Guitar Lessons
JAN'S BEGINNER GUITAR LESSONS
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- LESSON 1-4: THE MECHANICS OF FRETTING NOTES [+]
This tutorial explores the mechanics of playing the guitar in more detail; this covers the physical motions required of your arms, hands and fingers.
There are two fundamentally different types of notes on the guitar: open string notes and fretted string notes.
Open string notes are indicated on tablature notation by the number zero "0" on the appropriate string. In this case, make sure to keep your fretting hand clear of the string so you don't mute it. You want to have your hand hovering or arched slightly over the string prepared to play the next note.
Fretted string notes are used far more often than open string notes. Fretted string notes are indicated on tablature notation by any number other than zero! When you play a fretted note, place the very tip of your finger right behind the appropriate fret (as the music notation indicates). It is important to use the tip of your finger. Beginners find their fingers can be tender & occasionally are tempted to use the pads of their fingers. With time (and dedicated practice!) your fingertips will harden with callouses. It takes time, be patient. It is worth it.
From the last knuckle of your finger to the fingertip, arch your finger so it is pointing straight down into the string & fretboard. This will give you the most leverage & power. In addition, your fingertip should be right behind the fret you are playing. Don't place your fingertip on top of the fret! You will get a muted sound right on top of the fret. Also, don't place your finger too far behind the fret. In that case you won't get enough leverage & you will be making it too hard on yourself. Right behind the fret is the best location.
In general, you should assign one finger to a fret. Start with your index finger on the first fret, your middle on the second fret, and your ring finger on the third fret. This is known as first postion.
When you play a note on the first fret, keep your index finger in place on that first fret. Then use your middle finger to play a note on the second fret. Notice that leaving your index finger on the first fret gives you added leverage. In addition you will not be wasting effort by removing it. Also, if the music calls for a return to the note on the first fret you are already in position to play it! The point is to take an overview of the music you are playing to get an idea of the most efficient way of dealing with it.
When you play any given fretted note you also want to arch your finger so you don't mute any adjacent strings that should be able to ring clearly. Sometimes it is desirable to mute strings on other strings. But that is a topic for later and more advanced playing skills.
Your thumb should be placed directly opposite your fingers on the back of the neck. Your thumb should provide just enough pressure to keep your hand firmly in place on the neck and opposing pressure to help your fingers hold down any fretted notes.
Sometimes beginners squeeze too hard with their thumb and, or their fingers. Actually, this is sometimes a problem for some skilled guitarists, too! Remember that you want just enough pressure to get the job done. Not enough pressure will result in a poor sounding chord. But too much pressure is wasted effort and can over time hinder your ability to move quickly and effectively to the next chord or hand position.
This lessons has a few thoughts on your picking hand.
If you intend to play classical you should learn to play with your fingernails (or at least your fingertips!). And use all your fingers; not just your thumb or index finger! You can play the beginner examples with a pick but subsequent classical lessons might require using more fingers and might not be possible with only a pick.
Otherwise, you will be using a pick (or plectrum) and it is important to approach using it with an efficient, controlled manner. 
SIMPLE C MAJOR CHORDIn this lesson we are going to learn a simple C major chord.
Some of the notes are "open" string notes. In this case, make sure to keep your fingers clear of that string so you don't mute it. You want to have your hand "hovering" or "arched" slightly over any string that has an "open" string note. Some of the notes are "fretted" notes. In this case, place the tip of the your index finger right behind the first fret of the B string (the second thinnest one).
It is important to use the tip of your finger. Beginners find their fingers can be tender & occasionally are tempted to use the pads of their fingers. With time (and dedicated practice!) your fingertips will harden with callouses. Until then, tough it out! You can do it! It is worth it!
From the last knuckle of your finger to the fingertip, arch your finger so it is pointing straight down into the string & fretboard. This will give you the most leverage & power. In addition, your fingertip should be right behind the fret you are playing. Not on top of the fret! You will get a muted sound right on top of the fret. Also, not too far behind the fret. In that case you won't get enough leverage & you will be making it too hard on yourself. Right behind the fret is the best location for any fretting any note!
Your thumb should be placed directly opposite your fingers on the back of the neck. Your thumb should provide just enough pressure to keep your hand firmly in place on the neck and opposing pressure to help your fingers hold down any fretted notes. Sometimes beginners squeeze too hard with their thumb and/or their fingers. Actually this is a problem for some skilled guitarists, too! Remember that you want just enough pressure to get the job done. Not enough will, of course, result in a poor sounding chord. But too much will is wasted effort and can over time actually hinder your ability to move quickly and effectively to the next chord or hand position.
First, get the notes of these beginning chords to sound. After you can do that, start to experiment with exactly how much pressure you need in order to play fretted notes and chords.
We want to practice playing each chord using two different approaches. We want to individually pluck each string slowly right after one another. This will give us a way to hear whether or not every note in the chord is sounding as clearly as possible. After you've made sure that each note is sounding as clearly as possible, then we want to strum the chord, lightly grazing the pick over each string quickly right after one another. This is typically how chords are strummed on the guitar. Once you get used to this technique, try to strum back and forth.- LESSON 6: SIMPLE G MAJOR CHORD [+]
SIMPLE G MAJOR CHORDSIMPLE G MAJOR CHORD
In this lesson we are going to learn a simple G major chord.
Some of the notes are "open" string notes. In this case, make sure to keep your fingers clear of that string so you don't mute it. You want to have your hand "hovering" or "arched" slightly over any string that has an "open" string note. Some of the notes are "fretted" notes. In this case, place the tip of the your pinky finger right behind the third fret of the E string (the thinnest one).
It is important to use the tip of your finger. Beginners find their fingers can be tender & occassionally are tempted to use the pads of their fingers. With time (and dedicated practice!) your fingertips will harden with callouses. Until then, tough it out! You can do it! It is worth it!
From the last knuckle of your finger to the fingertip, arch your finger so it is pointing straight down into the string & fretboard. This will give you the most leverage & power. In addition, your fingertip should be right behind the fret you are playing. Not on top of the fret! You will get a muted sound right on top of the fret. Also, not too far behind the fret. In that case you won't get enough leverage & you will be making it too hard on yourself. Right behind the fret is the best location for any fretting any note!
Your thumb should be placed directly opposite your fingers on the back of the neck. You thumb should provide just enough pressure to keep your hand firmly in place on the neck and opposing pressure to help your fingers hold down any fretted notes. Sometimes beginners squeeze too hard with their thumb and, or their fingers. Actually this is a problem for some skilled guitarists, too! Remember that you want just enough pressure to get the job done. Not enough will, of course, result in a poor sounding chord. But too much will is wasted effort and can over time actually hinder your ability to move quickly and effectively to the next chord or hand position.
First, get the notes of these beginning chords to sound. After you can do that, start to experiment with exactly how much pressure you need in order to play fretted notes and chords.
We want to practice playing each chord using two different approaches. We want to individually pluck each string slowly right after one another. This will give us a way to hear whether or not every note in the chord is sounding as clearly as possible. After you've made sure that each note is sounding as clearly as possible, then we want to strum the chord, lightly grazing the pick over each string quickly right after one another. This is typically how chords are strummed on the guitar. Once you get used to this technique, try to strum back and forth. - LESSON 7: PRACTICE C MAJOR & G MAJOR CHORDS [+]
PRACTICE C MAJOR AND G MAJOR CHORDS
Now that we have our simple C major chord and G major chord, let's put them together! In this lesson we will practice strumming them and going back and forth between the two.
Start with the C major chord. Get your fingers in position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Change your fingers to the G major chord position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Change your fingers back to the C major chord position.
Repeat this over and again.
Congratulations! You are playing music!
Eventually we want to focus on rhythm. This means keeping good time with our strumming. We want to make sure that each strum is evenly spaced apart in time. Notice that we are starting with a pattern:
1st Strum
2nd Strum
3rd Strum
Pause (mute)
We do this as we first learn to play chords in order to have a good way to stay in time rhythmically. The pause (mute) is useful in helping us have time to get our fingers from one chord position to the next. Gradually, we can try to practice playing chords on all four beats. But using idea of the pause (mute) in place of a beat is a useful tool for guitarists of any level.
Keep practicing until you can get all four strums in there and switch effectively between the C major and G major chords.
And, again ... Congratulations! Happy playing!
SIMPLE A MINOR CHORD
In this lesson we are going to learn a simple A Minor chord.
This is the first chord where you will need to use two fingers at the same time.
Some of the notes are "open" string notes. In this case, make sure to keep your fingers clear of that string so you don't mute it. You want to have your hand "hovering" or "arched" slightly over any string that has an "open" string note. Some of the notes are "fretted" notes. In this case, we need to use two fingers: index and middle fingers. Place the tip of your index finger right behind the first fret of the B string (the second thinnest one).
Next, reach over the B string and place your middle finger on the second fret of the G string (the third thinnest one). Remember, it is important to use the tips of your fingers. Remember that both fingers should be arched so that from the last knuckle of your finger to the fingertip both fingers are pointing straight down into the string & fretboard. Also, if your middle finger is not arched enough it might mute the B string from ringing and you will not be able to hear the note that your index finger is fretting. Remember, both fingertips should be right behind the fret you are playing.
Remember, your thumb should be placed directly opposite your fingers on the back of the neck. Your thumb should provide just enough pressure to keep your hand firmly in place on the neck and opposing pressure to help your fingers hold down any fretted notes. Remember that you want just enough pressure to get the job done. Not too little, not too much.
First, get the notes of these beginning chords to sound. After you can do that, start to experiment with exactly how much pressure you need in order to play fretted notes and chords.
We want to practice playing each chord using two different approaches. We want to individually pluck each string slowly right after one another. This will give us a way to hear whether or not every note in the chord is sounding as clearly as possible. After you've made sure that each note is sounding as clearly as possible, then we want to strum the chord, lightly grazing the pick over each string quickly right after one another. This is typically how chords are strummed on the guitar. Once you get used to this technique, try to strum back and forth.- LESSON 9: PRACTICE SIMPLE C MAJOR AND A MINOR CHORDS [+]
PRACTICING C MAJOR & A MINOR CHORDS
Now we have two more simple chords to put together! In this lesson we will practice strumming them and going back and forth between the C major and A Minor chords. The idea here is to get used to using the index finger position of the C major chord as an "anchor" to hold onto for one chord. Then adding the middle finger to the position for the A minor chord.
Start with the C major chord. Get your fingers in position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Reach over and add your middle finger for the A minor chord position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Remove your middle finger, but keep your index finger in place to get back to the C major chord position.
Repeat this over and again.
Congratulations! You are playing more music!
Eventually we want to focus on rhythm. This means keeping good time with our strumming. We want to make sure that each strum is evenly spaced apart in time. Notice that we are starting with a pattern:
1st Strum
2nd Strum
3rd Strum
Pause (mute)
We do this as we first learn to play chords in order to have a good way to stay in time rhythmically. The pause (mute) is useful in helping us have time to get our fingers from one chord position to the next. Gradually, we can try to practice playing chords on all four beats. But using idea of the pause (mute) in place of a beat is a useful tool for guitarists of any level.
Keep practicing until you can get all four strums in there and switch effectively between the C major and A minor chords. - LESSON 10: SIMPLE E MAJOR CHORD [+]
SIMPLE E MAJOR CHORD
In this lesson we are going to learn a simple E major chord.
Some of the notes are "open" string notes. In this case, make sure to keep your fingers clear of that string so you don't mute it. You want to have your hand "hovering" or "arched" slightly over any string that has an "open" string note. Some of the notes are "fretted" notes. In this case, place the tip of the your index finger right behind the first fret of the G string (the third thinnest one).
It is important to use the tip of your finger. Beginners find their fingers can be tender & occasionally are tempted to use the pads of their fingers. With time (and dedicated practice!) your fingertips will harden with callouses. Until then, tough it out! You can do it! It is worth it!
From the last knuckle of your finger to the fingertip, arch your finger so it is pointing straight down into the string & fretboard. This will give you the most leverage & power. In addition, your fingertip should be right behind the fret you are playing. Not on top of the fret! You will get a muted sound right on top of the fret. Also, not too far behind the fret. In that case you won't get enough leverage & you will be making it too hard on yourself. Right behind the fret is the best location for any fretting any note!
Your thumb should be placed directly opposite your fingers on the back of the neck. Your thumb should provide just enough pressure to keep your hand firmly in place on the neck and opposing pressure to help your fingers hold down any fretted notes. Sometimes beginners squeeze too hard with their thumb and, or their fingers. Actually this is a problem for some skilled guitarists, too! Remember that you want just enough pressure to get the job done. Not enough will, of course, result in a poor sounding chord. But too much will is wasted effort and can over time actually hinder your ability to move quickly and effectively to the next chord or hand position.
First, get the notes of these beginning chords to sound. After you can do that, start to experiment with exactly how much pressure you need in order to play fretted notes and chords.
We want to practice playing each chord using two different approaches. We want to individually pluck each string slowly right after one another. This will give us a way to hear whether or not every note in the chord is sounding as clearly as possible. After you've made sure that each note is sounding as clearly as possible, then we want to strum the chord, lightly grazing the pick over each string quickly right after one another. This is typically how chords are strummed on the guitar. Once you get used to this technique, try to strum back and forth. - LESSON 11: PRACTICE A MINOR AND E MAJOR CHORDS [+]
PRACTICING SIMPLE A MINOR AND E MAJOR CHORDS
Now we have two more simple chords to put together! In this lesson we will practice strumming them and going back and forth between the A Minor and E major chords. The idea here is to get used to changing from a chord using two fingers to a slightly different position using only one finger. Notice that the index finger frets both notes that are needed on the first fret; the middle finger plays the note that is needed on the second fret. This is a finger placement principle you will see used often as you learn more about playing the guitar.
Start with the A minor chord. Get your fingers in position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Remove your middle finger and move your index finger over to the G string for the E major chord position. Strum it three times downward. Stop the strings (mute!) from ringing. Move your index finger back over to the B string, place your middle finger back on G string to get back to the A minor chord position.
Repeat this over and again.
Congratulations! You are playing more music!
Eventually we want to focus on rhythm. This means keeping good time with our strumming. We want to make sure that each strum is evenly spaced apart in time. Notice that we are starting with a pattern:
1st Strum
2nd Strum
3rd Strum
Pause (mute)
We do this as we first learn to play chords in order to have a good way to stay in time rhythmically. The Pause (mute) is useful in helping us have time to get our fingers from one chord position to the next. Gradually, we can try to practice playing chords on all four beats. But using idea of the Pause (mute) in place of a beat is a useful tool for guitarists of any level.
Keep practicing until you can get all four strums in there and switch effectively between the A minor and E major chords.
