The guitar is a
musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six
strings, but
four,
seven,
eight,
ten, and
twelve string guitars also exist.
Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in
blues,
country,
flamenco,
rock music, and many forms of
pop. They can also be a
solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played
acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an
amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Such
electric guitars were introduced in the 20th century and continue to have a profound influence on
popular culture.
Traditionally guitars have usually been constructed of combinations of various woods and strung with animal gut, or more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Guitars are made and repaired by
luthiers.
The "height" (top/bottom) is how high or low the sound is.
Tune your guitar. This will not only help your playing sound better, but it'll also familiarize you with which string and fret combinations correspond with which notes. A useful mnemonic to remember the string arrangement is "Every Body Gets Dinner At Eight" (going from high E to low E).
Guitarists have their own system of music notation called guitar tablature, or "guitar tabs" for short. The basic idea is to look at the tab in the same way you look at your guitar; each line corresponds to a string, and each number tells you which fret to hold down when plucking that string.
E---------------3-0--------------------
B-------------------3-0----------------
G---7-7-7---------------2-0------------
D-2-7-7-7-7-7-7------------------------
A-2-5-5-5-7-7-7------------------------
E-0-------5-5-5------------------------
On the first fretPlace your fingers correctly on the frets. Right-handed players use their left hand for fretting and vice versa. The frets are the metal strips that run perpendicular to the strings. You actually press your finger down between the metal strips, not on them. For example, if you're playing the third fret, you place your finger on the string between the second and third metal strip. Hold the string down firmly so that it only vibrates between your finger and your strumming hand. Place your finger as close to the fret as possible to create a good sound.
C Major chordWhen you hold down multiple strings at once at different frets (to play chords), it can be a little tricky (especially if you have short, inflexible fingers). There are usually several different ways to position your fingers for the same chord, so research them and experiment to find which one feels most comfortable for you.
Keep in mind that every time you move from one fret to another, the resulting pitch will be half a step higher or lower (i.e. "sharp" or "flat"). This is important for if you want to eventually
read and play from sheet music.
Some people find that placing the thumb in the middle of the back of the neck, not coming over the top, leads to better finger placement because it allows better reach and strength of the fingers on the frets. Ultimately, however, do what feels best for you.
Strum with your other hand. This can be the most difficult part to learn without having a teacher demonstrate. Strumming consists of downstrokes and upstrokes in various combinations. Count every beat and off-beat as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and..." (every "and" is an offbeat). Each beat and offbeat can be an upstroke, downstroke, or no stroke. No matter which direction you use, make an effort to sweep across all of the strings with even pressure and steady speed. You don't want to strum some strings a little harder than others, or start off fast then slow down as you get to the last few strings. The motion should come mostly from the wrist, not the forearm.
You can do this with a pick or with your fingertips. There are various kinds of picks you can use, but beginners are usually advised to start with a thin pick, held between the thumb and the side of the index finger.
Keep your arm going in a constant up-and-down motion, sticking with a rhythm whether or not you're actually strumming. This motion functions as a metronome for beginners. As you get better at strumming, you can tap your foot, bob your head, or jerk your knee like Elvis instead Practice chords. A chord is a group of notes that sound good together. The reason they sound good together lies in music theory, but for now, learning how to play a few key chords will suffice. Practice until you can move comfortably between them without losing your rhythm.
The most commonly used chords in Western music are the major chords, which can be remembered with the word "CAGED". Click on any of the following links for specific instructions on how to play each chord:
C MajorA MajorG MajorE MajorD MajorLearn to play some songs. Start off with easier songs - ones with fewer chords in simpler arrangements. Listen to the song being played properly with guitar so you know what kind of sound and rhythm to aim for. Start off slow and speed up gradually, singing along (if applicable) to stick with the rhythm. As you master easier songs, move on to more complex pieces. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd is an example of an easier song to start with. It's basically a repetition of the same three chords in the following order: D, C, G.
A good book about how to play the guitar can help you to learn or improve a particular skill or style.
Although price is not a great indicator of quality, most very inexpensive guitars will have issues that can make play more difficult. For example, frets can be raised too high resulting in buzz as the string contacts them inappropriately. Or a neck that has excessive or too little curve. If possible, take an experienced guitarist with you when going to buy a guitar and make sure you play before you buy, get one that feels right for you.
Most guitars have many hand-made parts, no matter what the price range. So, quality can vary between guitars of the same model. Once you decide on a particular model, be sure to inspect each guitar of that model in the store and choose the best one.
Practice fingerpicking. Look up some fingerpicking patterns online, or, for bonus points, try to figure out the patterns of some of your favorite guitar songs.
