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Some Useful Tips and Advice
Buying a Guitar (Acoustic or Electric) When purchasing a guitar one of the most important things to look at is the "action" i.e., the distance the strings are from the fretboard. This can make a huge difference when learning to play chords and hold down strings. Generally, the cheaper the guitar, the worse the "action" may be - but its not always the case. Make sure and try out a lot of guitars before you buy. Don't spend a lot of money unless you are sure you will keep practicing and playing for a considerable a period of time.
Holding the Guitar When holding the guitar, make sure you are comfortable - whether you are sitting or standing, the guitar should "feel right".
Plectrums - Choosing a Plectrum Plectrums come in all shapes and sizes - some really thin others very thick and stiff. They are usually measured in millimetres of thickness. As a general rule, the thinner the plectrum the easy it will "brush" across the strings (as mentioned earlier). Thicker plectrums are especially good for playing "Lead Guitar" licks and runs but tend to "catch" the strings when used for strumming. A few good makes of plectrum are: Jim Dunlop, and Sharkfin - both are made from a durable nylon and don't break easily. When choosing a plectrum try and check its "durability" as through experience, I have found a lot of the poorer quality plectrums break very easily.
Holding a Plectrum Make sure to hold the plectrum firmly between your thumb and index finger and have the "point" of the plectrum facing to the left i.e, the tip of the plectrum is "side on" to your thumb and index finger.
Tuning Up There are a few ways to tune your guitar. These days most people use an "electronic tuner" which saves time and sometimes "patience!". I feel it is still very important to to know how to "manually tune" your guitar .
Top E string (click to start tuning your guitar) Each string should be tuned to your "Top E" string and then subsequentl strings after this. (Click the images to hear how each of the other strings should sound).
How to Tune Your Guitar Manually The idea is to tune all the strings to the top "Top E" or "thinnest" string . This is done by placing your finger on the 5th fret of the "B string" and striking the "B string" and "E string" together - twist the "machine head" of the "B string" until both sound the same - you have just tuned the "B" and "Top E" strings. Next - place your finger on the 4th fret of the "G string" and tune this to the "B string" (by striking both - twist the machine head of the "G string" until they sound the same. Next - continue the same process the rest of the way through the strings; each time placing your finger on the 5th fret and tuning that string to the higher one below it until all strings are in tune. Once you have tuned this way a few times it becomes easier on subsequent tunings. There are two advantages to this method of tuning:
1. If on an occasion you cannot for some reason have your tuner to hand you need to know how to tune up 2. Tuning this way helps to develop your "musical ear" and the sound of each string becomes more familiar.
Strumming the Guitar - How to Strum Strumming is the technique of "brushing" the plectrum down the strings either "up" or "down" to "sound" a chord or melody. When playing chords,you should only strum from certain strings e.g., when playing a "G" or "E" chord you can strum all the strings but the A, D, C, B chords must be played from the appropriate strings. A chord - playing from the "A string" and strum the next five strings - A string is the "root note of the chord" D Chord - played from the "D string" and strum the next four strings - D string is the "root note" of the chord C chord - played from the 5th string or "A string" (because the third finger is holding down a "C note" and the strum must start from here - this note is called the "root note" of the chord B Chord - played from the "A string" (because the first (index) is resting on the "B" or "root note" of the chord F Chord - You can use all strings as the F "root note" is held down by the index finger on the first fret on the "Top E" string and "Low E" string.
Below are all the 7 "basic" chords most people learn to play when they begin taking lessons.
As you can see, some are more difficult than others i.e., "B chord" and the "F chord". These would be tackled later on when you have mastered the other chords (please click on each chord to hear how they should sound)
New teaching Resources - Learn to play Oasis, Green Day, Bob Dylan and many more!! I decided after a lot of thought and searching the internet to record my own audio and teaching resources as there just does not seem to be a simple teaching method (that doesn't promise and cost the earth!! available to beginners). The audio and documents below have already been used with some of my current students who have given me very positive feedback on how useful they have been and how their playing has progressed simply by having these resources to hand. Occasionally I would email these resources through to help students when they are practicing at home in between lessons. Beginners Songs Bob Dylan
A very good starter tune is Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heavens Door" After mastering the chords G, Am, C and D (most beginners would start with these chords) this tune can be played as the whole song is made up of: Verse and Chorus: G, D, Am and G, D, C. There are some audio files and a word document which takes the student through the whole song playing each section slowly to gradually build up you're confidence and ability. Feel free to take a listen to the audio and view the word document on how to play this song. How to play "Knockin on Heavens Door" (rhythm document) (All audio tracks are MP3) Verse, Chorus and tips on how to play
Oasis
Another great song to help you get started is Oasis - "Live Forever" (from "Defintely Maybe" This tune is a slight progression on from "Knockin On Heavens Door" in that some more chords are introduced which form an essential part of any guitar players chord repertoire. Chords include: G, D, Am7, C, Em and Fmaj 7 (please see attched rhythm document) How to play "Live Forever" (rhythm document) (All audio tracks are MP3)
Green Day
This has proven top be a very popular song with students so far - the majority of lessons I have taken the last year (both school and home lessons) have consisted of teaching this song. Its a great tune to get your rhythm patterns established. Its also a great intro to "fingerstyle" though this takes a lot longer to master. A good idea is to not think of attempting it (at the original sppeed) bbut take it slowly and build up your confidence and changing chords. How to play "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life Live)" (rhythm document) (All audio tracks are MP3) Full Song (includes fingerstyle)
Word from the Tutor I hope this page has been useful and you enjoy attempting the songs. I hope to update this page and add additional tips/advice at regular intervals in the near future. The tips and advice here are only a "snippet" of what is to be learned over the course of your study. Once lessons begin, all the above will be explained in detail but to the guitarist who has already taken a few lessons and can play fairly well, the above should be familiar. In the meantime, enjoy your guitar playing and enjoy the songs! James Ledley - JLG Guitar Tuition
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