by Jamey Mann Catoctin School of Music One of the most difficult techniques new guitar students face is the dreaded bar chord. A bar is when a guitarist uses one finger to hold down 2 or more strings. Unfortunately, this technique is often made more difficult than it has to be. If a student is not made aware of body mechanics, how a guitar is supposed to...
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by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music Classical guitars use nylon strings, however it’s not quite that simple. Within the world of classical guitar strings there is a plethora of different materials, strings tensions, thickness, and brands. Deciding on which string to use is overwhelming and takes a long time to choose (if you ever really settle on one type). Deciding on what strings to use comes...
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by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music What kind of strings to use, how to change strings, and how often to change strings are all necessary things to know for anyone learning to play a stringed instrument. In the stringed instrument world, there are countless number of brands, types, materials, and attachment methods. Many students get overwhelmed by having to buy or change their strings, so they...
Read More by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music A highly debated and personal topic in the guitar world is changing guitar strings. Generally, it is recommended that guitar strings be changed about every three months which may seem fairly often. However, depending on how much you play and your personal tolerance/preference for aging strings, your mileage may vary. While strings should be changed regularly, it is surprising how...
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by Jamey Mann, Catoctin School of Music A highly debated topic amongst guitar players and teachers is guitar tablature (TAB). Tablature is a system of reading for guitar where numbers are placed on a series of lines. The lines represent the 6 strings of the guitar (bottom line low E, top line high E) while the numbers indicate the fret to be played. This is a...
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