FAQs | Guitar Lessons and Performance

what does it mean when a chord is diminished?

What does it mean when a chord is diminished?

Ah, diminished chords. I knew this question was going to come up eventually. Have a seat.

You see, after a major chord has flourished for a while, it begins to lose its luster. It’s just not as shiny as it was when it was new! And it starts to get a little soft, particularly around the 3 and 5. Eventually of course, the 3 and 5 each slip completely down a half step, and we shake our heads and say the chord is half diminished.

It is still strong though, never doubt it! Its character has just changed. It moves with more nuance, has greater gravitas and I believe, a greater appreciation for the chords and notes around it, generally speaking.

Eventually it’s 7 also flattens out, and we say that it is completely diminished. It certainly looks and sounds different than it did when it was a sprightly young major chord, but it has attained a more profound way of communicating its essence that it ever would have been able to, had it not reached this certain level of maturity.

Respect your diminished chords!
They have been around the block, and can show you a thing or two.

Diminished chords […]

Paul2023-09-22T11:13:52-04:00

is it ok to wear a hat while playing guitar?

It is OK to wear a hat
while strumming your guitar!
It helps your audience to see
precisely who you are.

Chapeau will show one’s style, panache,
one’s verve and savoir-faire
(in my case, also help to hide
a pronounced lack of hair)

A hat make quite a statement!
be prepared though, for beratement-
you’ll be strumming behind bars mate,
if the rest of you is bare.

Paul2021-03-20T13:52:22-04:00

Is it a bad thing that I know virtually nothing about music theory?

Is it a bad thing that I have been playing guitar for 10 years and know virtually nothing about music theory? Would it be harder for me to learn it at this point?

It’s not a bad thing, imho. James Taylor said famously “I don’t read music, I don’t write music. I just wander around on the guitar until something presents itself”. You’re probably pretty creative and have a decent ear. You can hear how some things fit together better than others and you’re willing to experiment until you get something that sounds nice.

That said, if you learn a little theory and can attach it to what you already know, you’ll move lightyears ahead! I mean it. Find a teacher or a book or an online system. Whatever works for you can help fill in some of the gaps in your music head. You’re asking if that will be hard; it will be easier if you can start making connections right away to what you already know. Take small bites at first. And if it’s any help at all, know that we (guitar players) are all on the same path. Best luck to you, my friend!

Paul2021-03-02T09:34:06-05:00

why do stringed instruments have tuning pegs?

Why do stringed instruments have tuning pegs?

To keep the strings from tangling
We peg them in their places.
or else they’d drag across the ground
like bad behaved shoelaces.

The other ends we twist ’em tight!
around each tuning post
well not too tight- but just enough-
to E A D G B and E at most.

Paul2021-03-02T09:35:03-05:00

what should I do if my neighbor plays loud music

What should I do if my neighbor plays guitar and sometimes has his band mates over to play (loud bluegrass/folk) music for hours each week? I’m doing my MBA and work from home when I’m not traveling for work, and it’s very distracting.

If your neighbor and his mates are playing guitar music loudly
and bluegrass music (ugh) is the style of tune they play so proudly
you could ask him (real polite like) for his lads to turn it down- say,
between the hours of 10 and 6 when you’re not out of town.

You could tell him of your studies and your serious intent
how an MBA requires – no- demands – long hours spent
in quiet contemplation, focused solely on the task.
Perhaps he’ll see your side! (you know, it doesn’t hurt to ask)

But barring that my friend, there are two other choices.
One light, one dark. One heaven-sent,
one spawned by hellish voices. So:

purchase a guitar and knock politely on his door
and when that door is opened, well- that’s a metaphor
for expanding your horizons, enjoying life – l’chaim!
(the MBA work might wait a bit, for just a little time)

My alternate suggestion’s simply horrifying, mate.
Not for the faint-of-heart. in […]

Paul2021-02-24T21:13:05-05:00

how can I know what chord this is

How can I know what chord this is?

Try Chord Namer at jguitar.com!

The chord namer will automatically name a chord shape (if a valid chord shape is supplied.) Simply select the circles on the fretboard that correspond to where your fingers go and hit “Go”. A few things to watch out for:

Strings that aren’t strummed should be set to “Mute” and open strings should be set to zero.
Don’t enter your chord upside-down! The fretboard is shown with the lowest pitch string at the bottom and the highest pitch string at the top (unless you’ve tuned your instrument differently.)
If there is more than 1 way to name the chord you supplied, the chord namer will give you multiple results. They are all correct but which one you choose may depend on the context it is used in.

Paul2021-03-16T09:38:00-04:00

why do bass guitars even exist?

Why do bass guitars even exist? Why not just use an electric guitar and just use the lowest four notes?

This has been answered pretty well on Quora but I wanted to add my two cents.

A while ago, a friend was kind enough to loan me (thanks Chuck!) a Schecter Diamond Series electric bass.

I have been playing guitar for most of my life but this thing is just magical. You have to listen so much more closely when playing bass than guitar, I think partly because of all the frequencies under your hand- it seems like so much more is available than on a guitar string. You’ll hear “start with the 1 and 5” and that works fine but if you listen to a bassist who really knows the neck, they carve up chords like a horn player. You could spend a LOT of time getting this under control. It’s really only nominally a guitar if you think about it, in the same way that a ukulele is, imho.

I hope this is helpful and I highly recommend putting your hands on a bass guitar if you get the chance.

PS: how many bass players does it take to change a lightbulb? […]

Paul2021-02-24T20:54:23-05:00

how hard is it to learn acoustic guitar

How hard is it to learn the acoustic guitar and how much time will it take learning it on your own (I mean to be able to play full length songs including riffs, strumming, etc.)?

It depends! :-)

Start with hand-friendly chords, a simple 3-chord song and a patient friend who already knows how to do this part pretty well. Mix in a little determination, a standard portion of hand-eye coordination and a reasonably good “ear” (meaning you can hear when the notes sound correct. Bake for 2 to 3 hours. Et voila!

One serious thing though- the process is more important than the result. Although this is hard to imagine when you’re starting out, it’s true. Enjoy your adventure!!!

Paul2021-02-22T12:40:33-05:00

why do folk songs not have key changes

Why do folk songs not change the key signature?

Well I dunno for sure, but my guess is, to keep them fairly simple. A musically simple song, more people can enjoy it. They can sing them or hear the song’s story without being distracted by unnecessary musical ornamentation (like a key change).

Think about holiday songs like “joy to the world”: that goes “do te la so fa me re do” which is just “do re me” backward. It’s a generality but I’d say folk songs are not musically nuanced on purpose so more folks can enjoy them. Just my opinion, I’d be interested to hear somebody else’s.

Paul2021-02-21T17:56:38-05:00

what are the four types of instruments?

What are the four types of instruments?

Guitar is the first and primary category, of course.

Following that there are things that are not guitars but sort of guitar-ish, like ukuleles and basses, banjos, dulcimers, lutes, etc.

Third would be instruments that have strings but are not at all guitar-like otherwise, and you could lump pianos, kalimbas, harps and all that sort of foolishness in that category.

Lastly comes instruments that are not remotely like guitars at all. They have no strings(!) and rely on, if you can believe it, having air blown into them or being pounded on with wooden sticks. As a category, well, that last set of “instruments” are hardly worth a reasonable person’s attention at all.

Those are the four types as far as I can tell.

Paul2021-02-21T11:36:27-05:00