Developing Your Own Sound

When you first begin learning any instrument it is important to develop a clear picture of what you want to sound like. What I mean by this is having an idea in your head of what your kind of style you want to be playing. Also you can save yourself a lot of time if your playing has a clearly focused goal. For example there is no need to learn ‘Stairway to Heaven’ if your dream is to become a Country music guitarist.

Though I believe developing a clear picture of what you sound like is important you should never take that to mean being closed-minded about other styles and their techniques. I think it is important to try to develop an individual sound, but you should spend at least a portion of your time at least listening to other types of music.

In your musical life you will probably change styles at some point. This is natural and it is a sign that you are developing as a musician and as a guitarist. When I first started playing I played Folk music and Beatles songs. These days I play mostly Hard Rock. So though I believe you should have an idea about what you want to sound like be open minded about changing.

What do I want sound like? This can be very difficult or very easy depending on the individual. Some people are inspired to play the guitar by an individual or a band. For these people their style will generally mimic their favorite player. Also if you’re fond of a particular style you can learn the songs and techniques that fit that style.

For people who don’t particularly want to sound like anyone there is a bit more work to do to find and define a style. The best way to do this is listen to a lot of music and try and play as many different styles as you can and see what you find the most enjoyable and rewarding for you.

Finding a sound that suits you can take some time. For some people this could be years. For others it could be a split second decision that comes from hearing a particular player.

For others it may take some serious listening to a lot of different music to decide what they want to sound like.

How do I sound like I want to sound like? Once you have decided on your style then it is time to learn how to play like that. The best way to do that is learn songs that are classics in the genre you want to emulate. This means learning a few of the most popular songs from that style and becoming familiar with the techniques used in this kind of song. It is a good idea to learn songs by a few different bands instead of just one. This is so you get exposed to a few different guitarists playing style.

Related to this is using the right kind of guitar for the style you want to play. You don’t need to be too worried about playing the exact same axe as your favorite player. However you should have a guitar that is common with players of the genre you are trying to emulate.

Can I make songs in my ‘style’? I am a firm believer in the idea that it is never to soon to start writing your own songs. Even if you can only write the most basic songs I still think it is worth trying. You should try and add elements from the songs you have learned. You may find yourself writing stuff that is quite derivative initially, but that’s OK. Just keep working on your playing and trying to get the sound that you hear in your head into your hands and played on the guitar. Don’t get frustrated if you have trouble. Some players spend their entire life trying to get the sound they want. Writing your own music is very rewarding and will give you another direction in your musical life.

Tech Tip of the Week

Here is a brief description of some of the more commonly misunderstood parts of the guitar.

Headstock
The head stock is the part of a guitar at the end of the neck opposite to the body. The headstock is generally used for supporting the tuning pegs used to wind the strings. There are many shas that headstocks can come in depending on the type of guitar.

Machine Heads
The machine heads or tuning pegs are found at the headstock. The machine heads tighten or loosen strings so they string can be tuned. A basic gear mechanism is used to winds the strings.

Frets
The bars or ridges (usually made of metal) that sit on the fingerboard or neck of a guitar; when the string is depressed by your fingers at the metal bar it will make a note of the desired pitch. Frets are arranged on guitars to produce specific musical pitches. On the typical guitar or bass each fret represents one semitone or half step.

Bridge

The bridge is found down on the body. The function of the bridge, in addition to simply holding the strings in place, is to transmit their vibrations to the top of the guitar, to the instrument's soundboard or pickups. There are many different types of bridge and they can be made from a variety of materials depending upon the type of guitar. For example electric guitars usually have metal bridges and acoustic guitars usually have wooden ones.