AcousticGuitarElectricGuitarLessons : Acoustic Guitar Electric Guitar Lessons

This site offers extensive information on guitars, with an emphasis on beginners who want to (or have started to) learn about playing the guitar. If you want to learn to play the guitar (or to learn more about guitars), this site will help you in understanding the basics and in selecting your guitar gear. Start by browsing the various Types of Guitars that exist. Some basic guitar playing instructions are also available to get you started. However, once you get interested and want to do more with your guitar - you should consider in-person training from a guitar teacher. Books, videos, and online resources may help up to a point, but there is no substitute for a professional who you can talk to and watch, and thus learn from much faster.

The guitar creates its music from the vibration of its strings. Each string vibrates at a different frequency based on its thickness and length, thereby making different sounds. Additionally, by pressing down a string at a fret (the metallic bumps that (or this, whichever) run down the length of the guitar's neck), you effectively shorten the length of that string, changing its vibration and its sound. There are two broad families of guitars: Acoustic guitars and Electric guitars. An acoustic guitar is constructed in a shape that reflects back the sound of its vibrating strings, amplifying them "acoustically". An electric guitar makes no audible sounds, its vibrating strings are detected by electro-magnetic coils called "pickups" - and the electric signal is sent to an "amplifier" (amp) which converts it to sound and amplifies it as well. A hybrid of both these guitar types is the Acoustic-Electric guitar, which is an acoustic guitar with built in pickups. Acoustic-electric guitars can be heard without an amp, but it can also be plugged in if a higher sound volume is desired.

There are numerous variations of guitars. One of the most popular is the twelve string guitar. As the name suggests, the 12 string guitar has 12 strings instead of the usual six. Each of the traditional strings is paired with a duplicate string, so it sounds as though two guitars are being played simultenously. Another popular variant is the archtop guitar, which is has a curved top piece (instead of the normal flattop as normal acoustic guitars have), and an f shaped sound hole (instead of the normal round sound hole seen in normal acoustic guitars). Archtop guitars have a distinctive tone and a louder sound than traditional acoustic guitars.

• Guitar Types The different types of guitars that are available, such as acoustic, electric, classical, bass, steel string, nylon string and more.
• Acoustic Guitar Parts The parts of a typical acoustic guitar, with illustrations and pictures to help explain why these parts are needed.
• Electric Guitar Parts The parts of a typical electric guitar, with illustrations and pictures to help explain why these parts are needed.
• Acoustic or Electric Guitar Choosing between an acoustic or electric guitar as your first guitar or for starting to learn to play the guitar.
• Buy Acoustic Guitar How to select an acoustic guitar to buy, be it your first or your 15th guitar.
• Buy Electric Guitar How to select an electric guitar to buy, be it your first or your 15th guitar.
• Basic Guitar Lessons The absolute basic guitar lessons, just to get you started and to build your interest so you will continue to play.
• Guitar Notes How to play basic guitar notes, an explanation of why there are six strings and which notes each string makes.
• Guitar Chords How to play basic guitar chords, a chord is a combination of two or more notes to produce a richer sound.
• Guitar Tabs Basics on how to read guitar tablature (guitar tab) notation, the quick and easy way to play any music on your guitar.
• Guitar Sheet Music Basics on how to read sheet music, even though guitar tab makes things easy, reading music notation is important as you get better playing the guitar.
• Guitar Techniques Basic guitar playing techniques, such as bends, hammer ons, pull offs, trills, vibrato, muting and alternate tuning information.
• Acoustic Guitar Types Information on acoustic guitars, such as the available sizes, length and scale, wood types, and strings (steel/nylon).
• Electric Guitar Types Information on electric guitars, such as construction, strings, bridges, tremolo, pickups and other features unique to electric guitars.
• Electric Guitar Effects Electric Guitars are usually used with effects pedals, which can produce new sounds such as distortion and wah-wah.
• Electric Guitar Amps Electric guitars require an amplifier (amp), basic information about guitar amp features that you should know about.
• Guitar Care How to care for your guitar, cleaning and storage instructions.
• Child Guitar If you want your child to learn to play guitar, here are some tips and information on how to get started.

Sit upright in your comfortable chair with your back erect and as far back as you can go in the chair. Straddle the guitar over your right thigh - note that if you are lefty you will have to reverse all the directions given here! Also note that for classical guitar you will eventually be playing with the guitar on your LEFT thigh - just keep it on your right thigh for now for these basic lessons. Bring the guitar as close to your body as you can, and balance it on your thigh so it doesn't wobble (too much) - and the neck forms a straight line parallel with the ground. If you need to raise your right leg to keep the guitar balanced, use the footstool. Put your left hand under the neck of your guitar with all your fingers open and pointing skywards, rest the neck between your thumb and forefinger. Your thumb should be along the back of the neck, slide your hand up and down a few times and get to know how cool it feels to be holding your guitar. Your right hand should go over the body of the guitar, and your fingers should be near the soundhole (or neck pickup, if you have an electric guitar).

For your first strum (drum roll!), leave your left hand fingers in the air (don't fret any strings yet) while balancing the guitar neck in the V of your thumb and forefinger, and rotate your right hand wrist so the pick (or your thumb) strikes all six guitar strings from the top to the bottom (the TOP most string nearest your face is the SIXTH string, and the string closes to the ground is the FIRST string). Do it slowly at first, listen to all the strings ring out. That was your first strum - although it may not sound like much. As you strum by rotating your wrist, you will realize that it is quite a stretch to strike all six strings just with your wrist action. Now try it by moving your arm ONLY from your elbow along with the rotation of your wrist - must easier, isn't it. So keep in mind, your wrist action is what you need to strike the strings (not by moving your whole arm) - and your arm moves at the elbow to position your wrist over the string that you wish to strike. Strum the top most 6th string (thickest string, nearest your face) downward once, recover the pick back to position above the string (without hitting the string on the way back up). Now nudge your arm (from the elbow) down a fraction of an inch so your pick is in position over the next string (5th string) and pick it. Recover the pick back up without touching the string on the way back, and nudge your arm from the elbow into position over the fourth string - and keep going till you reach the bottom most (first string). Repeat the process backwards, coming back up to the sixth string. When hitting the string, you only need a little pressure - don't get carried away and try to slam the strings to get more volume. The important thing is to pick only the string you are aiming for, and only hit it on the DOWN STROKE (not on the recovery when you bring the pick back up). Try this exercise for a few minutes every day to get your hand and wrist used to the motion.

Once you have some control over your right hand for strumming, lets start with the left hand for fretting the strings. By pressing the string down at a fret you effectively shorten the length of that string, increasing the pitch of the sound it makes. This allows you to make infinitely more sounds than just the six strings picked in open (without any frets being pressed) position. Reposition your left hand so your thumb is flat along the back of the neck approximately in the middle - it should be as though you are placing a fingerprint on the back of the neck. Curl your remaining four fingers and lightly touch the sixth string (closest to your face). Now depending on the length of your fingers and the width/thickness of the neck, you have to get a comfortable feel where you are able to keep your fingers arched - so they do NOT brush against the first string (closest to the ground). Adjust your thumb accordingly, this is your indvidual "zone".

Now you are ready to fret your first string. Note that when we say "fret the string" it does not mean press ON the fret, you want to press AHEAD (towards the tuners) of the target fret as close to the fret as your finger fatness allows. Ideally only the finger tip should touch the string pushing it flat against the fretboard at that point, the closer you can get to the fret (without actually climbing the fret) the better the sound your guitar will make. Again depending on the length and thickness of your fingers, and the width and thickness of your guitar neck, you have to find your own "zone". Start by holding all four finger above the first four frets on the sixth string (closest to your face). Pick the sixth string, then lower only your index finger on the first fret (remember, ON means just ahead of) and pick the string again. Note the sound of the note changed, you just fretted your first string. Lower your middle finger on the second fret (again, ON means just ahead of) and pick again keeping your index finger down where it landed. Repeat with your ring and your pinkie fingers, picking once each time. Now reverse the process, lifting the pinky finger and picking the string, then lifting the ring finger and picking the string, and so on till all four fingers are back up in the air. Switch to the next string (the FIFTH string) and repeat, and keep going all way down to the first string. Then do the same thing in reverse, coming back up to the sixth string. When you fret a string, use your ears - each note should ring out clear as you pick it. If it is muffled your finger is not pushing down correctly or hard enough - if the note cuts out abruptly your finger did not move up (or down) smoothly. You will hear the sound change (technically, by half a step) for each fret that you play.

Always ensure your guitar is in tune before practicing - guitars frequently go out of tune as the strings stretch out, and as the weather changes (humidity affects the wood, swelling or shrinking the neck). You should have a guitar stand, and keep your guitar on it (weather and humidity permitting) so it is easy to just grab it and start playing whenever you have a free moment. After each practice session, you should wipe your guitar down with a dry soft cloth to remove the oils and sweat your hands and fingers deposit on the strings and body. If you have an electric guitar, remember to turn OFF the amp to avoid damaging both the guitar and the amp. It is a good practice to also unplug the cable from your electric guitar when not in use, this saves your equipment in case you forget to turn the amp off - and poses less of a risk that someone may trip over it (which could destroy your guitar, and possibly their teeth).

Buy Electric Guitar

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