Learn to think like a composer

When you want to lay down a more complicated track with multiple layers, you have to think like a composer.

I usually start with thinking about what chord progression I want and then I have to come up with a “bass” line on my guitar that has the tempo, style, and feel that I’m going for. Once I’ve recorded that, I have to add in a suitable rhythm guitar part (or two). Next, I might have to think about how to mimic a keyboard or perhaps come up with some short guitar riffs to add a little more flavor.

So for each part, not only do I have to find an idea that works well with the rest of the tracks, but I have to consider sonic textures as well. How can I switch effects or pickups — or occasionally even guitars — to get a different enough sound for each part? Where on the neck does each line need to be played? Can I make use of harmonics or muted strumming for a percussive effect? The possibilities are endless.

All of these decisions help you to better understand how all the layers of a song should work together.

All of these decisions help you to learn how to break down or build up a song and better understand how all the layers of a song should work together, because you are actually composing and arranging in that moment.

Be your own personal practice buddy

I don’t exactly have a lot of other guitarists living with me at my house.

My teenage son is just starting to learn the instrument (which is pretty cool!) but he’s not much help yet if I need to practice a song for church or something.

My looping pedal allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.

So when I need to work on a lead riff or something similar, the looper yet again comes to the rescue. For this, it’s usually good enough to just lay down a basic chord progression, but it allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.

A fun and useful tool

All of these benefits (and more) of a looping pedal make it a fun and useful tool. Even a simple looper like the Ditto can expand your musical horizons and abilities if you know how to use it.

If you don’t own a looper — or maybe you do and are afraid or don’t know how to use it — I’d encourage you to jump in and start. It doesn’t take long to figure out the basics, and once you do you’ll find that there are a lot of potential applications like the three I mentioned above.

If you use a looper, I’d love to hear the cool things you’ve discovered it can do.

July 19, 2022
How to Get Over Your Fear of Playing Guitar in Front of Other People
Let’s face it: playing guitar in front of other people can be intimidating.

Especially if you are fairly new to the instrument or have never been on stage before. It’s incredibly easy and natural to let the nerves get to you. What if I mess up? What if I play the wrong note? What if I sound awful?

Jerry Seinfeld had a famous standup bit about how public speaking was most people’s worst fear — and death was only second. He made the observation that for most of us, then, we’d rather be in the coffin than doing the eulogy.

But playing the guitar in front of a crowd can be just as scary as giving a speech. So how can you overcome that fear and get out there on stage? How can you address the negative voices in your head that cause anxiety and fear?

As someone who has played live more times than I can count, I have a few different tips and methods to help you take a step of faith and perform for others. Or if you already do play to audiences but still struggle with stage anxiety, hopefully these tips can help you be a little less nervous next time.

Remember that people think you’re amazing

My main venue for playing in front of people is when I’m on the worship team at church. This is something I’ve been doing regularly since I was in high school.

When I first started, and for a long time afterward, I would be just fine in practice. But then when Sunday morning came around, I would get nervous and make mistakes. Sometimes I would overplay, strum too hard, or just flat-out bomb (or at least I thought I did) and leave church with my proverbial head hung low. (One time I even played an entire song in the wrong key — that takes some doing.)

But then six or seven years ago, I began to realize something: almost no one notices — or cares — when you make a mistake.

I began to realize something: almost no one notices — or cares — when you make a mistake.

Once I internalized this truth, I began to ease up on myself and enjoy playing live more. I didn’t worry so much about mistakes when I made them. I still sometimes get a little frustrated when I mess up, but I don’t let it ruin my day anymore.

And I definitely still flub something up literally every time I’m on stage. Yet people still think I’m some amazing guitarist (I’m really average at best). Even when I ask, “Did you hear me mess up in [that song]?” nine times out of ten, the answer is, “No. I thought you sounded great!”

Remember, most people in the audience don’t play your instrument and are just impressed that you are on the stage making music!

Remember that most musicians are incredibly supportive

Yes, there are music snobs out there. And there are also people who want to turn playing the guitar into a pissing contest. Whether you play on the worship team at church or at a club with your band, it’s possible one of these people might hear your playing and judge you and all of your flaws, presumably in a misguided attempt to feel better about themselves.

But honestly, this is an extremely rare scenario — one I’ve never experienced, in fact.

Every single musician I have ever met and played with has been extremely supportive. We are all part of a fraternity of people who love making music, and it’s been my experience that there’s a bit of an unspoken rule that we’ve got each others’ backs.

Every single musician I have ever met and played with has been extremely supportive.

And here’s another little secret — every musician I’ve played with is also just a little neurotic (including me). We all suffer from the spotlight effect and have the tendency to dissect and dwell on our own perceived mistakes way more than others’. The end result is most of the post-performance conversations I have with my bandmates involve me complimenting the other person while I talk about all the times I messed up — with my bandmates doing the same thing!

Remember, musicians know what it’s like to perform in front of others and the self-criticism that can entail, so they generally go out of their way to try to be supportive to everyone else — especially those new to live playing.

Use the “jump in the deep end” method

Once you realize that no one cares if you make a mistake and most people will be extremely supportive of you even when you do, there’s only one thing left to do.

The best way to get over the fear of playing in front of other people is to just get out and do it: Give it your best shot, mess up a bunch, and learn.

It’s what I did, and it’s what every single musician you’ve ever seen on stage did, from the local guy playing at the farmer’s market to bands who sell out stadiums. They all had to step out in faith (and probably fear) that first time.

Give it your best shot, mess up a bunch, and learn.

And when you do step out and take that risk, you will find out a few things, like:
- You can make a mistake and not die or anything.
- Everyone in the crowd will still have fun even if you don’t nail every last chord change or solo.
- People will still be impressed with you, even if you aren’t the living embodiment of perfection.
Making music is about having fun

In the end, music is about having fun. And getting the chance to be the one making the music for your friends, family, or fans is fun — so you might as well treat it as such.

If you are holding back in fear from playing in front of other people, I’d encourage you to step out and do it anyway. It may be intimidating at first, but if you can remember these tips, you can get to the place where you will really enjoy playing live music.

If you’re an experienced musician, what are your tips for overcoming the fear of playing live? Let us know in the comments!
July 15, 2022
What Are Locking Tuners, and Why Should You Care?

Fun fact: I played guitar for several decades before I got serious about learning the intricacies of the instrument.

A good case in point is locking tuners. I was oblivious to them for many, many years until a friend gifted me a set for doing some work on his guitar.

If you are a normal guitarist like I was, you may not exactly know what locking tuners are either. If so, don’t fear! We’re going to talk about them today, explain what they are, and discuss why you might choose to use them (or not).

What are locking tuners?

Locking tuners are pretty much exactly what they sound like: tuning machines on the headstock of your guitar that lock the string into place. This is in contrast to traditional tuning machines, which require you to wrap the guitar string around the post to create enough friction to keep the strings from slipping.

An example of locking tuners. Note the dials used to screw down the posts. (Photo by Freebird from Madrid, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

It seems like every manufacturer has their own “special” type of locking tuner, but they all basically rely on a post or clamp to bite into and secure the string. The mechanism usually moves into place via turning a screw.

The benefit of locking tuners is really one of efficiency and speed. In fact, they were first used in live settings because guitar techs needed a way to change out broken strings quickly during shows.

The only benefit of locking tuners is efficiency and speed.

But that’s not only the main benefit — I would go so far as to say it’s the only benefit. And that’s not a dig; it is a nice upgrade. Switching from traditional to locking tuners makes string changes an absolute breeze. The set I got even clips off the excess string length for you, which is super cool.

Busting some myths about locking tuners

There is a pervasive myth on the internet, however, that locking tuners actually contribute to your guitar staying in tune. The claim is that the locking feature prevents string slippage, thus keeping the string at the right tension at all times — unlike regular tuning machines.

But the reality is this argument is highly suspect. First of all, there are ways to string a guitar with traditional tuners such that the strings don’t slip. Second, no quality tuning machine will slip, traditional or otherwise. I personally think that what often happens is a player replaces a subpar set of tuners with a locking set and notices a difference. But so far as I know, there are no low-end locking tuners on the market, so it becomes a difference in quality rather than design.

In other words, locking tuners function equally well as, but no better than, other tuners of similar quality. And from my own personal experience, that holds true.

Locking tuners are not a cure-all for tuning issues!

It’s also worth noting that your guitar can go out of tune for a whole host of reasons, and tuners are only one piece of the puzzle. An incorrectly cut nut, poor-quality strings, and even heat and humidity changes can all affect tuning stability. Locking tuners are not a cure-all for tuning issues!

Should you upgrade your guitar to locking tuners?

Locking tuners can be a nice upgrade to your guitar if you are comfortable dropping 60 to several hundred dollars on a new set. They do make string changes easy. And if you are replacing a lower-quality set, they will probably help with overall tuning stability.

But they are by no means the only legitimate option, as some guitarists make them seem. Any good-quality tuning machine will work just as well, especially if you know how to use them properly.

In the end, like so many guitar decisions, there is no one “right” answer. So evaluate the pros and cons, check your budget, and make the best decision for yourself. Good luck!

June 1, 2022