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 giutar - 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 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.

The Bend is by far the most used guitar trick in the book. As this picture shows, the trick is to push the string with your fingers while fretting it (bending the string). Usually you bend strings with your ring finger, using your middle and index fingers to help. The string tension increases, changing the sound of the note. If you pick the note and then bend the string, you get the classic wail of the Blues guitar.

The Hammer On is another popular trick. When a note is following a previous note by one or more frets, instead of picking the second note - slam your finger down on the next required fret (while holding the previous note). This changes the note to the fret you have hammered on, and gives a forceful tone to the change. The complementary technique to this is the Pull Off, which works in reverse. When you have a note that precedes a previous note by one or more frets, fret the second note while keeping your previous finger down (don't pick the string) - then forcefully "pull" back the previous finger. The trick is to remove the finger rapidly so it doesn't muffle the string vibration - the result is a forceful note change to the next note. In guitar tab, hammer on and pull offs are marked with an arc linking the frets - if its going to a higher numbered fret then its a hammer on, if its going to lower numbered fret its a pull off. A combination of both the hammer on and pull off is called the Trill - where you rapidly hammer on and pull off on the same fret several times (keeping the first finger in place throughout). This creates an undulating sound that combines both the notes.

Palm Muting is another way to get distinctive sounds out of your guitar. Although it works best on an electric guitar with distortion effects - it can also be used on acoustic guitars. Simply allow the palm of your right hand to touch the strings while you are strumming or picking the strings - this creates a flat sound or thump (depending on your gear). On some acoustic guitars that have excessive bass (the fat E string sounds too loud), you can partially palm mute by only touching the high E string - this will reduce the bass effect when you are strumming chords.

Guitars are normally tuned to E-B-G-D-A-E notes - however you can also use Alternate Tuning. This changes the open notes for one (or more) strings, completely changing the sound and of course the way you play notes. One popular alternate tuning is the Drop D tuning, where the high E string (fattest E string) is tuned down to D instead of E. Some rock and blues songs use alternate tuning - if you (or they) are trying to play one of those songs from tab or sheet music, it would be almost impossible to do so without changing the tuning of your guitar.

These are only a few advanced guitar techniques, click if you need a refresher on Beginner Guitar Lessons.

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