Curious About Guitars

PODCAST 187: CURIOUS ABOUT GUITARS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 1ST, 2022

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  OLIVIA AND I LOVE MUSIC.  WE LOVE PLAYING MUSIC AND WE LOVE LISTENING TO MUSIC.  WE LOVE CREATING MUSIC AND WE LOVE GOING TO CONCERTS TO EXPERIENCE LIVE MUSIC FROM OUR FAVORITE BANDS.  CONSIDERING HOW MUCH WE LOVE MUSIC, IT’S BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME SINCE WE’VE COVERED A MUSIC-RELATED TOPIC IN AN EPISODE.  WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT OUR FAVORITE INSTRUMENT, PIANOS, ALL THE WAY BACK IN EPISODE 98, WHICH WAS RELEASED ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO.  I THINK IT’S ABOUT TIME FOR US TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT ANOTHER INSTRUMENT.

O:  TRIPLE-MAILBAG!

D:  TRIPLE-MAILBAG!

“HI JACOB AND OLIVIA, GREETINGS FROM ST. LOUIS!  THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL PODCAST.  MY DAUGHTER EMMA AND I LISTEN EVERY MORNING WHILE WE WAIT IN THE CAR LINE BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.  SOME OF OUR FAVORITE EPISODES ARE CURIOUS ABOUT UNICORNS, WATERFALLS, AND AUTISM.  EMMA IS CURIOUS ABOUT HOW CARDBOARD IS MADE AND HOW GUITARS MAKE THEIR SOUND.  THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!

EMMA AND ALEX”

“DEAR JACOB AND OLIVIA, I AM RIVA FROM INDIA.  CAN YOU GET CURIOUS ABOUT GUITARS?  THANK YOU.  KEEP UP THE GOOD EFFORT.  BYE, LOVE YOUR PODCAST.”

“HI!  MY SON NYXON, 6 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND YOUR PODCAST AND LOVE LISTENING AT BEDTIME.  WE ARE FROM SPRINGFIELD LAKES, IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, AND NYXON IS REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT GUITARS AND DRUMS - HE LOVES MUSIC AND REALLY ENJOYED YOUR EPISODE CURIOUS ABOUT PIANOS!  WE’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS ON YOUR PODCAST SOME TIME!  

THANK YOU, KAILAH AND NYXON”.

O:  WOW, THOSE WERE 3 INCREDIBLE MESSAGES WE RECEIVED FROM 3 BEAUTIFUL COUNTRIES.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT GUITARS THIS WEEK FOR EMMA OF THE UNITED STATES, RIVA OF INDIA, AND NYXON OF AUSTRALIA.  LET’S ROCK AND ROLL.

D:  IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, GUITARS ARE A BIT OF A MYSTERY.  I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT GUITARS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE, SO IT DOESN’T SURPRISE US WHEN WE HEAR THE SOUNDS A GUITAR MAKES COME FROM A GUITAR WHEN IT’S PLAYED, BUT HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT A GUITAR AND WONDERED HOW IT MAKES THE SOUNDS IT DOES?  A GUITAR HAS A BUNCH OF PARTS, BUT AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR IS MOSTLY A HOLLOW PIECE OF WOOD WITH SOME STRINGS ATTACHED.  HOW IN THE WORLD DOES IT MAKE THE BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS IT DOES?  WE ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT, BUT BEFORE WE LEARN HOW GUITARS WORK, WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?    

O: THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHICH OF THE 3 SOUNDS YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR, WHICH ONE IS A BASS GUITAR, AND WHICH ONE IS AN ELECTRIC GUITAR?

D:  DO YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR, A BASS GUITAR, AND AN ELECTRIC GUITAR?  IT’S TIME TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.  

O:  HERE’S INSTRUMENT #1 - *AUDIO*

HERE’S INSTRUMENT #2 - *AUDIO*

AND FINALLY, HERE’S INSTRUMENT #3 - *AUDIO*

D:  THOSE WERE SOME BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS, AND IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE WILL FIND OUT WHICH INSTRUMENT MAKES EACH OF THOSE SOUNDS.  LET’S LEARN HOW GUITARS WORK.  WE ARE GOING TO START BY BREAKING DOWN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR.  

O:  THE MAJOR GUITAR PARTS HAVE FAMILIAR NAMES.  THERE IS THE BODY, THE NECK, AND THE HEAD.  I HAVE ALL OF THOSE PARTS TOO.  THE BODY IS THE MAIN PART OF THE GUITAR.  IT’S LARGE AND HOLLOW.  THERE’S A ROUND HOLE IN THE BODY OF A GUITAR, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S BROKEN.  IT NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR THE GUITAR TO WORK.  THE HOLE ALSO HAS A NAME, AND THAT NAME IS THE SOUND HOLE.  THAT MAKES SENSE.  THE BODY EVEN HAS A WAIST, WHICH IS THE NARROWEST PART OF THE BODY.  

D:  THE WAIST SERVES AN IMPORTANT PURPOSE.  IT GIVES THE GUITAR A PLACE TO REST ON YOUR LEG WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING IT SITTING DOWN.  IF THE BODY WAS JUST ROUNDED WITHOUT A NARROWING, THE GUITAR WOULD KEEP ROLLING AROUND ON YOUR LEG WHILE YOU’RE PLAYING, WHICH WOULD MAKE THINGS PRETTY COMPLICATED.  

O:  THE NECK IS THE LONG PART OF THE GUITAR THAT EXTENDS FROM THE BODY ON ONE SIDE OF THE SOUND HOLE.  

D:  IF YOU LOOK AT THE NECK OF A GUITAR, IT WILL HAVE SMALL RIDGES THAT HELP THE GUITARIST FIND ALL OF THE NOTES.  THOSE RIDGES ARE CALLED FRETS.  

O:  ON THE OTHER END OF THE GUITAR, OPPOSITE THE BODY, IS THE HEAD.  THERE ARE TUNING PEGS ON THE SIDES OF THE HEAD.  

D:  A STANDARD ACOUSTIC GUITAR HAS 6 STRINGS THAT ARE PLAYED TO MAKE SOUNDS.  THE TUNING PEGS ON THE HEAD OF A GUITAR CAN BE TURNED.  THERE ARE 6 TUNING PEGS… ONE FOR EACH STRING.  WHEN A PEG IS TURNED, IT INCREASES OR DECREASES THE TENSION ON THE STRING, WHICH MEANS THAT IT EITHER TIGHTENS OR LOOSENS THE STRING, CHANGING THE PITCH THAT YOU HEAR WHEN THE STRING IS STRUMMED.

O:  PIANOS AND GUITARS DON’T HAVE TOO MUCH IN COMMON, BUT ONE THING THAT IS SIMILAR BETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT VIBRATIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN MAKING THEM WORK.  

D:  WHEN YOU STRUM THE STRINGS ON A GUITAR, THE STRINGS VIBRATE.  AT ONE END OF THE STRINGS IS A PIECE CALLED THE BRIDGE.  THE BRIDGE IS WHERE THE STRINGS ATTACH TO THE BODY.  BECAUSE THE STRINGS ARE ATTACHED TO THE FRONT OF THE GUITAR BODY, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED THE SOUNDBOARD, THE ENTIRE SOUNDBOARD STARTS VIBRATING WHEN THE GUITAR IS PLAYED.  SO, THE VIBRATION FROM THE STRINGS TRAVEL THROUGH THE BRIDGE TO THE SOUNDBOARD, VIBRATING THE SOUNDBOARD.  

O:  THE SOUND IS THEN AMPLIFIED IN THE HOLLOW BODY OF THE GUITAR, RESULTING IN THE SOUNDS YOU HEAR WHEN A GUITAR IS PLAYED.  THE SOUND EXITS THE GUITAR THROUGH THE SOUND HOLE.    

D:  DIFFERENT GUITARS MAKE DIFFERENT SOUNDS.  ANY TIME YOU HAVE 2 GUITARS, AND THE SHAPES AND SIZES OF THE GUITAR BODIES ARE DIFFERENT, THE GUITARS WILL SOUND DIFFERENT.  

O:  YOU CAN ALSO MAKE LOTS OF DIFFERENT SOUNDS ON A SINGLE GUITAR BY PRESSING THE STRINGS DOWN BY THE FRETS.  

D:  WHEN YOU PRESS DOWN ON A GUITAR STRING BEFORE PLAYING IT, WHAT YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY DOING IS CHANGING THE LENGTH OF THE STRING.  CHANGING THE LEGNTH OF THE STRING WILL CHANGE THE TONE IT MAKES WHEN IT VIBRATES.   

O:  WHEN PLAYING THE GUITAR, ONE HAND PRESSES DOWN ON THE STRINGS WHILE THE OTHER HAND STRUMS THE GUITAR.

D:  FOR MOST RIGHT-HANDED PEOPLE, THE LEFT HAND PLAYS THE ACTUAL NOTES BY HOLDING STRINGS DOWN AT THE FRETS.  WHEN A FEW STRINGS ARE PRESSED DOWN AT ONCE, THE RESULTING SOUND MADE WHEN THE GUITAR IS STRUMMED IS A CHORD, WHICH IS JUST A COLLECTION OF NOTES PLAYED AT ONCE.  

O:  THE RIGHT HAND PLUCKS OR STRUMS THE STRINGS.  THIS CAN BE DONE USING FINGERNAILS OR A PICK.  FOR MOST GUITARISTS, ESPECIALLY BEGINNERS, USING A PICK IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.  IT MAKES IT EASIER TO PLAY THE DESIRED NOTES.  

D:  THE THINNEST STRING, AT THE TOP OF THE GUITAR, MAKES THE HIGHEST PITCHED SOUNDS, AND THE THICKEST STRING, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GUITAR, MAKES THE LOWEST PITCHED SOUNDS.  

NOW THAT WE’VE LEARNED HOW ACOUSTIC GUITARS WORK, LET’S LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACOUSTIC GUITARS AND ELECTRIC GUITARS.

O:  ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS ARE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE SOME THINGS IN COMMON.  THEY BOTH HAVE 6 STRINGS, THEY BOTH HAVE A LONG NECK WITH FRETS THAT HELP FIND NOTES, AND THEY BOTH HAVE TUNING PEGS THAT COULD BE USED TO TUNE THE GUITAR.  

D:  MANY OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS CAN BE FOUND IN THEIR BODIES.  ELECTRIC GUITARS HAVE THINNER BODIES THAT ARE SOLID.  THERE IS NO SOUND HOLE IN AN ELECTRIC GUITAR.  

O:  NO SOUND HOLE MEANS THAT AN ELECTRIC GUITAR CAN’T AMPLIFY IT’S OWN SOUND. 

D:  DON’T BELIEVE US?  TRY STRUMMING AN ELECTRIC GUITAR WHEN IT ISN’T PLUGGED IN.  YOU WON’T HEAR MUCH AT ALL.  THAT’S A BUMMER.  ELECTRIC GUITARS MAKE THEIR SOUNDS VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN ACOUSTIC GUITARS.  ELECTRIC GUITARS HAVE PICKUPS, WHICH TURN STRING VIBRATIONS INTO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS.  THOSE ELECTRICAL SIGNALS ARE SENT TO SPEAKERS THAT AMPLIFY THE SIGNALS AND TURN THEM INTO BEAUTIFUL GUITAR SOUNDS FOR US TO ENJOY.  

O:  AND OF COURSE THERE ARE ALSO BASS GUITARS.  BASS GUITARS ARE GENERALLY BIGGER THAN ELECTRIC GUITARS AND HAVE FEWER STRINGS, USUALLY FOUR STRINGS.  THE STRINGS ON A BASS GUITAR ARE THICKER AND MAKE LOWER SOUNDS THAN THE STRINGS ON AN ELECTRIC GUITAR.  

D:  NOW THAT WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT ACOUSTIC, ELECTRIC, AND BASS GUITARS, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM.  LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  

LET’S START WITH GUITAR SOUND NUMBER ONE:

*AUDIO*

O:  THAT IS AN ELECTRIC GUITAR.

D:  ONTO GUITAR SOUND NUMBER TWO: *AUDIO*

O:  THAT IS A BASS GUITAR.

D:  LAST BUT NOT LEAST, GUITAR SOUND NUMBER THREE: *AUDIO*

O:  THAT IS AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR.  ALL GUITARS MAKE SUCH BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS.  IT’S HARD TO PICK A FAVORITE.  LOTS OF BANDS USE A COMBINATION OF THESE THREE GUITARS TO MAKE ALL OF THEIR MUSIC.  

D:  HAVE YOU EVER HEARD AN AMAZING GUITAR RIFF THAT YOU JUST CAN’T GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD?  THAT’S HAPPENED TO US, AND WE WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE INFECTIOUS GUITAR RIFFS WITH YOU.

O:  SOME OF MY FAVORITE GUITAR RIFFS ARE JUMP BY VAN HALEN, EYE OF THE TIGER BY SURVIVOR, FLY AWAY BY LENNY KRAVITZ, BILLIE JEAN BY MICHAEL JACKSON, AND DREAM ON BY AEROSMITH.

D:  SOME OF MY FAVORITES INCLUDE SEVEN NATION ARMY BY THE WHITE STRIPES, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN BY LED ZEPPELIN, DAY TRIPPER BY THE BEATLES, BACK IN BLACK BY AC/DC, AND SWEET CHILD O’MINE BY GUNS N’ ROSES.  

O:  WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR FAVORITE GUITAR RIFFS.  SHARE THEM WITH US BY SENDING AN E-MAIL TO CURIOUSKIDPODCAST@GMAIL.COM, OR BY SENDING US A MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, OR TWITTER.

D:  WE LOVE DISCOVERING NEW MUSIC OR EVEN RE-DISCOVERING AWESOME SONGS WE HAVEN’T LISTENED TO IN A LONG TIME.  IF YOU KNOW ANY SONGS WITH A SWEET GUITAR RIFF THAT WE MISSED IN OUR LISTS, SEND THEM OVER TO US SO WE CAN GIVE THEM A LISTEN.  

O:  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN LEARNING MORE ABOUT GUITARS, BUT LET’S GET OUT OF HERE AND GO LISTEN TO SOME OF THOSE CLASSIC SONGS RIGHT NOW.

D:  YOU GOT IT.  THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.  

O:  187 - GUITARS.

D:  ROCK ON, OLIVIA, AND ROCK ON EMMA, RIVA, AND NYXON.  WE HOPE WE STRUNG TOGETHER A GREAT EPISODE FOR YOU.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE FOR THE WEEK, WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL PEOPLE TO THANK.

O:  THANK YOU TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, STEPHANIE S. AND CHRISTINA K.

D:  A BIG, BIG THANKS TO STEPHANIE AND CHRISTINA FOR THE SUPPORT.  IT MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  WE HOPE YOU ENJOY ALL OF THE EXTRA GOODIES YOU GET AS CKP SUPPORTERS.

O:  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK USERNAME JESSWOOD85 FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “MY KIDS CAN’T GET ENOUGH!!!  HELLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOO (WITH 9 L’S AND 9 O’S)!  WE RECENTLY FOUND THIS PODCAST ON A LONG ROAD TRIP AND MY 4 YEAR OLD AND 6 YEAR OLD CAN’T GET ENOUGH!  THE EPISODES ARE PERFECT KID BITE SIZED LENGTH AND IT IS GETTING OUR WHOLE FAMILY CURIOUS!  THANK YOU!”

O:  YOU ARE SO WELCOME, JESSWOOD85.  WE ARE THRILLED THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ENJOY LISTENING TO THE PODCAST.

D:  WE HAVE ANOTHER ROCKIN’ EPISODE FOR YOU NEXT WEEK.  JOIN US WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT GOOSEBUMPS FOR A LISTENER IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.