ACOUSTIC GUITAR

J UMP -STAR T

Nate Savage
 5 Pillars of
Playing The Guitar

1 Strumming
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2 Clean Chords
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3 Changing Chords Smoothly

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4 Learning Songs
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5 Music Theory
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IMPORTANT!
Set a practice schedule of 20-30 minutes 5-6 times per week.
 Tuning
Names Of The Open Strings

2-Step Tuning Process

1. Match the String Name
2. Fine Tune the Pitch

Tuning Tips
Make sure you are turning the right tuning key.
Experiment and get used to moving the pitch of the strings up and down with the tuning keys.
If you think you are going to far you probably are. Stop and start over.
 Strumming
Downstroke Indicators

Counting

Quarter Note Downstroke Strumming Pattern

Strumming Technique Tips

Isolate the challenge.
Focus on just strumming at first.
Don’t even worry about chords.
Pick or No Pick
A Medium pick is a great starting point.
Relax - Don’t deathgrip the pick.
Don’t lock your wrist.
Rotation - Feather and honey analogy.
 Clean Chords
Chord Diagrams
Mute String

Press On String
Low E Using Finger 1
A
D
Fret
G
B
High E

Simple C Full C Simple G Full G

Clean Chording Technique Tips

Elevate Your Guitar
Finger Right Behind the Fret
Very Tips of Your Fingers
Elbow In
Don’t mute neighboring strings
On Off On Off
Work on Your Strumming Aim
Changing Chords Smoothly
C-to-G Progression

Sore Fingers?
Break your practice up into multiple shorter sessions per day.
Be consistent with your practice.
It’s going to hurt for a while but you can do it!

Changing Chords Smoothly Tips

Get each individual chord down very well on it’s own first
Only work on 2 chords at a time
Think about what the next chord feels like and looks like
C to G - G to C
 Learning Songs
Jambalaya - Hank Williams
Intro - G C

Rest Of Song

Jam Track
SLOW MP3 FULL SPEED MP3

Practice Tips
Set small attainable goals to work toward. - Learn you basic open chords or learn a particular song.
Always have a musical end in mind.
Learning a full song is a great way to measure your progress and stay motivated.
Be consistent.
It’s better to practice 5 times per week for shorter amounts of
time than it is to practice 2 times per week for a couple of hours.
 Music Theory
Music theory is a lot like focusing a camera. It may seem blurry and unclear at
first but once every time you focus the camera it gets a little sharper and clearer.
Don’t be surprised if you have to go through information on music theory
multiple times. You will pick up a little more each time you do.

C Major Scale

1 4 5 Major Chords

2 3 6 Major Chords
 G Major Scale

1 4 5 Major Chords

2 3 6 Major Chords

Major Key Cheat Sheet

DOWNLOAD PDF
 What To Do Next
Set some specific, reasonable and attainable goals for your playing.

1 Some examples are:

1. Learn your 8 fundamental open chords
2. Switch between the 8 open chords smoothly
3. Work on getting some basic strumming patterns down
4. Get to where you can do some basic jamming with friends

Set deadlines for your goals.

2 It’s very important to give yourself a timeline so you have some urgency
and motivation to stick to your practice routine.

Have a musical point to your playing.

3 Pick out a few songs to work on in your practice time. This will give a
good goal to shoot for and a good measuring stick to gauge your
progress.

Set up a practice routine and stick to it.

4 Write down how much you want to practice every week. Put these
practice sessions on your calendar or in your phone and stick to it!
Consistent practice is one of the biggest keys to success on the guitar.

Good Luck & Rock On!

Nate Savage