Having a disability should not be hindrance nor keep a person from pursuing a goal. Though the task may be difficult, it is not impossible.
A good example is Beethoven. Though this composer could hear as a child, he gradually lost his hearing after many years of playing the piano. It did not stop this not stop him from creating many masterpieces that are still played and treasured today. The secret was being able to feel the vibrations each time the keys were depressed.
Being tone deaf means that a person is not able to distinguish various pitches. Though it does not occur often, a person who has this problem can still learn how to play a guitar.
Songs are made up of different notes and at various pitches. Since each note has a distinguishable tone, start by playing each note and listening to each one carefully. When the person has is able to distinguish the changes, he can start playing the song.
It takes visualization for this to happen he should look at the reflection in a mirror when striking each chord. Later, when he is confident, he can try playing it without any visual aid.
Making some improvements to the instrument will also assist the player. The inlay is one part of the guitar that needs to be modified. Usually, this comes in dots, diamond shapes and parallelograms. By adding lights to it, the person will know at what pitch is being played so that he can still know the tone of the music.
If the person is financially able he can have the guitar wired to a machine that will monitor the notes being strummed and comparing that with the notes of the song. By knowing where the mistakes are made when practicing on it, he will be able to correct them and play correctly.
Tone deafness is something that may have been inherited at birth or may happen to a person later in life. Even though a person may have this disability, it should not hinder anyone who has the desire to enjoy playing music. Remember that here are others who have experienced this difficulty and it did not stop them from singing or playing a musical instrument.
Learning how to play the guitar a bit slower than those who have normal hearing, you will be able to play just as well in a matter of time.
Guitars have been used with so much diversity in many musical forms. The instrument is known by many as a classical solo instrument and the basic musical instrument in rock music.
Get acquainted with this magnificent instrument; know its parts:
1. Headstock. This is found at the edge of the guitar’s neck. It is tailored with the instrument’s head for adjusting the pitch.
2. Tuners. The tuners keep the strings of the guitar stretched beginning at the base down to the knobs. Tuners likewise allow the guitar player to alter or modify the pitch either flat or sharp, depending on the player’s choice of music.
3. Nut. This is a tiny strip of hard medium or material which supports the strings at the intersection where the “headstock” meets up with the “fret board”. The strips can be made of plastic, bone, graphite, brass or any hard medium and indented to secure the stings in position. The nut acts as one of several endpoints assisting the tension of the string.
4. Fret board. Also known as the fingerboard, it is a lengthy wood plank inserted with frets of metal that composes the top of the guitar’s neck.
The fret board of a classical guitar is flat and is a little curved diagonally on an electric or acoustic guitar. The curve is calculated by the radius of the fret board that is the range of a “hypothetical circle” and which the surface of the fret board makes up a segment.
The smaller the radius of the fret board, the more that the curve is evident. When a string is pinched against the board, the string’s “vibrating length” is shortened thus creating a higher pitch sound or tone.
5. Frets. These are strips made of metal, particularly nickel alloy set in alongside the fret board that are positioned in conjunction with the string’s length that mathematically divides it.
When the strings are pushed down from the rear of the frets, this cuts the string's length of vibration to emit different tones or pitches.
6. Neck. The neck is composed of the guitar's fret board, frets, tuners, truss rod and headstock; all are fastened to a long extension made of wood. Usually, the wood that is used for the fret board will be of a different kind from that used on the remaining neck parts.
The firmness or stiffness of the guitar’s neck in accordance to its body is one determining factor of whether it is of good quality or not.
7. Body. The acoustic guitar’s body is an echoing cavity projecting the vibrations through the guitar’s sound hole which enables the audio of the instrument to be clearly heard even with no amplification.
In acoustic guitars, its body is a big determining factor in the overall sound it produces. The soundboard or guitar top is a delicately engineered and crafted component that is usually made out of red cedar, spruce or mahogany.
This very thin slice of wood, generally measuring only 2 - 3 mm thick, supported by different kinds of internal brackets, is the most pronounced and important element in influencing sound quality.
Most of the sound is brought about by the guitar’s top vibration as the momentum of the vibrating cords are transmitted to it.
8. Pickups. This is what really amplifies the cords sound. Most guitars have one to a maximum of three pickups. The kind of pickup is reasonably important, depending on a particular sound that you are aspiring for.
9. Pickguard. Commonly called the scratch plate, is a plastic guard or any laminated medium which protects the guitar’s top finish.
The pickups as well as almost all electronics in other electric guitars are framed and inserted atop the “pickguard”. On “acoustic guitars” and several “electric guitars”, the pickguard is directly inserted to the top of the guitar, and on guitars having carved tops; the “pickguard” is raised.
10. Bridge. On acoustic guitars, the key objective of the guitar’s bridge is to hand over or shift the string’s vibration to the “soundboard”, which then shudders the air within the guitar; thus increasing and strengthening the sound created by the cords or strings.
Go ahead, explore the parts of your guitar to better acquaint yourself with this wonderful instrument; test it too and see where it will take you. Enjoy!