electric guitar

Bill: Is it a good idea to practice with both the acoustic and electric guitar at the same time? Or, should I concentrate on one or the other. I am not an experienced player, but I am not a total beginner, either

The reason why I ask is because I find that playing the acoustic guitar has a different feeling than the electric guitar I have. And, going back and forth seems to be harder than staying on one guitar. Or, is it good for my development to go back and forth?

Also, when I try to play songs that I like that famous singers have made (like Vince Gill, etc) the quality of the sound I get out of the electric guitar isn’t as good as the recordings. Is that because the amp that I’m using is a cheap amp (I just have a small student amp)? Also, would buying a pedal improve the sound quality?

Peter Vogl: A bunch of good questions here. It is fine to work on both guitars learning the touch required to play both. Using a good tube amp is the first step to good tone. Guys like Vince Gill are also using a compressor pedal, sometimes a delay pedal, and at times a chorus. You can buy them in one good multi effect if you like. Remember they are going through super expensive processing in the recordings you are listening to. The mixing board alone could very well be worth a million dollars. Best of luck.

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There is a great article about jam tracks over on the Electric Guitar Review. I think the point that I find most important is:

“CONVENIENCE: Let’s face it, the best way to learn music is to play music, and you can’t do it all by your lonesome self. Even if you’re in a band, chances are your band mates are not willing to play back-up for you on demand. With playalongs, you have the luxury of practicing with a rhythm section day after day, anytime you wish, for any length of time.”

There’s nothing like the freedom of being to jam whenever you want to. I’m often moved by a song I’m listening to or performance on tv and pick up the guitar and jam for hours. Sometimes your most inspired moments don’t happen when other musicians are around. Which is just one of the many reasons quality jam track cd’s and mp3s are helpful.

You can check out our full line of jam tracks and see what strikes your fancy. We also have free lessons for each Let’s Jam CD to help guide you towards creating your own solos.

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