4/20/2009


Popular music

Popular music and rock groups often use the electric guitar in two roles: as a rhythm guitar which provides the chord sequence or "progression" and sets out the "beat" (as part of a rhythm section), and a lead guitar, which is used to perform melody lines, melodic instrumental fill passages, and guitar solos. In some rock or metal bands with two guitarists, the two performers may perform as a guitar tandem, and trade off the lead guitar and rhythm guitar roles. In bands with a single guitarist, the guitarist may switch between these two roles, playing chords to accompany the singer's lyrics, and then playing a guitar solo in the middle of the song.

In the most commercially available and consumed pop and rock genres, electric guitars tend to dominate their acoustic cousins in both the recording studio and the live venue, especially in the "harder" genres such as heavy metal and hard rock. However the acoustic guitar remains a popular choice in country, western and especially bluegrass music, and it is widely used in folk music.

An electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings (sometimes nickel) into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as reverb or distortion. While most electric guitars have six strings, seven-string instruments are used by some jazz guitarists and metal guitarists (especially in nu metal),and 12-string electric guitars (with six pairs of strings, four of which are tuned in octaves) are used in genres such as jangle pop and rock.

The electric guitar was first used by jazz guitarists, who used amplified hollow-bodied instruments to get a louder sound in Swing-era big bands. The earliest electric guitars were hollow bodied acoustic instruments with tungsten steel pickups made by the Rickenbacker company in 1931. While one of the first solid-body guitars was invented by Les Paul, the first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar was the Fender Esquire (1950). The electric guitar was a key instrument in the development of many musical styles that emerged since the late 1940s, such as Chicago blues, early rock and roll and rockabilly, and 1960s blues rock. It is also used in a range of other genres, including country music, Ambient (or New Age), and in some contemporary classical music.

10/14/2008

Edward Van Halen's guitar tech


As we reported earlier, the initial leg of Van Halen's most recent tour had to be postponed so that Ed could undergo treatment for an unspecified medical condition. We're happy to report that the tour resumed to largely favorable reviews and has now wrapped up with the closing show in Grand Rapids Michigan today.
Grand Rapids native, Tom Weber has had the tough, but enviable job of being Ed's lead guitar tech for the tour. In an article on MLive.com, Tom shares his experiences maintaining the legendary player's guitars.

8/25/2008

Antique Music

It's the unique business that mixes a passion for music with an interest in antiquities and vintage items, but antique musical instruments are still useful in some kinds of enterprises. There are also some shops that sell these items online within the greater antique marketplace.There are benefits and drawbacks to buying antique musical instruments for sale online. Business managers might look for antique instruments for businesses like these:1. A "mom and pop" antique shop where items are bought from other shops and offered for sale locally.2. A procurement agency that caters to the whims of very rich clients, acquiring items like antique musical instruments for homes or properties.3. For a business involved in outfitting a museum or educational space.
Action StepsThe best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tips and Tactics
Always protect yourself as a buyer as much as possible. Try to make a detailed agreement about the condition of an item as well as other considerations like antique instrument prices before the transaction is made to avoid potential problems.