You are on page 1of 11

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.
#or those who stick with it, though, learning how to play the guitar can be an
e$tremely rewarding e$perience and can provide endless hours of personal
enjoyment.
What You'll Need
%.
&. ' si$"string (uitar) *ee +ahalo's (uide to
,ow to Buy a (uitar in order to choose the
right one
-. ' (uitar pick) .ight gauge thinner! picks are
preferable for beginners
/. 0atience) Definitely a virtue for learning how to
play guitar
1. ' love of music and a desire to learn
Things to Remember
%. 2eep your fingernails short by trimming them regularly. 3his will allow your
fingers to hold down the notes easier and produce a better sound.
&. 4our fingers will start to hurt as you begin to play. 3his is normal. 5ventually,
with time and practice, your fingertips will develop calluses and the pain will go
away.
-. 3ake some time in between lessons to make sure that you've mastered each part.
0ractice each lesson for a few minutes before moving on to the ne$t.
Lesson 1: The Basics
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
' normal guitar has si$ strings, each of which has a different size
and note value. 6n standard tuning, the bottom string also the
skinniest and highest sounding! is an 5 note. 3his is also known as
the %st string. 3he &nd string up a little bit thicker and lower
sounding! is a B note. 3he -rd string up is a ( note, /th is a D, 1th
is an ', and the 7th string thickest, lowest sounding, and closest to
your body! is also an 5 note. When in tune, playing the %st and the
7th strings open should produce the same note, albeit at different
pitches. +nemonic devices can help you remember the order of the
strings) #or e$ample, from top to bottom) Eat All ay !et Big
Easy. 8r come up with your own.
"rets
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. 6f 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. 0lacing your finger on a string in between two of the frets is what
enables you to play a note. 3he higher up you get on the frets, the higher the notes
sound. 6n general, each fret is a half"step higher than the previous fret.
TI#) *ince 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. *o, the
&nd fret would refer to the second gap between frets that is found on the neck,
rather than the second actual metal piece.
$ther Im%ortant !uitar Terms

o &eadstoc') 3he top"most part of the guitar on which the tuning pegs are
located.
o Nut) 3he small piece of material that is found where the headstock meets
the neck. 3here are usually small grooves carved out in order to guide the
guitar strings up to the tuning pegs.
o Tuning #egs ()e*s+) ,old the strings in place and allow the user to adjust
the pitch of the string by turning the peg.
o Nec') 3he 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.
o Bod*) 3he large base of the guitar usually the most bulky part! that is
attached to the neck. 'coustic guitars will usually have hollowed out
bodies, with the circular 9sound hole9 in the middle used to project the
sound of the instrument. 5lectric guitars use 90ick"ups9 instead of sound
holes in order to capture and project the sound of the strings being played.
o Bridge) *mall piece of hardware used to anchor the strings at the base of
the body.
Lesson ,: #ositioning
o :ow 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.
1.*tart by finding an armless chair to sit in. +ake sure that you're sitting
comfortably and that your back is well supported. 'lso make sure that you
have plenty of room on either side in which to move your arms and hold your
guitar.
2.0lace the guitar in your lap with the back of the instrument facing or even
touching! your chest. .et the body of the guitar rest on the leg farthest away
from the headstock. 6f you are right"handed, the headstock should be to your
left, which means that you will rest the guitar on your right leg. +ost acoustic
guitar bodies will have curved indentions on either side that are perfect for
resting the guitar on your leg.
3.3ake a look at the strings on the guitar. 6f you are holding it correctly, the
thickest string or 7th! should be closest to your chest, while the thinnest or
%st! string should be closest to your feet.
4.3ake your fretting hand left for right"handers and right for left"handers!
and grip the neck of your guitar gently. 4our thumb should be resting behind
the neck of the guitar, supporting your hand while your other fingers float
above the strings, ready for action.
5.3ake your picking hand the one closest to the bridge of the guitar! and grab
yourself a pick. 0lace it between your thumb and inde$ fingers and hold it so
that it is secure.
6.6n 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.
:ote) 3his will invariably sound bad and not at all like real guitar playing,
but don't worry, that's not the point right now.!
Lesson -: Tuning Your !uitar
o
o 8ne 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. 3he process of tuning your guitar involves adjusting the
pitch of each of your strings so that they
play the correct note. 3his is done by
tightening or loosening each of the tuning pegs on the headstock!. 6n
general, tightening the tuning peg raises the pitch of a string, while
loosening the peg lowers the pitch. 3here are a few different methods that
guitar players use in order to tune their guitars)
How to Hold Your Guitar
Tuning Your Guitar
o #or beginning guitar players, it is often a good idea to purchase an
electronic tuner. 5lectronic tuners are small devices that are able to pick
up the sound of a string and let you know usually through some sort of
..5.D. display! whether the note you are playing is sharp too high! or flat
too low!. *ince 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 ;uicker and more accurate. #or more information, see
+ahalo's guide to (uitar 3uners.
o #or 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. 3he simplest way is to use a method called Relati.e
Tuning)
Relati.e Tuning
1. 0lace a finger on the 1th fret of the 7th string and play the note.
2. 0lay the 1th string 98pen.9 When in tune, these two notes should sound
e$actly the same.
3. 'djust the tuning peg for the 1th string so that, when played open, it
makes the same sound as the 1th fretted 7th string.
4. 0lace your finger on the 1th fret of the 1th string and repeat this process
with the /th string 98pen.9
5. <epeat this process for the /th and -rd strings.
6. When you reach the &nd string, things change slightly. 6nstead of placing
your finger on the 1th fret of the -rd string when adjusting the &nd string,
place it on the /th fret.
7. 3o tune the %st and final string, go back to the previous method by playing
the 1th fret of the &nd string.
o 6f you happen to have a piano handy, and know which notes are which,
you can also tune your guitar by matching each of the strings to the
corresponding note on the piano.
Tuning /ith a #iano
1. *tart by finding and playing an 5 note on the piano.
2. 0lay the 7th string also an 5! on your guitar and adjust the tuning peg so
that the 5 on your guitar sounds like the 5 on the piano.
3. <epeat this process for each of the following strings) ' 1!, D /!, ( -!, B
&! and the high 5 %!.
o 6f you don't have a piano handy, try using this *ite, which allows you to
play and listen to each of the guitar notes virtually.
o TI#: Whichever way you decide, make sure that you tune your guitar
regularly and fre;uently. *ince strings can go out of tune at any time
often more so when playing a lot! you may even need to re"tune your
guitar in the middle of practicing.
Lesson 0: #la*ing Notes
o :ow that you've got your guitar in place and your pick in hand, you are
ready to start playing notes. 's you've probably noticed by now, making
noises come out of the guitar is relatively easy. +aking noises that
actually sound good is another story.
1. *tart by plucking the 7th string the one closest to your chest! without
using your fretting hand at all. 3his will produce an 5 note. 0laying a
string without fretting any of the notes is called playing it 98pen.9
2. :e$t, move down the strings and play each individual one 98pen.9 3his
will produce the notes ', D, (, B and 5 respectively. :otice how each one
sounds a little bit higher than the one before.
3. :ow, go back to the 7th string and place the inde$ finger of your fretting
hand on the first fret the initial space between the nut and the first fret!.
,old down the note with the tip of your finger, rather than the whole first
joint. While holding your inde$ finger down firmly on the first fret, use
your picking hand to pluck the 7th string. 6f done correctly, the sound
produced should be slightly higher by a half"step! than plucking the 7th
string alone.
4. :e$t, move your finger up another half"step to the second fret the space
between the first and second frets! and pluck the 7th string again. 3his
should produce a slightly higher pitched sound than the one before.
5. <epeat this e$ercise with each of the strings. *tart by playing the string
open, then with your finger on the first fret, and then again with your
finger on the second fret. 6f 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.
o TI#) 6t is important to keep your finger directly in between the frets, as
this will produce a 9truer9 sound. 3ry not the let your finger slide too close
to either fret.
Ads by Google
(uitar *heet +usic
Buy guitar sheet music=tabs online. *ecure purchasing. (reat prices.
www.(uitar>onnection.com
.earn *ailing *kills
*ailing *kills for Beginners ,ow to *ail *ystem that Works
learntosailnow.com
>larinet) the innovation
5njoy clarinet playing with almost any reed by using >laripatch?
www.claripatch.com
#ractice Lesson
o 0ractice playing individual notes for at least %@ minutes each time you
play. #ocus on holding them down correctly and moving confidently
between the strings.
Lesson 1: #la*ing 2hords
o :ow that you are familiar with how to play individual notes, you are ready
to learn how to play chords. ' >hord 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. +ost chords involve at least
three notes played together, while some may use even more. 'lso, chords
usually involve playing multiple strings at the same time, which is called
strumming.
o 3he most common chords found in Western music are the 9+ajor9 chords.
3hese are the ones that beginning guitar players usually learn first. 3he
most common 9+ajor9 chords are)
o
> +ajor
' +ajor
( +ajor
5 +ajor
D +ajor
o 5ach of these chords is made up of a different set of notes that, when
played together, create a uni;ue sound. +ost 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 uni;ue 9+ajor9 chords)
2 3a4or
1. 0lace your ring finger on the 1th string,
-rd fret
2. 0lace your middle finger on the /th string, &nd fret
3. 0lace your inde$ finger on the &nd string, %st fret
4. *tart from the 1th string and strum each of the strings below it in ;uick
succession. Do not play the 7th string.
o
o 3he > +ajor chord that you have just made should look a little bit like a
staircase, with your inde$ finger forming the lowest step. 6t may seem
awkward at first to keep your fingers in that position, but don't worry. 3he
more you practice each chord, and the stronger your fingers become, the
easier it will be for your hand to form the chord structures. 6t's alright if it
How to Play a C Chord
didn't sound perfect or if some of the notes didn't ring true. 3hat will come
with practice. Aust sit back and enjoy the fact that you've played your first
chord.
A 3a4or
1. 0lace your inde$ finger on the /th string,
&nd fret
2. 0lace your middle finger on the -rd string, &nd fret
3. 0lace your ring finger on the &nd string, &nd fret
4. *tart from the 1th string and strum each of the strings below in ;uick
succession. Do not play the 7th string.
o
o 3he ' +ajor chord is a little bit more difficult than the > +ajor, due to the
fact that all three of your fingers are scrunched together closely on the &nd
fret. 3ry playing this chord a few times to see how it feels and sounds. 6f
you are still having problems, or your fingers are so big that they just don't
all fit on the &nd fret at the same time, you may want to e$periment with
other fingerings. 8ne way to remove the need for the ring finger is to use
your middle finger to hold down both the -rd and &nd strings at the same
time.
! 3a4or
1. 0lace your middle finger on the 7th string,
-rd fret
2. 0lace your inde$ finger on the 1th string, &nd fret
3. 0lace your ring finger on the %st string, -rd fret
4. *trum all of the strings in ;uick succession
o
o 3he ( +ajor chord can be played with a few different fingerings, although
the one described above is the easiest for beginning players. 'n 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 3a4or
How to Play an A Chord
How to Play a G Chord
1. 0lace your middle finger on the 1th string,
&nd fret
2. 0lace your ring finger on the /th string, &nd fret
3. 0lace your inde$ finger on the -rd string, %st fret
4. *trum all of the strings in ;uick succession
o
o 3he 5 +ajor chord is one of the most recognizable of the 9+ajor9 chords,
as it can be found in many of the most popular blues and rock songs.
'gain, 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 98pen.9
3a4or
1. 0lace your inde$ finger on the -rd string,
&nd fret
2. 0lace your ring finger on the &nd string, -rd fret
3. 0lace your middle finger on the %st string, &nd fret
4. *tart from the /th string and play each of the strings below in ;uick
succession. Do not play either the 1th or 7th strings.
o
o 8f all of the major chords, the D +ajor chord is often the most difficult
for beginners and the toughest to make each of the notes ring true. But
have no fear. 's 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?
o $T&ER 2&$RS: 'lthough 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. 6f you run into a chord that you don't
know, use this handy >hord #inder in order to find out the correct
fingering for the chord you want to play.
#ractice Lessons
1. *pend at least %1 minutes practicing each chord until you move on to the
ne$t one. +ake sure that you can play each one cleanly and without
How to Play an E Chord
How to Play a D Chord
looking at the chord diagram, as this will make it much easier when you
begin to learn songs.
2. While playing each chord, start by strumming slowly at first one string at
a time!, as this will allow you to see if all of the notes are being played
clearly.
3. 8nce you are comfortable making each of the +ajor chord shapes, start
trying to move your fingers from one chord to another as ;uickly and
accurately as possible. 3his may seem hard, and will probably necessitate
long pauses in between each switch at first. But the more you do this, the
less time it will take you to change chord shapes and the easier it will be
when we eventually start to play actual songs.
Lesson 5: #la*ing Scales
o 6f you are at all familiar with playing the piano, you will know that a
9*cale9 is a group of musical notes that are played one after the other in
either an ascending or descending order. 3here are many different types of
scales, each with their own uni;ue characteristics, note patterns and
musical ;ualities. ,ere we will learn about a few of the most common
scales in Western +usic! and how to use them to improve your guitar
playing. 'lthough playing and practicing scales can often be a tiresome
and relatively une$citing process, don't be afraid? 3hey will help
strengthen your fingers, improve your hand"eye coordination, and greatly
improve your ability to learn more advanced guitar techni;ues, such as
soloing?
o N$TE: 3he diagrams that are used in this lesson show which notes should
be played in each scale and which fingers should be used to play each
note. :otes with a 1 should be played with the inde$ finger, a , with the
middle finger, a - with your ring finger, and a 0 with your pinkie. 'n $
means that the string should be played 98pen.9
o We will start with the most basic scale in music)
The 2hromatic Scale
1. *tart, as we did in
the lesson on
playing notes, by
playing the 7th
string 98pen.9
2. :e$t, take the inde$
finger on your
fretting hand and
hold down the first fret on the 7th string. 0luck the 7th string again.
3. Bsing your middle finger, hold down the second fret of the 7th string and
play it again.
4. Bse your ring finger to hold down the third fret and play the string again.
5. Bse your pinkie finger to hold down the fourth fret and play it once more.
6. <epeat these steps for each of the subse;uent strings e$cept the -rd string
C only play the first three frets on that one!.
o Doila? 4ou've just played your first scale. :ot the most awe"inspiring
e$perience of your life, 6'm sure. But truly a monumental first step in your
transition from ordinary citizen to (uitar (od or (oddess!.
The 3a4or Scale
o 5 +ajor *cale
>hart
1. 0lay the 7th string
98pen9
2. 0lay the 7th string,
&nd fret
3. 0lay the 7th string,
/th fret
4. 0lay the 1th string 98pen9
5. 0lay the 1th string, &nd fret
6. 0lay the 1th string, /th fret
7. 0lay the /th string, %st fret
8. 3o finish the scale, continue playing the rest of the notes in the diagram.
o 3he +ajor *cale is one of the most important and useful scales to know
when playing guitar. 3ry playing the +ajor *cale using different root
notes.
The 3inor #entatonic Scale
o 5 0entatonic +inor
*cale >hart
1. 0lay the 7th string,
-rd fret
2. 0lay the 1th string
98pen9
3. 0lay the 1th string,
&nd fret
4. 0lay the /th string 98pen9
5. 0lay the /th string, &nd fret
6. 0lay the -rd string 98pen9
7. 3o finish the scale, continue playing the rest of the notes in the diagram.
o 8ften known as the 9Blues9 scale, the minor pentatonic is a popular scale
for soloing in the Blues and <ock genres. 3ry playing the minor pentatonic
from different root notes.
o N$TE: 'll of the scale e$amples above use 5 as the root note. 'll of
these scales can be played using any note as the root. Bse this *cale #inder
to find scale charts for different root notes.
#ractice Lessons
1. 0ractice each of these scales for at least %1 minutes or until you are
confident enough to move on to the ne$t one.
2. 8nce 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.

You might also like