Grab The Guitar

This section has been made for the beginner guitarist who is looking for quick access to lessons available that are more suitable to the beginner guitarist as opposed to the intermediate or advanced guitarist. This is a compilation of lessons found in other areas of this website. For example, the lessons found here on chords can also be found in our section that is exclusively on chords but the chord section will also have lessons more suitable to advanced guitarists. This listing focuses on any lessons on any topic that would be useful for the beginner guitarist. How To Tune Your Guitar (Standard Tuning) Part I - The Strings On The Guitar - EADGBE Part II - Tuning The Low E String Part III - Tuning The Rest Of Your Guitar Introduction To Guitar Tabs - How to read the most basic guitar tabs Right Hand Positioning - Where to put your right hand on the guitar Strumming The Guitar - How to strum your guitar Basic Picking - The basics for picking correctly on ...

The first scale most guitarists learn is the minor pentatonic scale. Pentatonic may sound scary but it really isn't, it simply means 5 notes. So a pentatonic scale is just a 5 note scale. The pentatonic scale is extremely useful for guitarists. This is for a few good reasons. - Music that is commonly played on the guitar (rock, blues, country, pop, ect...) use the pentatonic scale in its melodies and improvisation. - The pentatonic scale is easily playable on the guitar with pentatonic 'boxes'. - The licks and riffs from the pentatonic scale sound amazing. With that said, lets get into the minor pentatonic scale. The following is a tab file and a scale diagram of the minor pentatonic scale in the Key of A. Didn't I say a pentatonic scale was only 5 notes. The above tab file and scale diagram feature alot more then 5 notes. Take a look at the red dots on the scale diagram, for example the 5th fret on the Low E string and High E string and the 7th fret on ...

Scale diagrams are an easy and effective way of learning how to play new scales. A scale diagram is essentially just a grid. But viewing the grid in comparison to the guitar neck is what makes it useful. Take a look at the following diagram. As shown, the vertical lines represent the 6 guitar strings, while the horizontal lines represent the guitar frets with the top most horizontal line being the guitar nut. This is a graphic representation of the guitar neck. Picture your guitar pointed to the sky with the strings facing you. By adding circles to the diagram we now have information on which strings need to be played and which frets need to be fretted. The above demonstrates the popular pentatonic scale, one of the first scales guitarists learn. As indicated, you start with the top left dot which is really the lowest note of the scale, play the next dot on the same string and then move to the A string and play the top dot. This pattern continues until you reach the highest...

Power chords are the holy grail for the all out rocker. Crank up the amp and turn on the distortion and these chords will sound like heaven. In all reality these chords contain little, consisting of two or three notes. If played on a clean setting they sound boring and bland, it’s not until you play them loud and hard that you can hear the true potential in them. Two Note Power Chords There are two ways of fingering two note power chords. As show in the following diagrams, the index finger will always be fretting the root of the chord . However for the other note in the chord (the fifth), it will be fretted with either your 3rd finger or your 4th. Play around with both fingerings and see which one you like. Remember that just like barre chords, power chords are movable chord shapes, you can play them anywhere’s on the neck. Three Note Power Chords The three note power chord is identical to the above two note power chords with an addition of a third note. The third note b...

There are four essential barre chords. Two chords with the root on the 6th string and two chords with the root on the 5th string. With one chord major and one chord minor. (see also 100 easy songs to play on guitar ) Instructions for a Major Barre Chord with the root on the 6th string. Place your 1st finger down as a barre. Place your 3rd and 4th fingers on the 5th and 4th strings two frets up and your 2nd finger on the 3rd string one fret up. The result is a major barre chord with the root on the 6th string. Notice that the chord shape is the same as an E major chord in open position. Instructions for a Minor Barre Chord with the root on the 6th string. Place your 1st finger down as a barre. Place your 3rd and 4th fingers on the 5th and 4th strings two frets up. The result is a minor barre chord with the root on the 6th string. Notice that the chord shape is the same as an E minor chord in open position. Instructions for a Major Barre Chord with the root on th...

It should be clear by now that the barre effectively replaces the use of the nut on the guitar. If not, then go back and read Part One . Once understanding the barre replaces the use of the nut, it should make sense that you could use the same basic chords in open position and apply them after the barre. Use the exact same chord shape, just replace the nut with the barre using your first finger and refinger the chord as necessary. While this method will work with all open position chords, there are four particular chord shapes, two major shapes and two minor shapes, that are essential for all guitarists. The two basic open position chords that we will be using to build our major barre chords are the E major and the A major chord forms. Let's start with the E major chord. This chord should already be familiar. If not then read up on the basic chords in open position . The two diagrams to the right is an E major chord in open position followed by an F# major barre chord. T...

Barre chords are useful tools for guitarists. Just by knowing a few shapes a guitarist could play many chords in any key. A guitarist just needs to know one major barre chord shape and they would be able to play any major chord in any key. Same with a minor chord, dominant chord, sus chord, you name it. Just learn the shape and you can play that chord in any key, anywhere’s on the guitar. This is a phenomanal aspect about the guitar, not many instruments have this power. This is in direct conflict with the basic open position chords. With those chords, you need to learn a new shape for every new chord. Not so with barre chords, because you only need a few shapes and your can literally play any of the most used chords in any key anywheres on the guitar neck. Phenomanal. The Barre The barre is a technique where one finger is used to fret many strings on the guitar. It is most commonly used when referring to the 1st finger fretting all the strings on the same fret. When done t...

There are nine basic guitar chords that are essential for every guitar player to know, and when I say every guitar player, I literally mean EVERY guitar player. These chords are used every day by even the most advanced guitar players and for a lot of guitar players these are the only chords they know, which is ok, because these nine chords you are about to learn are that useful. These nine chords are also called open position chords, meaning that they are played in open position... down by the nut on the guitar neck. The first chord has already been seen in the lesson on How To Read Guitar Chord Diagrams which if you haven't already, should read before continuing. All of these chords will be demonstrated through the aid of guitar chord diagrams so it is important that you fully understand how to read these diagrams correctly to make this learning process easier. C Major, G Major and D Major Instructions for C Major Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th st...

Chords diagrams (also known as chord grids) are an easy and effective way of learning how to play new and exciting chords. A blank chord diagram is essentially just a grid, but viewing the grid in comparison to the guitar neck is what makes it useful. The diagram below to the right is an example of a blank chord diagram. As already discussed, a blank chord diagram is just like a grid. The vertical lines represent the 6 guitar strings, while the horizontal lines represent the guitar frets with the top most horizontal line being the guitar nut. This is a graphical representation of the guitar neck. Picture your guitar pointed to the sky with the strings facing you. Get used to seeing these types of diagrams because every guitar player, and I mean EVERY guitar player uses these diagrams at some point or another. They are crucial for the development of beginner guitarists. By adding circles to the diagram we now have information on which strings need to be played and which frets nee...

In order to play single note lines, riffs, solos and licks, its important to know and use the basic principles of picking. There are many different picking techniques available for the guitar. All of them are useful and are used in different situations, depending on what is your trying to play. This lesson will focus on the basics of alternate picking. You should already now how to hold your pick, if not that then read this . So pick up your guitar and grab your pick. First, apply the side of your palm onto the bridge of the guitar. This is the standard picking position. Your hand should comfortably rest there. Don't apply a lot of pressure as if you're squeezing the guitar. You're hand should rest there comfortablity with no additional pressure, just enough to give stability. The picking action should come from your wrist, granted there will be some movement at the elbow, mostly when crossing one string to the next, but primarily the action should be from the wrist. ...

The most important thing to do when practicing these exercises is to always keep your strumming arm moving. The strumming arm should constantly be moving in an up-down pattern. Always. Even if you don't actually have to strum the guitar on those beats, your arm still moves as if you were. Not only does this constant motion make strumming the guitar easier, but it also acts as your own metronome enabling you to stay in time with the music better. Take a look at the following. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + (Repeat over and over) The above is a representation of the beats in music. The numbers (1, 2, 3 and 4), are the downbeats. These are the beats that you typically tap you feet and nod your head too. On the guitar, these are the beats that you move your strumming arm with a downstroke. The plus signs between the downbeats are called the upbeats. These are the beats that you typically lift your foot from the floor after you tap your foot. On the guitar, this is when you apply the upstroke. I...

here are many different positions for the right hand depending on what type of picking technique you are using. There is the standard pick technique, folk fingerstyle, classical fingerstyle, thumbpick style, ect. This lesson will focus on the most used technique of them all, the standard pick technique. There are many different types of picks. In fact there are too many coming in all different shapes, sizes and colors. A beginner guitarist needs to pick which type of pick they want to use. It is a good idea to start with a standard pick with a medium gauge (medium thickness) but you should also go to your local music store and take a look at all the different types of picks or anytime you're playing with other guitarists, ask to take a look at their picks and try them out. You will soon find one type of pick that you prefer over others. During this process and after when you have chosen your favorite type of pick, it's important that you hold the pick the right way. The pic...

A tab consists of 6 lines. Each line representing a guitar string. At the beginning of each line are letters which represent which string is what. For example, the top string is the high E string and the second to bottom string is the A string. Place your guitar on your lap with the strings facing towards the ceiling. This is how a tab looks. e:---------------------------| B:---------------------------| G:---------------------------| D:---------------------------| A:---------------------------| E:---------------------------| By adding numbers to the tab, we have information on where to fret with the left hand. For example, a 1 would represent the first fret, a 2 would represent the 2nd fret, ect. A 0 would represent an open string. e:---------------------------| B:---------------------------| G:---------------------------| D:---------------------------| A:---------------------------| E:-0-1-2-3-4-----------------| The above tab asks you to only play the Low E string...

The same method is used to tune the next two strings, the D string and the G string. Fret the 5th fret on the A string and that gives the note D, you can now tune your D string in comparison to the 5th fret of the A string. Once the D string is tuned, do the same for the G string. Fret the 5th fret on the D string and that gives the Note G and you can now tune the G string. The B string is tuned with the same method but instead of fretting the 5th fret of the G string, you fret the 4th and tune in comparison to the 4th fret, not the 5th. You should now just have the High E string to tune. In this case, we go back to the original method of fretting in comparison to the 5th fret of the previous string. The following diagram will help illustrate the entire tuning process. You should now be able to tune your guitar. It may take a while for a beginner but you should get it. If your having trouble, read through the material again. The above diagram should illustrate the method clea...

The first step in tuning your guitar is to at least get one string in tune with the correct pitch, and then you can tune the rest of your guitar in reference to that string. To keep things simple, lets first tune the Low E String. The first thing needed is a reference pitch. This could be a guitar tuner, piano, tuning fork, a recorded note, another guitar, or any other instrument. In this case, we are going to use the following audio file. Listen to the video and try and match your low E string to that pitch. If your guitar string sounds to low or flat then tighten the string. If it sounds to high or sharp then loosen the string (If your having a hard time identifying if your guitar is flat or sharp, its in your best interest to tune with an electric tuner which has a graphic display). Once you have one string properly tuned, you can now tune the rest of the strings with just the guitar. Lets tune the next string, in this case the A string. We can tune that string by finding ...

Playing in tune is vital. No matter what level your playing may be at, you will sound HORRIBLE if your not in tune. It truly is the reason why most guitarists sound bad, not because they are bad, but because they are out of tune. This alone shows how important tuning your guitar is. For new guitarists tuning your guitar is hard and in some cases, will discourage an individual enough to quit playing guitar. But if you stick with it, you will quickly find how easy it is to tune. In fact, once you learn the following method, you could tune your guitar in as little as 30 seconds... or less! Before you start tuning all your friends guitars though, you have to start with the basics. The Strings On The Guitar - EADGBE A standard guitar has six strings. Each string having its own individual "thickness or roundness" and default note. Notice that when you buy a set of guitar strings, the package indicates which string belongs to which note. The notes of these six guitar ...