HOME | 2000 | Bands | Contents | Guest | Guitars | Links | Makers | MP3 | Music | NEW | Search | Stores | TAB | Tuition


1000 Great Guitar Sites on the Web


Guitar Newsletter #6 - September 22, 1998


Guitar Newsletter   Subscribe   |   Prizes   |   Archive


Like to keep informed of updates to this site?
Interested in other Guitar News? Prizes?
Why not subscribe to my new FREE guitar newsletter?
(It'll be emailed to you each week)
Your email address will not be disclosed and you can
unsubscribe again any time you wish!
Why not give it a go?

Your Email Address:




Guitar Newsletter #6 - September 22, 1998

Return to Main Newsletter Page   |   Browse Newsletter Archive


Welcome to the sixth edition of the Guitar Newsletter, from Neil Shedden, the Webmaster of "1000 Great Guitar Sites on the Web". If you missed previous editions, you can see them in the archive

Subscribers get this newsletter first, but each edition will be archived here on the site for general access later, where you may read it as an HTML document.

In this edition:

1 - *** WIN PRIZES ***
2 - ZEP & BLUES LEGEND
3 - FLAT / SHARP WEATHER?
4 - ALL EXPERTS
5 - CHRISTIAN MUSIC SITES
6 - CD DISCOUNTS & RECENT RELEASES
7 - MELODY IS BOSS by Kirk Lorange
8 - 1998 Guitar Database
9 - FINALLY

*********************************************

1 - *** WIN PRIZES ***

OK, here's you chance to help fellow musicians AND help yourself to a valuable prize! All you have to do is either:

A - tell me about a great guitar site
that I don't already have a link to

OR

B - write something for this Guitar Newsletter
(sent to GuitarMaster@hitsquad.com)

Submissions can be of any length - longer articles will be linked to a page in my site, with a summary in the newsletter. All entries are eligible for entry to the newsletter at a future date, but the prizes go to the most original / entertaining / interesting / useful article. It can be a funny guitar-related experience, a tip, joke, tab, review - anything fellow guitarists would enjoy reading!

What do you win? You can select a prize from any of the following:

*** Pyramid Strings
are offering your choice in strings
(up to the value of $75)
Check out their great range!

*** The ENHANCR:
increases resonance, volume, brilliance, clarity
and sustain for acoustic guitars - check it out

*** Leighton Watts tapes of his recent albums.
Don't know Leighton's brand or country music?
Go to LeightonBWatts.com

*** The new Melbourne Band TISM
(This Is Serious Mum) CD up for grabs:
www.tism.wanker.com

*** "Mr Funny Face" by the US pop punk band
Sprung Monkey (recent CD release)


Just send in your article NOW!

Congratulations to last weeks prize winner, Kirk Lorange
See his article on Playing with "feel" (in newsletter #5)
You can read his previous article "To read or Not to read?"
There is another article from Kirk this week:
"Melody is Boss" (see later in this newsletter)

He chose the ENHANCR as his prize

Thanks to Smith Family Music of Idaho for this prize!


More Prize Winner Details


*********************************************

2 - ZEP & BLUES LEGEND

 The Oct. '98 issue of "Guitar One" magazine has an excellent article on a recently discovered 16mm film of Robert Johnson. This is the only known footage of the blues legend & apparently sheds new light into his mysterious guitar style. Page and Plant visited the lucky owner of the film during their recent visit to Tennessee. Johnson has inspired countless musicians since his death in 1938, including several Zep songs such as "Travelling Riverside Blues" and "Trampled Underfoot".
News from: led-zeppelin.com/news.html

Classic Led Zep
Stairway to Heaven
Robert Johnson

*********************************************

3 - FLAT / SHARP WEATHER?

Bill Schreiner writes:

"I have noticed during our humid summer that my guitar will go flat during a humid spell. Then, during a dry spell I will bring it out and it is sharp. I would think it would be just the opposite. I believe wood swells when it gets humid, so the guitar would get longer and thus, the strings would be pulled tighter and therefore have a higher pitch. Conversely, as the air gets dryer, the guitar would shrink in size and the strings would have a lower pitch. This doesn't seem to be the case, however. Does anyone have a theory on this?" wschrei@intella.net

The answer, or course, is that the humidity, and also the temperature, affect the STRINGS more than it does the WOOD. Thus the strings will go flat if the humidity increases or the temperature increases.
From the classical guitar list: cguitar-list@eskimo.com

*********************************************

4 - ALL EXPERTS

If you can't find what you're looking for, or if you're looking for a rather uncommon piece of information, it's better if you can ask a real live person, preferably an expert. That's where this site comes in. At Allexperts.com they have volunteer experts ready, willing, and able to answer your questions - give it a go!

*********************************************

5 - CHRISTIAN MUSIC SITES


A new page is developing I'm looking for more Christian music links: tab, bands etc. Let me know your favorite and you could be next weeks prize winner! (see prizes article)

*********************************************

6 - CD DISCOUNTS & RECENT RELEASES

You've enjoyed this site for free, right?  Well now's your chance to say Thank You AND save yourself up to 30% off your favourite CDs!  I get 5% commission (at no cost to you) on any "CD NOW" sale through my site, which, in its own small way, helps support this newsletter and the guitar site & database. Just search for anything you want from this link: http://cdnow.com/from=sr-767167

CD NOWCD NOWCD NOWCD NOWCD NOW


As well as advance orders & quick delivery of thousands of CDs in stock, CD NOW have sound clips, reviews & other merchandise, plus up to 30% discount for you!

Just click on the links below, or see more on the CD page, or search for what you're after from the search slot below:
CD NOW
Discover the World's
Largest Music Store

Artist
Album Title
Song Title


*********************************************

7 - MELODY IS BOSS by Kirk Lorange

What is it that makes one tune different from another? Melody.

What makes a song a hit and what is it that you remember? Melody

What is the only aspect of music that you can copyright? Melody

Melody is boss. Which is why I always shudder a bit when I hear 'scales', 'modes' and 'improvisation' mentioned in the same sentence. (I just shuddered)

Sure, you can rattle off scales and string riffs together and throw in the odd mode or two, but unless you're thinking melody, you have not made music; you are not improvising. You may have confirmed that you know which building blocks fit, but you've created nothing new. Improvisation to me implies invention, and you don't invent scales any more than an artist invents Cobalt Blue or Vermilion Red. Scales and modes are like the squirts of paint on a palette. You have to choose carefully which to use, which to blend. Start mixing too many colors and you wind up with mud.

Think melody, is my advice. Don't let your hand dictate what you play. More often than not, two or three well-chosen notes are far more musical (melodic) than a run through a scale, or worse, an inappropriate modal... thing. Let your heart lead you. Of course you should know your scales, just as an artist should know his or her colors, but to truly invent something new, like a spontaneous melodic line, you can't be thinking scales or modes.

The rules of improvisation are set by the key of the piece of music generally, and specifically, by what I call the 'chord of the moment'. Both provide the framework upon which you can drape your melodies. When chords from outside the key intrude, consider them as key changes.

On the face of it, music seems like a highly complex set of relationships: intervals, chords, scales, modes, keys, harmony, rhythm, tempo, 'feel'. But really, all these elements are there because of melody. In fact, the entire multi billion dollar music industry exists because we love melody.

If you're still looking for a way of 'seeing' the music on the fretboard, a way of distilling any musical moment down to it's barest essentials, visit my site and read about my book PlaneTalk-The Truly Totally Different Guitar Instruction Book. It is a comic strip conversation in which I describe in great detail (in plain old English) the trick I use to keep track of everything, a simple visualisation trick that years ago opened up the whole fretboard to me.

And remember, Melody is boss.

K i r k L o r a n g e
www.onthenet.com.au/~kirkclan

*********************************************

8 - 1998 Guitar Database

The 1998 Guitar Database now has over 1000 entries! Enter database from here

You can browse by category, such as Tablature

or browse by alphabetic title letter, e.g. sites beginning with "A"

or browse just Bands/Artists by alphabetic title letter, e.g. Bands beginning with "A"

or check out What's New

or do a keyword search, e.g. look for "Hendrix". Note that it searches for occurrences of the EXACT word or phrase, hence "Hendrix" appears more often than "Jimi Hendrix"

1998 Guitar Database
Keyword Search:

>>> latest entries         Add URL


If you get a server error, just try again a while later - the database has been unavailable for short periods recently, due to server overload - the site is just too darn popular!

*********************************************

9 - FINALLY

Remember to checkout what's new on the "1000 Great Guitar Sites" each day

Or look at the September entries in the Guitar Database




Guitar Newsletter   Subscribe   |   Prizes   |   Archive

As a visitor to the site, you already know that it aims to showcase the best that the Web has to offer to those interested in the guitar. This newsletter is an extension to that, aiming to review sites and products in an attempt to save your time surfing, letting you know what is new on the site & what is hot on the Net! Entries will be kept short, with references to URLs for further reading, rather that full text articles.

If you want to include your own brief guitar-related article for the next newsletter,
just mail me: humour, tips, tricks, reviews, tabs, experiences, lessons...




Your email address will not be disclosed to others at any time.
If you wish to leave the list just email with unsubscribe in the body,
plus your reason, if you wish to share it with me!
Constructive criticism, feedback & requests are always appreciated



For the latest updates, check the entries in the 2000 Guitars Database
1998 Guitar Database add your site online Keyword Search:
or exact phrase


Enjoyed this site? Tell others! Put a banner on your site & link to:
1000 Great Guitar Sites on the Web
http://www.GuitarSite.com/



enjoyed this page?   checkout the rest!

100 sites
2000 Guitars
Add URL
Amps
Awards
Bands
Banners
CDs
Chat
Chords
Chords2
Chord Theory
Christian
Chromatic
Classical
Classical2
Contents
Country Music
Database
Disclaimer
Discussion
Distribution
easyjam'n
Effects
FAQ
Flamenco
Glossary
Guestbook
Guitars
Guitars2
Guitars3
Health
History
HowToPlay
HowToPlay2
Interviews
Jokes
Makers
Makers2
MP3
Museum
Music
Nail Care
Newsgroups
Newsletters
NO FRAMES
OzBands
OzBands2
Record Deals
Resources
Search
Software
Specials
Stores
Stores2
Tablature
TAB 1
TAB 2
TAB 3
TAB 4
TAB Help
TAB Archive
Tuition
Tuition2
Tuning
WebRings
Women



UK Legends
US Legends
Bo Diddley
Chet Atkins
Clapton
Doors
M.Haggard
J.Hendrix
P.Keaggy
Led Zep
Malmsteen
Mermen
Nirvana
PinkFloyd
REM
R.Stones
S.Pumpkins
A.Segovia
F.Sor
H.Williams


SEARCH this site for...

HOME


Copyright © GuitarSite.com Pty Ltd 1999 - 2009, All Rights Reserved. This site is published by HITSQUAD
Click here for our Privacy Policy | Click here for Advertising Details