Maple Ave. Guitar Page

The club has not begun meeting yet for this year.  Listen to morning announcements about when we will begin meeting.

The guitar club meets on Mondays
from 2:20 -- 3:10 in Mr. Kish's room, P214. 

Players at all levels of experience
are welcome.

On-line Tuners:  These tuners produce tones through your computer so you can tune each string to the matching tone.  It is good ear-training to tune this way. 

• http://www.gieson.com/Library/projects/utilities/tuner/
   

Downloadable Guitar Tuner for your computer

• AP Guitar Tuner: this tuner allows you to both hear and see when each string is in tune.  It works much like the small electronic tuners many people use.  Very useful.

Tuning Tips

• Tune to a pitch like the first tuner listed above to help train your ear.
   
• Use a tuner with a needle or lights to help give you a visual idea about
  tuning to make it faster. The AP Guitar Tuner listed above allows you to do both.
   
• Don't be afraid to "overshoot" the pitch you are looking for -- you can always go back.  You can hear big differences better than small differences.  (Be careful about going too high and breaking the string, though.) 
   
• If you seem close but just can't "get there", drop the pitch, then bring it back up with one motion until the note just "falls into place" and matches. 
   
• If you are close, listen very carefully and you will hear vibrations called beats.  This happens when pitches are very close but not exact.  Adjust your pitch until you hear no beats -- that's a perfect match.
   
• If a string or strings are very hard to tune and don't seem to stay in tune:
   
  1. They may be very dirty -- wipe them as clean as you can with a soft cloth (including between the string and the fingerboard).
      
  2. They may be old and need to be replaced.  Old strings are hard to tune, to keep in tune, and sound dead.  New strings are a pleasure with a great bell like tone with lots of sustain.  If they are very old, replacing the whole set is best -- one new string will sound out of place with other worn out strings.
     
     
     
     If this does not help you may need to check some things that only someone who has some experience and understanding of a guitar should check, like:
      
  3. Your tuners may be loose or worn out.  Have someone with experience check this.
      
  4. Your action or intonation may need to be adjusted.  Have someone with experience check this.
      
  5. The neck may need adjustment.  Have someone with experience check this.
      
  6. Your frets or fingerboard may be too worn.  Have someone with experience check this.

Watch Folk concerts at WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour. Scroll down through the list of shows and check out some of the performers, mostly in the folk or blues genre.

Today's Chord and Idea

3/7/2008:  Movable Dominant 7 (7th) Chord Grip and 12 Bar Blues

   The open circle is the root (the name of the chord
     or "C" in this case.

Some good chord grips for beginning jazz players.
These grips can be moved up and down the neck
in order to play other chords.

Some triads that can be very useful as chords or
incorporated into solos.  These forms can also be
moved up and down the neck.