The Vast World of the Guitar
Whenever you see a button or a picture, click on it to see if it does
something. You may be surprised at what you find!
FIRST, L
ET’S L
EARN
ABOUT THE P
ARTS OF
THE GUIT
AR AND W
HAT
THEY ALL D
O
Click on a part to fi nd out more about it
Guitar Diagram
The Body of the Guitar
• The body of the guitar is where all the sound is generated
• The pickups (rock and jazz) and the soundhole (classical) allow for the sound to be amplified
• The knobs (electric and jazz) change the volume and tone of the guitar when it is amplified
• The bridge holds the strings in place
Guitar Diagram
The Neck of the Guitar
• The neck of the guitar is where the player chooses what notes to play
• The notes are chosen by pushing down the string on a certain fret on the fretboard
• Most fretboards are made of either Rosewood or Mahogany wood
Guitar Diagram
The Head of the Guitar
• The head of the guitar is where the strings are tuned
• Each string has it’s own tuning peg located on the side of the head to raise or lower the pitch of the note
Guitar Diagram
The Guitar
Now, we’re going to learn about the diff erent types of guitars. Remember,
when you see a picture, click on it and it might show you something neat!
What type of guitar
would you like to learn
about?
You Chose…
Rock Guitar!
In the world of music, the electric guitar is king. When plugged into an amplifi er, it can
shake a house and knock pictures off of walls. Let’s learn about how this happens and the
most famous people to ever rock out!
Rock Guitar
• Usually in rock music, the guitar ’s that are primarily used are solid body electric guitars• These are made from one or two solid pieces of wood • These guitars use pickups to amplify their sound
Rock Guitar
Some of the most innovati ve and well-known guitarists include:
J imi Hendrix J immy Page Joe Satriani Eddie Van Halen
Rock Guitar
• One of the most important parts of rock guitar is the amplifi er•Without the amplifi er, it would be impossible to hear the guitar•The amplifi er is also responsible for the tone that the guitar makes•Without amplifi ers, all guitars would sound the same to the untrained ear
Rock Guitar
•The techniques used by rock guitarists vary from genre to genre•As you may have noti ced earlier, a guitarist like Jimmy Page doesn’t have to solo as much or be as technically profi cient as Joe Satriani
Rock Guitar
Review
•Rock guitarists primarily use solid body electric guitars •Pickups on the body amplify the sound through the amplifi er•Guitarists use diff erent techniques depending on what genre the play•Without an amp, it would be impossible to hear the guitar
♫ Jazz Guitar ♫
You Chose…
Jazz Guitar…
In a Jazz Band, the guitar is one of the most important instruments. It provides the chordal structure for the horns to base their melodies on. As a soloist, a jazz guitarist has a different sound from a rock guitarist. Let’s learn more!
…♪♫♬♩
•Originally, in the 20’s and 30’s, jazz guitarists used acoustic guitars•They switched to electrified guitars in the 40’s to increase their volume•The guitar used is usually a semi-hollow electric guitar although solid bodies are sometimes used
JAZZ!
Please note: The Bacon Bits were not a real jazz
band of pigs.
Jazz Guitar…
•Jazz guitarists can do many things when they are accompanying a jazz band•They can “comp” chords (playing chords behind a melody), play the melody, or improvise
…♪♫♬♩
Check out this video of one of the most famous Jazz Guitarist’s today, Brian Setzer!
Brian Setzer Orchestra
Jazz Guitar…
•Usually, jazz guitar solos are played at a faster pace than rock solos•Jazz guitarists move through multiple scales while rock guitarists may only use one or two
Jazz Guitar… Review!
•The jazz guitar provides chordal structure in a jazz band•Originally, jazz guitars were acoustic•Now, the guitars are semi-hollow electrics•Jazz solos are at a faster pace than rock solos•Jazz guitarists use multiple scales rather than one or two
You Chose…
Classical Guitar
Although it’s called “classical” guitar, it does not mean that only classical music is played. Classical guitarists play anything from Bach to Queen! It’s not as boring as you think!
Classical
GuitarA classical guitar is typically an acoustic guitar with a wider neck and three metal strings with three nylon strings. The wide neck allows for more movement around the neck while the nylon strings provide a less “twangy” guitar sound.
Check out these two cool classical guitar videos!
Ave Maria Rock Medley
Classical
Guitar REVIEW•The Classical guitarist plays more than just classical music•The guitar is typically an acoustic with a wider neck with three metal strings and three nylon strings•The wider neck allows for more movement around the neck
Are you ready for the
quiz?If not, you can return to
the main guitar parts
menu or to the different
guitar styles menu to study more.
YES
NO
What part of the acoustic guitar allows the sound to
be amplified?ABCD
The Soundhole
The Pickups
The Neck
Johnny Cash
The bridge holds the _________ in place.
ABCD
Neck
Body
Strings
pickups
The frets are located on the ___________ .
ABCD
Body
Neck
Head
1924
The primary type of guitar used in rock music is a
_________. ABCD
Solid Body
Semi-Hollow
Acoustic
All of the Above
What is the primary guitar type in Jazz music today?
ABCD
Solid Body
Semi-Hollow
Acoustic
All of the Above
What kind of guitar is used in classical music?
ABCD
Solid Body
Semi-Hollow
Acoustic
All of the Above
Originally, what type of guitar was used in Jazz?
ABCD
Solid Body
Semi-Hollow
Acoustic
All of the Above
Jazz solos are typically ________ than rock solos.
AB
Faster
Slower
Classical Guitars have what kind of strings on them?
ABC
Metal
Nylon
All of the Above
Classical guitarists only play classical music.
AB
True
False