Guidebook on playing the guitar

Page 1

 Notes  Chords  Scales  Songs  And a lot more


Table of Contents  Brief history of the guitar  Introduction to the instrument  How to hold the guitar   

How to hold the pick How to strum with and without the pick Different strumming techniques

 How to read music    

Different notes and their beat counts Different rests and their beat counts Music sheets Tablatures

 How to tune the guitar


Table of contents Guitar Notes  

Notes on the first string Notes on the second string Notes on the third string

Songs including first 3 strings Guitar Notes   

Notes on the fourth string Notes on the fifth string Notes on the sixth string

Songs including last 3 strings


Table of contents Basic chord diagrams Scales Major and minor More songs with notes More songs with chords and lyrics


Brief history of the guitar The word “guitar” comes from the Spanish word “guitarra” which came from the former Latin word “cithara” and the Sanskrit word “tar” meaning string. Our modern guitar comes from the lute which came to Europe between the 6th and the 9th century. Later it came to Spain from the Moors who brought the Oud. Around the late 17th century guitars with nylon or gut strings became popular. In 1850 Antonio de Torres invented what we now called the acoustic guitar. Now a days we have steel-stringed guitars which surpassed the popularity of nylon-string guitars.


Introduction to the guitar Tuners (Tuning knobs) Saddle Strings

The head The neck/fretboard

The body Bridge pins

Bridge Strap pin


How to hold the Guitar  To hold the guitar, make sure you are sitting upright.  If you are right handed the neck goes in your left hand  If you are left handed the neck goes in you right hand  Keep the guitar right under your chest and tilt it a little

towards yourself in order to see the fret board better.

Right handed

Left handed


How to read music Different notes and their beat counts 3 beats

1 beat Quarter note

Dotted Half note

1 ½ beats Dotted quarter note

4 beats Whole note

6 beats

2 beats Half note

Dotted whole note


How to read music Different notes and their beat counts cont’d 3/8 of a beat

½ a beat Dotted sixteenth note

Eighth note

1 beat

¾ of a beat Dotted eighth note

2 eighth notes

½ a beat

¼ of a beat Sixteenth note

2 sixteenth notes


How to hold the pick and strum with or without it ď‚— Make sure that you

hold the pick between your thumb and index finger. ď‚— When you strum, keep the pick held half way in.


How to read music Different rests and their beat counts 2 beats

1 beat Quarter rest

Half rest

½ a beat Eighth rest

Whole rest

Âź of a beat Sixteenth rest

4 beats


Tablatures


How to read music Treble clef  A way to remember the notes on the line ‘EGBDF’ is an acronym: Every Good Boy Deserves Fun

 The big ‘S’ on the side represents the treble clef staff

 A way to remember the notes on the spaces ‘FACE’ is an acronym: F A C E


How to read music Bass clef  A way to remember the notes on the line ‘GBDFA’ is an acronym: Great Burritos Don’t Fall Apart

 The swirl with two dots on the side represents the bass clef.

 A way to remember the notes on the spaces ‘ACEG’ is an acronym: All Cows Eat Grass


Music sheets

Bar divider which separates one bar from the other

4 4

4/4 timing where each bar has 4 beats Treble clef stating this music sheet is going to use the treble clef staff

The standard 5 line staff where all notes are drawn


How to tune the guitar  Here is a video tutorial on tuning the guitar


Guitar Notes Notes on the first string

ď ś Here is an audio to how each note sounds

The E note which is played open The F note played with your index finger on the first fret The G note – played with your ring finger on the third fret.


Guitar Notes Notes on the second string • Index finger on first – C note • Ring finger on third fretD note • Open finger – B note


Guitar Notes Notes on the third string  Here is an audio to how each note sounds The G note – played open The A note – played with your middle finger on the second fret


Songs with first 3 strings First string

Sound Track

Video Track


Guitar notes Notes on the second string

Sound Track

Video Track


Songs with first 3 strings Third string


Guitar Notes Notes on the fourth string

 Here is an audio to how each note sounds The D noteplayed open The E note – played with middle finger on second fret The F note – played with ring finger on third fret


Guitar Notes Notes on the fifth string ď ś Here is an audio to how each note sounds The A noteplayed open The B noteplayed with middle finger on second fret The C noteplayed with ring finger on third fret


Guitar Notes Notes on the sixth string

ď ś Here is an audio to how each note sounds The E noteplayed open The F noteplayed with index finger on first fret The G noteplayed with ring finger on third fret


Songs with first 3 strings Fourth string

Sound Track


Songs with first 3 strings Fifth string

Sound Track


Songs with first 3 strings Sixth string

Sound Track


Major and Minor Chords and Scales


Major and Minor Chords and Scales Cont’d Scales set the tone and mood of your music. They help understand the ability to know and recall relationships between notes. With this the relationship between chords and how they set an emotional mood is understood as well. Good composition and song writing with good technique and more interesting rhythm work is learnt. All in all, this leads towards a roadmap for soloing and knowing various melodies to play over the right chords at the right time.


Basic Chords Chart


Three Little Birds: Bob Marley


Baby: Justin Bieber


More songs


More songs


More songs


You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift


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