Questions tagged [acoustic-guitar]
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only acoustic methods to project the sound produced by its strings, as opposed to one that requires an amplifier.
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How do you identify a good acoustic guitar?
What do you look for when going for a guitar? I own an acoustic and am looking for a better one.
What should I be looking for? Wood quality, brand, strings, etc.?
Sandeep Singh Rawat
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How is this B flat guitar chord physically possible?
This chord diagram is from the GarageBand chord trainer (I'm a beginner). How is it possible to put a barre down on the third fret without also muting the top E string?
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Memorizing notes on guitar fretboard
I have 2 questions, which are somehow interrelated.
Learning which-note-corresponds-to-which-fret-position was told to me as an extremely important task for any guitarist who want to get better at it....
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Is my Yamaha guitar counterfeit?
I bought a new Yamaha Guitar and When you look inside the guitar hole it looks like the model number is written by hand. Can you please tell me if this one is a fake one or not? The number written on ...
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Why guitar sounds smoother in high frets?
When I (or you) pluck 2nd string fret 10, and pluck 1st string fret 5, which it's the same octave of the A note. Why when you pluck the 2nd string, it feels smoother than when you pluck the 1st string ...
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Skills needed for classical guitar
I've been playing steel-string acoustic for 25+ years, and I'm becoming more interested in classical guitar playing. While I'm fairly good at fingerstyle, I'm aware that making the leap to classical/...
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What's the difference between the "smooth" strings and the "rough" strings?
On my acoustic, the first 4 strings are "rough" - that is they are covered in a type of metal corkscrew. The last 2 strings though are completely smooth, and don't have a corkscrew finish.
Why are ...
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Does capo quality make any difference?
I feel I was fooled by a music store. They made me buy a really expensive capo saying that it gives a better tone than normal cheap one. However, I recently bought a cheap wooden capo and I could not ...
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Why is a zero fret so uncommon on guitars in spite of all the advantages?
Given the many advantages of using a zero fret on a guitar (as cited in this excellent answer Advantages of a zero fret) and given that with a zero fret it is easier to play chords that call for ...
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How do Pre War Martin Guitars Differ From Modern Ones?
Pre-war Martin guitars are revered because of their sound. What differences are there between the construction of pre-war Martin guitars, and Martin guitars made now.
And are there any companies ...
sfrench
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Standing up acoustic guitar playing position for women
It goes without saying that women typically have different body types than men and this fact often never gets addressed when guitarists are speaking on how to position a guitar when standing up. It ...
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guitar cabinet: why not just use a PA speaker cabinet?
I've been thinking about building myself a rackmount rig to replace an old 12" combo amp, and was wondering if it really makes any difference to use a something that's marketed as a "guitar" speaker ...
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Why does the D string in a guitar breaks so often?
Well... that's about it. D strings (on acoustic nylon guitars at least) break way more often than the others.
I guess there's a physical explanation but I wasn't able to found anything on the Internet....
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Manufacturer claims guitar's sound will improve the more I play it. Is that true?
I own a Simon & Patrick Woodland Cedar acoustic guitar, and the manufacturer claims that it will sound better the more I play it. I suppose it will sound better since the more I play it the more ...
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What determines how hard it is to press a guitar string?
When playing on different steel string acoustic guitars over the years, I noticed a huge difference in how hard it was to press down a string. This made me wonder why.
There are two obvious factors ...
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Acoustic guitar - how to wind strings on the tuning posts
While writing an answer to this question, I did a little web searching and found that the way I was taught 29 years ago to wind the strings isn't necessarily the best.
On an acoustic guitar, I tend ...
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Fighting against the F Chord
Ok, first off, let me introduce myself: my name is Diego and I've been practising guitar(acoustic with metal strings) for about a month and a half, like five hours the day.
Well, to the point: ...
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Playing Classical Guitar Pieces on a Steel-String Guitar
I'm an acoustic guitar player but have recently developed an interest in classical guitar.
I'm not quite at liberty to buy a classical guitar (with nylon strings and what not) and the stool thingy, ...
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How to check if an acoustic guitar is solid top or not?
How do I check whether a guitar is solid top or laminated top? Are there any huge differences in the sound and appearance so that I can differentiate between them? I want to buy a solid top guitar ...
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Why use odd time signatures?
I'm a beginner guitar player, and I'm trying to pick up some of the music theory behind the instrument, and one thing that I've sort of grasped is odd time signatures.
I know what they are, and I can ...
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How to start learning FingerStyle guitar?
How do I start learning fingerstyle guitar? I am lookin for a good book with CD, or any video series that will help me to get started. Basically, I want have some direction about how to play like ...
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Villa-Lobos étude diamond shaped note
In the first étude from the 12 études for guitar by Villa-Lobos, what are these diamond shaped notes?
Additionally, what are these circled notes (G, B and E) below those diamond notes?
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Playing guitar with webbed fingers
I've just got myself an acoustic guitar and I'm struggling with holding down chord shapes. I have webbed 2nd and 3rd fingers on my fretting (left) hand. This causes those fingers to follow each ...
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Why does my new guitar become untuned every day?
I am learning guitar as a beginner and a few days back I bought an f-hole acoustic guitar (steel strings). And every day when I sit down to play it, the guitar tuner says that it is out of tune, ...
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Does anyone make nylon strings for a standard acoustic guitar (non-classical)?
This may seem crazy, but I really love the sound of nylon strings, and I DO NOT want to buy a classical guitar though.
I was wondering if any manufacturer makes nylon strings for a "normal" acoustic ...
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What are "silk and steel" strings?
I've just heard of "silk and steel" strings, but can't find out what they are. So, what are they made out of? Do they produce a significantly different amount of tension in the neck?
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Is it a good idea to leave my guitar tuned over night?
I have an acoustic guitar and I always leave it tuned over night until someone told me that it ruins the strings and the neck of the guitar. Is that true and should I leave it tuned overnight?
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How was the D chord constructed?
I'm a beginner trying to teach myself guitar, and I thought I understood how chords work but the D major chord just confuses the heck out of me.
From what I know, chords are built out of triads, and ...
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Why would a guitarist use a microphone and direct output from an acoustic guitar?
For example, when I watch Eric Clapton live, playing his acoustic guitar, he uses jack output and a mic.
Why is it? Is it for acoustic nuance?
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Is there a name for the screeching sound made when changing chords on a guitar?
When listing to the song "The Only Exception" by Paramore (see YouTube), there's a screeching sound when changing chords, which I find quite unpleasant.
Question: Is there a name for the ...
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Factors in choosing a replacement saddle for an acoustic guitar.
I saw this in the comments section on the question "Do acoustic or classical guitars need to be set up?"
The saddle material makes a difference in the sound of an acoustic too.
I have a bit of a ...
Kendrick
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Acoustic/Electric Guitars
So I was going to get a new acoustic. I really want to start getting into acoustics but I don't want to lose the ability to jam with friends who are on drums/bass, and have their own electrics plugged ...
slandau
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Altering the sound of a guitar to match a sitar
I'm interested in altering my guitar to give it a more sitar-like sound. I've stumbled upon this video below
and am wondering how dangerous this would be to my ...
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Is it good/bad to play guitar with low tension string?
When I started playing my acoustic(at an early age) I tuned the guitar just by matching notes. Like, matching the note of 5th fret of 6th string to open fret of 5th string and so on.
I didn't used any ...
- 1,712
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Why are tuning pegs (aka machine heads) different on different types of guitars?
I know that tuners are one of the features that distinguish a classical guitar from an acoustic one.
But why are the tuners the way they are?
And are they still this way in this day and age because ...
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Are there guitar strings for very high tunings?
David Gilmour used a special tuning for the rhythm guitar in the song Comfortably Numb. It was a regular EADGBE, but the lowest two strings were two octaves higher, and the middle two were one octave ...
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Struggling to switch chords when fingerstyle / arpeggio
So for the life of me I am struggling to switch chords with my left hand while picking a fingerstyle pattern. have been playing a bit over 6 months :(
When I'm playing chords with a flatpick I can ...
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Some acoustic guitars are easy to play but some aren't. What affects playability?
I was comparing a fender and an epiphone acoustic guitar and noticed that fender was easier for my left hand. Both guitars have the same dimensions and seemed to have same string gauge.
I thought ...
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Acoustic guitar: How to stop right index finger nail from wearing away?
My nails tend to chip and crack when playing steel-string acoustic guitar. Cracking and ripping can be kept partially in-check by keeping my nails well-trimmed. However, a far worse problem is that ...
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How best to setup an acoustic guitar for multiple tunings?
I like playing compositions in various tunings, and retune the guitar frequently. I only have one guitar, so that leads to two problems:
Strings tend to break (much) faster when tuned up, e.g. D to E....
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Restringing a 12-string guitar with heavier strings - is it possible?
I'm considering using a 12-string guitar I don't play all that much as a testbed: Is it possible to restring an acoustic guitar as a baritone guitar, or even just string it so I can tune it down a few ...
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Why do almost all modern Classical Guitars use a slotted headstock?
The benefits of a slotted headstock (left picture) over an unslotted one with vertically arranged tuning posts (right picture) seem to be largely subjective (The biggest advantage is problably that ...
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Is it ever too late to learn guitar?
I feel that I'm already past the 'critical point' for learning guitar.
My friend started playing guitar when he was ten - and I felt like the nerves in his left hand were much more developed. My left ...
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Left/right hand coordination on guitar, fretting wrong strings, while playing melodies
I'm having trouble with my left/right hand coordination. I'll either fret the wrong string, or pick the wrong string. I'm trying not to look down at the guitar because I know it's a bad habit, but ...
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Guitar strings still hurt my fingers after 6 months
I have been practicing my guitar for over 6 months. I use extra light gauge and also have built calluses. But, strings still hurt my fingertips! What should I do?
user28116
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My guitar sounds off tune
Lately, I noticed that my excellent acoustic guitar is always sounding off tune even when I have tuned it with keyboard and even electronic tuner. Another thing I noticed is that when I play the ...
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Do I need a pop filter when I'm recording guitars?
According to @JCPedroza in my previous question about pop filters :
It (the pop filter) protects the
microphone from things like fast moving air and saliva. Its main
function is to attenuate ...
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Do acoustic or classical guitars need to be set up?
Obviously acoustic and classical guitars don't have external pickups that need to be setup, but are there any other adjustments that need to be done on a regular basis? There doesn't seem to be a ...
user28
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What does 'Setting Up' my guitar actually mean?
Just this week I visited one my local music stores after a referral to the guy to have my Tanglewood acoustic guitar strings changed. Myself and a friend went in, he recommended a set of guitar ...
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What defines the loudness of an acoustic guitar?
I would like a loud sound without any amplification (purely acoustic sound). Which guitar traits affect it? Do you recommend any particular styles or brands of guitar?
I assume that guitars with ...
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