Welcome to my "Free Guitar Ebook Practice Tips."

Free Guitar E-Book & Guitar Practice Tips
by Scott Morris
Copyright 2014 by Scott Morris of You Can Play Guitar.
This E-book is not to be copied or shared without permission
or legal action will be taken by You Can Play Guitar.
Disclosure Notice
If you choose to visit one of the courses we review via our website
and make a purchase, we may receive a commission; however we do not
allow this to interfere with our rating and review process.
We never accept paid reviews and each product is thoroughly tested by us.
All opinions offered here are our own.
Teaching Students Worldwide
From 1986 - To 2014
Scott Morris
Top Rated Guitar Lessons
Welcome to my "Free Guitar Ebook Practice Tips."
My name is Scott Morris.
I am the featured guitar instructor here at http://www.guitartabbooks.com
I'm glad you took the time to visit our website. That surely tells me that
you're interested in learning more about playing the guitar.
During the course of learning all the great playing tips and
additional information that you'll learn from this free guitar
e-book that has been provided for you, there are additional courses
that I will recommend for you that may also be of some interest
to you, depending on what it is that you're interested in learning
and what your favorite music styles are.
I will recommend ONLY - The very best quality music instruction
method's available, that not only have been tested by our
music staff and myself for approval, but have also earned the highest
credentials. Taught to you by instructors who've earned
the highest degree's and awards for their quality teaching
methods and are proven favorites among those who are interested
in learning how to play the guitar.
The free guitar lesson videos and free guitar tablature samples
provided are a combination of my Private Taught Online
Skype Webcam Guitar Lessons and my original course "You Can Play Guitar"
along with additional helpful information for you that our affiliate
partners were kind enough to share to help you learn the most important things
that you'll need to know about playing the guitar and the music styles
of your choice.
I have also developed my own method of tablature symbols that are easier to learn
as oppossed to standard tablature (like the tabs you may find online or in a guitar
tablature book that you may purchase). This will make learning easier for you
and provide basic explanations of tablature and the actual guitar "tehniques"
that are used - like: pull- off, hammer-on, string bends, etc...
using my much easier to understand explanations.
To make the best of the free video lessons and free tabs I've shared with you
in this e-book, it would be a good idea to learn my specially created tablature
symbols and consider printing a copy to keep nearby to help make it even easier for
you to learn as continue to advance, grow and make progress from the free videos that
I've provided for you and the lesson explanations that will help you learn more about
how to play the guitar. More on guitar tablature is taught below.
For now see... My Specially Created Tablature Symbols
You will also find many additional free video guitar lessons and great DVD & Video
courses which are the current hottest trends with the very best special amazing
offers that also offer top quality instruction.
The information I've shared with you in this guitar e-book, contains some
of the most important information that all guitarist "need to know".
And also contains more information than you may learn from several
different music learning methods. You'll find A LOT of very helpful
useful and most important things to learn, tips, tricks and easy
to understand short-cuts that should have you playing what you've always
wanted to play, or ever wondered how "to play" and learn.
For those of you who may have previously learned from taking private lessons,
or other DVD or Video methods available, may find yourself thinking or saying
that you've learned more from this guitar e-book than you have learned
in all of your previous lessons all put together!
If you're a total beginner and have never even tried playing the guitar,
but have always wanted to... Or if you are a total beginner or even an advanced
player who's been playing for years and seem to be stuck in a rut and are seeking
to learn more and new information about guitar playing...
You'll surly find something despite what playing level you may currently be at or
depending on what your favorite music styles are that you'll learn new and enjoy
playing for your own self enjoyment to being able to perform playing for others!
I went out of my way to add some of the greatest and most popular free guitar lesson
videos and tabs for you to some of the most famous and classic guitar riffs, licks,
and actual guitar tricks and fun to play easy chord progressions to some of the most
famous songs in music history that are recognized and loved by everyone for you
to learn and enjoy playing! I'm really hoping that you learn a ton of good solid
information that will be very helpful for you in your quest and journey in the
amazing world of playing the guitar.
A-LOT of hard work went into making this guitar e-book that
provides insight and the most important information that applies
to the total beginner to the advanced - professional level.
Some of the tips, lesson videos and tabs that I provided for you
may seem very easy while other's may seem harder to understand,
but this way... You get to learn all about the guitar, all the different
sounds, styles, playing tips and tricks that you couldn't pay most
pro's to show you. You'll learn what pro's like Jimmy Page, Slash,
SRV, Van Halen and more use... like their tricks, techniques, favorite guitar
scales used for playing lead and creating riffs, favorite chords and more.
So that you'll have a well rounded education of all the amazing fun different things
you can do when playing the guitar.
When I created this special guitar e-book, I did NOT hold back and just teach
a few easy chords or how to play a lead out of a box scale.
I went out of my way to bring you the most information from how to read guitar chord
charts & diagrams, guitar tablature, how to play fun classic guitar riffs, music theory tips,
lead guitar, scales & modes, guitar finger-tapping, whammy bar ticks and more.
Including "Song Fills, some easy to learn songs, to how to sound like AC/DC,
Metallica, Randy Rhoads, Angus Youg, Tony Iommy, Slash, and even some great
riffs and licks from Jimmy Page (lead guitarist for "Led Zeppelin").
I'm hoping that you'll find that you'll learn more from this free guitar e-book
that's been specially designed and formatted for everyone from the total
beginner to the novice professional, than any other guitar e-book on the
internet
Let's Get Started!
There are more than 50 Topics in this E-book I am going to share with you.
They will save you a lot of time, frustration and wondering just what to
do or what correct approach you'll need to take when first learning how
to play the guitar.
These tips don't just apply to total beginners.
Even if you have been playing a while and are at an advanced level of playing,
you may be surprised to learn that many guitarists often overlook these basic
common sense tips along the way.
I consider the information I'll be sharing with you to be the most
valued important information that I have learned in more than 35 years +
as a professional guitarist, and after teaching literally thousands of
privately taught students as well as many thousands more from around the
world, using my teaching method.
These are the things I wish someone had taken the time to show me when
I was just getting started!
Get Your Guitar In Tune
The most important thing about playing your guitar is to make sure that your
instrument is in tune.
No matter how good a guitar player is, if the guitar is not in tune, it simply
will not sound good!
To get your guitar in tune right now, simply
use the free guitar tuner shown below.
Just click the button beneath the name of
each string and the tuner will provide
the actual sound of each string for you
to tune your guitar to a standard E tuning!
An additional free guitar tuning resource that will allow you to tune to a
standard tuning and other tunings as well as Eb (E flat) or a drop D tuning
and more, is called the AP Guitar Tuner which you can download for free.
Click here! to download the AP Guitar Tuner free download.
Are you always on the go? Off to the beach with your favorite acoustic or maybe off to jam with some close
friends at a party and looking for a quick way to get your guitar into tune?
Then grab a copy of the free download below offered by
Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar
Gibson Learn And Master Guitar App for iPhone, Droid, and Intel
Also adaptable for iPod Touch users - Free Download!
You can download this to your phone and take it everywhere you go.
Additional features include a guitar chord finder, a free metronome,
lessons, and offers features that also are adapted to iPod Touch users!
Sponsored by Gibson, Legacy Learning Systems also offers
Fingerstyle Guitar and Blues Guitar
Live Guitar Lessons with Steve Krenz Featured guitar instructor at
Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar
Free Guitar Sample Lessons
Special Offers on Guitar & Amp Packages
Epiphone PR-4E Acoustic Guitar Player Pack
Epiphone Special II Electric Guitar Player Pack
Are you serious about learning the guitar?
Taking Proper Care of Your Instrument
Aside from getting your guitar in tune, it's also important to learn how to
properly take care of your instrument to avoid things like getting a warped
or cracked neck, or other possible damages.
Here are 2 additional articles to help provide you with more insight.
Article 1
How To Protect Your Guitar & Make It Last Longer
Article 2
Guitar Maintenance 101
If you're interested learning how to take proper care of your
instrument, how to make all your own custom adjustments
to your favorite guitar, or may be interested in pursuing
a career as a guitar repairman, see...
Learn and Master Spotlight Series
Guitar Set-Up & Repair with Greg Voros
Mistakes Most Beginner Guitarists Make
Almost everyone who has an interest in wanting to learn how to play the guitar
was inspired at one point in time by a favorite song or artist.
In more than 3 decades as a private guitar instructor, I couldn't tell you
just how many times a new student's first words were "I just want to learn
how to play the song "Crazy Train" or... "I just want to shred like Metallica".
Or... "I just want to learn how to play killer guitar solos".
The truth is often hard to explain to a new student and can be even more
difficult to accept for an excited newbie who is extremely anxious to learn.
However, there are some very easy to play songs that almost all students can learn
during their very first lessons.
The truth is, before you can learn how to play ANY song, you will have to learn
some guitar chords, and if you seriously want to learn lead guitar solos, then you'll
also need to learn guitar scales.
One of my very favorite quotes that I shared with every privately taught guitar student,
was the same quote I used when filming the original You Can Play Guitar instruction method.
That quote is....
"First you need to learn how to crawl before you can walk, and then learn how to
walk before you can run!"
I hope that makes perfect sense.
Here are some basic tips that will provide you with the directions to help you get
started.
1) If you're a total beginner, a good place for you to start is to make a list of
your favorite songs, groups and artist you want to learn.
2) If you know someone who plays guitar, don't be shy and don't be afraid to ask
questions.
Asking questions is what learning is all about, especially in the early stages.
Ask those you know who play guitar what they consider to be easy songs for a
beginner to learn. You will be surprised to learn that literally millions of songs
consist of the same 3 of 4 chords!
Be Organized
Make a special place to practice where you can easily find all of your practice
books, DVD lessons and favorite sheet music or tablature, whether it be in your
bedroom, basement, garage or elsewhere.
Take pride in this and make it your favorite room of the house.
Always place your guitar picks and other practice tools you may use
in the same place (like the guitar cord you use to plug into your amp,
and spare strings, in case you break one and need to replace it).
Keep things in order and don't be a "messy Marvin".
You can either be the practicing musician who has everything scattered
from one end to the other and has to look all over the house to remember
where you put your guitar picks before you can even practice, or you can
make things easy on yourself and always keep things where you can find
them.
If you plan on playing live gigs with a band, this is something you better
plan on getting used to.
Professional musicians who play music for a living don't travel from town
to town to new gigs and just throw whatever they can find into a different
box each night after their gigs.
They keep everything labeled and in the same place for quick easy access to
make setting up easy and stress free.
This is something you should do for yourself as well with all your learning
and practice tools so you don't waste valuable time getting stressed out
looking for all the things you need to learn and practice with.
Another good idea is to decorate your favorite practice place or rehearsal
studio with inspirational things that will encourage you to always try
something new and make you want to go the extra mile when you practice.
For example, there are thousands of different guitar chords and scales and
there is always more than one way to play each of those chords and scales.
Adding things like guitar posters
can be a huge inspiration and also provide you with many new ideas of ways to
add to and improve your playing ability.
Click here! to see all music posters...
Guitar Tablature
If you're a total beginner and not familiar with Guitar Tablature, play the free
video below. Learning how to read guitar tablature will allow you to learn 100% faster
and there's no having to learn how to read sheet music required.
How To Read Guitar Tablature.
Way back, when the rule of thumb that was forced upon beginner guitar students, was that
you first needed to learn how to read sheet music.
Thankfully, that rule no longer applies.
Some facts are that learning how to read sheet music (also referred to as standard notation)
can take months or even years to learn.
And you may surprised to know that even major recording stars who write hit songs often
have not the first clue as to how to read sheet music.
How is this possible?
Many simply learn the basics and learn the guitar as an instrument, learning either the
basic guitar chords or the most important and commonly used chords and guitar scales.
A song doesn't have to be hard to play in order to be good. Some of the biggest hit songs
ever written consist of only a few chords!
So the bottom line is, you don't need to learn how to read music in order for you to
learn how to play the guitar.
Today's most common method of learning to play guitar is by using guitar tablature, which is
a simple method that teaches students by showing them which guitar string to play, and which
fret to play on each guitar string.
In case you're a total beginner and not sure what guitar frets are, they are the bars that
are lined up on the neck of the guitar.
Here is a diagram of the parts of the guitar, shown for acoustic and electric guitar.
Guitar Tablature Methods
Search over 900,000 sheet music & tab titles!
The world's largest sheet music selection.
If you want to learn how to read standard guitar tablature like the guitar tabs you find in
guitar magazines, guitar tablature books or from guitar tab sites online, then you may want
to see Sheet Music Plus who offers the world's largest inventory for sheet music
and tablature for all instruments.
At Sheet Music Plus, you can also find guitar tablature books (and sheet music) for all
your favorite songs, artist and groups and the most popular played musical instruments.
Search over 900,000 sheet music titles & Tablature books!
The world's largest sheet music selection.
Print Free Tablature Sheet
If you'd like to write your own guitar tablature to keep track of your favorite lessons
Click here! To Print Free Guitar Tablature Sheets
If you'd like to print your own blank guitar tablature sheets in PDF format to write your own
guitar tablature and to keep track of all your favorite lessons and songs, then see the link below.
PDF Blank Guitar Tablature Manuscripts
Guitar Tablature Software
Also known as guitar tablature writing programs, this type of software will allow you to
write and create your own guitar tablature you can share with friends, publish your creations
to web pages as well as keep track of all your favorite tabs on your pc.
To Learn More About Guitar Tablature Software, visit Musician's Friend
and type in the search box, the term "Guitar Tablature Software" for a
list of the newest available professional products available, and at
the best prices.
You Can also use the free download below offered by DragonFire Software
Download Free Tablature Writing Program
Tab Writer Version 1.0.40
Learning Software & Training Tools
If learning how to play note for note songs is a goal of yours, then you'll want to make it
as easy as possible.
There are 2 very important tools that can assist you in learning the songs of your choice.
Tool #1 is called Song Surgeon.
This tool will increase your playing ability by 667%!, by allowing you to slow down any song
to make it easier to learn and has additional helpful features that you surely want to see!
Learn More About Song Surgeon...
Tool #2 is called Video Surgeon.
This additional amazing song learning software tool will allow you to learn how to play any
song that you can find on video from sites like YouTube and others that offer videos of your
favorite tunes.
This tool allows you to slow down the video, zoom in, change the pitch, create loop points
to make practicing easy, rips DVDs, which allows you to get more from your existing DVD
guitar lessons, and also use the footage on your video camera.
Learn More About Video Surgeon
Make A Regular Practice Schedule
Focus is the keyword here. Practice scales and chords separately.
Scales have different finger movements that focus on each individual fret hand
finger playing each single note at a time, as opposed to chords requiring you
to place your fret hand fingers in position and then, applying pressure while
holding the chord down long enough to strum it.
The average radio airplay song is around 3 minutes long.
Some songs may be as long as 8 to 10 minutes.
During the course of most songs, a guitar solo being derived from guitar scales is
usually less than 60 seconds, often much shorter. Which means, the rest of the time
you will be playing chords and strumming the rhythm.
You'll be surprised how tired your hand can get if you're playing a song that
requires you to play a lot of barre chords.
Although, there are certain tools you can buy to increase your hand strength,
like guitar grip exercise tools, there is really no better practice than actually
playing the guitar.
While tools like the guitar grip exercise tool will strengthen your entire
hand and wrist, which will build strength and make playing easier, playing
the guitar will do the same as well.
It increases the finger coordination of each lead guitar solo lick that you
play and it will help you become more coordinated, changing and switching
to different chords while you play songs.
If you're serious about learning the guitar, then the old fashioned rule of
practicing a minimum of 1 hour per day should apply to you.
If you want to reach the professional level of playing the guitar and become
a professional musician who gets paid to play music for a living, then you
should practice as many hours each day as you can fit into your schedule.
Many professional musicians practice 8 hours or more on a daily basis.
Don't frown upon practice.
Practicing is something you should look forward to and want to do if you
really want to play the guitar.
And each practice session will get you one step closer to your goal, whether
you want to play just for fun and strum a few songs around the campfire, or
wish to soon be playing on a big stage and getting paid.
Practice Slow
A big mistake any guitar player can make when learning something new is to
play too fast.
Often this will cause you to miss notes and important techniques along the
way.
Chances are, if you can't play something correctly at slow speed, you won't
be able to play it right at fast speed either.
Instead, start slow and then gradually increase your speed each time as you
continue to practice until you have obtained the speed you desire.
Trim Your Fingernails
If you're having trouble getting good sounding notes whether you're playing
a guitar chord or single notes, a good thing to troubleshoot for is the length
of your fingernails on your fret hand.
When your fingernails are too long, they will hit the fretboard before your
finger can apply pressure to the string or strings, which will prevent you from
pushing down hard enough to produce good sounding notes.
Trim your nails and push down hard at first until you have developed good callouses.
This will improve the sound of the notes and chords that you play.
Learn The Names Of The Notes On The Fretboard
Learning the names of the guitar notes and where to find them on the neck
(fretboard) of the guitar is surely one of the most important things for
every guitarist to learn.
To help you get started, watch these free video clips that are samples from
my method "You Can Play Guitar".
Free Video Sample 1 - The Names Of The Guitar Notes
Free Video Sample 2 - Names Of The Guitar Notes - Sharps & Flats
For an additional easy to learn diagram that will help you learn the names
of the notes, see this free lesson:
The Names Of The Guitar Notes
Easy To Play Guitar Chords
There are literally thousands of guitar chords to learn.
There is also often more than one way to play certain chords, by using different
frethand fingerings.
Some chords are easy to play and are used to play most all popular easy to play
songs, while other chords are complex and hard to play, and may be a chord or chords
that you'd only use once in a lifetime.
2 important parts to learning how to play songs on the guitar would be...
One, is to learn the guitar chords and train your fret hand how to switch back
and forth between the different chords that you play.
Secondly is to train your pick hand how to strum the strings on the guitar.
There are so many guitar chords to learn, that a total beginner might ask
"where do I start"?
3 of the most common to learn beginner guitar chords are C major, G major and D major.
See the free video demonstration below.
Beginner Level Guitar Chords Video
Now that you've learned 3 of the most common played beginner chords, I'll give you
a few examples of the basic chord progressions to the introduction of some classic
hit songs that are easy to play. This is simply to help you get started if you're
a beginner. So for now, just try strumming the following guitar chords that you learned
in the video above to help give you the basic idea. You'd be surprised how many millions of
hit songs have been composed and played using just these 3 basic guitar chords.
The following examples are played using all major chords as was demonstrated in the video
above.
1) Song Title: "Wild Thing"
Strum: G G - C C - D D - C C
2) Song Title: "Louie Louie"
Strum: G G G - C C - D D - C C
3) Song Title: "Sweet Home Alabama"
Strum: D D - C C - G G
Learn Guitar Chords Diagrams
In order to learn guitar chords using chord diagrams,
you first need to understand how to read chord diagrams.
There are many variations and styles for denoting and learning guitar chords diagrams.
Chord diagrams are typically represented in a grid format and the name of the chord is found
at the top of the diagram.
The vertical lines represent each string on the guitar with the left representing the
largest string and the right representing the smallest string.
• The horizontal lines represent the frets of the guitar.
• The black dot on the diagram shows you where to place your fingers
and the number indicates which finger you should use in playing the chord.
• The white dot represents that you should play an open string.
• The X represents a string that should not be sounded while playing the chord. In other words,
mute (do not play) the string when you see the X symbol.
As there are guitar chord diagrams that differ from others....
The chord diagrams below demonstrate a slight difference from that of the previous chord diagram.
Basically, the main difference is that the numbering of the fingers is now at the bottom of the chord
diagram instead of inside the black dots. Hopefully this will be a big help to you when learning
different guitar chords when using different guitar chord diagram charts.
Below are examples of some of the most common played Minor guitar chords.
Guitar Chord Charts
Different from guitar chord diagrams, guitar chord charts may only display which notes are
played on which frets, not showing or teaching you which fret hand fingers to use. The guitar
chord chart below teaches some of the most common played guitar chords that are played in
their most common positions.
A helpful tip that will help you learn the guitar chords shown below in the guitar chord chart would be
to compare the guitar chord Dm in the chord diagram above to the one shown below. It's the exact same
Dm (D minor) chord, just displayed differently.
As there are also more than 1 way to play any guitar chord. In fact there are several different
finger positions for all guitar chords that bring deeper and thicker, or lighter and brighter
sounds than can even be used as guitar solos - especially when played as arpeggios.
A helpful tip to help you learn the chords on the guitar chart shown below, would be for you to carefully
study the chart below and compare the guitar chord chart to the guitar chord diagram.
There are literally millions of songs that you can learn how to play just by using these few most common
guitar chords, all of which I offer students to learn on Skype
Below is an example of what guitar chords look like when transcribed into tablature.
Major Chords
G
C
e
B
G
D
A
E
A
F
E
:-3--------0------2-----------1-----0-----------------:-0--------1------3----2------1-----0-----------------:-0--------0------2----2------2-----1-----------------:-0--------2------0----2------3-----2-----------------:-2--------3-----------0------------2-----------------:-3---------------------------------0------------------
Minor Chords
G
C
e
B
G
D
A
E
D
D
A
F
E
:-3-------8------1----0-------1------0----------------:-3-------8------3----1-------1------0----------------:-3-------8------2----2-------1------0----------------:-5------10------0----2-------3------2----------------:---------------------0--------------2----------------:------------------------------------0-----------------
Now that you've learned a few basic Major chords that were taught in the free
guitar chords video, and have learned how to read chord diagrams...
Here are a few more easy to play guitar songs that you can play using
just these few common guitar chords.
Major chords played will be identified as their letter name.
For example: G major will be shown as G.
Minor Chords will be identified as "m" for minor.
Although there are more parts to the song samples below (such as single played lead in notes)
the samples below have been simplified to make it easier for you to learn the basic chord
progression of each song.
1) Song Title: "Simple Man"
Strum: C - G - Am
2) Song Title: "Turn The Page"
Part 1
Strum: Em - D - A - Em
Part 2
Strum: D - Em - D - Em - D - A - C- D - Em
3) Song Title: "Every Rose - Has It's Thorn"
Easy Version
Part 1 : Intro
Strum: G - C - G - C-
Part 2 * 1st verse
G-C-G-C-G-C-G-C-D-C
Part 3 * Chorus
G-C-G-C-G-D-C-G-G-C
Part 4 * Before Guitar Solo
Strum: Em - D - C - G - Em - D - C
1 of the most simple styles of playing the guitar that often consist of
strumming only a few basic chords is "Reggae" also famously known as
the "Bob Marley" style.
Visit the link below to learn a killer simple chord progression
and strumming pattern plus some other hot tips on the Reggae style
of playing guitar.
Reggae Rhythms Video Lesson
Guitar Power Chords
In addition to learning the basic major and minor chords that most guitarists
learn when first getting started, there are some very easy chords that you can start learning
right away, that are known as 5th chords (also called guitar power chords), which will allow you
to easily play almost any song.
As it takes 3 notes to make a chord major or minor, a powerchord consist of only
2 notes and are neither major or minor and may be played as a substitue for nearly
any guitar chord. It is also the most commonly used chord among guitar chords.
Guitar power chords are used by all professional guitarists and are very easy to play
because you don't have to constantly switch fingers to play different chords.
All you need to use are 2 fingers and simply move the chords up or down the neck to
play different guitar chords.
You can play 36 easy to play power chords (including the sharps(#) and flats(b)
simply by keeping your fret hand in the 2 finger power chord position and simply
moving up and down the neck of the guitar.
Shown below is what power chords look like when transcribed into tablature.
This shows the power chords only named by their natural notes and leaves
out the sharps(#) and flats(b) to help make it easier for you to learn
the basics to get started.
Power chords on the 6th sting, large E.
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-2--3--5--7--9--10-12--14----------------------------:-0--1--3--5--7--8--10--12----------------------------E F G A B C D
E
Power chords on the A string
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-2--4--5--7--9--10-12--14----------------------------:-0--2--3--5--7--8--10--12----------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------A B C D E F G
A
Power chords on the D string
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-2--4--5--7--9--11-12--14----------------------------:-0--2--3--5--7--9--10--12----------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------D E F G A B
C
D
Play Free Guitar Power Chords Video Lesson
Now That you have a basic idea of how to play power chords, below are some free video samples
for you to try to help give you a better idea.
Black Sabbath Style "Iron Man" Intro
s
s
s
B
D
D
E E
G G(b) G G(b) G G(b)
D D E E
e|-----|-----|------------|------------------------|---------------------|
B|-----|-----|------------|------------------------|---------------------|
G|-----|-----|------------|------------------------|---------------------|
D|-----|-----|------------|------------------------|---------------------|
A|-9---|-12--|-12--14-14--|--17--16--17--16--17-16-|-12-12-14-14---------|
E|-7---|-10--|-10--12-12--|--15--14--15--14--15-14-|-10-10-12-12---------|
Additional Samples Of Songs Using Power Chords
Paranoid by Black Sabbath
e
B
G
D
A
E
E................................. D
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-9-9-9-9--9-9-9-9--9-9-9-9--9-9-9-9--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-:-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-:------------------------------------------------------
G G E G
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-7-------7-------------------------------------------:-5-7--9--5-------------------------------------------:---5--7----------------------------------------------:------------------------------------------------------
e
B
G
D
A
E
Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions
e
B
G
D
A
E
E E E G G A A
D E E
:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-----------------------------------------------------:-9-9-9------------7--9-9-----------------------------:-7-7-7-5-5--7-7---5--7-7-----------------------------:-------3-3--5-5---------------------------------------
Learning Guitar Barre Chords
To be a well rounded guitarist, it's important to learn as many chords as you can.
Especially the hard to play ones like Barre Chords that will allow you to play many
different songs without constantly having to change frethand fingerings.
Barre chords will also produce a much fuller and thicker professional sound.
Below are 2 video examples of using barre chords.
Rock Guitar Barre Chords Example
Country Barre Chord Example Using Alternate Bass Notes
Learn Professional Guitar Techniques Sample Lesson Videos
Lead guitar solos are created by simply adding the actual "guitar techniques" to guitar scales.
This would include learning techniques like hammer-ons, pull-off's, string bends, slides, vibrato, etc....
Although there are more guitar techniques to learn...
Below is a free sample video of the most common used guitar techniques to help get you started!
Guitar Techniques Video
Learn Arpeggios
An arpeggio is defined as a guitar chord played as single notes.
Although an arpeggio is a guitar chord, when played as single notes, it is
widely used as part of many guitar solos by the best of professional guitar
players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, only to mention
a few.
However, any guitar chord can be played as an arpeggio, two of the most common
played arpeggios are shown in the free video samples below.
Learn Major Arpeggios Video
Learn Minor Arpeggios Video
If you're interested in taking your ability to play guitar to the
extreme, then make sure to make practicing arpeggios a part of
your practice routine.
Here are a few additional examples of how arpeggios can be played during guitar solos.
Randy Rhoads Style - "Mr. Crowley" Lead Guitar Solo Arpeggios
e
B
G
D
A
E
p
p
p
:-17-13-----------|-18-13-----------|-15-12-----------|
:-------15--------|-------15--------|-------13--------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
p
:-17-13-----------|
:-------13--------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
Randy's Live Guitar Solo Diminished Guitar Arpeggio
p
p
p
p
p
p p
s
v
e|----------|-------------|-------------|--------------------------------|
B|-10-7---7-|-------------|-------------|--------------------------------|
G|------8---|-8-5-8-5---5-|-------------|--------------------------------|
D|----------|---------7---|-7-4-7-4---4-|--------------------------------|
A|----------|-------------|---------6---|-6-3-6-3------------------------|
E|----------|-------------|-------------|---------5----2-----------------|
s h
h
h
h
trill
trill
trill
e|-------|------|------|-----|-------------|-11-14-11-14-|-14-17-14-17---|
B|-------|------|------|-----|-10-13-10-13-|-------------|---------------|
G|-------|------|------|-8-11|-------------|-------------|---------------|
D|-------|------|-7-10-|-----|-------------|-------------|---------------|
A|-------|-6-9--|------|-----|-------------|-------------|---------------|
E|-2-5-8-|------|------|-----|-------------|-------------|---------------|
trill
s
v
e|-17-20-17-20-|---------20----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------|-16-19---19----------------------------------------------|
G|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
Learn Guitar Riffs
Guitar riffs differ from lead guitar licks as most guitar riffs
are played on the larger 3 guitar strings, when most lead guitar licks
are often based upon notes played on the higher sounding note of
the smaller 3 strings.
However it's also common for players to combine notes from
all 6 strings when creating or playing a guitar riff.
They also differ from chord progressions as riffs are not chords,
they are single played notes from any chosen guitar scale.
Riffs are often what actually make a song title and are known
as intro (beginning) riffs that start a song.
Guitar riffs are often the most simple to play, yet also the
most fun to play for guitarist. Below are some fun classic
guitar riff video lessons with tablature to help you get
started. These are some of the most popular classic guitar
riffs in music history.
Here is an example of a guitar riff that was composed by who many consider
"The Riff Master" - Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.
The sample below is from the Black Sabbath song
"Faries Wear Boots" and is based upon the guitar scale
G pentatonic minor scale.
Opening Riff to "Faries Wear Boots"
Opening Guitar Riff to "Faries Wear Boots"s
Play 3 x............................................
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------3------------3----------------------------|
:-----3---5----5-------5----5-3-------------------|
:---5------------3-5------------5-----------------|
:-3-----------------------------------------------|
4th time is played as tabbed below
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------3------------3-----3----------------------|
:-----3---5----5-------5----5---------------------|
:---5------------3-5------------------------------|
:-3-----------------------------------------------|
Metallica Style "Seek And Destroy" Intro Guitar Riff
e
B
G
D
A
E
s
s
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-----7-8-7---------------------5-----------------|
:-------------7-8-7--------5------7---------------|
:-0-0-------0--------0-8-7---7--------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
Crazy Train
Randy Rhoads Style "Crazy Train" Guitar Intro Riff
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-------------------------------------------------|
:-----4---5---4------2-------2--------------------|
:-2-2---2---2---2------5-4-5---5-4-0--------------|
Jimmy Page Style * Black Dog Guitar Riffs 1 & 2
#1
e
B
G
D
A
E
h p
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|---5-------------|-----------------|
:------------5----|-7---5-7-5-----5-|-----------------|
:---5-6-7------7--|-----------7-7---|-7--5-7-7--------|
:-7-------7-------|-----------------|----------5-7----|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
#2
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:--------2--------|-----------------|-----------------|
:--------2--------|-----------5-----|-----------5-----|
:-3-5-0--0--------|---5-6-7-----7---|---5-6-7-----7---|
:-----------------|-7-------7-------|-7-------7-------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
h p
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|---5-------------|
:-----------------|---------5-------|-7---5-7-5-----5-|
:-----------------|-5-6-7-----7-----|-----------7-7---|
:---5-6-7-5-7-----|-------7---------|-----------------|
:-7---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|----2------------|
:-7--5-7-7--------|----2------------|
:----------5-7-3-5|-0--0------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|
Want To Learn More Guitar Riffs?
See Rock Guitar Riffs Made Simple
See Free Videos & Special Offer Bonus Details
Learn Blues Guitar & How To Improvise
Improvise means to create or make your own.
Blues guitar is considered by many to be the heart and foundation of many of the most common music
styles including Rock, Classic Rock, Country, Alternative, and Heavy Metal.
A good place to begin experimenting with "how to improvise" is by using the pentatonic minor
scale to start making up your own guitar solo licks and play along with a blues guitar rhythm.
The video below is a demonstration of the most common blues guitar rhythm
played in the key of A in the open position.
Beginner Blues Rhythm in A
Open A Blues
e
B
G
D
A
E
A
D
A
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-2-2-4-4---------|-----------------|
:-2-2-4-4---------|-0-0-0-0---------|-2-2-4-4---------|
:-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
E
D
A
end/turnaround
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-2-2-4-4---------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-0-0-0-0---------|-2-2-4-4--2------|
:-2-2-4-4---------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0--0-2-2-2|
:-0-0-0-0---------|-----------------|------------0-0-0|
Learn more about Blues endings and turnarounds by watching the
additional free blues video examples below.
Blues is considered the best music for musicians to "play what they feel".
You should also try playing in different keys and just play what you feel or what sounds
best to you.
The possibilities are limitless.
The Actual Blues Scale & Run is also used for Blues & Modern Country
as well as Heavy Metal, Jazz, Funk and most all music styles.
The Pentatonic Major Scale & Run that produces the famous
sound known as "Country Twang" and is widely used by
everyone from Brent Mason, Brad Paisley, and other Nashville
greats, as well as all Southern Rock artist & groups, blues
players, classic rock and most all common music styles.
The Pentatonic Minor Scale & Run which is considered to
be the very most common scale used by all guitarist that's
used in combination with the Major Pentatonic scale to
obtain just about every sound you can imagine, from
the music style's of Roy Clark & Johnny Cash, to B.B. King,
Stevie Ray Vaughan for a country or blues sound and is
also considered to be the roots of Rock, Classic Rock,
and Heavy Metal and will produce the sounds of Angus Young
of AC/DC, Slash, Ted Nugent, Zakk Wylde, Black Sabbath,
Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd,
and thousands more professional guitarist.
Box Scales Compared To Ascending & Descending Runs
Pentatonic Guitar Scales & Runs In The Key Of A
Now that you've learned an easy to play blues rhythm and have learned
the basics of Box Scales & Ascending & Descending Runs...
To begin experimenting with "improvising", use the Beginner Blues in A Rhythm Video
shown above as a background rhythm and try playing along using the Box Scales & Ascending
and Descending Runs to see how basic blues rhythm and box scales & runs sound
when played together. This is a great place for you to start to experiment
improvising and trying to create your own blues lead guitar licks and solos.
Blues and blues chords, scales and runs that are used for blues are also widely
used for playing "Southern Rock".
Watch Free Southern Rock Video Lesson
Part 2 * More Common Things for Blues Guitar Players To Know
Blues Intro Sample 1
Blues Intro Sample 2
Learn Blues Rhythm Guitar In C
Learn Blues Guitar C9 Chord
Blues Ending With C9 Chord
Learn Blues Guitar 7th Chords
Learn Blues Guitar Scales
How To Combine Major & Minor Scales
Learn Blues Lead Guitar Licks
Best Blues Guitar Courses
Ultimate Acoustic Blues
A super great course for you to learn how to get the total blues guitar sound from your
Acoustic guitar. Teaches Rhythm and Lead and important blues learning concepts that
you can apply to playing ANY blues song.
See Ultimate Acoustic Blues Amazing Bonus DVD Package Offer
Blues Master Class
Taught by Sol Philcox (also the author and featured instructor of Wicked Chicken Pickin Chops
Phil goes in depth and will take your blues style to new heights by infusing the fiery electric
blues sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Freddie King, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy,
Clapton, Hendrix and more as he teaches you how to play the blues sounds that have developed every
famous blues artist who made their mark in blues guitar history.
See Blues Master Class Special Bonus DVD Package Offer
See All Blues Courses Offered by Guitar Control
Learn Guitar Scales & Music Theory
Learning music theory is the best way to learn what "makes the guitar tick"
as an instrument.
An amazing fact that many guitarist never learn or realize, is that everything
played on the guitar is derived from the major diatonic scale.
Even the Minor Scale comes from the Major Scale.
This includes the Blues Scale, Pentatonic Scales & Ascending & Descending Runs...
Any guitar scale or mode that you learn can also be played as an Ascending & Descending Run.
Learning chord formulas and using the 7 modes to create harmony which are
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian...
Which will teach you how to play harmony parts when jamming with other
musicians or how to compose and create harmony parts of your own
if you decide to write original songs of your own.
Learning music theory wll also teach you how to play the correct guitar chords with the
correct guitar scales so that your playing all the correct rhythm guitar chords, lead guitar scales
and lead guitar licks in the correct order and in the correct key.
Here are a few free video sample ideas to help provide you with more insight
of how learning music theory can make you musically smart and help you become
a professional musician who unlike many guitarist who have just learned a
few easy chords or box scales for playing lead guitar...
You will be able to master the guitar as an instrument and learn and play
anything you want from learning cover tunes by your favorite artist or band,
to writing your own songs and making a Cd of your own, or becoming a professional musician
who plays in a full time working band getting paid to play music, or even getting
hired as a studio musician to help others who write their original songs.
The 7 Modes of The Major Scale Video
E Spanish Phrygian Mode Video
Learn Guitar Modes In Combinations
Learn Theory Of Harmony
Harmonic Minor Scale Video
The Harmonic Minor Scale (known to many as The Gypsy Scale)
which produces a far-eastern sound and is widely used by
great players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani
Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, and many more...
Music theory is also very widely used amnong Classical & Fingerpicking as well as Jazz Guitar.
These styles of playing will introduce you to a whole new world and an entirely different
concept of playing the guitar.
For a better understanding and explanation, read the detailed information and watch
the free video lesson clips from the methods offered below.
Classical & Fingerpicking
Essentials of Jazz Guitar
Learn Guitar Song Fills
Many bands consist of 2 or more guitarist. 1 guitar playing rhythm and the other guitarist
playing lead guitar.
By learning "song fills" which are identified as short quick guitar licks that
fit between guitar chord changes, you can learn how to play your guitar as
a single guitarist and make it sound as if you're playing both parts
"rhythm" and "lead" so that your guitar playing has the sound effect of
playing 2 different guitar parts at the same time.
Famous guitarist who are famous for their ablilty to make 1 guitar
sound like 2 guitar players are Mick Mars of Motley Crue and original
Ozzy guitarist "Randy Rhoads", Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the list goes on .
The video below demonstrates "song fills" from the song "I Don't Know" by Ozzy Osbourne
and The Blizzard of Oz - which featured Ozzy's original guitar player "Randy Rhoads".
Song Fill #1 is derived from using the A minor natural or pure scale, also known
as the "Aeolian" mode C major diatoinic scale.
Song Fill #2 is a combination of A Blues Scale along with the A minor
scale as described above. A good thing to learn and study are the different
scale combinations that can be played together and what types of sound
each have when played in their common and various positions.
Song Fill #3 is played using just a few notes from A pentatonic
minor.
Learn Guitar Song Fills Video
Song Fills
#1
e
B
G
D
A
E
#2
p
p
p
p
p
f
p
p
:-----------------|-----------------|---5-------------|
:-1-0-1-0---------|-----------------|--5--8-5-6-5-----|
:---------2-0-----|-----------------|-7---------------|
:-------------2-0-|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-3-0-------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
p p
f
f.rel.v
:-----------------|--------17-------|-----------------|
:---7-------------|-----------------|-20--------------|
:-8---8-7-5-------|-2--19-----------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Learn Guitar Licks
Learning guitar licks is one of the most very important things for all
lead guitarist to learn.
A guitar lick is defined as a short melodic phrase and can be any combination of
notes taken from any scale.
The best thing about learning guitar licks, is that you can adapt any most guitar lick that you
learn into a different song and also play it in any given key!
You can also learn how to build off and add more to the guitar licks that you learn.
Learning guitar licks will demonstrate to you how other players came up with an idea
of combining guitar techniques to any given scale, and by learning this - it will also help give
you ideas on how to create guitar licks of your own that sound like your favorite artist or group.
After you have a few guitar licks under your belt, you'll then see how you can begin to tie them all
together to improvise and create guitar solos of your own.
Some lead guitar solos may consist of only 4 simple guitar licks, while others may consist
of hundreds or thousands of guitar licks all combined together.
If you want to be the best lead guitar player you can be, you can never learn enough guitar
licks and the learning process never stops. Good advice would be to say:
Learn as many guitar licks as you possibly can.
If you learn or know music theory and how to identify all the different scales, you can also
then analyze which scale or mode your favorite guitarist used to develop the licks they composed
and created.
Here area few examples of different guitar licks from various players styles that I have
analyzed for you to help give you a better understanding.
This lick demonstrates G Minor Pentatonic Scale combined with G Minor Pentatonic Ascending Run
Megadeth Style Video - Anarchy In The U.K. Lead Guitar Lick
Lick #3 * Megadeth Style
e
B
G
D
A
E
f
p (4x)
f rel
h
p (7x)
:----15-----------|-----------------|-15-20-15--------|
:-------18-15-----|-18-18-----------|----------18-----|
:-18--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
f.rel.f.rel.f
:-15--20----------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
This next guitar lick is analyzed as a combination of using A minor scale (natural or pure) played
in combination of A minor pentatonic ascending and decending run.
Jimmy Page Style - Stairway To Heaven
e
B
G
D
A
E
f.v
p
p
p
p
s
f
:------5----------|-----------------|-------8--8-8--8-|
:--------8-5------|-----------------|-8-10------------|
:-7----------7-5--|-7-5-------------|-----------------|
:----------------7|-----7-5---------|-----------------|
:-----------------|---------8-------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
s
p
p
h.v
:-5--5------------|-8--10-8---------|-----------------|
:------8--10------|---------10-8----|-8-10------------|
:-----------------|--------------9--|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A Few Basic Tips For Playing Lead Guitar
Guitar scales are the one thing that lead guitarists rely on. All guitar leads
are derived and come from one guitar scale or another, or... combinations
of different scales.
The free video samples below will help give you a better idea of more of the
most important things that all lead guitarist "need" to know to play all
the most common music styles from Rock, Classic Rock, Country, Alternative,
and Heavy Metal.
How To Play Lead Guitar In Octave Positions
A Pentatonic Major & Minor Scale Combinations
4 Basic Elements Of Lead Guitar
A very good reason to learn guitar scales is that your ear will
learn to identify the difference in sound between major, minor and
all other scales and modes.
This will dramatically help you when you're trying to learn lead guitar solos of
your favorite songs by ear.
When listening to songs, you'll catch yourself in a "ah ha" moment, saying to yourself...
"That lead solo was based upon the A major scale", or...
"Hey! I know what scale that guy played. It was B minor scale".
A good learning and practice habit for lead guitarist is to learn how to play
all of the guitar scales you learn as "ascending & descending runs"
As shown in this next video which demonstrates how original Ozzy guitarist "Randy Rhoads"
used the G minor pentatonic ascending run during the guitar Solo to the song "I Don't Know".
Randy Rhoads Style - G Minor Pentatonic Ascending Run
s
e|---|--------------|-------------|-------------------|------------------|
B|---|--------------|-------------|-------------------|-18-18-20-20------|
G|---|--------------|-------------|-15-15-17-17-19-19-|------------------|
D|---|--------------|-15-15----17-|-------------------|------------------|
A|---|-13-13-15-17--|-------17----|-------------------|------------------|
E|-15|--------------|-------------|-------------------|------------------|
p p
P
P
f
f.rel.f.rel.f.rel.f.v
e|-18-21-20-18-|----------18-------|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------|-20-18-20----20-18-|-20---20-----------------------------|
G|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|
f.rel.f.rel.f.rel.f.v
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-19--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Best Lead Guitar Course
Killer Lead Guitar Made Simple * See Free Videos & Free Bonus DVDs
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•3 DVDs that reveal "How to Play Smokin Blues Guitar"
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See Lesson Descriptions
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Best Country Lead Guitar Course
Learn Country Guitar Chicken Pickin
Country Guitar Chicken Pickin DVD Guitar Lesson
By Sol Philcox
Learn Guitar Tricks
Learning guitar tricks can make a guitarist go from looking and sounding like a musician
to more like a "magician" by adding techniques that create nearly magical type sounds!
Natural Harmonics Guitar Trick Video
The video below demonstrates a guitar trick that many guitarist use a special effect pedal
called the "Volume Pedal" in order to obtain for this type of sound. A "Volume Swell" means to
play a single note or chord by beginning with your guitar volume knob turned all the way off.
Then after you've played a note or chord, slowly and gradually increase your volume to produce
this special effect type sound that can sound similar to a violin or "cathedral" sound.
By using special effects like reverb, echo, or digital delay will help carry out the
sound of the Volume Swell guitar trick technique.
Volume Swells Guitar Trick Video
Learn This Classic Guitar Lick/Trick by Led Zeppelin guitarist "Jimmy Page" who's technique will produce
a "whammy Bar" - Being pulled sharp(b) sound that you can play on a standard guitar.
Jimmy Page Style - Lemon Song Guitar Trick
Learn Guitar Finger Tapping
Guitar Fingertapping became most recognized by guitar
great's Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai,
Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore and many other guitar greats.
The "idea" behind "fingertapping" is to use the index or
middle finger of the pickhand to "tap" a note to produce
the sound of a note. Many players use the edge of the
guitar pick for rapid fingertapping guitar tricks and
eccentrics. This is commonly referred to as "picktapping".
Tip:
It's best to find a "pivot" position where you can rest
the thumb of your pickhand on the neck of the guitar. This
will avoid a unwanted and uncoordinated "stabbing" motion,
and allow you to focus on hitting the exact notes you wish
to tap to produce the sound of those notes.
Once you learned the "pivot position", you can then focus on
learning how to move it up and down the nack to try playing
your favorite finger tapping licks in different keys.
If you decide to study the different finger tapping techniques used
by different players, you'll realize that some players have a
favorite "pattern" or combination that they use.
For example... one of Eddie Van Halens's favorite combinations of finger tapping
would be as follows: Tap, Pull-off, Hammer On as shown in the video below.
Tablature symblos used for the free guitar tablature are as follows:
t = finger tap / p = pull-off / h = hammer on /f = full bend/ rel = release bend
Van Halen Style Finger Tapping Video
e
B
G
D
A
E
f
f
f
f
f.rel.p f
:-5-5-5---5-5-5---|---5-5---5-------|-----------------|
:-5-5-5---5-5-5---|---5-5---5-------|-----------------|
:7------7---------|-7-----7---------|-7----5--7-------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
(2x each)
t p h
t p h
t p h
t p h
f.rel.p
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-10-5-8--10-4-7--|-10-3-6--10-2-5--|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-4----2----------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
f t p
p
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-4--9---4---2----|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
:-----------------|
While other players may use different combinations such as: Tap, Pull-Off, Pull-Off
as demonstrated in the next video below.
Metallica Style Finger Tapping Guitar Trick
(8x each)
t p p
t p p
t p p
t p p
t p p
e :-12-8-5--13-8-5--|-13-9-6--14-9-6--|-14-10-7---------|
B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Other guitarist such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen and others may
use more complex combinations of how they apply their guitar finger tapping techniques.
The next sample demonstrates how you can "finger tap" arpeggios. This is a sample
of how arpeggios can also be used for lead guitar solo's.
Randy Rhoads was an amazing guitarist and his devotion to studying the
guitar was non stop. He knew music theory and how to apply it.
This next lesson sample demonstrates Randy's ability to apply guitar chords,
played as "Finger tapped - arpeggios".
This also demonstrates one of Randy Rhoads favorite finger tapping combinations which would be:
Tap, Pull-Off, Tap, Pull-Off, Pull-Off, Hammer-On.
Randy Rhoads Style Video
"Flying High Again" Finger Tapping Guitar Arpeggios
e
B
G
D
A
E
A major arpeggio F major arpeggio D major arpeggio
4x
4x
t p
t p p h
t p
t p p h
t p t p p h
:-17-12-17-12-9-12|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|18-13-18-13-10-13|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|19-14-19-14-11-14|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
A# major arpeggio
2x
t p
t p p h
t p
t.s
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:20-15-20-15-12-15|20-15-20---------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
E major arpeggio C major arpeggio A mjor arpeggio
4x
4x
4x
t p t p p h
t p t p p h
t p t p p h
:-12-7-12-7-4-7---|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|13-8-13-8-5-8----|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|14-9-14-9-6-9----|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
F major arpeggio
2x
1x
t p
t p p h
t p h.s
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-15-10-15-10-7-10|-15-10-15--------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Learn Whammy Bar Tricks
The guitar whammy bar (also known as "Vibrato Bar"), can dramatically change
the sounds that you can create on the guitar.
There is a major difference in whammy bars.
1 of the first original guitar vibrato bars (whammy bar) that was invented was the
Bigsby Vibrato Bar as shown on this Normandy Army Green Powdercoat Archtop Guitar with Bigsby
Vibrato Tailpiece Army Green with Bigsby Vibrato Bar shown below.
See details about the Bigsby Vibrato Bar, by searching for "Normandy Army Green Powdercoat Archtop
Guitar
with Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece Army Green with Bigsby Vibrato Bar" at Musician's Friend
What's known as a "standard" or "stock" whammy bar is referred to as a "non floating" whammy bar
as shown in this photo below of a Fender American Vintage 59 Stratocaster Electric Guitar
To see details about this guitar, search for "Fender American Vintage 59 Stratocaster Electric Guitar"
at Musician's Friend
This means that you can only use the whammy bar to bend notes downward, which will limit you
to playing notes that sound lower that are flat (b) as you can only bend the whammy bar in a
downward position making the notes sound lower in pitch.
An additional disadvantage to a having a a standard or stock whammy bar, is that most all
standard or stock whammy bars do not offer "lock nuts" (found by the nut of the guitar) which are
the locking nuts found on whammy bar systems that "lock down" your strings so they stay in tune.
So the bottom line is that using a standard guitar that has a standard or stock whammy bar, will 99 times
out of 100 - make your guitar dramatically go out of tune due to the lack of not having "lock-nuts"
to keep the guitar in tune after using all the tension from using the whammy bar.
Aside from the actual whammy bar that you bend, whammy bars also consist of thick
heavy springs, usually located on the back of the guitar and covered by a plastic
protection plate.
You can adjust the tension of your springs to make your whammy bar stay in better
tune, however this is often best done by a professional guitar repairman as
changing the tension of your whammy springs can make your guitar change it's
"intonation" which means it's very possible that everyhing you play will
sound out of tune.
Tip:
A good explanation of "Guitar Intonation" would be to say that it all
relies on getting the guitar neck lined up with the body of the guitar
so everything is adjusted correctly on your guitar.
A good way to test to see if your guitar has good intonation or is need of
some major repair, is to try playing an easy standard G chord starting
on the 3rd fret - Large E string, then move up 12 frets higher and try
playing the same G chord in it's octave position starting on the 15th
fret - Large E string.
If both chords sound good, then you have good intonation.
If you hear a "wave" type sound and the chord sounds out of tune when played 12 frets
higher, then chances are you need to have your intonation fixed.
Learn more about home guitar repairs
Additional Whammy Bar Systems
The other type of whammy bar is known as a "Floating System" and has several advantages.
A prime example of a guitar that has a Floating System is the Eddie Van Halen guitar
shown below.
To learn more about the Floating System whammy bar, search for this guitar by using
the keywords "Eddie Van Halen Guitar" at Musician's Friend
Guitars that offer the Floating System whammy bar, allow you to pull the whammy bar
upward, so you can play notes sharp (#) and make them sound higher in pitch - as well
as bend notes downward to play notes flat (b).
An additional advantage to guitars that have the Floating whammy bar system, is that they
DO come complete with lock nuts so that you can lock down your strings so they will stay
in perfect tune. They also offer "fine tuners" which are located near the bridge of the
whammy bar, so that if you should come slightly out of tune while you're playing...
You can keep right on playing and simply use the "fine tuners" to get back in tune, without
having to stop playing and re-tune your guitar.
This is something very important to consider if you're thinking about purchasing a guitar
with a whammy bar.
Playing a guitar that has a Floating Whammy Bar system, will keep your guitar in tune
and allow you to make every sound imaginable that you hear by famous players like
Dimebag, Steve Vai, Metallica, Joe Satriani and more... Who are famously known
for their sounds often referred to as "Dive Bombs" - "Screaming Harmonic Whammy Dives"
and other whammy bar terms you may learn that are known among most all professional
guitarist.
If you have a standard guitar with no whammy bar, you can purchase the Floating Whammy
Bar System seperately and have it installed to your current guitar. This however would
have to be done by a professional guitar luthier who builds and repairs guitars.
It would consist of having to use a router to carve out a spot on your guitar
by the bridge of your guitar to install the whammy bar system and also consist
of having to have a custom made nut to add the locking tuners and this can
be VERY expensive and most often exceed the price of the guitar that you
currently own or paid for.
So if you own a standard guitar that does not have a Floating Whammy Bar System,
it's often cheaper to purchase a new guitar that already has the Floating system
installed.
There is however a GREAT additional option that will produce the screaming whammy
bar sounds of every player you can think of from Dimebag to Steve Vai and will
create the most amazing whammy bar sounds you could possibly ever dream of
hearing and playing and that would be the guitar effect pedal shown below
called the "Whammy Pedal".
To learn more about this amazing effect pedal, search for this special effect pedal by using
the keywords "Whammy Pedal" at Musician's Friend
The video below (which was filmed playing on a guitar with a Floating Whammy Bar System)
will provide you with a good demonstration of some of the sounds and techniques that you
can obtain using the guitar whammy bar. Even including how to make your guitar sound like
a motorcycle "shifting gears"!
Learn Whammy Bar Tricks Video
Randy Rhoads Style Guitar Trick Video
e
B
G
D
A
E
n
n
n
vb
vb
:-----------------|-5---------------|-----------------|
:--------20-19----|-----------------|-----------------|
:-17--------------|-----------------|------3----0-----|
:-----------------|-----------------|----2------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-1---------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
trill
vb......
h p h vb
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-17-15-17--------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-12-15-12-15-----|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Aside from teaching my private taught students what you've seen demonstrated on video so far,
the next video below is a great example of all the different guitar licks & finger tapping
and guitar whammy bar tricks that I teach to all of my Private taught guitar students who take
Skype Webcam Guitar Lessons.
More That You Can Learn...
Use A Metronome
What is a metronome? It is a tool that will teach you how to "keep time" and
develop faster playing skills.
Most all guitarists use this tool to make fast and skilled improvements.
A Metronome will allow you to use the ticker to track your own progress with
each scale or arpeggio that you play.
It will also allow you to gradually increase the tempo every day or week so
you can see yourself making improvements!
Free Online Metronome
You can use this free metronome to start working on your timing skills and
increase your speed. This is a great tool to use for practicing certain
skills like "alternate picking" when practicing your guitar scales.
You can set the metronome to your current playing level or a tempo
that's easy for you, and to start making improvements on your speed
so that you can get quicker each time you play. Simply choose the
next level and as you practice guitar scales, use alternate picking
(which means to pick: down, up, down, up, ....) which will help you
develop a much faster pick hand technique that you can also apply
to all your guitar licks and guitar solos.
Just wind up the clicker and adjust the tempo buttons to match your current
skill level and start practicing and improving today!
Click here! To use FREE Metronome
Try Using Different Size Guitar Picks
There's more than one reason why you should try using different
size guitar picks.
Guitar picks come in small or thin, medium, and heavy gauges.
Some have rounded edges and others have a pointed edge, making each guitar
pick capable of producing different sounds while you play.
Choosing the right guitar pick or picks is a matter of preference for each
guitar player.
Try experimenting with different sized picks and choose what feels the most
comfortable to you.
Often a smaller or thinner pick will work good for strumming.
A thicker pick often works better for practicing scales as it allows you to
hone in and focus on each note of the scale you're playing.
It also makes it easier for you to identify if you have played an incorrect
note by making the sound of each note sound louder.
Another thing to consider is that some picks are made of cheap plastic,
others made of alloys like steel, while some are made of nylon and are
known as being unbreakable.
My personal preference is called the "Jim Dunlop Nylon" size 60 MM .
I use it for overall playing in the studio and live on stage.
See Guitar Picks
Practice Alternate Picking
Alternate picking means to use the guitar pick to play notes or chords by
picking down, up, down, up...
This applies to strumming chords and playing guitar scales, lead guitar licks and solos.
It will also dramatically help you increase your speed and coordination and make you a
much faster and smoother player.
Alternate picking saves you time in most everything you play. For example...
If you try playing just the large open E string using a single down pick without using alternate picking,
in order to play the same note again - you'd have to lift your hand back on top of the string and pick
downward again. That's two seperate movements and takes more time.
Instead, try playing the large E string open with a down pick, followed by an immediate upward picking
motion.
Keep in mind that when playing many songs, guitarist will often use a simple down pick when strumming
a song that uses power chords (for example: As shown in the above video, the song "Iron Man")...
If you really want to increase your speed and become a faster player, then make sure to learn and
practice Alternate Picking!
You'll notice a major difference in sound and by starting slowly and each time increasing your speed,
you'll soon find yourself being able to play faster than ever before.
Below are two sample videos that demonstrate Alternate Picking.
Alternate Picking - Van Halen Style
Notes played:
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-12-16-19-17-16--|-17-14-16--------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Alternate Picking - Angus Young Style
e
B
G
D
A
E
4x each...................
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-4-0-5-0---------|-5-0-8-0---------|-12-0-10-0-9-0---|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
etc...
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0|5-0-7-0----------|-4-0-5-0---------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Watch Other Guitar Players
Seeing is learning. You will be amazed just how much you can learn by watching
other guitar players at their live performances.
This will also give you inspiration and is a great way to see what songs look easy
to learn and play.
Study Your Influences
Studying your influences and their influences, who inspired them, and by listening
to their music will provide you many ideas how your favorite players developed their
playing style.
It will also give you ideas how to develop your own unique style of playing the guitar.
Learn Song Formats
All songs are written differently.
Many are written using the same 3 chords.
Others are more complex and can seem like many songs all put together as one.
To give you a better idea of a very commonly used song format, and books that can help
teach you more about songwriting, see this article
Set A Goal To Learn A Note For Note Song
If you have been to concerts to see your favorite artist or group, then you may
know by now that many times even the original artist may often change the way
they play their songs live, while others duplicate each song note for note.
175 Easy Guitar Song Lessons by GUITAR CONTROL
Learn 175 of the greatest classic hit songs
that are played by everyone from the acoustic campfire guitar player
to the live performer on stage. These are songs that everyone will
love to hear you play too! Taught by Claude Johnson of Guitar Control.
There's more than 175 guitar song lessons that teach all the most popular
and rare and hard to find easy to play classic hit song lessons.
The Ultimate Guitar Songs Collection
Guitar Songs DVD Lessons
Also Included With Your Guitar DVDs:
A Free 30-Day Pass to the "Guitar God" Club
Yup! 14 additional cool websites!
Learning songs note for note will teach you how the artist applied the actual guitar
techniques inside the chords and scales like hammer-ons, pull-offs, string bends etc..
It will provide you with insight and direction how you can apply those same techniques
in your own original songs.
Once you have learned a song note for note, you will discover that you're inspired to
learn even more songs.
You can showcase your talent and ability to copy a note for note song to play for
others, who will idolize and respect you for your devotion and dedication to have put
forth such an effort to be able to play any song note for note just as the original
artist had recorded it.
I believe that anyone can do this by learning one small part at a time and memorizing
each part slowly as they go.
A big mistake any player can make is trying to learn everything all at once.
I have learned some songs that I play note for note that took more than 1 year to
learn. Others took less than 5 minutes.
Others only took 1 day, maybe 2. It all depends how complex or how hard the song is.
It's very hard to rely on the free guitar tab sites to find accurate note for note guitar
songs.
Many of those tabs are submitted by anyone and everyone who owns a guitar and wants their
quick claim to fame by being the one who figured it all out for you to learn and are OFTEN
incorrect..
And there's really nothing more aggravating than learning a song incorrectly, getting it
stuck in your head then having to back track and start all over again while trying to find
some resource of learning it correctly.
Then you have to try to pound it back into your head that
"this is the right way to play it".
Copyright protection prevents many qualified musicians to provide you with quality
instruction guitar lessons that will actually teach you how to play any song note for note,
regardless of them being guitar teachers, free tab sites, or sites that sell guitar instruction
methods.
After spending more than 12 long years of research, the best DVD Note-For-Note Guitar Song
lessons I have found that WILL teach you how to play all of the most popular songs are offered by
Claude Johnson - Featured Instructor at Guitar Control.
These songs are played by most every cover band who gets paid to play music
full time as professional working musicians.
Learn...
•AC/DC •Aerosmith •Alice in Chains •Allman Brothers •Bad Company •Beach Boys •Beastie Boys
•Beatles •Beck •Billy Joel •Bob Dylan •Bob Marley •Bonnie Raitt
•Boston•BTO•Buffalo Springfield •CCR •Cheap Trick •Chicago •Crosby Stills & Nash and many more...
See Free Song Video Lessons
Learn 175 Classic Hit Guitar Songs - Click to see entire list!
Learn Guitar Songs DVD Method 2
If you know the basic guitar most common guitar chords and easy lead guitar
box shape scales, but want to learn how to apply everything you to know to learning actual songs...
Or, just like most every guitar player - you want to learn as many songs as you can and of course
learn how to play them right, then chances are you'll surly also be interested in this great
DVD series of guitar song lessons that will teach you songs like....
Yesterday * Hit Me with Your Best Shot * Heartbreak Hotel * Day Tripper * You Really Got Me
Come Together * Spooky * Oh, Pretty Woman * Takin' Care of Business * Bye Bye Love * Stand By Me
Rock Around the Clock * Hallelujah * Mission Impossible Theme * You're the One That I Want
Friends in Low Places * Mona Lisa * Crazy * All I Have to Do is Dream * I Fought the Law
Ain't Nothing 'Bout You * Cold Cold Heart * Moon River and many more...
The Song Hits
DVD Guitar Song Lessons
By Legacy Learning Systems
See Guitar Song Lesson Video List...
Both DVD Guitar Song Lessons that are offered by Guitar Control and
Legacy Systems The Song Hits...
Are the two best courses available for the guitarist who simply just wants to learn songs.
Both courses offer the very best of classic song hits.
These type of lessons are surly the one thing that never used to exist and left you struggling trying to
learn your favorite songs either by ear from trying to copy and learn songs from records, cassettes, CDs or
maybe trying to learn from some type of cheesy half incorrect music learning book purchased from a local
music shop. The only other option of course, would have been to take private lessons and it's sometimes
beyond hard to find a good teacher who will teach you the songs that you really want to learn.
The Perfect Guitar Song Learning Package
If you're the guitar player who wanted to learn just songs, I could not
stress enough to you just how helpful this option would be your very best choice.
It's to bad they aren't all offered by the same company and don't come in one huge
package deal (which means you'd have to purchase them all seperately)...
I would recommend you get both Guitar Song DVD Song Lesson Courses
The Ultimate Guitar Songs Collection by Guitar Control
and also get... The Song Hits by Legacy Learning Systems
along with this topselling musician's favorite learning tool called
Video Surgeon offered by Todd, Michael & James, Inc.
This amazing musicians resource learning tool will be a great help for you
when learning songs from your favorite DVD song lessons. Video Surgeon also
enables you to download videos from YouTube and thousands of other websites
for your own personal use and offers special features that will dramatically
help you learn any song.
Features include:
* Allows you to Zoom In and Slow Down any song that you learn
* Video Editing * Video Motion Analysis Program * Speed or Tempo Change * Looping
* Audio Video Synchronization * Freeze Frame Analysis * Video Anaysis Software
* Exporting * and the coolest feature ever...
* Sniffer/Video Downloader
Video Surgeon (ver2) contains an enhanced dual sniffer module. The main sniffer module
works as it always has and can download from approximately 90% of all websites that have
video.
See Video Surgeon Product Features
Video Surgeon Training Tutorial
Purchase
If you have both Guitar Songs DVD learning packages along with Video Surgeon, you'll be all set
with everything you'll ever need if learning guitar songs is your main goal.
Lead Guitar Tip:
If you want to do more than just learn songs and be able to improvise and compose or write
guitar solos of your own, aside from of course having to know your rhythm chords and lead
scales (and the more music theory you know, the better)
A good idea is to...
Practice With Jam Along Tracks
Of course it's a great idea to jam with other guitar
players and other musicians.
Chances are that no matter who you jam with, you will both end up learning something new
or different.
However, there are those who will criticize your every wrong move.
Don't let this bother you or be intimidated.
If you want to become a better player, take it in stride and learn to accept constructive
criticism.
It can often be a huge help, just like recording yourself and playing back what you recorded,
to listen for mistakes and finding ways for you to improve.
A good way to record yourself playing is to use a porta studio
A porta studio will allow you to record your practice sessions and will
also let you to record yourself playing more than one part to a song.
It can be used to record your own original songs and even make a demo
recording for your band. You can also use a porta studio to record your
own jam tracks to practice with.
It's like having your own personal recording studio in the privacy of your
own home.
The advantage of using jam tracks to play along with is, you can do it in private, nobody will
be there to criticize you when you're developing your skills or if you hit a wrong note.
That's what jam tracks are used for.
They allow you to play along and practice and improvise so you can become a better guitar
player and develop new ideas to add to your own playing style.
There are some free resources you can find online that offer play along jam tracks for guitar.
However, some of those are created using midi or synth recordings.
Most all sound mechanical like a computer instead of sounding like an actual live band.
If you're looking for high quality guitar jam tracks that come complete with lessons which
actually teach you how to jam to or play along to each individual track, I would recommend for
you to see the additional lessons that are offered by Guitar Control.
This package offers the guitar lessons that you'll need, along WITH the jam tracks
for you to play along to so you can start making up your own great lead guitar solos!
Get 6 Cool Guitar Courses
Plus 3 Incredible Jam Track Collections
With Over 500 Amazing Jam Tracks
You get the complete library of Guitar Control DVD courses.
You'll get 12 jam-packed DVDs, plus 7 hours of great online instruction.
Plus of course, all the amazing jam tracks....
You get:
•Killer Guitar Control Secrets (2 DVDs)
•Killer Lead Guitar, Made Simple (1 DVD)
•How to Play Smokin' Blues (3 DVDs)
•Acoustic Mastery (3 DVDs)
•Ultimate Beginner Guitar (4 hours online instruction)
•Gospel Guitar Made Easy (3 hours online instruction)
•The "Incredible Guitar Tracks Library" (162 Tracks)
•The "All Possibilities" Jam Track Collection (240 Tracks)
•The Ultimate Melodic Rock Collection (102 Tracks)
See Jam Tracks Special Offer Details
Turn Your Weakness Into Your Strength
A big mistake some players make is becoming comfortable or satisfied with something easy
they discovered they could play.
But when they come across something more difficult, they may often choose to "cop out", so
to speak, or walk away from what could be the next biggest improvement to their playing.
Just as trainers in sports look for weaknesses in their players, be honest with yourself and
look for your own weak areas.
You know what needs to be developed into better skills.
Work on those areas of your playing until you are confident that you have turned your weakness
into your strength.
This will often help break the dilemma of "stage fright" or playing in front of others.
No guitar player feels comfortable playing something that they're really not quite sure about
or may not sound the best at playing.
By making the weak areas of your playing into strong points, you'll feel confident and good
about what you play and may even become anxious to show off to others just how well you've
done in mastering each and every new skill!
Transcribe Music
A good tip I always share with my privately taught students is, that they should learn
how to write guitar tab.
If you can write tabs it will surely be easier for you to read it and make learning
your favorite songs that are taught using guitar tabs much easier for you.
To Learn More About Guitar Tablature Software, visit Musician's Friend
and type in the search box, the term "Guitar Tablature Software" for a
list of the newest available professional products available, and at
the best prices.
If you're looking to learn more about guitars, amps, strings, effects pedals, recording gear
or other musical equipment that's mentioned in the article below, to help make it easier for you
to find what you're looking for - simply click the links that are highlighted in blue
which will take you to the world's largest online music store, Musician's Friend
You can then use the Musician's Friend search box to instantly find any item you're interested in
learning more about simply by typing in the keyword(s) for the products you're looking for!
What Is The Best Guitar To Start On?
Acoustic
vs.
Electric
There is a huge difference between acosutic and electric guitars.
Acoustic guitars have bigger bodies, making them harder to hold on to and also have
bigger (thicker) necks, which often makes it harder for a beginner to wrap the fret
hand around.
Most acoustic guitars also have thicker gauged strings making it harder for a beginner
to push down on.
This also makes it more difficult to produce good sounding notes and harder to play chords.
Electric guitars have a smaller body, smaller or thinner strings and are easier to hold on to
and much easier to play.
The next time you visit your local music store, make sure to try playing both types of guitars
and compare the difference in size and comfort between an acoustic and electric guitar.
Chances are that more than likely you will find the electric guitar much easier to hold and
play.
There is also the option to choose to play the acoustic-electric guitar, which is an acoustic
guitar with electric guitar components allowing you to play through an amplifier.
Many modern acoustic-electric guitars now come in smaller sizes and are easy to play
like most standard electric guitars.
This is where it really pays off to spend time trying out different guitars to see which
type of guitar seems easier for you to play.
Be aware.
Don't fall for that old fashioned sales pitch that most music dealers will tell you, which
is "you need to start on an acoustic".
Most are simply trying to sell you an acoustic guitar for one reason only.
Once you have learned the basics and have developed your skills and may want to choose keep
moving forward graduating to playing lead guitar, they make the extra sale and have sold you
2 guitars.
You can play lead guitar on both the electric and acoustic guitar.
However, the acoustic guitar is most often limited in how many frets it may have, which means
you can only play so far up on the neck.
Some acoustic guitars are called a "cutaway", which means, the lower half of the guitar body is
designed especially to make it easier for you to play up higher on the neck of the guitar.
But the most dramatic difference for anyone who knows that they eventually want to play lead
guitar is, acoustic guitars are hard to perform "string bends", which is surely one of the very
most important guitar techniques for any lead guitarist.
Whether you chose to start learning on an acoustic or electric guitar, choosing your very first
guitar to learn on could be the most important choice you ever make.
If you get a guitar that's hard to play because of it's size or design, you can easily become
discouraged and just simply give up.
Choosing a guitar that's right for you that feels comfortable to hold and easy to play will make
learning and playing fun and encourages you to practice more.
Choosing Guitar Strings And Accessories
Having good guitar strings is very important.
I couldn't tell you just how many times a new student would arrive with a guitar that was in good
shape, but the strings were old and rusted.
Strings wear out and loose their sound after a period of time.
Once that happens They become nearly impossible to keep in tune.
If you're just learning how to play, then make sure that you start off with a good set of strings.
The brand of guitar strings you choose to use isn't as important as the fact that they're new and
will produce a much better tone and overall sound.
Just like guitar picks, guitar strings come in different sizes (referred to as gauges) most often
starting with the smallest string, high e or small e string.
For an example, when purchasing a new electric guitar, most guitars will come with .009 gauge.
Some professional guitar players (Stevie Ray Vaughan for example) use the next thicker gauge string,
which started with .010 gauge, to produce a heavier, thicker and more full sound.
I'll break this down for you even more, so you can see exactly what I'm talking about and the
difference in the size of the strings.
The size of guitar strings that begin with .009 gauge are determined as follows...
• The very smallest string (small e/or high e) starts with .009
• The 2nd string, or next larger string (B string) is a .011 gauge
• The 3rd string, or next larger string (G string) is a .016 gauge
• The 4th string, or next larger string (D string) is a .024 gauge
• The 5th string, or next larger string (A string) is a .032 gauge
• The 6th string, or largest string (Low E string) is a .042 gauge
The size of guitar strings that begin with .010 gauge are determined as follows...
• The very smallest string (small e/or high e) starts with .010
• The 2nd string, or next larger string (B string) is a .013 gauge
• The 3rd string, or next larger string (G string) is a .017 gauge
• The 4th string, or next larger string (D string) is a .026 gauge
• The 5th string, or next larger string (A string) is a .036 gauge
• The 6th string, or largest string (Low E string) is a .046 gauge
Search For Guitar Strings
The gauge of strings you choose is important.
Lighter or smaller gauged strings are going to be easier to push down though they sound a little
'smaller' in tone.
If you're just getting started at learning to play the guitar, I recommend a lighter gauge string
set until you have developed good callouses on the finger tips of your fret hand.
This will help eliminate much of the unwanted pain and soreness that's all a part of becoming a
guitarist and developing new callouses and it will help make it easier for you to play.
Heavier strings will increase your sustain and volume but they're also harder to push down.
Try experimenting the next couple times you buy new strings to see which guitar strings work best
for you.
Additional good advice is to take care of your guitar strings by wiping them down with a cloth when
you're done playing.
Your hands contain oils that you may not even notice, which come from alloys at your work (for example,
if you work as a mechanic) and also come from things like eating deep fried foods like french fries.
Because of this fact, strings often get corroded and loose their tone or new sound.
It's also a very good idea to wash your hands before you play.
This will minimize the oil transfer from your fingers to your guitar strings so your strings will last
longer.
Most music stores will give you a fair deal on what's called a "string and tune" job.
That could cost you anywhere between $20.00 to $40.00 (give or take) depending on the music store.
This usually includes other VERY important work that may need to be done to your guitar, like checking
the "intonation" to make sure the neck of your guitar is in correct alignment so that everything that
you play sounds right.
What happens when a guitar is out of alignment?
When you play a guitar chord down low on the neck of the guitar (near the guitar tuning pegs), it will
sound in tune.
Then if you try to play a different chord up higher on the neck of the guitar, it will sound completely
out of tune.
While adding new strings, they make sure that your guitar is in alignment, and in tip top shape for you to
begin playing.
Often many music stores have expensive prices on smaller items like picks and strings. But hey, that's
how they make a living and stay in business.
In regards to music gear of any type, no matter what you're looking to buy can be a difficult choice.
If you compare shopping at your local music store to shopping at a music store online, there are
advantages and disadvantages.
Price differences are one of them.
Often you can save a lot of hard earned money by shopping
online at online music stores
A disadvantage of shopping online is you can't try it before you buy it like you can at your local
music store.
However, most all online music stores that can save you a lot of money, do offer a money back
and satisfaction guarantee, while many local music dealers may only offer you half of your money
back if you return an item. Once you leave the store with your new purchase, they consider
it "used" and will tell you the value of your new instrument has depreciated in half.
Online Music Stores will allow you sometimes as much as 30 to 45 days to return your purchase if
you're not fully satisfied.
See Guarantee's & Free Shipping Offers
Play On Good Equipment
You don't need a huge stack of Marshall Guitar Amps in order to sound good.
But depending on what type of amplifier you currently own, play or practice on, you could be missing
some of the key elements of sound.
One which would be "reverb".
If your amp doesn't have an effect called reverb, everything you play could sound dry or flat, meaning
that the sound doesn't seem to carry out the way it does on recordings you hear.
Reverb adds an effect that sounds like your playing in a big concert hall and makes the sound "carry out",
giving you a much more professional sound.
If you're looking for a heavy rock sound and can't seem to get the grunge sound you want from your
amplifier,
you may be missing an effect known as "distortion".
These days, even most smaller practice amps offer these effects.
The next time you visit your local music dealer, ask them if you can try out an amplifier that has "reverb"
and "distortion".
You may be surprised at the amazing difference in sound.
These effects can be purchased separately as individual effects (or as part of a multi-effects pedal)
see Guitar Effects Pedals.
See Musician's Friend that offer guitar amps that offer reverb, distortion, built-in effects and more.
Leave Your Guitar Where You Can Easily Access It
This is HUGE help.
Many guitarist make it a habit of always keeping their guitar in its case or in their gig bag.
That's a good habit to develop to make sure your guitar is kept well protected.
However, many times, once the guitar is put in the case, that's often where it stays.
A good idea is to get a guitar stand or guitar wall hanger where you can keep your guitar near
your favorite practice place.
That way, every time you walk by it and feel inspired, you can easily access it and grab it for
some additional extra practice.
Download Music Software - at Musican's Friend.
Listen To All Types Of Music And Other Instruments
Music appreciation for all music styles is often a huge part of any professional music
classroom that teaches students to be a well rounded musician.
If your main interest is rock music, you'd be surprised how many other forms of music
also contain cool sounding rock licks, like country, jazz or blues music.
Blues is considered to be the foundation of rock, jazz and much country and even heavy
metal, for its use of the pentatonic scales which are the most commonly used scales for
lead guitar solos.
Listening to other styles of music and instruments can be a huge inspiration and provide
you with many new different ideas that you can apply to your favorite style of music.
Study Other Players Styles
This is one of the best ways to learn and see how professional guitarists apply different
types of chord progressions, guitar techniques and lead guitar patterns.
Often, a guitarist will develop a certain technique or techniques which they will use in several
songs and have developed into their playing style, which is a huge part of their sound.
Studying different playing styles is also a great way to learn how guitar players like Jimmy Page
of Led Zeppelin used the natural minor scale to create the opening lead guitar solo lick to the
song "Stairway To Heaven",
Or how players like Kirk Hammett of Metallica used the B Phrygian mode on the guitar solo to the
song "Fade To Black".
Learning different playing styles will give you many new ideas on how to adapt guitar scales, techniques
and different chord progressions to your playing style and will make you a much better and well rounded
guitarist.
Below are examples of how you can analyze and learn what other artist and bands have used for guitar
scales
when composing riffs, licks and lead solos to some of their biggest classic hit songs.
This is when learning music theory like scales, modes, runs and chord formulas really pays off.
The more you learn about the guitar as an instrument, the more you understand "what" it is your playing.
Aside from this helping you learn cover songs or classic hits by your favorite players, learning music theory
is a HUGE asset for all musicians when writing and composing original songs of their own.
Here are some additional samples of some great classic hit songs
that you can play that will help you further understand by learning
other players styles you will learn what they used to compose
and write some of their most famous riffs, licks and chord progressions.
When you learn different players styles - you learn how they
put things all together. By learning a variety of different
players styles, you can easily begin to combine what you've
learned and begin to develop a guitar style of your own.
Keeping It Fun!
Playing guitar should always be fun! Below are some additional fundamental
classic riffs, licks and chord progressions for you to play
The video below is a demonstration of Metallica's "Enter Sandman Intro" that was created using
E Blues Scale played as an ascending run.
Metallica Style Video - Enter Sandman Lead Guitar Intro Riff
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:---------5-------|-----------------|-----------------|
:------7-------7--|-----------------|-----------------|
:-0---------6-5---|-----------------|-----------------|
Metallica Style - Enter Sandman Main Riff with Main & Chord Progression
s
v
e|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-2--2---6-7----------|-5---4----4-5-4----------------------------------|
E|-0--0--------7--5----|-3-0-2-0--2-3-2----------------------------------|
Metallica Style - For Whom The Bell Tolls
Intro power chords (5th cords)
F#........E
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-4-4--4-4--2-------------------------------------------|
E|-2-2--2-2--0-------------------------------------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
2
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-7-6-5-4-----7---|-----------------|-----------------|
:---------5-4-----|-----------------|-----------------|
:--------------5-4|-2-2-2-5--2-2-2-7|-2-2-2-5--8-4----|
:-----------------|-0-0-0-3--0-0-0-5|-0-0-0-3--6-2----|
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-2-2-2-5--2-2-2-7|-2-2-2-5--2-2----|-8-4-3-----------|
:-0-0-0-3--0-0-0-5|-0-0-0-3--0-0----|-6-2-1-----------|
Originally played by famous rocker Angus Young (lead guitarist of AC/DC) the guitar lick
below is analyzed as starting with A minor pentatonic scale, followed by series of 1 string
pull-off's using A pentatonic major. This is a great example of playing the A minor and A major
scales in combination.
Angus Young Style
e
B
G
D
A
E
Lick #2 * Angus Young Style
f.v
p
p
p
p
f.v
f.rel.p
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-8---0--10-0-8-0-|-7-0-5-0--13-----|-12----10----12--|
:-----------------|-----------------|----------11-----|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
(2x)
f
f.rel.p
:-----------------|----12---12------|-----------------|
:---10---10-------|-12----fv12------|12---10----12-10-|
:-11---11---------|-----------------|---------11--x---|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
(3x)
e
B
G
D
A
E
v
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:----10-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-11--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
This next guitar famous guitar lick is Slash (from Guns-n-Roses)
hit song "Sweet Chile O' Mine"
Guns-n-Roses Style Video "Sweet Chile O' Mine" Opening Lead Guitar Lick
e
B
G
D
A
E
2x
:-----------------|-15----14--------|-----------------|
:----15-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-------14-12-----|----14----14-----|-----------------|
:-12--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
2x
:-----------------|-15----14--------|-----------------|
:----15-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-------14-12-----|----14----14-----|-----------------|
:-14--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
2x
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----15----------|-15----14--------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-12-----14-12----|----14----12-----|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e
B
G
D
A
E
:-----------------|-15----14--------|-----------------|
:----15-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-------14-12-----|----14----14-----|-----------------|
:-12--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Learn From A Qualified Teacher
Finding a "good" or "qualified" teacher can often be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Many teachers will gladly take your money and only show you bits and pieces of either boring
exercises or other things that you really don't want to learn, which may only become to be confusing
to you and make you feel like you need to keep coming back to lessons for more answers.
A good teacher will show you the things you need to know to get started that will prevent you from
developing bad habits right from the beginning.
He / She will go out of his / her way to show an interest in you as a student, as well as show and provide
you with the basics of what it is you truly want to learn.
So don't be strung along by a teacher who isn't doing the job for you.
I had a huge successful rate of students, and taught literally thousands in my 3 decades as a private
guitar teacher, by showing them what they needed to know to get started.
Something fun and easy that sounded cool to play and, of course, teaching them the theory they needed
to know, which is the same theory I teach students on Skype.
In fact, more than 99% of all my students left their very first lesson being able to play the
Christmas traditional "Silent Night" as well as being able to play some easy fun guitar riffs by
either Black Sabbath or Metallica, which gave them a huge amount of inspiration, making them want
to learn even more.
Learning the guitar can either be fun and easy, or it can be hard, confusing and frustrating.
It all depends on who your teacher is or who is showing you how to play.
You won't need to take guitar lessons for the rest of your life in order to play the guitar.
However, depending on what playing skill level you'd like to obtain or if you just love
playing the guitar then you'll eventually learn that the learning process never stops.
There's always something new to learn. A new way to play a chord or scale or lead guitar
lick or trick that you may already know. And each guitar teacher and each guitar course
has something different and unique to offer. Even all professional guitarist like
Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Brent Mason (the list goes on...) learn something new every
day during their practice routine and sometimes even pay other instructors to teach
them or purchase a guitar course of thier choice to learn a new playing style or brush up
on some new licks and tricks to incorporate into their current playing style.
But it's a very good idea to make sure that those first few guitar chords you learn are correct and
that your first few lessons provide you with much inspiration and motivation to "keep practicing" the
guitar.
A good online service that can help locate a guitar teacher near you is called Music & Arts which also
offers music gear, instrument rentals and even marching band instruments.
There's also the option for you to take my private taught online lessons using Skype.
If you already know your basic chords and are seeking to learn all the great
different Rhythm Guitar Techniques that will dramatically improve your
rhythm playing, then see....
Epic Rhythm Power
by Jack Frost
See Guitar Gods Club Bonus Offer
You're not just getting 3 jam-packed DVDs. You're also getting 26 pages of tabs showing
you everything note for note, both in PDF format, and also in Powertab format so you can
watch the notes go by on your computer, and each one is highlighted as its playing.
Teach Others
Once you learn the basics of how to play guitar chords and guitar scales and have a few easy to play
songs under your belt that you can teach to others, it's a good idea for you to test your waters and
try teaching a few students of your own.
Why?
Because students will ask you questions, and many times they will be questions you may not be sure
how to answer, which will force you to find those answers, therefor... making you a much smarter and
well rounded guitar player and guitar teacher.
If teaching guitar is an interest of yours, then make sure to see this article:
How To Teach Beginner Guitar
My Last & Best Advice For Practice
1) Set Reasonable Goals
Don't set unrealistic goals for yourself.
Take small pieces to practice each day.
A good practice method is to divide your time into 2 things.
One is to spend half of your practice time "learning" what you want
to play.
Spend the other half of your practice time practicing what you did
learn to make it sound the best you can when you play.
2) Try To Avoid Frustration
The old saying "patience is a virtue" certainly applies to learning new
skills on the guitar.
There will be some chords, scales and songs you learn and you will
find yourself saying "wow! that was easy"...
And there will be other things that you try to learn that could very
well at times leave you wanting to throw your guitar across the room
in a fit of anger.
If any guitar player you know denies that, they are simply not telling
the truth.
Learn to walk away when things get a bit too rough and then come back
later and try again.
Sometimes giving yourself a few moments to think and digest what you
have so far learned is a very big help before continuing to move forward
in your practice routine.
Take a deep breath, relax and take it one step at a time, whether you're
practicing an exercise, a song, or developing a certain skill or technique.
3)Stay Confident & Focused
Just like avoiding frustration was mentioned above, you'll find that
some things you'll learn when first learning a new chord, scale, song or technique..
That some things will be super easy to understand and learn and others will be
much more difficult. A good tip to share would be - Don't ever just give up
and walk away saying "I just don't get this".
Take some lessons, ask another guitar player you may know for help, get a DVD
or Video course that's right for you. But you can learn how to play anything
you want on the guitar. Some things just take more focus than others and may
be much harder to learn. So keep a positive attitude and learn and then practice
with confidence, knowing that you'll eventually get it right if you try hard
enough.
4) Avoid Getting Stuck In A Rut
Don't get stuck on something that seems to be giving you too much
difficulty.
There are some songs and exercises when you are first learning, that
you just can't get perfect or seem to get right at first..
If you find this happening to you, then move on to a new exercise or
song and make practicing fun.
Eventually you will learn and master all of your playing skills by
using this approach.
5) Don't Give Up
One of my favorite guitarists is the late Randy Rhoads, who was the
original Ozzy guitarist playing on the song "Crazy Train".
His guitar work on the first two Ozzy albums was phenomenal.
I recall reading an interview by Randy and he claimed that his
"strength was his determination".
If you are truly serious about wanting to learn and play the
guitar you need to devote yourself to doing so.
Just like learning how to read and spell or learning any new
skill, you will eventually get there and will then be rewarded
with your new skills as guitar player.
So devote yourself, go slow, take it one step at a time and
always try to make practicing fun.
These are things I have learned over the years as a professional
guitarist and guitar instructor of more than 30 years, and also
the same things I have shared with all of my student's that helped
each and every single one learning the easy way to learn how to
play the guitar.
I truly hope these tips help you, too!
In Closing
I'll be keeping in touch and will keep you updated on new learning
methods and new useful tools and music products by sending an
occasional e-mail from time to time in the near future.
In the meantime if you have any additional questions, I'd love to hear
from you.
Feel free to send me a personal e-mail and I'll do my my best to give
you a fast and speedy reply.
Warm Regards,
Scott Morris - You Can Play Guitar
http://www.guitartabbooks.com
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