Your Guide to Learning to Play the Guitar

Getting to Know Your Instrument

Information on How to Play Guitar

The guitar is a very fun instrument to learn. According to accounts, this stringed instrument has been known to trace its history down to the late 1700s. Each one of these instruments is handcrafted and is then considered to be unique. A great array of this stringed instrument can be found in most music stores. The most popular types are the acoustic and the electric varieties. While the acoustic-type could be played on its own without needing an external amplification device, the electric-type is normally plugged into a power device and an amplifier for a more powerful sound. This instrument is played using the fingers by picking or strumming.

Starting Out

When you want to learn how to play this instrument, you first have to have one of your own. Make sure that it is not just a passing fancy on your part lest you throw away the precious dollars spent buying your instrument. Read up on the instrument and what it takes to learn how to play it. There are trial guitar lessons that you can download from the internet to give you a feel of how it is learn how to play the instrument. The basic techniques as well as the proper finger movement will be the first thing that you have to learn. These are fairly easy given the right attitude and passion - anyone from age 8 to 80 can actually learn how to play the instrument. Having your own instrument to practice on will get you playing your favorite tunes in no time.

All About Habits

Online websites that teach you how to play this instrument will tell you that it is not how hard you strum the strings that make you a good musician. It is actually the control of the sound that is produced as the strings are plucked or strummed that a good guitarist should master. Of course, a good ear on your head would greatly help you improve the way you play as you notice and distinguish the nuances between one sound and another. Learning things right the first time is critical to developing the right habits in playing the instrument. There should be no room for any bad habits to be formed as it would be quite difficult to shake these bad habits off in the long run. This is why a guided online course would be advisable so you can have the learning materials available for you to get back to whenever you need to.

Your Choice, Your Style

Through practice, practice, and practice, you should be able to learn how to play the instrument quicker than you would if you go to private lessons. As you go through your online lessons on your own, developing muscle memory and an ear for the right chords, you will soon find that you can play your choice of songs. When you are familiar with the various chords, it will be quite easy for you to download tableaus showing you how to place your fingers on the strings to play your favorite songs. Eventually, as you keep on playing, you will be able to develop your own distinct style as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3787366

Easy Beginners Guitar Lessons - How to Hear Chords Better on the Guitar

Even the top professional guitarists would agree that they spend most of their professional guitar playing time in an accompaniment role, so if the world's best players spend the majority of their time accompanying singers or other instrumentalists it should be a cue for all guitarists to brush up on their chord playing skills.

It's pretty crazy when you think about it most of the newbie players are trying to master outrageously difficult solos played at breakneck speeds or learn a random lick or two in the hope to get noticed; whereas in the real world the work and employment opportunities are in the rhythm accompaniment department... yes even lead guitar heroes need someone to accompany them!

There is an art in playing rhythm guitar and part of that art is being able to play just the right chord or chord voicing under the soloist; but where do you start?

Here's a few ideas to help you improve your ear and increase your knowledge of the harmonic possibilities on the guitar.

Color tones: If you are not familiar with the term 'color tones' they are simply the notes for the scale that are not in the chord.

Some examples...

C major scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

C major chord = C - E - G

All other notes in the C major scale other than C - E - G would be considered color tones that could be added to the C major chord.

[C] - D - [E] - F - [G] - A - B - C

Color tones for the C major chord would be D, F, A & B they would be identified are follows:

D = 2 for example: C major add 2 (Cadd2)

F = 4 for example: C major suspended 4th (Csus4); omitting the 3rd

A = 6 for example: C major 6th (C6)

B = 7 for example: C major 7th (CMaj7)

Likewise a Dm chord created from the C major scale would contain the notes...

D minor = D - F - A

Therefore all the notes other than D - F - A would qualify to be color tones for the D minor chord.

C - [D] - E - [F] - G - [A] - B - C

Color tones for D minor chord would be E, G, B & C they would be identified are follows:

E = 2 for example: D minor suspended 2nd (Dmsus2); omitting the 3rd

G = 4 for example: D minor suspended 4th (Dmsus4); omitting the 3rd

B = 6 for example: D minor 6th (Dm6)

C = 7 for example: D minor 7th (Dm7)

Now that you know what color tones are how do you learn to 'hear' then?

Using a Major 9th as an example.

CMaj9
--x----
-[3]----
--4----
--2----
--3----
--x----

Step 1: strum the chord once, make sure you have the color tone as the highest note in the chord. Color tone in the CMaj9 chord indicated as [].

Step 2: play all the notes from the scale up to the color tone (the ninth)

Step 3: strum the chord once more finishing on the highest note (the color tone).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4122351

How to Learn to Play the Guitar

The guitar is a stringed musical instrument which is very popular today, especially among the youth. The various types of guitars available include classical guitar, acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Yamaha, Dean, Gibson and Taylor are some of the popular brands involved in the production of quality guitars. Have you ever wondered how to learn to play guitar? Here are some of the basic steps involved in learning to play this instrument.

1. Tuning -- You need to tune the guitar to create better sounds. Moreover, it will make sure that you get familiar with different stings and combinations that correspond to different notes.

2. Musical notes -- The next step will be to learn to play musical notes. Through the guitar tablature, you will have to learn to read the guitar tabs.

3. Positioning -- While holding the guitar, put your fingers properly on the frets. These are the raised portion on the neck of the guitar. To create a good sound, you have to put your fingers very near to the frets.

4. Strumming -- The art of brushing your fingers over the guitars strings is called strumming. This can be done by a finger or with a pick. For a beginner, strumming with a pick is recommended.

5. Practice makes one perfect -- Practice the chords so as to get your own rhythm. The most common chords are C Major, G Major, D major, E Major and a major.

If you think about it, learning to play a guitar isn't really easy. All it requires is hard work and dedication.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3085306

How To Learn The Guitar Fast

The first thing to know about how to learn the guitar fast is
that if you are clear on a number of basic concepts the whole
process of playing the guitar will fall into place effortlessly
and you will have a lot of fun right from the very start.

Concept #1: Regardless of whether you have just purchased a new
or pre-played instrument make certain your guitar's action is set
up properly for you, a good guitar shop can do this for you, but
you have to ask them to set the action for you, it is very rare
that a guitar is in top playable condition when you purchase the
instrument.

The 'action' is the distance between the underside of the guitar
string the guitar fingerboard. If the action is too high it will
make playing difficult, resulting in sore fingers, and excessive
tension in the player's hands.

Concept #2: The is no music in the guitar, as you learn special
skills you will project yourself through the instrument. The
guitar is simply a tool for musical expression. Many players
spend large amounts of money on equipment in the hope that their
new purchase will improve their musicianship.

Understand this: no amount of equipment can ever replace lack of
developed talent.

Concept #3: The most important skill to develop is to develop
your groove. People respond to music in this order 1.rhythm,
2.melody, 3. harmony. Notice rhythm is the first aspect of music
that people respond to.

A definition of music in it's most basic form could be :"pitch in
time".

Traditionally, guitar method books concentrate on learning
chords, very little is done to develop the player's rhythmic
ability. This is one of the major reasons people do not learn the
guitar fast, their focus is on learning more chords without
improving their rhythm.

Concept #4: Chord shapes must be easy to play. This is very
important, if the chord shapes are too difficult for the new
guitarist they will not be able to develop their rhythm because
they will usually stop tapping their foot while they put all
their energy into forming the difficult chord shape.

Chord shapes should consist of one or two fingers for the
beginner.

Concept #5: Avoid fancy strumming patterns, concentrate on
strumming once on the first beat of the bar and focus on tapping
your foot. By strumming the chord only once the guitarist will
quickly develop a clear memory of the sound of the chord, this is
essential for playing songs by ear.

Concept #6: Learn simple two chord songs first. If you want to
know how to learn the guitar fast start with two chord songs and
then as your ear develops progress to three chord songs. Study
the chord progressions of each song you play and notice the
similarities in the chord progressions, many songs use the same
chord progressions, this will help you develop a high speed
memorization system for learning songs fast.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/911875

Those Who Have Made The Guitar Famous

The guitar has sat somewhat quietly in the background for over a thousand years. You can see it when you look through history in many different forms.

From the lute, to the Egyptian "Lan" and then up to the more recent ways we recognize it, acoustic guitar and electric guitar.

No matter what shape it has taken on over the ages it has always been a very important part of collaboration in music. It can very easily be played alone and make a beautiful tune, or it can be accompanied by several other instruments to form an entire symphony. OK, so maybe symphony is going a bit far, but did you know the piano is actually a stringed instrument? Yes indeed the guitar and piano share much of their tones and accents with one another. So, perhaps we could envision Beethoven or Mozart strumming away on a gorgeous classical guitar rather than tickling the ivories.

Though it seemed to be nothing more than a supporting instrument for many years some very influential people came around over the years to take the guitar to a whole new stratosphere.

Going back as early as the 1940's, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash started to show us what the guitar can really do on its own. Musicians like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and a whole slew of blues guitarist such as B.B. King really started to Rock n Roll on the guitar. Showing the world that there were much more than single notes that could be played on this instrument. You could actually take proper scales and turn those into songs, and what we would later describe as solos. This truly changed the face of the guitar as it was. Taking this amazing instrument from a background strumming to the front-line of the stage and blowing minds across the globe.

From these initial scales and "new notes" that were discovered came a whole new movement on the guitar which some of the most famous musicians were a part of. Jimi Hendrix took them to a different level putting his own psychedelic spin on it. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin took a more traditional look at the blues guitar but sped it up and made it more intricate than anyone had ever even imagined was possible. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath put a dark twist on everything and thus began the birth of what we now call "metal music."

Once we "discovered" this metal guitar the world of guitar took on a whole new light. With immense speed of these scales like Kirk Hammet of Metallica, speed riffs through scales ranging from old blues all the way up to classical scales that no one had heard of on anything other than a piano. This brought into the lime light amazing guitar players such as Yngwie Malmstein who has shattered many ideas of what the boundaries of a guitar really are. If you have not heard of him I strongly suggest you take a quick peek at what he has to offer. It is truly amazing what he can do with this ancient and beautiful instrument.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6212379

Learning Popular Songs On The Guitar: Motivation for Commitment

There are several ways to learn how to play a guitar. One would be classical instruction while another might be called the Christopher Columbus Method, "Discover it and Land on it." This technique is exemplified in learning to play popular songs on the guitar by ear. Many popular musicians have learned the guitar by plinking along with the radio or their stereo until they pick up the melody and can strum along. Others and more accomplished musicians found it much more efficient to receive instruction. Having a teacher means that correct skills can be acquired quickly rather than by trial and error, and bad habits are avoided.

Brain Connection
Successful play of popular songs on the guitar means that the artist has enough knowledge and skill to convert hearing to their fingers without thinking about it. The mechanics of music must be internalized and not the result of thought. Practice, repeated practice burns the motions of music in to automatic responses much like keyboard typing on the computer. The typist must not think, they must rely on the learning patterns they have developed over time in practice. More typing mistakes occur as a result of thinking rather than doing.

In the same way playing popular songs on the guitar or any instrument requires patience, diligence and practice, practice, practice. It is a well understood principle that there is a relationship between music skills and creativity, but science has found that music skills actually create specialized neural pathways that otherwise would not exist. Brain matter is more effectively utilized in young people who acquire musical skills. A similar response occurs with learning a foreign language if it is initiated early enough in life. It is for this reason that learned music skills for children is a vital way to enhance their development. Moreover, it allows them to express themselves in creative ways that expands verbal skills and attention span.

Simple Beginnings
Beginners should begin with simple compositions to develop basic skill but also choose some songs that are fun. After all, we learn to play and instrument because we like music first. Without fun and familiar or popular songs on the guitar, disinterest results as the discomfort of practice overcomes the desire to learn. Have fun first. Make it interesting. Focus on both the immediate results, with an eye on the future. It will help you to keep from quitting and every step of music mastery will provide new rewards and challenges.

Variety
So exposure to a variety of music resources is an important step in the development of style and appreciation. Besides conventional forms of music, adaptation of different instruments and even household items to make music combined with scores and lyrics enhance the flexibility of music expression. And like syntax and idioms of a new language, the nuances of tempo and dynamics of music must be internalized so as to avoid disruptive or incongruous play. Much can be leaned by watching and hearing accomplished artists play the guitar. Study of instructional videos is also helpful because skill can be taught and acquired quickly from repeat observation and practice.

Make games out of playing popular songs on the guitar and invite others to participate. Perhaps a garage band is an outlet for you or maybe you have someone you seek to impress. Either way involving others will heighten your commitment. Keep the reward of accomplishment in front of you and your diligence will pay off.

Commitment
Flawless strumming comes with frequent practice. You will move from simple chord strumming to single string picking and then you will be able to perform complex compositions. Your motivation cannot be based on what you are now but rather what you intend to become. Don't give up.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5681781

How Long Will it Take For Me to Learn How to Play the Guitar?

This is probably the most frequently asked question I get. It is also the hardest one to answer. I wish I had a crystal ball to answer this one, or better yet a magic wand so I could just wave it and turn us all into the guitarists we want to be. Since I do not have either one, here are a few thoughts on the subject.

First, how do you want to play guitar? Do you want to be able to strum a few chords and sing folk songs, or do you want to play like Van Halen or Steve Vai? Or maybe you want to play jazz guitar. How you want to play will be a factor in how long it takes.

It will take a lot longer to be a jazz guitarist or to solo like Vai or Van Halen than it will to play simple chord accompaniments to folk songs. There are many different styles and ways to play guitar, some more difficult than others. By clearly defining your guitar playing goals, you can get a better idea of how long it will take you to learn guitar.

You can learn to play a few chords and strumming patterns in a matter of weeks. To learn how to improvise and solo can take years. In fact, that is one of the joys of music, there is so much to learn that it is a never ending process of discovery.

Second, how much time are you willing to spend practicing? As far as I know, there are no shortcuts to learning the guitar. I see promises in ads like, "Learn To Play The Guitar In 3 Days." In my experience, this is simply not possible. It takes practice to learn the guitar.

If you are only willing to commit to 10 or 15 minutes here or there, it is going to take you a lot longer to learn than someone who spends an hour every day practicing. Or two hours, or three...you get the idea. The more time you spend practicing the quicker you will learn.

Third, and this is one I cannot put my finger on (no pun intended.) Some people seem to have more of a natural aptitude for the guitar than others. They just seem to be able to pick it up easier than others. If you are one of the fortunate ones that seem to be blessed with this, good for you.

For the rest of us, hard work and practice will get us to our guitar playing goals. I really believe that anyone can learn to play. No matter how difficult it may seem at times, stay the course, practice, and you will improve.

This is the best answer I can give to your question. I am sure it is probably not what you were looking for but hopefully I have given you some insight and some things to think about. In summary, define your goal as a guitarist, and when you achieve that goal you may find yourself then setting a higher goal. Set aside a consistent block of time to practice. Daily repetition of your material will help you improve faster than anything I know.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4616498

Online Guitar Lessons - 3 Proven Tips to Playing Virtually Any Song on the Guitar

Having been a professional guitar instructor for well over 12 years now, one of the most common questions I am often asked is...

"How can I learn to play my favorite songs on guitar?"

Learning how to play popular songs on the guitar can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments for any aspiring guitarist. Having the ability to pick up the guitar and easily begin playing your favorite tunes will not only prove to be fulfilling, but is also a great way to entertain your family & friends during holidays and get-togethers.

Now to a beginner guitarist, learning to play any popular song can sometimes "seem" equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest. But keep in mind, this is only because that individual has not yet realized that there are certain elements that virtually all songs are composed of...

And if he or she will allow themselves to become familiar with these elements, then playing songs on the guitar becomes easy! Let's take a look at a few of these key elements right now...

1. Chord Fluency: If you are going to learn to play your favorite tunes on the guitar -- and play them well, it is absolutely necessary that you become fluent with at least the basic chords. Now when I say "fluent", that does not mean perfect. It simply means that you have reached a level of playing where your chords are sounding nice & clean. Some of the most important chords to master are your basic major & minor open chord shapes.

2. Strumming & Picking Patterns: If you listen to just about any song, you will notice that there are certain rhythmic patterns that are being played with each chord. Understanding how to apply these various patterns is what gives you that "Professional Sound." One of the best ways to improve your strumming & picking patterns on the guitar is by practicing to a metronome or click track.

3. Transitions: This is a very important area to become fluent in, simply because in order to play through -- and actually keep up with any song, your ability to transition (or change) from one chord to another has to be rock solid. If not, then you will most likely find yourself falling behind in the song. A great way to get started in this area is by taking a few basic chords that you may already be familiar with and simply strumming each chord a few times -- then changing to the next, while staying as consistent as possible.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1258318

Secrets To Learning The Guitar Fast

Before you start learning guitar, you need be familiar with the number of basic steps necessary. Once you know each step you will take and in what order, you will be able to fly through learning guitar.

The first thing you need to look at is if the action of the guitar is set up properly. The action is the distance between the underside of the strings and the fingerboard. If the action is too wide, then playing the guitar will be unnecessarily harder. It will also put more strain on your hand as you try to play. No matter what you buy, the action will most likely not be set right for easy playability. Any decent guitar shop will be able to set this up for you. Make sure you ask, as they may not do so without being prompted.

No matter how expensive, a guitar will only ever be a tool with which you can express your own musical talent. Because of that, buying the best guitar on the market will not make you play better if you don't know how. Inversely you do not need to buy the best instrument to be the best player.

One of the most important aspects of learning guitar is finding your groove. The first thing people hear in music is the rhythm, followed by the melody then harmony. If you cannot find a good rhythm or set of rhythms that you like to use, you will never be as strong a player as you could be. The guitar books, useful as they can be, do not focus much on this part of playing. They mostly work on chords, this is why it takes so long for people using them to learn guitar.

You must familiarize yourself with chord shapes. These normally consist of one or two fingers at the beginning and work up to more than that. If you have to focus on the shape of the chord, then you will not be able to find your rhythm. If you can't find the rhythm you will not be a great player.

Keep away from fancy ways of strumming. If you do try to be fancy with it, you will lose your rhythm. The best way to start is to strum just once on the first beat of the bar. This will keep your mind free to tap your foot and keep your beat going. Strumming only once will help you learn the sound of the chord, which is infinitely helpful when playing by ear.

Learn simple two chord songs to start out. This is the best way to learn fast as you will study the progression of those chords. Many songs tend toward using the same progressions. If you can memorize this progression, you will find it easier to learn the more complicated songs.

Above are the six simple steps toward learning guitar fast. Do not let yourself get confused with the generic chord shapes or progressions. Just follows these steps and you will be on your way toward learning guitar quickly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/923497

Strumming the Right Notes

Do you want to learn how to play the guitar? Well then you should start learning by practicing strumming the right notes. Some people believe that playing an instrument is all about natural talent, but it is more about hard work and determination than anything. One can get great at working hard at a guitar, but if one does not have any will to learn then natural ability is worthless.

In order to learn how to play the guitar, there are a lot of different ways you can get lessons to learn. It's not hard to find tutorials online and in books or DVDs and in other mediums. There are also magazines which show chord patterns as well as chords for many different songs that one might like. These help with self-teaching and one can learn how to play the guitar well with enough practice.

To learn how to play the guitar the classic way, you should get lessons from a guitar teacher. This will help you learn all of the important basics that you need to know in order to play simple songs and popular ones that you hear on the radio, and also more complex songs that are sure to impress.

For lessons with a teacher, you can choose to have it either in a group or individual. A group lesson will probably be cheaper, but with a big group it can be hard to get the attention you need to progress in your guitar playing if you need help.

A smaller group will be good if you want to learn with other people so that you can have the teacher's attention more often. Individual lessons are definitely the best if you want to get really good especially at an acoustic jazz guitar. This way, you can learn at your own pace and your teacher will be able to help you every step of the way.

You need to remember that you will probably not get good at the acoustic jazz guitar right away. This is perfectly fine, since everything requires time and hard work before you can perfect it. You should dedicate a lot of time to getting good at the guitar so that you can learn and be the best you can be. If you want to be a good guitarist, then you need to spend time perfecting your craft.

It is important to exercise the correct techniques of playing when playing your guitar so that you can play well and not damage your hands or wrists. Playing the guitar incorrectly can cause pain in the finger joints and in the wrists and can cause problems later on. Having a guitar teacher will help you learn the right way to play without damaging your hands.

Strumming the right notes with grace and skill may take a while to learn, but if you put enough energy and effort into it and if you stay determined, you'll be able to play the acoustic jazz guitar soon enough. Being able to play an instrument will definitely come in handy once you've mastered it. If you love music, playing the guitar will bring you joy and you will bring joy to others with your skills and talent.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4463358

New to Playing the Guitar? How to Play Beginning Blues Guitar

Are you someone who wants to learn how to play a guitar? Is learning how to play the blues your passion, check out Beginning Blues Guitar. This course teaches you everything you need to know about playing a guitar, but the way it's taught is quite innovative. Purchase the Beginning Blues Guitar to start learning. This course is one that's been specially designed for beginners and novice guitarists. Use their 3DVD Set to learn how to play in a short while. Here is a look at what you can learn from this course:

- You will learn about different parts of the guitar. You will get an understanding on every guitar feature be it an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar.

- When you learn guitar, you would have to understand TAB. TAB presents guitar music in the easiest way and the course effectively helps you to learn TAB. This helps you to start right away into playing blues guitar.

- The blues chords of the guitar are discussed in detail. This is the interesting part because you will learn to play the blues quickly. There is a diagram representation for the guitar's blues chord and you will take no time in following it.

- You are given a detailed explanation on the 12 bar blues, which form the basis of thousands of blues songs. This gives you the opportunity to learn how to play such songs in a short while.

- Strumming is the thing that people don't know how to grasp quickly. This DVD course has an innovative approach to learning strumming. You can understand strum patterns in no time at all and you will learn how to implement them quickly.

- Playing your guitar fast requires that you know how to pick. You have to pick in both directions and do it efficiently. This course can make understand how to pick so that you get the speed and play music like you really want.

- Popular sounds that you hear are broken down into smaller parts so that you can play the guitar that much more easily. You can recognize such tunes in Clapton, BB King, and Muddy Waters and now you can play them too.

- You might have wanted to know about "blues jam riffs". This course gives you a detailed explanation on what they are and you'll soon start to play them.

- Learning to play the blues guitar largely lies in how well you understand the chord movement. This is certainly something that's complex and you will learn how to play 72 chords in just a few easy steps, which is quite amazing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4112567

Playing the Guitar - John Denver, an American Icon and Rocky Mountain High

A lot of younger people have never heard of John Denver or his movie "Oh God!" or his classic tune "Rocky Mountain High".......man I love that song. What a feeling to be able to play it on my guitar and soar away on the music. Those of you who remember John may or may not be fans of his music but I loved it from the first time I heard it. Not only did I love his music but I found that a lot of his songs were fairly easy to play on the guitar. Songs like Rocky Mountain High, Rhymes and Reasons, Sweet Surrender and Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights In Canada). Some of his tunes, like Rocky Mountain High, call for the sixth string, the low E, to be tuned down to match the fourth string, the D. This lends a great tone to chords like the D chord. Here's the intro to the song.

D
O |-----|--x--|-----|---
O |-----|-----|--x--|---
O |-----|--x--|-----|---
O |-----|-----|-----|---
O |-----|-----|-----|---
O |-----|-----|-----|---

Em7
O |-----|-----|------|---
O |-----|-----|------|---
O |-----|-----|------|---
O |-----|-----|------|---
O |-----|--x--|------|---
O |-----|--x--|------|---

G (finger placement on the 5th fret)
X |-----|------|------|---

X |-----|------|------|---

O |-----|------|------|---

O |-----|------|------|---

O |--x--|------|------|---

O |--x--|------|------|---

A (finger placement on the 7th fret)
X |-----|-----|------|---

X |-----|-----|------|---

O |-----|-----|------|---

O |-----|-----|------|---

O |--x--|-----|------|---

O |--x--|-----|------|---

Let's go over that one more time. Your first chord is a D with some slight variation - strum all six strings and remember, tune your low E to D. Your second chord is an Em7 variation, strum all six strings depressing strings 6 and 5 on the second fret. Your third chord is a G variation, strum only four strings (6th through 4th) depressing strings 6 and 5 on the fifth fret. Your fourth chord is an A variation, strum only four strings (6th through 4th) depressing strings 6 and 5 on the seventh fret. I recommend that you find a copy of the cd set "An Evening With John Denver". I have the original vinyl album with 23 songs. The cd released in 2001 contains tracks recorded at the California Universal Amphitheater in 1974 and includes bonus tracks which were recorded at Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, Red Rocks, Colorado on August 14, 1973.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1326721

How To Play "Happy Birthday" On the Guitar for Beginners in Easy 3 Steps

This an easy way to learn how to play "Happy Birthday" on the guitar.

1. Chords
There are only three chords that you need to learn for this song. They are the following:

(The chord tabs are laid out in this order of strings | E A D G B E | which means from top string to bottom. The numbers stand for which fret is supposed to be pressed on each string. The 'x' means that the string is to be silent.)

The G Chord:
| 3 2 0 0 0 3 |
Press your middle finger down on the 3rd fret of the top E string, the index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, and either the ring finger or the pinky on the 3rd fret of the bottom E.

The C Chord:
| 0 3 2 0 1 0 |
Place your ring finger down on the 3rd fret of the A string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and the index finger on the B string.

The D Chord:
| x 0 0 2 3 2 |
Place your index finger down on the 2nd fret of the G string, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, and the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom E string.

If you are just starting to learn the guitar, practice holding the shapes of these chords and switching between them so you can be familiar with them. In that way, when it comes to working on strumming, you're not trying to learn both how to change chords and how to strum at the same time.

2. Strumming
The easiest way to strum Happy Birthday is to play only down strokes for every beat. The singing will carry the swing of the song, so you do not need to worry about any up strokes. The beat count for the song is in sets of three. Below is a lay out of the count for the song.

Happy 1birth2day 3to 1you 2 3Happy 1birth2day 3to 1you 2

3Happy 1birth2day 3dear 1(name) 2 (pause) 3Happy 1birth2day 3to 1you

The numbers are placed exactly where the down strum should happen in the song. The syllables with a number accompanied with it have a down stroke happening at the same time. For example, a strum happens right on "birth" of "birthday" and also right on "day" of "birthday".

3. Put Them Together
Now let's put the chords and strum pattern together.

The order of chords is: G - D - G - C - G - D - G.

Here is a lay out of when exactly to play these chords.

Happy Gbirth2day 3to Dyou 2 3Happy 1birth2day 3to Gyou 2

3Happy 1birth2day 3dear C(name) 2 (pause) 3Happy Gbirth2day Dto Gyou

All of the chords except one are played on the '1' beat. The only exception is the last 'D' of the song.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5312268

Play Songs on the Guitar!

Most of my students want to learn how to play songs on the guitar. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the case for you as well. However, that can mean extra work for the instructor, since they are the one who has to work out the different songs for each student.

As a teacher, my aim is to encourage my students in the direction they want to go. In order to do this, I try to accommodate their interests by providing appropriate practice material. One of the things I have noticed over the years, is that my students generally practice more when they are learning how to play songs rather than just a series of exercises.

So, to make things easier for myself, I try to keep a few songs "on hand" that use interesting chords and/or strumming, flatpicking and fingerpicking patterns. This helps my students learn specific techniques while at the same time, they are learning how to play songs on the guitar. They can then apply the techniques they've learned from these songs to any style of music they may be interested in playing later on down the road.

For example, two songs that I find serve this purpose rather nicely are Good Riddance, by Green Day and Closer To Fine by the Indigo Girls. Both of these songs use the same basic chord structure and they also have a similar rhythm. They are fairly easy to play as well, so students tend to pick them up rather quickly. The benefits of learning these songs are many. Good Riddance teaches students how to isolate specific strings on the guitar while using a pick, which is an important technique to acquire. Closer To Fine, on the other hand, has a nice strumming pattern and is useful for developing such techniques as speed control, even tempo and smooth chord changes.

I must say that one of the nice things for students today is the amount of free guitar learning material that is available on the internet... Everything from free guitar tab to free guitar lesson videos. This is really quite remarkable when you think about it. In my early days I learned a lot by just hangin' out with other guitar players and listening to records. I learned how to play a lot of great songs that way and recommend that you try to do the same!

Learning how to play songs on the guitar is definitely fun and it's very practical too! It's not that hard either. Plus, songs can provide a great incentive for practicing, as well as give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when you've finally mastered a particular tune you've been working on. Not to mention that songs will make you feel like a guitar player. They will also supply you with the experience and material to play in front of an audience or in a band.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4098771

Singing and Playing the Guitar - A Basic Tutorial

As easy as it may seem watching professionals do it on television, singing while playing the guitar is not an easy thing to do. It involves multitasking with your vocal chords and fingers at the highest level. As such, practice and patience are necessary in order to truly master it.

When trying to learn how to sing and play the guitar simultaneously, musicians often encounter difficulty trying to sing with the correct pitch while coordinating their voice and fingers to convey a unified presentation of music. Throw in the patterns, timing, and emotion of the music being carried out on these two levels, and you have a somewhat complicated task to learn.

Here are a few tips when learning how to sing while strumming simultaneously. First, you will want to start by learning one task. Choose either the singing or the strumming, and learn that part alone first. Perhaps the most common and frustrating mistake people make is trying to do both at once. Not only does this result in a poorly coordinated learning process, but you end up not really mastering either the singing nor the strumming, and are left with nothing.

Beginners should start by choosing a relatively easy piece to learn. They should proceed by learning each part, the singing and the strumming, separately, before putting the two together. This will dramatically increase chances of success.

As you learn a new song, try humming the melody of the song along with the chords on the guitar (of course, you will need to learn the chords before you attempt this). Try to become so familiar with the chords to the point where you can strum along without having to consciously think about them. When you've reached that point, you are ready to start humming along with your playing.

Another tip to take into consideration is to start off by choosing a song where the singing and the strumming are done to the same rhythm. This will give you something easy and manageable to work with.

Experts have also found that your ability to visualize playing and singing at the same time can actually increase your real ability to play and sing. By envisioning your body working together in a coordinated effort, you will speed along your path to learning the piece. Before attempting to learn a new song, take a few moments to imagine yourself playing and singing in a coordinated effort to the music of the piece. This will increase your overall aptitude in the learning process.

In the end, singing and playing the guitar requires practice and patience. As any professional musician will tell you, it is not an easy task to become good at. You must be willing to put in time and energy to succeed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5654032

The Three Easiest Guitar Chords to Get You Started Right Away on the Guitar

Let's talk about what NOT to do when you're first learning chords on the guitar. At the beginning, you need chords that don't require finger acrobatics and crazy stretches. It's important to get you making relatively easy-to-finger chords as quickly as possible so that you get the reinforcement that comes with actually making music.

I recommend you begin with three chords that all use the same three fingers in the same combination. These three chords also all occur relatively close together on the guitar. This means that all you have to do in order to move between them is either slide up or down one fret or jump one string on each finger.

The first three chords I recommend you start playing right out of the gate on the guitar are: E Major, F Major and A minor.

Those of you who are already familiar with chords on the guitar may be up in arms at the thought of beginners trying to learn F major as one of the first three chords they learn. Don't worry, though-we're not going to be playing the barred version of F major that gives so many new guitarists fits. Instead, we're going to play a mysterious-sounding F major variation that has a very Spanish sound.

E major is easy: place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 3rd string. Then, place your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. Finally, place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string.

Go ahead and strum all six strings at once-the sound you get when you hold those three notes down and strum is the E major chord.

To get to our special beginner's F major chord, just keep your fingers in the same E major shape, but slide all your fingers up one fret in the direction of the soundhole.

Strum all six strings. What do you get? While it's technically an F major flat 4 in Third Inversion, you don't need to worry about all that just yet. All you need to be concerned about is the fact that this chord ROCKS. It sounds great, and it sounds very cool when played directly after our initial E major chord.

Finally, for the A minor chord, we're going to make the same familiar shape with our fretting fingers, but we're going to make that shape on different strings.

Fret the 1st fret of the 2nd string with your index finger. Then, fret the 2nd fret of the 3rd string with your ring finger. Finally, fret the 2nd fret of the 4th string with your middle finger.

For A minor, you only need to strum strings 1 through 5. Leave the low 6 string out of your strum.

Notice that A minor looks exactly like E major, but the fingers are just shifted one string each. The switch from E major to A minor is a little harder than the slide from E major to our special F, but with a little patient and attentive practice, you'll have it no problem.

Now, you can just play those chords in every variation to your heart's content! Explore these three different chord sounds, and mix and match them as you like.

5 Tips For Learning How to Play the Guitar

Have you noticed how every famous band in the music industry always includes the guitar? It is perhaps because the guitar is highly versatile, with the ability to set the rhythm, create the sounds that transform into music, and even mimic tones as that of other instruments. It seems that a song would not be completely called a song if it does not incorporate the flavors added by the guitar.

So many people want to learn how to play this musical instrument, apart from it being such a popular one, but because even famous persons like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, and others can bring the guitar to life so perfectly. If these music artists are icons of the present time, then their guitars have played a very important role, too.

If you are hoping to be a guitar star all your own, then it's high time you start learning how to play it! If you need a little help, then here are five tips for learning how to play the guitar:

1. Pick a guitar that's right for you. There are different types of guitars, each with its own special characteristic. For people who have a shorter arm reach, there are smaller guitars available. Plus, the string types may be nylon or wire, so choose which is most comfortable for you to get used to.

2. Study the basic chords. There are dozens of chords for guitars, and not everyone who plays can really memorize each one. Start out by familiarizing yourself with the finger holds and strums for the basic chords, such as C, D, E, G and A. Once you know them, proceeding to the major and minor chords will go along better.

3. Select an easy song to play. There are many songs that use most of the basic chords, with variations in tempo of your strumming. You can search online or read guitar song sheets to have an idea of which chords are played at specific parts of the song.

4. Listen to other guitar solos to get a feel of the strumming. A great way for you to be able to change chords faster and match your strumming is to listen to sound files of guitar solos, on your computer, CD players, or mp3 player. Whether you are holding your guitar or not, you can practice the rhythms and even memorize them, so playing the songs later on won't be a huge challenge. Even advanced guitar players have to listen to new songs that they want to learn how to play.

5. Always set a time from your day for practice. It may be cliche', but practice really does make perfect. At first, your fingers might get all blistery or numb from having to press down on the chords, but you will get used to it. Eventually, you'll be able to make quick chord changes without having to look at your hands while you play.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1443526

How to Play Guitar For Beginners - 5 Steps to Get You Started Playing the Guitar

Learning to play the guitar as a beginner can be a seemingly daunting task. With so much to learn and master beginners are often put off by the overwhelming amount of information they are required to process and learn. However, learning the guitar doesn't have to be a hard task. By following these five simple steps you too can be playing the guitar like a pro within days.

1. Familiarize Yourself with Your Guitar

Upon purchasing your first guitar, especially if its an electric, you're most likely going to be utterly clueless as to what each part does or is called. Nut, bridge, saddle, bride pickup - the technical lingo of the guitar can all be quite confusing for the beginning guitarist. However, there are many resources on the net that have detailed illustrations of the parts of the guitar and what it is they do - use them, and familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of your guitar. Treat it as an extension of yourself, and really get to know it.

2. Memorize the notes of Standard Tuning

In order to standardize the tuning of the guitar and allow for easy manipulation of chord shapes and scale patterns guitars are generally tuned to the tuning of EADGBe. This is by far the most commonly used tuning used by guitarists, and from it can be derived a multitude of other tunings. It is crucial that you memorise this tuning now, as you will be using it as a reference point for every other tuning you in turn choose to use.

3. Learn to Tune Your Guitar Both by Ear and Via a Tuner

Being able to tune your guitar by ear is an incredibly important asset to have, and as such learning it should be of top priority to the beginning guitarist. In order to tune your guitar by ear you must first use a reference pitch, commonly that of E, in order to tune one string to the correct pitch. From then you can go on to tune the rest of the strings based off of this first string. In addition to this, learning how to properly use an electronic tuner is of importance, as you will be frequently be using one for many years to come in order to quickly and efficiently tune your guitar.

4. Begin Learning the Basic Open Chords

One of the first major steps you will take as a guitarist is learning to play some of the basic open chords. These chords, such as C Major, G Major and A minor, can be used to play literally thousands of songs due to the fact that nearly all songs, especially in the Western world, make prominent use of simple chord progressions. As a result of learning just 3 or 4 simple chords you will find yourself in the position to be able to play literally thousands of songs.

5. Practice strumming the basic open chords.

After learning a few basic chords working on your strumming technique is crucial. Strumming patterns provide the rhythmic aspect to a chord progression, and by using a different strumming pattern a totally new rhythmic aspect can be achieved. After mastering a few simple strumming patterns you will be in good stead to be able to play your first songs on the guitar.

After learning and mastering the basic open chords of the guitar you are already well on your way to becoming a virtuoso guitarist. With just three or four basic chords you can play the basis of hundreds upon thousands of popular songs, which you can use to impress your friends and family or start writing your own original music. In addition to this you can start developing yourself as a guitarist, and start focusing on more advanced techniques now that you have most of "the basics" down pat. For fun, try searching for "basic songs in the key of G", or perhaps in the key of C. I guarantee you that you will find at least one song that you already know quite well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6582510

Secret Tips For Learning Songs On The Guitar

Playing the guitar is a great skill to acquire in your life whether you want to use it to entertain your friends, impress a crush, or improve you musical talent. Playing the guitar is a fun way to interact with others and express your creativity. There are many ways you can practice learning how to play guitar and how to improve upon basic skills. Guitars come in different varieties. The two most basic ones are electric and acoustic. It may be better if you start out with an acoustic sound so you can familiarize yourself with the sounds of the notes and chords.

Learning how to play the guitar takes patience, determination, and practice. Practice will help you improve your skills and widen your song-playing abilities. You'll be able to play harder and harder songs the more you practice. One way to practice is to listen to songs on the radio or the Internet. By listening to the songs you can "play by ear" and distinguish between the different notes. You can also begin practicing by investing in song books, recordings, and music sheets. You can start learning the musical notation for songs and start building up your knowledge of notes and chords. Memorizing notes and melodies will help you build on your play-by-ear skills and widen your song-creating abilities.

Another way you can practice is to search for videos by your favorite artists on the web and look for instructional videos on how to play those songs on the acoustic guitar. Most videos will have screens that display the notes and chords and others will tell them to you. You can also listen to musical books and tablature to improve your guitar playing. For beginners, choose songs that use strumming or picking. They are easier to learn and not as demanding to master.

Whatever you do, keep practicing. No one learns guitar playing in a day, but the more days you practice, the more guitar playing you learn and soon you'll master it. You can learn more challenging songs and patterns the more you practice. You should always try to improve little by little. Choose songs that you like and enjoy listening to but can't play yet. This will motivate you to continue playing and practicing. You can even try mixing strum patterns and stabilizing the rhythm for new songs.

When you first start playing, your strums may sound shaky, jittery, and may buzz. This is normal and is to be expected. The more you practice, the more controlled your strumming will become and the less buzzing it will be. It won't be as jittery the more you practice and soon your strumming will be flawless.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5824101

Learn How to Play the Guitar - For Free!

Guitar lessons are expensive and you don't have a lot of cash - what should you do? There's a simple solution that won't cost you a cent. Believe it or not you can learn the basic guitar techniques and skills on a budget.

Here are two ways that you can learn how to play the guitar on the cheap. The first way is really a no brainer - ask someone who knows the basics to teach you what they know. Be sure that the person you are asking is reliable and knows how to really play the guitar. It could be a friend, relative or other acquaintance. Make sure this person has enough patience to work with you - especially if you have a limited knowledge of music basics. If your teacher isn't patient, you won't learn very much. If your friend isn't sure what to teach you, suggest that he or she start with basic tips and fingering techniques. Of course, this free method isn't an option if you don't know anyone who plays the guitar and would be willing to teach you.

Another great way to learn how to play the guitar is to take free lessons online. The Internet can be a wonderful tool for the novice guitarist, as there are tons of instructional videos available that will help you improve your skills. In some ways an Internet-based instructor is better than a real person because you can pick and choose what lessons to learn and in what order. You can take breaks - you can put the lesson on pause! Even better, you can take extra time to practice a hard lesson without worrying about taking too long. But best of all, you wouldn't feel like someone was hovering over you, criticizing you for every wrong note. You would be the boss and could take things at your own pace.

Here are 5 tips to help get you on the road to playing the guitar:

Tip #1: You will obviously need a guitar - you can buy one, borrow one or sometimes even rent one - just make sure you also have a guitar pick, a comfortable stool or chair and of course, a lot of patience and a willingness to learn. You will of course need to know the various parts of the guitar, starting with where you need to put your fingers to create the notes and strum or pick the strings.

Tip #2: Be sure to warm-up and exercise your fingers. If you are too tense you won't be able to maneuver some of the harder chords and notes. Wiggle them around and stretch them out before playing. Just relax and let them learn the positions naturally. Don't get frustrated or you'll never be able to make the notes properly. A good guitarist can move between notes and chords along the strings quickly so that they can blend in with the song seamlessly to form the melody. You should practice the basic notes and chords repeatedly in order to increase your agility and improve your overall finger strength.

Tip #3: You definitely need to learn the chords by heart. Start with the most basic ones and move into the advanced chords. Don't even think about trying the chords that use all five fingers or use a bar when you are getting started. Stick to smaller two and three finger chords until you build your basic skills and confidence. The easiest chords to learn when you are getting started are the A chords (A and A minor), the C chords (C and C minor), the D chords (D and D minor), the E chords (E and E minor), the F chords (F and F minor) and of course the G chords (G and G minor).

Tip #4: Practice your strumming patterns diligently. If you listen to the song you want to learn first, it will be easy to figure out the strumming patterns and learn the melody more easily. You should never try to play something advanced without learning the basics first. Instead of inspiring you to want to learn more you will likely get frustrated and quit because chances are it won't sound very good. A lot of beginners start out with strumming rather than picking, because picking techniques can be rather challenging to learn. When you are just starting to learn notes and chords, a simple up down, up down strum will be easier to coordinate and remember.

Tip #5: Above all you must practice. Practice, practice, practice. And just when you think you can't do it again - practice a little bit more. Learning how to play the guitar is definitely one of those times when practice can make perfect. Well, perfect may be stretching it, as perfection comes after years of practice, but your diligence will definitely pay off. You should always remember to enjoy playing the guitar and have fun with it. Just relax and take your time. Take a break if your fingers start to blister and your hands get sore - you don't want to over do it. Play for the sheer enjoyment of it, don't turn it into a chore.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3974619

Starting to Learn the Guitar From Scratch

If you are just at the beginning stage of learning the guitar, it is important to prepare yourself to devote a great deal of time to focus on learning the guitar. This is just cannot be done to finish learning in a few days. You will see that learning to play the guitar takes pretty much time, but if you are ready and want to go fast, it will surely be easier.

The first thing that should be noted is that you certainly need a guitar. This is a very basic thing, but it just cannot be avoided. Taking the right guitar for you is a very essential step in speeding up your guitar lessons. Thus, you have to consider what kind of music you want to play with your guitar. It depends on what you want to learn. If you like rock, you should take the electric one.

Despite the fact that the strings in your guitar might be easier to press, if there are a lot of buttons, it could make you learning much more complicated. What's more, if you want more portability, electric guitars are not quite an appeal. If you want to learn to be more versatile of the types of music you want to play, you may try to start with an acoustic guitar. Learning with acoustic guitar can be tougher than an electric but beginning with it makes you play better with the electric one.

Learn the chords at first. This is pretty easy. Use a chord chard, take some basic chords and follow the finger placements. It may be hard at first with these 'dots' in the chord chart, because their number is quite large. However, you don't have to start with them, you can pick the ones which are simpler. The basic G-A-D-C-E are probably the simplest you can learn. Moreover, you can find some songs with these chords and try to practice shifting through them. If you managed to hear the melody, then it's ok for you. Also the song you pick should be familiar to you and you like it.

The second thing is learning how to strum. You just may not be able to play the song if you can't get the right timing and strumming. You should start by picking some some simple patterns of strumming. What's more, you can find several audio guides on strumming and you will be able to recognize how it should sound.

After that, the stage of learning to read tabs comes. If you want to learn the guitar fast and play favourite songs, one of the best tips in that is learning reading tabs or tablatures. This is one of the best known methods of fast guitar learning despide some existing flaws in this system. After that you will be able to share your music with other people who play the guitar.You will understand soon that it is pretty easy to learn despite the fact that you may by a little confusing about looking at a guitar tab, especially it it your first time. Asking help with a friend who knows how to read tabs can be a great way to learn the tabs easily.

Practice, practice and practice. The main beginner's key is to build your muscle memory, so that it helps you with playing songs without looking on the fingers. With lots of practice, you can learn to play your favorite songs in no time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3274023

Fun Ways to Learn Songs on the Guitar

Listening to guitar songs is one way to relax when you are in the company of friends. But why just listen when you can learn and play songs on guitar? One way of practicing the skill is by listening to guitar songs on the radio or internet. This way, you can widen your musical knowledge just by listening to the strums and beat. This technique is called "playing by the ear", but you will need to know the basics of guitar playing before you can reach this level. Playing a guitar requires patience and determination. Practice is the only way to enhance your skills.

Playing different varieties of song choices can help you greatly with your musical growth. Invest in song books, recordings, and music sheets. By having them, you can practice in your free time. Start memorizing notes and melodies so it can help you widen your play-by-ear skill. Also, you can listen to musical books and tablature. Search on the web for videos by your favorite artists and try to find instructional videos on how to play their songs on an acoustic guitar. For beginners, its best to choose songs that involve strumming or picking since they are easier to master and learn. But never go for less; always try to level up every time you learn a new song. Try to mix strumming patterns and stabilize the rhythm.

And as your journey of learning to play a guitar progresses, keep practicing. At the beginning, you might notice that chords tend to buzz and the quality is jittery. This shouldn't hinder you; all you need to do is to practice, practice, and practice. It's like riding a bike, on the first attempt it will be jittery, but in time you will learn how to balance and correct your mistakes. Flawless strumming comes with constant practice. It is evident that when we learn songs on guitar, we get frustrated, but this should not stop us from pursuing the dream.

In time, when you progress to a higher level, you will meet songs that have multiple chords. You can counteract this by playing an easier song that you have already recognized and hide behind a normal strumming pattern. However, if you are confident with your skills, you can level up buy challenging yourself with constant shifting of patterns and chords. Choose songs that you like but cannot yet play. It can motivate you to learn and push yourself to the limit.

The last and most important thing to remember when we learn to play songs on the guitar is to enjoy and have fun! There are some songs that are frustrating to learn and master, but if you really want to become an expert guitarist, you should never give up. Pick up your guitar and keep practicing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5087474

Your Skill Checklist in Learning to Play the Guitar

Learning to play the guitar may be easy, but there are still good and bad habits that you should always keep in mind. The rules are simple: take note of the following do's and don'ts so that you don't waste your time and effort for nothing.

It takes time and patience to play the guitar. If you don't have these two qualities, you might as well throw your guitar away because it can only bore and annoy you. Investing patience means listening to the song you want to play as frequently as possible. You are trying to get the idea of the song, so it is advisable to really get familiar with the song. Learning to play the guitar means that you have to be able to detail out every melody, pitch and frequency of the notes and patterns of the chords being played. Transferring the melodies to the guitar is easy once you are able to find out how the songs has been produced in the first place.

If you are really interested in learning to play the guitar then you should first master finger variations. You can do it if you are already familiar with the chords as these are the most fundamental knowledge for every guitarist. You cannot even play the simplest melody without the knowledge of guitar chords because these are the basics of learning the guitar. Once you have mastered them, your fingers will naturally follow.

The next thing to learn is strumming. Good strumming will enable you to play the guitar as a rhythm guitarists of a band or as a solo performer, just to amaze your friends. A good musician must be well-balanced and equipped when it comes to guitar skills - that is, he or she must be capable of both plucking and strumming. There are several ways in strumming your guitars and these are usually coupled with patterns to induce variations and style. Learning the correct strumming is relatively difficult because you have to maintain a steady and firm tempo and still be able to follow the melody. You can do this by constantly listening to the song you wish to play. Also, strum the strings according to the type of music - if you are playing jazz music with a too determined (rock style) type of stumming, it will simply sound wrong and it will be easily recognised as a mistake you are making. Because of that you should always get to know the song well enough to know what goes with it and what doesn't.

If you are a guitar beginner, then you can rely on tablatures as they provide guitarists the finger patterns of the notes without having to deal with too many difficulties of actually figuring out the song on your own. If you are finding it hard to read and study tabs, don't waste too much time on a single part of the song you just can't get right - this will just slow you down and that won't be helpful in your guitar lessons at all, because you need to advance quite quickly in order to stay motivated. It's strongly advised to break the song down into smaller parts (intro, verse, chorus, solo, outro) and learn them one at a time. There are several advantages of using tablatures. With them, you can learn to play your favourite song quite accurately in a matter of hours or less. You can also learn only the part of the song that you are interested in playing. All the same, learning to play the guitar through reading tabs still requires a lot of patience and effort, but it's all guaranteed to be worth your while.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1635523

How to Strum a Guitar Using Your Fingers

Right here at the beginning, we're going to keep things simple.

To begin strumming using your fingers, we're going to use only your index finger.

Whichever hand you're using to strum with, take your index finger and basically flick it out from your palm. As you flick your finger out, brush the fingernail of your index finger against all six of the strings.

This sounds best if you're already fretting a chord of some sort, but even against the six open strings this can sound quite nice.

In the guitar world, we call this downward flick of the finger a "downstroke."

The feeling is very much akin to flicking the finger out. Ultimately, you will want to use a little movement in your wrist and the arm as a whole to generate more speed and power from your finger strum, but in the beginning, really work on becoming comfortable with the feeling of the finger flicking out from the palm and then coming back.

As you flick out, you'll feel your finger brush against all the strings. Over time, as you do this more and more, you will grow more and more comfortable with the feeling of your finger against the strings. Don't worry if it feels strange at first.

It helps if you have a little length to your index fingernail. It's not completely necessary, however, and you'll get a decent sound even without a longer nail on your index finger.

So that's strumming down with your index finger. When you play songs, you will want to be able to do more than that. The next thing to learn is what we call the "upstroke."

In the "upstroke," you bring your index finger back up into the palm of your strumming hand. But as you bring the finger back, you brush it against the strings in the opposite direction of when you did the "downstroke."

The upstroke feels pretty weird at first. Most people experience more difficulty in attempting the upstroke.

Don't worry about it-just keep trying it slowly a little bit each day, and after a week or so, you'll forget it ever felt anything but comfortable.

Once you have the downstroke and upstroke "in hand," you can begin applying this simple finger strum to a song. At first, just play down strokes in rhythm on the beats of the measure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5003007

Learning How to Play the Guitar

Music never fails to delight the ears of the audience. Guitars are some of the few very popular stringed instruments around the world. There are many kinds of guitars, ranging from a bass, an electric to an acoustic, combination of acoustic-electric, 12 stringed, resonator, etc. There may be many variations but they are all played basically the same - by strumming the strings.

In learning how to play the guitar, you have to familiarize yourself with the different chords. Chords are made when 3 or more notes are played concurrently. There are many chords out there but the fundamental once you need to learn are the major, minor, 7th, minor 7th and major 7th of every note. Major chords are upbeat while minor chords are lower toned. Seventh chords are regular chords with an added seventh note above the root. There are a total of 7 notes namely A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

It is important for you to master chords since chords are the fundamental blocks in making a song. The hard part about playing chords is the finger placements. It takes a while to get familiarized with the position so enough practice needs to be done.

In learning how to play the guitar, you also have to practice your strumming. Strumming may sound very easy but it will affect the overall rhythm of your songs which is why you have to practice this as well. Two patterns of strumming are done, up stroke strumming and down stroke strumming. Take note that your fingers may feel sore after a while. This is nothing to worry about, practice and time will make it better, and it just needs some getting used to.

Capos are sometimes used by guitar players. Capos are those small movable vertical bars placed on the neck of a guitar across all the strings in order to raise the pitch of the music. Pay attention to your finger positioning. It is important for you to keep your finger in between the frets and not above it as this will produce a better sound. Also take note of the amount of pressure you apply.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5082105

Guitar Lessons For Absolute Beginners - The First Steps in Learning to Play the Guitar

If you haven't tried your hands on a guitar but you are really interested to play the instrument, it is always better to start the right way. If you are looking for guitar lessons for absolute beginners, you can actually find some helpful resources that would help you start your lessons correctly.

You can find guitar lessons for absolute beginners on the internet through some eBooks, online tutorials, some video tutorials or you can also enroll in guitar classes. To prepare for your guitar lessons, of course you will need your instrument and a guitar pick - that small piece of hard material that will help you in strum the strings of the guitar. If you still don't have a guitar, it is best to let somebody who knows how to play the instrument to accompany you in buying. They will guide you in choosing a good guitar with a quality sound.

1. Familiarization of the instrument
Most likely, guitar lessons for absolute beginners will start with the familiarization of the instrument. Of course, you can best play the instrument if you are familiar with how it works. If you are starting with an acoustic guitar, which is the most common for beginners, you may want to know the function of its basic parts and familiarize the tuners, the neck and the sound of the strings. Also know what is a fret and where you can locate the first fret, the second fret, etc.

2. The proper handling of the instrument
Holding the instrument properly is also a key in producing good sound and in maintaining proper posture when playing. The tendency for beginners is to watch their fingers on the string that leads them to slouch. From the beginning, practice good posture to avoid bad habits in playing the instrument.

3. Tuning your guitar
To own a guitar also means knowing how to tune it. It may be a little difficult at first, especially if you have not yet developed the skill to distinguish the correct tune of the strings, but it will be a lot easier as soon as you learn to play. You can however ask a friend to do it for you or you can buy yourself a guitar tuner which is readily available in music stores. Online resources on guitar tuning are also available.

4. Learning the basic chords
Here you may have to use your guitar pick and your knowledge on the basic chords. You will need a chord chart to know how to play the basic chords. To start with, you can try with the simplest chords like G, C, D, E, A and F. The chord chart will guide you what finger you will use in what string. It is important in guitar playing to memorize the chords and the positioning of your fingers. Mastery of the chords plus constant practice will allow you to gain muscle memory and you can learn to play guitar without even looking at it.

5.  Strumming and finger picking
Guitar lessons for absolute beginners may start with strumming, as it is easier for beginners. When you eventually know how to play the chords, you can then move on to finger picking so you can learn one step at a time. Strumming a guitar may be difficult at first. Most often, you will not produce a sound on your first strumming sessions, or if you do, it would not be music to your ears. With constant practice, it can however improve fast.

6. Practice.
You may find it difficult to transfer from one chord to chord to create the music but one thing you can do about it is to memorize the chords with your hand and do it repeatedly until you can do it without looking. For instance, you can practice shifting the chords that are near each other such as C - A - D then repeat so you will get the hang of it. Find a familiar song with these chords. This will help you master the shifting of your hands, the strumming and the timing.

Learn the Guitar Effectively

To learn the guitar effectively, every lesson starts from the basics. Very complicated lessons, when rushed into, will leave anyone with a hard time when trying to follow succeeding ones. But there is a way to learn it effectively. A lesson plan should allow a person to follow every step or instruction in simple but detailed steps. Not only that, an effective lesson plan should indicate very important details that most people find hard to follow.

Instructions that people usually find hard to follow are reading a chord diagram, strumming the right way and switching from one chord to another. These instructions are really simple but may be hard for a beginner. The best way to learn is by following these steps:

First step in reading a chord diagram is to know all the parts indicated in it. The different parts of the chord diagram are vertical lines, horizontal lines, "x" marker, "o" marker, dot marker, name of chord and numbers.

Vertical lines - Frets
Horizontal lines - strings
"x" marker - string not to strum
"o" marker - string to strum
Dot marker - positioning of the finger in the strings
Name of chord - name of the chord that you will play
Numbers - the designated finger to use in a certain dot (position of the finger in the string)

Designated fingers for numbers:
1 - Index finger
2 - Middle finger
3 - Ring finger
4 - Pinky

Second step is to figure out how to strum the strings and which string to strum. As discussed in the first step, the "x" marker and "o" marker will tell you which strings to strum. But that's not all - the strings where your finger is positioned should also be strummed. In strumming the strings, see to it that your strumming will be in melody. That means, if you think your strumming should be 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 1/4 or continuous. You will learn guitar lessons basically strumming by determining to strum the strings once first. Eventually, you will realize that there are some chords wherein you should strum more than once.

Third step will be regarding the switching of chords. Switching from one chord to another will take a lot of practice. You should practice the basic chords one by one until you master them. For example: try the chords A, C, D, Am (A-minor) and Em (E-minor). After mastering these simple chords, try playing A and C or Am and Em in an alternate manner. When you've mastered switching one chord to another, try different combinations of easy chords. After mastering all the possible combinations of basic chords try playing a song wherein you can find basic chords.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3920611

How To Strum a Guitar?

One of the first things to learn, and definitely a vital aspect of playing the guitar, is how to strum. Although it looks incredibly simple, a lot more is involved in strumming than simply hitting the strings with a pick.

The first thing you might want to consider is the pick itself. They come in different sizes and shapes, all built for a particular purpose and all useful in their own way, but for the acoustic guitar however, especially at the early stages, you might want to go for a thinner pick rather than a thicker one. Thinner picks offer more flexibility, which allows more inconsistencies from your right hand. Also it gives a little bit more of an open brighter sound, which, on an acoustic guitar, sounds great. Up to this day in fact, I still opt for the thinner pick every time I play acoustic guitar.

Th next step is how to hold the pick. If you hold your hand out as if you're holding a mug or a glass your hand should naturally curve on the inside with the fingers closed together as you do it. If you position the pick on top of your first finger, with the flat bottom part of the pick lightly touching the edge of your nail and you get a firm grip with your thumb, you should be getting a little rounded gap between the thumb and the index finger. Once that feels right, bring it closer to the rest of the hand, and you're now ready to strum...

Strumming is by far what a lot of players struggle with at first, and if I had to boil it down to one reason it is this - tension. Having tension while playing can have an extremely negative influence on your playing, as well as your muscles and tendons.

Whatever you play, aim at executing it without any unnecessary tension in your right arm. Learning strumming patterns can help you with this. It is very often overlooked by most players, but the players who learn strumming patterns during the early stages of playing are the ones who can really focus on being creative and experimental with their sound. There are countless techniques and approaches to the guitar and the best way to introduce yourself to them is by mastering the basics. Learning how to strum is definitely one of the most important aspects of guitar playing, so make it your aim to learn how to do it properly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6239290