How to Play Guitar

Of every type of scale you can play on the guitar, one that has really stuck with me is the pentatonic scale. Songs like Amazing Grace, Cotton Eyed Joe, and the iconic Led Zeppelin hit Stairway to Heaven all use it. The pentatonic scale has a very unique, and pleasant sound – but even better,

The Ebm guitar chord, a.k.a E flat minor, is one of the rarer chords. There are only a few keys that naturally contain Ebm. Of course, it can always be borrowed from one of those keys in a song that’s in a more common key to add some spice to the mix. Having said that,

The melodic minor scale is an interesting scale and not only because it’s one of three different minor scales. It has such an interesting sound to it thanks to the raised sixth and seventh intervals. But not just that, you don’t play it the same way down as you play it up, at least in

F#dim is one of those chords, that in my opinion, doesn’t sound great on its own. But when used in the right way, it adds a dark kind of tension that adds some drama to a song. Usually, it’s used as a bridge between two other chords so that the tension resolves. But because of

Mixing and mastering are two crucial end-steps to producing a completed work. A common misconception, however, is that both of these terms are interchangeable, and therefore, result in them being glossed over and forgotten. This article aims to help you understand their importance, and why both steps deserve much-needed attention. Mixing and Mastering – What’s

Singing and playing guitar might look easy when you’re watching someone else perform; until you try it yourself. Getting your hands, ears, and voice to coordinate is something that takes practice and skills, but I firmly believe any guitar player can do it if they put their minds to it. Here are 23 tips on

Mastering the “Six Stringed Behemoth” can be a challenge that requires a lot of time and devotion. When you take the time to learn the names of each string, you bring yourself one step closer to being a better guitarist! Let’s dive in! Why Are the Names of Each String Important? The Six Strings of

Once upon a time, in the days of analog, gain had a single meaning. Now In the digital era, musicians have experimented with many different ways of not only creating it, but also defining what it is. As a result, it’s become one of those catch-all audio terms that can be difficult to understand as

A lot of guitarists get by with no knowledge of music theory or the notes on the guitar and can even play awesome riffs, play fingerstyle pretty well, etc. Nothing wrong with that if it works well for them. But there may come a point when it can really help you level up. Honestly, in

Working off of tabs is perfectly fine, but if you want to level up a bit or you’ve developed an interest in classical guitar, sheet music is a good thing to learn. It’s not that you only find classic guitar pieces in guitar sheet music, you do find it in tabs too. But this is

One of the funnest parts of learning electric guitar is playing around with the differences between popular effects. Distortion. Chorus. Tremolo. These can all help you push the barriers of a traditional “clean” guitar tone as you develop your own unique sound. But with so many effects to choose from, it’s easy to get confused

Odd time signatures are great techniques that help songs sound ‘outside-the-box’. Initially, playing songs in odd times may feel robotic, or more like studying mathematics than learning music. However, after reading this guide, you’ll be able to learn and play songs in odd time signatures, and you may even find that an ‘odd’ time signature

How hard is it to learn guitar? This is a question that a lot of people ask. It can be daunting to learn a new instrument and you want to know if you have the time and energy to sink into the process. This is definitely a consideration when you need to buy a guitar

While I used to have a piano teacher and currently have a violin teacher, I taught myself to play guitar for the most part. When I say, for the most part, I mean that a friend of a family friend showed me how to play A and D. Those were the first chords I learned

Today’s battle? Nylon vs steel strings for guitar. This is a pretty common question people have when first starting out on the guitar. Or perhaps you’ve been playing on someone else’s guitar and want to get your own or need to buy new strings and aren’t sure which type of strings to get. Ideally, this

Being a guitar player is fun and fulfilling. You have the complete power in your hands to create and express your true self. But sometimes it can be frustrating. There may be times when you cannot express yourself because of your technical underdevelopment. But in my opinion this is where the real fun begins. The

One of the most exciting parts of learning electric guitar is experimenting with different effects. Whether it’s adding rockabilly-style delay vs. metal-friendly distortion, effects are the cornerstones of many music genres. Flanger and phaser are two of the most popular effects from the psychedelic era –– and beyond. They’re both characterized by swirling, sweeping noises.

Alternate tunings are some of the best ways to take your guitar playing to the next level. They can help you experiment with new chords and melodies that aren’t always possible in standard tuning. There are hundreds of alternate tunings out there. Some, like Drop D, are widely used. Others are a bit more niche.

As a beginner guitar player, you probably started off by learning the major, (natural) minor and pentatonic scales. After all, these are the most common ones in the Western world. They’re easy to learn and can be transposed (moved up or down) to any key. They’re also used in most genres of guitar music. But

You’ve been playing guitar for a while now. You know your basic chords and scales. You’ve even memorized a few songs to whip out at parties. But now you’re looking for a new challenge. In this case, it might be time to unlock some alternate tunings. Most popular guitar songs are written in standard tuning.

At a jam session, you might hear the singer ask the band to play a song in something like the “key of G” or the “key of D minor”. But what exactly are keys? Simply put, keys are a collection of notes and chords that sound good together. A lot of guitar players think of

If you’re new to guitar, chances are you’ve only been playing in standard tuning. This is when you tune your… 6th string to low E 5th string to A 4th string to D 3rd string to G 2nd string to B 1st string to high E Standard tuning has been the go-to for popular music

Guitar intonation is the way that the instrument is in tune with itself, along the entire neck. Intonation is something that affects basses, guitars and almost any fretted instrument that has a bridge and strings, and can make a massive difference in the way your guitar sounds – making or breaking whether you sound good

Learning guitar shouldn’t be a chore. After all, it’s called “playing” for a reason! It should be just as fun as playing sports. Or better yet, video games…. Enter Yousician. This Finnish company first made waves in 2010 with their popular Guitar Tuna tuning app. Then, in 2014, they launched a music teaching app for

Have you been noticing that you’ve been getting a little fret buzz as of late? How about your strings – do they feel like they’re a little too far from the fretboard? Are you finding it hard to fret a note, or is the playability of your guitar less than ideal? If you’ve recently changed

As a beginner guitarist, it’s tempting to pick every single note in a downstroke. But experienced players know that alternate picking is the best way to up your game. This classic, staccato style picking uses a combination of alternate downstrokes and upstrokes. This way, you can easily play at lightning speed. It’s also more versatile

You’ve been playing guitar for a while now. But how well do you really know this iconic instrument? Ace your next trivia night (or just impress your friends) with these fascinating facts –– covering everything from ancient instruments to legendary players to the latest World Records. Popularity Guitar Facts Chuck Berry’s 1956 hit “Roll Over

For beginner guitarists (and even experienced players), barre chords can feel like a major pain in the…hand. After all, they’re one of the trickiest voicings to master. Barre chords are a necessary evil. They can teach you how to play anything –– from a B Chord to a Cm to an E♭maj7  It may not

Gone are the days when your only options to learn guitar are to: Lug your gig bag to your local music studio every Thursday night or Listen to your favorite songs on repeat until you figure out the crazy solos. Online guitar lessons are the easy, affordable third option. Even before social distancing, they were

In 2008, an AOL executive named David Butler wanted to learn jazz guitar. But he couldn’t find any decent lessons in his area. So, he and his wife Patricia decided to build an online platform – where anyone could learn an instrument at their own pace and get personalized feedback. It may be a relative

When it comes to online guitar lessons, it’s hard to beat TrueFire in numbers alone. Launched in 1991 as an audio series, TrueFire is now a website with 40,000+ video lessons, 900+ courses and 600+ educators – including famous musicians like Steve Vai, Tommy Emmanuel, Andy Timmons and Robben Ford. With 500,000+ students across 200

Ever feel like your hands are too small for playing guitar? I feel you. As an average size woman, my hands are a far cry from the giant paws of Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Stevie Ray Vaughan. But with a few minor adjustments, I’ve managed to keep up with my big-handed counterparts. It’s all

When it comes to online guitar lessons, it’s hard to find two platforms more popular than JamPlay and GuitarTricks. GuitarTricks (GT) is the veteran website, with 11 000+ lessons and 3 million users. JamPlay (JP) is newer, established in 2007 vs. 1998. But it’s still experienced in delivering 7500+ lessons to 500,000 players across the

Whenever I ask new guitarists which online lessons they use and/or recommend, the one that comes up the most is JustinGuitar. Since 2003, Justin Sandercoe has been teaching guitarists of all levels on his website and YouTube channel. As of 2020, JustinGuitar has 1000+ lessons, 350,000+ users and 1.14 million+ subscribers. Not to mention endorsements

As the first mainstream website for online lessons, Guitar Tricks has its share of bragging rights. 3 million+ users. 11000+ lessons. 1000+ songs. 33 instructors. All wrapped up in one platform. But it’s not 1998 anymore and there’s lots of newer sites to choose from. So, what sets Guitar Tricks apart? Let’s take a closer

Since 2007, JamPlay has been teaching guitar and bass to 500 000+ players around the world. And with over 100 teachers on their roster – including famous names like Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Mike Mushok (Staind), David Ellefson (Megadeth) and Lita Ford (The Runaways) – they offer a little bit of everything to everyone, from

At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we’re constantly trying to figure out ways to teach our readers how to play guitar at the next level. Whether it’s through your guitar tone and timbre, your dexterity or the notes you have access too. Drop D is a common tuning system that many players will be familiar with, and it gives

At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we make sure you get a detailed and accurate grasp over every element of guitar playing. This includes some of the more complex, dissonant aspects of music theory which will enhance the way you play, write and improvise with your guitar. In this important guide, we’ll guide you through the use of the

When you first start learning how to play guitar, you’re usually told to keep your nails short. For many players, this isn’t a big deal. But what if you work as a manicurist? Or what if having nice hands is essential for your look? Does this mean that you should give up? Of course not!

Fender Play is an online teaching platform for guitar, bass and ukulele. Launched in 2017, it’s still a relative newcomer to the scene. But it already has millions of users – thanks to the iconic music brand it belongs to. With endorsements by musicians like Jimmy Page, H.E.R. and Brendan Urie, Fender Play keeps growing

At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we want to make sure you have the best grasp over the guitar from every possible angle. This includes getting you the right guitar gear and the best playing style to suit your needs. However, sometimes, we just want to imitate our heroes. As such, every now and again, we put together a

So you’ve perfected the pentatonic scale, mastered the melodic minor, and can blast out blues licks like Hendrix. Hopefully, you’ve got a few tools under your belt. From string-breaking bends to face-melting legato passages, all of these techniques add a huge amount of depth and nuance to your lead playing, beyond simply rehearsing scales, shapes,