7 Secrets for Beginners of Seagull S6

That Seagull S6 is just a beginner's guitar is a great understatement. Seagull, a Canadian guitar maker, has been crafting one of the world's best guitars since the 1980s. Of the various guitar models Seagull has made, Seagull S6 has succeeded in making a name of its own in the music industry by winning several awards. It is currently one of a few acoustic guitars which keep getting rave reviews from guitar users all over. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Tone. Seagull S6 produces a warm, melodious tone that sounds even better than those produced by some other prestigious and high-priced guitar brands. Its beautiful sound can be attributed to the careful crafting of this guitar. To be able to produce a rich sound, the makers of Seagull S6 use only the best wood for its body and materials for the accessories. From the nut and saddle up to the strings, the guitar is a display of excellent craftsmanship. The result is an unforgettable sound quality which beginners and professionals would find soothing to the ear.

2. Sturdiness. The secret to the quality of Seagull's guitars is the superiority of the wood used. Most guitars, especially the medium to low-end sides, use plain plywood for its tops. Seagull guitars are trademarked for its solid Cedar tops and black cherry colored-laminated back. Unlike those which use plywood as its base, the cedar in Seagull guitars gives it sturdiness that withstands the test of time.

3. Aging. The Seagull S6 only gets better as it ages. The secret behind it-the materials used. A guitar with solid top generally produces a better quality sound than a plywood top guitar. Solid tops improve over time and over use. This process is called aging. The more it is played, the more it improves and gives a rich sound.

4. Comfort in Handling. The typical Dreadnought design of the Seagull S6 allows for efficient handling. It has the right size and make which users find attractive. Even if the player is sitting down or standing up, its curvy and easy to clutch features let the user hold the guitar with ease.

5. Nut and Saddle. The nut and saddle of the guitar hold the strings firmly in place. Seagull S6 uses a hybrid plastic called Tusq for its nut and saddle. More and more manufacturers are currently turning to Tusq because it not only supports the strings but also enhances the guitar's tone.

6. High string action. Like other fine guitars, the makers of Seagull also tailored their strings to provide high performance. Guitar players would find it easy to tune the guitar easier.

7. Affordability. Who would resist the sheer affordability of a good sounding and sturdy guitar like the Seagull S6? For less than $500, anyone can own this guitar already. What is more, you get good value for every dollar you spent because you not only get a guitar, you get the best guitar.

So, if you are a beginner and you are looking for your first guitar, Seagull S6 is the guitar that will give you ease in playing, professional sound quality, and value for your money all at the same time for Seagull S6.

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Guitar Chord "Secrets" to Increase Speed

One of the biggest challenges that many beginning guitarists face is being able to move from one guitar chord to another quickly. This difficulty becomes apparent to anyone listening because the music will suddenly be interrupted by a long pause until the guitarist gets to the next chord and resumes playing.

Unfortunately, if this problem is not corrected and the guitarist continues falling behind the beat, the end result may be that their sense of rhythm remains undeveloped.

That sounds pretty serious and you might be wondering if there is a way to increase your speed in order to change guitar chords more efficiently?

The answer is yes! And today I'm going to share a few "secrets" that should make changing guitar chords much faster and easier for you.

1. The first secret I want to tell you about is called: Economy of Motion. It's not really a "secret" among seasoned guitar players, and some of you may even remember me mentioning it before. But if you're new to the art, then it will likely be an unfamiliar term.

Economy of Motion basically means that less is more. In other words, if you reduce the amount of movement to get from point A to point B, you will become faster and more efficient.

One of the ways you can apply Economy of Motion to your guitar chord changes, is by leaving your finger down on any string that is played in both the chord you're on and the chord your moving to.

For example, your 3rd finger plays the 2nd string for both the A major chord and D major chord. So, instead of taking your 3rd finger off the string and placing it back down again when moving from one chord to the other, just slide it from the 2nd fret to the 3rt fret.

2. The next secret I want to share with you doesn't have a name that I know of, but it is very easy to do and also very effective.

Let's say you are strumming a 4/4 rhythm on the chord G and you just can't seem to change to the chord C without missing the first beat. Here's what to do...

* Hold the chord G and strum the first three beats.
* Lift your hand on the fourth beat and at the same time strum the open strings as you move to the chord C.
* Strum C on the first beat, second beat, and third beat.
* On the fourth beat lift your hand and at the same time strum the open strings as you move back to the G chord n time for the first beat.
* Continue on in this manner while gradually increasing your speed (tempo).

Put these secrets into practice this week and you should see a marked improvement on your chords changes.

Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years.

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Secrets To Help Your Child Succeed With Music Lessons

Everyone is short on time these days. Children and parents have many activities and a never ending list of chores and "to do" lists. This is no time management course, but I can give you some ideas to help your child get the most of his practice time.

First, help your child organize his practice sessions. Start with a warm-up. Then move into the assignment. Spend a little time on exercises, a new song, and sight reading. End on a positive note with something that your child can do to feel a sense of accomplishment - like a piece he's been playing for awhile. A half hour session could be divided into something like this: 5 minutes on a warm up exercise (or a favorite piece), 5 minutes on scales or exercises, 10 minutes on the new piece that is assigned, 6 more minutes on new material, and finally 4 minutes on the "wrap up." Make this your child's choice! If some of these segments seem too long, substitute flashcard drills to work on note reading skills.

Second, practice at the same time every day. One of the best ways to help your child succeed at music lessons is to help them establish a regular practice schedule for each day of the week. When you associate a particular time of the day with practice, it makes it easier to grab the that instrument and start playing. After a while it's like brushing your teeth in the morning! We have done it so long that we just start brushing every morning without any thought! I realize it's not easy for everyone to practice at the same time each day, but for parents and their kids who can work it out, it's worth the effort.

Finally, don't let too much time pass between practice sessions. Studies have shown that beginners learn more if they practice a little each day rather than long periods of time and then skipping several days. It is also highly recommended to begin practicing new material assigned by your teacher within 24 hours! So...one of the BEST times to practice is rights after your child's lesson! Your child will be more likely to remember what was introduced in the lesson and practice correctly for the rest of the week. In reality, all practice time is good. If daily practice sessions are not possible, your child can still make some great progress with the occasional long practice session.

Leslie Wilkes Maxwell
Bloomingdale School of Music
630-351-0023

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