How to Play Guitar

At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we want to keep you at the top of your musical game in every way possible. Sure, we can teach you how to play the guitar really well, but you’re also going to need to gain a certain level of theoretical understanding to take your playing to the next level. As such, we’ve

Jazz is one of the most daunting genres for many guitarists to play, and for good reason — jazz often incorporates rapid chord changes and shifts between different keys, along with a heavy focus on improvisation. If you want to play jazz on guitar, it’s absolutely essential that you learn how to improvise over standard

Guitar fretboard/fingerboard exists all along the neck of a guitar. It is separated by frets. Within each fret includes notes that are played when holding down on the respective string. The fretboard is a major guitar part that connects the head to the body of the guitar. For the beginners here is a general outline

The circle of fifths is a common theoretical term in music. It has many uses across all instruments and  genres but in this lesson we are going to look at a few simple ways that you can learn this essential piece of knowledge and apply it to your playing right away. What is the Circle

Metal music, a genre of rock music developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, originating from the United Kingdom; has grown in popularity amongst musicians and avid music listeners alike! Rooting from Blues, Psychedelic and Acid Rock, Heavy Metal is characterized by its loudness, high distortion, and extended guitar solos. However, what makes it “tick?”

Many people, including me, first come to the guitar with metal music in our ears. As powerful as it sounds, though, playing metal is not particularly easy. Sure, you could crawl your way in and out of the song with only power chords (more on that later). However, if you want to accompany your rhythm

The gleaming, shimmering sounds of 12-string guitars have captivated listeners for decades. Whether acoustic or electric, there’s just something special about a 12-string guitar that makes it perfect for an incredibly broad range of uses. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to play 12-string guitar. Though it may be equivalent in

When we think of classical music, we tend to think of composers such as Ludwig Van Beethovan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or even Johann Christian Bach. Their musical works have had a huge impact on revolutionizing music and shaping what it has become today. It was in the 19th century where the popularity of the piano

Most guitarists begin to play the instrument because they want to play like their guitar heroes. Maybe it’s just one particular song, or maybe it’s their whole discography. Regardless, every player has their own particular idols, whose sounds we emulate and styles we copy. As your skills improve, you may find yourself playing and mastering

In blues music, the turnaround is a familiar companion. You may recognise the sound of a turnaround from the start or end of your favourite blues tracks. Typically, a turnaround is a 2 bar phrase that sits over the 11th and 12th bars of your usual 12 bar blues and acts to “turn around” the

Led by groups like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, the Ramones, and the Buzzcocks, punk rock rode a wave of reactionary sentiment against more buttoned-up music and mainstream culture to become the dominant genre of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The revival of pop-punk in the early 1990s also made stars out of a

“Indie music” may be a misnomer: while the term is labeled as one genre, the name encompasses an incredibly wide array of different artists, all with their own unique sound and playing style. Yet part of the beauty of indie music is embracing that diversity.  Learning to play indie guitar will expose you to more

One of the first iterations of rock music, rock and roll arose as the music of the baby boomer generation in the early 1950s through the early 960s. Based predominantly on a sped-up blues format and cataloguing the daily lives of teenagers and youth, rock and roll quickly rose to become one of the most

From its roots in the Pacific Northwest of the late 1980s, grunge exploded to become the defining sound of the 1990s. And while bands like Nirvana, spearheaded by the legendary Kurt Cobain, may dominate the popular concept of grunge, the genre itself runs much deeper. It’s relatively easy to pick up grunge; the heavy emphasis

Developing out of styles like rock and roll, blues rock, and hard rock, classic rock remains one of the most enduring and popular genres for guitar players around the world. Many of the most famous guitarists in history, like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison are all classic rockers. Learning to play classic rock

Music in itself is an art, an art where one serves itself as but an extension of their instrument. It’s easy to learn to play an instrument such as the guitar — but to completely dominate it is an endeavor many of us still pursue. Learning how to fix sloppy guitar playing can help you

Getting started with guitar tapping is actually a lot easier than you might have thought. As with all other guitar styles and techniques, to learn tapping on guitar, you need only begin at the beginning. Start small and you’ll surprise yourself with how fast you can pick this technique up. This article will describe just

Now that you’ve learnt some techniques and you’ve learnt some scales, we can start combining those into some licks. In this lesson we will look at 10 easy licks you can start playing today to start building your lead guitar knowledge and skill. You can also check out the Beginners Guide to Lead Guitar as

Chances are, if you’re reading this lesson then you’re a fan of the blues, and you may be familiar with the term “12 Bar Blues”. The 12 Bar Blues is the backbone of all blues music. This is a 12 bar chord progression that dates back to some of the earliest blues tracks.  All the

Structured, diligent practice is essential to improve your guitar skills over time. Everyone first picks up the guitar for a different reason. Many of us just wanted to play our favorite song. Others wanted to emulate a certain guitar hero. Regardless of the motive, most beginners start out by learning to play the most basic

Gypsy jazz guitar is a popular style of the jazz genre that originated in Europe. The founding father of the style is Django Reinhardt, a Romani guitarist of Belgian descent, who is considered by many to be one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. The Gypsy jazz itself was an attempt of Django

Busking can be an opportunity to practice your music and stage presence while also making some money. If you live in a city, chances are you’ve seen buskers on street corners looking to make some money by playing music. Though it may be a bit unconventional, busking is a fantastic way for musicians to practice

As a guitarist, oftentimes you’ll be playing on your own rather than with a band.  One of the great things about the guitar is that it’s an instrument that can provide rhythm, lead, bass and percussion sounds all in one, so it really is a musical Swiss army knife.  In this tutorial, we’re going to

I’m sharing with you a comprehensive article guiding introducing you to the blues genre and giving you the tools to play blues guitar. If you’re a complete beginner guitar player or don’t know much about this genre, this guide is for you. It’s not hard to play and not hard to learn because it both

Playing harmoniously on the guitar with the use of your fingers can produce some of the most beautiful melodies. The high notes usually carrying the melody as the low notes fill in the gaps with a bassline. Most fingerstyle musicians are self-taught! But how do they find the time to play so well — and

Have you ever seen the movie “August Rush” or heard the slap musical styles of the professionals, like Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, or Jon Gomm and had the burning desire to learn how they do it? Well now you can. In this guide we will teach you how to play slap guitar. Holding the Guitar Safely

The guitar is to a guitarist what the vocal cords are to a singer; the instrument through which we give voice to our musicality. Just like a singer needs to take care of their vocal cords we need to make sure our guitar is in its best condition. Together, we will go through different ways

There are a lot of different genres of music in the world. There is a very high chance you won’t like some of them, but a much higher chance that you’ll want to play more than one of them. If you’re looking to adapt your technique across multiple genres, then look no further! Rock Rock

Playing by ear is a great way to pick up songs easily and quickly. You can both do it with notes and chords, and it can be nice and easy or really hard. You’ll be able to start off with ease, but then it’ll take practice… In this important guide, I’ll show you how to

When it comes to the question of “How long will it take to learn guitar?” it depends on multiple factors. The main thing that determines the answer to that question is you. The speed at which you learn guitar is completely in your hands. You Have To Want It Only learn guitar if you really

Writing a song is an activity just as doable as learning to play one Becoming a songwriter may sound like a crazy dream to some of us, especially during the first steps of learning to play the guitar or any other musical instrument. Most of us (including myself when I was a beginner) seem to

While learning to play guitar, it is easy to pick up bad habits, especially if you are self taught. One very common mistake that I made, and it’s something I notice with other guitarists, is that they ignore the little finger. Many guitarists feel more confident using the ring finger because it is stronger, but

A useful advantage that guitar players have over many other instruments is the ability to bend the strings. Bending strings can give your guitar playing life and individuality, as well as add a unique layer to your sound. Most guitar players you know have their own style or signature bend. It can change a stale,

When playing guitar, playing chords well and reading tab with precision are your first steps, but the ability to improvise will soon become important whether you’re playing a guitar solo or writing a song. In this important guide you will learn:   What improvisation is   Some scales to use   How to employ modes

If you’re new to guitar one of the simplest, but important techniques you will need to know is how to properly fret the guitar. Fretting the guitar correctly will be the difference between a clean, full sound that requires minimal effort or a clunky, awkward one that strains your hand. If you’re not sure what

Alongside the notes you play, the rhythms you use to play those notes are what makes the tune you’re playing recognisable! Time signatures (also known as meters) are the first thing you need to get your head around, and that’s where we come in! In this important guide you will learn:   What a time

If you are a guitarist, then you already know what a guitar pick is. If you are just beginning to play the instrument, then you may wonder why guitarists use these tools, what they are for, and how to hold a guitar pick. A guitar pick, or plectrum, is a small, thin piece of hard

You may think that learning how to play guitar is something that only some people can do — that it requires some kinds of inborn talent. This is not at all the case. Great guitarists all become great simply by playing… a lot. This article is all about beginning that journey. In it, I will

The main obstacle that prevents many people from learning to play the guitar is the idea that being able to read music is imperative. This is, however, not the case thanks to a simplified form of musical notation known as tablature, or more colloquially tabs. Standard musical notation uses tempo, length of notes and a