The Nitty Gritty:
Every person that has made the comittment to learn to play and perform music using the guitar must start with one or more tools needed to elicit sound from the instrument. The following tools consist of a set of items that every new guitar player should obtain and use to learn how to tune the instrument and how to elicit sound from it.
Granted some players –many in fact– use no such tools at all; they have learned to tune the instrument using old school methods and they strum and finger pick using the fingernails and the flesh of their hand. This article recognizes that with the caveat that the following tools make it possible for those new to the instrument to have a set of tools that will provide them with options that will allow them to find and feel their way for themselves while having at hand what is used by professional musicians to elicit the broadest range of sound from this particular stringed instrument.
The Tuner:
Everybody must learn to tune their instrument. Many of us learned techniques that do not require using “digital tuners” like we have available to us these days.
We choose and typically prefer to use digital tuners because they provided dead-on accuracy whereas tuning by ear can be and usually is off one way or the other; too sharp or too flat –and– can sometimes cause breaking a string while tuning.
Many guitar players use digital tuners that are integrated into other accessories such as “pedal boards”
whereas others typically use tuners that clip onto the headstock of the guitar and while goofy looking are left there during a performance for instant reference and tuning if and when needed.
The Plectrum:
Everybody must pluck the strings somehow to emit sound. Many people use their fingers but most use a flat pick of some kind; flat picks (as shown) come in many sizes, shapes, colors, thicknesses and materials.
Arguable a heavy “stiff” pick (thicker) can be optimal as the flat pick per se is unique in that its physical properties can play an important role in the process of emitting sound.
While many perfer a lighter “flexible” pick as a matter of musical style and personal preference it is important to note the heavy pick is best for plucking the strings with emphasis aka “playing hard” which of course will cause the sound of the note(s) being played to be louder, softer or to achieve other harmonic effects.
Those who use heavy picks learn to control the emphasis of their plucking while retaining the benefit of having the ability to make sound volume and other nuanced sounds on demand with arguably more finesse at their command; the range of nuance is not available to those who use thin picks as its simply a matter of physics and the composition of materials.
The larger triangular shaped flat pick has several benefits other shapes do not: it has more surfae area to grip and can be rotated into three orientations with one or more of its cornered points filed into another shape for emitting nuanced sounds like harmonics and “scratching.”
I –always– use this type of pick after having seen the video of Carlos Satana using one at Woodstock while performing “Soul Sacrifice” while on LSD.
Lastly, many use a tool such as a leather hole punch to punch two small holes into the pick. These holes serve the purpose of providing frictional resistance (gripping power) that can prevent the pick from rotating while in use.
The Leather Hole Punch:
Savvy guitar players have devised methods that help them to retain a grip on their flat pick. In fact, attending a number of live performances will sooner or later enable witnessing a pick go flying into the air or fall to the stage when the performer loses his or her grip. This is why you’ll also see a given number of extras mounted to the instrument or onto a mic stand for instant retrieval if and when needed.
While optional, punching a couple of holes in a flat pick is highly recommended as doing so goes a long way to help the guitar player retain their grip and avoid any unwanted WTF moments which can and will happen during a performance.
The Finger Pick:
You don’t see “Banjo Picks” used much these days unless of course you’re around banjo players but these types of finger and thumb picks have stood the test of time; especially the thumb pick.
These types of picks are best used for slide guitar and instances when a bright purposeful tonal sound is wanted.
You might say finger picks were created for use by “metal” guitar players as they were and often are paired with resonator guitars made with metal bodies, 12 stringed guitars, mandolins and as noted, the banjo.
Along with the thumb pick every guitar player aspiring to truly master “plucking” guitar strings should have a thumb pick and a set of finger picks and will either adapt to them and learn how to effectively use them for specific types of music or will choose to settle on bare flesh or a plastic flat pick. All choices are good. What is not good is never knowing about our choices and never giving them a chance to fully explore what the guitar truly has to offer.
The Glass Slide:
The sounds of a slide guitar playing are everywhere and often used when a lap steel instrument is not present.
Like picks, there are several types of slides of different shapes, sizes and made with different material; usually metal or glass each of which will emit its own unique tonal qualities.
Its not incorrect to say most favor glass, similary whoever has never seen Jimmy Page use a violin bow as a slide has not as of yet been exposed to what the creative use of tools used to “slide” across the strings have to offer.
The Music Stand:
A music stand is optional as many will sit in front of a desktop computer to study and practice learning their instrument.
I’m here to tell you though the pleasures of sitting in a nice comfortable chair with a music stand in front of me when I learn progressions, lyrics and hack up my compositions.
The least expensive stands which appear to be sturdy are a good buy as they rarely if ever leave home and remain in pristine condition for a long time.
The Metronome:
A metronome is a –must-have– yet these days we do not have to purchase one as there are many free software apps to coose from to help us learn to play in a specific time signature.
Still the digital models are seriously multi-featured and arguably well worth the money considering the alternatives that come nowhere close to putting an entire rythm section in a little box.
The tools on this page are those every person endeavoring to learn to play guitar must have and learn to use as early as possible.
Acquiring these tools and learning to use them is how you will become a well rounded –musician– as opposed to –just a guitar player– only using the instrument for a specific genre or type of playing method which will (as we all know) come and go as trends change as they so often do.