Having already looked at ‘open’ chords and their simple shapes, it’s time to move towards some harder to grasp, rarer chords that are known as the ‘black notes’ on a piano. In this important guide, I’ll be taking you through a huge number of variants of the A#/Bb chord: If you’re looking for a place
Any budding guitarist with an interest in playing jazz quickly hears about the fabled ii-V-I sequence. This humble three-chord progression is the foundation of most of jazz music, in the same way that the I-IV-V forms the basis of blues and rock. But while beginner and intermediate guitarists can master blues improvisation relatively easily —
Having already looked at ‘open’ chords and their simple shapes, it’s time to move towards some harder to grasp, rarer chords that are known as the ‘black notes’ on a piano. In this important guide, I’ll be taking you through a huge number of variants of the D#/Eb chord: If you’re looking for a place
There are a lot of chords you’ll come across while learning guitar, but few of them will crop as much as a simple D chord. We’ve done a lot of guides to how to approach playing chords through various techniques, and many different variations on these basic shapes. In this important guide, I’ll be taking
There are a lot of chords you’ll come across while learning guitar, but few of them will crop as much as a simple A chord. We’ve done a lot of guides to how to approach playing chords through various techniques, and many different variations on these basic shapes. In this important guide, I’ll be taking
There are a lot of chords you’ll come across while learning guitar, but few of them will crop as much as a simple E chord. We’ve done a lot of guides to how to approach playing chords through various techniques, and many different variations on these basic shapes. In this important guide, I’ll be taking
There are a lot of chords you’ll come across while learning guitar, but few of them will crop as much as a simple G chord. We’ve done a lot of guides to how to approach playing chords through various techniques, and many different variations on these basic shapes. Maybe start by having a look at
From the moment you take the guitar for the first time in your hands, teachers, courses and basic books are teaching you how to use chords. Sound pieces composed of several notes that generate a specific sound, commonly used for rhythmic musical tracks or bases. But, every good musician should know sooner or later where
The B chords are chords that have their sound root in the B note and assure you have already noticed. They tend to be the hardest chords to master when you venture into the world of the guitar for the first time, but you can learn to play guitar more fluently in 7 days. As
While you may not think of Jackson guitars the same as you would about Fender, Epiphone, Gibson, or Ibanez, it’s actually a very decent guitar brand. In fact, famous guitarists who’ve played or are currently playing Jackson guitars include Dave Mustaine, Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Vinnie Vincent, Kirk Hammet, Phil Collen, Corey Beaulieu, and Mark
I remember the first while that I played guitar, chord changes were something I struggled with. You aren’t alone in this department by any means. Guitar chords, whether open or barred, are not really natural shapes to our hands for the most part. On top of that, you still need to learn to be precise
You’ve probably heard a good deal about tonewoods, pickups, and strings being important to the overall sound of the guitar. The neck? Maybe not so much. Or perhaps you know that although more fragile, a solid neck is better for the overall sound, as are chunkier necks. But what about guitar neck shapes? While guitar
When you start something new, you don’t want it to be harder than necessary. To be fair, guitar isn’t the hardest thing I’ve had to learn, it’s not even the most difficult instrument that I’ve had the opportunity to learn. But it’s not a walk in the proverbial park, either. And the more advanced you
If you love to practice to music without other musicians physically there, a Bluetooth guitar amp is perfect for that. If you hate lugging around effects pedals but love having effects, generally you’ll find Bluetooth amps that come with a range of effects onboard. While you may be worried that only mini amps come with
The G6 chord is one of those that are actually quite easy in its most basic shape, but adds that little something to the music. One of the songs that I’m most familiar with using G6 is Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Biskit. They use it throughout the song. As you’ll see, there are a
When exploring musical possibilities, adding in what my teacher likes to call “expensive chords” really takes ordinary chord progressions and turns them into something special. The C9 chord is one such chord. It has a very bluesy jazzy funky sound to it. While it sounds great in either of these genres, you can insert it
Diminished chords in and of themselves can be difficult to listen to. That’s because diminished chords by themselves aren’t the most pleasant sounding. They sound dissonant and in my opinion, ugly. But when used correctly in conjunction with other chords, they make a chord progression more interesting. That’s because they add tension. They also sound
The F#m chord, pronounced F sharp minor, seems like an intimidating guitar chord at first glance, especially if you’ve just mastered the more simply named major and minor chords. But believe it or not, chords with accidentals (# and ♭) can be played in a variety of ways. Some of these versions are actually quite
Here you will find guitar exercises that will challenge you to build a deeper connection with your guitar and advance through your musical journey. 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
Understanding how chords work, especially for guitar might feel somewhat overwhelming. However, look no further than your guitar triads for shedding some light on this mystery! Triads are a necessary component of many of our favorite and most commonly-used major and minor chords. In fact, you might say they not only lay the foundation for
The Bm chord is one of those chords that I found a little daunting in the beginning. At the time, I only knew of the open chord and the barre chord in the seventh fret. When I first learned how to play barre chords, I could play only in barre chords and only in open
Looking for the best guitar pedals? Elitist gear snobs will have you know that “tone comes from the fingers,” and all they need is “a guitar, an amp, and a cable.” They’re also the kind to shell out for $60 guitar strings, hunt down that elusive rare Gibson guitar with their favorite “tonewood,” and shun
Gone are the days when you had to buy a guitar tuner. Sure, they’re pretty helpful. If you go onstage regularly, those clip on tuners come in pretty handy for when you just quickly need to tune in between songs. You want to be sure your guitar is perfectly in tune when you’re recording, and
If you’re anything like me, you tend to beat yourself up. You may also have felt like you don’t quite fit into this world. It can make you feel lost and whether it’s in your head or reality, you often feel unwelcome. In many cases, that leads to looking down on yourself and wishing you
Are you new to guitar chords, and are looking to bolster your chord repertoire? Then you’ve come to the right place! When playing from the open-note position, you’ll find that Major chords like our F Major chord, require very little effort to play, making it an excellent chord to get your feet wet with. As
When you’re feeling amped, you want the music to match. There’s nothing like having that smile on your face and doing a happy dance to happy music. Or bobbing your head. Whatever. You just feel good, and the music keeps it going. If you’re down in the dumps, putting on feel good music might be
Are you looking to take your fretboard knowledge and improvisational skills up a notch? Then guitar modes have got you covered! While it’s not completely necessary to learn any theory on the guitar to be an excellent musician or songwriter, it can only enhance your ability in following through with these endeavors. As you read
If you’ve been learning to play lead or classical guitar, chances are you’ve been introduced to scales. While they can become boring, they really are the basics of music. Now you want to play rhythm guitar and need to know what chords are in the scale. It’s not as simple as just taking all the
If you love a warm airy acoustic tone that works well whether plugged or unplugged, a semi-hollow guitar is the way to go. That’s not to say you can’t add some distortion. Originally designed for jazz music, they’ve become popular for a range of genres including rock, metal, pop, blues, country, any genre that uses
Nothing is quite as distinctly pleasing as the pentatonic scale in terms of sound, and playability. Many popular songs like “John Newton – Amazing Grace”, “Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven”, and even “Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Can’t Stop” all use this scale. So how can you start? As you read on, we will
The Beatles had no shortage of love songs in their discography, which has endured six decades later. So, if you want to serenade your partner, there is no shortage of songs to choose from. Many of these songs are on the acoustic guitar, with open chords, so beginners won’t be over their heads, while others
There are many excellent tunings to mess around with on your guitar, however, none sound quite as beautiful as the open D tuning. When changing your tuning, it’s very easy to feel lost as a lot can change on the fretboard, making the task of playing beautiful melodies and chord progressions all the more difficult.
The key of C is where beginners tend to start, and an excellent place to begin practicing songs. So, why not learn the chords that flow together within the key of C? It only sounds logical, right? As you read on, we will cover what these chords are, and some music theory pertaining to that.
Buying a new guitar is always exciting, whether it’s your first or another one you’re adding to your collection. But it can be especially confusing if you don’t know which type of guitar to get. Or maybe you’re just curious about the difference. Dreadnoughts are very popular, you see them everywhere. But then so are
If you’re new to the guitar as a whole, you may only be aware of two, maybe three different types of guitars. To think that there are more than 15 different types of guitars, however, seems unreal. As you read on, we will cover 15 of these different guitars you should know about, so that
California is called the sunshine state, and for good reason. The sunny paradise at the “edge of the world” is packed with gorgeous shorelines, diverse cities, music, film and television and so much culture that many deem it the quintessential state for art. California is so revered for its culture, art, and spirit, that there
The internet has many valuable tools for musicians. As both a rhythm guitarist and a songwriter, one of my favorite products of the digital age is the chord progression generator (CPG). Using CPGs has helped me expand my musical knowledge AND experiment with some kick*ss riffs I’d never have come across otherwise If you’re reading
The hits of The Beatles are so memorable that after listening just once, it’s hard to imagine ever not knowing them. This makes the band extremely popular, and you, a beginner guitarist, have the advantage of being able to instantly grasp these hits and develop your guitar skills. Below, I have featured 30 easy Beatles
With a discography spanning more than 30 years, Green Day has inspired countless artists. I essentially learned guitar to Green Day – and I would argue they taught me well. So, I wanted to share the best Green Day songs, which taught me something valuable. Green Day is proof that a good song does not
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
Scales are considered one of the most fundamental concepts in music. These are a subset of notes out of the 12 notes found in western music. There are different types of scales based on the number of notes they contain as well as the mood they create based on the intervals they contain. So what
In music, patterns are a fairly common occurrence that brings some “order” to something that otherwise might seem pretty complicated! The CAGED System is no different and can be quite the resource for familiarizing yourself with chord shapes and how notes on the fretboard relate to one another. Let’s dive in! The CAGED System in
You may have already noticed emo music is having a revival. When thinking of emo music, it’s not a genre people tend to associate with strong guitar playing. While it’s not as sloppy as some grunge can be, it rarely has the soaring solos of classic rock or the precision of heavy metal. With that
As a young and ambitious musician, I can recall one of the fundamental things I learned about playing the guitar; playing the Major Scale. To be more specific it was the C Major Scale, and it was easy, but more importantly, it was fun. Let’s explore it deeper, shall we? The cover image, displaying the
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
When learning to play guitar, there are various methods you can use to do this. For some of us, and I include myself here, books are helpful. It was the main method I used to learn, that, and playing with other people. It’s just easier for me to process info like that. Learning to play
Among the wide selection of guitar accessories, the one that is probably the most famous is the trusty capo. As with today’s saturated guitar market, there is a colossal number of options to choose from and it can be a rather confusing task sorting the good from the bad. With this guide, we hope to
Getting to know the guitar fretboard notes opens a lot of musical doors, especially paired with a bit of music theory. I say this because you’ll see things that you didn’t know were possible, or just get ideas that you hadn’t thought of before. A lot of guitarists get by with no knowledge of music
In this article we will explore some most commonly used shapes for E minor scale. But before that it is necessary to learn the basics of how a minor scale is built so that you can create your own shapes in the future to save a whole lot of time. Also there is a section
Personally, I like the key of E. I like the chords in it and it’s a comfortable key for me to sing in. If you’re a beginner, some of the chords may be a little harder, but there are plenty of ways to play chords that may be easier. In any case, it’s nothing that