Press Release – COURSES Launches on Fret Zealot Apps

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Music Education Tech Start-Up Launches Course Marketplace on Fret Zealot App

Innovative, New Combined Approach to Guitar Instruction and Internet of Things (IoT) Technology

Washington, DC – Edge Tech Labs is launching Fret Zealot Courses, a marketplace that allows instructors to offer video lesson programs for either a fixed price or subscription.

Fret Zealot is an LED strip that is applied directly to the fretboard of a guitar, bass, or ukulele. It is accompanied by an all-access, highly interactive Android and iOS app that includes every scale; ten thousand chords; over seventy thousand songs; a tuner with over fifty-five tunings; a metronome; customizable and programmable practice features; and various tools, including microphone listening for accuracy, application programming interface (API) integrations, and light shows. Fret Zealot partners with various guitar-centric leaders, such as Uberchord, and includes instructor-led video tutorials as well.

Fret Zealot is designed to make learning to play instruments fun and engaging. This way, aspiring musicians of all ages can learn to play intuitively, at their own pace, and on their own time.

The Marketplace’s primary innovation is that the video tutorials now sync directly with the Fret Zealot LEDs on the instrument’s fretboard, demonstrating what the instructor is teaching in real time.

Using a thin LED strip that aligns with the frets and shows players where to put their fingers, Fret Zealot products capitalize on technology to make learning an instrument easier and more intuitive. Users can learn at their own pace and on their own time, and they can start and stop with ease.

“With thousands of customers around the globe, our data is showing that players want ‘bite-size’ lessons of just fourteen to eighteen minutes,” says Shaun Masavage, Fret Zealot CEO. “No physical instructor offers in-person lessons less than thirty minutes, meaning there’s a significant gap between what’s available and what we’re delivering with the Courses feature. Fret Zealot’s technology makes it seem as if the instructor’s hands are right on your own instrument—without ever having to leave your home.”

Courses available through Fret Zealot have several key benefits:

  • They are handpicked. Instructors are chosen, and the marketplace is not open to any course submission. Quality is ensured from the start.
  • Fret Zealot data are created manually to ensure complete accuracy of the finger locations and color displays.
  • By the summer of 2020, over two thousand videos will be available. Compared to traditional instruction, the marketplace offers formidable monetary and time-saving advantages.

Fret Zealot COURSES – Behind the Scenes

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We developed Fret Zealot courses because we know that the music education industry has to change. Fender’s CEO has been quoted several times saying they estimate that 90% of new players give up playing guitar (forever) after just a few weeks. It’s a shame considering how many benefits playing guitar (or ukulele or bass) has. With thousands of customers around the globe, we’ve realized why people quit (and why others don’t!). Here are the main reasons why people quit their instrument:

Time

Money

Motivation

With guitar retention at 10% in the industry and Fret Zealot usage more than quadruple that, we wanted to make that number get even higher, and to help our customers learn faster and easier. After tons of customer research and testing in our office, we designed the Fret Zealot Course Marketplace to address each of the big concerns: time, money, and motivation.

Time

One of the first things we learned when we dove into Fret Zealot customer research was that players want small, “bite-sized” lessons of just 14 – 18 minutes. Have you ever seen an instructor offer a 14 minute in-person lesson? NOPE. Plus, our users wanted the ability to immediately pick up where they left off, so if you have to leave a lesson mid-way through, it’s easy to find your place again. From seeing people play and learn, we realized that the visual reminders of the Fret Zealot LEDs makes these short sessions much more intuitive and useful for retaining what you learned. Now, instead of having to book an hour lesson on someone else’s schedule, you can learn on your lunch break, learn while waiting for dinner to cook, and learn on the go with no inconvenience or setup.

Money

To many, this is the most important obstacle to learning an instrument. Just like buying a guitar, Fret Zealot can be a big purchase. The long term savings, though, are huge. Guitar lessons rarely cost less than $30 per half hour. With at least one lesson per week to keep progress going, you’re looking at $120 per month at minimum. What if you have something come up that forces you to take a few weeks or months off? All of your progress is mostly gone, and you have to start the money train all over again. Fret Zealot is a one-time purchase, and the Courses feature has options for both single purchases and an all-inclusive subscription. You’ll have a virtual guitar teacher available to you 24/7 and a database of all of your past lessons for a fraction of the cost as traditional instruction!

Source: https://www.voicesinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/graph-of-the-cost-of-guitar-lessons.jpg

Motivation

The ultimate barrier to entry. We LOVE playing music around here. But even we can get sick of scales or repetitive exercises – we want to play the hits! If you’re caught in a teacher’s program and practice cycle that you find boring… then it fails its purpose! The goal of Fret Zealot is to be the ultimate toolbox for learning guitar and give you all the tools necessary to learn YOUR way. We even made a post about how to customize your Fret Zealot installation here. Some people love to use our scales feature so they can practice solos and riffing. Others use the chord progression feature to practice changing hand positions. Others dive right into songs, learning on their own or using the free video lessons for getting started. Just like we purposefully designed Fret Zealot so it would fit on YOUR favorite guitar (instead of permanently installing Fret Zealot onto a guitar of our choosing), we designed our app so that you can learn YOUR way. The Course Marketplace takes this one step further by branching out in specific styles, skills, and songs and taking you step by step to mastering the skills you want to learn. You also get to choose WHO you learn from, so you have a guitar instructor that matches your learning style and needs. There are infinite styles and techniques to learn on your instrument, and we’re using our Courses to deliver that variety to you! 

Check out the Course Marketplace and see for yourself!

The Many Health Benefits of Playing Guitar

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It isn’t cliche. It’s true. It’s scientifically proven, even, that playing guitar has a lot of health benefits. Playing guitar is good for your brain. Playing guitar is good for your body. Playing guitar is good for your soul (and emotional health). There are a lot of studies out to support it with SCIENCE now, too.

So here are some of the ways playing guitar will improve all of that:

Playing guitar 

  1. Reduces The Effects of Stress
    This is good all around, right? We hear about stress as the silent killer all the time.
    LiveScience.com shares Suzanne Hanser’s summation of the health benefits of playing an instrument. Hanser is the chair of the music therapy department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. “Research shows that making music can lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, reduce stress, and lessen anxiety and depression. There is also increasing evidence that making music enhances the immunological response, which enables us to fight viruses.”
    The American Psychological Association reports the same citing that music can be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before surgery. It also literally reduces the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases production of the “antibody immunoglobulin A and the natural killer cells that fight off viruses and boost the immune system’s effectiveness.” Next time you’re feeling the pressures of life, pick up your guitar and start playing. You will feel better, and maybe you won’t get sick or have a heart attack.
  2. Lifts Your Mood  
    How many times have you heard someone say “Music is my therapy,” or “Music is my church.” There is a reason for that. Music can boost your mood. The sounds and vibrations themselves are therapeutic and can be used to treat pain. Being creative and emotionally expressive is therapeutic. Completing something new is healing and boosts confidence. Whether you play music as a hobby or as a professional, you will feel better. Or, simply listen. That works, too.
  3. Improves Brain Function  
    One of the benefits of playing guitar, and playing an instrument in general, is it improves your brain’s cognitive function no matter what. Numerous studies report playing music enhances a child’s development and prevents dementia in older adults.

    One of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s otolaryngologist says listening to or playing music provides a total brain workout.  “Music is structural, mathematical and architectural. It’s based on relationships between one note and the next. You may not be aware of it, but your brain has to do a lot of computing to make sense of it.”  It also improves long term memory recall, jump-starts creativity and improves eye hand coordination. 
    By the way, an oto-laryng-ologist is fancy for ENT, or an ears, nose and throat doctor.
  4. Boosts Confidence
    Part of this is up to you. Because, if you give up and don’t actually learn to play, then it won’t boost your confidence. But, if you do practice and learn, you will be so proud of yourself as you succeed one song, one chord and one riff at a time. Learning any new skill is good for your brain, but learning to play an instrument is completely different engages a different part of your creative mind. Ultimately, as you continue to learn and grow, your self esteem will grow as well. Achieving “little” successes and “little” goals, leads to greater successes and accomplishments, setting a pattern of reinforced positive experiences. Positive experiences build more positive Some think you could have more success in love, too.
  5. Connects You With Other People
    You’re a rock. You’re an island. We get it. Having alone time is important, and practicing alone is therapeutic. But hanging out with people is important, too, especially people you get along with. Music is a unique way to connect with other people in a distant or intimate way, whether you chat favorite guitar riffs, the best and worst bands of all time, or you’re jamming around the bonfire. All you have to do is go to a local open mic to experience this. (Don’t let one bad open mic turn you off from finding other music lovers in your community, though.)

There you have it, the benefits of playing music, and in our case, playing guitar, are never ending. Playing guitar is essentially good for everyone from the inside out, no matter the age, from children to adults. Music truly is a unique gift in this world that we can all embrace alone and together.

If you want to get started, download the Fret Zealot app or on your computer and explore all of the ways you can tune, practice and play. Here’s a list of chords to get started, and you can download our free beginner’s guide here.

Fret Zealot fits almost any guitar with any neck length, and we have a new Fret Zealot for ukulele available as well.

Explore our store and pick up your guitar or ukulele and play! 

Featured Artist – Marc Daniels Country Rock

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Welcome to our first Featured Artist post! We want to share the stories AND music of some of the local artists we work with to help people learn their music (so send us an email at [email protected] if you want to be featured!). In our last blog post, we talked about the 5 Reasons to Play a Local Open Mic Night & What to Expect. It’s fitting that we talk about a new and upcoming artist this month, Marc Daniels, that did just that to get his start. True, his ‘open mic nights’ might have been in the form of bonfires with the stage being a flatbed truck, but it’s all the same to us!

The music industry can be brutal and our goal with Fret Zealot is to help everyone, not just the big players. In our experience, working with local artists is more fun anyway! You learn real stories and find unique ways to work together. In this case, we added one of Marc Daniels’ songs to the Fret Zealot app and he actually did a personal demo of it live! Check it out below:

Check out Marc’s Fret Zealot demo of “Redheads” above!

Marc Daniels first came onto the music scene in a big way in 2016, which coincidentally is when we were about to launch the first Fret Zealot versions. We’ve both come a long way in just a couple years! Fittingly so, Marc’s first album name was The Starting Line. From this album came his popular song Redheads (available to learn in the Fret Zealot app!).

Since we’re still in the heat of the summer here, we’re obligated to share the Summer Song music video:

Just this year, Marc Daniels released his latest album: “#Holdmybeer”. Yes, Sir! Marc has humble roots, though, coming from family in Spokane, Washington and summers on the lakes of Northern Idaho. 

Even though his music career is taking off, he notes that every artist has to start somewhere. Marc experimented with different cover bands before truly finding his country rock soul. He comments in his interview with CountryMusicJunkies that his song inspiration has both classical and contemporary roots, which he’s found to be particularly appealing to the current generation of country listeners. In the busy modern world, his listeners want to be reminded of the simpler things in life like relaxing by a lake or even a meal with friends at a diner. “Struggle, loss, love, and connection to people” is a part of all our lives, so remembering the good experiences is what his music is all about.

Fret Zealot’s toolbox of app features lets you discover your style, express your creativity, and accomplish your own individual goals. So get out there, have experiences, make mistakes, learn, and find your sound! Thanks, Marc, for teaching us how it’s done! 

5 reasons to play a local open mic night – and what to expect

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You’ve been jamming on your guitar or ukulele at home, right? Maybe you have even shared a song or two with your best friend or your family. Sharing your music with the world can be nerve-racking, but it can also be an uplifting experience! While it always takes courage to share your music and art with someone else. Are you ready for your first open mic night?

Just remember, don’t be hard on yourself. You have begun a new journey with music, and your attitude will make or break your future success with it. You don’t have to be a rock star. You don’t have to play a song like that famous artist or group does. Famous musicians don’t sing songs like anyone else, and you don’t have to sing it like them either. That’s the beauty of music and art. You get to make it your own and put your authentic voice into it. And, guess what? No one will be able to perform it the way you do either!

If you think it’s time to start taking some steps to grow your musicianship and performance skills and to walk a little further along your musical path, know that open mic nights are designed to give new musicians opportunities to share music with appreciative audiences and evolving music communities. Many, many, many great musicians and bands got started at open mic nights or battles of the bands. Even if you don’t aspire to be a professional musician, you will still have a great time trying a local open mic or jam night out.

Here are some reasons why:

  1. You will connect with a music-loving community.
    Open mics are like hangouts for music lovers just like you. You might even feel as if you’ve walked into a new, accepting family. Musicians, after all, pride themselves on living and appreciating different lifestyles. Just check out this article, “10 Things You’ll Never Understand About Musicians.” We bet you can relate!

    Aspiring musicians of all skill levels and abilities will be there to perform songs they have learned and songs they have written. Some will be amazing, and you will wonder why they aren’t famous. Honestly, others will fumble through the chords, forget lyrics, tell bad jokes, or generally seem awkward because they are nervous and don’t have stage experience. That’s OK! It’s actually good. That is how people practice expressing themselves freely and grow as individuals and as musicians. You might hear “Wagon Wheel” five times in one night and then at least once a week for months. You’ll have some fun conversations with people who love the bands you love, and you’ll probably discover some new bands too. You might also encounter a few people who aren’t so nice, but that is all part of the experience.
  2. You will learn—a lot.
    You’ll learn a lot about yourself. You’ll learn a lot about music. You’ll learn a lot about performing.

    Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, performing in public takes a lot of courage and energy. This also holds true whether you’ve been performing all your life or it’s your first time. The only way to learn how to perform better is by practicing performing. Remembering the right chords and lyrics while nervous will get easier. From watching other musicians perform, from talking to them, and maybe even from collaborating with them, you will learn about what to do (and, just as importantly, what not to do).
  3. You only get better at performing by actually performing. 
    Have you heard musicians say a song is never done? Every performance will be a little different, and that’s one reason songs continue to change. Similarly, your performance style will evolve as well. You will develop your own method of establishing a safe performance space, whether it’s on a stage or on the ground. You will only get better with every performance! If you’re feeling brave, film a performance and critique yourself. Don’t push that on yourself, though. Only take video if you know you are ready to do that. Here are a few other helpful tips on how to become a more confident performer from BulletproofMusician.com.
  4. You’ll be inspired, and you’ll grow.
    Sure, you’ll learn a lot, but through musical exploration and music-related conversations, that learning will come with a lot of growth. You’ll start to set goals for your next performance. The next thing you know, you’ll be comfortable singing those three songs you prepared, and you’ll be adding new songs to the list. (This also means you will be practicing more.) The musicians around you will inspire you to try new things, to learn new songs, and maybe even to write your own songs. Performing is a rush, but so is achieving what you set out to do. Because you will be learning and trying new things, you will inevitably grow.
  5. You’re gonna have fun.
    The first time you go to an open mic night, you might be nervous. You might not know anyone, so consider bringing a friend in order to feel more comfortable. Either way, if you love music, you will love open mics because they’re filled with music lovers! You’ll probably even find the crowd is way more supportive than you think. If a particular open mic doesn’t quite have the vibe you are looking for, try another one! Don’t be afraid to drive a little ways to find a place you love.

Here are a few things to know and to expect when you go to an open mic:

  1. Pick an open mic night near you, and go for it! You can Google “open mics,” search Facebook for “open mic events” in your area, or even look through local digital or print media calendars. There might also be a local musician group or open mic group for your area on Facebook. You can also find a list of open mics near you at OpenMikes.org. Peruse the list, and pick one to attend!
  2. Every open mic night is different. Every event has different house rules, practices, routines, and ambiance. Keep an open mind.
  3. It’s OK to be different! Don’t be afraid to play a less popular song or even a song you wrote. 
  4. Locate the sign-up sheet. Do this as soon as you get there so you don’t miss your chance to perform! 
  5. Be prepared. Be confident with performing two to four songs. If you only have one, that is usually OK, but know the sets are typically fifteen to twenty minutes. Here are a few open mic night songs you may consider learning that are already in the Fret Zealot app.
  6. Bring your own gear. Bring your own instrument, amp, pedals, guitar strap, tuner, and cable. Bring backup strings and preamp batteries, if you need them. For reference, here is a quick guide to tuning your instrument. Having all this gear will make things go more quickly, and even if you don’t end up needing everything, you’ll feel better knowing you have it all, just in case. 
  7. It’s great to talk with the audience, but don’t overdo it. Share your nerves, and share the backgrounds of the songs, but remember there is a time limit. Keep in mind that the next person is just as excited to get on stage and to share his or her songs. 
  8. Respect the host and sound engineer. They work hard, so be kind to them. It isn’t easy to navigate all the personalities, criticisms, and specific needs of all the musicians who sign up to perform every week. 
  9. Stay positive, and be encouraging to others. There will likely be at least one critical person who wants to tell you how to improve or will suggest how someone else could improve. While it is important to get constructive criticism, you don’t have to engage in those kinds of conversations (unless you want to). Stay positive. Respond with positivity, and move on.

Every local open mic is essential to your community’s art and music scene, whether it’s small or large. Doing a little light reading about open mics might help alleviate your nerves. Different musicians have varying insights and tips, but here are a few suggestions for open mic etiquette from Guitar World.

Whatever you do, just be positive, and have confidence in yourself and what you’re doing. It’s also totally cool to check out an open mic night without playing it. You can always go back to perform another time. Do what you need to do to achieve your next goal. We know you can do it. Now, be yourself, get out there, and sing your song!

Fret Zealot has over 3,000 song lessons, 80,000 song tracks, every chord and scale, and 60 alternative tunings! Check it out in the Fret Zealot apps or online.

Press Release – Tech startup Launches Ukulele Version of Globally Successful LED Teaching Accessory

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Since Edge Tech Labs launched their LED guitar teaching tool, Fret Zealot, with over 400% backing on Kickstarter in 2017, the product is now selling in Guitar Center and Fry’s Electronics with increasing popularity in global markets such as Canada and Japan. After the successful version for guitar, Fret Zealot has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the ukulele. Ukulele is a large market with a sales volume approaching 70% of guitar sales in the USA.  According to a study commissioned by Fender Guitars, 90% of new players give up learning their instruments.

Fret Zealot implements technology to make learning instruments engaging and fun with paper thin LED strips next to the frets showing where players put their fingers. A player can go at their own pace, learning notes, chords, scales, and thousands of songs as the notes light up. The highly interactive and intuitive Android & iOS apps include all scales, chords, over fifty configurable tunings, and various features including video lessons, real-time microphone-based learning support, API integrations and light shows.

CEO Shaun Masavage says “many want to learn to play, but don’t ever get there due to time constraints, cost of lessons, and struggling to learn proper technique on their own. Fret Zealot replaces frustration with fun, giving players a digital training tool right on the neck of their instrument”

Ukulele manufacturers have perfected these instruments over decades. Fret Zealot is easily installed and seamlessly removed on any Concert or Tenor sized ukulele.

Fret Zealot has tools for all levels of ukulele players from the basic chords to advanced features like AI Mode that listens for the correct note or chord to be played before moving on to the next.

Edge Tech Labs is run by music loving engineers that continuously provide app enhancements and updates including custom programming options and personal music libraries of songs to learn.

The ukulele version is available for pre-order on Kickstarter.com with shipping estimated to start in September of 2019.

As always, if you want any help learning the tunes or performing them with epic LED lights on your frets, then we’ve got you!

Thirty songs to learn for your next summer party

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There are undoubtedly decades of popular songs we all know and love, but the songs you most adore probably vary depending on where you live, what time of year it is, what generation of artists you grew up rocking out to, and so on. Most music lovers have a diverse taste in music, appreciating everyone from Johnny Cash, Hank Sr., and Louis Armstrong to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to Peter Tosh, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, Chick Corea, and Ice Cube. Also, let’s not forget the ever-popular EDM artists and modern DJs with remixes! The musicscape is so vast that it can feel unreal, and new generations are constantly opening themselves up to even more new music and fusion-based musical styles.

What do all these disparate artists have in common, though? A unique musicality—and a song. It might not even be a particularly unique song. In fact, many, many popular songs are relatively simple and don’t have anywhere near twenty chords. (This excludes fusion and prog groups.)

Music is our business—all day, all the time—and we want you to love playing music with confidence. The Fret Zealot staff members, in addition to being music lovers, have been to more than a fair share of concerts, local music events, and (dare we say) shindigs. Some of our “professional affiliates” even perform for a living. Using that expertise, as well as a healthy dose of deliberation, we have compiled a list of songs you should learn to play and sing at your next party:

1) What I Got, by Sublime

2) Come as You Are, by Nirvana

3) Folsom Prison Blues, by Johnny Cash

4) Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin

5) Pride & Joy, by Stevie Ray Vaughan

6) Hotel California, by The Eagles

7) Roadhouse Blues, by The Doors

8) Friends in Low Places, by Garth Brooks

9) Rambling Man, by The Allman Brothers Band

10) Landslide, by Fleetwood Mac

11) Burn One Down, by Ben Harper

12) My Girl, by The Temptations

13) The Joker, by Steve Miller Band

14) Proud Mary, by Creedence Clearwater Revival (or Tina Turner)

15) Brown Eyed Girl, by Van Morrison

16) Hey Joe, by Jimi Hendrix

17) I’m Yours, by Jason Mraz

18) Crazy Train, by Ozzy Osbourne

19) Fast Car, By Tracy Chapman

20) 3 AM, Matchbox 20

21) American Girl, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

22) Take Me Home Country Roads, by John Denver

23) Purple Rain, by Prince

24) Crash Into Me, by Dave Matthews Band

25) The Cave, Mumford & Sons

26) You Shook Me All Night Long, by AC/DC

27) One Love, by Bob Marley & The Wailers

28) Gravity, by John Mayer

29) Set Fire to the Rain, by Adele

30) Simple Man, by Lynyrd Skynyrd

There are over 3,000 lessons in Fret Zealot Courses and Songs! Check it out in the Fret Zealot apps or online.

Oh yeah, this is in addition to 80,000 song tracks, every chord and scale, 60 alternate tunings, and so much more. The Fret Zealot LED system fits just next to your frets and shows you color coded finger positions to play anything you want. The Android and iOS apps give you wireless control.

We want to hear from you! What are the most popular songs you like to sing, to hear, and to sing along to at a party?

As always, if you want any help learning the tunes or performing them with epic LED lights on your frets, then we’ve got you!

Learn These Chords and Scales on Guitar First

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What is a scale and a chord anyway?

Note: This blog is best used with the Fret Zealot app on web or on your mobile device.

The truth is that playing guitar is all about knowing patterns and chord shapes. So before you get overwhelmed by the C Chord, G Chord, and E chord, and barre chords, remember, the basic chord shapes you learn can be applied up and down the fretboard, and the scales can be applied the same way.


All of these scales and chords are in the Fret Zealot app. Go to the app to see them. Then use the Fret Zealot and app together to practice them!

Start with the chords and the Pentatonic Scale patterns listed below.

Chords

Go to the Fret Zealot app to see these chords and use the Fret Zealot to learn them!

A chord is a group of notes played at the same time.

The first major chords you should learn on guitar are: C , A , G ,  E , D

VIDEO TUTORIAL:
You can follow along with Justin if you like. Here is his review of the G and C chord technique.  
https://www.justinguitar.com/modules/beginner-3-g-c-technique

For the Fret Zealot enabled version of these lessons, in the Fret Zealot app, go to “Lessons” -> “Justin Guitar” -> “Beginner”-> “Beginners Course” -> “Stage 3”

 

The first minor chords to learn are: Am, Em, Dm

VIDEO TUTORIAL:
Watch Justin’s quick lesson here:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/the-amin-chord-bc-121

“Lessons” -> “Justin Guitar” -> “Beginner”-> “Beginners Course” -> “Stage 2” in the app.


Most of these minor chords simply remove a note from your major chord shapes, which makes them easier to learn. Am is also the relative minor scale for C major scale, and Em is the relative minor for the G major scale. Dm is it the relative minor for F major.

These are shapes you can use along the fretboard as you progress.
They also can be used with the first pentatonic scales you learn.

Don’t give up! You have to build the strength in your hands and fingers to get the chords down. Only practicing regularly will help you do this. Practice often, even if it is only for 15 minutes at a time. Practically speaking, you will not build that strength if you only practice 15 minutes, and then you wait a week to practice again. So keep it up, and jam on!

Pentatonic Scales

A scale is a series of musical notes ordered together by pitch or sound frequency.
(There are many scales. Stay tuned for more on scales in the future.)

Pentatonic scales are 5 note scales.

There are major and minor Pentatonic patterns.


Pentatonic Scales are essentially just short scales based on the diatonic scale and are commonly used. You may be surprised how many players only use these with popular tunes.

Major Pentatonic Scales are 1 – 2- 3- 5 – 6  notes of the Major Scale.
C Major:  C – D – E – G – A

Video Tutorial:
Follow along with Justin to learn the pattern for the Major Pentatonic Scale.
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/major-pentatonic-scale-im-153


Minor Pentatonic Scales are 1 -3b – 4 – 5 – 7b
(This is from the Major Scale. Do not flatten the notes of the existing natural minor scale.)
Ex: A minor Pentatonic – A – C – D – E – G

Video Tutorial:

Learn 5 Pentatonic Minor Scale Patterns with Justin here:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/minor-pentatonic-the-5-patterns-sc-304

 

Take your time. Use the Fret Zealot app in sync with the Fret Zealot on your guitar. The Fret Zealot is designed to help you see what you are playing on the guitar, and practice. Our latest features allow you to loop your own practice routines as well.


Find some songs you like, and start applying the chords and scales you have learned. Remember, a song can be available in any key you want. You don’t have to learn it in the original band or album key. Find a transposed version, or simply use a Capo.

Many, many, many, many, many songs only have three chords and simple pentatonic scale guitar riffs. So, get jamming!  If you have a suggestion for a song, please send it to us here. 

How to tune your guitar like a rock star

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When you first pick up a guitar, you learn standard E tuning. The chords are built off of this tuning, and so are the scale patterns. Standard guitar tuning is E – A – D – G – B – E tuned to a frequency of 440Hz. The first string is the bottom string and tuned to E. After jamming on some popular tunes, it’s fun to explore the broad soundscape the guitar can offer.

Dropped tunings are used a lot in popular rock and heavy rock music, while slide guitarists use open tunings frequently. If you intend to drop to lower tunings, you may need heavier gauge strings to prevent them from being too loose to play.  All the strings need to be tuned to the same frequency, which is typically 440Hz. If they are not all the same frequency, the chordal ring will sound dissonant, even if the notes are tonally accurate and in tune.

Click here to read more about dropped and alternate tunings. 

The Fret Zealot app has over 50 tunings and many songs to accompany them, with literally thousands of new song uploads monthly. Here are a few popular alternate tunings to get you started. All the tunings listed below are from the top string down, in 6 5 4 3 2 1 order. Remember the high, thinnest string on the bottom when holding a right-handed guitar is considered string 1.

1. Drop D (or C) Tuning – D A D G B E
Tune the 6th string down to D or C and keep the rest at standard tuning.

Alternative rock music and metal music often incorporates Drop D tuning, including songs by Metallica, KORN, Soundgarden, and so many others. It adds a bassy bottom end to standard tuning chords and progressions. All the formations stay the same. Just remember to omit the D string when D isn’t in the chord or in the key progression. For example: Don’t play the low D when you play a standard C chord. You shouldn’t be doing this in standard tuning either, but if D is included in a standard C chord, with the major triad, it will create dissonance because it is the second note in the C major scale.

Watch how to tune Double Drop D Tuning here.

2. C6 Tuning – C A C G C E
Tune the 6th and 4th strings down, and tune the 2nd string up.

This open tuning adds the sixth note of the scale right in the tuning.  The C Major Scale is C D E F G A B, without sharps and flats. A is the sixth in the scale, G is the fifth, and E is the third. The three C’s add a chorus of octave support rounding out the sound. World famous rock bands Led Zeppelin and Mumford & Sons have used this tuning for some of their most  popular hits, like “I Will Wait.” Check out this video with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in a live performance of “Friends” using this tuning. That guitar rings out setting the tone for this unique tune. You can hear how loose the C string is on the original Led Zeppelin III album recording.

 

3. Drop C Tuning – C G C F A D
Tune every string down.

Drop C is popular in hard rock and many genres metal and prog metal music as it adds that heavy low end. Drop C is also great for power chords. You can use this guide for chords.

4. Open G Tuning – D G D G B D

Tune the 1st, 5th, and 6th strings down.

Slide guitarists typically play in open tunings because the key major triad is already in the tuning, which makes it easier to build other chords. In Open G tuning, all of the strings are tuned to the major triad notes: G, B, and D.Here are some chords for Open G Tuning. The chords and formations on strings 2, 3, and 4 are the same as standard tuning.

Video on how to tune Open G here.

5. Open D Tuning – D A D F# A D
Tune your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th strings down for Open D.

This is a major chord tuning used frequently by classic blues guitarists. The major triad chord is D – F# – A.

6. Open E Tuning – E B E G# B E
Tune the 3rd, 4th and 5th the strings UP.

The major triad notes are E – G# – B. Justin suggests you capo the second fret in Open D tuning as an easier alternative.

Video on how to tune Open E here.

 

There are a lot more tunings, including modal tunings, perfect fourths tunings, augmented fourth tunings, and on and on and on. Remember, if you are playing out at an open mic or jam, the more unique your tuning is, the harder it will be for other players to jump in and jam with you. Dropped tunings and open tunings are easier to adjust to if you are going to bring your new tunings out to play!

So head to the Fret Zealot app, tune up, tune down and learn some new songs. If you have a suggestion for a song, please send it to us here. 

6 DIY Hacks to Customize Fret Zealot for Your Guitar

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All Fret Zealots are innovators. Just by nature of picking FZ, you stand out. Now, you can borrow some of the ideas below to further customize and enhance your style.

  1. Use a Longer Audio Cable
    Don’t let the cable length inhibit you. You can practice with the pack unattached to your guitar, or simply broaden the opportunities for where you want to attach the pack to your instrument. Make sure the cable has a 4-conductor audio jack and can extend the cord to the battery pack.

  2. Flip the battery pack
    It is that easy, and very useful tip for left handed guitar players. The pack will function just as well in any of the following positions.

  3. Different Placements
    This is a particularly simple one, there are different parts of the guitar head that your Fret Zealot might clip onto like so:
  4. Connect FZ to The Head Stock with Velcro Tape
    The capo clip lets the battery pack work on any head stock, but that’s just it- there are SO many different types of head stocks! It holds up really well, and has a great grip on the instrument that doesn’t damage the guitar. But, maybe you are an active performer or player, and need a sleeker way to keep it on. Velcro Tape is a good solution that gives you more choices in where to place the the pack on your guitar.

  5. Place the Fret Zealot Strip Closer to the Body of the Guitar 
    With this hack, you place the Fret Zealot strip closer to the body of the guitar within the fret space. Original installation suggests you place the strip on the opposite side of the fret, closer to the headstock.

    Using this trick, you will place your finger in the right space, and can see the Fret Zealot as well. It depends on the person. Some people prefer it with the original installation. Others prefer it in the space where they can see the strip and place their finger closer to the fret.

    Here is a bass with a FZ with the LEDs on the bottom side of the frets instead of the top side (headstock side).

  6. Interact with The App & The Software
    The App is designed to suit YOUR needs as a new player. We are constantly partnering with other apps, like Guitar 3D and Uberchord, and uploading new songs to offer you more within the app. That being said, if you search 50 songs, you may have to search again to find the tenth one you liked. So take note of the following:
    A) Mark the ones you want to keep working on as favorites, and rank the version you prefer.
    B) Star your favorite chords in the app.

There are always ways to solve a simple issue. Don’t let solvable problems get in the way of your success. Fret Zealot truly has a lot to offer any player. Let us know what your DIY hacks are, and maybe we can share them with others.