Saturday, November 21, 2009

Learn To Play Acoustic Guitar

By John Wendel

You have chosen to become a skillful guitar player! This is exciting, but sometimes can be an aggravating practice. It is like beginning any new skill, the time you invest in the basics before getting into difficult practices will be the most useful. In this article you will read some fundamental tips on playing guitar, after that, you need to keep going to get some professional sounds.

Should you not already possess a guitar, you want to invest in one so you can study how it should be played. Your best option for finding the right guitar is to find a music shop " definitely not a chain store " and ask a professional working there for advice. When you are holding the instrument, it has to feel right for you. As to price, you want one in the high part of your budget bracket, but not necessarily the most expensive one in store.

Now get your guitar out and look at it. The following is a list of different parts common to all guitars starting form the top down (assuming the guitar is positioned from the narrow end to the wide end): the head, turning pegs, neck, position marker, body, and pickups/soundhole. The turning pegs are resting on the head and are responsible for turning sound of the strings.

The neck is the narrow board between the body and the head (also called the neck) strings pressed at different places (also position markers) give different sounds to the playing of that string. The body of the guitar comes in various sizes and shapes. This part holds the pickups/sound-hole (sound controls) and the strings on the bridge of it, it is made from a variety of materials and is primarily responsible for the overall cost of the guitar.

Now you have a good start on becoming familiar with the parts and pieces of your guitar, so you need to figure out how to read guitar music. The unofficial web name for guitar music you will find online is called tablature.

The music sheet has several horizontal lines running across it in sets of six set closely together. These six lines mean: from the top " your thinnest guitar string; to the bottom " your thickest guitar string. Four beats in each tab will be presented as numbers that correspond to the string you need to depress for the correct sound. Have a look through a few music sheets to get familiar with them.

Here is where you can start strumming your guitar. You have the guitar, understand how it functions and can read some music sheets. Strumming and guitar rhythms are a common usage of the guitar. If you have a metronome, setting in and counting out 4 beats will get you accustomed to the standard music rhythm of your guitar. Next you want a c open cord, and start following a strumming pattern, constantly keeping time with your 1-4 beat.

Now you have the very basic rhythm and strumming pattern for your guitar. Take a few moments and search out easy music rhythms on the internet. There is a wealth of information out there. Keep in mind, playing guitar is all about enjoyment too, so get out there and play with your heart in it.

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