Boss TU-80C Chromatic Tuner & Metronome

Okay, so you’ve got your guitar, strap and bag. You’ve had the setup done and you replaced the factory strings with lighter ones. Now what else do you need?

Well, for one thing, you need to find a way to tune the guitar. This can be done by ear using an outside source such as a piano, another guitar that’s in tune or a piece of software on the Internet. See the bottom of this article for some likely sources. But by far the best way is to use an electronic tuner that either stands on any flat surface in front of you, or plugs into the guitar itself.

I use a Boss TU-80 that’s great because it not only gives me a visual of the correct tuning, but also beeps when I’ve got it right. It also has a built in metronome, which is another item you are going to need eventually. Oh yes you are! In music, timing is everything.

Skipping over the metronome for now (you can download free ones from the internet), you will also need a music stand, unless you intend to simply learn everything by ear and, depending on how you hold your guitar while sitting, you may also need a footstool.

Finally, get yourself a selection of flat picks (also called plectrums). They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but I found the .06mm-.08mm Tortex to be the most versatile. There’s another article about picks on this blog, so I won’t go into them too deeply right now.

Got everything? Great, you’re all set.

Free Online Metronomes

For a traditional style virtual metronome go here http://simple.bestmetronome.com (hint: click the key to start/stop it

You will find two different digital metronomes at these addresses: http://webmetronome.com/ http://www.metronomeonline.com/

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