Guitar for Left-Handed Players by Teacher Superstore

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GUITAR for left-handed players

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Also includes ideas and tips . for teright-handed players. o

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Written by Terry Allen. Illustrated by Terry Allen. (© Ready-Ed Publications 2002) This edition published by Ready-Ed Publications (2010) P.O. Box 276 Greenwood Western Australia 6024 Email: sales@readyed.com.au Website: www.readyed.com.au

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 978 1 86397 447 9

Introduction

r o e t s Bo r e p ok for the leftThe first part of “Let’s Play Guitar” has been specially designed u handed beginner,S with diagrams and pictures portraying left-handed playing and techniques. This book has been designed with the absolute beginner in mind,

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Let’s Play Guitar - two for the price of one!

with sections dealing with what each piece of the guitar is called; the easiest way to tune the instrument; changing a broken string; explanations and diagrams of chords; and how chords are joined to create songs. There is a detailed introduction to fifteen chords essential to the beginner, laid out in easy-to-read diagrams. Three well-known songs with chords above the lyrics and arrows to indicate where to strum are also included.

The second part of the book presents relevant information for the right-handed beginner, for use in cases where there may be one of each in a family or tuition group. However, much of the material in the first part of the book can be used by either left-handed or right-handed learners and has not been repeated in the second section.

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This book is a great place to start to learn about the guitar and music in general. It will take students to a basic level of understanding and knowledge, from which point they can then pursue their desired style of playing.

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Let’s Play Guitar

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Contents

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Introduction ...................................................................................... 2 Guitar: A Brief History .................................................................... 4 What’s What on Your Guitar ........................................................... 5 Taking Care of Your Guitar ............................................................. 6 The Six Strings ................................................................................. 7 Tuning Your Guitar - 1 .................................................................... 8 Tuning Your Guitar - 2 .................................................................... 9 Fitting Strings - 1 ........................................................................... 10 Fitting Strings - 2 ........................................................................... 11 Fingers and Frets ............................................................................ 12 What are Chords? ........................................................................... 13 Chord Pictures - 1 .......................................................................... 14 Chord Pictures - 2 .......................................................................... 15 Strumming and Plectrums .............................................................. 16 More Strumming ............................................................................ 17 Learning a Chord - E Major ..................................................... 18, 19 Learning a Chord - A Major .......................................................... 20 Learning a Chord - D Major .......................................................... 21 Chords and Songs - 1: Happy Birthday ......................................... 22 Chords and Songs - 2: Old MacDonald ......................................... 23 Chords and Songs - 3: Waltzing Matilda ....................................... 24 Chords to Learn and Play - 1 ......................................................... 25 Chords to Learn and Play - 2 ......................................................... 26 Chords to Learn and Play - 3 ......................................................... 27

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. te 29 o c 30 What’s What on Your Guitar? ....................................................... . c e The Six Stringsh ............................................................................... 31 r e o t r s super Fingers and Frets ............................................................................ 32

Right-Handed Section

What are Chords? ........................................................................... 33 Chord Pictures - 1 and 2 ........................................................... 34, 35 Strumming and Plectrums .............................................................. 36 Chords to Learn and Play - 1, 2 and 3 ..................................... 37-39 Where to From Here? ..................................................................... 40

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U G

R A y History I T A Brief Histor

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Musical instruments using strings to create sound go back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians played a harp-like instrument called a bow harp, around 3000 BC. The Hittites played a stringed instrument with a fretboard around 1500 BC. It was played like a guitar and sat in the lap with one hand fingering chords, while the other hand plucked or strummed the strings.

The first mention of the guitar in history is in writings from the 14th century. The instrument probably originated in Spain, where it was played in the streets and in taverns. This early instrument had three pairs of strings (courses), plus a single string which had the highest sound.

In other European countries the lute, another stringed instrument, was by far the most popular, but by the 16th and 17th centuries the guitar was gaining in popularity with an improved design, a better sound and broader scope, thanks to a fifth pair of strings being added below the other four.

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By the 1800s the guitar had improved further. The body of the guitar had broadened, the curves of the waist increased, the old wooden tuning pegs were replaced with a modern machine head, the pairs (courses) of strings were replaced with single ones, and another string was added above the lower five. The guitar had arrived at its modern form.

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In the 1930s the electric guitar was invented and for the first time the guitar could be heard as a solo instrument. It was often played alongside trumpets and saxophones in dance and jazz bands of the 1930s and 40s. By the 1950s, guitar players had developed a sound and technique that would eventually become the driving force behind rock and roll music. The popularity of rock and roll made the guitar the largest-selling instrument in the world. The electric guitar is the latest development in an instrument that dates back thousands of years, so in a sense the guitar is one of the oldest as well as one of the newest musical instruments. Page 4

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What’s What on Y our Guitar? Your

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tuning keys nut neck

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r o e t s Bo r e acoustic guitar p electric guitar o u k S machine head

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body sound hole

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frets

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bridge strap attachment An electric guitar needs an amplifier and electricity to be heard, while an acoustic guitar has a sound hole. Ready-Ed Publications

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Taking Care of

Your Guitar

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to play cricket with ...

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It’s not a good idea to use your guitar...

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to play basketball with ...

Guitars are fragile – that means they are easily damaged – but if you are careful you could still have your guitar when you are 101! Page 6

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The Six Strings

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E A D G B E © Ready EdPubl i cat i ons

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. t e on a guitar each have a name. Starting withc o The six strings the string at . the top (the thickest one) the names are E A D G B E. You will notice the c e h r top and bottom stringse have the same name, which is because they are o t r s s r u e p the same note but are two octaves (group of 8 notes) apart.

If you sing ‘doh ray mi fah soh lah ti doh’, that is a major scale of one octave. Sing it twice in a row, only keep going up the scale, and you will have sung two octaves. The first ‘doh’ you sang and the last ‘doh’ you sang are two octaves apart. Likewise, on the guitar the thickest string ‘E’ and the thinnest string ‘E’ are two octaves apart.

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Tuning

Your Guitar - 1

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Turning the tuning peg will either raise the pitch of a note or lower it. If you play the string as you do this you will hear the sound go up or down depending on which way you turn the peg.

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Tuning a guitar can be tricky. However, you can’t properly play a guitar that is not in tune – it simply won’t sound right. So before we go any further, you need to learn how to get your guitar in tune. This is how we do it.

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Be careful not to tighten the peg too much as the string can snap. Strings that are left too tight can pull the guitar’s body out of shape and bend the neck.

It is a good idea to tune your guitar to what is called ‘concert pitch’, which is a standard tuning used by musicians all over the world. Most recorded music, either on television, CDs, or tapes has been recorded with the instruments tuned to concert pitch. Most bands and groups play tuned to concert pitch.

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Tuning

Your Guitar - 2

Pitch pipes and electronic tuners will tune your guitar to concert pitch. They can be bought from any music shop that sells guitars. Pitch pipes are fairly cheap while the electronic tuners are a little more expensive.

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It is best to tune ‘up’ to a note rather than ‘down’ to it, so before you start, adjust the string so it sounds lower than the note from the pitch pipes. Then adjust the string up to the proper note. Tune each string in turn. It is a good idea to give each string a gentle pull away from the guitar to take up any slip on the tuning heads and to stretch the string just a little. It may take some practice to hear when a string is right so take your time. You will eventually be able to tune your guitar with ease.

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Pitch pipes are especially designed for tuning guitars. They produce six notes, one for each of the strings on the guitar. You tune each string by turning the tuning peg, while plucking the string, until you get a sound which is the same as the note from the pitch pipes.

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Electronic tuners are the easiest and most accurate way to tune a guitar. The tuner has a plug-in socket for electric guitars and a microphone to pick up the sound of an acoustic guitar.

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You play a string, and a meter reading will tell you if it is in tune or not. Remember, it is best to tune up to a note, rather than down to it, so if the meter tells you the note is too high, turn the tuning peg until the note is lower and then tune up to the right pitch.

If you are tuning an acoustic guitar you will need to tune your guitar in a quiet place, as the microphone will pick up any other sounds around and give you an incorrect reading. Tune your guitar every day before you play. You will soon get to know what your guitar should sound like and know when it is out of tune. Ready-Ed Publications

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Fitting Strings - 1 Different kinds of guitars have different kinds of strings. An electric guitar has steel strings, as does an acoustic. The classical guitar is fitted with nylon strings. If you own a classical guitar, never fit steel strings to it, as these strings need tension that the classical guitar wasn’t built to withstand. If you fit steel strings you may bend and twist the neck and possibly warp the body.

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Guitar strings don’t last forever, even steel strings. They stretch, get rusty and eventually lose their quality of sound. For your guitar to sound its best the strings need to be changed from time to time. It’s a good idea to have a set of spare strings available in case you break one. Guitar strings come in sets of different gauges; take your guitar along when you buy a set and ask for the same gauge as the strings already fitted to the instrument.

Let’s Change a Brok en String Broken

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Nearly all steel strings have a small knob fitted to one end. This fits into the bridge, or tailpiece, of the guitar. On most flat-top guitars the string is fitted to the bridge by plastic pins that are tapered to fit into a hole in the bridge. The knobbed end of the string goes into the hole and the pin is pushed in after it. Apply a little pressure to make sure it won’t slip out when you tighten the string. Run the string along the length of the guitar. Follow the three diagrams below to fit the string to the machine head. Make sure when you wind the string on, that the last wind is closest to the guitar. In other words, the last wind should be at the bottom.

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If you are replacing all six strings, fit them all loosely before tuning. Then gradually tune the strings together, as having one string tuned up and the others loose could twist the neck of the guitar. Page 10

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Fitting Strings - 2 Electric Guitars

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Classical Guitars

Thread string through hole in back of guitar

through to bridge on the front of guitar.

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There are many different ways that strings are fitted to electric guitars. Some are threaded through a hole in the bridge and some are threaded through the body of the guitar from the back, as seen in the picture. Look carefully at how your guitar strings are fitted before removing them. Follow the instructions on the previous page for winding strings onto the machine head. The procedure is the same for electric guitars. Make sure you buy electric guitar strings, as nylon strings won’t work with the magnetic pick-up of an electric guitar.

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Classical guitars are fitted with nylon strings. They are tied at the bridge using a loop knot. A single loop knot is alright, but a double knot ensures against the string slipping when tuning up. Thread the string through the hole in the bridge and take it back around. Looping the string under itself once is a single loop knot, twice is a double, as shown below.

o c . che e r o At the machine head of the classical guitar, thread the string through the hole and t r s supe r loop it round and back under itself. Winding it on from here ties the string in place. 1

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Fingers and F rets Frets

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Guitar strings are a certain length, from the bridge on the body to the nut on the neck.

If you press a finger down on a string, say at the first fret, then it shortens that string. It now runs from the bridge to the first fret only. The note the string then plays is higher because the string is shorter. This is how notes and chords are made on the guitar.

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clean-sounding note. If you put your finger on top of the fret, as in the first picture, and play the string, it will just make a dull ‘dud’ sound. If you put your finger too far from the fret, as in the second picture, you will get what is called ‘fret buzz’. This is a sound made when the string vibrates against the fret. The best place is just before the fret, as in the third picture, which should make a clean-sounding note. If you still hear some fret buzz then press down on the string a little harder.

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What are Chords?

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You will have seen people singing and playing the guitar on television or busking in the street. They are playing chords that go along with the song they are singing. Not just any chords, but particular chords that fit in with the melody of the song.

A chord is a collection of notes played at the same time to make a particular sound. Using the right hand, fingers are placed down onto the strings in a pattern on the fretboard. The left hand then strums the strings. There are lots and lots of chords for the guitar but you only need a few to get you started.

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Learning chords is not hard, but you have to teach your fingers where to go to make a chord. Once your fingers have done it a few times they will go there without you even thinking about it. Learn one or two chords at a time and get those sounding correct, and then choose another one or two to learn. Trying to learn too many at once will be confusing. No way!

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At first your fingers may not want to do what you want them to do. Keep trying though, even if you have to use your other hand to place a finger where you want it to go. Your fingers will soon get the idea!

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Chord Pictures - 1

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The space between each fret has been numbered from one to four. This will help you place your fingers in the right space.

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Chord pictures are diagrams that tell you where to put your fingers on the fretboard to make a chord. In this book the diagram itself is a picture of the fretboard, as you would see it from a playing position.

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A chord is written on the fretboard using circles and numbers. The circle means this is where you put a finger and the number tells you which finger to put there. Some chords use three fingers, some chords use four fingers, and some only one finger.

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Chord Pictures - 2

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To play a chord, place your thumb approximately in the middle of the neck of the guitar. This is the best place for the thumb – too far up and you may not reach the top strings with your fingers. With your thumb in this position place your fingers on the fretboard, as in the diagram. This makes the E major chord which you will find out more about later.

E major

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Use the numbers written under the fretboard to see which fret you need. Use the circles to see where to put your fingers, and the numbers inside the circles to see which finger to use.

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Once you have your fingers in the correct place sound out each string with your left hand. How does it sound? Do some strings sound good while others don’t sound at all or are muffled? If so, you may need to move your fingers so they are not touching any other strings, or you may have to press a little harder.

. te o c Some chord pictures will have an ‘X’ on one, two or three of. the strings. This c e means that, for this chord, the strings marked with an X arer not to be strummed by h e o r the left hand. st super For example, this is the chord picture for the A major chord. The string with the X across it is not to be played.

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Strumming

and Plectrums

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A plectrum is used to strum the strings of the guitar. Plectrums are also called picks or flatpicks. They can be made from all sorts of things, but they are usually plastic or nylon. A plectrum is small and flat and is held between the tip of the thumb and the side of the first finger. You glide the plectrum across the strings of the guitar while making a chord with your other hand. Plectrums come in many shapes and sizes and you can even make your own. An empty ice cream container is great for making plectrums. Choose a thin plectrum to begin with as it will bend on the strings and make learning to strum easier.

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Build up a collection of plectrums as they are easily lost or misplaced. A good spot to keep the one you are using is in between the strings on your guitar.

While strumming, the idea is to move your hand evenly across the strings, using your wrist. Make an E major chord with your right hand. Using down strokes to start with, strum the guitar with your left hand. Include all the strings in your strum. At this stage speed is not important, so go as slow as you need to. Count as you strum: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and so on.

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Learning a Chord - E Major

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Pages 25, 26 and 27 show chord pictures of 15 basic chords. These chord pictures will teach you how to play the chords on your guitar by telling you exactly where to put each finger. First we will have a more detailed look at some of the basic chords you used for strumming practice, beginning with the E major chord.

Look at the diagram carefully. See where each finger is to be placed on each string and each fret.

Position your right hand with the thumb in the middle of the back of the fretboard and put each finger in place.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Once your fingers arev ini place sound out each string with your other hand.• Chances • f o r r e e w p u r p o s e s o n l y are there will be one or two strings that won’t sound too good. This might be

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because a finger is touching strings above or below it, or because you are not pressing down hard enough on a string. Move your fingers around until you hear each string sound out clearly.

Now let go of the chord and then do it again. The secret to learning a chord is to repeat it over and over again, so let go and make the chord again as often as possible, until your fingers go to the right spot automatically.

. tare practising making your new chord you can also practise While youe your o c strumming. . che e r o t r Using downstrokes s super

E major

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Using Upstrokes to Strum

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In practising the E major chord, we have been playing downstrokes, counting 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. Now we are going to use the same chord and strum the guitar on the way back up. These are called the upstrokes. As we count one and two, the upstrokes are played on the ‘and’ while the downstrokes are played on the numbers.

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons You may find strumming upstrokes with the downstrokes awkward at first. Take •and f o rr evi ew p u r p os es o nl y •left your time strum slowly, developing an even glide across the strings. Your hand will eventually learn where to be in relation to the guitar in order to get a nice even strum.

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Remember to use a thin plectrum at this stage. One made from an ice-cream container lid is an ideal thickness. A thin plectrum has more give and will bend on the strings, making it easier for you to learn to strum.

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Learning a Chord - E major

(cont.)

Use down and upstrokes together.

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Here is an exercise designed to practise making an E chord.

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E major

count 1

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Strum the chord 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. When you get to the strums marked with an ‘x’ let go of the chord, don’t strum, but keep counting: ‘and 1 and 2 and’. Then make an E chord again and strum: ‘3 and 4’.

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Here is a different one. E major

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(don’t strum, just count)

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You can do this exercise lots of different ways. Try making up your own patterns.

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Learning a Chord - A Major This chord is called A major. Once again study the chord picture carefully to see where each finger has to go, on which fret and on which string.

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Make the A major chord and sound out each note with your other hand. Looking at the chord picture you will see an ‘X’ on the E string. That means you don’t play it when you strum, you only strum the next five strings. Make the chord over and over again. As with the E major chord, plenty of practice will soon have you playing the A chord.

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We now know how to make an E major chord and an A major chord. Now you need to learn to swap easily between the two. The exercise below starts with the E major chord and changes to the A major chord. Strum the E chord 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and (change to the A chord) 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. E major

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With practice you will be able to change chords easily. Take your time and go as slowly as you need to.Turn the pattern around and play the A chord first and then change to the E, or make up your own pattern for the exercise.

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Learning a Chord - D major Now that you have learned E major and A major, it is time to add to your chord repertoire. The new chord is called D major. Once again study the chord picture carefully to see where each finger has to go, on which fret and on which string. You will notice with this chord that there are 2 X’s on 2 strings. Remember that this means those strings are not to be played.

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X X

Make the D major chord and sound out each note with your left hand. Make the chord over and over again. As with the E major and A major chords, practise until you can make the D major chord automatically.

Now let’s put the chords together. Play the next two lines as one piece, changing from the A major chord to D major, from D major to E major and back to D major again. A major

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Now turn the page to play a song.

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Chords and Songs –1 To play a song you need to know what chords are used, how many and where they are in the song. Some songs use a lot of chords and others only one or two. The order of chords in a song is called a chord progression. A song everyone knows how to sing is ‘Happy Birthday’, which uses the three chords you have learnt so far – the A major, E major and D major chords.

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The first chord is A major. You play the A chord on each of the down arrows until you get to the box with an E. Here you change to the E major chord. Sing along while you are playing. The downstrokes are the beat of this song, so be sure to play the arrows where there are no words to sing.

Happy Birthday play

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AyE © R e a d E d P u b l i c a t i o n s sing • f orr evbirthday i ew pur po sesyou. onl y• Happy to Happy birthday to you.

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che e r o t r s s r u e p Happy birthday dear Billy. A

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Chords and Songs – 2 Here is another well-known song for you to play. Once again the downstrokes are the beat of the song, so don’t forget to play the downstrokes where there are no words.

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Old Macdonald had a farm, ee-eye ee-eye oh

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And on this farm he had some ducks, ee-eye ee-eye oh

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Here a quack there a quack everywhere a quack quack Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-eye ee-eye oh

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Chords and Songs – 3 Here is a song using a different set of chords. You will need to know the G major, C major and D major chords which you can find on the pages that follow. Once you have played the song a few times, try playing it with some upstrokes between the downstrokes.

r o e t s Bo r e p C ok G Du S Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,

Under the shade of a coolibah tree.

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Waltzing Matilda

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,

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Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

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You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

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You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

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Chords

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E major chord

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Chords

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A minor chord

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D major chord

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C major chord

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Chords

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C seventh chord

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Part 2: Right-handers’ Section

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This part of the book reproduces some of the preceding pages so that the book can be effectively used by righthanded beginners. In many instances the left-handers’ instruction pages are easily interpreted and repeating them would serve little purpose. However, the following information and activities may require further explanation and so have been presented ©R eady E dPubl i cat i ons in a format suitable for right-handers. The Six Strings Fingers and Frets What are Chords? Chord Pictures - 1 and 2 Strumming and Plectrums

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Right-handers’ Section

What’s What on Y our Guitar? Your

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. te o The six strings on a guitar each have a name. Starting with the string at c . c the top (the thickest one) the names are E A D G B E. Youe will notice the h r er o top and bottom strings have the same name, which is because they are t s s r u e p the same note but are two octaves (group of 8 notes) apart.

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Fingers and F rets Frets

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Guitar strings are a certain length from the bridge on the body to the nut on the neck.

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sounding note. If you put your finger on top of the fret, as in the first picture, and play the string, it will just make a dull ‘dud’ sound. If you put your finger too far from the fret, as in the second picture, you will get what is called ‘fret buzz’. This is a sound made when the string vibrates against the fret. The best place is just before the fret, as in the third picture, which should make a clean-sounding note. If you still hear some fret buzz then press down on the string a little harder.

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What are Chords?

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A chord is a collection of notes played at the same time to make a particular sound. Using the left hand, fingers are placed down onto the strings in a pattern on the fretboard. The right hand then strums the strings. There are lots and lots of chords for the guitar but you only need a few to get you started.

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Chord Pictures - 1

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The space between each fret has been numbered from one to four. This will help you place your fingers in the right space.

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Chord pictures are diagrams that tell you where to put your fingers on the fretboard to make a chord. The diagram itself is a picture of the fretboard as you would see it from a playing position.

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Placing little coloured stickers on the fretboard will help your fingers find the chord. Once your fingers know where to go, take the stickers off.

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Chord Pictures - 2

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Use the numbers written under the fretboard to see which fret you need. Use the circles to see where to put your fingers, and the numbers inside the circles to see which finger to use.

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Use your fingertips to press down on the strings.

Once you have your fingers in the correct place sound out each string with your right hand. How does it sound? Do some strings sound good while others don’t sound at all or are muffled? If so, you may need to move your fingers so they are not touching any other strings, or you may have to press a little harder.

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This is the chord picture for the A major chord. The string with the X across it is not to be played. Ready-Ed Publications

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Right-handers’ Section

Strumming and Plectrums

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A plectrum is a small chip used to strum the strings of the guitar. Plectrums are also called picks or flatpicks. They can be made from all sorts of things, but they are usually plastic or nylon. A plectrum is small and flat and is held between the tip of the thumb and the side of the first finger. You glide the plectrum across the strings of the guitar while making a chord with your other hand. Plectrums come in many shapes and sizes and you can even make your own. An empty ice cream container is great for making plectrums. Choose a thin plectrum to begin with as it will bend on the strings and make learning to strum easier.

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Build up a collection of plectrums as they are easily lost or misplaced. A good spot to keep the one you are using is in between the strings on your guitar.

While strumming, the idea is to move your hand evenly across the strings, using your wrist. Make an E major chord with your left hand (see the chord diagrams on the next page). Using down strokes to start with, strum the guitar with your right hand. Include all the strings in your strum. At this stage speed is not important, so go as slow as you need to. Count as you strum: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and so on.

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Chords

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E major chord

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A seventh chord

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A major chord

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A minor chord

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D major chord

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Chords

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C seventh chord

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G major chord

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Where to F rom Here? From You now know how to tune and strum your guitar, and you have learned fifteen chords. Now it’s time to look for your favourite songs to play. Music shops have books of songs written out for guitar. Look for ‘Easy to Play’ and buskers’ books, which offer the easiest way to play songs and often give you the guitar chords in diagrams as in this book.

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There are lots of different styles of guitar playing, from heavy metal rock music to bluegrass and folk, to jazz improvisation, to busking in the street. Whatever style you want to play, what you’ve learned so far is a good start. From here on it’s up to you as to the direction you choose. The one thing all styles of guitar playing have in common is that they are fun, and even more fun when you’re playing with others. So get together with other ‘guitar people’, swap ideas, and play together. It’s amazing what you can learn from one another. You can also get together with people who play other instruments – recorders, harps, violins – there’s a range of instruments the guitar blends well with.

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Keep on practising and never feel bad about your playing. There will always be someone better than you, and worse than you, so just enjoy the ride.

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