Electric Guitar Effects
How To Play Guitar
Guitar Types
Acoustic Guitar Parts
Electric Guitar Parts
Acoustic or Electric Guitar
Buy Acoustic Guitar
Buy Electric Guitar
Basic Guitar Lessons
Learning Guitar Notes
Learning Guitar Chords
Read Guitar Tabs
Read Guitar Sheet Music
Advanced Guitar Techniques
Acoustic Guitar Types
Electric Guitar Types
Electric Guitar Effects
Electric Guitar Amps
Guitar Care
Child Guitar
Privacy Statement
Site Map
|
|
Tweet |
| Electric Guitar Effects to Play Guitar, Lessons | ||
 When Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in the 1950's - blues musicians immediately embraced the new contraption. Since electric guitars require an amplifier (amp) to produce the sound, it is an easy matter to electronically alter the signal to change the sound. They recognized the possibilities of being able to make funky sounds with it. Click for Electric Guitar Types information. One of the first "effects" to be invented was the Reverb effect, essentially an electronic echo that , you know, diminishes rapidly. Many guitar amps today have reverb built in, it is a simple and elegant sound effect that adds a warmth to the guitar sound. Effects for electric guitars are usually created by plug-in devices, these usually take the form of a "Pedal" (as they are stomped on to activate the effect, or control it). Rock and metal guitarists often use several effects pedals connected in a daisy-chain. Newer models of effects pedals are computerized (digital) and a single device can create all possible variations of effects by itself. 
|
||
|
||
All present western music (rock, jazz, R&B, rap, etc) has evolved from blues, and the ability to alter the sounds of an electric guitar have been passed on to each new genre. Heavy metal, for example, almost exclusively uses the Distortion effect with electric guitars. The distortion effect does exactly what (not whatever) its name suggests, it distorts the original guitar sound and produces a completely new sound - bordering on screeching. Jimi Hendrix has created mind bending wails from his guitar with distortion. Many amps today have distortion effects built in, it is a very popular effect used in rock and blues music. While many variations of distortion exist, most are are "Gain" control effects. Two controls, "Pre-Gain" and "Post-Gain", alter the sound on the pre and post edge of the sound wave. This can create sounds ranging from a flat "thunk" (bluesy), to a screeching "wail" (metal).
|
||
|
||
|
The Wah Wah effect was made popular during the sixties by bands such as Cream. The Wah Wah effect is activated by the guitarist's foot (by rocking the effect pedal), and alters the tone of the sound (going from low treble to high treble) - this creates a voice-like wah-wah-wah effect. New digital wah wah effects devices also have "Auto Wah", in which no pedal pressing is required - the computer in the device automatically varies the sound for you. Some popular rock songs use a wah wah pedal, but it is kept stationary in halfway position - this makes a unique funky sound. Many other effects are also available; such as producing an acoustic guitar sound from an electric guitar pickups, signal duplication (sounds like two guitars are playing), rotating speaker modelling (mimics rotating cone speakers used by some musicians), and many more effects. Electric Guitar Types<<<Previous Next>>>Guitar Amps
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
| Read Guitar Sheet Music to Play Guitar, Lessons | ||
 Music notation is standard for all music instruments, including the guitar. While reading Guitar Tab is easier for beginners, for advanced music you must know how to also read sheet music. The symbol on the left is the Treble Clef, and identifies the document as sheet music. Note that piano (and bass guitar) music also uses the Bass Clef which we are not going to cover here. The Treble Clef is often followed by two numbers, in this case they are 4 over 4. This is the Time Signature for this music, the simple explanation is the top number indicates the number of beats per measure, and the lower number indicates that quarter notes (one-fourth, explained below) are used to mark each beat. This 4 over 4 time signature is used very often, in fact it is also called Common Time and may be indicated by a large C which means the same thing as 4 over 4. 
|
||
|
||
The music notes are written on Ledger Lines (the horizontal lines), and the music is broken up into chunks called Measures. Each measure in turn is broken up into Beats, in the above example Common Time (4/4) is used, there are 4 beats per measure. Each ledger line and space (between lines) indicate different music notes as shown above (marked in red on the left side). Music notes are written ON a line, or BETWEEN lines (in the spaces). The lowest ledger line is the E, the space following it is the F, the line following it is the G, and so on. You can keep drawing ledger lines above and below the existing lines, if your music has higher or lower Octaves. The first measure in the above example has a Whole Note symbol (hollow circle O). In this case, it is sitting on the E line, so it is a whole E note. Whole notes last for the duration of the measure, in this case 4 beats. In other words, play the note and HOLD IT for 4 beats (don't pick it four times). The next measure shows the Half Note symbol, which is the hollow cirle (O) with a stem. Note the stem can go either up or down, whichever is more convenient depending on its position on the lines. The Half Note takes half as many beats as the whole note, in this case it would half of 4, which is 2 beats. Thus we have two half notes in the second measure, each of which takes 2 beats each (totalling 4 beats, the length of the measure). Again, you have to HOLD the half note for two beats (don't pick the note twice), then pick it and hold it for the next 2 beats. The two dots at the start of measure 1, and at the end of measure 2, indicate Repeat. This means you would repeat that , you know, section when playing this piece of music.
|
||
|
||
|
The above example shows the Quarter Note symbol in measure 3, which is a filled in circle with a stem. The quarter note is one-quarter of the whole note, which in this case is 4 divided by 4 = 1 beat. Remember the 4/4 Time Signature that has the lower 4, indicating a quarter note marks each beat. Therefore we have four quarter notes in measure 3 that provide four beats. The stem again, can go up or down, whichever direction is more convenient or readable. Now we have the quarter note providing each beat, but we can jam in TWO notes for each beat. This is the Eighth Note (which is one half of the quarter note) which is symbolized with a filled in circle with a stem and a tail that curls. In music we count "one AND two AND three AND four AND" to accommodate the quarter notes. In measure 4 above, beat 1 has two quarter notes (ONE AND shown as 1 +). Beat 2 also has a pair of quarter notes, these have been drawn with a line joining their stems - this format is more readable and is often used when more than one quarter note is written together. Beat 3 introduces a new concept in music, the Rest (or SILENCE) - with a pair of Eighth Rests, indicating that no notes are to be played for that beat (3 +). Beat 4 has a Quarter Rest, which is functionally identical to the pair of eighth rests we just saw in beat 3.
|
|
Sharps and flats are also written on sheet music, either next to each note or after the time signature as a Key Signature. That is an advanced level of information which is best learned from a formal guitar teacher and is not being covered here. The basic sheet music reading tutorial above should be sufficient to get you started. The previous Guitar Tab section is easier for beginners to play almost any piece of guitar music, and Advanced Guitar Techniques is next to show you how to get even more sounds out of your guitar. Guitar Tabs<<<Previous Next>>>Advanced Guitar Techniques
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
Additional pages about Electric Guitar Effects
Content and materials on this website are Copyright ©2006-2012 4playguitar.com.
Access to this website and content is provided with no guarantees, and we are not
liable for any damages, consequential or inconsequential, from the ability or
disability of using this website.
Usage of this website constitutes acknowledgment of these disclaimers
and terms. 8
Use these materials at your own risk.