Got a computer? Got a guitar?

Put them together and see what fun you can have!

If you’ve never heard of plugging your guitar into your computer, it might seem like a weird idea at first. But you can do all kinds of cool stuff once you get it going.

You can play along with downloaded backing tracks or songs ripped from CD’s and listen to both inputs (backing track or song and your guitar) through a set of headphones or your computer speakers instead of listening to them from separate sources. A feature in Windows Media Player allows you to slow down the backing track or song if needed.

Plugging your guitar into your computer also allows you to record yourself without a lot of fancy studio equipment. Listening to your playback can be a great tool for identifying what you need to work on.

What’s really great is, once you can record yourself, you can collaborate musically with others via the miracle of the internet!

So to get started playing your guitar through your computer…

This explanation is for electric or acoustic-electric guitars into a PC. Acoustic guitars require an external microphone, which we won’t address here today.

Obviously, you’ll need your guitar and your computer. You’ll also need your practice amp or a device such as the Behringer V-AMP2, and the appropriate cords/connectors, which we will talk about.

I’ll describe this connection through the V-AMP2, which is what I use most often. The V-AMP2 is an inexpensive modeling unit that allows you to produce many different tones and effects without investing in a lot of pedals. It also serves as a pre-amp to boost your guitar’s signal going in to the computer.

1. Connect the guitar into the V-AMP2’s Input socket using a regular guitar cable.

2. Connect the V-AMP2’s Line-Out to the computer’s Line-In. This requires a special "Y-cable" that has ¼ inch male stereo plugs (left and right) on one end, and a 1/8 inch male plug on the other. After quite some searching, I finally found this Y-cable online.

The Line-In socket is on the back of my computer and requires crawling under the desk with a flashlight. Fortunately, it is okay to leave it connected all the time.

3. Make sure your volume is turned low, and turn on your power source. You should be able to hear your guitar through your computer’s speakers, or you can plug in a set of headphones for private practice.

If you use your practice amp in place of the V-AMP2, the main difference is the cable used from the amp to the computer. Instead of the Y-cable, you’ll need a cable with a ¼ inch male plug on one end and a 1/8 inch male plug on the other. You can also accomplish this with an adapter (¼ inch female to 1/8 inch male) on one end of a regular guitar cable. This adapter should be readily available at most electronic and discount department stores. I found it at both K-Mart and Radio Shack.

Once you can play through your computer, it’s time to download a free recording program such as Audacity or Kristal. But that’s a story for another day.

Hey, Listen to This!

You undoubtedly have some favorite guitarists – maybe some who inspired you to want to play.

Here are a few guitarists I enjoy listening to. Not a “top ten” or “greatest of all time” list. Just my list for today. Ask me tomorrow, it will look a little different.

Let’s warm up with Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Deja Voodoo. If you watch only one video out of all mentioned in this article, please watch Deja Voodoo. And here is KWS’s Shotgun Blues. Check out the solo beginning around 1:50.

Think KSW takes inspiration from Stevie Ray Vaughan at all? Speaking of the late great SRV, (who I am sorry to admit I did not discover until after his death) listen to this fabuloso rendition of Little Wing. See how many other guitar greats you can identify in that vid. Some cool footage from inside the Fender factory, too.

Sometimes we get discouraged and think, “I’ll never be able to play decently, let alone like these guys.” When you get to thinking that way, pull up this vid and reassess your personal challenges to playing guitar.

This six-year-old is incredibly cute, and plays a mean Twist and Shout.

Not all guitar gods play to packed arena crowds. Check out this guy’s home brew.

You simply must hear Andy McKee’s percussive-acoustic style. Try Drifting for starters. Check out his other vids, as well. Some beautiful music and unusual-looking instruments.

The poignant More Than Words brings us Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme. Picking the tempo up, just for fun let’s Get the Funk Out.

Ready for a tasty dessert? No, really, I lied before--if you watch only one video, it has to be this one. :-) Here is BB King, joined by Gary Moore, on the classic blues tune The Thrill Is Gone. Good stuff, Maynard.

Granted, the audio quality of YouTube vids is not always that great. But it’s fun and motivational to watch as well as hear some great musicians. Dig around a bit and you’ll find some gems among the rubble.

Think I’ll go practice now.

Standard Notation vs. Tablature – Do I really need both?

Music for guitar is usually written in one of two ways—standard notation (SN hereafter, for the sake of brevity), or tablature (tab, for short). A never-ending controversy regarding SN and tab is, “Can you be a real guitarist if you only know tab?”

Some beginners may not be familiar with either SN or tab, so let’s cover some background before we dive into the discussion:

What is Tablature?

Guitar tab consists of a staff of six horizontal, parallel lines, one to represent each string, with the high e on the top and low E on the bottom. (A lower case “e” is commonly used to denote the high e string, and capital “E” denotes the low E string.) A number placed on a line indicates which fret to press on that particular string. So a number 7 on the third line from the top would mean to press the 7th fret on the G string. Here is an example of guitar tab.

What is Standard Notation?

SN uses a five-line staff, and round-headed notes are placed on the lines and in the spaces between the lines. Various note stems are used to indicate the duration of the note, and other symbols are used to indicate rests (pauses), etc. Here is a sample of SN. Ha! Just kidding. Here is a real sample of SN for guitar. (Don't be intimidated by what you see--it's not a beginner's piece.)

Pros and Cons of Tab

Tab has the advantage of being very easy to learn, giving a quick start to those who don’t know SN. Another advantage of tab has to do with specific placement of a note on the fretboard. On a guitar, the same note (pitch) can be played multiple places on the fretboard. For example, play the 9th fret of the D string, then play the 4th fret of the G string, then play the open B string. You have just played the same B note in each of three positions. Tab tells you exactly which place to play the note.

The most obvious disadvantage of tab is that it gives no information about rhythm, or length of time to hold each note. Unless the song is familiar and you know how it is supposed to sound, you must have a recording or someone to play it for you, in order to emulate the rhythm and learn it.

The Myth

A number of well-known professional guitarists know only tab and don’t read SN. So the myth persists that knowing tab alone is enough, and that there is no compelling reason to go to the trouble of learning SN. The thing is, the previously-mentioned highly-successful guitarists also usually have years of experience and a very well-developed ear, and can play along without any written page in front of them once they know the key and the style of music. Most beginning guitarists do not yet have this skill of “playing by ear.”

Pros and Cons of Standard Notation

SN also has pros and cons. On the plus side, SN helps a guitarist develop an understanding of theory, including melody, harmony, keys, etc. SN has the advantage in illustrating the relationships between notes, such as the intervals (e.g. thirds, fifths, octaves), and in showing how chords are built. SN provides detailed information about rhythm, rests, dynamics, and duration of each note, which tab does not.

A guitarist who knows SN can take a piece of music written for another instrument (e.g., piano or voice) and play along with it. Not true for the tab-only reader. It is virtually a requirement that all studio, or session, musicians read SN.

The main disadvantage of SN is actually seen by some (usually more experienced guitarists) as an advantage, and that is this: SN does not provide any advice about where on the fretboard to play a given note. That leaves it up to the discretion of (and requires some knowledge on the part of) the guitarist.

Reciting vs. Speaking the Language

Banjo player and educator “Dr. Banjo” Peter Wernick equates learning how to play from tablature alone (without SN) with the difference of learning to “recite,” when one should be learning how to “speak” the language. He says he’s also seen this with ESL adults learning to read English. Sometimes they are “fluent,” though they don’t actually know how to put together a sentence on their own.

The Best of Both Worlds

While a guitarist can learn to play well using tab alone, making the extra effort to learn SN will result in improved skills and musicianship in the long run. It is doubtful that many have ever regretted learning SN once they understood what it can do. Knowing how to read and use both tab and SN is the best of both worlds.

Due to years of playing the piano I already knew how to read SN before picking up the guitar. I have come to the point where I will only purchase guitar books that have both SN and tab, so I can use the best of both. I can read the tab faster than I can read SN, but I need the SN especially to learn the rhythm initially. Also, I can take the SN to my piano and play it through, so I have an idea what an unfamiliar song is supposed to sound like.

If you’re ready to start learning SN, here is an excellent lesson on standard notation by Tom Serb, professional musician, composer, guitar teacher, and author of Music Theory for Guitarists. Knock yourself out!

Recreational Music Making for Stress Relief

How do you relieve stress? Watch tv? Chew your nails? Eat? Perhaps when you are feeling stressed, you should reach for your guitar instead. One study suggests that recreational music making can be significant in stress-reduction, even for those who don’t consider themselves to be musically inclined.

Dr. Barry Bittman of the Mind-Body Wellness Center, and researchers from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Applied Biosystems, published the results of their scientific research study in the February 2005 issue of the Medical Science Monitor.

The study took 32 adults who did not consider themselves to be musical, and had them engage in a stress-inducing activity for an hour. Then the group was divided into three smaller groups. For the next hour, each participant either continued the stress-producing activity, relaxed and read periodicals of their choice, or participated in a group recreational music (piano) keyboard program.

Blood samples taken before and after each activity were analyzed for 45 specific biological responses to stress.

The researchers found that stress-reduction was three times greater for those who participated in the recreational music making than for those who read for the hour following the stressful activity.