HOW TO PLAY THE GUITAR It's quite simple to learn to play the guitar. Mastering it and becoming a good guitarist is something that can take years, requiring dedication and practice. But anyone can learn the basics in a short period of time.How to Start: First of all, your guitar needs to be in tune. From thickest to thinnest, the strings should be EADGBE. The easiest way to tune is using an electronic tuner, which is cheap, very accurate and easy to use. Reach the correct note by tightening or loosening the string as needed on the machine heads. The thin metal bars on the guitar neck are frets. You make chords by holding down the appropriate shape on the fret with your left hand and strumming on plucking the strings above the sound hole on the body of the guitar. Initially you'll find the fingertips of your left hand hurt from the pressure of the strings. But after a few weeks they'll harden and you'll be able to play more easily. The First Chords: The first four chords to learn are C, A Minor, D Minor and G7 which is called a cycle. One you can manage those you'll be able to play a number of songs, and your fingers will be adept at changing. Don't worry if it takes you a while to make each chord. That will become faster with practice. C Chord: This is the basic C shape. Use the first finger on the second string on the first fret, the middle finger on the fourth string on the second fret, and the third finger on the fifth string on the third fret. Practice making the shape and holding the chord whilst strumming with the right hand, trying to keep an even rhythm (use a plectrum to strum, holding it between the thumb and first finger). Then try moving to the A Minor chord. A Minor Chord: This is exactly the same as the C, only the third finger is on the fourth string on the second fret (i.e. you move down the third finger to the second fret holding down the fourth string). D Minor Chord: The first finger is on the first string, the first fret, the second finger is on the second fret on the third string, and the third finger is on the second string on the third fret. G7 Chord: The first finger is on the first string, the second finger is on the bass string, fifth string, second fret, and the third finger is on the sixth string, third fret. Take a few days just playing those chords, learning how to move your fingers smoothly and quickly from one to the next, and keeping an even rhythm with your right hand. Once you have those, it's time to add three more chords, beginning with D. All the chords so far have been major chords, with a bright sound. Minor chords have a sadder feel, bringing a different mood to the music, as with Em (E minor) and Am. With these chords you can manage most of the basic songs, and from there add other chords to your arsenal. Then, with E and A major, you have virtually all the essentials. Finger picking: Once you've learned how to strum properly, varying the rhythms to add to the melody, you should learn how to fingerpick. That involves using the fingers of your right hand to pick out the notes of the chord you're making. It's generally a repeated, rhythmic patter, with the thumb playing the bass strings and the first (or first and middle) playing the upper strings. Again, it takes time to learn, and even longer for it to sound comfortable and natural. More Advanced: The more you learn, you'll realize there are different ways to make the same chord. One of them is using barred chords. With that, your first finger covers the fret entirely, and you make the chord shape (either F, G, A etc) with your other three fingers. It makes for faster chord changes, and works with both major and minor chords. The guitar is a great instrument to inspire children. These four chords go a long way in the early stages. KEEN TO LEARN? Please CONTACT US |
