How To Hold A Guitar Pick

Playing with a pick is the easiest way to get a reasonable sound out of your guitar, especially if you use steel strings.

Although strumming is possible using just your fingers there is no point in making life difficult for yourself. Some of the more advanced lessons on this site will deal with finger style guitar in detail.

The pick should be held lightly between the thumb and the first finger (index) as shown in the pictures below.The easiest way to find the correct way to hold a pick is to imagine it as an extension of your index finger’s nail.

Holding the pick lightly allows it greater flexibility to move up and down and to the left and right as your play. This slight movement gives you better striking action as you strum.

How To Hold A Guitar Pick

There are several common mistakes beginners make when holding the guitar pick. Nearly all of the mistakes result in the a loss of control when strumming and the pick falling out of your hand, either onto the ground or into the guitar sound hole.

The first mistake is clenching your fist. Holding your pick with a clenched fist restricts the movement of your wrist and the finer movements from your finger tips as your play. Nearly all of your right hand movement will have to come from the movement of your elbow. As you can imagine the difference between moving your elbow to pick each and simply moving your fingers is very noticeable. The more elbow movement required the less precise and accurate your picking will be.

Holding A Guitar Pick With A Clenched Fist

This is a very common mistake among new guitarists. Instead of supporting the pick on the side of your index finger you hold it with the finger tip. Doing this will result in poor control when you are strumming.

Sometimes you will see guitarists (even very good ones) holding the pick using two or even three fingers. Although there is nothing wrong with doing this I advise against it.

The reason is twofold.

First of all there is no advantage to using two fingers. Secondly when you start playing harmonics and tapping later on it is very useful to have that extra finger available.

September 8, 2009 at 11:05 am | Learn Acoustic Guitar | 4 comments

View the original article here

The Pattern for Learning Guitar Notes On the Neck

Learning to play different notes up the neck and on each string is an important part of a beginners foundation. After all chords and scales are all made up of a mixture of notes, if you don’t know where different notes are located on the neck you’ll sort of plateau with your learning sooner then later.

In this article I’ll show you the simple pattern you can use for learning the guitar notes on each string. We’ll first look at half and whole steps between notes and how they transfer to the guitar neck, next we’ll review the space in steps and frets between each note and finally an example to tie it all together.

After reading this post please watch the video at the end. It covers everything the post talks about plus a more detailed example. You should be able to find each variation of major notes A through G on the neck once you’re done this post and video.

Steps

The first concept to understand is what a step is. Steps, both whole and half steps, come from the concept of the piano keys and the space between each note. Between most notes there is one full step except for between the B and C notes and E and F notes. There is only one half step between these two sets of notes.

Frets as Steps

So that’s great, a half or whole step between notes, how do we play this on the guitar? Well good news, each fret on your guitar neck denotes on half step. So now you can use the space between each note on the guitar neck in terms of frets.

Here’s an overview of the spacing in terms of frets between each major note:

A to B = 2 Frets
B to C = 1 Fret
C to D = 2 Frets
D to E = 2 Frets
E to F = 1 Fret
F to G = 2 Frets
G to A = 2 Frets

Using the above information we now look at a simple example on your guitar neck.

Let’s start with the low E string. Playing that string open is an E note and what comes after an E? An F right? The spacing is only 1 fret between an E and an F so if we play the 1st fret on that E string we’ll be playing an F.

NEXT

After F comes G, from our list above there is 2 frets between an F and a G note so sliding up two frets to the 3rd fret is a G. Finally if we go from our G to the A note, another full step, we’re at the 5th fret.

This pattern will continue all the way up that low E string until you run out of frets, but I’m sure you get the picture with that simple example.

Next take some time to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts but also shows you what we’re talking about and gives a more in depth example. After you watch this video I suggest grabbing your guitar to give it a shot on your own.

Interested in learning more beginner guitar content? Ever consider trying a learn to play guitar dvd? You can gain access to lots of great content that you can watch and learn from in the comfort of your own home and on your own time.

December 17, 2009 at 3:15 am | Learn Guitar Scales | 4 comments

View the original article here

Understanding Musical Keys on the Guitar

Musical keys on the guitar are a topic that is often over complicated. They appear difficult so many beginners avoid learning them at all. In this article I want to explain how you can find the right chords that fit together in a given key using a little known method known as one, four, five. After reading this article and watching the example you’ll be ready to start figuring out keys on your own and a whole new world will open up to you on the guitar neck.

The actual definition of a musical key is rather in depth. If a piece of music is in the Key of A then this states that it harmonically centred on the note A and makes use of those notes in the A major scale. Does it make use of all the notes? Maybe, but probably not. So what notes or chords should you be playing in the key of A major? That’s what we want to find out.

There’s an easy way to find out what chords you should be playing in each key. It starts by looking at the given scale for the key you want to play in. We’ll continue with the example from above in the key of A major. The pattern we’re going to use is known  as I-IV-V or one-four-five. This takes the first, fourth and fifth notes from a given scale and combines them in a progression which sounds nice together. This same pattern shows up a  lot in popular music and songs. Following our A major example let’s look at the A major scale: A B C# D E F# G# A

The first note is the A, the root note will always be the first note. Next we look to the four which is a D and the five which is an E. So the A chord, D chord and E chord will work really well together in the key of A.

Take a few minutes to watch the video below that goes along with this article. It will provide further explanation and another example to help you understand.

Ready for more beginner guitar lesson content and musical theory? Why not try learning on your own at home using one-on-one style instruction from an acoustic guitar lessons dvd? Dvd instruction is becoming the number one choice for adult guitar lessons because of it’s low cost and flexible time line. GIve it try for yourself.

March 22, 2010 at 9:03 am | Learn Guitar Scales | 3 comments

View the original article here

Learning to Tune Your Guitar By Ear

Most beginner guitar players tune their guitar using an electric tuner. It is of course the most logical way seeing that there are these small tuning devices for just the job.

What if you don’t have a tuner handy? You could be at a store playing a guitar for sale, a friends place who doesn’t own a tuner or around a camp fire trying to play sing-a-long songs.

Knowing how to tune your guitar by ear is an important beginner skill and that’s what we’re going to cover today. At the end of this lesson there’s a short video that covers everything we talk about here and provides a walk-through example. Take a few minutes to watch that video after you’re done reading.

Tuning your guitar by ear isn’t difficult. There are only three things you must keep in mind.

1.)The note of any given string is the same as the 5th fret played on the string above it
2.)There is one exception, the B string is the same as the 4th fret on the G string above it
3.)To tune the low E, or 6th string either match it to the tone of the open high E string or play the 5th fret of the B string (note the low E should be one octave lower then the E played on the 5th fret of the B string.

Example: The D string seems a bit out of tune on your guitar, to test you can play the 5th Fret of the A string above it and then strike the open D string. If the D seems like it’s lower or higher then the 5th fret of the A string adjust it with the tuning peg.

It can happen that the string you’re tuning to (in above example you would be tuning to the A string on the 5th Fret) is out of tune. If you sense this might be the case take a moment to first check the tuning of the string in question (in example above the A string). You can do this by verifying the tuning with the string above it.

It’s a good idea to practice this technique each day you sit down to play. Before you start practicing take a few minutes to check all your strings to ensure they’re in tune. This will get faster as you practice and eventually become second nature.

Take a few minutes now to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts as in this article then walks you through a sample tuning of all the strings on your guitar.

Interested in becoming a better guitar player? Ever consider taking some guitar lessons for beginners? You can, and you don’t have to leave home to do it either. Thanks to online video lessons and DVD’s you can study guitar at home and improve your playing fast.

January 9, 2010 at 9:58 pm | Learn Guitar Tuning | 7 comments

View the original article here

Beginner Guitar Chords – E and G Major Lesson

Once you begin to learn to play chords you finally start to feel like a guitar player. Of course it does take some time to flawlessly be able to play several chords and switch between them, but all beginners can get there with some practice.

Today I’m going to start you on that journey by teaching you how to properly play the E and G major chords. At the end of this article there is a lesson video that goes through the Tab and finger positions for the chords so I suggest you watch that as well as read this.

Remember to use the tips of your fingers when you’re pressing on the strings. This ensure that you only press on the string you intend to. Using the fleshing part of your finger will most likely cause you to blunt the string above or below.

E – 0 –
B – 0 –
G – 1 –
D – 2 –
A – 2 –
E – 0 –

To play an E chord you use your first three fingers and position them: second finger on 2nd fret of A string, third finger on 2nd fret of D string and first finger on 1st fret of D string. Play all six strings when you strum the E chord.

E – 3 –
B – 0 –
G – 0 –
D – 0 –
A – 2 –
E – 3 –

To play a G major chord you also use the first three fingers and position them: second finger on 3rd fret of the low E string, first finger on 2nd fret of the A string and third finger on 3rd fret of the high E string. Strum all six strings when playing the G chord.

Practice making the shapes first before you worry about being able to strum the chord. It will take some time for muscle memory to build up in your hand and for the chord shape to feel second nature.

Take a few minutes to watch the video below that better explains the chord shapes, tab and a practice exercise to use.

Did you enjoy this beginner lesson on chords? There are 5 other major chords to learn and variety of minor, suspended and diminished chords. Why not consider teaching yourself using a beginner guitar dvd? Videos in both DVD and online are becoming the private lessons of the 21st century, so why not give it a try.

February 3, 2010 at 10:35 am | Learn Guitar Chords | No comment

View the original article here

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

How often you need to go out and buy new strings depends on several things including how much you play you guitar, the climate and where you store it. When your strings start sounding dull, lifeless or begin to look rusted and worn it’s usually a good sign that they need replacing.

A good rule of thumb is change your guitar strings once every couple of months. You can change them less often if you wipe them down after each use and store your guitar in a cool dry place.

If you replace your string often your guitar will always sound bright and cheerful. Better guitarists tend to change their string regularly while less than average guitarists don’t change them much in order to save a small amount of money. You need to decide what works best for you.

December 1, 2009 at 9:16 am | Guitar and Equipment | 1 comment

View the original article here

How to Play Guitar Book

“Shout outs to Adam Summers from InstantGuitarist.com for putting this book together for me, he’s been teaching people how to  play guitar for awhile and finally got something down on paper to share with all of you.”

Check out his book here - How to Play Guitar.

If you want access to some more awesome lessons check out more of Adam’s stuff at InstantGuitarist.com. You can visit the site by clicking here – ‘How to Play Guitar‘

June 12, 2010 at 1:34 am | Learn Guitar Books | 5 comments

View the original article here

A Quick Method of Learning All Major Guitar Chords on the Neck – Intro to the CAGED System

Understanding where to play the different major chords (A, B, C, D, E, F and G) at different places on the neck can be a challenge. Thankfully there is a somewhat simple system that exists on the guitar neck that can help you find 5 different locations for each major chord.

The CAGED system is based on the chord shapes for C, A, G, E and D. The system works so that you can find barre chords on the neck using the five different shapes for the above mentioned chords to make up all of the major chords on the guitar.

EXAMPLE: a barre chord with an E shape at the 3rd fret is a G chord.

By first understanding how the CAGED system works and then finding the different variations of other major chords all over the guitar neck you can easily learn where to play any major chord in a variety of locations.

The video below is an explanation of the CAGED system as well as an example using the E major chord of how it works and the different variations using an A, C, D and G shape to form an E chord on the neck.  Watch the video and take note how you can make an E chord using these different shapes on the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th frets. This process can be repeated for any major chord.

I’d suggest after watching the video you grab your guitar and spend a little time finding the different variations of other major chords on the neck. There is value in memorizing all of these variations for each chord, especially if you jam with others a lot.

For starters just focus on learning and using the CAGED system. It makes learning different variations of major chords a lot easier.

If you’re interested in learning more great techniques like the CAGED system but don’t necessarily have the time for private lessons why not try a guitar lessons dvd? Get a great education in guitar by watching videos at home, learn at your own pace.

December 8, 2009 at 7:41 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 1 comment

View the original article here

Beginner Guitar Chords Using Only Three Strings

Learning guitar chords can be intimidating for a beginner. That’s why in today’s post I want to show you three different 3 string guitar chords. Two of these chords are what we could call half of the full major 6 string chord and are an easy way to get started with strumming multiple strings and switching between chords.

Take your time when learning the D7 chord, the shape can be difficult to make at first on the fret board, but with time it will become easier. A quick mention of the tablature I’ve used to explain the chords below. X’s stand for strings that are not to be strummed, numbers represent the fret number to play on a particular string and 0's stand for strings to be played open without any frets being pressed.

E — 0 —
B — 1 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this beginner chord place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, remember to use your finger tip, and strum the bottom three strings.

E — 3 —
B — 0 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this chord, like the C chord, you only need to use one finger. Press the third fret of the E string down with your 3rd finger and strum the bottom 3 strings.

E — 1 —
B — 2 —
G — 1 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

This chord requires you to use three fingers at once, so give it some time to feel right and don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t sound exactly right the first time. Place your second finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your third finger on the 2nd fret of the B string and your first finger on the 1st fret of the G string.

This is the intro to playing chords. Starting playing the chords one at a time before you try switching between them. Switching chord while continuing to strum takes some practice and you’ll get there but don’t try to rush yourself to quickly.

Below is a video that goes over these three chords again and also explains the best method to practice them.

Would you like to start learning more guitar chords? Ever consider learning at home? Why not try guitar lessons on dvd. Learn & Master guitar is a complete 10 or 20 dvd self study program to learn guitar at home, with integrated online support. Learn more in this Learn and Master guitar review now.

January 21, 2010 at 7:30 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 12 comments

View the original article here

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

How often you need to go out and buy new strings depends on several things including how much you play you guitar, the climate and where you store it. When your strings start sounding dull, lifeless or begin to look rusted and worn it’s usually a good sign that they need replacing.

A good rule of thumb is change your guitar strings once every couple of months. You can change them less often if you wipe them down after each use and store your guitar in a cool dry place.

If you replace your string often your guitar will always sound bright and cheerful. Better guitarists tend to change their string regularly while less than average guitarists don’t change them much in order to save a small amount of money. You need to decide what works best for you.

December 1, 2009 at 9:16 am | Guitar and Equipment | 1 comment

View the original article here

Beginner Guitar Chords Using Only Three Strings

Learning guitar chords can be intimidating for a beginner. That’s why in today’s post I want to show you three different 3 string guitar chords. Two of these chords are what we could call half of the full major 6 string chord and are an easy way to get started with strumming multiple strings and switching between chords.

Take your time when learning the D7 chord, the shape can be difficult to make at first on the fret board, but with time it will become easier. A quick mention of the tablature I’ve used to explain the chords below. X’s stand for strings that are not to be strummed, numbers represent the fret number to play on a particular string and 0's stand for strings to be played open without any frets being pressed.

E — 0 —
B — 1 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this beginner chord place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, remember to use your finger tip, and strum the bottom three strings.

E — 3 —
B — 0 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play this chord, like the C chord, you only need to use one finger. Press the third fret of the E string down with your 3rd finger and strum the bottom 3 strings.

E — 1 —
B — 2 —
G — 1 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

This chord requires you to use three fingers at once, so give it some time to feel right and don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t sound exactly right the first time. Place your second finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your third finger on the 2nd fret of the B string and your first finger on the 1st fret of the G string.

This is the intro to playing chords. Starting playing the chords one at a time before you try switching between them. Switching chord while continuing to strum takes some practice and you’ll get there but don’t try to rush yourself to quickly.

Below is a video that goes over these three chords again and also explains the best method to practice them.

Would you like to start learning more guitar chords? Ever consider learning at home? Why not try guitar lessons on dvd. Learn & Master guitar is a complete 10 or 20 dvd self study program to learn guitar at home, with integrated online support. Learn more in this Learn and Master guitar review now.

January 21, 2010 at 7:30 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 12 comments

View the original article here

Learning to Tune Your Guitar By Ear

Most beginner guitar players tune their guitar using an electric tuner. It is of course the most logical way seeing that there are these small tuning devices for just the job.

What if you don’t have a tuner handy? You could be at a store playing a guitar for sale, a friends place who doesn’t own a tuner or around a camp fire trying to play sing-a-long songs.

Knowing how to tune your guitar by ear is an important beginner skill and that’s what we’re going to cover today. At the end of this lesson there’s a short video that covers everything we talk about here and provides a walk-through example. Take a few minutes to watch that video after you’re done reading.

Tuning your guitar by ear isn’t difficult. There are only three things you must keep in mind.

1.)The note of any given string is the same as the 5th fret played on the string above it
2.)There is one exception, the B string is the same as the 4th fret on the G string above it
3.)To tune the low E, or 6th string either match it to the tone of the open high E string or play the 5th fret of the B string (note the low E should be one octave lower then the E played on the 5th fret of the B string.

Example: The D string seems a bit out of tune on your guitar, to test you can play the 5th Fret of the A string above it and then strike the open D string. If the D seems like it’s lower or higher then the 5th fret of the A string adjust it with the tuning peg.

It can happen that the string you’re tuning to (in above example you would be tuning to the A string on the 5th Fret) is out of tune. If you sense this might be the case take a moment to first check the tuning of the string in question (in example above the A string). You can do this by verifying the tuning with the string above it.

It’s a good idea to practice this technique each day you sit down to play. Before you start practicing take a few minutes to check all your strings to ensure they’re in tune. This will get faster as you practice and eventually become second nature.

Take a few minutes now to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts as in this article then walks you through a sample tuning of all the strings on your guitar.

Interested in becoming a better guitar player? Ever consider taking some guitar lessons for beginners? You can, and you don’t have to leave home to do it either. Thanks to online video lessons and DVD’s you can study guitar at home and improve your playing fast.

January 9, 2010 at 9:58 pm | Learn Guitar Tuning | 7 comments

View the original article here

How To Hold A Guitar Pick

Playing with a pick is the easiest way to get a reasonable sound out of your guitar, especially if you use steel strings.

Although strumming is possible using just your fingers there is no point in making life difficult for yourself. Some of the more advanced lessons on this site will deal with finger style guitar in detail.

The pick should be held lightly between the thumb and the first finger (index) as shown in the pictures below.The easiest way to find the correct way to hold a pick is to imagine it as an extension of your index finger’s nail.

Holding the pick lightly allows it greater flexibility to move up and down and to the left and right as your play. This slight movement gives you better striking action as you strum.

How To Hold A Guitar Pick

There are several common mistakes beginners make when holding the guitar pick. Nearly all of the mistakes result in the a loss of control when strumming and the pick falling out of your hand, either onto the ground or into the guitar sound hole.

The first mistake is clenching your fist. Holding your pick with a clenched fist restricts the movement of your wrist and the finer movements from your finger tips as your play. Nearly all of your right hand movement will have to come from the movement of your elbow. As you can imagine the difference between moving your elbow to pick each and simply moving your fingers is very noticeable. The more elbow movement required the less precise and accurate your picking will be.

Holding A Guitar Pick With A Clenched Fist

This is a very common mistake among new guitarists. Instead of supporting the pick on the side of your index finger you hold it with the finger tip. Doing this will result in poor control when you are strumming.

Sometimes you will see guitarists (even very good ones) holding the pick using two or even three fingers. Although there is nothing wrong with doing this I advise against it.

The reason is twofold.

First of all there is no advantage to using two fingers. Secondly when you start playing harmonics and tapping later on it is very useful to have that extra finger available.

September 8, 2009 at 11:05 am | Learn Acoustic Guitar | 4 comments

View the original article here

The Pattern for Learning Guitar Notes On the Neck

Learning to play different notes up the neck and on each string is an important part of a beginners foundation. After all chords and scales are all made up of a mixture of notes, if you don’t know where different notes are located on the neck you’ll sort of plateau with your learning sooner then later.

In this article I’ll show you the simple pattern you can use for learning the guitar notes on each string. We’ll first look at half and whole steps between notes and how they transfer to the guitar neck, next we’ll review the space in steps and frets between each note and finally an example to tie it all together.

After reading this post please watch the video at the end. It covers everything the post talks about plus a more detailed example. You should be able to find each variation of major notes A through G on the neck once you’re done this post and video.

Steps

The first concept to understand is what a step is. Steps, both whole and half steps, come from the concept of the piano keys and the space between each note. Between most notes there is one full step except for between the B and C notes and E and F notes. There is only one half step between these two sets of notes.

Frets as Steps

So that’s great, a half or whole step between notes, how do we play this on the guitar? Well good news, each fret on your guitar neck denotes on half step. So now you can use the space between each note on the guitar neck in terms of frets.

Here’s an overview of the spacing in terms of frets between each major note:

A to B = 2 Frets
B to C = 1 Fret
C to D = 2 Frets
D to E = 2 Frets
E to F = 1 Fret
F to G = 2 Frets
G to A = 2 Frets

Using the above information we now look at a simple example on your guitar neck.

Let’s start with the low E string. Playing that string open is an E note and what comes after an E? An F right? The spacing is only 1 fret between an E and an F so if we play the 1st fret on that E string we’ll be playing an F.

NEXT

After F comes G, from our list above there is 2 frets between an F and a G note so sliding up two frets to the 3rd fret is a G. Finally if we go from our G to the A note, another full step, we’re at the 5th fret.

This pattern will continue all the way up that low E string until you run out of frets, but I’m sure you get the picture with that simple example.

Next take some time to watch the video below. It covers the same concepts but also shows you what we’re talking about and gives a more in depth example. After you watch this video I suggest grabbing your guitar to give it a shot on your own.

Interested in learning more beginner guitar content? Ever consider trying a learn to play guitar dvd? You can gain access to lots of great content that you can watch and learn from in the comfort of your own home and on your own time.

December 17, 2009 at 3:15 am | Learn Guitar Scales | 4 comments

View the original article here

A Quick Method of Learning All Major Guitar Chords on the Neck – Intro to the CAGED System

Understanding where to play the different major chords (A, B, C, D, E, F and G) at different places on the neck can be a challenge. Thankfully there is a somewhat simple system that exists on the guitar neck that can help you find 5 different locations for each major chord.

The CAGED system is based on the chord shapes for C, A, G, E and D. The system works so that you can find barre chords on the neck using the five different shapes for the above mentioned chords to make up all of the major chords on the guitar.

EXAMPLE: a barre chord with an E shape at the 3rd fret is a G chord.

By first understanding how the CAGED system works and then finding the different variations of other major chords all over the guitar neck you can easily learn where to play any major chord in a variety of locations.

The video below is an explanation of the CAGED system as well as an example using the E major chord of how it works and the different variations using an A, C, D and G shape to form an E chord on the neck.  Watch the video and take note how you can make an E chord using these different shapes on the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th frets. This process can be repeated for any major chord.

I’d suggest after watching the video you grab your guitar and spend a little time finding the different variations of other major chords on the neck. There is value in memorizing all of these variations for each chord, especially if you jam with others a lot.

For starters just focus on learning and using the CAGED system. It makes learning different variations of major chords a lot easier.

If you’re interested in learning more great techniques like the CAGED system but don’t necessarily have the time for private lessons why not try a guitar lessons dvd? Get a great education in guitar by watching videos at home, learn at your own pace.

December 8, 2009 at 7:41 am | Learn Guitar Chords | 1 comment

View the original article here

Beginner Guitar Chords – E and G Major Lesson

Once you begin to learn to play chords you finally start to feel like a guitar player. Of course it does take some time to flawlessly be able to play several chords and switch between them, but all beginners can get there with some practice.

Today I’m going to start you on that journey by teaching you how to properly play the E and G major chords. At the end of this article there is a lesson video that goes through the Tab and finger positions for the chords so I suggest you watch that as well as read this.

Remember to use the tips of your fingers when you’re pressing on the strings. This ensure that you only press on the string you intend to. Using the fleshing part of your finger will most likely cause you to blunt the string above or below.

E – 0 –
B – 0 –
G – 1 –
D – 2 –
A – 2 –
E – 0 –

To play an E chord you use your first three fingers and position them: second finger on 2nd fret of A string, third finger on 2nd fret of D string and first finger on 1st fret of D string. Play all six strings when you strum the E chord.

E – 3 –
B – 0 –
G – 0 –
D – 0 –
A – 2 –
E – 3 –

To play a G major chord you also use the first three fingers and position them: second finger on 3rd fret of the low E string, first finger on 2nd fret of the A string and third finger on 3rd fret of the high E string. Strum all six strings when playing the G chord.

Practice making the shapes first before you worry about being able to strum the chord. It will take some time for muscle memory to build up in your hand and for the chord shape to feel second nature.

Take a few minutes to watch the video below that better explains the chord shapes, tab and a practice exercise to use.

Did you enjoy this beginner lesson on chords? There are 5 other major chords to learn and variety of minor, suspended and diminished chords. Why not consider teaching yourself using a beginner guitar dvd? Videos in both DVD and online are becoming the private lessons of the 21st century, so why not give it a try.

February 3, 2010 at 10:35 am | Learn Guitar Chords | No comment

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Learn Acoustic Guitar -Tips to Help You Learn Quickly

In order to learn the acoustic guitar, it takes much practice and effort. Although many websites will promise fast results, the truth is, other than really loving music and taking the time to learn proper chords, finger movement and actual music theory, there really is no way to learn acoustic guitar methods that work. If you want to learn the acoustic guitar, there are many things you need to take into consideration such as the types of lessons you will want to take as well as the amount of money you are willing to spend.

Unfortunately, most websites that offer lessons for free will not help you learn the acoustic guitar as well as taking lessons from an actual person. However, if you choose to learn the acoustic guitar online, you may want to do research on the site and make sure the lessons they are teaching will help you learn. It is important to remember that everyone is different and if you are learning online, you will want to make sure that the lessons are paying attention to your individual ability and helping you move forward.

In order to learn the acoustic guitar, you really must have a love of music and a strong desire to learn. Most likely, playing complicated chords will not come easily or right away, but if you want to continue with your playing, you must not give up upon reaching a complicated song. Learning the acoustic guitar, just as learning any new skill can get intricate as you progress. Especially with the acoustic guitar, as you learn more songs, the amount of notes will increase and the chord changes will be more complex.

However you learn the acoustic guitar, you must make sure that the lessons cater to your skills and help you improve as a guitarist. You should remember that everyone is different and will play differently. The finger movements and even how the guitar is held will vary between every guitarist, but for the most part, technique remains the same and this is the most crucial part in leaning to play the acoustic guitar well.

Whether you decide to learn the acoustic guitar online or with one on one lessons, you must understand that it will take time. One on one lessons are generally preferred because you learn more and the teacher has the opportunity to evaluate you as a student and work based on your distinctive skill. However, if you do not have the money to afford private lessons, you can still learn online, but make sure the website is legitimate.

If you want to learn the acoustic guitar, it is a great way to express yourself and your love of music. You should make sure your lessons are paying off and in the end; you will be able to play like a pro. Learning the acoustic guitar can be very beneficial because it can increase your creativity and even help you relax.

Want to learn to play guitar? Visit Learn To Play Guitar Tips and advice on how to learn guitar. http://www.acousticguitarinformation.com

Learn Guitar Video - Tips For Using Learn Guitar Video Lessons

The guitar is a very popular instrument, with lots of people wishing to learn how to play it. Many just want to learn for their own personal enjoyment, but there are others who would like to get into playing guitar professionally. So how do you actually go about doing this? Well, the most personalized and fastest way is to take private lessons, but there are a lot of disadvantages to this method. Another good option is to use one of the many learn guitar video lessons that are available.

With learn guitar video lessons you have many of the same advantages as you would with private lessons. You can see someone else playing so that you know where your fingers are supposed to be placed, and you can hear what is played so you know what it is supposed to sound like. However, you don't have to deal with some of the disadvantages of private lessons. Mainly, you can play the learn guitar video whenever you want (and as many times as you want, pausing whenever you need to) rather than having to make a set time commitment. You can also do these lessons from your home, so you won't have to travel. This makes it much easier to schedule your lessons for yourself. However, if you travel with your job, you can learn and practice on the road with this method.

Besides being able to play your learn guitar video lessons whenever you want, you will be able to learn at your own pace, going through some lessons quickly and spending more time on others depending on what comes easily to you and what is a little harder for you to pick up. You can do more lessons when you have more time available, and fewer lessons when you are particularly busy.

The important thing is that you choose high quality learn guitar video lessons. These lessons will be well designed and will teach you everything you need to know, starting with the very basics (including what the various strings are called, how you should hold your guitar, and how to tune your guitar) and then leading on to the more complicated lessons. Eventually you will be able to play all the songs that you wish, as long as you follow along with the learn guitar video lessons and spend plenty of time practicing what you are learning.

David Giles is a professional musician and has been playing guitar for 20 years! He has taught many students how to play the guitar and runs a website showing the top guitar video courses in action at: http://www.BestWayToLearnGuitar.org.

Learn Spanish Guitar - Where Can You Find Lessons on Spanish Guitar

You have decided that you want to learn Spanish guitar. That is a great goal to help expand your guitar skills and introduce a new style of music to your current abilities. Spanish guitar is beautiful, but it can also be challenging. You really need to lessons to properly learn Spanish guitar. Finding lessons can be a challenge if you do not know where to look.

About Spanish Guitarists

Spanish guitar is also referred to as flamenco guitar. You will probably find most information about Spanish guitar referred to as flamenco guitar so it is important to understand that the terms refer to the same thing. It is also important to have the right equipment. The guitar you use needs to be tuned and create a refined sound that has that Spanish influence. Nylon strings will create the best sound and give you the best experience at the Spanish guitar. You can use a classical guitar or a flamenco guitar. Most people find the classical guitar is easier to use and easier to find and so that is the common choice for people who learn Spanish guitar.

Finding Lessons

It can be difficult to find a local teacher who offers lessons to learn Spanish guitar. You may not be able to find a teacher in your area. If that is the case then you will need to look online. The internet can be a great place to find good lessons. You can find video and audio lessons that allow you to see the teacher and move at your own pace. It may actually be easier for you to learn this way rather than with an actual teacher since you have more control over the speed of the lessons. You also have the option to go over lessons however many times you want.

Lesson Options

With online lessons you will have many options. You can find written lessons, audio lessons and video lessons. You will want to check into the different types of lessons and depending on what you feel comfortable with and your learning style, choose the lesson that will work best for you. You can usually try a sample lesson just to see how it feels and to decide if it will work for you.

Online lessons allow you flexibility. You are teaching yourself, but you can also choose lessons that have a teacher who will walk you through each lesson so you feel like you are getting that one on one instruction that you would get from a private teacher. The best part of online lessons are that they are a fraction of the cost of a private instruction.

It can be challenging to learn Spanish guitar. There are new fingerings, techniques and a whole different rhythmic meter than you are probably used to. It is all about focusing, practicing and being dedicated. Finding local lessons is not always an option, but you can find great lessons online that can be even better than private lessons. You can find good online lessons at http://www.thejamorama.info that should help you to learn Spanish guitar in a matter of months.

3 Reasons Learning The Guitar Online is Best

Ever since discovering I could take online guitar lessons I've been hooked. The content is great, it's always available and it's less expensive then taking private guitar lessons offline. This article explores three big reasons why learning the guitar online is best.

Don't feel guilty if you miss a lesson

One down fall I've always found about private guitar lessons is that if I couldn't make it to a lesson I felt bad. I was paying for it and wasn't getting the value. The same went if I didn't have time to practice that week, then the weeks lesson wasn't as valuable because I couldn't profess as I wanted.

When learning the guitar online this is all a thing of the past. It doesn't matter if you miss a lesson, actually you can't miss an online guitar lesson, you take them when it's convenient for you.

You Can revisit old material without wasting time or money

Another thing I didn't like about private lessons was that if you had to revisit something you learned in a previous lesson you didn't want to do it during your lesson time. You were paying to learn to play guitar not to review what you already learned.

Since online guitar lessons are all videos, and stored in a database somewhere you can always refer back to older material and watch it as many times as needed. Just another easy benefit to learning the guitar online.

You can learn any where any time no set schedule.

This is probably the greatest feature to learning the guitar online. Offline guitar lessons are scheduled, same time each week normally. With Online guitar lessons you learn when and where you want. Just need an Internet connection, and likely your guitar. So whether you're a student vacationing retiree or stay at home mom you can learn the guitar online.

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