Chip 1997 March/CHIP Mart 1997.iso/SesProg/GITAR108.ZIP/MANUAL.TXT

Text File | 1991-08-14 | 17KB | 435 lines

Welcome to GUITAR TEACHER (GT).

GT includes two main features:

     1. A guitar tuner that is accurate to 1/10,000th of a
        cycle per second;

     2. A database of guitar chord diagrams.  Each diagram
        can be quickly selected and instantly displayed on
        the screen.


This manual is divided into the following sections:

     1. Getting Started
     2. Using GT
     3. Tuning
     4. Chord Structure
     5. About the Author


SECTION 1 - Getting Started


The following assumes a basic knowledge of DOS:

BACKUP:

Backing up your GT files is recommended for two reasons.

     1. If one copy is destroyed or rendered unusable for
        some reason, you will have a backup copy.

     2. If you copy the files onto your hard disk and run GT
        from there, the program will load much faster and
        work faster when it needs to use the disk.

     To make a backup on a floppy diskette, use the DOS
"copy" command in a similar manner to the following:

                   copy  a:*.*  b:*.*

     If your knowledge of DOS is limited so that you have
trouble with this command, we suggest that you refer to your
DOS manual and look up "copy", or ask a friend for
assistance.

     To copy the GT files onto your hard disk, first make a
directory to store them in using the DOS "mkdir" command.
You might type the following:

                   mkdir  c:\guitar

     Next, type:

                   copy  a:*.*  c:\guitar\*.*

     Again, if these commands are beyond your knowledge of
DOS, you may require assistance.


CONVENTIONS USED BY GT:

     GT presents a user interface that was created to be as
standard as possible.  A computer user of any experience
should have little trouble getting around GT's environment.
Throughout the program, the first letter of all options that
may be chosen at a particular time, are displayed in high
intensity (bright) mode.  Pressing the letter runs the
option.  Also, for some of the menus, the arrow keys may be
used to move a menu bar to the desired option and then the
<Enter> key used to run it.


EXTRAS.EXE:

     Included with GT is a file called EXTRAS.EXE.  It
contains two main menu options that you would not want to
run during most GT study sessions.  Below are explanations
of the two options.


CHANGE START-UP DEFAULTS:

     When GT starts up, it looks into the file called
DEFAULTS.DAT and reads the default settings for two
variables.

     1. Monitor:  The first thing GT needs to know is
        whether to display the program in monochrome or
        color mode.  The program is distributed with this
        default set to monochrome.  But this can be easily
        changed using the "Change start-up defaults" option.
        From then on, the program will load according to the
        default you've set.

     2. Display:  This option allows you to set the display
        to either right or left handed.  The display can be
        changed within GT for tuning and chord study
        sessions, but will always start up with the default
        you set here.

Note:   These defaults can be changed to different settings
        at any time.  So, by changing them, you aren't doing
        anything that can't be undone.


PRINT GT MANUAL:

     This option sends a copy of the GT manual to your
printer.  When you choose this option, printing does not
begin immediately.  You're given a chance to set preferences
on your printer.  The option allows you to exit without
printing if you change your mind.  The manual prints at 66
lines per page so, don't reset your printer to any other
line spacing.  A large margin has been included to allow
holes to be punched if you wish to keep your manual in a
binder.


ORDER GT:

     Choosing this option allows you to print an order form
for GUITAR TEACHER Advanced Edition.


RUNNING EXTRAS.EXE:

     EXTRAS.EXE must be run from the directory where all the
GT files are stored.  On start-up, EXTRAS.EXE immediately
looks for certain files.  If they are not in the current
directory, the program aborts.

Example:  Let's assume for instance your GT files are stored
in a directory called C:\GUITAR and your current default
directory is C:\WPFILES. If you were to type:

                   c:\guitar\extras

EXTRAS would attempt start-up and look in C:\WPFILES for the
required files.  Upon not finding them, the program would
abort.  In this case you must first type:

                   chdir  c:\guitar

     Then type:

                   extras

     At this point, EXTRAS should start with no trouble.
SECTION 2 - USING GT:


     GT must also be run from the proper directory or it
will abort.  See the instructions above.  To run GT type:

                   gt

When the copyright notice appears, pressing most any key
will cause it to disappear and the main menu will be
displayed.


MAIN MENU OPTIONS:

     The sub-headings below correspond to the options on the
main menu.  Each option is explained in detail under the
appropriate sub-heading.


TUNE UP:

     Once you have chosen this option from the main menu,
the best way to get familiar with the tuner is to press <H>
for "Help" which displays a window explaining each option.

     Before tuning up, you may wish to reverse the display
from right handed to left or vice versa by pressing <D>.
The small box in the lower right hand corner of the screen
shows the current display mode.

     Notice the numbers 1 through 6 above the guitar
fingerboard on the screen.  The screen opens with the number
one string marked with the menu block.  Use the right and
left arrow keys, or number keys to select different strings.
Once you have selected the string you want to tune, press
<S> to sound the note and press <S> again to stop it.

See section 3 of this manual for detailed information on
tuning.

OPEN CHORD DATABASE:

     Again, "Help" should guide you through with little
trouble.  If you're familiar with guitar chord diagrams, the
one on the screen should cause no confusion.  Be sure the
display is in the mode you want.  Check the box in the lower
right hand corner.  Press <D> to reverse it.

     At this point, press <Enter> to display any chord.
It's probably obvious to most that the numbers on the
fingerboard are the numbers of the fingers to be used in
playing the chord.  For beginners, note that the thumb is
not finger number one -- the thumb is not counted.  There
are only four possible finger numbers and they refer to your
four fingers.

     On most diagrams, there will be one or more of the
letters "o" or "x" at the top of the fingerboard.  "o" means
the string is to be played open.  "x" means the string is
not to be played.  Sometimes this might seem impossible, but
that's because the chord may have to played differently from
the way one might think.  For instance, you might have a
chord where all strings are to be played except for the
fourth string.  In many cases, one of the fingers used to
press another string is also used to dampen the fourth
string simply by touching it as it reaches over.  Other
chords must be plucked with your strumming hand fingers to
miss the strings marked with "x".  Most chords however,
don't present a problem.

     On some diagrams there will be a Roman numeral beside
the first fret.  This means that it is in fact not the first
fret, but the fret corresponding to the numeral.  This is
standard notation for guitar music -- Roman numerals refer
to fret numbers.  For those of us who have forgotten exactly
what all those Roman signs mean, here is a review:

                        I     =   1
                        II    =   2
                        III   =   3
                        IV    =   4
                        V     =   5
                        VI    =   6
                        VII   =   7
                        VIII  =   8
                        IX    =   9
                        X     =  10
                        XI    =  11
                        XII   =  12
                        XIII  =  13
                        XIV   =  14
                        XV    =  15

You'll rarely need to know them as high as 15.  See section
4 of this manual for detailed information on chord
structure.
SECTION 3 - Tuning


     If you have trouble tuning your guitar, you're in good
company.  Most people including many professionals have a
love/hate relationship with their instruments because of
tuning problems.  In most cases, it's because the guitar was
not set up right in the first place and it is actually
impossible to tune it correctly.  But, even if everyone was
given a perfectly adjusted instrument, it's doubtful that
one in a great number could properly explain how to tune it.
Many know various different ways of getting the instrument
into some kind of acceptable shape, but many of the methods
are faulty.

     The most common method of tuning is actually a very
poor one.  Most guitarists learn early that the first string
open (E, the thinnest string) is the same pitch as the
second string, fifth fret.  One hopes that the first string
is close to being in tune, and then if the second string,
fifth fret can be made to sound the same as the first string
open, then the second string it is reasoned must be in tune
as well.  After comparing the second string with the first,
the third string is compared with the second and so on until
all of the strings are in tune.

     There are at least two problems with this method.
First of all, most guitars, especially acoustics, don't have
the bridge set at the right distance from the nut and so
when the second string seemed to be in tune at the fifth
fret, it probably wasn't in tune if played open.  Secondly,
our hearing is not perfect and even when we think two notes
are perfectly in tune there is still a certain amount of
error.  As you go across the neck toward the sixth string,
your error is compounded.  How many times have you used this
method, thinking you did a good tuning job and then when you
played a chord it sounded terrible.  That's because when you
tuned the second string to the first, you were just a little
out, but by the time you got to the sixth string, you were
way out!

     When tuning, it's best if you tune every string to the
same note instead of several different notes that get
gradually more and more out of tune.  This can be a little
tricky and demands considerably more knowledge.  However,
with the GT tuner you don't have to worry about the problems
of tuning to inaccurate notes since they are all in tune
within 1/10,000th of a cycle per second.  As well, you're
not tuning the strings at the fifth or any other fret -- you
tune them as open strings.

     So how does one know when the string is actually in
tune with the tone from the computer?  Most people can tune
it so it's close, but there's a way to be very precise.
When two notes are close to the same pitch, but not quite,
if you play the notes together and listen closely you should
hear a pulsating sound.  As the notes get closer to being
the same pitch the pulsating slows down, and the goal is to
make it stop altogether.  When it stops, the two notes are
vibrating at the same number of cycles per second.  This
method of tuning seems to be easier when using "harmonics".
Tuning with harmonics is a feature available with Guitar
Teacher Advanced Edition.

If you find that later a string seems to have gone out of
tune, go back to the tuner.  Tuning to another string which
itself might be a little out is where you begin getting the
whole thing in a mess again.

     If your tuning still seems inaccurate, it may be that
your bridge and/or top nut are not adjusted properly.  You
might consider taking it to a repair shop for an opinion.
SECTION 4 - Chord Structure


     Chords are another great mystery to musicians and of
special interest to guitarists because eventually every
guitarist ends up playing a lot of them, whereas a trumpet
player for instance never plays one.  A chord is simply a
combination of single notes.  There is no end of
combinations one could come up with, and so naming them all
with descriptive names would be quite a task.  However, over
the centuries attempts have been made to categorize
different combinations and give them names.  Understand from
the start that the names for chord categories that have come
to be accepted are only barely descriptive.

     To understand the structure for each chord category,
one must first consider the major scale.  That is:


     DO  RE  MI  FA  SO  LA  TI  DO


     To play the major scale starting at any note, it must
be played with the following intervals:


     DO * RE * MI FA * SO * LA * TI DO

or:

     1 * 2 * 3 4 * 5 * 6 * 7 8


     What this means is that you must skip a fret between
certain notes, but not others.  Forget about "DO, RE, MI"
now and just consider the numbers.  Notice 3 and 4 are right
next to each other as well as 7 and 8.  The rest have frets
between them.  Try playing a major scale starting at the
second string, (next to the thinnest string) pressing the
first fret (C).  Call this note number 1.  Next, play the
second note of the scale in the third fret, and then
continue following the number pattern above until you reach
the end of the scale.  You should end up at the 13th fret
which is the next C and exactly one octave from the note you
started with.  You have just played a C major scale.

     So what does this have to do with chords?  It's simple
really.  The different chord categories are simply different
number combinations out of the major scale.  The most basic
chord for instance is a major chord, which is any
combination of the first, third and fifth notes of the major
scale.  The chart below should help:
SCALE CHART:


   13     F#  G   G#  A   Bb  B   C   C#  D   Eb  E   F

   12     E   F   F#  G   Ab  A   Bb  B   C   Db  D   Eb

   11     D   Eb  E   F   Gb  G   Ab  A   Bb  Cb  C   Db
   10     C#  D   D#  E   F   F#  G   G#  A   Bb  B   C

    9     B   C   C#  D   Eb  E   F   F#  G   Ab  A   Bb

    8     A   Bb  B   C   Db  D   Eb  E   F   Gb  G   Ab
    7     G#  A   A#  B   C   C#  D   D#  E   F   F#  G

    6     F#  G   G#  A   Bb  B   C   C#  D   Eb  E   F

    5     E   F   F#  G   Ab  A   Bb  B   C   Db  D   Eb

    4     D   Eb  E   F   Gb  G   Ab  A   Bb  Cb  C   Db
    3     C#  D   D#  E   F   F#  G   G#  A   Bb  B   C

    2     B   C   C#  D   Eb  E   F   F#  G   Ab  A   Bb

    1     A   Bb  B   C   Db  D   Eb  E   F   Gb  G   Ab


     So, a C major chord is made up of any combination of C,
E and G.  If you choose the OPEN CHORD DATABASE option and
retrieve a C major chord, you'll find that every alternative
is a different combination of these three notes.  Notice the
structure for each chord is listed at the very bottom of the
screen with the structure for each alternative listed just
below the fingerboard diagram.  By this time, you should
have a better idea of how this works.  Try another one.
Retrieve an E minor chord from the database.  Notice the
structure is 1 3b 5.  Now look at the E major scale above.
Number 1 is E, a flatted 3 is G natural and 5 is B.  Knowing
these number combinations is actually more important and
descriptive than the names of the categories.  For instance,
calling a chord a "seventh" doesn't reveal a lot about the
structure, but knowing the structure is 1  3  5  7b is much
more useful.  (You need to know the names though.)

     Many reading this will become quite suddenly
enlightened on this subject.  What you need to do now is
study the structure of every chord you play.  Gradually,
you'll begin to see how useful this knowledge is.
SECTION 5 - About the Author


     1950: Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

     1956: Began studying piano

     1961: Began studying guitar

     1964: Began performing professionally

     1971: Began teaching guitar and piano

     1989: Graduated from the Computer Programmer/Analyst
           program at Georgian College of Applied Arts and
           Technology, Barrie, Ontario