Guitar Fobia

It’s Easy To Make Money Quickly On eBay

2011-01-10T04:38:00.001-08:00

With today’s economy, everyone is looking either for ways to supplement their current income, or in many cases, to find a new income after being laid off. More and more of these people are turning to eBay and other online sites to make this money. And while at first glance it may seem difficult, it is actually extremely easy to make quick money on eBay. As long as you have the right tools, and have done your research.

The trick to making eBay work for you is doing your research. You also need to take advantage of all the third person companies and sites that have sprung up in recent years. They take the work out of eBay, and still let you make good money, easily. I like to think of them as a bunch of low wage employees that do my grunt work.

And that is the trick to making money. Find the most cost effective way to go about your business, and always remember that your time is worth money as well.

SONGBOOK - Acoustic Rock Guitar Play - Along

2009-10-20T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Guitar Play-Along Series will help you play your favorite songs quickly and easily! Just follow the tab, listen to the CD to hear how the guitar should sound, and then play along using the separate backing tracks. The melody and lyrics are also included in the book in case you want to sing, or to simply help you follow along. The audio CD is playable on any CD player. For PC and Mac computer users, the CD is enhanced so you can adjust the recording to any tempo without changing pitch!

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Essential Dictionary of Music Notation eBook

2009-10-20T02:19:00.000-07:00

The most practical and conscise source for music notation is perfect for all musicians -- amateur to professional. Text is accompanied by numerous examples directly related to the topic being discussed. These examples are kept as simple and complete as possible, with an emphasis on presenting correct and current notation practices.
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Jimi Hendrix - Signature Licks eBook

2009-10-20T02:18:00.000-07:00

This book/CD pack offers a unique and thorough examination of twelve of Hendrix's greatest compositions. Each song segment is presented with all of the guitar parts fully transcribed, plus accompanying audio on CD, as performed by a full band. All solos, as well as complex rhythm parts, are also performed slowly for easier consumption and understanding. Performance notes, outlining chord voicings, scale use, and unusual techniques are included for each song. Songs include: Foxy Lady, Hey Joe, Little Wing, Purple Haze and more.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

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1001 Blues Licks ebook by Toby Wine

2009-10-20T02:14:00.001-07:00

1001 Blues Licks presents 1001 riffs in a variety of blues styles to be played within the standard 12-bar format. This is the ideal book for beginners seeking a well-organized, easy-to-follow encyclopedia of blues licks, as well as consummate professionals who want to take their knowledge of the blues to new heights.

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Frank Gambale--Modal Magic

2009-10-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Frank explains the theory behind modes and the importance of each mode and connection of modes with chords.

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Music Theory For The Rock Guitarist by Mel Bay

2009-10-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Written in notation and tablature, this handy book presents basic information on building and playing blues scales, octaves, pentatonic, scales, double stops, passing notes, modes, diatonic and chromatic scales, chords and arpeggios. You will be taught the principles of chord and scale formation, as well as how to use various aspects of theory and harmony correctly in performance.

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John Petrucci--Rock Discipline(Book+CD)

2009-10-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

This powerful and all-encompassing Book&CD package is an epic vision on the art of modern rock guitar. John Petrucci offers detailed lessons on speed and accuracy, chromatic exercises, playing with dynamics, connecting scale fragments to form long solo lines and much, much more. One of the most complete courses on rock guitar.

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Duke Ellington For Fingerstyle Guitar eBook

2009-10-06T00:10:00.000-07:00

These spectacular fingerstyle arrangements are written in the style of ragtime and blues with lots of alternative thumb and classic blues phrases. Playing these tunes transports you back to another more congenial time and place. Plus, Steve provides a complete lesson in guitar chord theory and substitution. Each song is written in standard notation and guitar tablature, and all the songs are demonstrated on the CD.

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Acoustic Blues Guitar Styles eBook

2009-10-06T00:08:00.001-07:00

Following the author's successful Acoustic Guitar Styles (Routledge, April 2002), this book introduces the readers to the basics of finger-style acoustic guitar blues. Most would-be blues guitarists today learn primarily from books, using notation or guitar tablature, reinforced by CDs, videos, or live teachers. Often this involves rote repetition rather than encouraging creative exploration. Students become copycats, able to play by rote but lack the conceptual equipment to create music on their own. Worst of all, because they learn to play notes rather than working outwards from rhythmic gestures in the picking hands, their music lacks rhythmic vitality. This book concentrates on keeping your playing rhythmic and alive.

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Jam With Gary Moore eBook

2009-10-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

Jam along with tracks made popular by undoubtedly one of the greatest rock and blues guitarists in the world today on Jam With Gary Moore! His mastery of the electric guitar has been an inspiration to guitarists the world over from his early work with Skid Row to his Peter Green inspired blues testament :Still Got The Blues".
This guitar workshop is a powerful learning tool that will help you to extend your stockpile of licks and fills and develop your improvisational skills. The combination of musical notation and guitar tablature in this book together with backing tracks on the CD gives you the opportunity to learn eight of Gary Moore's tracks note for note and then jam with a professional session band. The track listing reflects some of Gary's most popular recordings, providing something for guitarists to have fun with and improvise with, as well as something to aspire to.
Features the following tracks: "Still Got The Blues", "Walking By Myself", "The Loner", "Oh Pretty Woman", "Story Of The Blues", "Cold Day In Hell", "Empty Rooms" and "Parisienne Walkways".
The first eight tracks on the CD are full length backing tracks recorded minus lead guitar. The remaining tracks feature the backing tracks with the lead guitar added. Although many of you will have all the original tracks in your own collection, we have provided them in the package for your reference. The "JAM WITH..." series allows you to accurately recreate the original, or to use the transcriptions in this book in conjunction with the backing tracks as a basis for your own improvisation.

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Allan Holdsworth - Reaching For The Uncommon Chord eBook

2009-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Originally published in 1985, this book features Guitar Transcriptions, Text, Performance Notes, and Photos. A Selected Discography is also included. The book features transcriptions for ten of Allan's compositions. Included are "The Abingdon Chasp", "Fred", "Home", "Letters Of Marque", "Shallow Sea", "Temporary Fault", "Three Sheets To The Wind", "Tokyo Dream", "The Unmerry-Go-Round", and "White Line". The guitar solos are NOT transcribed. Both tablature and standard musical notation are included. Allan also comments on his work with many of the bands he has performed with over the years. Another section, entitled, "Machines I Have Known", explores the guitars and equipment Allan has used over the years.

Downalod
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

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Jazz Classics For Solo Guitar

2009-09-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Chord Melody Arrangements with Tab. By Robert B. Yelin. Guitar Solo. Softcover. With notes and tablature. 144 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

This collection includes Robert Yelin's excellent chord melody arrangements in standard notation and tablature for 35 all-time jazz favorites: All of You * April in Paris * Cheek to Cheek * Cry Me a River * Day by Day * God Bless' the Child * Imagination * It Might as Well Be Spring * Lover * Moonlight in Vermont * My Foolish Heart * My Romance * Nuages * Samba De Orfeu * Satin Doll * Sophisticated Lady * Stardust * Tenderly * Unchained Melody * Wave * What's New? * When I Fall in Love * Willow Weep for Me * and more!

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Pumping Nylon (The Classical Guitarist's Technique Handbook) eBook

2009-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Scott Tennant, world-class classical guitarist and well-respected guitar educator, has brought together the most comprehensive technique handbook for the classical guitarist. In addition to technical information not available elsewhere, he has compiled selections from Giuliani's 120 Right-Hand Studies; musical examples by Bach, Turina, Rodrigo and others;Tarrega arpeggio studies; and original compositions by Andrew York and Brian Head. Essential information and a great sense of humor are effectively combined in this best-selling book.

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All Blues Soloing For Jazz Guitar eBook

2009-09-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

The most complete guide to jazz/blues soloing ever written! This comprehensive book details the sounds, elements, and approaches that make the blues such an integral part of the jazz vocabulary. Moving from blues progressions to fingerboard organization to phrasing, essential blues scales, riffs, lick development, and an array of advanced concepts and devices, including substitute scales & extended super arpeggios are covered. Throughout this process 38 solos, over 100 music examples, and hundreds of licks are featured. Written in notation and tablature.

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Mission Impossible Theme - Sungha Jung

2009-09-22T02:50:00.001-07:00

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Mission Impossible Theme - Sungha Jung Guitar tabs

Here's a heavy version of the Mission Impossible theme I play with my band:

With Heavy Distortion:

Intro (palm muted)
x2
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|--3--3--6-8---3--3--1-2-3--5--6-8---3--3--1-2-3--|

Theme (not palm muted)
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|--5--5--8-10--5--5--3-4-5--5--8-10--5--5--3-4-5--|
A|--5--5--8-10--5--5--3-4-5--5--8-10--5--5--3-4-5--|
E|--3--3--6-8---3--3--1-2-3--5--6-8---3--3--1-2-3--|

Have the first guitar keep playin the theme over and over and then have guitar 2 bust out 
this easy buy cool solo:

solo:
E|--6p3---------6p3-------6p3----------------------|
B|------3-----------2------------1-----1-----------|
G|-----------------------------------3-------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|

E|------3-----------2---------1------0-------------|
B|-------------------------------------4-----------|
G|--3p0---------3p0-------3p0----------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|

And for the "chorus" just play the theme with some rhythm:

E|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------|
D|--55-5-5-55-5-7-1055-5-5-55-5-3-4-5-|
A|--55-5-5-55-5-7-1055-5-5-55-5-3-4-5-|
E|--33-3-3-33-3-5-8-33-3-3-33-3-1-2-3-|

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Movie 007 Theme - Sungha Jung

2009-09-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

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The Martin Taylor Guitar Method eBook

2009-09-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

The Martin Taylor Guitar Method offers you the chance to study with one of the giants of jazz guitar. Hailed by guitar legend Chet Atkins as "One of the greatest and most impressive guitarists in the world today..." and celebrated by New York's Jazz Times as "Europe's finest guitarist," Martin shares the secrets of his style for the first time in this amazing tutor. Learn how Martin creates solo guitar arrangements of jazz standards via a series of progressive studies aimed at introducing guitarists of intermediate level and beyond to the world of arranging and solo performance. You won't get a better chance to study with one of the instrument's true masters!

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Joe Satriani Guitar Secrets eBook

2009-09-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Learn guitar tips, tricks and secrets with this collection of articles and tips from Satriani's famous columns that have appeared in Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazine. Who better to learn guitar from than the master himself?
Joe Satriani

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Electric Slide Guitar eBook

2009-09-16T03:06:00.001-07:00

Intructional guitar book for using a slide. Topics covered include choosing the right slide, open "blues" tunings, stylistic licks and patterns, standard tuning techniques and more. The book contains a full-color photo section showing all types of slides, and it includes 32 music examples in standard notation and tablature.

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Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force eBook

2009-09-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

Performed by Yngwie Malmsteen. Guitar tablature songbook for guitar and voice. 144 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. Seven songs from the album, including: As Above, So Below * Black Star * Far Beyond The Sun * Now Your Ships Are Burned.

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Play Acoustic eBook

2009-09-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Complete Guide to Mastering Acoustic Guitar Styles by Dave Hunter.
The acoustic guitar is the instrument of the people and Play Acoustic tells the people how to play it. This detailed and beautifully illustrated book explores the history of the acoustic guitar, from the jazz age to the folk revolutions of the early 1960s and late 1990s to the current rebirth of bluegrass and the singer-songwriter boom of the past decade. Skilled professional musicians and experienced tutors coach the reader through 11 styles, using exercises suitable to novice players new to each style and working up to full pieces and advanced techniques. Entire chapters are devoted to folk, rock and pop, blues, country, bluegrass, jazz, and more, with detailed guidance through both musical notation and tablature, diagrams, and explanatory text. An accompanying CD also offers listening examples of the most crucial of these exercises, to help players master each style.

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Part 1
Part 2

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Jamorama - The Ultimate Guitar Learning Kit eBook

2009-09-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

Contains the three books, Learn to Play Guitar with Jamorama for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. Also two exclusive computer games "JaydeMusica Pro" and "GuitEarIt!" to aid in the learning of musical notes, both in transcribing and in reading written music. These games make the monotony of learning to read music fun, and also help students to develop their ear for transcribing their favorite songs from the radio. Both games are professionally designed, and are invaluable in developing the key skills necessary in being a better musician.

Plus Two bonus e-books and tuning software

* Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar

* How to tune your guitar

* Guitar tuner pro software

These books cover how to tune your guitar, the software has audio files of many tunings and is user friendly. The training techniques will cut your learning time in half. This package is impressive because it is one of the most complete packages regarding the whole process of learning the guitar, from strumming, muting and bending, to timing, reading music and transcribing.

Downlaod
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

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A Modern Method For Guitar - Vol.1 eBook

2009-09-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

A practical and comprehensive guitar method designed for the serious guitar student and used as the basic text for the Berklee College of Music guitar program. In Volume 1, William Leavitt teaches beginning guitar students all the music fundamentals including scales, melodic studies, chord and arpeggio studies, special exercises for both hands, accompaniment techniques, and a unique approach to voice leading using movable chord forms. The book features solos, selected studies, duets, and trios. It's the next best thing to having a private instructor coach you through the lessons.

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A Modern Method For Guitar - Vol.2 eBook

2009-09-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Once you've mastered the fundamentals from Volume 1, Volume 2 continues the study of melody, scales, arpeggios, and chords, covering the entire fingerboard. Written for intermediate-level guitarists, this volume addresses intervals, chord voicings, improvisation, and contains special sections on rhythm-guitar techniques.

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A Modern Method For Guitar - Vol.3 eBook

2009-09-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

After completing Volumes 1 and 2, this volume offers a more in-depth study of guitar. Features advanced playing tips and techniques relating to scales, arpeggios, rhythm guitar, chord/scale relationship, chord construction (with special attention to the melodization of three note stuctures), and chord voicings.

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Creative Guitar 2 - Advanced Techniques eBook

2009-09-10T08:57:00.001-07:00

Continuing where Book 1 left off, Creative Guitar 2 studies in depth the various techniques used by today's guitar stars in their playing, including eight-finger tapping, playing harmonics and the undiscovered world of emulating other instruments. This book also includes a CD full of riffs and examples to illustrate the exercises and techniques in the book.

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Peter Fischer-Rock Guitar Secrets

2009-09-10T08:56:00.001-07:00

The ultimate guitarist's reference book with playing techniques, solo and improvisation concepts, exercises and jam tracks. The purpose of this book is to demystify the relatively simple concepts or tricks around which much of rock guitar is built. The book is designed modularly, allowing the reader to choose any topic at any time, but is can also be sequentially as a method. Topics includes warm-ups, pentatonic scales, bending and vibrato techniques, blues scales, string skipping, major scales, alternate picking,modes, economy picking (sweeping), arpeggios, two-hand tapping, minor scales, legato techniques, exotic scales, whammy bar, how to build a solo, practice planning, and improvisation. Each concept is discussed in a thorough and easily understandable manner. The accompanying CD includes over 80 licks and exercises plus more than 20 jam tracks, helping the student put the concepts directly into practice. In notation and tablature.

Playing techniques, solo and improvisation concepts, exercises, licks and jam tracks for: warm ups, pentatonic scales, bending and vibrato techniques, blues scales, string skipping, major scales, alternate picking, modes, economy picking (sweeping), arpeggios, two-hand tapping, minor scales, legato techniques, exotic scales, whammy bar, how to build a solo, improvisation.

About the Author
Peter Fischer was born in 1966 and is Germany's most prominent author of instructional books and videos such as Masters of Rock Guitar, Rock Guitar Secrets, Total Guitar Technique, Blues Guitar Rules, and the instructional video Modern Rock Concepts, of which a few have also been translated into English. He is a contributing columnist for various European music magazines. A graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles, he is also very active as a performer both on stage and in the studio. He was also a featured new talent in Mike Varney's Spotlight column in the November 1989 issue of Guitar Player Magazine.

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Bill Edwards - Fretboard Logic SE, Volumes I & II Combined eBook

2009-09-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

Volume I focuses on the reasoning behind the guitar's unique and largely unappreciated tuning system. The intervallic structure created by the tuning is unlike any other instrument and creates three specific pattern types which are integral to one another and have been termed Chord Forms, Scale Forms and Lead Patterns. There are five basic chord forms, five basic scale forms and two basic lead patterns which are completely independent of any music concepts and solely the result of an ingenious pitch selection by an unknown (and unsung) inventor. Since every other aspect of guitar playing, such as theory, technique, and style, must be expressed through this fretboard interface, no other single area of education can be more fundamental to a guitar player's development. Although the chordal part of this interface has long been recognized as "the CAGED system," Fretboard Logic presents ALL the aspects as a unified "operating system" for guitar players regardless of stylistic preferences, technical considerations or guitar type.
Volume II presents the three basic tonal elements of music in the context of the fretboard pattern organization of Volume I. The tonal materials available to a musician come from note groupings. Groups of notes can be expressed only two ways: as played simultaneously or consecutively. Groups of notes that are played simultaneously are termed chords and those that are played consecutively are called scales or modes. The third category consists of a hybrid whereby chords are played like scales, known as arpeggios. Chords, scales and arpeggios are not music by themselves but are the tonal materials that the musician uses to produce it.

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Finger Gymnastics eBook

2009-09-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

This book is for all levels and styles of guitarists. "Finger Gymnastics" is a term used for warm-ups, stretching, and any type of practice exercise that develops technique and stamina while preventing technique related injuries. The exercises in this book are time-tested and will keep your technique at its optimum while helping to ensure injury-free performance.

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How To Play Purple Haze On Guitar

2009-09-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Purple Haze is one of your iconic sixties pieces. The distincive riff is not hard to learn, but you will probably have to wait for a while till the lyrics come back into fashion. The original recording of Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix made use of an effects pedal called an Octavia which sounds notes one octave higher than they are played.
Here is a video showing you how to play Purple Haze . . .

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

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How To Change A Guitar Pickup

2009-09-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

If your guitar does not sound as fantastic as you would like it to, you can upgrade your pickup. You can increase the quality and power of your sound. If your favorite guitarist uses a particular pickup you might not be doing yourself a favor by switching to the pickup your role model uses. The sound of your guitar is the result of the combination of the pickups with the other materials that the guitar is made from. If you are familiar with how to use a screwdriver and a soldering iron, chances are you will be able to handle swapping over a guitar pickup. Before you buy a new pickup you might want to check that you can return it if you are not happy with the sound.

Here is a video demonstration from Seymour Duncan on how to replace pickups . . .

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How To Play F Chord On Guitar

2009-09-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

The F major chord has the same shape as the E major chord, except that it slides up to the next fret. This is the first challenge for a student guitar player because it means you are going to have to exert some pressure to produce a clean sound. This is going to take quite a bit of practice.

The F major chord can be played as a full barre chord where the index finger bars all six strings, or a partial bar where only the first and second strings are barred by the first finger.

To play F as a partial bar, place the first joint of your index finger across the two thinnest strings at the first fret. Next, put your middle finger at the second fret on the third string. Now put your ring finger at the third fret on the fourth string. Once you have built up some confidence you can try using your index finger to bar all six strings.

You will make it easier to bar the strings if you place your thumb in the center of the guitar neck. Right at the start of practicing the F chord you could put a capo at the third fret which will make barring the strings much easier.

Here is a video that will help you start off with the F major chord . . .

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GNUitar : Guitar effects that allows you to use your PC as guitar processor

2009-09-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Software Description

GNUitar is guitar effects software that allows you to use your PC as guitar processor.

Available effects are:

2 kinds of distortion (one is Ibanez TubeScreamer 9 simulation)
Sustain
Various flavors of reverb, echo & delay
Chorus/flanger
Equalizer
Noise reduction
Wah-wah
Phasor
Tremolo
Vibrato

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TabIt:Program for creating, playing, and printing guitar, bass, or banjo tablature.

2009-09-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

Software Description

TabIt is a full-featured program for creating, playing, and printing guitar, bass, or banjo tablature.

Features:

Playback: Enter tablature, then play it back through your computer speakers.
Multiple tracks: Tabs can have up to 15 different instruments (chosen from a list of 128) playing simultaneously.
Drum tracks: Augment your tabs with up to 47 different drums.
Printing.
Text file export: Convert your tabs into plain text files.
MIDI file export: Convert your tabs into standard MIDI files, suitable for playing or editing in other programs.

New in v2.03

For better compatibility with Windows Vista, TabIt no longer uses "C:\Program Files\TabIt\Songs" as the default location for tablature files; instead, it now creates a folder named "TabIt Tabs" inside your My Documents folder for this purpose. If any files are found in the old location, TabIt will offer to move them to the new folder.
The Open and Save dialogs now default to the "TabIt Tabs" folder. This can be changed by going to Tools | Options.
The help file has been rebuilt to work on Windows Vista.
Various fixes.

Download
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18-String Bass Guitar

2009-09-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

This was my first experience to see a picture of 18-String Bass Guitar. I’m really influenced and started to think about too many questions like “how to play this instrument?” or “how are they tuning this guitar?” etc.

let’s make acquaintance this instrument more…

Modulus 18-String Bass and Allen Woody

Modulus produced this 18- string bass for Tom Peterson in the beginning of 1980’s. The model was neck- through including a custom Stars Guitars brass bridge. According to modulus founder Geoff Gould, it is short 30 ½ scale. The neck is around 2 ¼ wide at the nut and around 3 ¾ wide at the 24th fret. This bass was cretaed around the same time that Petersson left Cheap Trick. Petersson is said not to like it and then it was shipped back to Modulus. Allan Woody got in touch with Modulus around that time and asked if an 18- string as the one you made for Tom Petersson could be built for him. When he was informed that the actual Petersson bass convinient, he became the new owner. He was stil holding it at the time of his death.

Vox Humana 18-String Bass

In the Netherlands this 18- string bass created by Vox Humana as a custom order. Photos courtesy of Rene van Loon at at the Music Centre Vox Humana.

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Monster Guitar

2009-09-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

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How To Play Beginner Guitar Chords

2009-09-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD ViDEO
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impossible guitar

2009-09-02T03:44:00.001-07:00

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Bass Amplifier made from cheap Aura InteractorAmplifier

2009-08-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is my Firs Instrucion, so the next ones will be better ;-)
I have bought an Cheap (5Euros) AuraInteractorAmplifier from a german Shop
http://www.pollin.de/shop/shop.php?cf=detail.php&pg=NQ==&a=NTk4OTYzOTk=
It delivers approx. 16W RMS.
The Powesupply primary is 220V...240V at 50Hz.
They wrote you cold use it as Subwoofer Amplifier, but when I tried it, the sound was horrible.
So I modded it with good results.
Sorry, not much fotos since i have lost the data cable for my mobile phone :-(

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out:{ top: 0.10069444444444445, left: 0.186, width: 0.152, height: 0.2361111111111111, text:"volume control\n" }

Modify Your Wah Pedal

2009-08-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

After making my talk box I started surfing the web for other guitar related things I could do myself. I found loads of info on the Dunlop GCB-95 wah pedal. This Instructable will walk you through all of the modifications I made to my wah pedal...

*True Bypass Mod
*Volume Boost Mod
*Wah-Volume Pedal Mod
*Vocal Mod
*Midrange Mod

After having completed all of these mod and a few others I recommend doing them one at a time and testing in between mods so if you don't like something, you can easily reverse it.

Your gonna need some basic soldering tools...
-good soldering iron (mines a Weller WESD51D I got for christmas)
-solder
-wire cutter/stripper
-helping hand (a must!!)

also the to wire anything to the board itself you will need 24AWG wire

ALL STEPS:

step 1Research

I think this is a big step in all of my projects. You don't want to just jump in without input from multiple sources. A few of the site that helped me were... [http://home…

step 2True Bypass

So when your have you pedal off it doesn't affect your sound right? WRONG!! You may have noticed that even when off some of you effect pedals "suck" the tone from your guit…

step 3Volume Boost

This is one of the easier mods because If you've converted to true bypass, all you need to do is replace the 68K series input resistor with a lower value. I read that too l…

step 4Wah-Volume Pedal

Now I'm sure we would all love one of these [http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Classics-Series-VolumeTone-Pedal?sku=150489 here], but if your like me you just n…

step 5Vocal

This one is pretty cool because it allows you to treak the sound of wah itself. "Replace the 33K resistor... with a 68K. This gives a more vocal quality to the wah. Some …

step 6Midrange

"Replace the 1K5 resistor... with a larger value. This increases the midrange and helps if your wah sounds dull and muted when you rock the pedal back. Try 1K8 to 2K7. High…

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Guitar Pedals

2009-08-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Set of 36 plug-ins for guitar, bass, software instruments, vocal and acoustic instruments

Software Description

Guitar Pedals is a set of 36 plug-ins for guitar, bass, software instruments, vocal and acoustic instruments, was originally released under Audiffex's previous "DSound" brand name back in 1999 when it was one of the first professional software guitar effect solutions.

The first two series included 7 and 6 pedals. Now the package contains 36 effects in VST and RTAS formats. Additional effects will be added as free updates.

Note: Since the release of the original 13 guitar pedals all the plug-ins have been rewritten and optimized, so you need at least an SSE2 capable processor.

Advantages:

Modular system, instead of one very complex plug-in, use these effect pedals to create any order of effects in the effect chain.
Consistent GUI: All the effects have similar controls.
The Preset management is simple and exactly the same for all the effects.
Exact models of real hardware in some effects - tube amplifiers, solid state amplifiers. Cabinets are measured by reference industrial measurement systems in a concrete dumb chamber.

The Effect Pedals package includes:

AP - Auto Pan
AT - Auto Tuner
AW - Auto Wah
CHB - Bass Chorus
BD - BPM Delay
DTB - Bass Distortion
FLB - Bass Flanger
GEB - Bass Graphic EQ
BLG - Guitar Blues Drive
ODB - Bass OverDrive
PRB - Bass Preamp
PHB - Bass Phaser
SPB - Bass Speaker Simulator
TCB - Bass Tone Control
CH - Chorus
CLG - Guitar Clean Preamp
CM - Compressor
CPG - Guitar Crunch Preamp
DT - Distortion
EC - Exciter
EG - Expander Gate
FL - Flanger
GEG - Guitar Graphic EQ
HGG - Guitar HiGain Preamp
LC - Level Control
NG - Noise Gate
OD - OverDrive
OT - Octaver
PAG - Guitar Power Amp
PE - Parametric EQ
PH - Phaser
PW - Pedal Wah
RV - Reverb
SPG - Guitar Speaker Simulator
TCG - Guitar Tone Control
TR - Tremolo

DOWNLOAD

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Strum Acoustic Session v1.0

2009-08-28T06:54:00.001-07:00

Acoustic guitar software synthesizer based on the latest AAS physical modeling technology

Software Description

Strum Acoustic Session is an acoustic guitar software synthesizer based on the latest AAS physical modeling technology; it's a reduced-feature-set version of its big brother, Strum Acoustic GS-1 (providing fewer presets, chord voicings and modules).

The right voicings for the chords you know
Strum Acoustic Session's chord library contains basic and extended chords available in movable voicings. Play the chords you know and Strum Acoustic voices them as a guitarist would.

Pick a guitar from your collection
Strum Acoustic Session features nylon- and steel-string guitars prepped in pick- or finger-sounding colors. A tight collection that covers the standard acoustic guitar sounds.

Strum on your keyboard
Down- and up-strokes, slides and bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm muting, muffled strings, and arpeggios are all part of Strum Acoustic's playing technique vocabulary. Performing them is simply a matter of using the strumming keys or MIDI loops.

The benefits of physical modeling
Strum Acoustic is an inspiring and animated instrument that reacts dynamically to your playing. Presets, loading in a flash, ensure a smooth workflow. Synthesis parameters alter the sound at its core foundation.

Specifications:

Audio bit-depth and sample rates up to 24-bit/192kHz.
MIDI and host automation support.
MIDI Program Change support.
Host tempo synchronization.

Download.

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How to Tell What Major Key a Song is in Quickly & Easily

2009-08-27T07:33:00.001-07:00

Key signatures are a type of musical notation that indicate which key the song is to be played in. But key signatures, despite the name, are not the same thing as key. Key signatures are simply notational devices; just as a note is the notational name for a pitch, key signatures are the notational names for keys. It is what it says it is: a signature, a simple piece of information that tips you off to the physical form (the key) to be played.

What does it mean to be "in the key of F", or "in the key of Bb"?

It means that the composer based the composition on the scale of F (which has 1 flat in it), or the scale of Bb (which has 2 flats in it).

Key signatures appear right after the clef (before the time signature) and show a sharp or flat on the line or space corresponding to the note to be altered. Key signatures placed at the beginning of songs will carry through the entire song, unless other key signatures are noted after a double bar, canceling out the first. For instance, it's entirely possible to start a song in the key of F but end it in the key of E flat; it all depends on the key signatures and where they're placed throughout the song (a key signature can change at any point). Accidentals can also show up throughout a song and only once or twice flatten or sharpen a note that was not previously indicated; this cancels out the key signatures, as well, but only temporarily, for as long as the accidental lasts.

Beginners just learning to read music often have a hard time with key signatures because the key itself is not expressly written, and it's sometimes difficult to remember what goes where. Key signatures with five flats or sharps have been known to terrorize new musicians -- how in the world, they think, are we supposed to remember all these note changes while we're playing the song? It's obviously possible, though, and there are some rules that can help beginners identify and remember the key as it relates to the key signatures, rules that go beyond rote memorization. If there is more than one flat, the key is the note on the second to last flat. If there are any sharps at all, the key is a half step up from the last one noted. F major, a key frequently found in beginning sheet music, only has one flat (B), and C major has no sharps or flats at all. Key signatures, when viewed in light of these rules, are much easier for beginners to digest, ensuring that a proper knowledge of key signatures is on its way through the door.

One fact that most people don't realize is that sharps and flats always occur in the same order:

The order of the flats is B, E, A, D, G, C, F.

The order of the sharps is just the opposite -- F, C, G, D, A, E, B.

So if there is one flat in the key signature, it is always B. If there are two flats in the key signature, they are always B and E. Three flats are always B, E, and A. Four flats in a key signature spell the word BEAD. And so on.

It's the same in sharps, too, except backward. If there is one sharp in a key signature, it is always F. Two sharps in a key signature are always F and C. Three are F, C, and G. And so on. So once you have memorized the order of the flats, all you have to do is apply the rule mentioned earlier: the next to the last flat is the name of the key. For example, if you have four flats in a key signature, they are Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. The last flat is D, so the next to the last flat is A. So the key is Ab.

With sharps, just mentally go up 1/2 step from the last sharp, and that is the key. For example, if a key has 4 sharps, they are F#, C#, G#, D#. One-half step above D# is E, so the key is E. Memorize the order of the flats and sharps and those two simple rules, and you'll be able to identify what major key any song is in quickly and easily. (Minor keys are just as easy, but beyond the scope of this article.)

Songwriting - Part 1

2009-08-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Most people approach songwriting in the same general way. For those that write music, versus lyric writing only, that process is to go to their instrument and improvise until they stumble upon something that sounds good. They choose to focus only on the "goal of having a completed song" instead of focusing on the wide range of available "processes" to compose music. In other words, these people focus on the "what" (the song they want to write) instead of the "how" (which processes and methods can be used). Once the decision is made to write a new song, they begin with the one process that is easiest and comes most naturally to them - improvising at their instrument.

For the purpose of illustrating the examples below, let us assume your main instrument is electric guitar. Natural pros and cons inherently exist with every songwriting process and method. Here is the obvious set of pros and cons for the process of improvising with your instrument:

THIS METHOD'S ADVANTAGES

- This is the easiest songwriting process for most songwriters.
- You can begin immediately (without little or no pre-compositional planning or thought).
- You can take advantage of the guitar's natural possibilities of tone, playability, pitch range, the number of pitches that can be played simultaneously, dynamic range, articulation, etc.
- If you are a competent guitar player, you can easily create music that is natural for the guitar. You probably have at least a basic command of general guitar, so playing your guitaristic ideas won't be a major problem in most cases.
- Because most songwriters (even many pros) write in this way, your "musical" results may be similar to some of those that have gone before you and written successful hit songs.

THIS METHOD'S DISADVANTAGES

- You are limited by the instruments limitations of tone, playability, pitch range, the number of pitches that can be played simultaneously, dynamic range, articulation, etc.
- You are likely to repeat similar ideas that you have used before in other songwriting sessions.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking like a guitar player only versus a songwriting musician.
- You may discover your hands are doing most of the creating, not your true creative mind.
- The range of possible musical results is limited when using this single process exclusively. Not necessarily because there is anything wrong with the guitar or you.

Any single songwriting process will be limiting. You must really work hard to squeeze as much out of a single process as possible. Of course having multiple processes is better than having only one (I will discuss other methods of writing songs in future articles).

Go to your instrument and begin improvising, notice what types of things you do naturally. What is the process that you usually start with? Do you begin by trying to write a melody? Or do you begin with chords? Here is a list of ideas you can use to begin.

Begin with Melody first

- In this case, decide if the melody you are trying to write will be a vocal or instrumental melody. This is very important because vocal melodies need to have room for a singer to breathe and you must also consider the pitch range - a singer's pitch range is more narrow than most instruments. Keep this all in mind when writing melodies.
- Consider the melodic contour (shape and direction) of your melodies.
- Is there a clear climax (high point)? Where should it be in the melody?

Begin with Chords first

- Choose a tonal center (key) to begin with. You don't have to stay in that key for the entire song, but it is wise to at least begin in a single key. You can deviate from the key later if you wish.
- Think about the progression of chords, where are there moments of tension and resolution? Are these moments placed in the best order?

Begin with Chords and Melody at the same time

- I like this one a lot. Begin with a single chord and a melody note or phrase, as you add on the next chord and more melodic notes, write them together. Experiment by changing the chord but not the melodic phrase. Experiment by changing the melodic phrase but not the chord.

Begin with Rhythm first

- Consider the types of rhythmic patterns that you normally use. Perhaps one of them is exactly what you need to get into the grove of a new song.
- Experiment with variations on your favorite rhythmic patterns. Take a common pattern and play it backwards.
- Create something totally new. Force yourself to disallow any of your favorite rhythmic patterns to creep into your new song idea.

Dynamics, Texture and Form are the most often overlooked musical elements among songwriters. Record companies hire producers to improve the quality of the songwriting done by the writers. Most producers have to spend a lot of their time (and the artist's advance money!) shaping the songs in these three areas because songwriters often neglect to spend enough time and effort on them. Most people can write a melody and put chords together, but struggle with dynamics, texture and form.

Begin with Dynamics first

- If you are thinking about dynamics while composing each part of the song, you are already ahead of the game.
- Plan out what the dynamic range of each section of your new song will be. Which parts will be louder and which will be softer? How can you create smooth transitions between them? Do you want "smooth" transitions?

Begin with Timbre first

- The variety of instruments you use, and the sounds you get out of those instruments brings color to you music. Once you have written a melody, experiment with how many different types of tone qualities you can use to play it. Even if you are only writing a song for a solo instrument, how can you "color" the sound with that instrument? For example, on a guitar, playing down by the bridge produces a totally different sound quality than picking over the center of the string (12th fret).

Begin with Texture first

- The density of sound and timbre may influence the types of melodies you compose. Consider how the density of texture may change from section to section. What type of musical effect will result? A single guitar line might lead you to write guitaristic lines, but if you use a guitar to compose a keyboard part, your approach will often be (and probably should be) quite different.

Begin with Form first

- Starting here can do wonders to keep you out of trouble (musically speaking). When you don't think about the form (arrangement of the parts of a song) early on in the writing process, it is easy to paint yourself in a corner later. When you have written various parts for a song but can't seem to piece the individual parts together in a cohesive manner this usually happens because there was little or no thought about form early on in the writing process.

Songwriting - Part 2

2009-08-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

n this article, I've expanded upon the list of ideas for each concept. Before getting to that I want to point out most of these ideas are entry strategies for songwriting/composing. That is to say, these concepts (as well as most of the ideas listed in Songwriting - Part 1) are usually best suited when beginning the songwriting process of a new song. They can also be useful in beginning a new section of a song. That being said, there are other ideas and techniques that are generally more effective for solving compositional problems (such as transitions, modulations, economy, climax, etc.) but not to worry, these things will be presented later.

Beginning with Melody first.

After you have written a melody, begin to write the chords around it. It may help you to compose the chords for this melody if you record the melody first, listen back to the melody while writing the chords. Ok, after you have your new chord progression written, record it. Listen back the recording of the chord progression only (without the melody). Using the chord progression you wrote for your original melody, use your guitar to improvise/compose another new melody for these chords. Compose several different melodies. Sometimes the original melody may not be used in the song because one or more of these new melodies may be better than the original. It is always good to have options from which to choose from.

If, after composing several melodies, your original melody is still your favorite, don't think you wasted your time by writing new melodies that are not as good. Many times you can still use at least one of these other melodies with the first melody. For example, your favorite melody may be used for the vocal melody, but you might want to use another melody as a counter melody played on another instrument under the primary vocal melody, or you can use the second melody as another vocal melody sung by a backup singer(s).

Yet another option is to use the original melody as the first half of a much longer melody and then use one of the other melodies as the second half of this new long melody. In this case, the second melody serves as an extension of the first to form a new long melody. Although this can be a very useful technique yielding more original results, it rarely works out perfectly the first time you try combining two melodies together to form one. You will probably need to make at least some minor adjustments (alterations) to one, or both, melodies to get them to connect in a cohesive way.

A variation on the last idea is to use two different melodies in the same section of the song in an AB form, ABA form, ABBA form, ABAB form or some other variation. It is important to understand the difference between this idea of separate formal sections and the last concept of making a single long melody. The long melody idea has a simple formal structure of "A" (it just happens to be long), vs. "AB". In both cases you are using both melodies one after the other, but in the long "A" idea (from the paragraph above) you typically need to make alterations to make both melodies fit as "one continuous melody". The "AB" form idea does not need to have the same level of cohesiveness. It is not seamless, the "AB" version has two distinct parts and can be rearranged in many different combinations (AB, ABA, ABBA, ABAB, AABBA, etc.)

Even if you finally decide to stick with your original idea and throw away everything else that was suggested here (sometimes this happens to me too), the process of going through all these techniques will make you grow as a songwriter, so its well worth the time and effort you invest.

Beginning with Chords first

Bear with me as this next set of ideas begin the same way as the last set, but the benefits and results will be much different. After you have written a chord progression you like, write several different melodies to go over the chords. Once you have composed a few melodies, record each of them without the chords. If you need to, listen back to each recorded melody and compose NEW chord progressions for each melody. If you wrote 5 melodies over the original chord progression, you will write 5 new chord progressions (one for each melody).

As you can imagine the same variations and combinations that were suggested above in the Beginning with Melody first, can be applied here. The same ideas and variations can be used for the "Beginning with Chords and Melody at the same time" (discussed in Songwriting - Part 1).

The point here, in the above examples, is to keep you thinking about "developing" your ideas further and further before settling on the first good idea you come up with. Often times the process of developing your ideas will result in far superior results than you may have achieved without it. Of course, sometimes you may like your first ideas best for the current song, and use the newer ideas in a totally different song.

Songwriting - Part 3

2009-08-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

In Part 2, I expanded ideas regarding starting the songwriting process by beginning with melody and chords first. Here I'll go into greater detail with other processes to start with that I began in part 1. By now, you have probably figured out that these three articles on songwriting are on a more advanced level than is typical of songwriting articles or most books. If the content you read below is deeper than you are ready to understand right now, don't give up on it, perhaps in the future you will be ready for these more advanced ideas. If you do understand this material, great! Implement the ideas as you see fit for your music.

Begin with Rhythm first

Combinations

Combine 2 or more completely different rhythmic ideas into a single idea. Take two of your favorite rhythmic patterns and combine then into a single idea.

Augment Rhythmic Values

Create a short rhythmic pattern one measure in length. Write it down on paper. Now increase the value of each rhythmic event (note or rest). Here is an example. Lets say you have this pattern: One quarter note, two 8th notes, another quarter note, then four 16th notes. Now "augment" all of these rhythmic notes by doubling their length.

-Change all quarter notes to a half notes.
-Change all 8th notes to quarter notes.
-Change all 16th notes to eighth notes.

The example above now gives you a rhythmic pattern that is slower and twice as long but using the same number of events and the exact same pattern (just slower now).

Diminish Rhythmic Values

This is the same concept as augmenting rhythmic values except now you do the opposite. Shorten each rhythmic event, the result is the same pattern but in shorter (faster) rhythmic values. Using the above example, you would now:

-Change all quarter notes to 8th note.
-Change all 8th notes to 16th notes.
-Change all 16th notes to 32nd notes.

Yep, its cool. The examples above are pretty basic, because I told you to either double the length (in the augment section) or cut in half (in the diminish section) above. But there are cooler combinations such as adding a dot after each note or change to triplets, these also can be done with augmentation or diminution.

Destructive Rhythmic Creation

I wrote an article called Creativity and Expression (in 2 parts). In part 1, I wrote about a concept called "Destructive Creation" Which I personally find to be a fascinating subject. I purposely did not give any examples of this process in that article so people would ponder the concept and may think of original ways in which to use the Destructive Creation. This concept has been extremely helpful to me when writing some of the very progressive rhythmic ideas on my HESS ~ Opus 2 CD. I strongly recommend to read that article before reading any further.

Here is an example of Destructive Creation. Do this: Get a pencil, eraser and a sheet of paper. Write down thirty-two 16th notes. (in 4/4 time this will be 2 measures of steady 16th notes). Now randomly erase 7 (or 11 or 14 or any other number) 16th notes. Now play the resulting new rhythm on your instrument (you can also do this on a drum machine, computer, etc. If you don't like the results, try erasing more or less notes or change the order of the notes.

Once you have a new rhythmic idea that seems to have potential, apply the other ideas on rhythm already discussed to this rhythm. Augment the rhythmic values, diminish it, play it in retrograde (play it backwards) or do some combination of these ideas, the possibilities are endless. If none of these ideas seem to be helping you, it might be because you have not yet written an interesting melody for these rhythms. So begin composing new melodies, or chord progressions, or riffs, etc. for these new rhythmic ideas. Then they will begin to come to life.

Express Yourself

2009-08-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

I believe "Self Expression" is the pinnacle of all art. Anything less, "is less" in my opinion. I'm not going to debate that view or try to persuade any of you to also believe it. Instead I am going to assume you already hold that view and discuss ways in which I may be able to offer you both philosophical and practical advice.

How do you see yourself?

If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in art (music), you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label "Artist" to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of music composition, songwriting, and self expression I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students. So…..

The first step is to stop thinking of yourself as merely a guitarist. I'll take this one step further and recommend against thinking of yourself as a musician! You are, or are at least learning to become, an artist. Music just happens to be your medium and guitar just happens to be your instrument, but YOU are the artist. From this day forward when someone asks you what you do or who you are, don't reply by saying you are a guitarist or musician. Tell them (in a non-arrogant way) you are an artist. If they want more details than that, go ahead and tell them music is your medium and guitar is your instrument. I guarantee you will put an entirely different impression in other people's minds than if you were to say, "Yeah, I play guitar". But beyond the impressions of others, you will begin to put stronger impressions in your own mind that you are in fact an artist (even if you are still in the learning stage of fully becoming one). The way you view yourself (as an artist and not merely someone who owns a guitar and plays it sometimes) is very important to the way you will think about what you are doing musically. The way you see yourself will also effect the results you will get as you are expressing yourself.

What do others do?

Ok, so now you are an artist. Think in the way artists traditionally do. If we could watch a sculptor work on a new sculpture carved from marble, stone or wood, what do you think we would see? (Think about the last sentence before reading any further - its important.) The sculptor visualizes what he/she wants to create. The act of carving away at the raw material is a form of "destructive creation". In the beginning there is only a block of marble, stone or wood. The sculptor must remove all the material that is not needed so that only the finished sculpture remains!

Now think about the way most guitarists write songs. Here is what usually happens with most players, A player will pick up his/her guitar, begins aimlessly improvising with chords, melodies or riffs. This may go on for hours all in the hope to stumble (by accident) onto something that sounds good. If you have tried this, you know that it can take a long time to find something you like and many times you don't like anything you try that day.

The real problem comes after a part (say a verse or a chorus for a song) is created and now he/she will try to connect other (usually unrelated) ideas and make them fit together. Did painters (such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt or Delacroix), paint in this way when they wanted to express themselves (or anything else)? Did they paint something on one side of the canvas of some arbitrary lines or shapes and then paint some other unrelated lines? Modern art sometimes does do this, but we aren't using them as an example here because you can probably write vague music. It is in the fine details and specific descriptions that most musicians need help with.

Of course I do believe virtually any process you use to create music is valid. However the typical way in which guitarists try to create is very limiting and, even worse, tends not to work well for descriptive self expressive purposes.

Stating the obvious:

This paragraph shouldn't be here really since this is just plain common sense for everyone. It is because this idea is so simple that many people completely overlook it. - To be truly self expressive one must actually know what one is trying to express! (sorry for the necessary redundancy that follows here). It is not enough to pick up your guitar. Begin improvising with some riffs, melodies or chord progressions. Then stumble upon some ideas that sound good and assemble those parts into some form of song and say, "I am expressing myself with this music." Yes, of course it was you who wrote the music, but what did you express really? Nothing very specific. Even when you write lyrics for your song, if the music came first, the meaning of the words were not taken into account prior to writing, so the music doesn't really express what the lyrics do. There is nothing wrong with writing music before the lyrics as long as you ask yourself, at all stages during the writing process, "what am I trying to express? What feelings, thoughts, events, etc.?

A comparison of classic popular vocal songs.

Those of you who write vocal music should pay particular attention to this next point. Many vocal songs that have good lyrics often times have mediocre music behind the words. In my opinion, Bob Dylan is a classic example of this (I'm not trying to pick on Bob Dylan, I'm only using an well known example here based on my own observations and opinions of his music.). Listen to the song "Knocking on Heaven's Door". It's a nice song with some decent lyrics. What would happen if you removed the singing/lyrics and only heard the music? Its pretty boring partly because the chord progression goes on and on and on, and because the chords are the same simple voicings, with a simple rhythm that never really goes anywhere musically.

Listen next to "Stairway to Heaven". The lyrics are equally as good as the Dylan song (maybe better for all you Led Zep fans). What happens if you remove the singing/lyrics from this song? We can still listen to and enjoy some really good songwriting. It doesn't get boring, its not as repetitive as the Dylan tune, there are more chords with a lot more color to the voicings (notice the cool descending chromatic bass line in the verse (A, G#, G, F#, F) , the texture is more diverse, the articulation (picking and strumming patterns)of the chords is more interesting. There is a great guitar solo. Lots of dynamic contrast and interest. And most importantly the music is much more expressive on its own than the music of the Dylan song when we remove the vocals from each song.

An exercise:

The next time you begin writing a song, try these steps:

1) Choose a topic to write a song about.

2) Write lyrics for the new song (even if you don't like writing lyrics, try it anyway.)

3) Plan out, before you attempt writing actual music, how you will divide the lyrics into sections (verse, chorus, etc.)

4) Consider what types of keys, scales, chords, etc. would best fit the feeling of your lyrics.

5) Keeping all of the above in mind (actually it is best to have all of this written down on paper and keep it in front of you while writing) begin writing (in any method you want).

6) After you have created some possible ideas for your song, ask yourself if these musical parts tend to express what the music is about without the lyrics. In other words, does an instrumental version of your song still express the feel and mood of your topic/lyrics? If it does, that's great! But if not, ask yourself in what ways could you modify your music to make it more descriptive? Try your ideas with a different rhythm, in another key, changing some of the chords, at different dynamic levels, with a thick or thinner texture and density, at different tempos, etc, etc, etc.

What Else?

What else can you do to improve your self expressive songwriting skills? Many things are possible, at the top of my list of recommendations are the following:

1) Take lessons from someone who teaches songwriting / composition. Of course it is usually best if this teacher is familiar with the your musical style. (check out my previous article on Choosing a Teacher.) There is no substitute for learning from someone who has many years of experience and education on the subject!

2) Team up with other songwriters and write some music together using the ideas already discussed above. Working with another writer can be very valuable because you can learn how he/she approaches the same musical situations differently than you do. Other writers often have different ways of finding solutions to compositional problems. By observing and learning from these differences you both can grow.

3) Write music everyday! When I was a music composition student at Roosevelt University, my professors always pushed us composition majors to write something everyday. Mastering writing is the same as mastering anything else, it takes frequent practice to gain the experience. Its strange to me how many players will practice their instrument everyday, but not practice the art and science of creating (writing) their own music.

4) Don't wait until your physical guitar skills, knowledge of theory, aural skills, etc. is better before writing music. As I just stated above, you must practice writing, just as you would practice anything else in order to improve. You probably know some really good musicians that can play very challenging things on their instrument, but can't write a song.

Copyright Basics for Songwriters

2009-08-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Should you copyright your song? If you're a songwriter, sooner or later you will probably have some questions about getting your material copyrighted. Since I've already been down this road before, you might be able to benefit from my experience. Though I am not an expert in the field, I do believe that I have some valuable information to share with you.

Having been online for over a year now, I've noticed that there seems to be a bit of confusion regarding the subject of copyrighting. A fairly common question among people who frequent songwriting forums is "How do I copyright my song?" which, of course, is quite understandable. Just imagine what it would be like to have one of your songs stolen, only to find out later that it grossed several hundred thousand dollars for some band you never even heard of. You might think that you would be able to console yourself with the idea that this only proves you can write a good song, but I doubt it. More than likely, you'd be pretty upset over the whole matter and want to take legal action. The sad thing is, most people never do prosecute because they don't have the money to hire an attorney. Even if they did, it's not likely to be an easy case to win without proof of copyright, and many would probably "lose their shirt", so to speak, in the process.

Nowadays, however, due to the popularity of the internet, people are sharing their original material as never before. Have you ever wondered if this is a safe thing to do? How does a copyright protect your material anyway?

Well, as far as the first question goes, I have found most people to be pretty trustworthy with regard to my own material. At least, nothing out of the ordinary has come to my attention yet. But that doesn't mean it can't, or won't. Then again, I took the steps to copyright and register my original songs with the Library of Congress prior to sharing them online.

What you need to realize upfront is that your song, or lyric, automatically obtains a legal copyright from the moment you put it down on paper with your signature and a date. But don't just take my word for it, read the following quote taken from the U.S. Library of Congress website:

"Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright." ~ U.S. Library of Congress

When you register your song with the Library of Congress, they simply act as a witness to the fact that you are the author of the song. And, I guess if you need a witness, the federal government should be as good as any! But the Library of Congress does not and will not provide any legal defense for you in the event that your material is stolen. All they can provide in such a situation is the written and/or recorded version of the copyrighted material which you signed, dated and submitted to them. However, this documentation would be considered evidence in your favor and should stand up in any court of law.

Something else which I have done in the past and you might consider also, is to have my songs notorized. A Notary Repulic is another authorized government offical who will bear witness to your copyright claim by placing their seal and signature upon your work. This will be another means of providing proof that you wrote the song, should the need arise. And, just to be safe, why not put the notarized copy of your song in an envelope and send it to yourself in the mail? Though there are some people who don't think much of this practice these days, it certainly can't hurt. Besides, the U.S. Post Office is another branch of the federal government and thus a credible witness to your copyright. The date which is stamped on the front of the envelope provides further evidence of when you wrote the song. But be careful that you DO NOT OPEN the letter when you receive it! Instead, place it in a safety deposit box at the bank.

So, the important thing to remember when it comes to protecting your song, is being able to establish enough evidence via credible witnesses in order to verify the facts. The more the merrier, at least as far as your copyright is concerned, if you catch my meaning. Have fun and strut, I mean share, your stuff with others. You never know, the opportunities are boundless and you might just make the right connections out there. But I suggest that you do take the necessary precautions and protect your songs by obtaining a registered copyright through the Library of Congress. Afterall, it's your future.

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:
Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career

Writing Hit Songs

2009-08-27T07:25:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of factors to writing a hit song. First, you should focus on writing a good song. Once you've done that, you are not far away from writing a hit.

Like most other things in life, it takes persistence, patience, drive, knowledge, belief and maybe some luck.

Stop and think about your favorite songs. Really analyze them and figure out what it is that you like about those songs.

Different factors may come to play here. Maybe it is the good beat, lyrics that hit home, a beautiful melody, something spiritual or patriotic, or maybe even that it is humorous.

If you include one of these elements in your songwriting you are well on your way. If you combine two or more of these elements, you may have yourself a hit.

A Good Beat

Rhythm is important in music. I have to laugh and think of Jerry Van Dyke on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" years ago trying to play the banjo and sing, "I've got rhy-rhy-thm, I've got mah-mah-music..."

But, unless you are very funny like Jerry Van Dyke, your audience is not very likely to stay with you.

Your music not only needs to have a good beat, but must fit the genre of music you are trying to write. A Metallica beat in a George Strait type song may not get you very far. A song with a good enough beat might be a hit even with no melody and no lyrics. Remember "Green Onions?"

Along with the beat is the tempo. Country music is easy to write (I did not say it is easy to write well) because it is about people's lives and everyday experiences. However, too often people write slow songs for country music, when in fact the industry is starving for upbeat country material like "Country Roads" and "Rocky Top." It is much harder to write a good up-tempo country song than it is a tear jerker.

Lyrics in popular music can range from broken relationships to political issues, and just about any point in between. Those that tend to be the most popular are about situations you and I may encounter in our everyday lives; "Workin' 9 To 5," "I Just Called To Say I Love You," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "God Bless The USA" (which ingeniously incorporates spiritual, political and patriotic views).

A beautiful or interesting melody can get you into the ranks of hit songwriter with no lyrics required. Going back in time to prove a point about beautiful melodies, you might consider songs like "Last Date" and "Sleepwalk."

Songs with great melody lines are very easy to be found in many hit TV show themes like "Peter Gunn," "Hawaii 5-0," along with many of the 60's surfer songs like "Wipe Out."

Well done humorous songs usually find an audience, such as Ray Stevens "The Streak," and Jerry Reeds "She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft." If you have a knack for both humor and music, you might make a fortune.

Spiritual and patriotic songs, if they are well done and come out at the right time, are easy hits. Every time the U.S. gets involved in any type of world conflict, the songwriters get their pens out.

Keep your ears and eyes open, and keep a shoe box to put your ideas for songs in. Every time you think of an idea for a song or a song title, write it down and drop it in the box. It could be your first, or your next, big hit.

Songwriting with the Electric Guitar

2009-08-27T07:24:00.001-07:00

The electric guitar is probably the easiest instrument to use for writing songs. This is due to the fact that it is played through an amplifier. Most amplifiers have many knobs to adjust for getting the sound that you desire. You can usually adjust the level of bass, treble, middle and gain. Some amps have other effects to use, such as reverb and chorus. Reverb is a form of very short delay and can be used to add depth to the sound. The chorus effect is odd but thickens the sound the amp produces. A few amps out there have built-in effects that may add delay, flanger and distortion. Even if your amp does not include these effects, you can purchase pedals that produce any of them and these = will make it easier to write a unique song. Another reason to use effects is to write a song using less effect because the effect will do most of the work for you. Some people prefer not to use effects but if you are attempting to write songs using a guitar as the only instrument, it would be a wise choice to have overdrive and delay effects on hand.

It also helps to have proper recording equipment to lay down every idea you have. A simple 4 or 8 track cassette recorder would do the trick. Or you could use a microphone from your computer to record songs onto your hard drive. If you plan on using more than one guitar track in a song, be sure to record your rhythm tracks. Do this, and on playback, record yourself playing over it just to get idea for soloing. It doesn\'t matter if it sounds bad, just keep trying and then when you become more satisfied, let others listen to it and see if they enjoy it or not. Not much sense in song writing if nobody likes it at all. Recording isn\'t just to remember your idea, but to see what it really sounds like without the guitar in your hand.

Becoming a good songwriter is important in growing as a musician, because playing someone else\'s songs doesn\'t do much for creativity. Try learning as many chords as you can and just keep playing them over and over. Get the sounds stuck in your head so that when it comes to creating a song you want, you can easily apply the right chords. You will not write songs very quickly if you are sitting there trying to find the right notes to go along with the ones you have played before. If you start getting stuck, don\'t try forcing yourself, go outside and do something else. Being outside or interacting with somebody is an excellent way of gathering ideas for your songs. When it comes to the writing process, it should usually help to be in a quiet place without distractions. This applies to writing lyrics for your songs as well, if you plan on having any. Writing lyrics according to the mood you are feeling is also an easier way to get the writing done quickly.

As far as the guitar playing goes, try to experiment with effects to get a sound that resembles the words of the song you are writing, which would be your mood, or feeling.

How To Write A Song

2009-08-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wish that it was your song playing on the radio? It could be. It is not that hard once you know the formula. With a little creativity, a little knowledge, a little luck and a good formula to follow, your song could be one of the next biggest hits.

Songwriting comes easy for some, and is very difficult for others. I have actually written songs in my sleep, and immediately upon awaking, written it as quickly as I could get the words on down on paper.

What I want to discuss here is popular songwriting, like the songs you hear on the radio. A good pop song, whether rock, country, middle of the road, is composed of two things: a catchy tune and some good lyrics.

There is a formula that most great songwriters use to write great songs. It regards the structure used to write a song. Granted, it is music and it is art, so the rules are not hard and fast. But if you want to increase your chances of getting your song on the radio, it is a good starting point.

Here is the formula. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus.

Write that down on paper leaving plenty of space between each word and this will be your script.

Verse

The verse is the part of the song that tells the story, the part that leads to the chorus. Each verse is usually different, telling a different part of, or adding to, the story. It usually explains how you got to the things you are singing about in the chorus.

Chorus

The chorus is the part of the song that is repeated after each verse. The lyrics are usually the same each time the chorus comes around. The verse usually leads to the chorus, and the chorus is usually the pay off for listening to the verse. Does that make sense?

Here is a lame example (you did not think I would give you my best work, did you?):

(verse)
My dog is sick, he\'s got a tick
He\'s my best friend, don\'t let it end

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it\'s broke again

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

Now, if you would kindly stop laughing at my lame song for a minute, I want you to think about whether or not you understand my point. Songwriting is story telling. The verse tells the problems, the chorus expresses the results or the emotions.

All right, now that you have that mastered, let\'s tackle the bridge. Ah, yeah, there is more to the song than the pain and the release. We need the diversion. That is what the bridge is; it is the diversion from the verse and the chorus.

The bridge may have a slightly different melody to it, or it could even have a different rhythm or a different tempo (Elvis\' \"Suspicious Minds\" did a great job on this technique).

Let\'s go back to the lame song and add a bridge:

(verse)
My dog is sick, he\'s got a tick
He\'s my best friend, don\'t let it end

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it\'s broke again

(chorus)
Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(bridge)
Tomorrow is a better day, I\'ve got a new truck on the way
My dog just had a flea it seems, so once again I\'ll live my dreams

(chorus)
Oh, woe was me, can\'t you see
Woe was me, but now I\'m free

The bridge offers a solution to the problems I was having. You don\'t want to leave your listener on the edge of suicide, you want to give them hope.

Notice, I also changed up the wording of the chorus. This was done to reflect my new found joy.

One more thing on formula. It can be anyway you want, but most verses and chorus come in lines of 4. So, instead of this:

(verse)
Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free

(verse)
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it\'s broke again

it would be:

Oh, woe is me, can\'t you see
Woe is me, will I ever be free
My car broke down, just out of town
It got towed in, but it\'s broke again

The same goes for the chorus. Again, if you are creative, do it however you want. But for a new songwriter, this gives you some guidelines to scratch out and start carving out your new creation.

One more thing, do not make the notes to the melody so high that your fans cannot sing along. We are certainly all not Stevie Wonder.

Compose & Play [Guitar]

2009-08-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Software Description

Learn to play guitar's notes in a creative and enjoyable way.

"Compose & Play" developed for beginners, as notes is always the hardest part.

Each string has a composing board.

First, compose a short pieces using drag & drop, then you can
hear/play/print it.

Just pull down the notes onto the staff - listen how it should sound and
play it all by yourself.

Download

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Download Tab Tools by Gabriel Fernandez

2009-08-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Software Description

Tab Tools software. With Tab Tools you can view, edit, play, manage and share tab
files very easily.

Tab Tools also includes scales/chords/keys references.

If you are a guitar/bass player, give Tab Tools a try !, you
won't regret it.

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Super Guitar Chord Finder v5.0

2009-08-25T03:04:00.001-07:00

Software Description

Super Guitar Chord Finder is a great source for every guitar player. Use it to analyze chords and see just how those chords are actually formed. Can't find a chord? Super Guitar Chord Finder will find it for you through its chord catalog of hundreds of chords. All chords are shown on a fretboard in the finger numbering format so seeing and learning is a snap. Use it for Tab notations, create your own songbooks (chords which you use often and will be able to easily select later while practicing), or create and play notes and chords by clicking on the fretboard.

Download

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Download Guitar Guru

2009-08-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

Software Description

Guitar Guru provides interactive song sessions designed to help you learn guitar and teach you how to play hundreds of your favorite songs. This song-based learning software complements guitar tablature by providing additional, detailed instructions that guitar tab alone is unable to provide. Guitar Guru teaches guitarists of all skill levels how to play songs from all genres using a variety of intuitive, easy-to-use tools. Features include a virtual fretboard showing proper fingerings in real-time, detailed instructions for all guitar parts in each song, adjustable playback/learning tempo, MIDI or CD-synced audio, customizable display with additional guitar skins, and sample passages for 16 popular songs.

New in Guitar Guru v2.2.5 are a variety of enhancements, upgrades and new features - all of which are compatible with previously purchased Guitar Guru Sessions. These include a step-through playback function allowing you to step through each event (fingering change, strum, etc.) at any speed using the arrow keys on your keyboard, delayed start option, improved chord displays and playing tips system, bass guitar support, MIDI tone change option, and a customizable finger number and color display.

Download

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Guitar amp

2009-08-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Amp

Audio input

INPUT selector - selects Guitar/Stereo input source.

VU on/off switch - switches the 2 main VU meters On/Off. (Note: when switched off, the tubes react to the output level)

Input VU meter - displays input audio level. (located above speaker cabinet)

Output VU meter - displays output audio level. (located below speaker cabinet)

MIDI section

MIDI volume and CC settings.

LEARN button - press to active/de-activate MIDI LEARN CC function. learn LED - signals that MIDI LEARN is active.

RESET button - press to reset all MIDI CCs to their default values. Pre/Post selector - sets where the MIDI volume is applied. (Pre or Post amp)

VOLUME slider - set to CC#7, you may remap with the learn function

GATE section

ON/OFF switch - switches Noise Gate On/Off. gate LED - LED lights when gate feeds audio.

THRESHOLD knob - controls the input threshold before audio is let through to the pre-amp.

DECAY knob - controls the decay time before audio is released through to the pre-amp.

TREMOLO section

ON/OFF switch - switches Tremolo On/Off.

SPEED knob - controls the Tremolo speed. (if SYNC TO is set to "Manual")

Waveform selector - selects sine/square Tremolo LFO waveform.

DEPTH knob - controls the Tremolo LFO modulation depth.

PRE-AMP section

DRIVE knob - controls the amount of input gain to the pre-amp.

CHUB knob - controls the amount of fatness (in the low frequencies) of the amp. chub +12/- switch - increases the amount of bass, the chub slider will provide.

VARIAC knob - used to simulate a tube amp run at different AC voltages. variac A/B/C switch - provides 3 different curves for the output amp.

EQ section Amp

All Eq's have seperate controls for quick A/B comparison. The settings of all 7 Eq's are saved within the presets, even if not visible or used.

PRE/POST switch - switches equalizer PRE(before) AMPlifier or POST(after) AMPlifier.

EQ nn selector - selects equalizer model.

LOW knob - adjust low frequency filter level

MID knob - adjust middle frequency filter level

HIGH knob - adjust high frequency filter level

AMP section

CONTOUR knob - controls the shape of the amplifier output. (Different on some amps)

VOL. knob - controls the amplifier output level.

AMP selector - select from one of the 7 amp types

CAB section

CAB selector - select from 6 speaker types or Bypass(Hives Green).
Note: When Bypassed, the mic will allow you to cut/boost the high and low frequencies, set to center is flat. (work in progress: to add a separate output to feed into a real amp's power amp in, far from done)

BACK selector - selects from 2 different curves for the speakers.

CAB-MIC placement - Not meant to mimic mic placement, just a fun way to alter the response of the selected speaker. (Responds differently on each speaker)

FX Section

LIMITER

Limiter switch - Turns the limiter on and off

Thresh knob - Sets the limiters threshold from zero to minus six db

PARAMETRIC EQ

Use the switch at the bottom of FreeAmp to show the parametric equalizer panel. Note: Can not be shown correctly if the synth panel is open only shows right when the pedals are selected. Provides three bands of parametric eq.

Freq knob - Sets the frequency center of the band, the bands are setup for low, mid and high centers.

Q knob - Sets the bandwidth or slope of the band.

Gain slider - Sets the level of the band + \ - 18db

Level slider - Provides + \ - 12db of gain to the output of the eq.

PRE- and POST-COMPRESSOR

THRESHOLD knob - sets the input threshold before audio is compressed
(range -60 to 0dB)

RATIO knob - adjusts the audio compression ratio
(range 1:1 to 10:1 ratio) compressor meter switch - selects REDUCE/OFF/OUTPUT for compression meters

LEVEL knob - adjusts the output level of the PRE/POST-COMPRESSOR effect
(range -6 to +20dB) VU meter - displays the amount of compression applied to the audio signal

PEDAL button - switch COMPRESSOR effect on/off

WAH effect

WAH knob - The manual control of the wah, use a continuous controller pedal to use in real time. (default = CC 107)

TUNE knob - sets the Wah filter center frequency

Auto Wah meter - displays the position of the wah, when the AUTO WAH pedal is switched on RES knob - sets the Wah filter resonance

PEDAL button - switches the WAH-WAH effect on/off

AUTO WAH control

Only functions, if WAH-WAH is switched ON. To set the auto-wah, set the INPUT control first.

DEPTH knob - sets the amount of modulation applied.

BOTTOM knob - sets the low range of the auto-wah control.

TOP knob - sets the high range of the auto-wah control.

INPUT knob - sets a level which will allow the wah control to reach a full wah-value.
If set too high, the auto-wah will be full open...If set too low, the auto-wah will not fully open.

ATTACK knob - sets the Attack time of envelope follower tracking.

DECAY knob - sets the Decay time of envelope follower tracking.

PEDAL button - switches the AUTO WAH effect on/off
Only functions, if WAH-WAH is switched ON

OVERDRIVE effect

DRIVE knob - sets the amount of distortion

CHUB knob - controls the amount of fatness (in the low frequencies)

TYPE selector - selects from 7 different distortion types: Clip/Tube/Crank/Drive/Harm 1/Harm 2/Crap

TONE knob - adjusts the distortion "tone", ranging from mellow(dull) to bright

LEVEL knob - sets the output level of the OVERDRIVE effect

PEDAL button - switches the OVERDRIVE effect on/off

CHORUS effect

DELAY knob - sets the delay time of the Chorus

RATE knob - sets the chorus LFO speed

DEPTH knob - controls the Chorus LFO modulation depth. (amount of "Chorus")

WIDTH knob - controls the amount of stereo panning effect
(min = Mono, max = Stereo)

FILTER knob - adjusts the Chorus "tone", ranging from mellow(dull) to bright

MIX knob - sets the amount of Chorus mixed with the output
(min = 100% dry, mid = 50% mix, max = 100% wet)

PEDAL button - switches the CHORUS effect on/off

FLANGER effect

RATE knob - sets the Flanger LFO speed

DEPTH knob - controls the Flanger LFO modulation depth. (amount of "Flanging")

DELAY knob - sets the delay time of the Flanger

FBACK knob - controls the amount of feedback sent back to the Flanger input

WAVE selector - selects sine/triangle Flanger LFO waveform.

MIX knob - sets the amount of Flanger-effect mixed with the output
(min = 100% dry, mid = 50% mix, max = 100% wet)

PEDAL button - switches the FLANGER effect on/off

PHASER effect

Phase shifter provides 4, 8 and 12 stages with controls for minimum and maximum frequency range of the sweep.

RATE knob - sets the Phaser LFO speed

MIN knob - sets the (nominal) low limit shift of the frequency range

MAX knob - sets the (nominal) high limit shift of the frequency range RES knob - sets the intensity of the Phaser peaks

STAGE selector - selects 4/8/12 Phaser stages

MIX knob - sets the amount of Phaser-effect mixed with the output
(min = 100% dry, mid = 50% mix, max = 100% wet)

PEDAL button - switches the PHASER effect on/off

Sync / Tempo

Synth \ Sync Section

SYNC

Affects TREM-speed and DELAY-time when set to "Host"/"Tap" SYNC TO selector - selects Manual/Host/Tap BEAT selector - selects then BPM divisor, examples:

if BPM = 120 and BEAT = 1, gives >> 1 beat per 2 seconds

if BPM = 120 and BEAT = 1/4, gives >> 1 beat per 1/2 second

BPM display - display Host/Tap Tempo Beats Per Minute

TAP TEMPO button - when SYNC TO is set to "Tap", then tap a few times with a constant tempo on this button to detect the Sync Tempo.

SYNTH SETUP

Click on this button to switch between the Pedals and Guitsyn.
The LED indicates if Guitsyn is switched on.

AUDIO TRIGGERS

The AUDIO TRIGGERS determines how the synth's envelope gate will respond to an audio input! Should be set to low values for fast response (fast picking, leads), Higher values will yield more sustain. NOTE: these controls are mapped to continuous controller numbers and should be looked at as controls that can be used in real time to control how the envelopes gate respond to an input.

GATE knob - sets the Input Threshold that will trigger the synth's envelope gate

DECAY knob - sets the envelope gate's time to re-trigger

POWER switch - switches the Guitsyn on/off (Guitsyn does not use any CPU when OFF)

MIX knob - sets the amount of Guitsyn signal mixed with the Amp-Sim output
(min = 100% Amp-Sim, mid = 50% mix, max = 100% GuitSyn)

ENVELOPE GENERATOR

This Attack/Decay Envelope Generator can be routed to 1 of 5 destinations. Note: This is an inverted envelope! Meaning that "Decay" in the envelope's time to rise .

ENVELOPE selector - selects where the ENVELOPE GENERATOR control is routed to:
Off/Res 1/Res 2/Res 1-2/Ring/LP

ATT slider - sets the Envelope Attack time.

DEC slider - sets the Envelope Decay time.

ENV knob - sets the Envelope Modulation Amount

AMPLIFIER

The output AMPLIFIER has Attack/Decay/Sustain Envelope control.

ATT slider - sets the Envelope Attack time.

DEC slider - sets the Envelope Decay time.

SUS slider - sets the Envelope Sustain level.

VOLUME knob - sets the overall volume of the output AMPLIFIER

Filters selector Selects Single/Parallel,Serial

Single - only FILTER 1 is active.

Parallel - FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 are connected in parallel.

Serial - FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 are connected in series.

FILTER 1 & FILTER 2

FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 have Attack/Decay/Sustain Envelope control.

TYPE selector - selects which the Filter type used with the Filter's Envelope Generator:
Low Pass/High Pass/BandPass/Notch/Peaking 1/Peaking 2

INV switch - inverts the Envelope control action.

CUT knob - sets the Filter frequency.

RES knob - sets the Filter resonance.

ENV knob - sets the Envelope Modulation Amount.

ATT slider - sets the Envelope Attack time.

DEC slider - sets the Envelope Decay time.

SUS slider - sets the Envelope Sustain level.

LEVEL knob - sets the volume of the Filter.

High, Low shelf Eq - placed after the AMPLIFIER

Low Eq knob - fixed High shelf filter 80hz

High Eq knob - fixed low shelf filter 10000hz

RING MODULATOR The RING MODULATOR may be controlled by the ENVELOPE GENERATOR. Placement is after the amp before the input to Guitsyn.

ON/OFF switch - switches RING MODULATOR on/off.

WAVEFORM selector - selects which the WaveForm type used by the RING MODULATOR:
Sine/Sinic/Pure Sine/Triangle/Saw/Square/Ramp

PITCH slider - sets the frequency.

MIX slider - sets the mix of the Amp-Sim signal and the Ring Modulated signal that is sent into Guitsyn

MODULATION PARAMETERS

Controls the Low Frequency Oscillator

RATE knob - sets the LFO frequency. (if SYNC TO is set to "Manual")

WAVEFORM selector - selects which the WaveForm type used for modulation:

BEAT selector - selects then BPM divisor,

MODULATOR 1 & 2

The two LFO MODULATORS are both setup using the MODULATION PARAMETERS section, and may each control one destination

ON/OFF switch - switches LFO MODULATOR on/off.

ATT slider - sets the Attack time.

AMOUNT slider - sets the amount of LFO modulation applied to the set DESTINATION.

DESTINATION selector - selects which the LFO modulation Destination:
Cutoff 1/Cutoff 2/Cutoff 1-2/Resonance 1/Resonance 2/Resonance 1-2/Ring Modulator

MIDI

Some controls have a pre-assigned MIDI Continuous Controller number (See MIDI CC map). Any control without a CC# assignment must be mapped through your host.

Learn re-maps any control in the MIDI CC Map an external MIDI continuous controller.
TO USE: Press the learn switch (the LED should light), move the control on the amp you wish to re-map, then move the external MIDI controller (the LED should go off).
The CC re-map is saved in a text file located in a folder in the same directory that you placed the VST plugin. All controllers will remain re-mapped between sessions until you press the reset button.

Reset Resets all continuous controllers to their default.

MIDI CC Map

007	MIDI Volume (expression)
102	Gate (Guitsyn audio triggers)
103	Decay (Guitsyn audio triggers)
104	Guitsyn on
105	Ring Modulator on
106	Flanger on
107	Wah (manual use)
108	Pre comp on
109	Post comp on
110	Auto wah on
111	Wah on
112	Drive on
113	Chorus on
114	Delay on
115	Reverb on
116	Tremelo depth
117	Noise gate on
118	Phase Shifter on
119	Tap tempo

FreeAmp 2.5 License

The Software is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind. Fretted Synth

(the Author) disclaims all warranties relating to the Software,

whether express or implied, including but not limited to any implied

warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose,

and all such warranties are expressly and specifically disclaimed.

The Author shall not be liable for any indirect, consequential or

incidental damages arising out of the use or inability to use

the Software even if the Author has been advised of the possibility

of such damages or claims. The user of the Software bears all risk

as to the quality and performance of the Software.

public domain, and is protected by the copyright laws. You may not sell,

sublicense, distribute, rent, lease, modify, translate, convert to another

programming language, decompile, or disassemble the Software for any

purpose.

THANKS

DOWNLOAD

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Junction audio-MIDI NEW

2009-08-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guitars Amp

2009-08-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Download Guitar Studio

2009-08-19T05:35:00.001-07:00

DOWNLOAD

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Download Guitar FX BOX

2009-08-18T05:36:00.000-07:00

Guitar FX BOX 2.7 - effect (guitar/voice) processor
for win9x/Me/2k/XP/Vista

Main new features in version 2.7:

- Support for ASIO drivers,
- 5 band Graphic Equalizers (in/out),
- Talk box effect (new WahWah option),
- Vista compatibility, WDM streaming now works in Vista,
- New look,
- Clipping indicators in/out,
- Enhanced compatibility with more sound cards,
- More...

System requirements:

- 16-bit Sound card with drivers supporting DirectSound (win9x/Me), WDM streaming
(win 98/Me/2k/XP/Vista) or ASIO drivers.
- CPU Pentium 300 MHz Minimal. Pentium 466 MHz, or faster recommended.
- Operating system Windows 9x/Me/2k/XP/Vista

Main new features in version 2.6:

- WDM streaming support for extremely low latency under win98/Me/2k/XP,
- Hardware support for sound cards with emu10k1 based chipsets,
(SB Live! series, APS,...) may be needed only with win9x/Me and VxD based audio drivers,
- Adjustable sample rate, up to 48KHz,
- Improved effects (stereo chorus, pitch shifter...),
- Tuner can now be configured for different tuning types / instruments,
- More...

New in version 2.5 :

- New cool look! That is mainly why version changes from 2.1 to 2.5
- New effect: PHASER,
- Level meter - for real-time monitoring signal i/o levels,
- Improved echo - now with low pas filter and stereo two tap options,
- Wah - support for external pedal/joystick or similar device attached to the soundcard
game port, MIDI support for controling wah using MIDI messages,
- Noise canceler filter,
- Added two more types of equilazers,
- Play wave file as a background track,
- Improved "engine" with lower i/o latency with some cards, and lower noise,
- More...

New in version 2.1 :

- improved reverb processor, now with first reflections option,
- presets export/import from/to disk file (located in the window
system menu),
- shortcut keys for quick switching effect presets,
- new effect: dynamic compressor,
- improved accuracy of the guitar tuner,

Have fun with Guitar FX BOX!

Download

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Download Guitar tab mp3

2009-08-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

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Download Chord Groover

2009-08-16T06:32:00.001-07:00

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Download Guitar Synth

2009-08-15T02:40:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

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Guitar Girl 2

2009-08-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD ALL IMAGES

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Download Chords & Scales

2009-08-13T03:06:00.001-07:00

DOWNLOAD

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Download Ultrawave Guitar Racks

2009-08-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD

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