Different Guitars Guitar Lesson
Different Guitars
Not sure what type of guitar you want to play? In this lesson Steve talks about 3 types of guitars. He provides some beautiful music and information regarding the instruments we all love.
Taught by Steve Eulberg in Basic Guitar with Steve Eulberg seriesLength: 12:00Difficulty: 0.5 of 5
An instrument that creates sound as a result of vibrations occurring within a resonating chamber. In reference to the acoustic guitar, the resonating chamber is called the “body.”B. Parts of the Steel String Guitar
1.Bridge - On a steel string acoustic, the bridge is a black, wooden piece that is glued to the top of the body. The strings mount to the guitar at the bridge. Strings are inserted into the bridge and held in place with pegs.C. Sound of a Steel String Acoustic
2. Saddle - Strings are elevated slightly above the bridge as they pass over the saddle. Quality saddles are typically made from bone or ivory.
3. Soundhole - The vibrations caused by plucking the strings enter the resonating body through the soundhole. This is why picking directly over the soundhole produces the loudest tone.
4. Body - The resonating chamber of the instrument.a. Top5. Neck - the long, slender piece of wood that is jointed to the body with glue. A section is cut from the top of the neck to fit the fingerboard into place. The neck of a steel string acoustic tapers towards the nut.
b. Sides
c. Back
6. Fingerboard - typically made from ebony or rosewood. Frets are glued into the fingerboard. The fingerboard joins the body at the 14th fret.
7. Tuners - The tuners on steel string acoustics point outwards, away from the headstock.
8. Truss Rod - a metal rod inserted into the neck of all steel string guitars. The strings exert tremendous tension on the neck. The tension of the strings pulls the neck towards the body. The truss rod prevents this from happening by applying force in the opposite directions. Occasionally, the truss rod must be adjusted to provide relief in certain areas of the neck.
Most steel string acoustics have a bright tone. This is especially true when a steel string instrument is played with a pick. A steel string acoustic produces a much louder tone than a classical guitar.Chapter 3: (2:43) Classical Guitar A. Special Features of the Classical Guitar
Strings-Classical guitars are strung with either nylon or gut strings. Nylon consists of many polymers. Polymers have memory. If you tune your bass string down to a D, the string will gradually sharpen. The opposite is true if you tune your guitar sharp. The strings will go flat in order to return to their normal resting point. In order to give the polymers in a string new memory, the string must be stretched thoroughly.B. Sound of the Classical Guitar
Note: Stringing a classical guitar with a set of steel strings will significantly warp the neck. Tuners - Point backward similar to a banjo. The strings are wrapped around the tuning posts in the same direction regardless of which side of the headstock they are on.
Neck - Does not taper at all. The neck is slightly wider than the neck of a steel string. Bridge-Strings are tied to the bridge in loops. Fingerboard-The fingerboard meets the body at the 12th fret instead of the 14th.
Soundhole - The soundhole is surrounded by a decorative inlay called a “rosette.” The rosette consists of tiny pieces of wood painstakingly inlaid into the wood of the body.
Pickguard - Pickguards are only found on Flamenco-style classical guitars. This protects the wood from damage caused by Flamenco techniques such as the rasgueado. Also, the pickguard is occasionally tapped by the right hand to achieve percussive effects.
Classical guitars sound much more quiet and metal than their steel string counterparts. The tone also has more midrange, giving the guitar a darker sound. These differences in tone are attributed to the different types of strings. Steel is a much more dense material than nylon. This results in a louder, brighter tone from steel strings.Chapter 4: (3:48) 12 String Acoustic A. Special Features of the 12 String Acoustic
Strings - The 12 string essentially takes each individual string on a normal 6 string acoustic and pairs it with another string. The extra string is the same pitch, but one octave higher. These pairings of strings are called “courses.” Thus, the 12 string has 6 courses.B. Sound of the 12 String Acoustic
Tuning - The extra strings cause additional tension and strain on the neck. Consequently, the 12 string guitar is typically tuned down a full step in order to relieve some of this tension.
The 12 string is typically described as having a very big sound. The extra octave of each string creates the effect of two guitarists playing an octave apart. As Steve explains, the additional strings also give the guitar a chorused sound. Guitarists rarely choose a 12 string as their primary instrument. Rather, they are typically used for effect in order to achieve a large, chorused acoustic tone.
Supplemental Learning Material
Basic Guitar with Steve Eulberg
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsPhase 1 Acoustic Lessons with Steve Eulberg is a great place to begin your journey as a guitarist. With over 30 years of playing experience, Steve appreciates the importance of beginning your guitar training the correct way - no bad habits! These lessons are not just for acoustic players. Electric guitarists will receive the same benefits from this lesson series.
Lesson 1
The Absolute Basics
You will learn the parts of the guitar and how they function. Steve also discusses the importance of technique.
Length: 45:09 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Your First Chords
Three simple chords will literally enable you to play millions of songs. In this lesson, you will learn the primary chords for the key of G.
Length: 40:00 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Strumming Technique
Now that Steve has taught some chords, he will go over the proper methods of strumming and right hand technique.
Length: 42:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
All About Chords
This lesson is all about the various aspects of chords.
Length: 39:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Chord Theory
Steve explains how basic triads are formed in this lesson. He also explains the relationship between scales and chords.
Length: 40:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Intro to Fingerpicking
Steve Eulberg introduces you to the wonderful world of fingerpicking.
Length: 51:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Bringing it Together
Steve starts to weave the strings of the past lessons together.
Length: 47:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Chords, Keys and Relationships
This episode delves further in the realm of chords, scales, keys and the relationships between them. You will also learn some new chords.
Length: 34:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Barre Chords
This lesson covers power chords and barre chords. You will learn how these chords are formed and how to apply them.
Length: 38:24 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tools for Guitar
Steve explains how basic tools such as the metronome, capo, and picks aid your guitar playing. Enjoy!
Length: 27:12 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Playing Lead and Scales
This lesson gets you into the basics of playing melodies on the guitar. Playing melodies and solos is often referred to as "lead guitar."
Length: 45:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hand Stretches
Steve demonstrates some great stretches for the hands, wrists and upper arms.
Length: 8:12 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Different Guitars
Steve discusses the difference between the steel string acoustic, classical, and 12 string guitars.
Length: 12:00 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Changing Guitar Strings
This lesson is all about changing guitar strings. This process can be very frustrating, but it doesn't have to be. Learn some great tips from Steve.
Length: 37:00 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Timing and Tempo
Steve Eulberg delves into the wonderful world of rhythm and time signatures.
Length: 29:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Circle of Fifths
Steve Eulberg introduces the Circle of Fifths. He demonstrates a song that features a Circle of Fifths progression.
Length: 15:30 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Clearing Up Confusion
In this lesson Steve attempts to clear up some confusion with previous lessons. He will talk about reading tablature, note names, chord names and more.
Length: 15:52 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
Review and Moving On
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Length: 12:44 Difficulty: 2.0 FREE
Completing Lessons
Steve answers the popular question, "When should I move on to the next lesson?" by sharing his personal goals and some important advice.
Length: 6:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
About Steve Eulberg
View Full Biography
An Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Steve Eulberg weaves mountain and hammered dulcimers with a variety of unusual instruments to create thought-provoking, smile-inducing, toe-tapping acoustic experiences.
He has sung and composed for religious communities, union halls, picket lines, inter-faith retreats, mountain-top youth camps, as well as the more familiar venues: clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, festivals, charity benefits and showcase concerts.
Born and raised in the German-heritage town of Pemberville, Ohio, Steve was exposed to a variety of music in his home. Early piano lessons were followed by trumpet in school band, and he became self-taught on ukelele and guitar and harmonica. Mandolin was added at Capital University where, while majoring in History, he studied Ear Training, Voice and took Arranging lessons from the Conservatory of Music.
While at college, he first heard hammered and mountain dulcimers, building his first mountain dulcimer just before his final year. Seminary training took him the west side of Denver where he built his first hammered dulcimer. With these instruments, he was able to give voice to the Scottish, English and Irish traditions to which he is also heir.
Following marriage in 1985 to Connie Winter-Eulberg he settled in Kansas City, Missouri. There he worked cross-culturally in a church of African-Americans, Latinos and European Americans, with music being a primary organizing tool. He moved with his family in 1997 to be nestled beside the Rocky Mountains in Fort Coillins, Colorado.
Founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc. he teaches and performs extensively in Colorado and Wyoming with tours across the US and the UK. He delights in introducing the “sweet music†of dulcimers to people in diverse settings and in addition to his own recordings, has included dulcimers in a variety of session work for other musicians.
In 2000 he was commissioned to create a choral composition featuring dulcimers for the Rainbow Chorus in Fort Collins. It was recorded in the same year (BEGINNINGS). He is currently at work on a commissioned symphony that will feature hammered dulcimer and Australian didjeridu.
Eulberg passionately believes that music crosses cultural and language barriers because music builds community. Influenced by a variety of ethnic styles, his music weaves vital lyric with rap, rock, folk, gospel and blues. Audiences of all ages respond well to his presentation and to his warm sense of humor.
Steve is a member of Local 1000 (AFM), The Folk Alliance, BMI and BWAAG (Better World Artists and Activist's Guild).
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I never knew the differences between the guitars. Great information!
I loved it when Jimi Hendrix played the 12 string...anyone else?
Great info. Steve. Can you please clear something up for me? I have a 12-string that I bought from a garage sale .. I restrung it yesterday (1st time ever restringing any guitar), and my 12-string is now an 11-string (got a little overzealous on the 6:G string), but that's irrelevant to the question ... anyway, I wasn't sure about tuning a 12-string so I found this site: http://www.get-tuned.com/12_string_guitar_tuner.php Question: So if I understand things correctly, should I attach a capo along the first fret and then tune according to the tuner? Then I guess the capo will always have to left on the guitar?
I can see why they do that, if they are concerned about stress on their neck, but to be honest it seems silly to me. THe guitar manufacturers design their guitars to withstand the tension of the strings, so tuning down and then using a capo to get "standard tuning" back seems very silly. I would only worry about tuning down if you want to do it for your vocals, or for musical/songwriting purposes and not because of the reasons they gave on that site.
Very informative. I did not realize 12 string guitars were tuned a whole step lower.
Thank you, Steve. My 12 string has been tuned wrong all these yeqrs.
Hi Steve, i enjoy your lessons, In setting some goals I want to play the 12 string i really enjoy the fullness of how it sounds. Could you give me some advice on when I should start think about buying one an working with it. Thanks an I enjoy your lesson. Doug
I have both 12 and six string guitars. If I am learning a song I will do it on the 6 string first then move over to 12. Reason is obvious if the song has a lot of picking through chords. Also, you need really good calluses because the 12 will shred your fingers....if I just take 3 weeks off from playing mine it hurts...
Hey Steve:....Had to laugh at ur "Humour" yet once again!........"you don't have to have 12 fingers to play a 12 string"....i'd either be an "Alien" or a "Freak" if i did :) LOL!
I found this helpful & interesting as I'd like to gain a lot more knowledge on guitars in general. Thanks Steve.
Hi Steve: There's a question in the forum asking about 12 string guitars... I think they asked if you could finger pick one or did you have to use a pick? S
i like that 12 string