by John Bauman
picture courtesy of
Ron Scott Gallery
Hello! And welcome to the new
Guitar Information Hotline! For your
convenience we have installed the following menu to aid you in connecting
with the right help for answering those tough to answer guitar questions.
If you have questions regarding major chords, please press
1, 3, 5
If your question is about minor chords please press
1, 2 followed by the “pound sign”, then
5 (what? You were expecting maybe a “b” key?)
For questions about the “Nashville Numbering System” please press
“0”
and ask the operator, and we’ll be happy to send you our Roman numeral
keypad set. The cost is $IV.XCIX plus shipping
To direct your questions to our flatpicking experts please press
1,2,3,4,5,6, but do so as fast as you
possibly can, keeping your wrist loose and your finger relaxed as you
depress the numbers on the keypad. For crosspicking questions the number is
13243546 but should be “dialed” with the
same speed as the number for simple flatpicking – as Steve Kaufman would
say, “Keep up now!”
For questions about classical playing please press
“2”
with your thumb, then follow that with keys numbered
4,5,6 – making absolutely sure that you use only the proper
fingers assigned to each numbered button as follows; index finger on the 4,
middle finger on the 5, and ring finger on the 6. Make sure each finger
follows through each number and comes to rest on the button below the
depressed button (for instance, your index finger should depress the 4, and
come to rest against the #7 button).
If you wish to inquire about Travis picking press
1,3 with your thumb. Continue pressing the 1 and 3 in this manner
while pressing numbers 4, 5,and 6
in a nearly random order.
For questions about electric guitar please press
110.
For questions about playing acoustically – tap the side of the tin can and
make sure that string is taut now!