The Beginner’s Guide to Guitar: How to Play and Master the Instrument.
Learning to play the guitar is a timeless pursuit, bringing joy and purpose to countless musicians across all genres, styles, and backgrounds. Whether you’re a complete beginner, an advanced player looking to perfect their technique, or someone looking to quicken the journey to becoming a master, this guide covers all you need to know on how to play the guitar.
Sure, you may have seen videos of virtuosic players who can play complicated jazz licks or shred rock solos with lightning-fast speed. While that is impressive, know that playing the guitar isn’t all about shreddin’ shreddiculous solos, and if you persevere, mastery of the instrument is attainable for all.
Ready to get started? Let’s begin with the basics of playing the guitar.
Guitar Terminology
What’s the first step? Get acquainted with the terminology and parts of the guitar. Knowing your way around the instrument will make understanding what comes later much easier.
The Neck
The neck is the long part of the guitar, which stretches out from the body to the headstock. It’s where the strings are held taut after stretching across the bracing of the middle of the guitar.
The headstock is usually in the shape of a v or upright split, and the ‘machine heads’ or ‘tuning pegs’ are attached, which is what you use to tune the strings.
The Fretboard
The fretboard is the long piece of wood attached to the neck, which extends along all the way to the soundhole. Metal frets are embedded in the fretboard, which establish the different notes when a string is pushed against them. The fretboard also contains markers which indicate which fret number it is.
The Body
The body is the main of the guitar, and contains a soundhole, which projects the sound from the strings and amplifies it. The body is also where a number of different electronics are contained, such as pickups and bridge components, volume and tone knobs, and switches.
The Bridge
The bridge connects the strings to the body, and also establishes the action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard). Adjusting the bridge is an important part of the setup for the guitar, and even slight changes can make a big difference in playability.
The Strings
The strings of a guitar are usually made of one of several materials, usually a combo of steel and nylon strings. All gauges and brands of strings have a different tone and feel, so experimentation here is important to finding what suits you best.
Holding and Positioning the Guitar
Now that you’re familiar with the parts of the guitar, it’s important to know how to properly hold and position the instrument. First, find a comfortable spot to sit or stand on a flat surface.
When seated, it’s best to balance the guitar on your leg, using the top of your thigh for support. When standing, rest the guitar’s body on the inner part of your leg.
Now, bring your left hand to the fretboard and your right hand to the strings, keeping the left wrist straight. Your right elbow should be slightly bent, with the palm of your hand roughly parallel to the strings. This is the ideal position for your hands and arms to be in, although as you progress and learn more techniques additional positioning will be necessary.
Tuning the Guitar
Before you start playing, you need to tune the six strings of your guitar. Tuning is fairly simple, and can be done with an electronic tuner, a tuning fork, or by ear.
When tuning manually, you’ll want to start with the lowest string—the 6th string—tuned to the note E. Once the sixth string is in tune, move to the 5th string and tune it to the note A. The 4th string should be tuned to the note D, and the 3rd string to the G note. Finally the 2nd string should be tuned to the B note, and the 1st string should be tuned to the high E note.
After the guitar has been tuned, you can start playing.
Your First Riff
Once the guitar has been tuned, you can start playing your first riff. The most common beginning riff is based on the E minor pentatonic scale, as it’s easy to remember and play.
To play the E minor pentatonic scale, you’ll want to begin on the 5th string (A note) with your first finger and move down the string towards the body of the guitar. You can then use your second and third fingers to play the 3rd, 4th, and 5th frets, which will make the same scale in reverse.
Now that you’re familiar with the E minor pentatonic scale, you can start to experiment with other notes and chords. Try playing around with different strings and combinations, and you’ll start to unlock exciting new sounds quickly.
Learning Chords and Strumming Patterns
Once you’ve gotten the hang of playing the basic pentatonic scale, you can start to explore chords and strumming patterns. Learning chords is a fundamental part of learning guitar, and mastering simple chords and their transitions is essential for playing along with songs and creating your own musical arrangements.
Strumming patterns and rhythms are important too, adding a rhythmic layer to chords and riffs. When learning strumming, try to keep a consistent tempo, and use your flat pick to keep consistent down and up strokes. When practicing chords and strumming, remember to always keep your wrist relaxed and use your forearm to control the pick.
Lead Guitar
Lead guitar techniques are vital for musicians who want to create and express themselves beyond simple strumming patterns, and learning to solo and improvise is a path towards unlocking creativity on the instrument.
There are numerous techniques and licks to master, such as string bends, hammer-ons, and pull-offs that you can use to create intricate, soulful guitar solos. Try to learn them one at a time, and pay attention to how other guitarists play to get inspired and find your own creative voice in the process.
Conclusion
Playing the guitar is a skill that requires commitment and discipline, but the rewards far outweigh the effort. Both in terms of technical ability and creative expression, there are few instruments more capable of inspiring and uniting than the guitar.
So, if you’re motivated to learn the instrument, don’t forget the basics and focus on consistent practice. Certianly, you can look forward to mastering the fundamentals of guitar playing and reaping the rewards of a truly timeless skill.
The Beginner’s Guide to Guitar: How to Play and Master the Instrument.