Category: playing techniques

  • Effective Guitar Practice: Practice for Freedom and Creativity

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    We’ve all heard it: “To get better at guitar, you need to practice!” It’s true, of course, but what does “effective” practice really look like? Especially if your goal is to play more freely, improvise, or write your own music? For many, the traditional path involves diligently learning and memorizing a vast repertoire of existing songs. This is a perfectly valid and enjoyable way to develop your playing, and it’s essential if your aim is to perform existing pieces accurately.

    However, there are other powerful approaches that can be incredibly beneficial for building your musical vocabulary and technical fluency, complementing or even providing a different focus than solely memorizing songs. Think of these approaches less like memorizing lines from a script and more like learning new words and phrases in a language, or even discovering new sounds through experimentation.

    Complementing Song Learning with Vocabulary Building and Free Exploration

    While learning and memorizing songs is a cornerstone of guitar playing and a fulfilling goal in itself, focusing on perfect recall of as much cover versions as possible might not be the only or most efficient path for developing your improvisational skills or songwriting abilities. Imagine trying to have a conversation by only reciting pre-written speeches. You’d be limited in your ability to respond spontaneously or express your own unique thoughts. These alternative approaches offer ways to build the fundamental “words” and “grammar” that can make your playing more flexible and creative.

    One powerful way to expand your musical horizons is through what is called “borrowed knowledge” – actively learning and internalizing musical ideas from other sources.

    The Power of Borrowed Knowledge and Organic Discovery

    Our experience suggests a focus on acquiring new musical “vocabulary” and “grammar.” This doesn’t always mean permanently storing every single lick, riff, song, or even every single scale shape in your memory bank. While knowing scales is fundamental, the idea of having to constantly run through every single mode and position can feel cumbersome and less directly applicable to making music in the moment.

    Instead, consider mastering the C major scale (or any major scale you prefer) across the entire fretboard. As you shift positions and explore the notes of the C major scale up and down the neck, you are inherently accessing all of its modes – Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (natural minor), and Locrian. You’re not just learning a shape; you’re internalizing the sound and feel of those notes in relation to different root notes. This is like learning the alphabet and how to form basic words; once you have that foundation, you can start building more complex sentences and ideas.

    Similarly, we find immense value in picking up a new song, a section of a song, or even just a cool lick or riff that catches our ear. We’ll work on it, learn the movements, the feel, and the sound. And sometimes, we’ll forget the specific lick again later! And that’s okay.

    Here’s why borrowing knowledge can be so effective: Even if the specific lick or song section fades from memory, the techniques you used to play it – the picking pattern, the finger stretching, the bending technique, the rhythmic feel – those things start to become internalized. You’re adding new tools to your toolbox, new “words” to your musical vocabulary. This allows you to eventually combine these elements in your own unique ways, leading to more spontaneous playing and creative ideas. Forgetting things forces one to play one’s own music.

    This approach blends well with learning songs. You can learn a song, not necessarily for permanent memorization, but to extract the interesting licks, chord voicings, rhythmic patterns, or whatever sticks to you. These become the “words” you can then use in your own musical “conversations.”

    However, it’s also important to acknowledge the value of simply “noodling” or free exploration. Just playing around with your guitar, trying out different rhythmic patterns, experimenting with new chord voicings, or exploring the sounds of different scales without a specific goal in mind can be incredibly fruitful. While this might take more time and feel less structured than explicitly borrowing vocabulary, the discoveries you make this way are truly yours. You’ll develop a deep understanding of the sounds and techniques because you found them yourself. This is like a child freely experimenting with sounds and words before learning formal grammar – it’s a vital part of developing a unique voice. The key is to be mindful and try to push yourself to play differently, even in these freeform sessions.

    How to Implement These Approaches

    So, how can you incorporate these different approaches into your practice routine?

    • Focus on one scale across the neck: Pick a major scale (like C major) and work on playing it smoothly and confidently in multiple positions. Pay attention to the sound and how the notes relate to the root.
    • Learn licks and riffs, not just entire songs: Find a lick you like in a song, a YouTube video, or a lesson. Break it down, practice it slowly, and try to understand why it sounds good.
    • Experiment with variations: Once you can play a lick, try changing a note, altering the rhythm, or shifting it to a different part of the neck. This is where you start to make it your own.
    • Dedicate time for free exploration: Set aside time to just play without a specific plan. Try different rhythms, chord changes, or melodic ideas. Pay attention to what sounds good and what feels interesting. Try to consciously vary what you’re doing.
    • Record yourself: Hearing yourself play can help you identify areas for improvement and track your progress, both in structured practice and free exploration.
    • Don’t be afraid to forget: The goal isn’t perfect memorization of everything. It’s about internalizing the feel, the technique, and the sounds you discover.

    The Benefits

    By incorporating these different approaches into your practice, you’ll find yourself:

    • More confident in improvising: You’ll have a wider range of “words,” “phrases,” and personally discovered sounds to draw from.
    • More creative in your songwriting: You’ll have new ideas for melodies, riffs, and chord progressions, both borrowed and organically found.
    • Developing better technique: You’ll be working on practical applications of techniques found in real music and exploring new ways to use your hands and the instrument.
    • Developing a unique voice: Your free exploration will lead to discoveries that are uniquely yours.
    • Finding more joy in practice: These approaches can feel less like rote memorization and more like playing, exploring, and creating.

    Remember, effective guitar practice is about finding what works best for your goals. While learning and performing songs is a valuable and rewarding aspect of guitar playing, exploring “borrowed knowledge” and dedicating time for free exploration can unlock new levels of creativity and freedom in your playing. Start incorporating these ideas into your routine and watch your musical vocabulary and personal style grow!

  • Understanding Your Acoustic Guitar’s Setup: Beyond the Box

    Understanding Your Acoustic Guitar’s Setup: Beyond the Box

    You’ve just unboxed your beautiful new acoustic guitar. While many guitars are set up before they leave the factory or retailer, it’s important to understand that guitar setup is a dynamic process, and even the best initial setup can sometimes shift slightly during transit or with changes in climate.

    More importantly, knowing how to set up your guitar is a valuable skill for any player. It’s not about the guitar being “broken”; it’s about fine-tuning it to your personal preferences and ensuring it plays its absolute best. Think of it like tuning your car – it’s routine maintenance that keeps everything running smoothly.

    Knowing how to perform a basic setup yourself is a common practice among guitarists. Understanding these steps can help you diagnose and address minor issues, ensuring your guitar always feels and sounds fantastic.

    Furthermore, setup is not just about fixing potential issues; it’s also about personal preference. What feels perfect for one player might not be ideal for another. Knowing how to adjust your guitar’s action or neck relief allows you to tailor the instrument to your specific playing style and comfort.

    Why Guitar Setup is Important

    A properly set up acoustic guitar offers numerous benefits:

    • Improved Playability: The right string height (action) makes chords easier to fret and allows for comfortable playing up and down the neck.
    • Reduced Fret Buzz: Proper neck relief and fret leveling minimize annoying buzzing sounds when you play.
    • Optimal Intonation: While less common to adjust in a basic acoustic setup, proper setup contributes to the guitar playing in tune across the fretboard.
    • Enhanced Tone: When the guitar is playing freely without buzzing, the sound is clearer and more resonant.

    Your Guide to Basic Acoustic Guitar Setup

    Here’s a breakdown of the key areas to check and adjust when setting up your acoustic guitar. Remember, patience and small adjustments are key.

    Step 1: Assessing the Frets (Fret Leveling)

    Even on new guitars, sometimes a fret can be slightly higher than its neighbors. This is a common cause of fret buzz. While many manufacturers and retailers perform fret leveling before shipping, it’s important to be aware that even with the best efforts, and especially considering the factors of shipping and changing environments, it’s possible that a fret might not be 100% perfectly even on arrival. This is a common occurrence, even on much more expensive instruments, and it’s not necessarily a reflection of the overall quality of your guitar.

    Knowing how to identify and address a slightly high fret can save you time and effort. For many players, it’s a much quicker and easier solution to simply address this minor issue themselves.

    • How to Check: Take a credit card or a small, straight ruler and lay it across three adjacent frets. Carefully rock the card back and forth. If the card rocks, it means the middle fret is higher than the outer two. Repeat this process up and down the fretboard.
    • Addressing Uneven Frets:
      • Single High Fret: If only a few individual frets are high, you can carefully file the highest fret down using a specialized fret file. Use light strokes and check your progress frequently. This is often the quickest solution if you identify one or two slightly high frets on arrival.
      • Multiple Uneven Frets: If many frets are uneven, a more comprehensive leveling might be needed. This involves using a leveling block with sandpaper (typically around 320 grit initially). Place the block across the frets and gently sand back and forth, ensuring you’re hitting all the frets evenly. The goal is to remove just enough material so that no fret is higher than its neighbor. Be cautious and take your time; you can always remove more material, but you can’t put it back.

    Step 2: Checking and Adjusting Neck Relief (Truss Rod Adjustment)

    The neck of your guitar should have a slight forward bow, known as neck relief. This allows the strings to vibrate freely without buzzing against the frets.

    • How to Check: Hold the guitar in playing position. Fret the low E string at the first fret with your left hand and simultaneously fret the same string where the neck joins the body (around the 14th fret) with your right hand. Look at the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the frets around the 7th or 8th fret. There should be a very small gap, roughly the thickness of a business card.
    • Adjusting the Truss Rod: The truss rod is a metal rod running inside the neck. It’s adjusted with an Allen wrench, usually through a cover on the headstock or inside the soundhole.
      • If the neck is too straight or bowed backward (backbow): Loosen the truss rod by turning the wrench counter-clockwise. This allows the strings’ tension to pull the neck forward, increasing relief.
      • If the neck has too much forward bow: Tighten the truss rod by turning the wrench clockwise. This pulls the neck backward, straightening it and reducing relief.
    • Important: Make small adjustments (a quarter turn at most) and re-check the neck relief. It can take a few minutes for the neck to settle after an adjustment.

    Step 3: Setting the String Height (Action) at the 12th Fret

    This is a crucial step for playability. String height is measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string.

    • Typical Recommendations: Action is often measured in millimeters. A common starting point for acoustic guitar action at the 12th fret is around 2mm on the treble side and 2.5mm on the bass side. However, this is a matter of personal preference. You might prefer a slightly higher or lower action depending on your playing style.
    • How to Measure: Use a ruler with millimeter markings or a specialized string action gauge. Measure the distance from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of each string.
    • Adjusting the Action: On acoustic guitars, action is primarily adjusted at the saddle (the white or cream-colored piece on the bridge). To lower the action, the saddle needs to be carefully sanded down from the bottom. To raise the action, you might need to replace the saddle with a slightly taller one. This step requires precision and can significantly impact the guitar’s tone, so proceed with caution.

    Step 4: Checking and Setting the String Height at the First Fret

    This measurement is taken from the top of the first fret to the bottom of the string. It’s influenced by the height of the nut (the slotted piece at the headstock).

    • Typical Recommendations: A common range for string height at the first fret is between 0.5mm and 1mm.
    • Why This is Important: If the strings are too low at the first fret (less than 0.5mm), you’re very likely to experience fret buzz when playing open strings or fretting notes in the lower positions. If they are too high, it makes it difficult to fret chords in the lower positions.
    • Adjusting the Nut: Adjusting the nut involves carefully filing the string slots deeper to lower the string height. This is a delicate process and if done incorrectly, can lead to permanent damage to the nut. It’s often recommended to have a qualified guitar technician perform nut adjustments if you’re not comfortable with the process.

    Patience, Practice, and Personal Preference

    Setting up an acoustic guitar takes patience and a little practice. Don’t expect to get it perfect the first time. Make small adjustments and re-check your measurements.

    Understanding these steps empowers you to maintain and fine-tune your instrument throughout its life. It’s a normal part of being a guitar owner and a rewarding skill to develop. Knowing how to make these adjustments allows you to address minor issues that might arise and also customize the feel of your guitar to your exact liking. If you’re ever unsure or uncomfortable with a specific step, especially filing frets or adjusting the nut, seeking the help of a professional guitar technician is always a wise option.

    Happy playing, and enjoy the journey of making your acoustic guitar sound and feel its absolute best!

  • Cutaway vs. Non-Cutaway: Accessing the Upper Frets and Finding Your Sound

    Cutaway vs. Non-Cutaway: Accessing the Upper Frets and Finding Your Sound

    When you’re browsing acoustic guitars, you’ll often notice a distinct difference in the body shape – some have a smooth, continuous curve on the upper bout, while others have a “scooped out” section. This is the difference between a non-cutaway and a cutaway guitar.

    While both types of guitars can produce beautiful music, the presence of a cutaway significantly impacts playability, particularly for those who venture beyond the lower frets. As we primarily offer guitars with cutaways, let’s delve into why this feature can be a game-changer for many players, highlighting the benefits of having that extra access, even considering the subtle impact on the soundboard.

    What is a Cutaway?

    A cutaway is a indentation in the upper bout of an acoustic guitar’s body, typically on the treble side. This “cut” allows the player’s hand to reach higher up the neck, providing easier access to the frets beyond the neck joint.

    The Non-Cutaway: Traditional Sound and Feel

    Traditionally, most acoustic guitars were built without a cutaway. This design maximizes the surface area of the soundboard, which some purists believe contributes to a slightly fuller, more resonant sound.

    Pros of Non-Cutaway:

    • Potentially Fuller Sound: With the full soundboard area, some argue for a slightly warmer and more resonant tone, particularly in the lower frequencies.
    • Traditional Aesthetic: For those who prefer a classic look, the smooth curve of a non-cutaway is the traditional design.

    Cons of Non-Cutaway:

    • Limited Upper Fret Access: Reaching notes high up the neck can be difficult and uncomfortable, especially for players with smaller hands or those playing intricate lead lines.
    • Less Versatile for Lead Playing: If you plan on playing solos or melodies that require notes above the 14th or 15th fret, a non-cutaway can be quite restrictive.

    The Cutaway: Opening Up Possibilities

    The cutaway is a more modern feature that has become increasingly popular, especially among players who utilize the entire fretboard.

    Pros of Cutaway:

    • Enhanced Upper Fret Access: This is the primary benefit. The cutaway allows your hand to comfortably reach notes on the higher frets, making it much easier to play solos, melodies, and complex chord voicings.
    • Increased Versatility: A cutaway guitar is more versatile for players who want to explore both rhythm and lead playing. You’re not limited to the lower register.
    • Improved Playability for Certain Styles: If you play styles like jazz, blues, or contemporary music that often involve playing higher up the neck, a cutaway is almost essential.
    • Comfort for Players with Smaller Hands: The easier access can make playing more comfortable for those with smaller hands or those who find stretching to higher frets difficult.

    Cons of Cutaway:

    • Slightly Reduced Soundboard Area: The cutaway removes a small portion of the soundboard. While the impact is often subtle and debated among players and luthiers, some argue it can slightly reduce the overall volume or change the tonal balance compared to a non-cutaway of the same size and materials.
    • Different Aesthetic: Some players prefer the traditional look of a non-cutaway.

    Why We Favor the Cutaway

    At SHEKMO, we believe the benefits of a cutaway, particularly the greatly improved access to the upper frets, often outweigh the subtle differences in sound compared to a non-cutaway of the same model. While the reduction in soundboard area is a valid point, the ability to comfortably reach higher notes significantly enhances playability and opens up a wider range of musical possibilities for the player.

    For many musicians, the ability to fluidly move up and down the fretboard for solos, fills, and unique chord voicings is paramount. The cutaway empowers you to explore the full potential of the instrument without straining or contorting your hand.

    It’s important to remember that the overall sound of an acoustic guitar is a result of many factors, including the body shape, wood types, bracing, and construction. While a cutaway might subtly influence the sound, the difference is often less significant than the impact of these other elements. Furthermore, many modern acoustic guitars with cutaways are expertly designed to minimize any potential tonal compromises.

    Making Your Choice

    Ultimately, the decision between a cutaway and a non-cutaway is a personal one. However, for players who envision themselves exploring the entire fretboard, playing solos, or simply want the freedom to reach higher notes comfortably, a cutaway guitar offers a clear advantage in terms of playability and versatility.

    While the debate about the sonic impact of a cutaway continues, we believe the enhanced access and expanded musical possibilities it provides make it a valuable feature for a wide range of players. If you’re looking for an acoustic guitar that allows you to fully express yourself and explore the upper reaches of the fretboard, a cutaway is definitely worth considering.

    Try playing both styles if you have the opportunity. See how the cutaway feels and whether that extra access makes a difference in your playing. For many, the freedom to roam the fretboard unhindered is a truly liberating experience.

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