You Can Play Guitar !!!

Free Classical Guitar Lesson #10 - Rujero

2009-04-07T16:55:00.009-07:00

Rujero

Popular 17th Century Dance Form on the Classical Guitar

Rujero is a dance form that is similar to the pavane (usually a slow court dance of the 16th & 17th centuries, often in duple time) but often played at a more "hectic" pace. Actually, I have recorded this piece (see youtube video below) a bit slower than is normal in keeping with the "beginner" theme of this site. Feel free to speed up the tempo because it still sounds great!

The composer, Gaspar Sanz, was a Spanish composer and guitarist born in 1640 and died circa 1710. He became a professor of music graduating from Salamanca University, the second oldest university in Spain. Sanz was also a dedicated priest who took holy orders and his music cannot be separated from his lifelong strong faith. Indeed, it added a wonderfully rich and spiritual dimension to his music.

The piece itself is very satisfying to play with its strong melody, including the beautiful grace notes in bars 1, 3, 5, 9 & 15. The key is D major, which makes the piece all the more "bright & happy" for want of a better expression :))

Overall there are 16 bars and it's almost a "call and response" in terms of the two 8 bar sections and even each 4 bar section, 1 to 2 and 3 to 4. In terms of musical expression it is a good idea to play these aforementioned phrases "tasto" (towards the headstock) and ponticello (towards the bridge). This aids the "call and response" effect and adds to the musicality of your performance, which is always a good thing.

Additionally, because Rujero is in the key of D major, you're basically playing in the second position (your first finger starting at the second fret). That explains some of the fingerings where you're using your first finger on the "D" note on the second string, 3rd fret and the "C#" on the 2nd fret, 2nd string. Indeed, I've tried to use the "stronger" fingers of the left hand to aid in the articulation of notes throughout the piece.

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Free Classical Guitar Lesson #9 - Minuet by Henry Purcell

2009-04-07T16:55:00.008-07:00

Minuet by Henry Purcell

Baroque For The Classical Guitar

Henry Purcell was an English Baroque composer. He has often been called England's finest native composer. Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements but devised a peculiarly English style of Baroque music.

Although he was a Baroque composer (who wrote for the lute) there are several, quite useful and varied, lessons for the classical guitar player contained within this minuet. For instance the Use of the closed "b" on third string, fourth fret, is useful for developing the use of the little (often weaker) finger.

It also allows for the re-enforcement of fret note knowledge. Also when using the thumb on the bass notes you need to make sure the note is plucked sufficiently hard enough to last a dotted half-note, or entire bar in other words.

You need to be aware that you're not cutting a note off too soon, which affects the quality of the piece in terms of "voicing" and harmony.

Another very good lesson for the beginner to intermediate player is the quick transition to and from a barre chord in bars 19 and 27. Not having to hold the barre down for an extended period of time means your fingers won't get too fatigued or sore but you'll be able to play a barre chord in context.

Additionally, while on the subject of Chords, you might want to play a chord roll in bars 20 and/or 28 if you deem it appropriate, just for the fun and practice of it. Be careful though as too many chord rolls, especially in baroque music, can tend to sound too amateurish.

There are also small shifts of position as in bars 17 and 25. If you think about it before hand, as you're approaching the shift, your playing will become a lot smoother and legato in sound and you'll be much less prone to making mistakes.

If you practice this little minuet slowly and carefully it won't take long to work up a pleasing performance for your friends, family or guitar group. It's quite an easy, yet satisfying piece to play.

Here is a video of the minuet by Henry Purcell (Note: Press "play" button then pause it so it loads properly. Then press "play" again when fully loaded. It should take several minutes to load)...

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Free Classical Guitar Lesson #8 - Allegro Etude

2009-04-07T16:55:00.007-07:00

Allegro Etude

Free Guitar Lesson 8

This allegro etude by Giuliani is a powerful exercise for right hand arpeggio technique.

Giuliani had made a name for himself as a virtuoso of guitar by the time he was nineteen. He was also adept at the flute and violin and by the time he died had added the title of "highly talented composer" to the list of achievements.

Indeed, he left a legacy of over 300 works for guitar and instrumental combinations, which catered for the beginner to the most advanced guitarist.

This etude for classical guitar will help you obtain independence of the right hand fingers and develop great speed and accuracy if praticed slowly to begin with then gradually increasing in speed.
This allows the hand to stay steady and play the chords of A minor and D minor in a clear, clean manner. It also provides the balance for the bass to be played using increasing dynamics as a melody riff. View the video below to see what I mean.

Even when the left hand has to come off the strings to change chords it is done with the least amount of movement. My old teacher used to call it... "economy of movement." And he was right.

Also, here is a video of the complete piece...

Even the right hand arpeggio in this etude is played with a very relaxed hand asd very little movement. This allows for good speed and a full, unstressed sound. Look at my right hand in the video for instance. You can see the fingers of the right hand brushing softly up against one another. You can tell from this position that my hand is very relaxed.

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Free Classical Guitar Lesson #7 - Green Sleeve

2009-04-07T16:55:00.006-07:00

Green Sleeve

Free Classical Guitar Lesson #7

Study Notes

The phenomenon of this piece continues unabated from the renaissance right up to the present day and its popularity has never really waned.

Green Sleeve, or Greensleeves is a traditional English ballad written by an anonymous composer. It is often said that King Henry VIII wrote Greensleeves about Anne Boleyn but this isn't really probable due to stylistic differences of the time.

My main reason for choosing this piece for study, other than its popularity and hence its enjoyment, is:

Its (reasonably easy) extensions of the left hand;

The use of dotted note rhythms;

The chance to play and "roll" selected chords. I say selected because if the rolling technique is overdone it really sounds quite tiresome. Played judiciously their effect are quite marked;

Having said that, you need to ensure all other chords are played "together". Indeed, the Green Sleeve tune is quite chordal and you need to be aurally aware of what you're doing with the tune;

Being in the key of A minor also gives it a melancholy twinge which is quite appealing.

Play this tune at a leisurely pace.

First of all, the "extensions" you'll need to master are in the 8th and 16th bars. You need to hold the G sharp with your first finger whilst you reach out with the 4th finger of the left hand and play the F sharp on the fourth string, fourth fret.

The G sharp is played again immediately after the F sharp so you'll have to hold onto the note by extending or stretching. PDF Tab Download

If you have difficulty doing that you'll need to practice those bars often and slowly. Using a book like Pumping Nylon or Kitharologous could help... Be carefull when playing the Green Sleeve tune that you get the dotted rhthyms right. The time signature is 6/8 and the rhythm or count (minus the anacrusis) is often 1 2 3 4 5 & 6...

See how I've made orange the counts that are played. More importantly notice that the 5 is not played but the & of the 5 which is what gives it its dotted rhythm.

You'll notice in the video (see below) that I employ the use of two types of rolled chord in the piece. The first is a thumb-strum where my right hand thumb glides quickly across the strings on the "G" chord in bar 10.

You can see the rolled chord symbol in front of the chord in the notation version. For the uninitiated, it looks like a kind of wriggly worm :))

The next roll I employ is in bar 14 where the same "G" chord is played. The difference is that my thumb and fingers are sounded on the strings slightly one after another.

It takes a bit of skill and practice to make achieve a consistent "roll' like this but it is a skill certainly worth the effort.

Here is a video of the complete piece...

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Free Guitar Lesson # 6 - Waltz By Carcassi In A Major

2009-04-07T16:55:00.005-07:00

Waltz By Carcassi In A Major

Classical Guitar Study Notes

This waltz by Carcassi is typical of him when writing excellent beginning works for classical guitar. As I’ve said on another page...

"When Carcassi was born in 1792, Carulli was already making a name for himself as a 22 year old, Sor was a rapidly improving 14 year old at the Monserrat monastery and Giuliani was receiving tuition on the violin, flute and guitar as an 11 year old.

Who was to know that in time that he would join these luminaries as one of the most famous names in classical guitar history?"
But back to the waltz at hand.

First of all you can see that it’s in 3/8 time. If you’re not sure about reading notation this just means that each bar of music must equal three eighth notes duration.

Or, with variations as you can see lower in the music, you might have six sixteenth notes (played twice as fast). Although I can’t dedicate too much room here to understanding notation you might want to take a look at this page on music notation...

Another study point you’ll want to take notice of is the use of the "a" finger at various points in the piece. Remember that the right hand (if you’re a right handed guitarist) markings (Spanish) in classical guitar music are: P I M A. Which stand for – Pulgar which equals the thumb, Indice which equals the index finger, Medio which equals the middle finger and Annular which equals the ring finger. The first letter of each word is used to denote the particular finger in use.
A lot of beginners try to avoid the use of both the "a" finger of the right hand and the 4th or pinky finger of the left hand. I’ve purposely added both, and do so a lot in the music I arrange to counteract this very thinking. Don’t forget – what you don’t use...you lose!

So its good practice to make these fingers part of your skill via everyday playing.

Take a look at a video of the piece here before we discuss some further pertinent points. And look out for the back end of the video where I play each separate part slowly and in close-up to make it easier for you to work out how to play it...

In the past a lot of my students have also tried to avoid developing their right hand thumb movements. If you take the time to practice the use of your thumb it pays off handsomely in the end.

This Carcassi waltz is a perfect vehicle for practicing thumb movements, especially in bars 11- 17 where you’re playing 16th notes on arpeggio chords and the thumb has to strike a bass string sufficiently hard enough for it to last the whole bar.

Even though three eighth notes is not that long it makes a world of difference to your sound if you strike the string properly and don’t accidentally put your thumb back on the string.

To this day I have a slight problem with bending my thumb at the first joint when striking a bass string. This all stems from a faulty technique that was not picked up by my first teacher and thus it persists to this day.

If you’re an beginner and you have a problem with your thumb movements you should practice little exercises that isolate the use of the thumb to help develop a solid technical foundation.

Another thing to remember is this piece is in the key of A Major. That means that you’re playing sharp notes of F, C & G. Even though the piece is played at the lower end of the fretboard you still need to remember the C# on the 2nd string, 2nd fret, and the F# on the first string, second fret and the G# on the first string, 4th fret. Many times people forget and play a C, G or F natural instead of the sharp and it really sticks out.

Also, you’ll notice in the 16th note section how my left hand moves from chord to chord. It’s done using a guide finger and it’s good practice to use this technique as it makes your sound more "fluid" and legato (smooth and connected).

One more point for when you print out the sheet music of the Carcassi waltz below and that is the use of the Dal Segno sign. You’ll notice at the end of the music the marking... "D.S. al fine" and then you see a funny little squiggly sign.

That just means got to that sign at the beginning of the music and play to where it says "Fine", which is at bar 26. But remember, once you go back to that sign at the beginning of the piece you DO NOT play the repeats. Just go straight through to where it says "Fine".

This has been classical tradition for many hundreds of years now to do it that way and it's worked perfect up till now.

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Free Guitar Lesson # 5 - Kuffner Etude

2009-04-07T16:55:00.004-07:00

Kuffner Etude

Slur Practice for Classical Guitar

This Kuffner Etude is great for practicing slurs, a.k.a. hammer-ons and pull-offs. You also get to use the little finger of the left hand occasionally throughout the piece. A lot of students I've had in the past try to avoid using the little finger because it is obviously a "weaker" finger, but I maintain the more you use it the stronger it will become. Indeed, Joseph Kuffner wrote many of these little study pieces purposely to strengthen the fingers and secure guitar technique.

Also, this particular Kuffner etude is in A major so you have to be careful to place your fingers on the right notes because of the three sharps, namely: F, C & G. For instance, the very first note in the very first bar you play a C#, but with your first finger of the left hand. It means you are starting off in the "second position" on the guitar neck/frets and need to move your hand accordingly.

You also use a variety of right hand fingerings. I've taken some license with this arrangement to give you a mixture of right hand finger practice, especially with the two-note combinations. For example, in bar 4 you use a combination of "i & m, m, i & m, m" as opposed to bar 7 where the notes are the same but the right hand pattern is "i & m, a, i & m, a.

You can see what I mean when the camera changes to the right hand perspective in the repeat sections when you watch the video below...

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Free Guitar Lesson # 4 - Andantino

2009-04-07T16:55:00.003-07:00

This little piece by Felix Horetzky will help with practicing music in 6/8 time. That means there are six eighth note beats per bar (or the mathematical equivalent). The "accent" of the beats or pulse thus become: strong; weak; weak; medium; weak; weak.

Felix Horetzky was born in Poland in 1796 and died in 1870. He learnt guitar when young but it wasn’t until his mid-thirties that he went to Vienna to study guitar under Mauro Giuliani.

He had to play in public performances to make enough money to continue his studies. He also landed a plum job as guitar teacher to the Austrian archduchesses of the Imperial Family, no less, which helped enormously when paying the bills to say the least.

Horetzky went on to tour many countries and was particularly successful in the cities of Paris and London where his popularity reached a peak. He even went on to teach and live in Scotland for some years.

Horetzky wrote many pieces for the guitar. Indeed, it is estimated he wrote up to one hundred and fifty pieces for the guitar alone.
It is interesting to note that the andantino is supposed be the diminutive of the andante and thus should be played at a slower tempo. Over the years it came to be played at a faster speed between andante (walking pace) and the faster moderato.

Here is a short outline of tempo markings with their Italian names to help you see the basic tempos...

Grave - very slow

Largo - slow and broad

Larghetto - not quite as slow as largo Adagio - slow

Lento - slow

Andante - "walking pace" or medium slow tempo

Andantino – Faster than Andante but slower than Moderato

Moderato - moderate, or medium pace

Allegretto – Between moderato and allegro Allegro - fast

Vivace - lively and brisk

Presto - very fast

Prestissimo - very, very fast

I hope this page is helpful for you when playing the music.

Here is a video of the piece...

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Free Guitar Lesson # 3 - Country Dance By Carulli

2009-04-07T16:55:00.002-07:00

Country Dance

An Easy Classical Guitar Piece by Ferdinando Carulli

This easy piece by Ferdinando Carulli is an excellent way to practice simplified arpeggios and alternating i.m. fingers with the thumb (providing bass).

It is also a piece that highlights the classical era technique of using a major key, then the related minor key in the middle section and returning to the major key again in the last section.

This technique was used extensively in the classical era to provide "balance and a pleasing logic" to the music. One only has to think of Mozart, whom Carulli was a contemporary of, to see this technique and idea in its purest form.

Carulli was very skilled at writing these types of pieces for guitar. Indeed, Carulli was a very prolific composer writing over four hundred works throughout his life. Most of these works were for solo guitar or involved the guitar in some capacity.

By the time he went to Paris aged 38, he was a fine, cultured and highly educated musician. His music was full of charm and grace though not highly difficult like that of his contemporaries, namely Sor and Guiliani.

But even though his music was often less complex than others, it did not mean less harmonic and melodic appeal. Indeed, his real genius was writing for the amateur or dilettante. This is why the music publishers of the time loved him!

Most beginners are surprised by the simplicity of Country Dance and find they can manage it quite easily within a short period of time. It is in 2/4 time or "March" time. In the first two repeated sections (bars 1-16) you’ll find simplified arpeggios using i.m. fingers together followed by the thumb playing the bass note. This alternates rhythmically in 8th notes (quavers) throughout most of these bars in a similar fashion. The notes make up the basic chords of the G major scale of course.

From bars 17-29 the piece switches to the minor key, namely: E minor. The music of this minor section continues with arpeggios though in a slightly different form. Starting with a “forward rolling” arpeggio using fingers p.i.m.a. it then switches to again using i.m. fingers and thumb for bass though in a reversed fashion i.e. bass first then i.m. fingers. These bars allow the music to enter into a more "sombre" or serious mood before the music returns again to the "lighter" major key, if you will.

In fact, bars 31-47 are the same as at the beginning and bar 48 finishes on the home key chord of G major to produce a strong feeling of finality. You may either pluck or strum this chord. Although it wasn’t in the original edition, I put it in there myself to provide you with some practice to finish the Country Dance off with some aplomb and style.

Here is the Country Dance on youtube video...

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Free Guitar Lesson # 2 - Slur Study in C by Carulli

2009-04-07T16:55:00.001-07:00

Slur Study in C by Carulli

This work by Carulli is an excellent way to practice your left hand slur technique. Carulli was born in Italy in the same year as Beethoven (1770), he became one of the most popular and loved classical guitar composers and players of his time. Indeed, that love extends right up to the present day as new generations of guitarists "find" his music and make it their own.

Slurs, sometimes known as ligado, are played from note to note (up or down) with the second note being played by the left hand finger only.

This piece, being in C Major, means you don’t have to worry about sharps or flats and can just focus on the task at hand – playing slurs. You’ll need to focus your attention anyway because there are actually 37 slurs in this slur study.

The slurs consist of both hammer- on’s & pull-offs. You’ll notice in this little video below that the actual technique for hammer-on’s is to give yourself some distance (about ½ - 1 inch) to make the slur effective.

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Free Guitar Lesson # 1 - Kuffner, Tyrolean Dance

2009-04-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Study Notes

Learn To Play Double Notes Correctly

Although this free guitar lesson by Josef Kuffner is deemed to be very easy, there are many small yet important lessons that can be learned by analyzing it properly. When playing double notes is vitally important to aim to play them legato.

Whether using a combination of thumb and finger or two fingers, you must strive to achieve a "togetherness" of the notes (unless otherwise called for).

To do this with the "i", "m" or "a" fingers you must be quite relaxed. so much so that the fingers quite literally "rest" against one another and move as if they are one finger.

Other technical aspects in this free guitar lesson you should be mindful of are:

* Maintaining a flexible and relaxed right hand wrist - Too much tension can spoil your sound so that it seems somewhat suppressed;

* Control of sound quality and volume - You should use the practice exercise above by changing the dynamics from soft to loud and vice-versa;

* Evenness in finger articulation - As I said above, your two fingers (i & M) should act in conjunction with each other so that it seems as though they are one finger. This will lead to evenness, continuity and purity of your sound;

* Stability of position - You must learn to play your music in a secure and stable fashion. That is what technique is really all about. A controlled and highly disciplined technique paradoxically is what "sets you free" on guitar so that you may enjoy the fruits of the more difficult and beautiful classical guitar repertoire;

* Development of shifting technique - It is easy to mess up the sound of the thirds in bars 2 & 6. You must learn how to shift from, in this case, the 3rd position (fret) to the 1st position in a legato (Smooth & connected) fashion to really achieve the quality of sound that is called for in this piece. The correct movement or shift can be achieved when your body is relaxed and free from tension and when you master the release of pressure between the left hand fingers and the left hand thumb on the back of the neck. You still stay in touch with the neck but you gently release the pressure and use the thumb to guide you down or up the neck length;

* Proper finger placement - The proper finger placement of both hands is vitally important to achieve the desired quality of sound that you want to achieve. The Tyrolean dance is the perfect vehicle to practice this without undue strain. Just make sure that you use the tips of the fingers of your left hand and co-ordinate the movement of the "i" & "m" fingers on the right as mentioned above.

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #9 - Minuet in G Minor

2009-04-07T16:42:00.003-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #9 - Minuet in G Minor

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Beginner Guitar Lesson Duet #2 - Allegretto by Aguado

2009-04-07T16:42:00.002-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson Duet #2 - Allegretto by Aguado

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Beginner Guitar Lesson Duet #1 - Scarborough Fair

2009-04-07T16:42:00.001-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson Duet #1 - Scarborough Fair

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #10 - Menuet in G Minor by Bach

2009-04-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #10 - Menuet in G Minor by Bach

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #8 - The Ash Grove

2009-04-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #8 - The Ash Grove

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #7 - When the Saints Go Marching In

2009-04-07T16:36:00.004-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #7 - When the Saints Go Marching In

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #6 - What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?

2009-04-07T16:36:00.003-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #6 - What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #5 - The Surprise Theme by Joseph Haydn

2009-04-07T16:36:00.001-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #5 - The Surprise Theme by Joseph Haydn

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #4 - Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

2009-04-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #4 - Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #3 - Yankee Doodle

2009-04-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #3 - Yankee Doodle

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #2 - Ode to Joy

2009-04-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #2 - Ode to Joy

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Beginner Guitar Lesson #1 - Hush Little Baby

2009-04-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

Beginner Guitar Lesson #1 - Hush Little Baby

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Classical Guitar Left-Hand Tips

2009-04-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Left-hand technique is very important if you want to produce a clear and "warm" tone in your music making.

The thumb and fingers must work co-operatively in a fine-motor sense because any excess pressure, or indeed not enough pressure, can mean the sound produced from your notes are anything but good quality.

Firstly, the thumb of the left hand forms the basis of your balance in terms of guitar technique.

It should be placed behind the first or second finger and be positioned about one third of the way down from the top of the fret board.

Here is a photo I took of my left hand thumb from behind…

As you can see the correct technique is to keep the thumb straight (but not rigid). The thumb actually acts as a pivot so that you can keep your balance when your wrist bends and your fingers stretch to reach around for more difficult finger positions, or chords...
Secondly, if you're conscientious about your guitar technique, you should use the very tips of your fingers on the string as you push it down on the fret board.

If you use the "pads" of your fingers rather than the finger tips you run the risk of the note not being sounded correctly. Indeed, there is a very good chance the note will "buzz" or even be muted.

The muting is especially problematic for the strings under your finger i.e. the strings not being fingered but being slightly touched by the skin of your finger being used to play a note above.

As you look from above at your finger playing a note it should really look like this...

You can achieve this fingertip control by bending your knuckles at each joint as you attempt to play a note on the string.

If you looked side-on at the shape of your finger as it played a note it would look a little like the letter “C”, only a little more “square”.

Lastly, to achieve good left-hand guitar technique, you must finger the note on the fret board right next to the fret itself.

If you play too far away from the fret you will tend to get a really annoying buzzing sound as you play the note. If you play right on top of the fret you will tend to get a muting sound which is also not conducive to good music making.

Here is another photo that shows you how to place the tip of your fingers on the string with correct fret positioning…

Notice the spacing betwwen the finger joints. This gives the hand ideal balance and allows you to reach out for chord shapes and other individual notes with more ease.

I hope this mini-lesson on using the correct left-hand guitar technique has been of some use.

How To Hold A Guitar

2009-04-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

It Is All Important For Classical Guitar!

It is widely accepted that if you are going to play a guitar properly, then how to hold your instrument is of the utmost importance. I have numerous quality books on the subject and they ALL say virtually the same thing, with only slight modifications of opinion.

I always tell my students, when discussing how to hold a guitar to sit towards the front of the chair, though they must be comfortable. Using a footstool to raise their left leg allows the student a very good position to observe what their left hand is doing.

The guitar itself is rested on the left leg (assuming you’re playing right-handed) at its waist and the end of the guitar is held steady by your right leg. The end of the headstock should be at eye level and the guitar is slightly tilted back towards your chest.

If you then rest your right arm on the lower bout, in line with the bridge, you’re in a perfect position to play the strings with your right hand. Another important point to remember is to keep a slight arch in your right forearm so that you can depress the strings properly.

I’ve noticed that when students flatten out their forearm, they tend to pull the strings out to gain volume and in the process cause a horrible "thwacking" sound from their instrument.

The arch in the forearm tends to alleviate this problem although you don’t want to arch your forearm and wrist too much as it can cause problems later down the track with "carpal tunnel syndrome" and other awfully painful problems...

If you look at what David Braid has included in his book, Play Classical Guitar, and Anthony Glise says in his book, Classical Guitar Pedagogy, the import of the information is much the same.

Look at some of the photos contained in these articles about how to hold a guitar and you’ll see the similarity of opinion...

When the left hand is used to hold the neck as you’re playing notes, the guitar has five contact points with your body which helps to keep it very still and secure whilst playing. The left hand can easily and securely move around the fingerboard.

When thinking about how to hold a guitar remember to stay relaxed. This will allow your music to flow from the sound hole. You can always see a tense guitarist as their shoulders are always too high, which often means they play with a particularly noticeable "strangled" sound.

If you follow these points I’ve mentioned and look at the above photos, it should be easy to master how to hold a guitar.

How to Play Guitar for Newbies ( Part 2 )

2009-04-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Continue of Part 1

Lesson 7: Playing Songs

Now that we've learned how to play notes, chords, and scales, we are ready to move on to the most enjoyable and rewarding part of playing guitar: Playing Songs.

Now, everybody has their favorite songs, their favorite licks, their favorite bands, and their favorite pieces of music that they know by heart and would just love to be able to play. And this is fine, perfect even! But before you go off and try to learn Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or Mozart's 5th concerto, step back for a second and remember that even those musicians had to start somewhere. For this lesson we will focus on learning a few simple songs that you can play (using the chords we've learned so far) that will help give you a feel for song structures, timing, and give you your first chance to sing along with your guitar playing. Here are a few songs to get you started:

Leaving On A Jet Plane by John Denver
- Chord Chart w/Lyrics and MP3
- Intro: G C G C
- Verse: G C G C G C D D (Repeat Twice)
- Chorus: G C G C G C D D (Repeat Twice)

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
- Chord Chart w/ Lyrics and MP3
- Intro: G G
- Verse: G C D G G C G
- Chorus: C D G C C D G

For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield
- Chord Chart w/ Lyrics and MP3
- Intro: E A
- Verse: E A E A E A E A
- Chorus: E D A C

Practice Lessons

Start slowly by going back and practicing each of the chords that are used in each song.
Practice moving in between each of the chords.
Listen to the song a number of times (if you don't know it well already) so that you have a good idea of what the song should sound like.
Singing along will help give you a better idea for when to change chords.
Don't rush! Start slow and gradually work your way up to a faster speed.

Beginning Guitar Songs

GuitarNoise.com: Easy Songs for Beginners
Gitarrero-Beginner: Easy Guitar Song Collection
About.com: Easy Song Tabs

Lesson 8: Practicing

Now that you know the basic concepts of how to play guitar, your next step is to get better at each of them. The only way to do this is by practicing consistently and often. While at first this may be a tiresome and sometimes aggravating process, the better you get at playing the guitar, the more fun you will have doing it — and the less like "practice" it will become. Here are a few tips for practicing:

Set out a few minutes each day (15 - 20 minutes) to practice in an environment that allows you to fully concentrate on the guitar.
Stretch out your fingers, hands and arms before playing.
If you're using an electric guitar, turn off the distortion. This will allow you to hear your mistakes more clearly.
Know specifically what you are going to practice before you begin. This will make your practice sessions more efficient.
Go over things you've practiced in your last session before moving on to new things.

How to Play Guitar for Newbies ( Part 1 )

2009-04-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Due to its versatility, portability, and the fact that it can be used to play almost any type of music, the guitar is one of the most popular instruments to learn how to play. Whether you're interested in folk, country, rock, jazz, or any number of other musical styles, learning how to play the guitar can give you the ability to play and perform your favorite songs, or even write some of your own. But just like any instrument (or anything worth learning for that matter), learning to play the guitar can take a good deal of patience, perseverance, and good old-fashioned practice. For those who stick with it, though, learning how to play the guitar can be an extremely rewarding experience and can provide endless hours of personal enjoyment.

What You'll Need

Photo by Jason Nelson

A six-string Guitar: See Mahalo's Guide to How to Buy a Guitar in order to choose the right one
A Guitar pick: Light gauge (thinner) picks are preferable for beginners
Patience: Definitely a virtue for learning how to play guitar
A love of music and a desire to learn

Things to Remember

Keep your fingernails short by trimming them regularly. This will allow your fingers to hold down the notes easier and produce a better sound.
Your fingers will start to hurt as you begin to play. This is normal. Eventually, with time and practice, your fingertips will develop calluses and the pain will go away.
Take some time in between lessons to make sure that you've mastered each part. Practice each lesson for a few minutes before moving on to the next.

Lesson 1: The Basics

Photo by Mahalo

Before we start playing, let's first go over a few of the basic terms and parts of the guitar that you will need to know in order to proceed:

Strings

A normal guitar has six strings, each of which has a different size and note value. In standard tuning, the bottom string (also the skinniest and highest sounding) is an E note. This is also known as the 1st string. The 2nd string up (a little bit thicker and lower sounding) is a B note. The 3rd string up is a G note, 4th is a D, 5th is an A, and the 6th string (thickest, lowest sounding, and closest to your body) is also an E note. When in tune, playing the 1st and the 6th strings open should produce the same note, albeit at different pitches. Mnemonic devices can help you remember the order of the strings: For example, from top to bottom: Eat All Day Get Big Easy. Or come up with your own.

Frets

While the strings divide the guitar from left to right (as in the diagram), frets are small metal strips that divide the guitar into sections from top to bottom. If you look at your guitar from above, you can begin to see that the strings and frets together form a kind of grid that covers the entire neck of the guitar. Placing your finger on a string in between two of the frets is what enables you to play a note. The higher up you get on the frets, the higher the notes sound. In general, each fret is a half-step higher than the previous fret.

TIP: Since you don't actually put your finger directly on each fret, guitarists usually describe frets as the space on the neck between each metal strip. So, the 2nd fret would refer to the second gap between frets that is found on the neck, rather than the second actual metal piece.

Other Important Guitar Terms

Guitar Anatomy

Headstock: The top-most part of the guitar on which the tuning pegs are located.
Nut: The small piece of material that is found where the headstock meets the neck. There are usually small grooves carved out in order to guide the guitar strings up to the tuning pegs.
Tuning Pegs (Keys): Hold the strings in place and allow the user to adjust the pitch of the string by turning the peg.
Neck: The long, skinny part of the guitar that holds the frets and strings and where the fingers are placed in order to play individual notes or to create chords.
Body: The large base of the guitar (usually the most bulky part) that is attached to the neck. Acoustic guitars will usually have hollowed out bodies, with the circular "sound hole" in the middle used to project the sound of the instrument. Electric guitars use "Pick-ups" instead of sound holes in order to capture and project the sound of the strings being played.
Bridge: Small piece of hardware used to anchor the strings at the base of the body.

Lesson 2: Positioning

How to Hold Your Guitar

Now that we know a little bit about the different parts of the guitar, lets start by going over how to position yourself best for playing.

Start by finding an armless chair to sit in. Make sure that you're sitting comfortably and that your back is well supported. Also make sure that you have plenty of room on either side in which to move your arms and hold your guitar.
Place the guitar in your lap with the back of the instrument facing (or even touching) your chest. Let the body of the guitar rest on the leg farthest away from the headstock. If you are right-handed, the headstock should be to your left, which means that you will rest the guitar on your right leg. Most acoustic guitar bodies will have curved indentions on either side that are perfect for resting the guitar on your leg.
Take a look at the strings on the guitar. If you are holding it correctly, the thickest string (or 6th) should be closest to your chest, while the thinnest (or 1st) string should be closest to your feet.
Take your fretting hand (left for right-handers and right for left-handers) and grip the neck of your guitar gently. Your thumb should be resting behind the neck of the guitar, supporting your hand while your other fingers float above the strings, ready for action.
Take your picking hand (the one closest to the bridge of the guitar) and grab yourself a pick. Place it between your thumb and index fingers and hold it so that it is secure.
In order to get the feel for what playing guitar is going to be like, start by practicing holding down various notes with the fingers on your fretting hand, and also by strumming or playing individual strings with your picking hand. (Note: This will invariably sound bad and not at all like real guitar playing, but don't worry, that's not the point right now.)

Lesson 3: Tuning Your Guitar

Tuning Your Guitar

One of the most important things you will need to do in order to keep your guitar sounding good (and make practicing worthwhile) is to tune it on a regular basis. The process of tuning your guitar involves adjusting the pitch of each of your strings so that they play the correct note. This is done by tightening or loosening each of the tuning pegs (on the headstock). In general, tightening the tuning peg raises the pitch of a string, while loosening the peg lowers the pitch. There are a few different methods that guitar players use in order to tune their guitars:

For beginning guitar players, it is often a good idea to purchase an electronic tuner. Electronic tuners are small devices that are able to pick up the sound of a string and let you know (usually through some sort of L.E.D. display) whether the note you are playing is sharp (too high) or flat (too low). Since beginners usually have a hard time telling whether or not a string is in tune just by ear, having an electronic tuner can help make tuning much quicker and more accurate. For more information, see Mahalo's guide to Guitar Tuners.

For those that don't want (or can't afford) to purchase an electronic tuner, there are other ways to tune your guitar manually and without the aid of an electronic device. The simplest way is to use a method called Relative Tuning:

Relative Tuning

Place a finger on the 5th fret of the 6th string and play the note.
Play the 5th string "Open." When in tune, these two notes should sound exactly the same.
Adjust the tuning peg for the 5th string so that, when played open, it makes the same sound as the 5th fretted 6th string.
Place your finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string and repeat this process with the 4th string "Open."
Repeat this process for the 4th and 3rd strings.
When you reach the 2nd string, things change slightly. Instead of placing your finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string when adjusting the 2nd string, place it on the 4th fret.
To tune the 1st and final string, go back to the previous method by playing the 5th fret of the 2nd string.

If you happen to have a piano handy, and know which notes are which, you can also tune your guitar by matching each of the strings to the corresponding note on the piano.

Tuning with a Piano

Start by finding and playing an E note on the piano.
Play the 6th string (also an E) on your guitar and adjust the tuning peg so that the E on your guitar sounds like the E on the piano.
Repeat this process for each of the following strings: A (5), D (4), G (3), B (2) and the high E (1).

If you don't have a piano handy, try using this Site, which allows you to play and listen to each of the guitar notes virtually.

TIP: Whichever way you decide, make sure that you tune your guitar regularly and frequently. Since strings can go out of tune at any time (often more so when playing a lot) you may even need to re-tune your guitar in the middle of practicing.

Lesson 4: Playing Notes

Now that you've got your guitar in place and your pick in hand, you are ready to start playing notes. As you've probably noticed by now, making noises come out of the guitar is relatively easy. Making noises that actually sound good is another story.

Start by plucking the 6th string (the one closest to your chest) without using your fretting hand at all. This will produce an E note. Playing a string without fretting any of the notes is called playing it "Open."
Next, move down the strings and play each individual one "Open." This will produce the notes A, D, G, B and E respectively. Notice how each one sounds a little bit higher than the one before.
Now, go back to the 6th string and place the index finger of your fretting hand on the first fret (the initial space between the nut and the first fret). Hold down the note with the tip of your finger, rather than the whole first joint. While holding your index finger down firmly on the first fret, use your picking hand to pluck the 6th string. If done correctly, the sound produced should be slightly higher (by a half-step) than plucking the 6th string alone.
Next, move your finger up another half-step to the second fret (the space between the first and second frets) and pluck the 6th string again. This should produce a slightly higher pitched sound than the one before.
Repeat this exercise with each of the strings. Start by playing the string open, then with your finger on the first fret, and then again with your finger on the second fret. If the notes start to sound muffled, off-key, or just plain bad, take a look at your fretting finger to make sure that you are holding down the note firmly and your finger is placed directly in the center of the fret. Do this until you are comfortable making individual notes.

TIP: It is important to keep your finger directly in between the frets, as this will produce a "truer" sound. Try not the let your finger slide too close to either fret.

Practice Lesson

Practice playing individual notes for at least 10 minutes each time you play. Focus on holding them down correctly and moving confidently between the strings.

Lesson 5: Playing Chords

Now that you are familiar with how to play individual notes, you are ready to learn how to play chords. A Chord is a combination of at least two notes that are played simultaneously, creating a fuller, richer sound than can be achieved by playing each note individually. Most chords involve at least three notes played together, while some may use even more. Also, chords usually involve playing multiple strings at the same time, which is called strumming.

The most common chords found in Western music are the "Major" chords. These are the ones that beginning guitar players usually learn first. The most common "Major" chords are:

Each of these chords is made up of a different set of notes that, when played together, create a unique sound. Most of your favorite songs can be played using a combination of three or more of these chords. We will now go over the specific notes, fingering positions and strumming patterns that are used to create each of these unique "Major" chords:

C Major

How to Play a C Chord

Place your ring finger on the 5th string, 3rd fret
Place your middle finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret
Place your index finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret
Start from the 5th string and strum each of the strings below it in quick succession. Do not play the 6th string.

C Major chord
The C Major chord that you have just made should look a little bit like a staircase, with your index finger forming the lowest step. It may seem awkward at first to keep your fingers in that position, but don't worry. The more you practice each chord, and the stronger your fingers become, the easier it will be for your hand to form the chord structures. It's alright if it didn't sound perfect or if some of the notes didn't ring true. That will come with practice. Just sit back and enjoy the fact that you've played your first chord.

A Major

How to Play an A Chord

Place your index finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret
Place your middle finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret
Place your ring finger on the 2nd string, 2nd fret
Start from the 5th string and strum each of the strings below in quick succession. Do not play the 6th string.

A Major chord
The A Major chord is a little bit more difficult than the C Major, due to the fact that all three of your fingers are scrunched together closely on the 2nd fret. Try playing this chord a few times to see how it feels and sounds. If you are still having problems, or your fingers are so big that they just don't all fit on the 2nd fret at the same time, you may want to experiment with other fingerings. One way to remove the need for the ring finger is to use your middle finger to hold down both the 3rd and 2nd strings at the same time.

G Major

How to Play a G Chord

Place your middle finger on the 6th string, 3rd fret
Place your index finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret
Place your ring finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret
Strum all of the strings in quick succession

G Major chord

The G Major chord can be played with a few different fingerings, although the one described above is the easiest for beginning players. An alternate fingering would be to use your ring finger to play the first note, your middle finger to play the second, and your pinkie to play the final note.

E Major

How to Play an E Chord

Place your middle finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret
Place your ring finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret
Place your index finger on the 3rd string, 1st fret
Strum all of the strings in quick succession

E Major chord

The E Major chord is one of the most recognizable of the "Major" chords, as it can be found in many of the most popular blues and rock songs. Again, don't worry if some of the notes don't ring true, or if it sounds at all muffled. With enough practice, your fingers will be able to hold down only the necessary notes on the right strings, while allowing the others to be played "Open."

D Major

How to Play a D Chord

Place your index finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret
Place your ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret
Place your middle finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret
Start from the 4th string and play each of the strings below in quick succession. Do not play either the 5th or 6th strings.

D Major chord
Of all of the major chords, the D Major chord is often the most difficult for beginners and the toughest to make each of the notes ring true. But have no fear. As with all of the lessons you will learn on the guitar, the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the better it sounds!

OTHER CHORDS: Although these are the most common major chords on the guitar, they are but a drop in the bucket of all the possible chords that can be made using the guitar. If you run into a chord that you don't know, use this handy Chord Finder in order to find out the correct fingering for the chord you want to play.

Practice Lessons

Spend at least 15 minutes practicing each chord until you move on to the next one. Make sure that you can play each one cleanly and without looking at the chord diagram, as this will make it much easier when you begin to learn songs.
While playing each chord, start by strumming slowly at first (one string at a time), as this will allow you to see if all of the notes are being played clearly.
Once you are comfortable making each of the Major chord shapes, start trying to move your fingers from one chord to another as quickly and accurately as possible. This may seem hard, and will probably necessitate long pauses in between each switch at first. But the more you do this, the less time it will take you to change chord shapes and the easier it will be when we eventually start to play actual songs.

Lesson 6: Playing Scales

If you are at all familiar with playing the piano, you will know that a "Scale" is a group of musical notes that are played one after the other in either an ascending or descending order. There are many different types of scales, each with their own unique characteristics, note patterns and musical qualities. Here we will learn about a few of the most common scales (in Western Music) and how to use them to improve your guitar playing. Although playing and practicing scales can often be a tiresome and relatively unexciting process, don't be afraid! They will help strengthen your fingers, improve your hand-eye coordination, and greatly improve your ability to learn more advanced guitar techniques, such as soloing!

NOTE: The diagrams that are used in this lesson show which notes should be played in each scale and which fingers should be used to play each note. Notes with a 1 should be played with the index finger, a 2 with the middle finger, a 3 with your ring finger, and a 4 with your pinkie. An O means that the string should be played "Open."

We will start with the most basic scale in music:

The Chromatic Scale

The E Chromatic Scale

Start, as we did in the lesson on playing notes, by playing the 6th string "Open."
Next, take the index finger on your fretting hand and hold down the first fret on the 6th string. Pluck the 6th string again.
Using your middle finger, hold down the second fret of the 6th string and play it again.
Use your ring finger to hold down the third fret and play the string again.
Use your pinkie finger to hold down the fourth fret and play it once more.
Repeat these steps for each of the subsequent strings (except the 3rd string — only play the first three frets on that one).

Voila! You've just played your first scale. Not the most awe-inspiring experience of your life, I'm sure. But truly a monumental first step in your transition from ordinary citizen to Guitar God (or Goddess).

The Major Scale

E Major Scale

E Major Scale Chart

Play the 6th string "Open"
Play the 6th string, 2nd fret
Play the 6th string, 4th fret
Play the 5th string "Open"
Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
Play the 5th string, 4th fret
Play the 4th string, 1st fret
To finish the scale, continue playing the rest of the notes in the diagram.

The Major Scale is one of the most important and useful scales to know when playing guitar. Try playing the Major Scale using different root notes.

The Minor Pentatonic Scale

E Minor Pentatonic Scale

E Pentatonic Minor Scale Chart

Play the 6th string, 3rd fret
Play the 5th string "Open"
Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
Play the 4th string "Open"
Play the 4th string, 2nd fret
Play the 3rd string "Open"
To finish the scale, continue playing the rest of the notes in the diagram.

Often known as the "Blues" scale, the minor pentatonic is a popular scale for soloing in the Blues and Rock genres. Try playing the minor pentatonic from different root notes.

NOTE: All of the scale examples above use E as the root note. All of these scales can be played using any note as the root. Use this Scale Finder to find scale charts for different root notes.

Practice Lessons

Practice each of these scales for at least 15 minutes or until you are confident enough to move on to the next one.
Once you have mastered playing each scale from top to bottom, try playing it backwards by starting on the last note of the scale and playing in reverse order back to the first note.

Continued on How to Play Guitar for Newbies Part 2

How to Buy a Guitar

2009-04-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Introduction: How to Buy a Guitar

Whether you're buying your very first guitar or looking to add a new one to your collection, a lot should be taken into consideration when purchasing an instrument. Because it can be a considerable investment that can end up as a rewarding hobby or even an eventual career, it's good to be sure you are buying the perfect guitar for you. This article will walk you through the steps you should take when you've decided to buy a guitar.

Step 1: How to Speak Guitar

Guitar playing is a popular hobby (Creative Commons photo by Mahalie)

If you are new to the world of guitar, there are a lot of terms that you may be unfamiliar with. For those who have some experience with "guitar talk," you can skip to Step 2. For the rest of you, here are some things that you may hear in this article and during the process of buying:

Amp/Amplifier - A separate electronic device used with electric guitars and acoustic/electric guitars to amplify the sound
Axe - Slang term for a guitar
Back - Describes the wood piece in the back of an acoustic guitar body, closest to your body while playing
Binding - A plastic strip that outlines the guitar body, purely for aesthetics
Body - The large part of the guitar in which most of the resonance is made
Bridge - Where the strings are anchored to the body of the guitar
Electronics - The wires and electrical components inside electrics and acoustic/electrics
Fretboard - the front surface of the neck which you place your fingers on when playing
Frets - The metal strips that go across the fretboard
Head/Headstock - The part of the guitar at the end of the neck containing the tuning pegs
Inlay - The shapes or designs carved into the fretboard, often made of abalone and in the shape of dots or rectangles
Machine Heads - Same as "Tuning Pegs"
Neck - The long, thin part of the guitar
Nut - The plastic or graphite strip between the head and the neck with grooves in which the strings lie
Pickguard - The plastic plate often found on guitar bodies to protect the finish from scratches made by the guitar pick
Pickup - The part of the guitar that "picks up" the vibration of the string and transforms it into an electric signal to send to an amplifier (some acoustics have pickups, too)
Pickup Selector - The switch that allows the player to choose which pickups to use while playing
Sides - Describes the curved and contoured wood piece of an acoustic guitar body which connects the top and back
Sound Hole - The hole in the top of hollow guitar bodies
Strap Button - The small protrusions from the body on which a guitar strap is attached
Top - Describes the top wood piece of an acoustic guitar body containing the bridge and soundhole
Tuner - An electronic device used to aid in the process of tuning the guitar
Tuning Pegs - The knobs on the head of the guitar used to tune the strings
Whammy Bar - A metal bar attached to the bridge which manipulates the pitch of the string when pushed or pulled

Step 2: Choose a Guitar Type

Before you start looking for a guitar, you first need to decide what type of guitar you want. Musical styles, budget, and convenience can all factor into this decision.

Electric

(Creative Commons photo by Fictures)Electric guitars are used for just about every style of music, including rock, punk, pop, blues, alternative, country, R&B, jazz, etc. They use steel strings like acoustic guitars, but usually of a much lighter gauge (thickness) so they are generally easier on your fingers. Electrics tend to have more options for those on a tight budget. However, keep in mind that if you buy an electric you will also have to buy an amplifier which can add to the cost considerably. High-end amplifiers can cost thousands of dollars, but a small beginner's amp can usually be found for around $150-250.

Electric guitars are extremely versatile and can easily fulfill your need to crank the volume to 11 and act like a rock star! They also come in many different shapes, styles and looks to fit any personality.

PROS

Usually easier to play
Extremely versatile, used for any style
Many budget options
Easy to maintain
Countless different looks
Play with a pick or fingerstyle

CONS

Requires amplification
Amps add to cost
This also makes them less portable

POPULAR ELECTRIC GUITARS

FAMOUS ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYERS

Acoustic

(Creative Commons photo by D.B. Blas)
Acoustic steel-string guitars are also a very popular choice for beginners and seasoned vets alike. Although you don't need to buy an amp if you get an acoustic, they generally run higher in price because of the craftsmanship that goes into building one. Many high-end acoustics sell for $1,000 - $5,000, but there are some much cheaper options around the $200-300 range as well. Acoustic guitars are usually a bit tougher on your fingers because of the heavier strings, but if you get used to them the transition to electric will be smooth and easy should you choose to switch. They are optimal for both finger-style play and strumming with a pick, plus many have the option of plugging in to an amp if you're looking for a bit more power (these are called "acoustic/electrics").

Acoustics are great for singer-songwriters and people who like to start up party sing-alongs. They are very commonly used in rock, pop, country, and folk music. They tend to be more delicate than electrics and require more care and maintenence.

PROS

Play anywhere
No amplification required
Great for social gatherings
Good for many styles of music

CONS

Requires more care and maintenance than electrics
Higher end models are expensive
Harder on fingers than electric

POPULAR ACOUSTIC GUITARS

FAMOUS ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYERS

Classical

(Creative Commons photo by Stromo)
Classical guitars are similar to the acoustics we already discussed, only they are equipped with nylon strings instead of steel. Nylon strings are thicker, rounder, and softer on the fingers. Classical guitar fretboards are wide and flat and they are used almost exclusively for classical and flamenco guitar styles. They are made for finger style play as opposed to using a pick, and their price range falls in roughly the same area as their steel-string counterparts. Classical guitars have a full and beautiful sound, but because of their limited stylistic range, most people tend to start out with a traditional steel-string acoustic or an electric guitar unless they are specifically interested in classical or flamenco music.

NOTE: Because classical guitars share many characteristics with steel-string acoustics, most things in this article referring to acoustic guitars will also apply to classical.

PROS

Nylon strings are easiest on fingers
Beautiful and unique tone
Excellent for classical or flamenco styles

CONS

Limited stylistic range
Wide fretboard can be tough on smaller hands
Requires more care and maintenance than electrics

POPULAR CLASSICAL GUITARS

FAMOUS CLASSICAL GUITAR PLAYERS

Step 3: Choosing Your Price Range

There are guitars available for all different kinds of budgets. Guitar prices can range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Although many things can factor into the price of a guitar, it is mainly affected by the quality of wood and parts it is made out of, as well as the level of craftsmanship that went into building it.

How much you can expect to pay

Affordable Guitars: On the budget end of the spectrum, you should expect to pay around $150-$500. There are plenty of great beginner guitars to choose from in this price range, such as the Fender Standard Stratocaster. You may find some guitars for under $150, but if you can afford it, a few extra dollars can go a long way to ensure the level of quality of your instrument.
- Examples: Fender Standard Stratocaster, Ibanez RG-120, Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Seagull S6
Mid-Level Guitars: This price range for guitars is usually in the ballpark of $500-$1000. You can get some very nice instruments in this price range that will reward you with years of quality. The Fender American Stratocaster (a higher-quality version of the Mexican-made "Standard Strat") is an excellent mid-priced guitar. Mid-level acoustics, such as the Martin D-15, often run up to about $1,200.
- Examples: Fender American Stratocaster, Martin D-15, Gibson SG Standard
High-end Guitars: There are also many higher-end guitars for over $1,000. Gibson Les Pauls usually run around $1,000 - $2,000. Paul Reed Smith guitars are expertly crafted and usually fall into the $1,500 - $2,000 range. High-end acoustic guitars are commonly over $2,000.
- Examples: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22, Gibson Les Paul, Taylor 714

NOTE: Buying used instruments can knock a couple hundred dollars off your purchase, but there's often no warranty or guarantee of the guitar's quality or longevity.

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship involves the care and effort put into the construction of a guitar. The more attention that is paid to this process, the longer the guitar will last and the better it will sound. Here are a few things to know about how it will affect the price.

A guitar that has been mostly or entirely hand-crafted will always be more expensive than one that has been made exclusively with factory machines. You're paying extra for the time and labor that goes into ensuring the highest quality instrument possible. All kinds of instruments can benefit from a human touch, although there are many quality machine-made guitars as well.
An easy way to check the quality of craftsmanship in a guitar is to take a close look at its construction yourself - gaps in the wood, visible glue, sloppy finishes and generally "cheap" looking components can be easy to spot.
The sound of a guitar has everything to do with its construction. A well-made instrument will just sound better.
American and Japanese made guitars generally tend to have higher quality craftsmanship than those made in places like Mexico and Korea, although there are always exceptions so use your best judgement.
A well-made guitar will last longer and feel better to play. Poor craftsmanship can lead to problems in the long term, particularly with wood warping or shoddy electronics and hardware.
Electric guitars have variations on how the neck is attached to the body.
There are many shapes, sizes, and styles of guitar bodies.

Wood and Finish

Guitars are made from many different kinds of wood that each have their own tonal characteristics. Some common types include:

Alder: The most commonly used wood.
Ash: Has a bright tone and attractive grain patterns.
Basswood: One of the lightest woods guitars are made from.
Ebony: Dark wood typically used for fretboards, not nearly as common as rosewood.
Mahogany: A dense and heavy wood with rich, deep tones. Very often used for acoustic guitars.
Maple: Often used for necks and decorative tops because of its attractive wood grain.
Rosewood: The most common fretboard wood.
Spruce: Often used for the tops of acoustic guitars.

The finish of the wood can also contribute to the price. Commonly, more affordable guitars have simple solid one-color paint jobs, but you can get much more fancy with your options.

Three-color sunburst can add to the aesthetics of your guitar as well as the price. This finish is dark or black on the outer edge of the body and fades into a natural wood color through a reddish-brown blend.
Translucent finishes highlight the grain of the wood. These finishes are usually used on maple when the grain forms a "bird's eye" or "flamed" pattern. Although more expensive, translucent finishes are extremely attractive.
Sparkles and racing stripes are examples of less common finish options that can make your guitar look more unique.

Some possible guitar finishes include sunburst (left) and translucent over flamed maple (right) (Creative Commons photo by MrBill (left) and CC photo by Wetwebwork)

Electronics, Hardware and Extra Features

The electronics of a guitar include all the wiring inside that is used for the output jack, volume and tone knobs, and pickups.

Pickups are what literally "pick up" the sound of the vibrating string, and their sound and tonal ranges can vary greatly. Some common pickup manufacturers include Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, and EMG.
There are two basic kinds of pickups: Single coil and humbucking. The main difference is that humbuckers tend to be higher output (louder) and cancel out hum and noise that can sometimes be produced by single coils. They often look like two pickups in one.
Acoustic guitar pickups are usually built into the bridge of the guitar. Not all acoustics include them, and you can expect to pay an extra $100 or so for this feature.

NOTE: Acoustic/electrics are useful if you are planning on performing live often, as they eliminate the need to mic your guitar on stage which anchors you to one spot and can cause feedback. If your acoustic does not have a pickup system built in, you can buy acoustic pickups that range between $50-300.

Hardware includes tuning knobs (or "machine heads"), bridges, and strap buttons. Typical hardware colors include chrome, gold, and black. It usually does not contribute greatly to price differences in guitars.
Binding is one of many possible extra features. It is a plastic piece that goes around the edge of your guitar body and/or neck. This will add to the price of the guitar. Since there is no functionality to binding other than pure aesthetics, you'll want to avoid it if you're on a tight budget.
Fretboard inlays traditionally are in the plain shape of a dot, but also appear as rectangles, trapezoids, and countless other shapes. The only time inlays significantly add to the cost of a guitar is when they are particularly ornate or fancy, as Paul Reed Smith guitars often have.

Inlays are often in shapes such as dots and parallelograms, but can be fancier, too (Creative Commons photo by Matt McGee (left), CC photo by K. Gibson (center), and CC photo by Fred Jala)

Don't get overwhelmed

When it comes to any musical equipment, a good rule of thumb is "what you see is what you get." Some things to remember:

Usually the more expensive an instrument is, the better made it is and the better it will sound and feel.
If you are a beginner, your ear may not yet be developed enough to distinguish between the tone of a cheap guitar and an expensive guitar, so it often makes sense to start with a more affordable model and upgrade as you improve as a player.
Determine your level of commitment. If you're experimenting with a new hobby and unsure of whether or not you will stick with it, play it safe and stick to a less-expensive purchase. If you're fairly certain you are serious about playing music, it may be worth your while to invest a little more in your instrument.

Add-Ons and Accessories

Don't forget that the instrument itself won't be the only thing you'll need to buy. Most guitars won't come with things like picks, straps, tuners, or guitar cases included. Here are some extras that you may need and how much you can expect to spend.

Picks ($2-4, pack of 12): If you plan on playing with a pick (most guitarists do), you'll want to stock up beforehand. They are easy to lose!
Guitar Strap ($10-30): When playing standing up, you'll need a strap to hang your guitar on your shoulder.
Tuner ($15-100): Staying in tune is essential. A tuner helps you tune up any time, anywhere.
Cables ($10-80): If you're going to plug into an amp (or a tuner for that matter), a cable is essential. Price will vary with different lengths.
Guitar Case (Soft) ($20-80): To protect your guitar while it's not in use or in transport, a soft case, or "gig bag," is the lower-priced and more portable option.
Guitar Case (Hardshell) ($80-200): Although they are heavier and more expensive, hard cases offer the best protection for your intstrument.

Step 4: Choosing the Guitar for You

Guitar Center has many locations and a large selection and may be a good choice for when you want to test a guitar out (Creative Commons photo by Kevin)
Once you've determined the price range you're comfortable with, it's time to find the guitar that's right for you. The best way to decide if you like a guitar is to actually sit down and play it, so visiting area music stores is usually a good start. If one of your friends has a guitar, asking them to let you play it can be a great way to try out a guitar in an environment more relaxed than a music store.

When you decide to go to a store, try doing some research on manufacturers' websites or online stores like Musician's Friend to narrow down your choices ahead of time if you know something about what you're looking for - price range, guitar style, options and features, etc. Don't forget to call the store to see what models they have in stock that you can try out.

Popular Guitar Brands and Websites

Alvarez - Acoustic guitar manufacturer
BC Rich - Electric guitars, popular among hard rock and metal players
Brian Moore Guitars - Custom and progressive electrics
Carvin - Direct-to-customer electric and acoustic guitar sales
Cordoba - Classical guitars
Danelectro - A retro electric guitar manufacturer
Epiphone - Gibson's budget line
ESP - Electric guitars popular among metal players
Fender - One of the most famous brands with Stratocasters and Telecasters
G&L - Started by the founder of Fender
Gibson - Their Les Paul guitar is one of the most popular of all time
Godin - Quality Canadian guitar manufacturer
Gretsch - Best known for their hollow body electrics
Guild - USA-made electrics and acoustics
Hamer - Specializes in high-end electrics for pros
Ibanez - Probably the most popular Japanese brand for electrics and acoustics
Jackson - Best known for their Randy Rhoads model
MusicMan - A division of Ernie Ball Strings specializing in high-end electrics
Martin - Hand-crafted acoustics, one of the most popular brands
Ovation - Specializing in electric/acoustics
Parker - Unique and revolutionary electric guitar designs
Peavey - Known more for their amps, they make Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar
Paul Reed Smith - Expertly crafted high-end electrics
Rickenbacker - A classic company known for their 12-string model
Seagull - Godin's acoustic line
Squire - Fender's budget line
Takamine - Acoustic guitars in all price ranges
Taylor - A very popular acoustic guitar maker with many quality models
Washburn - Electrics and acoustics in all price ranges
Yamaha - A multi-faceted company, one of the world's largest instrument makers

Popular Online Stores

Popular Retail Chain Stores

Guitar Center (Sponsored)
Sam Ash

Testing the guitar out

Simply playing a guitar is the best way to see if you like it (Creative Commons photo by Brandon Perkins)
Have a store employee tune it for you and explain all of the features of the instrument.
Ask them questions to determine why this guitar would be a good fit for you such as:
Make sure it feels comfortable to you. There are many body styles and sizes for guitars, and an uncomfortable instrument is an easy way to guarantee that you won't play it much.
Play chords and scales in all areas of the neck. Because certain things can indicate an instrument is poorly made or in need of immediate adjustments, pay attention to some key questions:
Take a close look at the construction and finish of the guitar for any scratches, blemishes, wood gaps, warping, etc.
When trying an electric guitar, plug into an amp and listen to the clean tones first to really get a feel for how it sounds. Adjust the tone knobs and pickup selection to hear the range of tones it has to offer. Then try adding distortion or other effects.
If you're trying an electric/acoustic, play both unplugged and through an amp to hear how each option sounds.

NOTE: If you do not know how to play guitar at all, ask the store employee helping you to play the guitar and help determine if it's what you're looking for. However, even if you don't know how to play at all, you should still try it out to make sure it feels good in your own hands.

Looks matter, too

Although sound and feel are most important, consider the image of the guitar as well. While some guitars, such as Fender Stratocasters, tend to have a universal look and crossover well into many genres, you may not want to buy a Washburn hollow body if you want to play metal or a Gibson Explorer if you're primarily into jazz.

Step 5: Purchasing Your Guitar

So now you've finally chosen the perfect guitar. You have two basic choices for buying it: from a store, or online.

Buying Online

PROS:

Find almost any guitar model that exists, including rare models that would require a special order from a store
Shop from the comfort and convenience of your living room
Buy new from mainstream sites or secondhand from eBay or Craigslist
Often no charge for sales tax

CONS:

No way to play an instrument before you buy
Shipping costs for buying or returning items can be pricey
Often don't have the chance to negotiate price.

NOTE: eBay also has a large selection of brand new gear, but be sure to carefully research prices to avoid overpaying in an auction.

Buying In-Store

PROS:

Play before you buy
Avoid shipping costs
You have the option of haggling the price down

CONS:

In-store selection will inevitably be slimmer than the endless options of the internet
Less comfortable environment, must deal with sales associates

There are many big chain music stores such as Guitar Center and Sam Ash that have multiple locations, big selections, and low prices, but sometimes lack a personal touch due to employees dealing with multiple customers. Mom-and-Pop stores often have more rare pieces and a little more personality than their corporate counterparts, but usually the prices are higher and the overall selection is smaller.

Negotiating price

A major advantage of buying from a store is the ability to haggle the price down. Most stores will give the customer reasonable leeway to negotiate their price.

Try making a deal with multiple items. Buy every accessory you'll need along with the guitar. Ask for a discount if you buy an electric guitar, an amp, and a cable together. Ask to pay less when buying an acoustic guitar, a tuner, and a case. The more items you buy at once, the more likely you'll be able to bring the overall price down.
Ask for the total "out the door" price to exclude sales tax. You wouldn't be paying sales tax if you bought the exact same item online, after all.
Ask for a manager. If your offer is reasonable but the sales associate resists, asking for a manager is often enough to convince them to take the deal. If you do end up talking to a manager, just remember that "the customer is always right," and their job is to make sure you are satisfied.
Threaten to leave the store. Nothing quite changes a sales person's mind like the possibility that you will exit the store and buy nothing from them. Most sales people in music stores work off commission, so even if your price means less profit to them, it's still in their best interest to make the sale.
Be nice! Always remain polite and courteous to the employees. Acting rude will never help your case for a lower price.

Warranties and return policies

Read the return policy of any online retailer thoroughly. When you've never played the guitar you're about to buy online, you never know exactly what to expect when it is delivered. Be sure you know the details of their return policy. Take note of how long you have to send an item back and if you will have to pay shipping costs for it.
Learn the details of a retail store's return policy. Ask the employee helping you to fully explain their return policy so you can be sure to avoid any unpleasant surprises in the event of a store return, such as restocking fees (often an arbitrary 15% charge on a returned item).
Explore your options for warranties. You may decide you would like to spend a little extra to protect your investment, and almost all stores (both retail and online) offer some sort of extended coverage option.

Step 6: Enjoying Your Guitar

There are plenty of toys and accessories like guitar pedals that can make your playing experience more fun (Creative Commons photo by Johann)
Now that you've bought a guitar, there are many things you can do to enjoy it for years to come.

Learn to play. Try starting with Mahalo's guide to How to Play Guitar for Newbies and dabbling with the many free music lessons that exist online. You may want to take lessons from a teacher or friend in your area for a more hands-on approach.
Start a band. Get together with some friends to also play instruments - drummers, bassists, fellow guitarists - and start up a band. You will improve your playing and have fun at the same time. Try playing your favorite songs or writing songs of your own.
Accessorize. There are countless toys and accessories you can get for your guitar. Beyond the tuners and straps we discussed before, there are countless effects pedals that can make your guitar sound cool, such as distortion, chorus, flanger, phaser, delay, etc. Even experimenting with different kinds of string brands and gauges can change your sound.
Take care of your investment. Change your strings regularly to keep dirt from building up on the fretboard and to keep the guitar sounding great. Don't leave your guitar in direct sunlight or extreme temperatures. Clean dirt and grime off of the guitar and its strings to protect the wood finish. You can buy polish, polishing cloths, and other cleaning accessories at any music store.

NOTE: It is important that acoustic guitars maintain a certain level of humidity to avoid warping and cracking, especially in dry areas. You can find small humidifiers that attach to your guitar when it's not in use for as low as $20.

Music Notation

2009-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Music Notation

It's Easier Than You Think!

A few basics will take the fear out of reading notation for many people. Yes, it can and does get complex at the higher levels but if you're just reading the basics of notation, signs and terms will get you a long way.

Indeed, learning the basics of music notation is not much harder than reading guitar tablature. So where should you begin? Good question! I'd say right at the start...

First of all I should mention the musical alphabet. It is exactly the same as the first seven letters of the English alphabet, namely: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, (then back to A).

This series of notes continues up and down the staff (which I'll explain below) in the same pattern of letters but denotes different pitches of the music note when it does.

Yes, there are sharps and flats but I'll deal with these later.

Secondly, in music notation you use what's known as a "staff". A staff is a series of lines and spaces that a music note sits on or between.

Additionally, the use of a "clef" sets the pitch of the notes that are on the staff and in guitar music we use the "G" or treble clef almost exclusively.

It is called the "G" clef because its tail wraps around the "G" line within the staff. Here is a graphic example of what I mean...

You can see from the lowest line of the staff that you start on an "E" note and end on an "F" note at the top.

The actual musical alphabet can be seen from the start of the second space up. Yes that's right, the "A" note. Notice also the tail of the "G" clef as it wraps around the "G" line of the staff.
Now that you know about the staff and the clef I'll give you an example of the most common notes in music notation with both their American and British names.

I rather like the American way of naming musical notes as it makes much more sense than the old-fashioned way.

Here is an example of what I mean in music notation...

The comparative names in the old English notation system (from whole note to 128th note) are: Semi-breve; minim; crotchet; quaver; semiquaver; demisemiquaver; hemidemisemiquaver; quasihemidemisemiquaver a.k.a. semihemidemisemiquaver.

As you can see, this type of notation can become very "unwieldy" indeed! Take a tip; stick with the American music notation where possible.

Another basic piece of information you need when reading music notation are time signatures.

Time signatures are mostly found at the beginning of the music and consist of two numbers (one vertically above the other), which indicate both the number of beats in a bar and the value or duration of each beat in the bar.

A bar line groups the beats into equal portions. Bars are also known as "measures".

A double bar line usually indicates the end of a section of music.

Let's have a look at some simple time signatures in graphic form in music notation...

These different musical notes have different lengths or duration. This is what gives rise to rhythm. Here is a graphic of the comparative lengths of each note above in the time signature of 4/4...

As you can see the "whole note" in 4/4 time lasts for 4 counts once it is struck. In this example I'm using the note of "G".

Then the half note has the 2 counts per note, hence the term half note, as all the notes are just divisions of the whole note. This is why the American music notation makes so much sense.

It is just simple mathematical divisions of time starting with the whole note and dividing from there.

The simple mathematical pattern therefore is...you guessed it...doubling each time there is a division. In other words, 1 note per bar, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 & 128.

Also in music notation there is one small change to the note as you divide it up. For instance, if you look at the graphic above you see the whole note is just an ellipse.

The half note is an ellipse with a stem. A quarter note is an ellipse, with a stem and the elliptical part colored in.

The eighth note has all of the above with an added tail on the stem.

From the eighth note to the 128th note it is just a simple matter of adding an extra tail to differentiate from the note that precedes it.

How simple is that?!!!

Obviously, the faster notes like the 32, 64th & 128th are not played in succession like in the graphic above.

It wouldn't be sustainable in real life. You see them in much smaller quantities such as "grace notes" and "ornamentation" (especially in classical music).

So there's nothing to worry about here. A little practice and anyone can manage to play these notes clearly and with precise execution.

Let's talk now about "pitch" in music notation. Pitch means the difference in sound in terms of higher or lower notes.

That is the height or depth of sound. The notes are placed on the staff according to the required pitch.

That means the lower a note is placed on a staff the lower is its sound. Conversely, the higher a note is placed on a staff the higher is its sound. If you need to go higher or lower that the staff you use what is known as "ledger lines".

These lines indicate in music notation pitch that is outside the normal range of the staff.

Here is an example of the A major scale over two octaves using the treble clef. I've also used guitar tablature so you can see the comparison...

You can see the ledger lines in use. You should remember that if you're going "down" in pitch you read the scale backwards and if you're going up in pitch then you read the scale forward.

The above graphic was an A Major scale. So, starting on the "A" note and reading upwards the scale was A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# and back to A.

Music Notation Sidebar

The musical alphabet consists of sharps (#) & flats (b) as well as note names.

This means that the actual number of notes in the alphabet is 12 rather than 7. Some note names are "enharmonic", meaning they have two names for the same note e.g. G sharp can also be called A flat etc.

Here is the full alphabet... A, (A# Bb), B, C (C# Db), D (D# Eb), E, F, (F# Gb), G (G# Ab), then back to A

The last thing I want to talk about in the basics of music notation is "dots" and "rests".

A dot, when placed behind a note or rest in music notation increases the value or duration of that note by half.

For example, if you have a whole note (worth 4 beats in 4/4) that is "dotted" its value or duration will increase to 4+2=6 beats.

The same applies for ALL other notes, that is, their duration or value is increased by half of the original note again.

In all music notation there is an equivalent rest. They represent a period of silence but correspond in name and value to a music note. Here is a graphic of all the notes discussed above and their equivalent rests...

Notice how the whole note rest is "hanging' from the middle line on the staff and the half note rest "sits" on it.

This is because they look exactly the same and only their position differentiates them.

I hope you've got something from this lesson on music notation. Good luck with your music playing AND reading in the future!

Guitar Chord Charts for Bar Chords

2009-04-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the guitar chord charts for the basic guitar bar chords. Included are major, minor and dominant guitar bar chords.

The Guitar Chord Charts:

Guitar Bar Chords ( Part 2 )

2009-04-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Continue of Part 1

Guitar bar chords that have their bass note on the A string work in the same way as the bar chords with the root on the E string. There's one difference: don't play the E string because it is not part of the chord and it will not sound good most of the times.

The major bar chords start from the A chord:

Now slide all the notes of the chord two frets higher on the neck. Then 'bar' all the strings on the second fret with your index finger. If you have followed my explanation correctly it should look something like this:

The A chord becomes a B chord.
This is not a very easy chord to take in the beginning.

An alternative way of fretting this chord is using the little finger instead of fingers 2, 3 and 4. It depends a bit on the shape of your fingers if this alternative fretting works or not.
Here's the guitar chord picture and diagram:

The difficulty with this chord voicing is the highest E string. You have to bent your little finger a bit to allow the high E to sound.

Like before, you can slide this chord up and down the guitar neck. Just remember there's always 2 half steps between the scale tones, except between E-F and B-C (1 half step).

The guitar neck with the notes of the A string:

Now we used the A major chord, but like before we can also use the minor chord:

Change the chord fingering like we did with the E chord on the previous page so you're index finger becomes available. This chord becomes a Bm guitar bar chord if we slide it up 2 frets and add the 'bar':

Again, don't play the low E string.

If we slide the Bm chord 1 fret up we get a Cm chord, 2 frets more and it's a Dm chord, ...

Now let's start from the A7 chord:

Again, change the fingering to liberate your index finger, slide it 2 frets up and add the 'bar':

The result is a B7 guitar bar chord.

You can also do this with other chords like major7, minor7, major 9. Experiment and think logical and most important: don't get frustrated trying to figure guitar bar chords out, it takes some time.

Guitar Bar Chords ( Part 1 )

2009-04-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Guitar bar chords (or barre chords/barré chords) play an important part in guitar playing. They are used extensively in all kinds of music.

Bar chords are called the way they are because you 'bar' all the strings at one fret with your index finger. When doing this your finger replaces the nut of the guitar. Taking all the frets with one finger is not an easy thing to do. I wish I could offer you a bar chords made easy solution, but I'm afraid I can't. You have to give this some time and practice. I've had a few students who could fret guitar bar chords almost perfectly within first week they started learning them, but for most beginning guitar players it takes a bit longer. Once you're able to play them you wonder what was so difficult about it (but I guess that's the case with most of the things you learn).

Have a look at this guitar bar chord picture and the chord diagram for a better understanding:

Here are the 2 most important types of guitar bar chords:

Guitar bar chords derived from the chord of E. This kind of chord has it's bass note on the E string. All strings are played.
Guitar bar chords derived from the chord of A. This kind of chord has it's bass note on the A string. The E string is not played.

Let's start with the first type: bar chords derived from the E chord.
Here's the guitar diagram and guitar chord picture for the E chord:

To make a bar chord out of the E chord, we need to change the fingering. Instead of fretting the chord with finger 1, 2 and 3 we're going to fret it with finger 2, 3 and 4 like you can see on the following picture:

The bass note or 1 of this chord is the open string E (if the 1 in this sentence sounds like Chinese to you, you'd better read the guitar music theory tutorial). Now slide all the notes you are fretting (all 3 of them) one fret higher on the neck. Then 'bar' all the strings on the first fret with your index finger. If you have followed my explanation correctly it should look something like this:

The bass note of the chord is on the first fret of the E string: the note F. From low to high these are the notes in the chord: F C F A C F or 1 5 1 3 5 1. This chord is an F. By sliding one fret up from the E chord we made an F chord out of it.

Play the strings 1 by 1. You'll notice that not all strings sound clear and some strings don't have any sound at all. There's nothing wrong with your fingers, this is a difficult thing to do but you'll soon get the hang of it if you practice enough. The F chord is also the most difficult bar chord because the frets are so wide at the beginning of the guitar neck. Try the same chord higher on the neck and it will be easier. Experiment with the position of your thumb and with the way you put pressure on the strings.

Some things you need to know before we go any further:

One fret on the guitar equals a half step.
All notes in the C major scale are 2 half steps apart from each other, except between E & F (1 half step) and B & C (also 1 half note).

Knowing this you can find every major chord there is. Starting from the F chord slide up 2 frets (so you are on the 3rd fret now). The chord you are fingering now is the G chord. Slide 2 more frets to the 5th fret and you have An A chord. 2 more frets and you're on a B chord. Now slide 1 fret up (remember, between b/c and e/f only 1 half step) and you're on the C chord. 2 frets further (the 10th) gives us a D chord. 2 frets and we have an E chord again (on the 12th fret).
If you slide 1 fret up from the F chord we have an F# or Gb (see guitar music theory for more about # and b). The same goes for the other #'s and b's.

The guitar neck with the notes of the E string:

Have a look at the guitar bar chord charts for all the major chords or try the guitar chord finder.

'Wild Thing', as performed by 'The Troggs' is a good song to practice major guitar bar chords. Here's the chord progression:

|E A

|B A

Our starting point was the E chord, but you can also start from an Em chord:

Adjust the chord fingering like we did before with the E and slide this chord 1 fret higher on the neck. Then put your index finger to bar the first fret and we get an Fm chord:

Now you can also find all minor chords using the same system as above.

The same goes if you take E7 as your starting point:

Adjust the chord fingering and slide one fret higher to get F7:

Slide up further for every dominant 7 chord possible.

The bar chords we covered until now all have their bass note on the low E-string. Another type of bar chords have their bass note on the A string, so please follow me to page 2 of the wonderful world of guitar bar chords.

Next page: part 2 of guitar bar chords

How To Construct Major Scales

2009-04-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

The major scale is the foundation of Western music. This music theory tutorial will teach you how to construct major scales in any key. Knowing how to create major scales is required knowledge to create guitar chords.

Let's start with the C major scale:

C Major Scale

C D E F G A B

All notes in the C major scale are natural notes, that means notes without #'s or b's. A # (sharp) raises a note with a half step and a b (flat) lowers a note with a half step.

Let's have a look at the intervals between the notes of C major. Between C and D are 2 half steps, between D and E also 2 half ste^ps, between E and F is only 1 half step, between F and G are again 2 half steps, between G and A also 2 half steps, between A and B 2 half steps and between B and C only 1 half step.

This interval structure is essential for the sound of the major scale and can be easily remembered with a scale formula:
Scale formula for major scales: 2 2 1 2 2 2 1

Remember that between every note in the scale are always 2 half steps, except between E & F and B & C (1 half step).

Let's try the scale formula and find ourselves the major scale of D.

The first note is of course a D.
The first interval in the scale formula is a 2. So from the D we have got to go 2 half steps further: D to D# to E. So the second note of the scale is an E.
The second interval in the scale formula is again a 2. So from E we have got to go 2 half steps further: from E to F to F#.The third note of the scale is an F#.
The next interval is a 1. From F# we go 1 half step further: G.
The next interval is a 2: G to G# to A.
The next interval is a 2: A to A# to B.
The next interval is a 2: B to C to C#.
The last interval is a 1: C# to D

So the D major scale looks like this:

D Major Scale

D E F# G A B C#

Let's do 1 more together, the major scale of F.

The first note is F
2 further: G
2 further: A
1 further: not B because that would be 2 half steps further, but Bb.
2 further: C
2 further: D
2 further: E
1 further: F

F major scale:

F Major Scale

F G A Bb C D E

Try the other scales for yourself. Here are the solutions:

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

Guitar Chord Finder

2009-04-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

This guitar chord finder helps you to construct your own guitar chords. If you're not familiar with guitar chords theory you should read the guitar music theory tutorial first on this web site, if not you will not be able to interpret the results of the guitar chord finder.

To start working with the guitar chord finder you select the chord root and the chord type. All notes of the selected chord will display on the guitar neck so you can easily pick the right notes for your chord without having to think too much.

When picking notes for your chord remember that not every chord tone is equally important:

3 and 7 are the most important notes of a chord. They make a chord major, minor or dominant.
The 1 is the least important note. It's the bass player's job the play the 1.
The 5 is the second least important note.
Tensions add interest and color. It's a good thing to replace the 1 and 5 by tensions.

In the 'Details' part of the guitar chord finder you see the notes and chord formula for your chosen chord. The blue dots on the guitar neck represent the root, the black dots the other chord tones.

The guitar chord finder allows you to construct your own chords by clicking on the guitar neck. To input open strings, click on the 'x' on top of the strings. The details window will display the chord type, formula and notes.

You can also use the guitar chord finder for guitar scales.

The guitar chord finder requires the free Java plug in

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 6 )

2009-04-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

Here are the solution for the guitar chords exercise on page 5:

Fm7: F Ab C Eb
Abdim7: Ab Cb Ebb Gbb
C#maj7 : C# E# G# B#
E9sus4 : E A B D F#
A7 : A C# E G
Edim7 : E G Bb Db
Gm7b5 : G Bb Db F
B7b9 : B D# F# A C
D#m7b5 : D# F# A C#
Bmaj7 : B D# F# A#

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 5 )

2009-04-07T13:01:00.001-07:00

Now you know the most important parts about guitar music theory and harmony, but how do we bring this knowledge in action, how can it help us becoming a better guitar player? Read on...

The first thing you need to know: not every chord tone is equally important :

3 and 7 are the most important notes of a chord because they make a chord major, minor or dominant.
The 1 is the least important note, because it's the bass player's job the play the 1 (amongst other notes luckily for him)..
The 5 is the second least important note and doesn't sound very good most of the times.
Tensions add interest and color, so it's better to use tensions instead of the 1 and 5

The second thing you need to know: 1 half step equals one fret on the guitar neck.

Let's have a look at some guitar diagrams:

Take a C chord: C E G (1 3 5)
Here's the guitar chord diagram:

X15135

Let me explain the symbols you see under the chord diagram. Read from left to right (from low E string to high E string) and we have:

X : don' play the low E string
1 : the 1 is played on the A string
5 : the 5 is played on the D string
1 : the 1 again, now on the G string
3 : the 3 is played on the B string
5 : the 5 again, this time on the high E string

It's ok to use a note more then one time, like the 1 and 5 in this example, but this can sound a bit harsh.

Let's spice this chord up a bit:

X15735

Instead of playing the 1 again on the G string, we changed it to the 7.

Let's add some color :

X1379X

We exchanged the 5 on the D string for the 3 and we changed the 3 on the B string to a 9.

If you play in a band and you don't want to get in the way of the bass player you better leave the 1 out of your chords. Another good idea when playing in a band is to voice your guitar chords on the higher (4) strings.

XX3795

We exchanged the 1 on the A string for the 5 on the high E string.

This chord is what we call a chord inversion : a chord voicing that has a note other then the 1 as it's lowest note. There are three types of chord inversions : 3 is the lowest note (first inversion), 5 is the lowest note (second inversion) or 7 is the lowest note (third inversion).

Our example is a Cmaj9 chord and the 3 is the lowest note, so this is the first inversion of Cmaj9.

How can we make this major chord a dominant chord?
Easy: bring the 7 half a note down (major 1 3 5 7, dominant 1 3 5 b7).
The chord diagram:

XX3b795

How can we make this chord minor?
We have to lower the 3 from the dominant chord half a note (dominant 1 3 5 b7, minor 1 b3 5 b7)
The guitar chord diagram:

XXb3b795

Another system to construct your own guitar chords is by using the guitar chord finder. Select the root and the type of chord you're looking for and the guitar chord finder displays all the notes of your chord on the guitar neck. Now it's up to you to pick out the notes you want in the position you want.

Here's a chord exercise for you: find me the chord tones of the following chords (the solutions are on the next page ) :

For example : Gm7 : G Bb D F

Now it's your turn :

Fm7 :
Abdim7 :
C#maj7 :
E9sus4 :
A7 :
Edim7 :
Gm7b5 :
B7b9 :
D#m7b5 :
Bmaj7 :

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 4 )

2009-04-07T13:00:00.002-07:00

Here's a list of all common chords and their formula's:

Chord Type	Chord Formula
Major Triad	1 3 5
Minor Triad	1 b3 5
Diminished Triad	1 b3 b5
Augmented Triad	1 3 #5
Major 7	1 3 5 7
Minor 7	1 b3 5 b7
Dominant 7	1 3 5 b7
Half Diminished 7	1 b3 b5 b7
Diminished 7	1 b3 b5 bb7
Augmented 7	1 3 #5 b7
Suspended 4	1 4 5 b7
minor/major 7	1 b3 5 7

On guitar music theory page 2 we learned the first system to construct chords.
Here's the second system:

Memorize the chord names, chord notes and chord formula's of all the chords (7) in the C major scale:

Cmaj7	C E G B
Dm7	D F A C
Em7	E G B D
Fmaj7	F A C E
G7	G B D F
Am7	A C E G
Bm7b5	B D F A

Once you know the chords of C major it's easy to find other chords.

Example: how to find the chord tones of Emaj7:
1. You already know the chord tones of Em7 : E G B D
2. You know the chord formula of minor chords: 1 b3 5 b7
3. You know the chord formula of major chords : 1 3 5 7
4. Adapt the chord tones of Em7 to the chord formula of major chords: bring the 3 and the 7 a half step up
5. The chord tones of Emaj7 are : E G# B D#
Example 2: Adim7:
1. You already know the chord tones of Am7 : A C E G
2. You know the formula of minor chords: 1 b3 5 b7
3. You know the formula of diminished chords : 1 b3 b5 bb7
4. Adapt the chord tones of Am7 to the chord formula of diminished chords : bring the 5 and the 7 a half step down
5. The chord tones of Adim7 are : A C Eb Gb
Example 3: C#7:
1. You already know the chord tones of Cmaj7 : C E G B
2. Now we have to add a step: we have to find the chord tones of C#maj7. To find these we just have to raise each chord tone with a half note: C# E# G# B#
3. You already know the formula of major chords : 1 3 5 7
4. You know the formula of dominant chords : 1 3 5 b7
5. Adapt the chord tones of C#maj7 to the chord formula of dominant chords : bring the 7 a half step down
6. The chord tones of C#7 are : C# E# G# B

The following step in this music theory instruction is applying the theory to the guitar.

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 3 )

2009-04-07T13:00:00.001-07:00

Until now we constructed chords by stacking thirds on top of each other. The resulting triads or seventh chords form the basis. Other notes can be added to these basic chords, notes that we call tensions.

The C major scale (again):

C Major Scale	C D E F G A B
	1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Construct a chord on C --> Cmaj7:

C E G B

1 3 5 7

We use 4 notes in this chord, what means that there are 3 notes left from the C major scale: 2, 4, 6.If one or more of these notes become part of the chord, we call them tensions or chord tensions.

Usually tensions are played one octave higher compared to the chord tones. This benefits the clarity of the chord.

Let's add an octave to the tensions:

2 becomes 9 (2+7(one octave)=9)
4 becomes 11
6 becomes 13

Let's apply this to Cmaj7: Add 2 to Cmaj7 and we get Cmaj9

C E G B D

1 3 5 7 9

Maybe major chords are not a very good example to explain tensions because the two other tensions that are left, 4 and 6, behave in a special way in combination with major chords.

The first thing we have to look at are avoid notes : tensions that are a half step above a chord note. These notes sound very disharmonic in the chord so they are almost never used, only in case the disharmonic sound is wanted as an effect.
The 4 of the C major scale is a half step above the 3 (chord tone) of that chord (f is a half step above e) --> the 4 is an avoid note for major chords.
A possible way to deal with this is raising the 4 half a note : f turns into f# and is no longer an avoid note. The basic scale is no longer C major (C Ionian) though, but C Lydian (a kind of guitar scale or mode). We call this chord a Cmaj7(#11).

The 6 also behaves differently in combination with major chords. When we add the 6 to a major chord we don't play the 7 and there is no octave added to the 6. This is because the 6 and 7 sound too close to each other.

Add 6 to C major and we get a C6 :

C E G A

1 3 5 6

The same happens to the 6 in combination with minor chords : the 7 is not played.
Add the 6 to Dm7 and we get Dm6 (watch out : the 6 is no longer the note a because the root of the chord changed to D. The six of D is B (D E F# G A B C#) :

D F A B

1 b3 5 6

The 4 is not an avoid note for minor chords because it is two half steps away from the b3 and not one half like it is with major chords.
So we can safely add the 4 to Dm7 and we get Dm11:

D F A C G

1 b3 5 b7 11

The 4 added to a dominant chord is also a special case.
When a 4 is combined with a dominant chord, the 3 of the chord is not played. We call chords like this sus4 chords.
As a guitar chord sus4 chords are often combined with a 9:

G C D F A

1 4 5 b7 9

Here's an overview of chord types and possible tensions:

Chord Type	Added Note	Symbol
Major	2	Cmaj9
	4 #4	/ Cmaj7#11	avoid note #11 from lydian scale
	6	C6	no 7
Minor	2	Cm9
	4	Cm11
	6	Cm6	no 7
Dominant	2 b2 #2	C9 C7(b9) C7#9	b2 and #2 from altered scale
	4	C7sus4
	6 b6	C13 C7(b13)	b6 comes from altered scale

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 2 )

2009-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

This online music theory tutorial will teach you 2 systems to construct guitar chords

1. The first system starts from the major scale.

Construct the major scale with the same root as the chord you want to construct (how to construct major scales).
For example: when you want to create an Am chord, construct the A major scale : A B C# D E F# G#
Find the notes of the major chord : 1 3 5
In our example in the key of A this would be : A C# E
Apply the chord formula on the major chord.
The minor chord formula is 1 b3 5, so the 3rd of the major chord has to be lowered with a half step : A C E

2. The second system involves some memorization and will be explained later in the tutorial.

Now we know how to make chords with 3 different notes, but what about chords with 4 or more notes? Chords with 4 different notes are called seventh chords and are used a lot in jazz and some kinds of pop music. Let's have a look at how to construct seventh chords:

We'll begin with the C major scale again:

C Major Scale	C D E F G A B
	1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Seventh chords are made the same way as triads : by stacking 3rds on top of the root.
Triads were constructed by stacking 2 thirds, seventh chords are constructed with 3 thirds.

Let's try to construct a chord on the 1 of the C major scale :

C E G B

1 3 5 7

This results in a C major 7 chord (Cmaj7). C to E makes a major third, E to G a minor third and G to B a major third : this structure is typical for major 7 chords.
Chord formula for major 7 chords: 1 3 5 7

The 2nd note of the C major scale :

D F A C

1 b3 5 b7

This results in a D minor chord (Dmin7). D to F makes a minor third, F to A a major third and A to C a minor third : this structure is typical for minor 7 chords.
Chord formula for minor 7 chords: 1 b3 5 b7

Let's jump to the 5th note of the C major scale :

G B D F

1 3 5 b7

This results in a G dominant 7 chord (G7). G to B makes a major third, B to D a minor third and D to F a minor third: this structure is typical for dominant 7 chords.
chord formula for dominant 7 chords: 1 3 5 b7

Let's do it on the 7th note of the scale:

B D F A

1 b3 b5 b7

This results in a B half diminished chord (Bm7b5). B to D makes a minor third, D to F a minor third and F to A a major third: this structure is typical for half diminished chords.
Chord formula for half diminished 7 chords: 1 b3 b5 b7

Here's the list with all the seventh chords of the C major scale: :

	Notes	Formula	Chord Name	Symbol
1	C E G B	1 3 5 7	C major 7	Cmaj7
2	D F A C	1 b3 5 b7	D minor 7	Dm7 or D-7 or Dmin7
3	E G B D	1 b3 5 b7	E minor 7	Em7 or E-7 or Emin7
4	F A C E	1 3 5 7	F major 7	Fmaj7
5	G B D F	1 3 5 b7	G dominant	G7
6	A C E G	1 b3 5 b7	A minor 7	Am7 or A-7 or Amin7
7	B D F A	1 b3 b5 b7	B half diminished	Bm7b5 or Bmin7b5

Guitar Music Theory ( Part 1 )

2009-04-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

In this online music theory tutorial you'll learn the theory behind guitar chords. Spending a little time on guitar music theory and harmony will save you a lot of time learning how to play guitar chords and will deepen your understanding of the guitar. Music theory provides you the means to communicate better with your fellow musicians. You'll learn songs faster because you actually now what you are playing. So do yourself a favor and go through this free music theory tutorial.

The topics covered:

the difference between major, minor, dominant, diminished, ...
how to name chords
how to find the notes of a chord
how to construct your own guitar chords

It's best to go through this tutorial in chronological order, but in case you're looking for something specific here's a brief description of the pages to come:

The starting point in many music theory tutorials is the C major scale:

C Major Scale	C D E F G A B
	1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The C major scale (also called the Ionian scale) is the foundation on which the most of Western music is built.

The letters in the scale are the note names: C is do, D is re, E is mi, F is fa, G is sol, A is la and B is si. The numbers are what we call the function of the note in the scale or chord. The 1 is also known as the 'root'.

There are 5 more notes: the sharps and flats.
A sharp (written like #) is a note raised by a half step.
A flat (written like b) is a note lowered by a half step. So between C and D comes the C# or Db. C# and Db are the same note named differently. Between D and E lies the D# or Eb. Between E and F is nothing because E and F are only a half step apart. Between F and G comes the F# or Gb. Between G and A the G# or Ab. And between A and B comes the A# or Bb. B and C are also only one half step apart.

The first type of chord we'll have a look at is the triad. A triad is a chord that has 3 different notes. Triads are built by stacking thirds. A third (also written like 3) is a particular interval between two notes.

There are 2 kinds of thirds:

minor third	interval of 3 half steps	notation: b3
major third	interval of 4 half steps	notation: 3

We'll construct our first chord by stacking 2 thirds on the first note (C or 1) of the C major scale. First we count 4 half steps beginning from the first note: from C to C# to D to D# to E. Then we count 3 half notes from the E: from E to F to F# to G.

C E G

1 3 5

This results in a C major triad or C. C to E makes a major third and E to G a minor third : this structure is typical for every major chord and can be written in a chord formula.
Chord formula for major chords: 1 3 5

Let's do the same for the 2 of the C major scale :

D F A

1 b3 5

This results in a D minor triad or Dm. D to F makes a minor third and F to A a major third: this structure is typical for every minor chord.
chord formula for minor chords : 1 b3 5

I'm not going to repeat this for every note in the scale, I think you got the picture by now.
Let's do one more together, let's built a chord on the 7th note of the scale:

B D F

1 b3 b5

This results in a B diminished triad (Bdim). B to D makes a minor third and D to F also a minor third: this structure is typical for diminished triads.
Chord formula for diminished chords: 1 b3 b5

Here's a list with all triads made on the C major scale:

	Notes	Formula	Name	Symbol
1	C E G	1 3 5	C major	C
2	D F A	1 b3 5	D minor	Dm or D- or Dmin
3	E G B	1 b3 5	E minor	Em or E- or Emin
4	F A C	1 3 5	F major	F
5	G B D	1 3 5	G major	G
6	A C E	1 b3 5	A minor	Am or A- or Amin
7	B D F	1 b3 b5	B diminished	Bdim or B°

How To String A Guitar

2009-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

In this article you'll learn how to string a guitar the right way. Replacing guitar strings is not very difficult, but you need to use the right technique or your guitar will get out of tune easily.

1. The Right Guitar Strings For You

What kind of strings suit best for you depends on the following factors:

String Brands: what guitar string brand sounds best is a question of personal taste. Test some different brands to discover which one sounds and feels best to you.

Some of the more popular brands: D'Addario, Dean Markley, Elixir, Ernie Ball, ...
String Composition: what material are strings made of?

Electric guitar strings and acoustic guitar strings are made by winding a wrap wire round a metal wire. The sound of the string is determined by the material used for the wrap wire:
- Nickel: the most popular kind for electric guitar strings.
- Stainless Steel: provides a brighter tone.
- Phosphor Bronze: provides a warmer tone, most suitable for acoustic guitar strings.
- ...
Classical guitar strings are made of nylon. Treble strings are also made of carbon fiber, while bass strings are made of bronze wire or silver plated copper wire around a core of fine threads.
Winding Type:
- Roundwound: has a round wire. Produces a brighter sound, but more extra noises.
- Flatwound: has a flat ribbon wire. Produces a duller sound, but the strings have less resistance and make less extra noise.
String Gauge: the diameter of guitar strings.

Strings are usually bought in a set. Sets are named after the diameter of the first string (for example .010) or the first and the last string (.010 - .042). These numbers represent the diameter in inches.

A light string set is best suited for beginners, they are the easiest to handle and they don't hurt your fingers as much as heavier sets.

Heavier sets are suitable for guitarists with a little more experience. Heavier string sets have more volume and sustain, but are harder to fret.

Remember: when changing to a set with a lighter or heavier gauge, you (or the technician at your local guitar center) need to readjust the neck and intonation of your guitar. Heavier strings produce more tension and pull more relief into the neck.

2. Replacing Guitar Strings

Here's how to change guitar strings properly:

Remove your old set of strings. Some say it's better not to remove all strings at once, but one at a time and always replacing an old string with a new one. When you remove all strings at once the loss of tension might cause your guitar neck to warp. I never had this problem though. Guitars are made without strings and a luthier will always remove an old set of strings when doing repairs.
Polish the guitar and oil the fretboard. This is a good time to do it, since there are no strings that get in your way. Use a guitar polish for the guitar body and linseed, olive or walnut oil for the fretboard .
Secure the 6th string to the bridge or tail piece of the guitar. How this needs to be done depends on what type of guitar you have, but is usually straightforward. On most acoustic guitars you need to remove a peg to change the string (use a plier to do so):

stretched

Cut the leftover string with a wire cutter or a toenail clipper.
Repeat for the other 5 strings.

3. More String Tips

Wash your hands before playing guitar (and before eating) and wipe your strings after playing. This helps to preserve string longevity.
When you break a string, always replace the whole set and not a single string. The new string will sound entirely different compared to the older strings.
If your strings break regularly, look for sharp edges on the hardware of your guitar.
It can happen that a string gets stuck in the nut slot when tuning down. Solve this problem by putting a bit of flake graphite (scratch it of the lead of a pencil with a knife) in the nut slot (under the strings).
When your guitar strings loose brilliance and intonation, it's time to change them. How frequently this happens depends on how much time your guitar is played and how good it is taken care of.

How to Tune a Guitar

2009-04-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

How to Tune a Guitar

In this tutorial I'll teach you how to tune a guitar. I'll be honest, tuning your guitar is not very easy, it'll take some time before you have mastered the art of tuning. If you are just starting to play the guitar, I suggest you buy yourself a good guitar tuner.

It's important to learn how to tune your guitar by ear because it is necesarry ear training. So even if you have a guitar tuner, try to tune by ear and afterwards check with your guitar tuner if your guitar is in tune.

An important thing to remember: you can't tune old strings. Safe yourself the frustration, don't try it. The normal life span of a set of strings if you play a lot (3 hours a day) is about 3 months, if you play less, about 6 months. So if your strings are old, go buy yourself a new set and follow this tutorial on changing guitar strings.

1. How to Tune a Guitar - The Fretted Method

You need to know the note names of the guitar strings for this tutorial. Here's a reference:

Guitar strings are numbered from high to low pitch. The high e (skiniest string) is string 1, the b string is string 2, ... The low E string (the fat one) is string number 6.

First you need to tune the low E string (string 6) to a reference tone. This can be done by playing an E note on the piano, by using a pitch pipe or by using a recorded E note, such as this one:
Push the play button on the above reference tone (you might have to push twice) and listen to the tone carefully. Now strike the low E-string of your guitar. Does the low E of your guitar sound lower or higher comparred to the reference tone?
- If your guitar sounds lower: turn the tuning key slowly in clockwise direction until it is about the same pitch as the reference key. When the pitch of the guitar comes close to the reference pitch, you'll notice that the sound begins to wave. Turn the tuning key bit by bit and the wave will begin to slow down until it comletely stops. That's when the 2 tones are in tune. If you go too far, the wave will increase again (go to the next point if that happens).
- If your guitar sounds higher: turn the tuning key in counter clockwise direction until is lower than the reference tone. Then go back to the previous point. Always go lower first when you are tuned too high, otherwise the string might get stuck in some places.
Now finger the low E-string close to the 5th fret:

The note you are holding with your finger is an A, the same note as the 5th string in open position. To tune the A string, play both strings together and use the tuning key to adjust the pitch of the A string. Use the method from step 2 to do this.

When the A string is in tune, finger the 5th fret on the A string. This is a D note, the same note as the 4th string. Play both strings together and get them in tune.
Finger the 5th fret on the D string. This produces a G note, the same note as the 3rd string. Play both strings together and tune. If you are learning how to tune a bass guitar, then this is where it stops, only 4 strings on a bass guitar.
This step is a little different. Instead of fingering the 5th fret, we are now going to use the 4th fret of the G string. This produces a B note, the same note as the second string. Play them together and get them in tune.
Hold the 5th fret on the B string. This produces an E note, the same note as the high E string. Play both strings together and tune them.

How to Tune a Guitar - The Harmonics Method

Here is another method to tune your guitar, it uses harmonics. This way of tuning is more accurate compared to the fretted method.

Play a harmonic note at the 5th fret of the low E string. You can produce a harmonic by lightly touching the string with a left hand finger above the 5th fret. Do not press down, just lightly hold your finger on the string. Now pick the note.

reference note

Use your left hand index finger to play the same harmonic on the 5th fret of the E string and while the note is still sounding, play the harmonic on the 7th fret of the A string with you pinky. These are the same notes (E), tune the A string until both notes match. Again, play attention to the wave effect.

Note that you do not have to hold your finger on the string after you have picked the note, the sound will continue when you remove your finger.
Play the harmonic on the 5th fret of the A string and the one on the 7th fret of the D string and tune the D string.
Play the harmonic on the 5th fret of the D string and on the 7th fret of the G string. Tune the G string.
To tune the B string we have to use the fretted method (see above) because we can't play a harmonic on the 6th fret of the B string. Play the normal note on the 5th fret of the G string together with the open B string and tune the B string.
Play the harmonic on the 5th fret of the B string and on the 7th fret of the high E string and tune the E string.

Guitar tuning tips:

You can't tune old strings. To keep your guitar strings alive for as long as possible, wipe your strings with a cloth after playing and keep your hands clean.
A new string gets out of tune very easily. You can make new guitar strings become more stable by yanking each string a couple of times. Retune after yanking and keep yanking until the string doesn't get out of tune anymore after yanking (I've never used the word yanking so many times in one sentence!).

How to Read Guitar Chord Charts

2009-04-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

The topics covered in this tutorial:

Guitar chord charts and how to read them
Guitar chord fingering

If you want to learn how to play guitar chords, the first thing you need to do is learn how to decipher guitar chord charts.

A guitar chord chart is a list of chord diagrams. A chord diagram is a visual representation of a guitar chord.

Here's an example of a guitar chord diagram:

Let me explain to you how to read this guitar chord diagram:

You see six lines going from left to right and six lines going from top to bottom.

The lines going from left to right represent the guitar strings. The line most to the left represents the thickest string of the guitar (the low E string). The line most to the right represents the skinniest string of the guitar (the high E string).
The lines in between represent strings A, D, G and B.

The lines going from top to bottom represent the frets. The top line is the nut of the guitar (see picture above), the second line is the first fret, the third line the second fret, ...

The black dots on the guitar chord diagram represent the fingers.
A black dot means you have to place a finger there (between the two frets) and push the string down. The chart doesn't tell you which fingers you have to use, but most of the time it's obvious what finger goes where.

The white dots represent an open string. In our example above the white dots above string G and E mean that those strings have to be played open (so without fretting them).

Strings that don't have a black or a white dot are not played.

The C on top of the guitar chord chart represents the chord name. In our example it's the chord of C.

Let's look back at our example:

the low E string has no dots, so it's not played
the A string has a dot above the 3rd fret (we say 'on the 3rd fret', but you place your finger behind the fret and not on it). So we put a finger on the 3rd fret
the D string is fingered at the 2nd fret
the G string is open
the B string is fretted at the 1st fret
the high E string is open

More information about chord names and how to construct chords you can read in the guitar chord theory tutorial. There's one more thing you need to know to be able to read guitar chord charts.
Have a look at the following example:

You see a 5 standing to the left of the guitar neck.
This means the first fret on the guitar chord chart is the actually the 5th fret on the guitar neck.

So in this example we play:

no low E string
5th fret on the A string
7th fret on the D string
7th fret on the G string
6th fret on the B string
5th fret on the high E string

This chord is actually a guitar bar chord.

One more thing we need to talk about is guitar chord fingering.
Like I told you above, it is most of the time obvious which fingering you use, but in some cases it's not.

Fingers are named as followed:

P.S. All guitar chord charts on this web site are free and printable, so you don't have to go online all the time to look up a chord. You can also download the guitar chord charts.
For printing place your mouse pointer on a guitar chord chart sheet, right click and select 'Print Picture...'.
For downloading place your mouse on a guitar chord chart, right click and select 'Save Picture As...'.

Trace Bundy - Pachelbel's Canon

2009-04-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Trace Bundy - Pachelbel's Canon

Hungarian Fantasy

2009-04-04T06:41:00.001-07:00

Hungarian Fantasy

Angel Romero - Leyenda

2009-04-04T06:39:00.001-07:00

Angel Romero - Leyenda

Recuerdos de la Alhambra

2009-04-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Recuerdos de la Alhambra

XUEFEI YANG PLAYS TARREGA'S SUENO

2009-04-04T06:37:00.003-07:00

XUEFEI YANG PLAYS TARREGA'S SUENO

Guitare Classique - Francisco Tarrega - Capricho Arabe

2009-04-04T06:37:00.002-07:00

Guitare Classique - Francisco Tarrega - Capricho Arabe

Sor study in B minor, played by Julian Bream

2009-04-04T06:37:00.001-07:00

Sor study in B minor, played by Julian Bream

Julian Bream - Villa-Lobos - Preludes 3 & 4

2009-04-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Julian Bream - Villa-Lobos - Preludes 3 & 4

Julian Bream & John Williams - Pavan & Galliard

2009-04-04T06:35:00.002-07:00

Julian Bream & John Williams - Pavan & Galliard

Julian Bream & John Williams - Suite for 2 guitars - Lawes

2009-04-04T06:35:00.001-07:00

Julian Bream & John Williams - Suite for 2 guitars - Lawes

Julian Bream & John Williams - Brahms

2009-04-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Julian Bream & John Williams - Brahms

Julian Bream & John Williams - Bajo La Palmera - Albeniz

2009-04-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Julian Bream & John Williams - Bajo La Palmera - Albeniz

Classical Guitar Lesson # 8: The Left Hand, Part 2

2009-04-04T04:47:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson # 8: The Left Hand, Part 2

Classical Guitar Lesson #7: Left Hand, Part 1

2009-04-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #7: Left Hand, Part 1

Classical Guitar Lesson #6: Arpeggios

2009-04-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #6: Arpeggios

Classical Guitar Lesson #10: Ballistic Motion

2009-04-04T04:41:00.004-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #10: Ballistic Motion

Classical Guitar Lesson #9: The Left Hand, Part 3

2009-04-04T04:41:00.003-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #9: The Left Hand, Part 3

Classical Guitar Lesson #5: Tremolo

2009-04-04T04:41:00.002-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #5: Tremolo

Classical Guitar Lesson #4: Free Stroke

2009-04-04T04:41:00.001-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #4: Free Stroke

Classical Guitar Lesson #3: Rest stroke

2009-04-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #3: Rest stroke

Classical Guitar Lesson #2: P stroke

2009-04-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #2: P stroke

Classical Guitar Lesson #1: Positioning the guitar

2009-04-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

Classical Guitar Lesson #1: positioning the guitar