Guitar Lessons Pro - Beginner Lessons

1 of 32 Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Guide www.GuitarLessonsPro.com

Guitar Lessons Pro Beginner Guitarists Guide to Jumpstart Your

Guitar Playing in 20 Easy Lessons

Version 1.0

Domenick Ginex

Guitar Lessons Pro http://GuitarLessonsPro.com


Copyright 2002, 2003 Domenick Ginex All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical without permission in writing from the author. Published by: Domenick Ginex PO Box 13755 Tampa, FL 33681-3755


Introduction - About This eBook.................................................................................................................... 4 Lesson 1 - About the Guitar ........................................................................................................................... 5 Lesson 2 - Fretboard and Fingers ................................................................................................................... 9 Lesson 3 - Tuning the Guitar........................................................................................................................ 11 Lesson 4 - Open Chords Introduction........................................................................................................... 13 Lesson 5 - Open G Chords ........................................................................................................................... 15 Lesson 6 - Open D Chords ........................................................................................................................... 17 Lesson 7 - Open C Chords............................................................................................................................ 18 Lesson 8 - Open A Chords ........................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 9 - Open E Chords............................................................................................................................ 18 Lesson 10 - Open F Chords .......................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 11 - Open B Flat Chords .................................................................................................................. 18 Lesson 12 - Open B Chords.......................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 13 Strumming Patterns .................................................................................................................. 18 Lesson 14 - Some Notation .......................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 15 - Bar Chords Introduction............................................................................................................ 18 Lesson 16 - Low E and A Strings................................................................................................................. 18 Lesson 17 - E Root Bar Chords .................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 18 - A Root Bar Chords.................................................................................................................... 18 Lesson 19 - Power Chords............................................................................................................................ 18 Lesson 20 Learning To Play Songs ........................................................................................................... 18 Conclusion Whats Next............................................................................................................................ 18


Introduction - About This eBook Welcome to Guitar Lessons Pro Beginner Guitarists Guide to Jumpstart Your Guitar Playing in 20 Easy Lessons. The information in this eBook will start you on your way to playing the guitar. You will learn some basics about the guitar, how to tune it, basic and more advanced chords, basic music notation and more. There are sections that contain sound clips. Directions on how to play the clips are provided in the text.


Lesson 1 - About the Guitar In these next few sections we will talk about the guitar, the guitar fretboard and guitar tuning. The guitar is a stringed instrument that has 6 strings that range in thickness and pitch. Typically these strings are tuned as follows: The thickest string is tuned to E (low E), the next string is tuned to A, the next to D, the next to G, the next to B, the final string to E (high E) There are many kinds of guitars. Some examples are shown below. The first and second figures show acoustic guitars. The construction of the body and the hole in the front of the guitar of acoustic guitars allow the sound of the guitar to be heard loudly and clearly without the use additional amplification equipment. The first acoustic guitar is a steel string guitar (sometimes referred to as a 'folk' guitar - since guitar folk music is typically played with this type of guitar). The second acoustic guitar is a nylon string guitar (sometimes referred to as a 'classical' guitar - since classical guitar music is almost always played with this type of guitar).

The third and fourth figures show electric guitars. Electric guitars usually require that you use some sort of amplification (usually referred to as a guitar amp) in order for the sounds to be heard. The guitar is connected to the amp with a patch chord. The first electric guitar is referred to as a solid body guitar since the body of the guitar is a solid block of wood. The second electric guitar is referred to as a hollow body guitar since the body is completely hollow. There are also semi-hollow body guitars which typically have a solid block of wood down the center of the body and then the rest of the body is hollow.


This differences in construction between solid, hollow, and semi-hollow body electric guitars result in differences in many aspects of the sounds and tones produced.

What kind of guitar should you use if you are just starting to play? There are as many opinions on this as there are guitar types. Some people think that since electric guitars typically have lighter strings then they are easier to play and so should be used by beginners. Others think that by using an acoustic guitar that the fingers will get stronger quicker. My opionion is...play whatever guitar type that inspires you to play. If it is a drudgery to take your acoustic guitar and practice because your fingers hurt and you don't like it, then either put lighter strings on your acoustic, or maybe use a nylon string guitar, or maybe use an electric guitar. On the other hand, some people enjoy a tough challenge and don't mind a little 'pain with the gain' that will occur when your fingers first start getting accustomed to pressing on guitar strings. So a steel string acoustic is fine. The type of guitar that you start with is also dependent on the sound that you like and also the style of music you want to play. It's up to you. Go to a guitar store and play the different types of guitars and see what feels right for you. Let's look at the different parts of the guitar... The figures below show the head, neck, fretboard, frets, body and bridge. These are the basic components of a guitar and we will refer to these parts at various times.


A little clarification of the photo is in order... The neck refers to the entire structure of the narrow portion of the guitar between the body and the head. The fretboard is the front part of the neck where the fingers are placed to play notes. The frets are the thin metal strips on the fretboard. A little more clarification... When you are instructed to play a specified fret it doesn't mean that you place your fingers directly on the metal fret. It actually means that you place your finger on the fretboard just above the specified numbered fret. An example of playing the 3rd fret on the high E string is shown in the photo below.


Lesson 2 - Fretboard and Fingers I will now explain how we are going to talk about the guitar fretboard and your fretboard fingers. As shown in the diagram below, the fretboard will be shown from a frontal view. The frets will be numbered, starting from the top of the fretboard, as 1, 2, 3, etc. All fret numbers may not always be shown. At least the starting fret will be shown. The strings will be displayed from left to right, with the low E string displayed as the left-most string. The string notes will not typically be shown.

Chord and scale diagrams will be overlayed on the fretboard diagram. Circles and squares will indicate finger placement on the fretboard. Squares indicate the root notes in the chord or scale (for example, the G note is the root note in a G Major chord). The circles and squares will be numbered to indicate the associated finger. If a string is not supposed to be played then an 'x' will be marked over that string. Not playing a specified string may be accomplished by one of several methods including not plucking that string or by 'muting' the string. Muting is accomplished by lightly placing a finger or part of your hand on the string so that the string doesn't ring out. Usually the finger or part of your hand that does the muting should already be in place when the fingers are placed in position for the chord. The notes for the chord may be shown at the bottom of the figure. Finger numbering will be as follows: 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinky 5 = thumb The finger numbering scheme is shown in the photograph below.


The next 2 images shows how this diagram system is applied. At least one fret indicator is shown to the left of the fretboard diagram. The circles or squares over the string indicate the fret position and finger.

Note the square on the A string on the 3rd fret. This indicates the root note of the chord. Also note the 'x' over the low E string. This indicates that this string should not normally be played with this chord. Note: This information in this eBook is geared towards right handed guitar playing. For left handed playing you can apply the same concepts but you have to use a mirror image of the diagrams shown.


Lesson 3 - Tuning the Guitar In this section we will talk about how to tune the guitar. Tuning a guitar means that by turning the tuning pegs on each string (shown in the figure below) you will tighten or loosen the strings until each string is at a desired pitch.

Generally speaking you can tune the strings of a guitar any way that you want depending on the style of the music that you are going to play. We are going to discuss how to perform concert tuning on the guitar which is the most common tuning. There are actually many different ways you can tune a guitar. Here are the most common methods of tuning up... Tuning against another instrument, such as a piano or another guitar If you have a piano, keyboard or other instrument nearby then you would tune each string of the guitar against the corresponding note on the other instrument, ie. E, A, D, G, B, E Using an elecronic or mechanical tuning device There are many electronic devices that can help you tune up. Most of them provide a way of plugging your electric guitar into the device. They also usually have a small built-in microphone that will help you tune your acoustic guitar. Small lights, a dial, or some other display will tell you when each string is tuned appropriately. There are also mechanical devices, such as a pitch pipe, which will allow you to blow into a mouth piece to produce each note of the guitar. You would then tune your guitar against each note. Starting with a known good note and then tuning each string against one another


Another common way to tune is to use a tuning fork or other source of a known good note, tune the corresponding note on the guitar to the known good note, and then tune the rest of the strings of the guitar first against the original tuned note and then against each other. Let's take an example... Take a tuning fork and read the note that is written on it. It may be an A, E, or some other note. Let's assume that it is an E. Strike the tuning fork against a soft surface, such as your knee, and then immediately place the base (not the fork) of the tuning fork against the guitar. You will hear the note resonate through the guitar. Play the corresponding string on the guitar immediately after putting the base of the fork against the guitar. In this example it would be the low E string. Tighten or loosen the string so that the pitch of the string and the pitch of the tuning fork match. At this point your low E string is tuned. Next you will tune the A string against the low E string. You do this by playing the 5th fret on the low E string and then the open A string. Tighten or loosen the A string so that the 2 notes match. At this point your A string is tuned. Next you will tune the D string against the A string. You do this by playing the 5th fret on the A string and then the open D string. Tighten or loosen the D string so that the 2 notes match. At this point your D string is tuned. Next you will tune the G string against the D string. You do this by playing the 5th fret on the D string and then the open G string. Tighten or loosen the G string so that the 2 notes match. At this point your G string is tuned. Next you will tune the B string against the G string. You do this by playing the 4th fret (a little different) on the G string and then the open B string. Tighten or loosen the B string so that the 2 notes match. At this point your B string is tuned. Next you will tune the high E string against the B string. You do this by playing the 5th fret on the B string and then the open high E string. Tighten or loosen the high E string so that the 2 notes match. At this point your high E string and actually the entire guitar is tuned!


Lesson 4 - Open Chords Introduction Open chords are typically the first chords that most guitar players learn. This is mainly because they are generally easy to play and also because you can play many songs with these chords. They are called 'open chords' because they are played at the top of the guitar fretboard and one or more of the strings are open while the chord is played, which means that a finger is not pressing down on a fret on those strings while they are played. There are several open chords to learn and they are listed in the sub-sections below. Most of the major open chords have related dominant 7 (generally referred to as 7), and minor chords which can also be played as open chords. These are displayed as part of the diagrams and photographs. This section will not review all of the possible open chords, mainly the ones that are most commonly used to play popular songs. Later sections will cover more chords. In case you don't yet know the distinction between major, dominant 7, and minor...here is a very simple description: Major chords have that 'happy' sound. Dominant 7 chords have a 'bluesy' sound. Minor chords have a 'sad' sound. In later lessons you will learn specifically what makes a major, dominant 7, minor note but for now the provided description will get you through this lesson. I suggest that you first learn to play each of the chords in this section by themselves. Slowly put your fingers in position and strum the chord once. When you can do this single strum easily and clearly and there are no 'muted' notes and your fingers feel strong, then hold the position and keep strumming for as long as possible. This exercise will strengthen your fingers, callous the tips of your fingers (sounds ghastly but it has to happen if you want to keep playing), and cause your brain and fingers to learn the chord. Next, start your hand from a non-playing position (for example on your lap) and then see how quickly you can place your hand on the guitar fretboard and get it in a position to play the single chord. You should get to a point where you don't have to think and fuss with your hand. It should go right into position to the chord. Then strum the chord clearly. Once you have mastered the above exercises for all of the chords by themselves then it is time to start trying to play combinations of chords. Right now it doesn't matter which chords you play together. Just try to play as many of them as possible in some kind of sequence without stopping. You should get to the point where you can quickly and easily switch between chords. While you are still in this section you might want to pick up some song books and try learning songs that use the open chords. This will give you a break from the routine


practicing and hopefully provide some inspiration. Ultimately that is what it is about...getting to the point where you can play the music that you like to play. Once you have mastered all of the chords in these subsections and all of the exercises described above then you will be ready to move on to the next section.


Lesson 5 - Open G Chords The open G chords include G Major and G7. The G Minor chord is not typically played in an open fashion. We will learn more about G Minor in a later section. G Major - There are 2 common variations on playing G Major. The first variation uses finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the high E string, finger 1 on the 2nd fret of the A string and finger 2 on the 3rd fret of the low E string. The second variation uses finger 4 on the 3rd fret of the high E string, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the A string and finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the low E string. G7 is played with finger 1 on the 1st fret of the high E string, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the A string and finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the low E string. As you might guess, the second variation of playing the G Major chord makes it very easy to switch to G7 since the 2nd and 3rd fingers are already in place. These chords are shown below. Click on the chord charts below to hear the associated sound clip.


Lesson 6 - Open D Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 7 - Open C Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 8 - Open A Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 9 - Open E Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 10 - Open F Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 11 - Open B Flat Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 12 - Open B Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 13 Strumming Patterns This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 14 - Some Notation This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 15 - Bar Chords Introduction This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 16 - Low E and A Strings This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 17 - E Root Bar Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 18 - A Root Bar Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 19 - Power Chords This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Lesson 20 Learning To Play Songs This section is not available in the Demo version. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Guitar Lessons Pro Beginners Lessons or go to http://GuitarLessonsPro.com/Lessons.html


Conclusion Whats Next The lessons contained in this eBook, if executed diligently and practiced often, will provide a very strong foundation for your guitar playing. The next topics that you can look forward to learning as you progress to an intermediate level includes the following items: Music theory Other chord types Chord progressions Tablature Scales and modes Soloing You will learn these items and more in the Guitar Lessons Pro Intermediate Guitarists Guide to Jumpstart Your Guitar Playing eBook. Good luck with your playing. If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

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Guitar Lessons Pro - Beginner Lessons