2012-0126

An Alternative Way To Adjust Your Guitar Nut

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Most new guitars arrive from the factory with the nut just barely playable. Older guitars may have the nut filed or worn down so much that fret buzz cannot be eliminated by neck or string height adjustment. If you have a new guitar, or you are replacing the nut with a new one, here is an alternative method to file and adjust the nut material to make your guitar play like the professionals guitars play.
Before adjusting anything, make sure your guitar is strung up correctly and that your neck is straight and not bowed or warped. If your neck is bowed you first need to adjust the truss rod. If your neck is warped it will require a more extensive repair. For the lowest possible action or to avoid fret buzz all across your finger board it may be necessary to have your frets leveled and crowned first.
You will need a set of nut files (available from Stewart MacDonald), and a good set of feeler gauges as well. Different grades of sandpaper are very useful too.
Fret each string individually, starting with the High E, between the second and third fret, use your feeler gauge to check the amount of space between the bottom of the string and the first fret. You should have approximately .005″ of space between each one, with the string barely touching the second fret. If this measurement is close or dead on then move on to the next string right up to the Low E string. You may want to record the gap on a scrap piece of paper as you move across the fret board, to see the nut slot’s height in relation to the fret board as you do so.
For most players a string height (also known in guitar slang as “action”) of 3/64″ of an inch is considered normal. Some players choose a higher sting height such as 4/64″ of an inch while players which tend to have a light touch and want the fastest action possible strive to lower the action as close as possible to 2/64″ which in many case’s is very hard to setup and maintain without fret buzzing somewhere on the finger board.
Of course, you can use the traditional method to set your string height in relation to the nut, by using multiple feeler gauges below the nut, and filing down to the factory depth and width. However, I have found this method to provide a better and more consistent feel while playing near the nut.
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2011-1220

All About Sheet Music

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Sheet music is an important tool for established musicians and those who want to learn.  If you do not know how to read sheet music, don’t worry.  There are many online tutorials that will take you step by step on learning how to read sheet music.  Sheet music can speed the time in learning new songs.  Sheet music can also help you capture your own original compositions to paper which will help in publishing and copyright issues.
Finding sheet music is relatively easy given the popularity of sheet music download sites.  You can find sheet music for every genre of music and to suit every instrument.  Whether you are a beginner or an advanced musician, sheet music can be found for your experience level.  Searching the Internet will bring up a variety of sites where you can choose the sheet music most desirable for you.
When downloading sheet music, please be aware of copyright laws.  The musician or composer usually holds the copyright to their sheet music.  Some copyright owners will allow the download of their sheet music only under certain conditions.  Others do not allow the download of their sheet music for free or at all.  Be aware of the applicable copyrights so you do not have a problem.
Many artists who compose original works will provide sheet music to get their songs out to the public.  Composers will use sheet music to try to sell their song to a band that can perform it with the hopes of getting a record deal.  Whatever the motivation behind allowing public access to original sheet music, it is readily available for download at a variety of sites.  Downloading sheet music is a great way to learn songs and increase your play set.
Musicians who are just starting out may not have a vast repertoire of songs.  Downloading sheet music to learn can increase this much faster.  Having a wide variety of available songs to perform will increase the likelihood of getting paid for performances.  Sheet music can also help you during a performance.  Sometimes a play set is so vast that no matter how many times you practice, it’s difficult to remember all the words and chord changes.  Using sheet music as a guide can help you build confidence during a performance.
Sheet music can be found for download at a number of sites.  Sometimes sheet music is available for free, others a small fee is required.  Please be aware of any copyright issues, especially if downloading free sheet music.  Do not steal sheet music or otherwise violate copyright as it harms the artist.  If you are a composer, allowing others to view or download your sheet music is a great way to expose your art to the public.  Use sheet music to learn, write and perform original works and songs by your favorite artists.
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2011-0912

Emerson GM527 DVD/CDG Karaoke System Quick Overview

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Emerson has been producing great home karaoke players for many years. They continue to build on a good reputation of creating innovative and modern machines to suit the needs of the every changing karaoke market. The GM527 DVD/CDG Karaoke Player is an example of this innovation. It provides a very enjoyable karaoke experience and has new features that should be useful for a beginner or a casual karaoke fan. It has a price range of about $100.00 to $125.00, so it is one of the more reasonably priced players; which adds to its appeal.

Design: The GM527 is one of the new models from Emerson and has a sleek black design that will suit any setting. It is has a compact build with handles on the side making it easy to transport from place to place. There are two microphone holders built into the top of the machine, as well as an iPod docking station, USB/SD Card Slot, headphone jack and basic control buttons. On the front you have speakers, the CD player and control buttons such as Play/Stop, Digital Key and Record. Also on the front, there are two microphone inputs located on the left and right side of the machine. All other connections are at the rear. This includes a battery compartment (8 “C” batteries are required), Audio outputs (RCA – White and Red), Video outputs (RCA – Yellow) and a AUX input that can be used for an iPod or MP3 players. The GM527 has a built-in 7″ TFT Color Screen that makes viewing lyrics extremely easy. It functions on 120VAC, batteries or 12V car adapter (sold separately). More »

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