Acoustic Guitar

A Beginner's Guide to Learn

The Important Techniques of
Playing Acoustic Guitar Like A
Pro
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One: Your Guitar — Body, and Sound
The Body of Your Guitar
The Mechanics of Your Guitar
Using Your Hands
Fretful Halves
Numbering Your Frets, Fingers, and Strings
Tuning Your Guitar
Alternative Tuning Methods
A Neat Tuning Hack
Chapter Two: The ABCs of Playing
Positioning Your Hands and Body
Sitting
Standing
The Fretful Left
It's Gonna Take Some Time
The Right Strummer
Using a Plectrum (Or a Pick)
Using Your Fingers
Translating Notation to Music
Chord Illustrations
Musical Shorthand
On The Tab
Playing Chords
Playing the E Major Chord
Buzz Kill
Chapter Three: Buying Your Guitar
All-Important Questions
For Starters
Things to Consider
Get Good Wood
The Neck
Other Things to Note
Chapter Four: Stringing Your Guitar
It's Time to Replace Your Strings When:
Out With the Old, In With the New
String 'Em Up!
A Tune Up
Chapter Five: Major Chords, and Minor Chords
Beware The Callus
A Family
A Quick Note on Chords and Their Qualities
Playing the A Family
Playing The D Family
Playing the G Family
Playing the C Family
Playing B Flat
Chapter Six: 7th Chords
Dominant 7th
Playing the D7, G7, and C7 Chords
Playing E7 and A7
Playing the Four-Fingered E7 and B7
Playing the Minor 7ths: Dm7, Em7, and Am7
Playing the Major 7ths: Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Amaj7, and Dmaj7
Chapter Seven: Your Left Hand
Power Chords
Moving Power
Stringing 5’s Together
The Art of the Barre
Pro Tips for Barring
Barre Chords on E
Shifting E All Over the Neck
The Minor, Dominant 7, Minor 7, and 7th Suspended E chords
Barre Chords On A
Shifting A All Over the Neck
The Minor, Dominant 7, Minor 7, and 7th Suspended A Chords
Chapter Eight: Your Right Hand
On The Strum
On Downstrokes
8th-Note Downstrokes
Upstrokes
Going Up, Going Down
Playing a Combo of Quarters and Eighths
Bring on the 16ths
A Feel for the Shuffle
Singles and Strums
Pick Strumming
Boom Chick
Moving Your Bass Line
Syncopated Strumming
When You Find the Dots and Ties
 Back to the Left
Put It on Mute
Implied Syncopation
Right Hand Muting
The Left Hand and the Right Hand
Stylized Fingers
Chapter Nine: All About Melody — Position and Double Stops
Position Playing
Open Strings versus Position Playing
Playing the One Octave C Major Scale: 2nd Position
Playing the Two Octave C Major Scale: 7th Position
The Position Shift
Strong, Dextrous Fingers
Double Stops
Getting Into Doubles
Up and Down Your Guitar's Neck
All Across Your Guitar's Neck
Songs in Position and Double Stops
Chapter Ten: Writing Your Song
All About Songs
Why Write Songs?
Channeling Your Inner Songwriter
Your Personal Connection to Music
Never Ignore Your Instincts
Before Writing Your Song
Ready for Inspiration
Song Structure
Terms to Come to Terms With
Verses
The AAA Form
The AA Verse Form
The AABA Verse Form
The AABA form (Extended): AABABA
ABAB: The Verse Chorus Form
ABC: Verse Chorus Form + Pre-Chorus
ABABC: Verse Chorus Form with Bridge
ABCABCD: Verse Chorus Form with Pre-Chorus and Bridge
Practice!
Conclusion
References
Introduction
So you want to be a badass guitar player. You'd like to go down in
history as one of the greats, like Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Bob
Dylan, and Eric Clapton. Or maybe you just want to impress a
significant other with your guitar playing skills, giving them eargasms
as you play some really unique chord progressions, while you
serenade them with sweet love songs. Whatever your reason is for
getting this book, it's all good. There's no instrument as cool as the
guitar. There's no faster way to up your cool factor than to walk
around with a guitar. But you've got to learn to play it, though.
The guitar is a little over 150 years old. It didn't just spring out of
nothing, though. There are a lot of instruments from way back, over
thousands of years, which the guitar is modeled after, with a
fretboard that has strings stretched across it and played with your
fingers. The guitar sure has come a long way in terms of its
evolution.
In this book, you're going to learn a lot about the basics when it
comes to playing the guitar. We'll go over what the guitar's anatomy
is, and the way that guitars work. We'll talk about the number of
strings and frets, as well as tuning your guitar. You'll also learn how
to really ramp up your guitar playing, by learning the proper posture
and positioning of your hands. I will also walk you through everything
you need to know about buying a good guitar. By the time you are
through reading this book, you should have a good grasp of the
basic major chords, as well as the minor ones, and 7th chords as
well. In addition to chords, you'll learn all you need to know about
strumming, versus picking single notes, as well as how to play with
some style.
I'm going to assume that you don't just want to learn to play the
guitar; you'd also like to play some songs, and maybe even write
some of your own. If that's the case, then you're in luck! I'm going to
teach you everything you need to know about writing your own music
for the guitar! You'll be able to find and unleash the songwriter in you
in no time. As you read along, you will learn how to make your song
stand out, and the right way to write verses and choruses. You will
find this book on the acoustic guitar to be one that is well rounded,
covering all that you need to know. I want to stress one thing though:
You've got to practice. You've got to earn those calluses, my friend. I
personally am madly in love with the guitar. I still remember when I
had my first one, and learned my first chords. I would keep going
until my fingertips began to bleed! Now, that was extreme, but
there's no reason your guitar learning journey should be that painful.
That's why I've written this to make your path that much easier.
Without further ado, let's get started.
Chapter One: Your Guitar — Body, and Sound
There are all sorts of guitars out there, way too many to count. Some
of them are fancier than others, whether it's in color, shape, or build.
That being said, there are several features that are common to all
guitars, and we're going to go over that. We're also going to talk
about how to tune your guitar. Tuning your guitar is a necessary skill
you must learn so that it doesn't sound like a banshee is dying every
time you play Wonderwall.

The Body of Your Guitar

There are two basic kinds of guitars: Acoustic, and electric. In this
book, we will mostly concern ourselves with the acoustic guitar.
Where electric guitars often have a lot more going on with them in
terms of components, acoustic guitars are a lot more to the point,
stripped down, and basic. Yet, for some reason, it's way easier to
make an electric guitar than an acoustic one! This is why your
acoustic guitar can cost the same as an electric one. For the record,
assume that from here on out, when you see the word "guitar," we're
specifically referring to the acoustic guitar.
The basic parts of the guitar include the headstock, tuning machine,
nut, neck, fingerboard, frets, sound hole, pickguard, bridge, body,
sounding board (top), and end pin.
The back of the acoustic guitar is a part of the body. Its job is to keep
the sides in place. It's usually made up of about two to three pieces
of wood. The body of the guitar itself is a box. This box is what
serves as an anchor for both the bridge and the neck of your guitar,
and it gives your right hand the room it needs to play. The body also
has a chamber for amplifying the sound, and that's what gives each
note that is struck its vibrant tone.
On an acoustic guitar, you also have the bridge, which is made of
wood. This is the plate that serves as an anchor for the strings,
keeping them connected to the body of the guitar. The end pin is the
bit of metal at the bottom of the guitar where your strap is supposed
to be connected, so you can hang your guitar around your neck. If
your acoustic guitar happens to have a pickup built in, then you'll find
that the pin isn't just for your strap, but also as the output jack for you
to connect your guitar to a mixer or speakers.
You've also got your fingerboard, which is a board made of fingers.
Yes, I know, I have no career in comedy. The fingerboard is a piece
of wood that's kind of like the plank, and it's on top of the guitar's
neck. You place the fingers of your left hand on the board, to create
various chords and single notes, depending on where and how you
place your fingers. The fingerboard is also often called the fretboard,
because it's always fretting. Okay, another terrible pun. It's really
called the fretboard because it has frets which are embedded within
it.
What are frets, you wonder? Well, those are really thin bars or wires
of metal, which are placed perpendicular to the strings of your guitar.
They help to reduce the vibrating length of your strings, so that you
can produce different notes or pitches as you play.
At the top of your guitar is the headstock, which holds all the tuning
machines. That's the part of the guitar where you'll usually find the
manufacturer's logo. Then you've got the neck, which is a wooden
piece that's kind of like a club. The neck is like yours — in that it
connects the headstock to the body.
The guitar also has a nut. Don't worry, I'm not about to hit you with
another ridiculous pun here. The nut is just a sliver of bone, brass,
nylon, or some synthetic substance, designed to keep the strings
from vibrating at any point beyond the guitar's neck. So when you're
stringing up your guitar, you'd have to pass each string through its
groove, before you attach them to the headstock's tuners. The nut
happens to be just one point at which the strings are not supposed to
vibrate beyond. The other point is called the bridge, which serves the
same purpose, so that the string only vibrates on the fretboard and
the hole in your guitar.
Sides are the curved pieces of wood that are on your guitar's body.
The sides connect the back of your guitar to the top. Then there's the
strap pin that is a post made of metal. This is where the other end of
your strap is connected. It is not every acoustic guitar that comes
with this strap pin. If yours does not have one, then you can simply
tie your strap around your guitar's headstock.
Next, you've got the strings. These are the bad boys who make
sweet music. An acoustic guitar has six steel strings. If the strings
are made of nylon, then it's a classical guitar. These strings can be
attached and removed as you like. You don't need to be a rocket
scientist to know you can only play your guitar with strings attached.
The top of the guitar is basically its face. Since we're dealing with an
acoustic guitar, this part is also called the sounding board. It's the
part that creates all the acoustics of your guitar. Your guitar also has
tuning mechanisms at the headstock. What these do is increase or
decrease the tension in your strings, in order to change the pitch of
each string. The tighter they are, the higher the string's pitch; the
looser they are, the deeper they pitch. The tuning mechanism has
posts, which each string is wrapped tightly around. The post is
connected to a tuning key, through some gears, through the back of
the guitar's headstock. You may also hear these keys being referred
to as tuning pegs, tuners, and tuning gears.

The Mechanics of Your Guitar

If it's an instrument, then you bet it has a part that moves regularly, to
create a musical note, or tone, or pitch, if you will. The strings of your
guitar are the moving parts, which vibrate as you pluck them. Once
you've got the string at a certain point of tension, and then you make
it vibrate by plucking it, you're going to have a sound, like a C note or
an E note. The tuning of your guitar matters, because as you tune it
to different tension points, you'll get different notes each time.
While you may have seen some amazing videos on YouTube and
TikTok of guitarists who play with melodies by tuning even as the
play, that's not really the way to go if you want to learn. Rather than
keep fiddling with the tuning to get a new note each time, what you
do instead is to fret — and by fretting, I simply mean pushing your
strings up against your guitar's fretboard, so that the vibration that
comes through is only from the fret where your finger rests, to the
bridge. I did promise I'd give up comedy, so fret not. As you move
your fingers up and down to different frets, you get a different note
each time. This is the easiest way to change pitches.

Using Your Hands

To play your guitar, you need your hands, and they've got to work
together. It's a bit more complex than playing an instrument like a
piano. To produce a C note on a piano, all you do is hit the
corresponding black key, and there it is. However, with a guitar,
you've got to place your left hand's index finger on the first fret of the
second string from the bottom (the second thinnest string). Then
you've got to use your right hand to pluck that same string before
you hear a sound, or your guitar will just stay silent.

Fretful Halves
In a musical scale, which is a series of musical notes, the smallest
interval there is called the half step. An interval is basically the
smallest change that you can make in pitch. When you're working
with a piano, any key that is right next to another key is a half-step.
On a guitar, the closest frets to a fret is a half-step away. If you're
going to go up your guitar by half steps that means, you'll be moving
a fret at a time.
Your acoustic guitar is able to make sounds on account of the
sounding board which increases or amplifies the sound waves
created by the vibration of the guitar strings as you pluck them. You
are the one in total control of the sounds your guitar creates. It all
comes down to the fretting action of your left hand. Your right hand
serves to create the sound by moving the strings — either by
plucking or strumming — and it also is responsible for the rhythm,
tempo, and feel of the music you're playing. By rhythm, I am
referring to the pulse or beat of your song. The tempo obviously
means speed, and the feel is basically the way you interpret or play
out the music. It's your juju, or whatever you want to call it. When
you've got your left and right hand working together, then you can
create some really sweet, really rad tunes on your acoustic!

Numbering Your Frets, Fingers, and Strings

If you're going to play your guitar, then you've got to make sure it's
properly tuned. Before you do that though, you need to have a
proper understanding of your strings and frets — especially the way
they are numbered.
When we talk about frets when it comes to the guitar, it could mean
one of two things: The metal bars are embedded into the fretboard,
or the spaces in between those metal bars where you place the
fingers of your left hand. So keep in mind that when we talk about
fingering your acoustic guitar, we're talking about placing your
fingers on the space in between those metal bars, or the frets.
The very first fret is right between the nut of your guitar, and the very
first of the metal bars. Remember, thanks to the grooves on the nut
of your guitar, your strings will not vibrate past the point of your first
fret. Following from that, the 7th fret is the seventh space or square
from the nut — or the fret in between the 6th and the 8th frets. You'll
notice that a lot of acoustic guitars are marked with a dot or some
other decorative design that's either right on the 5th fret, or on the
side of the neck at the 5th fret, or on both the side of the neck and
the fret itself.
Now, let's talk strings. The strings on your acoustic guitar are six in
number. Of course, they are numbered 1 through 6, consecutively.
The 1st string is the thinnest of the lot, and is the one at the bottom
of the pack. It's the closest one to the ground, when you're holding
your guitar the right way, with its neck in your left hand. Following
from that, you have the second thinnest, which is the 2nd string, and
on and on until the 6th string, which is the fattest of the lot, and the
deepest one as well.
It's not enough to know the numbers of the strings. You must know
their notes names as well. The note names are the notes that are
played when the strings are left open, Open strings mean the
strings are not fingered. Fretted strings means you will finger them,
or hold down the string on a fret. The note names from the 6th to the
1st string are: E, A, D, G, B, E. You can remember this by using the
phrase, E very A cid D ealer G ets B usted E ventually. Good
phrase, right? How many guitar books also give you great advice on
not dealing drugs? Name one. I'll wait.
Your fingers are numbered as well. Your index finger is finger 1, your
middle finger is finger 2, your ring finger is finger 3, and your pinky is
finger 4.

Tuning Your Guitar

The really cool thing about playing your acoustic guitar is you get to
tune it in whatever way you want in order to create harmony that
actually works. All you need to do is make sure that the strings are
tuned in such a way as to be sonorous, when played together. When
you choose to tune it this way, it's known as relative tuning. You
basically start off with one string, maybe the 6th, then you tune all
the other ones so that when played with the 6th string, it sounds
great!
There's another method of tuning your strings that is called the 5th
fret method. Basically, you play one string at the 5th fret, and then
you can compare what that sounds like with the very next open
string. With this method, you need to be mindful of the 4th fret,
toward the end of the tuning process.
If you're going with the 5th fret method, here's how you should go
about it:
1. First things first, strike the 6th string (the lower sounding,
fatter E string) at the 5th fret, then play the 5th string, open
(A), right next to the 6th string. Allow both of these notes to
sound together, and make sure that their pitches are a
perfect match. If it doesn't sound right, then figure out
whether the open 5th string you played is lower or higher
than the fretted 6th one. If it seems as though the open 5th
 string sounds lower than the fretted 6th string, or if it
sounds flat , then turn the tuning gear so that the pitch
goes up. If on the other hand, the open 5th string seems a
tad too sharp, or higher in pitch, then use the tuning gears
to bring the pitch lower.

If you don't watch it, you might overdo it with the tuning gears,
so be careful. If you can't really tell which string is higher in
pitch, then you can deliberately tune it way, way low, and then
bring it up till you hear what you want.
2. Next, fret the 5th string at the 5th fret (A) and play it, then
the open 4th string (D) as well. Allow the notes to ring
together, and adjust the pitch as needed, just like you did in
the first step.

3. Now, play the 5th fret of the 4th string (D) as well as the
open 3rd string (G). Allow both notes to sound together,
and adjust the 3rd string as needed to match the 4th.

4. We're going to tune the 2nd string now. It's a little different
here. Play the 3rd string on the 4TH FRET (G) and then
play the open 2nd string (B). Let them both sound together,
and then adjust the 2nd string as needed.

5. In the final step, we're going back to the 5th fret. So play
the 2nd string at the 5th fret (B) and then strike the open 1s
string (the highest sounding E) together. Allow them to
sound together, and then adjust as needed.

If you follow these steps correctly, then you'll have a properly tuned
guitar which matches your 6th string. Keep this in mind: When you
tune your guitar, you might try to use your left hand to adjust the
tuning key. Once you take your finger off the fret, the string will stop
ringing, so you won't hear anything anymore. To make things easier,
just do the tuning with your right hand instead, and let your left hand
do the fretting.
Alternative Tuning Methods
While the first method I gave you is cool, it won't quite work out well
if you're meant to play the guitar in a certain key, or along with other
instruments. You'll need to tune it, so it matches with the notes the
other instruments provide. You can tune your guitar with a piano
instead. On a piano, you'll notice there are black keys, and white
keys. The black keys are in two groups: One of them has just two,
and the other has three. Now, the E key is the white key right after
the set of two black keys. The A key is the white key right before the
last black key in the set of three black keys. The D key is the white
key in between the set of two black keys. The G key is the white key
right after the first black key in the set of three black keys. The B key
is the white key right after the last black key in the group of three
black keys.
You can also tune your guitar using a pitch pipe. You clearly
won't always have a piano conveniently lying around wherever you
are, so this is a much more practical way of tuning your guitar on the
go. There are special pitch pipes made just for guitarists, which only
play the notes you'd hear on a guitar, with strings open, but in
different ranges of pitch. The plus side of using a pitch pipe is that
you can simply keep on blowing as you tune, and your hands are
free to focus on tuning your guitar. The downside to pitch pipes is
that you could get a tad confused, as it's a different thing altogether
hearing a pitch from a string versus a pitch from a wind instrument. It
will take some practice, but you're a regular Einstein. You'll get the
hang of it in no time.
Other tuning options are the tuning fork, and the electronic
tuner. The tuning fork will only give you the A note that is right after
middle C. It vibrates at 440 cycles per second. You may have heard
this called A 440. Once you tune your A string (the open 5th string
on your guitar) to match the sound of the tuning fork, you can then
use the 5th fret method to tune the rest of your guitar strings. The
key to the tuning fork is to strike it with something firm, then bring it
to your ear, or put the handle up against something that will resonate
with the vibrations it gives off. Or, you could be a badass and just
hold the tuning fork between your teeth.
If you can't be bothered by all of this, then just get an electronic
tuner. Some of them can even figure out the string you're playing by
some sort of modern tech voodoo, and show you whether you're
sharp, flat, or playing the right note. They run on 2 AA batteries, and
won't cost you more than $20.

A Neat Tuning Hack

Got FL Studio? Use a guitar instrument on that software, create a
loop with just the open guitar string notes, and then save it as an
mp3 on your phone! Make sure each note in the loop lasts long
enough so you don't need to keep repeating the loop as you tune.
Save that file using Google Drive, so if you ever lose your phone,
you don't need to repeat the process. Alternatively, you could take a
well-tuned guitar, and then record it as you play each open note, or a
chord you know and love, if you prefer. If you're using a chord, make
sure it's one that is played on all the strings, so you're not left trying
to figure out how the D string should sound.
Chapter Two: The ABCs of Playing
You can't play the guitar sitting upside down. Yes, that's logical, I
know. My point is, if you want to be comfortable and get the most out
of your playing, then you must know the proper posture, and you
need to be aware of where to put your hands and how to hold the
guitar like you actually know what you're doing.

Positioning Your Hands and Body

You have the options of playing the guitar while seated, or while
standing. It doesn't matter what you choose, as that won't affect the
sound coming out of your guitar. A lot of people will do their practice
seated, but stand for a performance.

Sitting
Let's assume you're right-handed, and you would like to sit to play
the guitar. Make sure the guitar's waist is resting on your right leg.
The guitar has a waist?! Yes, it does. It's the part of the box that
curves in, right between the lower and upper bouts. Keep your feet
firmly planted on the floor, and keep them slightly apart. Rest your
right forearm ever so lightly on the base or bottom bout of your
guitar. Your left hand should NOT be supporting the guitar's
neck! It should be easy for you to remove your left hand from the
fretboard without your guitar tilting toward the ground.

Standing
If you're going to stand as you play your guitar, then you're going to
need a strap. Make sure the strap is properly fastened to your
guitar's strap pins, or tied to the guitar at the neck, if yours only has a
strap pin at the bottom of the sounding board. Adjust the strap as
needed to suit your height and arm length. Sometimes, your strap
might come off and your guitar might slip! Make sure you've got
really quick reflexes. To keep this from happening in the first place,
make sure your strap is not worn out, and that the holes are not too
large for the strap pins on your guitar.
As for your arms, don't overthink where you put them. Your body will
adjust naturally. So at ease, soldier. And put the face on. You know
the one. The one where you look really cool.

The Fretful Left

No, that's not the name of some band. Too late, I already
copyrighted it. Anyway, if you want to know how to properly position
your left hand on your guitar, you've got to stretch out your left hand,
keeping your palms up as you make a fist. A loose fist. You're not
trying to punch out someone's lights. Put your thumb slightly in
between finger 1 and finger 2, making sure your knuckles are all
bent. That's what your hand should look and feel like when you wrap
it around a guitar's neck. Usually, your thumb will glide along the
neck at the back, and it will be straighter than what it looks like right
now. Be careful though, because straight does not equal rigid.
Whether or not you're actually fretting, your knuckles will remain
bent. You'll pick this up naturally.
When it comes to actual fretting, just press your fingertip onto a
string, with bent knuckles. Make sure your fingertips are as vertical
as you can get them. If they are bent at an angle, then something is
wrong. When you fret with proper form, you've got enough pressure
on the string to give you clear notes, rather than fuzzy sounding
ones. Also, keeping your fingertips vertical will prevent the other
parts of your finger from touching other strings adjacent to the one
you're fretting. If your fingertips are not in proper form, then you'll
touch the other strings, and this will cause an unpleasant buzzing
sound, or muting — which means the sounds are not allowed to ring
out. While muting is a great technique, that's not the way to do it. If
you need to get a tighter grip on the neck, then all you have to do is
apply pressure with your thumb to the neck. Here's a pro tip: For
clearer sounds, when you're playing a particular fret, move your
finger slightly off center, a very tiny bit closer to the metal fret above
the fret space you're fingering.
It's Gonna Take Some Time
It's going to take you a while to build up the strength you need to fret
easily with your left hand, so don't be discouraged. Also, don't try to
do any weird hand workouts to strengthen your left hand, because it
will never quite be like the strength you get from actual practice.
Don't fall for any gimmicky products that promise you strength for
fretting. The easiest, cheapest, and best way to build strength is to
play your guitar.
You might notice that as you play, your left hand has to do a lot of
work, and the rest of your body begins to grow tense to help out. So
every now and then, take time out to mindfully relax the muscles in
your left shoulder. If you observe yourself, you'll notice that there is a
likelihood for you to lift your left shoulder up beyond what is required.
So be mindful of that. Another thing is you must make sure not to
stick your left elbow out to the side. The correct position to assume is
to have both your forearm and upper arm remain parallel to your
side. Consciously check to be sure your elbow is relaxed, by your
side, at ease.
As you play, if you start to feel pain, just stop. Don't do what I did. I
did literally bleed because I wanted to master the guitar in a minute. I
wound up being unable to play for a week. Just take a break once
your fingers or hands start to hurt. Your body needs that down time
to get used to the strain you're putting on it.

The Right Strummer

Now it's time to address the position of your right hand. Let's assume
you've got your guitar in your lap. Now, I want you to keep your right
arm draped over the upper bout of your guitar. Hold your right hand
out, loosely, and allow it to intersect with the strings at an angle of 60
degrees. If you're playing the guitar with a pick or plectrum — a tiny
little thing made of plastic to help you play clearer notes — then this
is the position you want your right hand to be in. If you're going to
play with just your fingers, however, then you've got to turn your right
hand, so that it sits more perpendicular to your guitar strings.
Using a Plectrum (Or a Pick)
Pick is just another word for plectrum, in case you wondered. If
you're going to play an acoustic guitar with a pick, you've got to hold
it in between your thumb and finger 1, allowing. Make sure the only
part of your pick sticking out is just the tip. The pick must be
perpendicular to your thumb.
When you're strumming — as in playing a rhythm — all you need to
move, are your wrist and elbow. If you're going for more hardcore
strumming, then you will need a lot more elbow action. If you're
playing the lead, then all you really need is your wrist — and you
must also do your best not to hold on to your pick too tight. You're
going to drop it way too many times in the beginning of your practice.
This is okay. So fret not, Padawan.
Not all picks are the same. They all have different gauges. The
plectrum's gauge basically refers to how thick, or stiff your plectrum
is. When you're working with a thin pick, it's easy, especially as a
beginner. Medium picks are as common as oxygen, since they can
be used for both lead and rhythm playing. Heavy gauge ones might
be tricky for you to work with, but the pros love them, and sooner or
later, most guitarists move on to these kinds of picks. Not all of them,
though.

Using Your Fingers

Say you couldn't care less about playing your guitar with a pick. That
leaves you with just your fingers. Playing your guitar with just your
fingers is known as fingerpicking. It's also called fingerpicking when
you play with fingerpicks — which are specially designed picks that
are wrapped around your fingers, but we're not talking about that
right now. When you finger pick your guitar, you basically play it with
the fingers of your right hand along. Your thumb is the one that plays
the low strings, being the 6th string, and the 5th string. The rest of
your fingers will play the treble strings, or the higher sounding ones,
from the 4th string, down to the 1st string.
To fingerpick, you're not going to use the whole of each finger like
some sort of Neanderthal. What do you use then? You guessed
right: Just the tip. You want to keep your right-hand right above the
hole in your guitar, especially as you're playing the acoustic. Also,
keep your wrist in one place, but don't let it be stiff either. Your wrist
should have a slight arch, so that relative to the strings, your fingers
are vertical.

Translating Notation to Music

You don't have to be able to read music to play the guitar, but if
you're going to get the most out of a lot of practice books or to play a
new bit of music you're not familiar with, then it helps to understand
what you should be playing. Often, you'll come across a little
something known as guitar notation . What this does is to let you
know what the structure of the musical piece is like, how the chords
and notes will be played, what the chord progressions are, and also
the all too important rhythmic figures. I want to stress that
understanding guitar notation and tablature is really not rocket
science, and it is a hell of a lot easier than trying to read actual
musical pieces.

Chord Illustrations
Understanding chord diagrams is really simple. You just need to
know where your fingers are supposed to go, and what notes will
and won't be played, to make up a chord. What is a chord, anyway?
It's when you've got a bunch of notes that sound great together.
Usually, they're made up of three notes, unless you're playing rock
guitar, where you've got power chords made up of just two notes,
sometimes.
You'll find that the typical diagram for chords will have a grid of
vertical lines that represent each string of the guitar, as well as five
horizontal lines (or fewer) which represent the frets. The chord
diagram is basically what you would see were you to put the guitar
down on the floor in front of you, right side up, with the strings facing
you.
The first vertical line on the left is the 6th string, and the last one on
the right is the 1st string. The thick horizontal line that you can see at
the top of the diagram represents the guitar's nut, which is where
there are no more frets. In other words, the actual 1st fret happens to
be the second vertical line from the top, or the space right above
that, if you will. Take a moment to look at your guitar, so you're not
confused by all these words
On a chord diagram, you'll also find dots. These dots represent the
notes that you should play, if you want to create that chord. At the
bottom of each vertical line or string, you will notice some numbers.
These numbers represent the fingers you're to use to fret each note.
Again, your index finger is finger 1, your middle finger is finger 2,
your ring finger is finger 3, and your baby finger or pinky is finger 4.
You don't use your thumb, unless there's a special circumstance that
calls for it. We'll talk about that later.
You'll also notice that at the very top of the vertical lines or the
strings of the chord diagram, there are Xs and Os, for each string
that does not have a dot. The X means you're not to finger it with
your left hand, nor should you strike that particular string with your
right hand. The O means you're playing that string, but leave it open.
Whenever there is a chord that you've got to play which is beyond
the initial four frets of your guitar, then on the right of the chord
diagram, there will be a numeral there to show you which fret the first
fret on the diagram really is. When this is the case, please note there
will be no thick line on the chord diagram to represent the nut.
Unless you're barring chords, the chords you'll be playing will mostly
be open chords, and these happen to be played mostly on just frets
1, 2, 3, and 4.

Musical Shorthand
Trying to understand the standard conventions in musical notations
can honestly be a chore. You would probably need to read a whole
textbook several times over to really get everything you need to
know down pat. For this reason, guitarists have some form of
musical shorthand to make it fairly easy to understand what they
should be playing at any point in time. It's the difference between
saying musca domestica and housefly. We're not trying to be fancy.
We're trying to play the guitar here, and have fun while we're at it!
One of the things you'll see in a musical crib sheet is the rhythm
slash. Rhythm slashes are literally slashes (/). They let you know
how you're supposed to play in terms of rhythm, not notes. It's the
chord that's the what. The rhythm is the how.
Usually, on the treble staff, you'll see the chords you're supposed to
play right above it. If you're wondering what a staff is, it's a set of five
horizontal lines parallel to one another, with four spaces. The lines
and spaces represent the notes to be played. Now, let's assume
you're looking at a crib sheet that has 4 slashes on it, and at the top
of the staff you've got the letter A. That means you're supposed to
play the A chord, and you should also strike your guitar strings four
times. This is way better than your standard musical notation.

On The Tab
Now, we're going to talk about tabs, or tablature, if you want to be
proper about it. This is basically a visual of your guitar's strings and
frets. While chord diagrams are static, in that they just show you
where to put your fingers, and what notes to play or not play, tabs
are dynamic, in that they show you what the music you should play
over a stretch of time is. Think of the tab staff as a simpler, better
interpretation of the standard notation staff — at least, better for you,
my budding guitarist. Do keep in mind that the tab staff does not
specifically let you know the notes you should be playing; it only lets
you know the strings you need to fret, and the spots on the fretboard
that you should fret said string.
Your tab staff, unlike the standard staff, has six horizontal lines.
These lines represent your guitar strings, with the first line being
string 1 (the high E note), and the last line at the bottom being string
6 (the low E note). You'll notice that there are numbers on the lines.
Those numbers are fret numbers. It means you should play that
string, on that fret. So if you see the number 5 on the third line from
the top, then it means you should play the third string (G string) on
the 5th fret — that would be the fret between the 4th and 5th metal
frets. When you do happen upon the number 0 on any of these lines,
it means that string should be played open.

Playing Chords
You can't have a great song without chords, whether they are played
in unison, or they are broken chords — broken meaning they are
played arpeggio, or one at a time in succession. When yo play a
chord on the guitar, you strike all three notes (or more notes) at the
same time, either using a pick, or your fingernails. When you play
the chord by dragging your plectrum or the back of your fingernails in
one, fluid motion across the strings that is known as strumming.
When you play the chord by using your individual fingers to pull them
that is called plucking. You also have the option of smacking your
guitar strings with an open fist. That's a technique, albeit one you'll
need rarely. You need to be precise about the notes you strike when
playing chords, or you'll just be making a whole lot of noise with your
guitar. Hendrix would not approve. If you're going to play chords
right, then you've absolutely got to master your chord fingering
positions. As you practice, you'll find that it gets easier and easier to
move your fingers into the correct positions.
You could begin with the most basic and common chord, which is the
E major chord. It's one of the easier chords to play.
NB: Don't press down on the string yet until all your fingers are in
place. Just keep your fingers in place on the string.

Playing the E Major Chord

1. Put finger 1 (the index finger) on string 3, at fret 1.
2. Put finger 2 (the middle finger) on string 5, at fret 2.
3. Put finger 3 (the ring finger) on string 4, at fret 2.
 4. Now press down on all three strings with just your
fingertips. With your right hand, strum all six strings at
once. There's your E major chord.

Buzz Kill
This is the one time in your life that you want to be a buzzkill. If you
don't press down on your strings hard enough, you're going to get a
buzz — and not a good one either. Another thing that causes that
horrible buzzing sound is when the fingers that are fretting notes on
your fretboard accidentally touch a nearby string that they shouldn't.
This makes it impossible for that string to sound as clear as it should.
To fix this, keep your fingers on the strings, and adjust your wrist by
moving it back and forth, adjusting until you get your fingertips are
centered on the strings, and then try again.
Chapter Three: Buying Your Guitar
It's an absolute joy to buy a new guitar. You walk into a store, and it's
just like guitar heaven, with all shapes, sizes, makes, and models of
guitars. So much variety that you just want to buy the whole store —
except you only have so much money and so many fingers to work
with. So, it's really important that you find the right one for you. Think
of it like Harry Potter getting his first wand. That's basically what it's
like.
Feel free to test out the guitars that call to you. Remember, what this
book is about is acoustic guitars, so stay on point. The salesperson
should be willing to let you test out the feel of each guitar, and suss
out what each sound is like. You need to go ahead and test them
out, because this is the only way you can really tell what the good
stuff is, and what the cheap, bad sounding stuff is. You don't need to
be a seasoned guitar player to be able to tell the difference in sound
quality from one guitar to the next. It will be fairly obvious to you, as
you try out each one. Also, don't feel like you've absolutely got to
pick one up that day. You can always come back, and even check
out other stores, in case they have an acoustic guitar that is more
your speed.
Keep in mind that once you do settle on a guitar and buy it, you've
absolutely got to restring it. So go ahead and just do it! You can ask
the salesperson to show you the ropes with this. Don't avoid it either,
because it's also a great way to make sure that your tuning gears
are working as they should.

All-Important Questions
Before you buy your guitar, you've got to check in with yourself on a
few things. First of all, how committed are you? Do you really want to
make a go of playing the guitar daily, or are you just messing around
with it for a bit? The reason for this question is that you've got to be
sure whether or not you want to shell out a ton of money for
something you're only going to use a couple of times and then
abandon in the basement or in the attic or garage, to collect dust.
Another thing you've got to ask yourself is this: What's your budget?
How much are you willing to fork out to get your guitar? You need to
be sure that you have the money to afford a good one, at the price
that you've budgeted for. Don't go broke because you want a guitar.
You must also ask yourself if you are into new guitars, or used ones.
It's easier to make comparisons between new guitars. Generally,
you'd be better off opting for a new one, but that being said, don't
completely write off the old ones either. Those can be pretty great
too, when you find the right ones.
Finally, it might be tempting to just order a guitar online, but please
don't do that. It's important for you to go meet your guitar, like you
would on an actual date. Get to know it, see if you're a good fit, and
then you can take it home and finger it to your heart's content.

For Starters
As a new guitarist, you may be wondering how much you should
really budget to get a new guitar. You can get a good one for around
$200. Sometimes, you can get really good ones for less. If you want
a good acoustic guitar, just budget $200 to $250. Again, don't be
shocked that acoustics cost a lot more than the electric guitars.
Luthiers (a word for guitar makers) find the electric ones easier to
make than acoustics.

Things to Consider
You must like the way your guitar looks. That goes without saying. It
should totally up your cool factor, and you should not be afraid to
whip it out because its neon pink or green or something — not that
there's anything wrong with either of those colors, anyway. Just buy
something that speaks to you.
Next, you must get a guitar that is easy to play. What I mean is that it
should not be all that difficult for you to press down on the strings. It
also matters that you check the tension in the frets closer to the
neck. They can prove a lot harder to play than the lower frets, but
that said, they shouldn't feel like you're scraping the skin off of your
fingertips either. To help you get a feel for how a guitar should feel
close to the neck, you can pick up a pricier guitar and see how that
feels, and then use that as a benchmark to compare the guitars in
your price range against. If you find that the process of fretting them
is grossly uncomfortable, then keep searching until you find one that
feels just right.
Another important thing to look out for is that your guitar must be
able to play in perfect tune. One good way to test this out is to play a
harmonic on the 12th fret of string 1, making sure to just touch the
string lightly rather than hold it down against the fretboard, and then
play the note fretted at the 12th fret, to see if they match up. Do this
with all the strings, making sure they match. Do keep in mind that if
all is well, they will match, even if they have a different quality when
it comes to tone. You need to pay special attention to your 6th and
3rd strings, as these are the ones that will go out of tune, more often
than not. If you don't understand this test, you can get an expert to
help you figure it out.
Finally, your guitar must be of a solid build. To check this, all you
have to do is gently knock on the top of the guitar you're testing out.
When you do, make sure there is no rattling sound. Look into the
hole of the box, and see if you can find anything to point to really
crappy finishing and workmanship. If you see glue and stuff that just
doesn't look or feel right, then that's not the one for you.

Get Good Wood

When you're buying a guitar, opt for solid wood if you can. It will cost
you a lot more than your basic laminated acoustic guitar which just
piles on layer after layer of cheap wood that is then covered with
veneer. Get a guitar made of just wood. If you don't, then do keep in
mind you'll be back in the store looking for a new one eventually. You
might as well save your money and buy the better stuff that lasts
longer instead.
With acoustic guitars, I cannot overemphasize the importance of the
top. It matters a lot in giving you quality sound. The sides and back
of your guitar are only there to bounce the sound back out through
the top. If you really cannot afford a solid wood guitar, then think
about getting one that has a top made of solid wood, and other parts
of laminated wood. This could set you back by $400, but it's
definitely a lot better than a guitar with laminated wood through and
through. If you don't want this, and you have a bit more money, then
you could go for a guitar which has laminated sides, and a solid back
and top. You can find good ones constructed this way for around
$1,200, give or take. The reason this is another great option is that
the guitar's sides will not have much of an impact on the sound. If
you're not sure what you're looking at, then go ahead and ask your
dealer to help you out.

The Neck
There are three different ways in which the guitar's neck is
constructed. You've got the cheapest of the lot, being the bolt-on.
This neck is attached to your guitar at the heel, and it often comes
with five bolts, sometimes four. Occasionally, you'll find that the bolt
holes are covered by a heel plate. The next one, a bit pricier than the
bolt-on, is the set in. This is also called the glued-in. With this guitar,
the neck and body are joined with a seamless surface that covers
the connection between the two parts. Finally, you've got the neck
through body version of guitars. This one is the priciest of them all,
and with good reason. It's basically a whole unit that goes on
through to the guitar's tail. It usually has a number of pieces of wood.
If you're all about getting some sustain in the notes you strum and
pluck, then this is the neck you want.
A caveat: Pricier does not always mean better.

Other Things to Note

It's not enough to get a guitar made of the best materials. You want
to make sure they are the best in craftsmanship as well, within your
price range. Also, the rarer or more expensive the wood of your
guitar is, the pricier it will be.
When i comes to tuners, chrome plated hardware is the easiest one
on your wallet. Once you notice tuners that have got some black
matte or gold going on, then know that they will definitely be pricey.
If you are going to shell out $600 on an acoustic guitar, then there
had better be gapless joints on it, meaning there should be
connections that are purely wood to wood. Your neck should run
seamlessly into the body, and the glue work should be neat.
When buying a guitar, it helps to have an expert come along with
you, so that they can help you figure out what to buy, and what to
stay away from. When you are in the store, the dealer will ask you
questions. Answer them. He or she is only trying to figure out what
would be the best kind of guitar for you — if they're a good dealer,
that is.
Chapter Four: Stringing Your Guitar
It's not unusual to find your guitar sounding better as it gets older.
The same cannot be said for your strings, though. Your strings
sound the best when they are new. Over time, they begin to get
worse, and they break, or they start to sound god awfully out of tune.
The reason this happens is that as your strings get older, the tensile
strength they have decreases — meaning your strings are no longer
able to hold as much tension as they used to. They get pretty brittle,
and that makes them very stiff, and a nightmare to fret, since your
strings are no longer flexible enough to touch the fret when you push
down on them. They get really tight, your notes get unnecessarily
sharp especially at the top part of the neck, and it's just a general
festival of suck. Boo!
You simply must replace all your strings at the same time. The only
exception to this rule is when it so happens that just a string has
broken, and the others are in fairly new condition. The thing about
strings is that they suffer from wear at the same pace, so you had
better make sure that they're always put on at the same time, if you
can swing it.

It's Time to Replace Your Strings When:

● They are clearly getting corroded, or you can see some grime
or dirt that is caked onto them.
● They no longer play the correct tunes, or they sound awfully
sharp, particularly at the frets closest to the guitar's neck.
● It has been a considerable amount of time since you last
changed them; you can't even remember when, and on top of
that, you've got a gig to perform at. You'd better change them to
avoid having them break on stage.
Over time, string will collect skin and dirt from your fretful fingers.
The dirt and grime will make your strings sound super dull. To get rid
of all this gunk and bring your strings back to life, you could fill up a
big pot with water, carefully coil your strings up in it, and then allow
the water to boil for about five minutes. Your strings will sound
amazing, if only for a short while. You could do this when you've got
a gig, and you don't have a chance in hell of getting new strings any
time soon. As soon as you can, you most definitely should replace
your strings.

Out With the Old, In With the New

When you want to take off the old string, all you have to do is turn
the tuner so that the string is loosened, enough to allow you take the
string from the center, and pull it right off the tuning post. You don't
have to unwind it all the way to get it off the post with the tuning peg.
Another option is you could get a trusty pair of wire cutters, and just
snip them right off. That's a quick fix. If you don't want to cut it
because you'd like to keep the string as a spare, that's alright as
well. You could use the spares in a pinch.
Some people argue that it is best to keep the string tension at the
guitar's neck as constant as you can, all the time, and that you
should only ever remove and replace your guitar's strings one at a
time, because removing them all at once is no good for your guitar.
There are as many schools of thought on this as there are expert
guitarists. There are those who say it's okay to take the strings out
simultaneously, and then put them back on one after the other,
because the guitar is no snowflake. Either way, replacing your
strings one after the other is the best when it comes to tuning, but
there's a lot of argument about whether or not your guitar will be
harmed if you did it that way.

String 'Em Up!

Acoustic steel string guitars are fairly easy to string. We're going to
go over the process of stringing your acoustic guitar right now:
String to the bridge. Your acoustic guitar should have a bridge,
which has six holes that lead to the inside of your guitar. Here's how
you should attach new strings to the bridge:
 1. Take the old string out, and then pop the bridge pin out.
Sometimes the bridge pin can be a bit difficult to pop out,
so it might help to have a pair of needle-nose pliers to get
them out. Make sure you pull the bridge pins straight up, all
the time.
2. At the end of your new string, you will notice a little ring
made of brass. This ring is called a ball. But the ball into
the hole where your bridge pin used to be. You want to
stick it in a couple of inches or so. It doesn't matter if it's a
little more or less than a couple of inches, since you'll be
pulling the string eventually.
3. Stick he bridge pin right back into the hole as firmly as you
can. Do make sure that the bridge pin's slot faces forward
— as in toward your guitar's nut. The point of the slot is to
allow your guitar string to slide out.
4. As gently as you can, pull on your string, until the ball of
the string comes to rest against the bottom of your bridge
pin. You should keep a finger or thumb on the pin, to make
sure it doesn't come flying out. As you pull the string, be
careful. You don't want to pull it into a kink.
5. Finally, test out the string, by giving it a gentle tug. If the
string does not move, that means it is resting against the
bridge pin as it should, and it's time to connect that sucker
to the tuning post.

String to the post. Once you've secured your string to the bridge
pin, it's time to secure it to the tuning post. For the bass strings (E, A,
D) and the treble strings (G, B, E), you will find the process to be a
bit different. When you're winding your bass strings, you wind them
up counterclockwise. As for the treble strings, they go clockwise.
To secure your treble strings to the tuning post:

1. Slip the string through the hole of your tuning post. You
want to make sure you've got more than enough slack
between your bridge pin, and your tuning post, so that you
can wind the string round your post a few times.
 2. Make a crease in the metal wire, bending it toward the
inside of your guitar.
3. Hold the string against the post as tight as you can with
one hand. With your other hand, wind the tuning peg up in
a clockwise direction. It's a bit tricky, and you need to be
good with your hands to do this. Just pay attention to the
post, because you want to make sure that as you wind the
tuning peg, the string wraps itself around the post
downwards , toward the surface of the headstock. Ae sure
that the strings always go in the right slot of your guitar's
nut. It will take some practice and time, but you will get the
hang of this.

The reason you've got to wind the string downward is so that you
can increase the breaking angle — that is, the angle between the
guitar's nut, and its post. The sharper the angle is, the more tension
there will be on the nut, and the greater your sustain will be. Your
notes will ring loud, and clear, for longer. For the best results, wind
your string so that it is as low as it can get on the post.
To secure your bass strings to the tuning post, you do the same
steps as we've already gone through above — except you're going
to wind it down the other way. If in the process of winding the treble
and bass strings, you realize that you've got way too much slack,
you can always unwind the string, and begin anew, making sure you
create a kink in the string further down than you did before. If you do
not have enough slack, then there's a chance you will not be able to
wind the string all the way down the guitar's post, and that might
cause the string to slip, since there is not enough length for it to hold
firmly to the post. If you notice this, just try again. You'll figure it out.

A Tune Up
As you secure your strings around the post of your guitar, you'll
notice the sound of the strings will become apparent, as they rise in
pitch. Once your string grows tight, you have to put it in the right nut
slot. If you are changing your strings one after the other, then you
can simply tune the latest ones to the older ones.
Having gotten your strings tuned to the right pitch, you've got to pull
on them at different points along the length, so that you can give it a
bit of a stretch. In the process of doing this, you'll notice your strings
flattening. If there's a particularly loose winding, the flattening effect
will be pretty dramatic. All you've got to do is tune it right back up to
the correct pitch by winding the tuning peg. Stretch your strings a
couple more times, maybe three, to make sure that the correct pitch
stays in place.
Once your strings are perfectly pitched, then it's time to get rid of the
extra string which sticks out from your guitar post. Use your pair of
wire cutters to snip them off. You could also simply bend your strings
back and forth in the same crease, on and on and on, until the string
breaks at that point. Make sure that you do not just leave the extra
string uncut. It could hurt you or someone else.
Chapter Five: Major Chords, and Minor Chords
If you want to be a pro at learning chords, then there's really no
better way than to sing along with your guitar. A lot of songs make
use of certain basic chords, which means once you know the chords,
you can play anything from Alanis Morisette's "Ironic" to Natalie
Imbruglia's "Torn".
The major chords and minor chords belong to families — meaning
they belong to a group of chords that are related to one another. The
reason we refer to them as being related or in a family, is that more
often than not, these songs are played together in songs. To be more
technical about it, a family of chords is basically a set of chords that
are played in a certain key. For instance, you could have a song full
of chords in the family of A major. As you get familiar with strumming
those chords, you'll find your knowledge of guitar jargon improving.

Beware The Callus

When you first start playing chords, you're going to be in a fair bit of
discomfort. This is because your left hand and fingertips are going to
be doing things they've never had to before, and it's going to hurt.
You're fretting a guitar string made of steel. I know when I started off,
I hurt a lot, and then I fell in love with the pain — a little too deeply in
love, because I hurt myself. I did develop my calluses fast though, I'll
tell you that much.
Every guitarist has had to earn their calluses, and you will too. Over
time, your fingertips will get nice and hard as calluses form over
them. Once they're all set, you'll find you're a lot more comfortable
playing the guitar. It might take months, or weeks, until the hard,
protective skin forms, but it will. It all depends on how often and how
much you practice with your guitar. The great thing about calluses is
that you never lose them — not totally. So if you take a long break
from playing the guitar, then you can rest assured that when you get
back to it, it will not hurt as bad as it did in the beginning.
To get your calluses, just play the chords you'll be learning in this
book as often as you can, over and over again. The more you play,
the more strength you will have in your wrists, and fingers as well.
Next thing you know, you'll be fretting like a pro.
Again, I implore you, do not do what I did. Don't be an idiot. When
you feel the tenderness come on, then take a break! It's going to
take you some time to get your calluses. You can't make them
happen before their time.

A Family
This one is extremely popular, as the chords in this key are really
easy to play. The reason for this is the abundance of open strings in
most of the chords. Remember, open strings are strings you do not
have to fret — which means your fingers get to take a break, sort of.
When a chord has open strings, it's called an open chord, or an open
position chord. In the A family of chords, you'll find A, D, and E major
chords. The thing to note about major chords is that when they are
named, they will often just have their letters, and nothing more.

A Quick Note on Chords and Their Qualities

Speaking of chords and their qualities, I should quickly brush up on
the kinds of chords you'll run into. Knowing all the different chord
qualities gives you a lot of options when creating your own music, or
attempting to play already known songs. You've got the major
chords , which are simple, and sound bright and positive. You've got
the minor chords , also simple, much softer than the majors,
sometimes a little emo. The 7th chords are reminiscent of the blues
genre. They bring in the funk! The major 7th chords are reminiscent
of jazz, and they sound bright. Finally, you've got the minor 7th
chords , which are also like jazz, but with a much more mellow
quality to them than their major cousins.

Playing the A Family

As I've mentioned earlier, when you play your chords, you use the
balls of your fingertips. Place them right behind the fret, and make
sure you keep your fingers arched. Your fingertips must be
perpendicular relative to the neck. You want to make sure your
fingernails are nice and shirt, otherwise you will not be able to fret
properly, you’re your notes will buzz a lot. When you're playing A,
you need to make sure you do not strike string 6. When playing D,
you must avoid striking both string 6 and string 5.
A major chord: To play the A major chord, on fret 2, put your fingers
1, 2, and 3, on strings 4, 3, and 2 respectively. Strum from string 5
down to string 1.
D major chord: To play the D major chord, put your fingers 1, 3, and
2, on strings 3, 2, and 1, at frets 2, 3, and 2, respectively. Strum from
string 4 down to string 1.
E major chord: To play the E major chord, put your fingers 2, 3, and
1 on strings 5, 4, and 3, at frets 2, 2, and 1, respectively. Strum from
strings 6 to 1.
Exercise:
Remember! When you strum, you use your thumb, or a pick. You
can also use the back of your nails, moving your hand from ceiling to
floor in a brushing motion. For now, just play this chord progression:
A, D, E, A. Make sure you play in an unbroken rhythm of four strokes
each. The rhythm you're going for is this:
A / D / E
/ A
1 - 2 - 3 -4 / 1 - 2 - 3 -4 /1-2-3-4
/1-2-3-4
Use downstrokes to play. Do not keep pausing at the slashes.
They are only there to help you understand that each chord is to be
played four times. Keep going till you get the rhythm and speed
consistent, and so your left hand can grow stronger. By the way,
"Kumbaya" is a song that uses these chords. You're welcome!
Playing The D Family
In the D family of chords, you've got D, Em, G, and A. The correct
way to say "Em" is E minor. Right away, you can see that the D
family are like kissing cousins with the A family, since they both
share the A and D chords. Since we've already covered both chords
A and D, we're not going to go over that again. Just keep practicing,
so you can get them down pat. If you want a song that uses chords
in the D family, give the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" a listen.
Before we jump right into how to play chords G and Em, you're
probably wondering what the heck a minor chord is, and why it's
different. Well, when we talk about major and minor in reference to
chords, we're talking about the quality of the chord. Minor chords
usually sound kind of sad, eerie, like they're announcing something
bad is going to happen. Don't let that scare you away from minor
chords though! They're pretty cool. Again, when you see a chord,
and it's got a little "m" right after it that means it's the minor version
of the chord.
G major chord: To play the G major chord, put fingers 2, 1, and 3 on
strings 6, 5, and 1, at frets 3, 2, and 3 respectively. Strum from string
6 down to string 1.
Alternatively, you could put fingers 3, 2, and 4 on strings 6, 5, and 1,
at frets 3, 2, and 3 respectively, and then strum all 6 strings.
Yet another way to play the G major chord is to put fingers 2, 1, 3,
and 4 on strings 6, 5, 2, and 1 at frets 3, 2, 3, and 3, respectively.
This last version will give your G major chord a different feel. Play
around to see which you prefer, in terms of sound and ease of
playing.
E minor chord: To play the Em chord, put fingers 2 and 3 on strings
5 and 4 at fret 2. Strum from string 6 down to string 1. There. Easy
as pie. You'll notice that you can quickly switch from the Em chord to
the E chord by simply putting your index finger on string 3 at fret 1.
Play with this, so you can get family with the difference in the tonality
of minor and major chords.
Exercise
Now, you're going to play a chord progression made up of the D
family of chords. This time, you'll be using a different rhythm than the
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 pattern you used earlier. You're going to use this pattern
instead:
D / Em / G
/ A
1 - 1.2 - 3 - 4 / 1 - 1.2 - 3 - 4 / 1 - 1.2 - 3 - 4 / 1 - 1.2 - 3 - 4
Keep in mind that 1/2 is basically the same length as a single
count would be. It just means you'll split that single count into 2
parts, and each part will last half as long as a count should. Also
note that when strumming this 1/2 count, the first half-count will be a
downstroke, and the second half-count will be an upstroke. So
you're going to play those twice as fast as you would a regular stroke
or strum. Your strum pattern would then be down - down/up - down
- down. By the way, you now have the chords to "Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot."

Playing the G Family

Did someone say G-unit! Oh right, I forgot, I'm not a comedian.
Anyway, the chords of the G family are G, Am, C, and D. You know
G and D already, so you're going to learn how to finger and play Am
and C. WIth these chords, you can play "You've Got a Friend" by
James Taylor.
C major chord: To play the C major chord, put your fingers 3, 2, and
1 on strings 5, 4, and 2 at frets 3, 2, and 1, respectively. Strum down
from string 5 to string 1. Do not play string 6.
A minor chord: To play the Am chord, put your fingers 2, 3, and 1
on strings 4, 3, and 2, at frets 2, 2, and 1, respectively. Strum from
string 5 down to string 1. Do not play string 6.
You'll notice something about these chords: You can easily move
from Am to C and back again by moving just finger 3 to the correct
fret. So, practice moving from one chord to the other. Also, you will
notice that the Am chord is basically the same pattern as the E major
chord, moved down to the bottom by one string. You could (and
should!) practice switching from Am to E major and back, as well. Do
this, so your fingers can grow in strength and dexterity.
Exercise
Play the following chord progression:
G /C /Am /D
1 - 1.2 - 1.2 - 4 /1 - 1.2 - 1.2 - 4 /1 - 1.2 - 1.2 - 4 /1 -
1.2 - 1.2 - 4
In this case, you're going to strum in this pattern: down - down/up -
down/up - down.
Play these over and over again, keeping the rhythm steady. When
you're feeling bored, sing "Auld Lang Syne" as you play.

Playing the C Family

This is the last family, I promise. C is the alpha and the omega, the
beginning and the end in all things music. The chords in the C family
are C, D minor, E minor, F, G, and A minor. You already know how to
play C, Em, and G. So you just need to get the hang of Dm, F, and
Am. With these chords, you can play Simon and Garfunkel's "The
Boxer."
D minor chord: To play the Dm chord, place your fingers 2, 3, and 1
on strings 3, 2, and 1, at frets 2, 3, and 1, respectively. Strum from
string 4 down to string 1. Strings 5 and 6 must not be played.
F major chord: To play the F major chord, you're going to do a bit of
barring. The F major chord is called a barre chord, and it's one of
the tougher ones to master, as there are no open strings, and you
only have five fingers for six strings. A barre chord requires you to
use one finger to press down on more than one string. There are two
ways to play the F major chord: Fully barred, or half barred. We'll
start with the latter.
Put your fingers 3, and 2 on strings 4, and 3, at frets 3, and 2,
respectively. Next, place your finger 1 across string 2 and string 1 at
fret 1. Press down, and strum from string 4 down to string 1. This is
the half barre version of the F major chord.
To play the full barre version, place fingers 3, 4, and 2, on strings 5,
4, and 3, at frets 3, 3, and 2 respectively. Then, place finger 1 across
all six strings at fret 1. Arch your wrist so that you're pressing down
more with the outer side of your finger 1, than with the flat side.
Press down, and then strum from string 6 down to string 1. This one
is a bit more difficult to master, but it's worth it, especially when you
get into playing reggae. Your notes might be fuzzy in the beginning,
but keep at it, and you'll get clearer and clearer notes. Just make
sure when you play a barre chord, you put in an extra bit of pressure
on your finger 1.
Exercise
The strum pattern is a bit tricky to describe in words, but let's go for
it. You may have noticed that the progressions you've been playing
follow the same 1 -2 -3 -4 count, no matter the strum pattern you
use.
Now, let's break that 4 count into 8. This means we're going to count
from 1 to 8, twice as fast, as each count will have two counts in it, at
half the time of a regular count.
Rather than 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, the chord progression in this exercise
would then be played with this strum pattern: 1 - 3 4 - 6 7 -. The
dashes mean you will not strum on those counts, but instead, allow
the previous chords to keep ringing.
Play the following chord progression (remember, the duration of the
beat is the same as the other progressions; you're just going to
count double time here:
C /Am /F /Dm
1-34-67- /1-34-67- /1-34-67- /1-34-67-
This odd rhythm is known as syncopation. It's basically where you
play a note or chord at the most random, unexpected time.
Syncopation is great, because it breaks up the monotony of music,
and keeps things interesting. Do you know "Michael Row The Boat
Ashore"? Then try to play that right now! Have fun.

Playing B Flat
I'm going to wrap up this chapter by giving you one more chord to
work with. This is the B flat chord.
The B flat chord: To play the B flat major chord, put fingers 1, 2, 3,
and 4, on strings 5, 4, 3, and 2, at frets 1, 3, 3, and 3, respectively.
Strum from string 5 down to string 2. Again, notice where the
strumming ends — at string 2. Practice this as often as you can, so
you can keep from strumming the last string, string 1.
A useful trick to keep you from playing string 1, is to allow your pinky
that is on string 2 at fret 4 to lightly rest against string 1 as you play.
This will keep the last string mute.
Chapter Six: 7th Chords
Now we're going to learn the basic 7th chords. Don't let them scare
you; they are fancy in the sound they create, but they're just as easy
to play as your major and minor chords. The thing about 7th chords
that makes them special is that they are made up of four notes,
rather than your usual three. When it comes to 7th chords, you'll find
them in three flavors: Dominant, major, and minor.

Dominant 7th
The naming convention for these chords is to simply write the
number 7 right after the letter. So you've got a C7 chord, for
example. When we speak of dominant chords, we're talking about a
major scales 5th degree. No, I'm not going to get into confusing you
right now, so we're just going to skip all that music theory talk. You
can find dominant sevenths in "I Saw Her Standing There" by The
Beatles.

Playing the D7, G7, and C7 Chords

These are the most common open dominants you'll run into. Let's
jump right into the fingering positions! Remember, if you're not
supposed to strum a string, don't do it. Observe the strings you'll be
playing.
The D7 chord: Put your fingers 2, 1, and 3, on strings 3, 2, and 1, at
frets 2, 1, and 2, respectively. Strum from string 4 down to string 1.
The G7 chord: Put your fingers 3, 2, and 1 on strings 6, 5, and 1, at
frets 3, 2, and 1, respectively. Strum all six strings.
The C7 chord: Put your fingers 3, 2, 4, and 1 on strings 5, 4, 3, and
2, at frets 3, 2, 3, and 1 respectively. Strum from string 5 down to
string 1.
You'll notice that the C7 chord is basically the C major chord with
your pinky adding in some magic. You could practice switching from
C to C7 to get a feel for the difference in sound. A song you can play
with these chords is "Home on the Range."

Playing E7 and A7
These are often played together. If you know how to play the E
chord, then E7's a breeze.
The E7 chord: Put your fingers 1 and 2 on strings 5 and 3 at frets 2
and 1. Strum all six strings. There is a version of this that uses four
fingers. We'll get into that shortly.
The A7 chord: Put your fingers 1 and 2 on strings 4 and 2, at fret 2.
Strum from string 5 down to string 1.

Playing the Four-Fingered E7 and B7

The E7 chord (four finger version): Put your fingers 2, 3, 1, and 4,
on strings 5, 4, 3, and 2, at frets, 2, 2, 1, and 3, respectively. Strum
all six strings.
The B7 chord: Put fingers 2, 1, 3, and 4, on strings 5, 4, 3, and 1, at
frets, 2, 1, 2, and 2, respectively. Strum from string 5 down to string 1

Playing the Minor 7ths: Dm7, Em7, and Am7

The minor 7ths are softer than the dominants, and a staple of jazz
music. You'll hear these chords in The Doors' "Light My Fire." We're
going to learn these chords now. There will be some barring with the
Dm7 chord, so get ready for that.
The Dm7 chord: Put your finger 2 on string 3 at fret 2, and then
place finger 1 across strings 1 and 2 at fret 1. Strum from string 4
down to string 1.
The Em7 chord: Place fingers 1, 2, and 4 on strings 5, 4, and 2, at
frets, 2, 2, and 3 respectively. Strum all six strings.
The Am7 chord: Place fingers 1 and 2 on strings 4 and 2 at frets 2,
and 1, respectively. You'll notice that the Am7 chord is like the C
major chord, except you won't be using finger 3 to strum the 5th
string on the 3rd fret. You can switch between Am7and C easily.
Have fun with that.

Playing the Major 7ths: Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Amaj7, and

Dmaj7
Unlike the minor and dominant chords, these are really bright, in
addition to being jazzy. You can hear these chords in Gerry and the
Pacemakers' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." Keep in mind
that Dmaj7 will require a three-string barre from you. As always,
rotate your finger a bit so that the strings are barred by the side of
your finger. This will reduce the fuzz and buzz of unclear strings.
Also, don't strum any strings you are not asked to.
The Cmaj7 chord: Place fingers 3 and 2 on strings 5 and 4 at frets 3
and 2 respectively. This is basically like the C chord, but without the
finger 1 placement. Strum from string 5 down to string 1.
The Fmaj7 chord: Place fingers 3, 2, and 1 on strings 4, 3, and 2, at
frets 3, 2, and 1, respectively. Strum from string 4 down to string 1.
The Amaj7 chord: Place fingers 2, 1, and 3, on strings 4, 3, and 2,
at frets 2, 1, and 2, respectively. Strum from string 5 down to string 1.
You'll notice that as you switch between Cmaj7 and Fmaj7, fingers 2
and 3 keep their shape. While the first finger has no work to do in a
Cmaj7 chord, still keep it curled and at the ready, right above string
2's first fret, so you can drop it down quickly and move on to Fmaj7.
Exercise
Play the following chord progression:
Cmaj7 /Fmaj7 /Amaj7
/Dmaj7
1-2-3-4 /1 - 2 - 3 - 4 /1 - 2 - 3 - 4
/1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Chapter Seven: Your Left Hand
In this chapter, I'm going to help you get better at using your left
hand when playing the guitar, so that you have amazing technique.
You'll also learn about power chords, and you'll become even better
at barre chords.
Now, you already know the guitar only work if you use both hands.
For now, we're going to focus on just your left hand. It's one thing to
know how to play a chord. It's another thing altogether to master the
art of moving from chord to chord, all over your fretboard, and make
some sweet music, while you're at it. As you move through this
chapter, try not to concern yourself with what your left hand is doing.
You can just use simple downstrokes to work through getting better
at your left-hand technique. If you're feeling the spirit, you can strum
however you like. Don't get hung up on having to keep things simple
with the right hand.
The one thing that's harder than anything else for a novice guitarist
is mastering the chord positions, making sure that the notes that ring
out are clear. So we're going to work through those chords now, to
build your fingers' muscle memory.

Power Chords
While these are mostly a feature of rock music with its electric
guitars, there is no reason you can't play these on your acoustic as
well! They are a lot easier than your classic open chords, since you
only have to play them on just two or three strings, tops. Once you
learn how to name them using the 5th and 6th strings, it's really easy
for you to place the chords at a go.
A power chord is a chord that has only two or three notes. These
notes are made up of the root of the chord at the bottom, the 5th
degree of that chord in the middle, and then the root of the chord
right on top, but played a whole octave higher.
Power chords do not have a 3rd degree. The 3rdderee of a chord is
what helps you figure out whether a chord is minor, or major. When
you play the A chord in open position, you'll notice that the flat 3rd of
the chord — which from the root is a step and a half up — makes the
chord a minor one. The major 3rd, which is four half steps or two
whole steps up from the root makes the chord a major one. In both
the A and Am chords though, the root and the 5th remain the same.
If you were to take the 3rd away, then what you would have is a
chord that is neither minor, nor major. You could play this as either
version, and you would not be wrong, since it's versatile. That's what
makes power chords so… Well, powerful.
There's even more to power chords than their rich, open sound.
They sound even better when played with distortion, since distortion
adds harmonic qualities to the notes. Distortion is not something you
can get away with on major and minor chords, as there will most
certainly be a clash of the harmonics. So if you're going to play the
electric guitar at some point, definitely give power chords with
distortion a go!

Moving Power
Another really cool thing about power chords is that since they don't
make use of open strings, you can move them about, unlike
conventional open chords. A movable chord is a chord you can
move about on the neck without needing to change your fingers'
shape. Power chords are a minimalist guitarist's dream, since you
can move from one to the other without having to twist and bend
your fingers into a pretzel or something. To learn all the power
chords, all you need is to know the alphabet from A to G, and be
able to count to 12.
Power chords are named according to the root note, just like all
chords. The C power chord has C as its root. Since power chords
are only made of the root and the 5th, they are also called 5 chords.
So the C power chord would be called C5, the A power chord would
be called A5, and so on.
Say you have a power chord that is played using the 6th string at the
5th fret (finger 1), the 5th string at the 7th fret (finger 3), and the 4th
string at the 7th fret (finger 4). On string 6, at fret 5, the note is an A.
Since that is the root, this would be an A5 chord. If you were to move
that same arrangement up two frets, then it would be a B5 chord. If
you move it down two frets, then that would be F5.
Power chords that are based on the 5th string look pretty much the
same as those on the 6th, except they're moved over by a set of
strings. If you took the exact same shape , and fingering of the A5
chord, moved that down to strings 5, 4, and 3, and played them with
the root at fret 1, then you'd have a B flat power chord. Move that up
a couple of frets (up in tone, not up the neck of your guitar) then
you'd have C5. Move that down two frets, and you'd have D5, et
cetera.

Stringing 5’s Together

When you hear the term position, it refers to where the chord is
played on the neck of your guitar. The position of a chord is named
after the fret where you'll be placing your finger 1. It really is not
about the string you're playing. It's about the fret. So the B flat power
chord is in the first position, even if it's on string 5. A5, while it's
rooted on the 6th string, is in the 5th position.
Exercise
You're going to play a bunch of power chords, moving all over the
neck. It's going to be easy peasy, don't worry.
F5 /C5 /G5 /B flat
Fret 1, String 1 /Fret 3, String 5 /Fret 3, String 6 /Fret 1, String 5
Use the basic 4 count to play this, strumming 4 times per count or
however you like. Remember, the focus is on seamless switching
between chords.

The Art of the Barre

Now that you have gotten used to playing power chords all over the
place, you might just feel ready to take on your favorite rock band
and show them how it's done. Slow down, Padawan. There's still
much to conquer. It's time to master the barre.
I'm sure at this point you probably just groaned inwardly. Barre
chords are no fun to learn, but once you master them, you might find
yourself unable to quit. In the meantime, I understand it will feel like
torture, but it' only for a while. Keep practicing and you'll be
shredding them barre chords like they're nothing. In the beginning,
you might need to use a lot more strength than with other chords
when barring, but after a while, you won't need as much.

Pro Tips for Barring

Fun fact: The word barre is Spanish for "bar." Guitarists often use
that particular spelling, since it's often found in a lot of guitar
notation, along with other Spanish words. Also, it's convenient for
telling the difference between the metal arm you'll find on some
guitars, at the bridge, and the process of playing a bar chord.
If you hope to conquer barre chords, then there are a few tips you
need to apply in your playing. First of all, press down on the strings
as firmly as you can. You don't have to press so hard that you snap
your guitar in two. Just keep extra pressure on the string with your
first finger, and make sure the pressure is evenly spread out. As
always, rotate the finger ever so slightly onto its side, toward the
neck of the guitar.
Another solid tip for you is to make sure your thumb is right in the
center of your guitar's neck, at the back. When you put it right in the
center, this automatically gives you the leverage you need to hold
down the strings on the first fret, without unnecessary strain.
Also, keep your arms tucked into your side. You don't want to have
your elbow out there, like you're posing on the runway or something.
Also, make sure that your left shoulder is as relaxed as can be.
Finally, cut out the meat. What I mean by this is that you've got to
make sure the extra flesh on your fingertips are not touching the
other strings besides the ones they are fretting. If they touch the
adjacent ones, then that's going to cause a lot of fuzziness and
muffled sounds, and that is not cool. Another thing you want to make
sure of is that the string is not right in the crease of your knuckles at
the first and second joints of your fingers.

Barre Chords on E
Barre chords are created as open chords, with the barre — your
finger 1 — going right over the top of the fingered notes. So to play
barre chords based on E, the first thing you have to do is put your
fingers in the position of an E chord. Rather than using fingers 1, 2,
and 3, you're going to use fingers 2, 3, and 4 instead. This way, your
finger 1 s free to barre.
When you play the E chord, without placing your first finger to barre,
it's the nut of your guitar that acts as the barre. Your finger 1 plays
the nut's part as you move up a half step or several half steps from
E.
1. First, slide all the notes that are fretted up a half step—
meaning move down the neck, away from the headstock.
Slide it by exactly one fret.
2. Next, put your index finger or finger 1 down on the first fret,
making sure it lies across all strings, and that it is parallel to
your guitar's nut.
3. Finally, lay on the pressure, using your thumb right in the
center of the neck at the back of your guitar for support,
making sure your elbow is tucked in and your left shoulder
is relaxed. Now strum!

What you just played now is the F barre chord, which we talked
about earlier in this book. Now I have to warn you again, it's not
going to be comfortable getting the sound to ring clear. Not in the
beginning. Your hand will feel a bit strained, and you'll probably bite
off the nearest head near you. It's okay.
It's okay to feel frustrated at the start when you're trying to barre
close to the nut, as there is a lot more tension there for you to press
through. The frets are also narrower, and that doesn't help at all.
Once you're comfortable with quickly putting your fingers in F
position, slide your hand in that position down to the 5th or 7th fret,
and you'll notice what I'm talking about. It will be a heck of a lot
easier. Don't be discouraged. You will master this in no time.

Shifting E All Over the Neck

Barre chords are cool because you can move them about and
discover a whole lot of magic. You know how to move chords around
already, since you've gotten some practice with power chords earlier.
Now, you must take that same knowledge and apply it to the barre
chord. It's the same thing, except you're working with more notes for
each chord.
If you want to be able to tell which chord is which as you move the E
form of barre chords all over your guitar's neck, then you just need to
take the easiest route — using the 6th string. Since the 6th string is
the lowest sounding string on your guitar, and it's called E when it's
open, all you need to do is use it to let you know where you should
play what barre chord based off the E major chord. For instance, if I
asked you to play the A chord barred, then you know to slide your
hand down to the 5th fret, since that's the A note on string 6. This
shortcut is the reason that E-form barre chords are also called 6th
string-based chords.

The Minor, Dominant 7, Minor 7, and 7th

Suspended E chords
Now, you already know there are other kinds of chords besides the
majors. Once you've managed to get comfortable with the 6th string-
based chords, it's time to move on to the other chord qualities. You're
only going to have to make a few changes here and there, to the E-
form barre chord, which you already know down pat. Give yourself
an easier go of it by learning these new forms of barre chords at fret
3, where you won't feel like your hand is being chewed to bits by a
lion or something. Keep in mind that since you'll be doing all fretting
on fret 3, which on the 6th string is the G note, all the barre chords
will be a kind of G chord or another. You have one job here: Pay
attention to the various shapes of these chords as you move around.
Don't focus too hard on names just yet.
Exercise
Let's begin.
G major barre chord: Your fingers 3, 4, and 2 should be on strings
5, 4, and 3 at frets 5, 5, and 4, respectively, while your finger 1
barres all 6 strings at fret 3. Strum, and hold this position, as you
move to the next chord.
G minor (Gm) barre chord: Lift up your finger 2, and strum again.
There's your G minor.
Play the G major barre chord again. Hold that position.
G dominant 7 (G7) barre chord: From G major, simply lift up your
pinky finger. Strum all 6 strings, and that's the G7.
Play the G major chord again. Hold that position.
G minor 7 (Gm7) barre chord: From G major position, simply lift
finger 2 and finger 4 off the strings. Strum, and that's your G minor 7
barre chord.
Play G major again, and hold your fingers in place.
G 7 Suspended (G7sus) barre chord: From G major position,
simply lift finger 2 off the string, and then move your finger 4 over to
string 3. Strum all six strings. There's your G 7 suspended barre
chord, which is basically where the 3rd degree of a chord is
suspended — another word for raised by a half step.
Now, you have learned four new forms of chords. Considering that
you've got frets 1 through to 12 that means you've got 48 new
chords in your noggin. Time to make that album.
Barre Chords On A
You've just learned the E form of barre chords, and now it's time to
conquer the A form. They are basically like the open chord of A,
except in A ,the nut is acting as the barre. So all you need to do to
create these chords is to use the same technique you did with the
open chord of E.
To play A forms of barre chords, you're going to fret the A notes, but
rather than use fingers 1, 2, and 3, you'll be using fingers 2, 3, and 4,
on the same A strings instead.
1. First, slide all the notes you've fretted with your fingers 2, 3,
and 4 up by a half step (or down a fret).
2. Next, place your finger 1 across all strings, from string 5 to
string 1 at fret 1, making sure your finger and the nut run
parallel to each other.
3. Using correct barring technique, apply pressure to the
fingers, and then strum from string 5 down to string 1.
String 6 is not invited to the A party just yet.

That chord you just played is known as B flat. You may have found
this easier, since you did not need to barre string 6 as well. This is
because the A based barre chords are based on the 5th string. To
avoid striking string 6 accidently, you can ease up on the pressure
on that string from your finger one, or let it gently touch the string
while you fret the remaining five.
One of the most challenging things about this particular chord is
having to pull the knuckle of your finger 3 up, so that string 1 is not
muted. Because a lot of aspiring guitarists find this too bothersome,
they stick with simply playing strings 5 through 2 only, on the form of
A major. This way, there is no need to barre with finger 1. Instead,
they barre with finger 3, and that makes things easier. What would
that look like? Finger 1 would be at fret 1 on string 5, while finger 3
would be at fret 3 across strings 4, 3, and 2. Only strings 5 to 2 will
be strummed.
You may have noticed the power chords at the bottom strings of your
E and A barre forms. The lower strings have the same notes as their
power chords, which mean that the E minor and A minor barre
shapes are alike not just when it comes to the power chords, but to
the majors as well.

Shifting A All Over the Neck

Since you can play the B flat chord as a barre chord that means you
can play all 12 forms of the A based barre chords. Remember that all
chords are named according to the position of the lowest note you'll
fret on the 5th string, just like how you name the E based chords. So
strum them, and as you do, say their names. Do not concern
yourself with your strumming pattern right now. The goal is to get
familiar with the chords.

The Minor, Dominant 7, Minor 7, and 7th

Suspended A Chords
You know all you need to know about moving chords around your
guitar's neck. You just need to apply that here as well. It's also not
going to be too much of a challenge playing the other qualities of the
A form of barre chords. All you need to do is learn how to finger
them, and you're good.
We're going to go over five chords based on the A form. There are
even more formations than just these five, but you will find that these
are some of the most basic ones. It's not hard for you to figure out
which barre forms will match up with open chords. Look at the open
D chord, for instance. All the notes in that chord can be found in the
D minor, when it's played based on the 5th string in the 5th position.
You'll notice though, that there is a difference in octaves.
B Flat minor chord: To play this chord, place your fingers 3, 4, and
2 on strings 4, 3, and 2 at frets 3, 2, and 2 respectively. Then place
your finger one across strings 5 through to 1 at fret 1. Strum from
string 5 down to 1.
B Flat 7 chord: To play this chord, place your fingers 3 and 4 on
strings 4 and 2 at frets 3, and 2 respectively. Now, place your finger
1 across strings 5 through to 1 at fret 1. Strum from string 5 down to
string 1.
B flat minor 7 chord: To play this chord, place your fingers 3 and 2
on strings 4 and 2 at frets 3 and 2 respectively. Next, place finger 1
across strings 1 through to 5, at fret 1. Strum through strings 5 to 1.
B Flat 7 suspended chord: To play this chord, place fingers 3 and 4
on strings 4 and 2 at frets 3 and 4 respectively. Then, go ahead and
place you finger 1 at fret 1 across all five strings, from string 5 to 1.
Strum those strings.
B Flat major 7th chord: Place your fingers 3, 2, and 4, on strings 4,
3, and 2, at frets 3, 2, and 3 respectively. Next, place your finger 1 on
string 5 at fret 1. Now, strum string 5, 4, 3, and 2.
Chapter Eight: Your Right Hand
Now it's time to give some love to your right hand! It's thanks to the
right hand that you can actually hear the chords that you finger or
fret with your left. It's the right hand that's also responsible for the
rhythm of the song you're playing, be it your usual eight note beat, or
a little something on the funky side, or even a shuffle. We're going to
go over a few ways you could strum your guitar, using feels and
styles of all sorts to give your guitar playing some life.

On The Strum
I've already defined strumming as dragging your fingers or a pick
across your guitar's strings. Strumming your guitar in rhythm
involves dragging our pick across your guitar strings, making sure
you stick to a predefined tempo. When you do it in a pic0d-rag style,
making sure each beat gets one stroke, and all strokes are even and
regular, then that's also playing in rhythm — in a quarter-note
rhythm, to be precise.
When you're strumming rhythmically, you only have to do two things:
Understand the rhythm that you're playing, and then repeat it over
and over until your song is done. It might not sound as glamorous as
riffs and licks that you see rock guitarists belt out, but hey, it gets the
job done, and that's more than enough for you to follow along with
your favorite songs, or write some of your own. Over time, you can
begin to get as fancy as you please, but while you're here, just
master the basics first. Can't fly without learning to crawl, you know.

On Downstrokes
For the sake of convenience, I'm going to represent downstrokes
￬
with the down arrow , in bold caps. Let that represent a downward
stroke in your mind. Keep in mind that when you strum your strings
in a downstroke, they're played pretty much all at once, not one after
the other. When you play strings one after the other that would be
called picking.
8th-Note Downstrokes
By now you might be just a little too tired of the usual quarter-note
pattern of strumming. So let's move on to something a little new: the
eighth notes. You might have already figured out, you genius, that
the 8th note is simply half of the quarter note in value. When it
comes to music, what the 8th note implies is that you're going to play
the music twice as often — which does not necessarily mean faster.
Tempo is another thing altogether. So, you're going to play two
strums for each beat, rather than one. Your hand will move a couple
times faster, as you strike the strings you should twice per beat,
rather than one time for each beat as it is with quarter notes.
Ideally, you should try this at a moderate to slow tempo, so you can
really get the hang of the way it sounds. When you want to play the
8th-note rhythm even faster, then you can use both downstrokes and
upstrokes. This next progression of chords is best played with just
downstrokes.
Exercise
We're going to make use of 8th-notes for just the first three beats,
and then a quarter note will be used for the last beat. Remember,
you steady quarter playing has been 1 -2 -3 -4. Now, what I'm asking
you to do is rather than strum four times (1 -2 -3 -4) you're going to
play 1 -2 -3 with two strums each, and then play -4 with just one
strum. Remember that where 1 -2 -3 -4 was written in the past, we'll
be substituting with that downstroke symbol instead ￬
E /A /E /B7
￬￬ -￬￬ ￬￬ ￬
- - / ￬￬ -￬￬ -￬￬ -￬ / ￬￬ -￬￬ -￬￬ ￬
- / ￬￬
-￬￬ -￬￬ ￬
-

Upstrokes
We'll use a simple up arrow ⬆ to represent upstrokes. The upstroke
is what you think it is: The reverse of a downstroke. Rather than drag
your fingers or pick to the flow, you start from the bottom like Drake
and then drag your fingers or pick upwards, to the ceiling. It doesn't
feel natural in the beginning, as some people have issues with how
to hold their pick so that it doesn't get stuck in between strings. With
time and practice, you'll be able to play the upstrokes as easy as you
play the downstrokes.
Upstrokes are often used to play off beats or upbeats when you're
playing the 8th-note pattern. When you begin to play the upstroke,
forget about getting all the strings in an upstroke. Just because it's
an A chord you're playing does not mean you have to go all the way
up to string 5 on the upstroke. It's fine enough to simply hit the
bottom four or even three strings.
Another thing to keep in mind about upstrokes is that they do not
really get as much time as the downstrokes. Upstrokes are often
used along with downstrokes. You can't use just upstrokes by
themselves. Don't let me stop you though, if you're thinking of
creating some new genre of music that uses only upstrokes. Do let
me know how that goes. The convention right now remains to either
use downstrokes all through a song, or use them along with
upstrokes. Maybe you could write the first upstroke only song!
The best way to get the hang of the upstroke is in an 8th-note
rhythm, where there are off beats that just call for upstrokes, rather
than downstrokes.

Going Up, Going Down

You will find that it's a lot easier to play the upstroke as an immediate
response to the downstroke, rather than to play the upstroke in
isolation. So, we're going to play a chord progression, and you'll use
both upstrokes and downstrokes. Make sure that your arm is
relaxed, as it swings freely up and down. You want to make sure that
each stroke down and up receives just as much emphasis as the
other. Keep in mind that it's only natural for your downstrokes to
have the deeper tones, while your upstrokes are on the lighter end.
You're going to play this in 4/4, meaning each repetition has 4 beats,
just like the precious ones. Each quarter note will get a beat, while
the 8th notes (as shown by two consecutive arrows before a dash)
will be played two to a beat. Allow the last chord C just one strum,
and let it ring.
C /G /Am /C
￬ ￬ ￬ ￬
⬆- ⬆- ⬆- ￬ ￬⬆ -￬⬆ -￬ ￬ ￬⬆ -￬⬆ -￬ /￬- - -
/ ⬆- / ⬆-
At this speed, it's possible for you to play the previous progression
using just downstrokes. The trouble with doing this is that it's going
to make things a lot tenser. Your strumming will feel frantic. This is a
mellow tune, so that would not fit here nicely. If you were playing
some rock, that would be a different thing altogether. One thing to
remember at all times is that the choice of choosing all downstrokes,
or alternating between upstrokes and downstrokes, really comes
down to the feel of the music, and not the speed. That said, it is true
that 8th notes are less of a headache when you choose to alternate
instead.

Playing a Combo of Quarters and Eighths

A lot of music with medium tempo are made up of 8th notes and
quarter notes. We're going to play a combination of the two, so you
can get a feel for what that sounds like in terms of intensity.
Am /Dm /E7 /Am
￬ -￬ -￬ -￬ ￬ ￬ ￬ ⬆ -￬ ￬ ￬ ￬ ⬆ -￬ ⬆ ￬ ￬ ￬ ⬆
/ ⬆- ⬆- / ⬆- ⬆- / ⬆- ⬆-
-￬
Keep in mind that in addition to being deliberate about your
upstrokes and downstrokes, you also have to be mindful of the
strings you're striking as well. What I mean is, if you're playing A
minor, then be careful not to strike string 6.

Bring on the 16ths

Sixteenth notes are, you guessed it, two times faster than eight
notes. This means for each beat, you're going to have four strums.
Imagine playing all those notes with just downstrokes! That's right,
you'll probably lose your right hand, not because it will break or
anything, but because it will develop a life of its own and detach itself
from you and your abuse. In other words, you're going to need a
combination of upstrokes and downstrokes to play the 16ths. There
is no way around that. Now, there are some heavy metal bands and
punk groups that play 16ts with just downstrokes, but their songs are
often all about pain, and we're really not about that life here.
To play the 16th notes, you're going to start off nice and easy with a
medium tempo. Remember, you're making the standard 4 count 4
times faster. So, rather than 1 -2 -3 -4 , or 1.2 - 3.4 - 5.6 - 7.8 for the
8th note, you're going to have each beat with 4 notes.
The beats to strum are in bold. The notes to allow ring from the
previously strummed ones are in regular text.
1 - 2 -3 - 4 -5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - -12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16.
F /A /B Flat
￬ - ￬ ⬆ - ￬ - ￬ . ￬ ⬆- ￬ ⬆ ￬ ⬆ ￬ ⬆ ￬ ￬ ￬ ￬ ￬ ⬆- ￬ ⬆ ￬ ⬆ ￬ ⬆
/ - ⬆- - . ￬ ￬ ⬆ -￬
/ -
-￬ .￬ ⬆-￬ ⬆￬ ⬆￬ ⬆
/G
￬ ￬⬆ -￬ -￬.￬⬆-￬⬆￬⬆￬⬆
-
It might seem a little confusing at first, but just focus on the way it
sounds, and soon enough, you'll be able to play it with a lot more
confidence.

A Feel for the Shuffle

The shuffle is used a lot in rock. It's like the 8th note, except it's
lilting, as in the beat is split up into two halves which are perfectly
unbalanced. Yes, you read that right. To understand what I mean by
that, check out "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac, "Hound Dog" by
Elvis Presley, and "Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead. They all use the
shuffle.
The standard shuffle is made up of triplets. The beat is split up into
three parts, all equal, and then the very first of couple of notes are
typically held together. Don't overthink this. I'm going to give you a
little something to help you understand the rhythm you should be
listening for.
First, tap your foot in a very steady rhythm. Next, make sure the bold
parts of this line you're about to read fall in line with your taps.
Ma- ry had a li- ttle lamb.
This is what your usual straight 8th notes sound like.
Now, keep that tempo with your tapping, and say this line of triplets
next, keeping your foot taps in sync with the bold parts of the line:
Fol- low the yel- low brick road.
That's what triplets sound like.
To make the shuffle e8th notes, you've got to sound out just the first
and third notes of the triplets, by keeping the first note sustained
through the second note, or dropping the second note completely.
What this will sound like is a sort of limp. It's a division that's
anything but even. The best way to think of it would be s-l-o-wfast, s-
l-o-wfast, s-l--o-wfast. To get a feel for the shuffle, just think of "When
Johnny Comes Marching Home Again as you tap your foot: When
John -ny comes march -ing home a-gain hur-rah.

Singles and Strums

When you're playing rhythm, there are so many ways to do that
besides just strumming all your strings at the same time to play your
chords. Think of it this way: When you're watching a pianist, he
doesn't always just hit the keys of chords at the same time. That
would make for some very boring playing. Likewise, as a guitarist,
you should aspire to being able to seamlessly alternate between
picking and strumming.

Pick Strumming
This is a little something borrowed from the world of the piano. When
the pianist plays, you'll notice that the left hand lays the bass notes,
and the right hand plays the chords. Guitarists also split up the
various parts of their chords, but they use both hands to do it. When
you play just the bass notes along with chords that is called pick
strumming. To be able to split up the bass and treble so that they are
played independently of one another is a very good thing indeed.
This is how you give your rhythm some style and variety, as well as
give your chords various textures. One of the best things about
playing the guitar is you can set it up so the different parts are
engaged in an interplay, complementing each other. This is known
as counterpoint.

Boom Chick
No, this is not an ad for your favorite body spray. It's not an explosion
either. In the world of guitar accompaniments, this is one of the
simplest patterns you'll learn. It's quite cool, since you do not need to
play every single note of a chord at the same time. The way it works
is that you play the bass note as the boom, and then the rest of the
notes in the chord will be the chick. The result is something a little
bouncy, like you would find in country rock.
So if you were to play the chord progression C, F, G, and C, you
would play the base note of each of the chords first. The bass note is
simply the note on the lowest sounding string of the chord you're
playing.

Moving Your Bass Line

This is another cool way to keep your bass and the rest of the notes
of the chord you're playing apart. Songs with moving bass lines are
"Mr. Bojangles" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Babe, and I’m Gonna
Leave You by Led Zeppelin, "Southern Man" by Neil Young, and
"Friend of the Devil" by The Grateful Dead.

Syncopated Strumming
Once you're used to strumming in quarters, 8ths, and 16ths, you can
also switch up the way you use rhythm, just by using syncopation.
We've talked about this before. Syncopation involved changing
where you play notes, keeping things interesting by playing them
where they are not expected. All you have to do is keep your strum
staggered, and switch up the way you play your downstrokes and
upstrokes. On musical notation, you will find this represented as dots
and ties. As you play, your music will be a lot more interesting.

When You Find the Dots and Ties

When you're playing music from notation, you will find dots and ties.
A dot on a note means that you will add to a note's rhythmic value by
half of the original value. When you find a dot on a half note,
(meaning a note with two beats), that means it's to be played as
though it were three beats long, or a quarter plus an 8th note.
Ties, on the other hand, are displayed in musical notation like a
curved line that connects notes that are the same in pitch. What the
tie does is to add up the values of both notes being tied, so that only
the initial note will be struck.
You will find both dots and ties to be quite common to playing 8ths
and 16ths.

Back to the Left

When you pay attention to the rhythm going on in rock songs, you'll
notice that the strummed chords are not just some boring brick wall
of sounds. You will notice that there are beaks here and there. The
purpose of these breaks is to stop the strumming of each chord from
bleeding into one another and making things sound terrible. These
gaps in play are what keep your guitar playing fresh, and crisp.
The way to create these breaks or pauses is to simply stop your
strings from ringing, just for a little bit. A very, very little bit. The way
to do this is using your left hand to pump the brakes on the sound,
so that your chords don't have that distorted bleed through that
shows you really are an amateur. Not cool.
Put It on Mute
We've touched briefly on muting before, in an earlier chapter. This is
what we're discussing right now. To mute the sound that comes in
between chords with your left hand, all you have to do is release
your left-hand fingers a little bit, so that the strings are forced to go
mute, or they're deadened, or the sound is completely cut off. Keep
up the strumming with your right hand playing the muted strings, and
you'll get a delicious sounding thunk, which acts like a kind of
percussion along with your playing. Talk about style! This is the
authentic way to play rock rhythm, with a mix of percussion,
syncopation, and good old-fashioned strumming. Now, if you were to
relax your left hand completely across all strings, there will be no
sound at all. Left hand muting is great, since it allows your right hand
to focus on what it's doing with the alternative downstrokes and
upstrokes. When you're playing from notation, the symbol for a left-
hand mute will be an X on the top of the affected note.
You can also mute with your right hand as well. Depending on the
style and speed of the music, you should do just fine muting with
your right hand, by simply laying your hand across all six strings at
once.

Implied Syncopation
When you play some pieces employing the muting technique, you
will notice that there's some syncopation going on, at just the right
spots — even though your right hand continues to play the rhythm of
the strum straight on. Thanks to the fact that some notes don't come
through are clear as they should, you get that implied syncopation.
Muting is awesome for creating syncopation, and giving you
complete control over the sounds your strings create.
A note on muting with your left hand: It's hardly a skill that comes
deliberately. It just happens naturally, maybe because as you play it
just feels so obvious and intuitive to do it. Just like riding a bike, it's
not easy to mute with your left hand slowly. You'd fall off the
proverbial bike. So whatever you do, do not overthink this. Just
strum, do your thing, using a medium tempo. You'll notice your
hands will naturally match up, and do what they need to do, without
any extra stress on your part.
You may be wondering why we're talking about the left hand in a
chapter clearly dedicated to the right hand. That's just because it's
inspired by the motion of the right hand. Besides, you cannot
properly execute the left-hand muting technique without the right
hand to make it into that satisfying thunking sound.

Right Hand Muting

Like I mentioned before, you can also mute strings with your right
hand. You do this with the heel of your right palm. You'll notice that
this gives a much different effect, compared to the muting with your
left hand. When you mute with your right hand, you will still hear your
fretted strings — except that the sound will be a lot more subdued. It
won't stop the sound coming out of your guitar totally; it's just going
to keep the strings from ringing out freely. This is still a great way to
stop that horrible sound when your chords bleed through into one
another. More than this though, it gives your music a lovely,
smoldering feel, heightening the drama in your song. You might hear
this technique being called chugging. No beers involved, sorry.
The way to mute your strings with your right hand is to keep the heel
of your right hand anchored onto the strings of your guitar, right
above where the bridge is. Whatever you do, make sure your hand is
not too far forward. If it is, you will deaden the strings completely.
There's a place for that, but that's not the goal here. Make sure it's
just enough for your strings to be dampened ever so slightly. You can
keep it there for however long the strum lasts.
There's also the palm mute, which is used to make less emphasis on
the strike of a string. Then there's the accent, which does the
complete opposite by emphasizing the strike of the string. It's easy to
do the accent: Strike the string harder, making sure you take the
palm of your right hand off of the strings, so that they can ring out,
loud and free. This way, the string that is accented will be a lot
clearer than the rest. In music notation, you will see this symbol > as
the accent sign, just above the note.
It's easier to do the palm mute when you only have to strike a string
or two, thanks to the fact that the right hand is very restricted in
movement, since you've got it anchored to the strings, right above
the bridge. When you use both palm muting and accenting, what you
have is a sound that seems as though there are two instruments
playing at the same time. If you want to add a lot more intensity to
your playing, all you have to do is use all downstrokes.

The Left Hand and the Right Hand

We've been mostly focused on the right hand's movements.
However, when you bring in the left hand, you will find that there's a
lot more fun stuff to be discovered, chief among them being the
rhythm of the right hand accompanied by the left-hand movement.
Once you master this, you'll be well on your way to playing riffs,
leads, and licks to your heart's content.
Say you're playing a classic chord progression that has the shuffle
feel, or the groove of the 8th note. As you change notes from the 5th
degree of a chord to the 6th, you'll notice it's really neat. A concrete
example is when playing the A chord, E moves over to F#; when
playing an E chord, B becomes C#, and when playing a D chord, A
becomes B.
The most common way to refer to this pattern is the 5- move. Listen
to songs by ZZ Top, Chuck Berry, and The Beatles, for more
examples of this.

Stylized Fingers
Fingerstyle is all about the way you pluck the strings with the
fingertips of your right hand. This means no pick, either because you
put it down, or you lost it for the umpteenth time in a row. You could
always stick it in between your teeth if you're not doing any singing,
or you could tuck it in your palm, until you're ready to get back to
using it again.
The best time to go fingerstyle is when you're playing arpeggios ,
which is basically a fancy way of describing playing the notes of a
chord one after another, rather than simultaneously. It's a better way
to play arpeggio, as you can play the notes as quickly as needed.
Here's the rule of thumb when playing fingerstyle: Your thumb will
play the lower or bass strings, while the rest of your fingers will play
the remaining three strings. Some great examples of songs played
fingerstyle include "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Landslide"
by Fleetwood Mac, or "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. You could not
possibly play these songs any other way, unless you're Goro or from
Mortal combat or something.
What you want to do is keep your right-hand right above your strings,
in such a way that your fingers dangle loose and free, but within
reach of each string. When you're playing classical guitar using
musical notation, you will find the letters p, i, m, and a , which
represent the thumb index, middle, and ring fingers, respectively.
Whenever you play fingerstyle, you want to make sure that you've
got a smooth, even flow between your fingers and your thumb.
Now, there is no rule stating that you absolutely have to play all
arpeggiated passages in music fingerstyle, if it so happens that the
piece is a slow one, or that you don't have to skip a lot of strings.
When it does come to passages that are really long, or pieces that
are a little faster than normal, it makes sense to apply the fingerstyle.
Unless you're a masochist of some sort. Then don't let me stop you.
A lot of guitarists will opt for a combo of their fingers and their picks
as well when they play. They're not wrong to do this. In fact, you may
hear this called hybrid picking. In this case, the pick takes the place
of the thumb, while the middle finger takes over on behalf of the
index, and the ring finger plays the middle finger's part.
Chapter Nine: All About Melody — Position and
Double Stops
How do you spot the newbie guitarist? They're only play in open
position, never further up the neck, and only play melodies on a
single string. The more you play and practice, the better you'll get,
and you'll soon find yourself able to play all kinds of stuff all over the
guitar's neck. You'll also find you can do a whole lot more than just
play single notes in a melody.
What we're going to do in this chapter is leave the safety of playing
open chords, and move on to the realm of the greats. I'm talking
about position playing. I'll also do you one better, by teaching you
about double stops as well!

Position Playing
You must have heard some really complex musical pieces that are
played by the baddest of the bad, the dopiest of the dopes. You must
have noticed the way their hands just fly all over the fretboard, their
fingers drawn to all the right notes and strings like magic, not a
single buzz, not a moment of hesitation or uncertainty. When you
look a little bit closer though, you will realize something: Their left
hands aren't really moving. What is this witchcraft, you ask? After all,
there they are, moving their fingers all over the fretboard. Well, what
they're doing is playing in movable position. Another way to say this
is position playing, or playing in position.
When you play in position, you keep your left hand in a fixed spot on
the neck, and each of your fingers is assigned to a certain fret. You
fret all notes, except the open notes. When you're playing in 5th
position, you'll have your finger 1 on fret 5, and your finger 2 on fret
6. Your finger 3 will be on fret 7, and your finger 4 will handle fret 8.
This is playing in A position — or 5th position. It's named according
to where your finger 1 is.
Besides allowing you to play notes at the best possible spots on your
fretboard — other than just the easier to spot open notes in open
position — position playing will allow you look cooler than liquid
nitrogen. You look like you actually know what you're doing, and
you're anything but a noob!

Open Strings versus Position Playing

So why should you play in position? What's wrong with just using
open position, and open strings, whenever you feel like it? First of
all, it's a lot easier to play melodies that are on the high side. When
you play in open position, you can only ever hope to play all the way
up to the 4th fret, or the 5th fret, if you really push it. If you want to go
any higher than that, you can't. You've just got to play in position.
When you choose this option, it allows you to play the notes nice and
smooth with economy of movement.
Another reason to choose position playing over playing notes in
open string position, is that at any point in time, you can easily
transpose a musical phrase or pattern that you know, from one
position to the next. Transposition is basically about shifting keys in
music. So, when you play in position, you can easily port that
position over to another. Since there are no open strings involved in
playing in position, you'll find that everything you play is movable, or
portable.
Some people are of the opinion that it's a lot more difficult to play the
guitar in the upper position, than it is to play it in the lower ones. The
truth of the matter is that the upper notes are really not all that
difficult. They're just a lot tougher to read when you're looking at
standard musical notation, especially if you've not even bothered to
learn how to read these high notes. Here, we're more concerned
about you playing the guitar, not reading sheet music. So play the
high notes. Go for it.
Exercises
The best place to begin practice is with the major scale. You already
know what that is. Doe, a deer, a female deer; ray, a drop of golden
sun? Okay, I'm not going to assume you're old enough to know that
classic film, "The Sound of Music," so here's the major scale: do-re-
mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. These are basically the white keys on your piano,
beginning from note C. It's possible to play the major scale in open
position, if you want, but it's best to learn to position play it instead.
One thing that really matters when you play in position is where you
put your left hand — especially where you put the fingers. So here
are a few tips for placing your fingers correctly:
● Make sure your fingers remain on the correct frets all the time
as you play. Say you're playing in 2nd position. That means
you've got to keep finger 1 at fret 2, finger 2 at fret 3, finger 3 at
fret 4, and finger 4 at fret 5 — all the time, whether or not
they are actually fretting any notes.
● Your fingers must be close to the fretboard, so that they are
ready to go when you need them. In the beginning of your
practice, you might notice that your fingers are in the habit of
stretching out and moving away from the fretboard. It happens.
You just need to work on curling them, and keeping them in
place, so that they are available when you need them.
● Take a chill pill. Sure, it feels like you've got to put one
hundred and ten percent focus on properly positioning your
fingers, as well as maneuvering them around the fretboard.
That said, you don't. The goal here is to just be as natural and
relaxed as you can be, while playing the guitar. It may feel
anything but natural at the moment, but over time, you'll feel at
ease. Just chill, while remaining watchful over your movements.
You want your right shoulder to stay down, and relaxed. You
want to make sure there's no tension there. Breathe, long and
deep, whenever you feel you're growing tense. Also, use a
mirror when you practice. It helps you adopt the cool pose and
demeanor you need to be a badass on the guitar.

Playing the One Octave C Major Scale: 2nd

Position
Now, you're going to play the C major scale.
C: String 5, fret 3, finger 2
D: String 5, fret 5, finger 4
E: String 4, fret 2, finger 1
F: String 4, fret 3, finger 2
G: String 4, fret 5, finger 4
A: String 3, fret 2, finger 1
B: String 3, fret 4, finger 3
C: String 3, fret 5, finger 4
Once you memorize these finger positions, you now have a pattern
that is movable, so that you can play the major scale in whatever key
you please. When you play this scale, make use of both
downstrokes and upstrokes. Alternate these strokes as you pick the
notes. Also, play this scale in reverse as well, or descending — as
in, do-ti-la-so-fa-mi-re-do.

Playing the Two Octave C Major Scale: 7th

Position
This time around, you are going to play the C major scale, but in the
7th position, and with 2 octaves. This mean you'll play do-re-mi-fa-
so-la-ti-do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. For this, you will have to play on all 6
strings.
C: String 6, fret 8, finger 2
D: String 6, fret 10, finger 4
E: String 5, fret 7, finger 1
F: String 5, fret 8, finger 2
G: String 5, fret 10, finger 4
A: String 4, fret 7, finger 1
B: String 4, fret 9, finger 3
C: String 4, fret 10, finger 4
D: String 3, fret 7, finger 1
E: String 3, fret 9, finger 3
F: String 3, fret 10, finger 4
G: String 2, fret 8, finger 2
A: String 2, fret 10, finger 4
B: String 1, fret 7, finger 1
C: String 1, fret 8, finger 2
Always keep your fingers as close to the fretboard as you can, even
when they are not playing anything. This will help you fret the right
notes each time. Practice this scale down and up the neck, and use
alternate picking as well. Once you memorize the fingering pattern,
you can now play any major scale of your choice by just moving your
hand down or up to other positions. It would be wise to actually
practice this now, and practice it often. When you're learning this,
first, play slow, so you can make sure your notes always sound nice
and clean. Once you've got the nice and clean bit down pat, you can
practice for speed.

The Position Shift

Music is a lot more complex than simply playing it all in a single
position. I can't imagine anyone would enjoy music that is so lifeless.
More often than not, you will have to play a passage of music that
will move you from one position to another. The only way you can
play such pieces properly is to become adept at the position shift. To
do that, we're going to play the C major scale in 2 octaves. This is
different from the other stuff we just covered, in that in the middle of
the scale, you'll need to pull off a position shift, moving from 2nd
position to 5th position.
C: String 5, fret 3, finger 2
D: String 5, fret 5, finger 4
E: String 4, fret 2, finger 1
F: String 4, fret 3, finger 2
G: String 4, fret 5, finger 4
A: String 3, fret 2, finger 1
B: String 3, fret 4, finger 3
C: String 3, fret 5, finger 1
D: String 3, fret 7, finger 3
E: String 2, fret 5, finger 1
F: String 2, fret 6, finger 2
G: String 2, fret 8, finger 4
A: String 1, fret 5, finger 1
B: String 1, fret 7, finger 3
C: String 1, fret 8, finger 4
When you play the first seven notes, they will be in 2nd position. To
shift to 5th position at the second C, all you have to do is to glide
your finger 1 up to fret 5 on string 3. Moving downward, the first 8
notes should be played in position 5, and then to shift to position 2,
just glide our third finger as smooth as you can down to fret 4 on the
3rd string. What you're gunning for here is a seamless shift.
Listening to it, no one should be able to tell you just made a shift.
What you really want to nail is the smooth glide of finger 1 as you
ascend, and finger 3 as you descend. So glide and glide, until it
sounds smooth, uninterrupted, ad seamless. You can just pick out
the two notes that are needed — string 3 at fret 4, and string 3 at fret
5. Play those as often as you need to, until the sound is seamless.

Strong, Dexterous Fingers

It matters that you get stronger, and improve in dexterity as you play.
However, you do not need to buy a lot of unnecessary books just to
get better at sight reading, or improve your playing capacity. All you
need to do is create your very own exercises.
If you're going to come up with your own exercises, then you can just
take the major scales with 2 octaves, and then number each of the
notes from 1 to 15. Next, you can create various number
combinations for you to practice playing. Here are some examples:
1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, 5-6-7, 6-7-8, 7-8-9, 8-9-10, 9-10-11, 10-11-
12, 11-12-13, 12-13-14, 13-14-15. (Repeat in reverse, when you've
mastered this sequence)
1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8, 6-7-8-9, 7-8-9-10, 8-9-10-
11, 9-10-11-12, 10-11-12-13, 11-12-13-14, 12-13-14-15 (When
mastered, repeat in reverse, and master that sequence as well)
Come up with your own combinations, and then master them. This is
how you build dexterity and strength in your guitar playing.
Double Stops
If you've ever played two notes at the same time, then that's a
double stop. While this is easy to pull off on a guitar or a piano, it's
not quite as successful on bowed strings, and definitely impossible
with woodwinds. Double stops were originally the violinist's domain,
but we came in and showed them how to do it right. When you're
fretting double stops, there's nothing special going on. You'd play
them the same way you play single notes or chords.
You already know your guitar can play several notes simultaneously
when you play a chord. However, your guitar can also play more
than one note in making a melody. This is where double stops come
in. They are a great, fun way to harmonize notes. Have you ever
heard a Mariachi band play some music? There are a whole lot of
double stops there! You can also find a whole lot of double stop
action in rock and roll from the 50s, too.

Getting Into Doubles

All you're doing is playing two notes at once, as one. It's like a single
note, and a chord at the same time. Some double stops are played
on nonadjacent strings, while others are played on adjacent strings.
We're going to focus on the latter, since they're super easy to
master.
When you play melodies using double stops, everything sounds
fuller, richer, and sweeter than if you just play single notes. If you
master double stops well enough to construct riffs out of them, then
you're going to create a sound that is just larger than life. For a great
example of this, check out "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry. The
riffs in that song are insane!
Exercises
You can only ever play double stops in one of two ways, generally
speaking: You can play using just a pair of strings, say the first two
strings, moving the pair of notes all over the neck. You could also
use different pairs of strings, and move those across the neck as
well. For instance, you could play string 5 and string 4, then string 4
and string 3, and so on.

Up and Down Your Guitar's Neck

First, we begin with the C major scale. We'll play this in double stop
thirds — meaning notes separated by a letter name, such as C-E, E-
G, F-B, and so on. These will be played only on the first two strings,
and we will move up the neck.
Begin by placing your finger 1 for the first of the double stops. You
need just one finger to fret the first of the double stops, since string 1
will stay open. For the rest of the double stops, you will use just
finger 1 and finger 3 when your notes are apart by 2 frets. When the
notes are just a fret apart, you will use just fingers 1 and 2. Use your
right hand to strike only string 1 and 2.
Play in this order, and then in reverse:
String 2 String 1
Finger 1, fret 1 Open
Finger 3, fret 3 Finger 1, fret 1
Finger 3, fret 5 Finger 1, fret 3
Finger 2, fret 6 Finger 1, fret 5
Finger 2, fret 8 Finger 1, fret 7
Finger 3, fret 10 Finger 1, fret 8
Finger 3, fret 12 Finger 1, fret 10
Finger 2, fret 13 Finger 1, fret 12

All Across Your Guitar's Neck

More common than playing double stops up and down the neck of
your guitar, i splaying them across the neck. You're now going to
play the C major scale played in thirds in open position, moving it
across the neck.
C: String 5, fret 3, finger 2 + String 4, fret 2, finger 1
D: String 5, fret 5, finger 3 + String 4, fret 3, finger 1
E: String 4, fret 2, finger 1 + String 3, open
F: String 4, fret 3, finger 2 + String 3, fret 2, finger 1
G: String 3, open + Sting 2, open
A: String 3, fret 2, finger 2 + String 2, fret 1, finger 1
B: String 3, fret 4, finger 2 + String 2, fret 3, finger 1
C: String 3, fret 1, finger 1 + string 1, open
When it comes to the blues and rock, you will find that playing
double stops across the neck where those notes are on the exact
same fret is the norm. It's kind of like a barre of two strings. For
songs that use double stops like this, check out "Margaritaville" by
Jimmy Buffet, "Brown Eyed Girl" by van Morrison, the intro to
"Bookends" by Simon and Garfunkel, and "Little Martha" by The
Allman Brothers.

Songs in Position and Double Stops

Every song is set in a key. Some of those keys are in really comfy
spots on the guitar. It might seem a tad too stuffy to say that it's best
to play a song on one position versus another, but that's just the way
it goes. It really is not enough that a position sounds great, it must
also feel natural to your hands as well. This is why you can have a
ton of fun playing the guitar.
Whenever you play in position, do keep your left hand in a fixed spot,
and make sure that it remains perpendicular to your guitar's neck.
Your finger 1 must be at the fret for the relevant position, and the
other fingers must remain in the correct order, relative to the position
you're playing. As always, keep your fingers close to the fretboard,
whether or not they are currently in use.
Chapter Ten: Writing Your Song
In this chapter, we're going to go heavy into songwriting. You know
more than enough chords, chord variations, and right- and left-hand
techniques, to take your playing to the next level. It only makes
sense to create your own music, doesn't it? Right on.

All About Songs

Songs are a combo of lyrics and music. Songs are amazing. They
can elicit all kinds of emotions from you. Songs are basically time
machines. They're portals that allow you to visit places and people
past that made you feel alive or feel something.

Why Write Songs?

You might want to write a song to shine light on an issue, express
the way you feel, inspire people, and other stuff like that. There are
lots of reasons for wanting to write a song. It's the perfect vehicle for
delivering a message that the world just may not be willing to listen
to any other way.
You could write a song to express who you really are, express the
music in you that has been dying for release, or to simply follow in
the footsteps of the greatest lyricists of all time. You may just want to
be accepted and make some new, pleasant friends and
acquaintances along the way. Or, you might want to make a real go
of this, and make it your bread and butter!
It really doesn't matter what your reason for wanting to write a tune
or lyrics may be. The important thing is that you have within you a
song that you want to get out. You want to share this with others,
and as such connect with people on a deep level. Above all else,
everyone who writes a song — whether they realize it or not — just
wants to create something that is built to last.
Channeling Your Inner Songwriter
If you're going to write the songs you want to, then there are certain
requirements that you cannot simply ignore. You've got to have
passion. You've got to be madly in love with music. There must be
anall-consumingg need to express yourself using music. Your mind
must be one that is very open to fresh ideas and inspiration that
comes our way. You must be willing to seek out others like yourself
who have already made it, and those still making it. You have to be
willing to network with others who are just as talented, as they can
help you make your dreams come true. It's funny but true that a lot of
the greatest hits that have been written and are now loved by one
and all were never really meant for the public to hear, according to
the writers. They were not songs written with the intention of making
a smash hit. Someone heard them or saw them perform it — usually
someone in the music circle — and then boom, it was recorded and
became a hit.
So you want to write a song, but you don't know where to begin, or
how it works. Well you're reading this now, and that means I've got
you covered. Writing songs is really not something difficult to do. It
takes a lot of inspiration, as well as some sweat and work, but you
can make it happen.

Your Personal Connection to Music

If you want to write your own music, then you're definitely a music
lover. Your most important events in life are probably underscored by
one song or the other. If you feel like you could easily create a
soundtrack for every aspect of your life, then chances are you're
going to do just great! You are going to be able to inspire others with
your music, just as you have been inspired by the greats.

Never Ignore Your Instincts

The fact that a song can make you feel stuff, means that you can
also express yourself using music. If it so happens that you've found
yourself randomly creating melodies and tunes, then you're probably
a songwriter. If you're constantly getting lost as you create new
lyrics, creating new hooks, remixing your favorite songs, then
chances are you're born to write music. Whatever you do, do not
ignore the instincts that urge you to create or write a new song, or
piece of music.

Before Writing Your Song

Once you get a firm grasp on what your why is, the next step is to
figure out where to even start. I want to make it clear that you do not
need any sort of formal training in music before you write your
songs. It would be of some help to you, however, if you could pay a
little bit of the piano or the guitar. Since we've covered guitar playing
in this book, you should have no problem creating a song. It really
helps when you can play an instrument, as that can inspire the lyrics
as well as the structure of your music. It's not required that you be
able to play something, but it sure does go a long way in furthering
your cause.
Now, songwriting is not just putting words together. You've got to be
aware of the other parts to it. When you write a song, you just know
the chords that i will be made up of, as well as the melody — which
is basically the way the tones are arranged in the singing part of your
song. You should also be aware of the rhythm your song will have.
Finally, there are the lyrics to contend with as well. A lot of
successful songwriters find that they are stronger in certain areas
above others. There are exceptional songwriters who can handle all
the parts wonderfully well. If you aren't one of those songwriters,
then you could simply collaborate with others.

Ready for Inspiration

A lot of the time, you'll get the best ideas at the oddest moments, in
the weirdest places. For this reason, you have got to be prepared to
note them down, and then to execute. So whenever an idea for a
lyric or a melody comes to you, you must find a way to note it down.
Always carry a notebook for this purpose, or better yet, note it down
in a Google Drive doc using your cellphone, so you know you could
never lose it. Do not be tempted to not write it down because you
honestly think you'll remember it eventually. That's rarely ever the
case. A lot of the time, even if you do remember it, it will not quite be
the same as when it hits you. Also, it's not enough to just note your
ideas down. Immediately set about making them happen, and you
will definitely make a lot of progress as you continue to be proactive
about your songwriting career.

Song Structure
Every song you've ever heard is based on some sort of structure.
Some of them break the mold and do something different. You can
go this route too, but it helps to know what basic song structure is
before you begin to experiment with new structures of your own.
Also, it helps if you structure your songs in such a way as to be
immediately appealing to the ear, so it can go commercial. At least
do that first, then you can be a rebel later.
We're going to take a good look at a lot of the most common
structures, and forms of songs. We're going to take a look under the
hood and see how most songs can be broken down into very basic
components. You'll see the way all sections of the song are arranged
to form a synergy of harmony and melody.

Terms to Come to Terms With

Before we take a look at the various song forms available, we must
first understand the various terms used by songwriters when they're
talking about all things song related. These are some of the major
ones:
● The intro: This is the start of the song. Sometimes it's the
chorus in a short instrumental form. Other times, it's the verse.
The purpose of the intro is to prepare the listener for the music
they're about to hear. You'll notice that a lot of songs have an
intro. The better the intro is, the more likely you are to stay and
listen to the rest of the song. This is why a lot of producers and
musicians do their best to have really catchy or banging intros.
● The verse: The verse is basically like the song's storyline. It is
what you listen to before the chorus. Thanks to the verse, you'll
know what the song is about, in terms of its message, and
mood as well. Usually, with each new verse, there will be more
and more added to the song's storyline. The patterns of chords
and melody in verses tend to remain the same, with the
occasional, very minor changes in melody to make things more
interesting.
● The pre-chorus: Sometimes, this is also called the "B"
section, or "the set up." It's purely optional. It's the bit that
comes right before the chorus, as the name implies. What the
pre-chorus does is to offer something a little fresh, in terms of
chords and lyrics, before whisking the listener off to the chorus
itself. It's hardly ever more than eight bars long. Occasionally, it
will have the same lyrics every time it rolls around. You don't
always need a pre-chorus. Some songs work just fine without it,
and using a pre-chorus would be unnecessary in those cases.
● The chorus: This is the section of the song that can make or
break the whole thing. It's the money maker. If you have
properly written your chorus, then this should be the part where
everyone will join in to sing along. This is the part that
convinces everyone listening to follow you on Spotify and buy
your album. In the chorus, you will usually find the song's title,
or the hook, which usually comes up at the end of the chorus,
or at the beginning. The chorus also has a certain musical
figure or a signature phrase that will be played over and over
again all through the song, and acts as the one bit that is easily
recognized. Often, in terms of music and lyrics, choruses tend
to be similar, save a few variations. The exception to this rule is
country music, where the lyrical payoff is often withheld until the
very last chorus, and is different from the rest of the choruses in
the song. For the most part, it's better to keep your choruses
alike. This way, your audience will find it easier to sing along.
● The bridge: This is the kind you burn. I'm kidding. This is also
known as the special, or the middle 8 (on account of the fact
that the bridge often goes as long as 8 musical measures), or
the channel, or release. We're just going to call it the bridge. It's
 not always needed. Sometimes the bridge has lyrics. Other
times it's just instrumentals. Regardless of what the bridge is
like, the whole point of it is to give your listeners something
fresh, besides the chorus and the verses they already know.
● The coda: This is usually at the end of the song. It's very
special. It's also called the outro, or the tag. Think of it as the
culmination of musical awesomeness. Some songs just fade
out. Others use a coda.
You're now familiar with the different parts of a song. So, the next
thing to cover is the different ways you can put all these parts
together. There's no set way to do this, so don't let anyone tell you
it's their way or the highway. As you construct your song, you will be
able to tell from listening whether it feels right or wrong.
Usually, the various sections of a song is alphabetized. The verse is
usually the first melodic section, and is called A. The next bit would
be B, and then the third would be C. The fourth, which more often
than not is the bridge, is called D. it doesn't matter if you repeat a
melodic section; even when you use completely different words, that
section will still get the same letter.

Verses
Verses are fundamental to a song. In fact, there are some songs that
didn't use anything other than verses. Now, let's take a look at verse
forms.

The AAA Form

In this verse form, the lyrics are different with each verse, but they
are recorded over the same piece of music, and each verse is
repeated one after the other. So what this implies is that in this form,
there's no chorus, and there is no verse. You'll find the title of the
song will come up either in the first line of the verse, or its last line.
Usually, this verse form is used when there's a story to be told, and
the function of the verse is to advance it. Commonly, church hymns
use the AAA verse form. So do a lot of folk songs. Songs by Joan
Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Judy Collins use this verse form as well.
The way to make the AAA verse form work is to make sure your
melody is very interesting. If it isn't, then you're going to have a hard
time keeping anyone's attention, since you'll be repeating the same
sections the same way. At times there can be some sort of musical
selection in between the verses, so that things are kept interesting.
Sometimes, you could put in a faux chorus, which is basically
something that's kind of like a chorus, but isn't, and will not have the
title or hook of the song in it. These songs are still of the AAA verse
form.
There is not a set limit to the number of verses you can find in songs
with the AAA verse form. Some songs have as few as three verses,
while others have a lot more. Some AAA verse forms don't even
have a single hook.

The AA Verse Form

This is also known as the two-verse form. You'll find these in classic
compositions for American films and Broadway as well. Through the
‘40s and the ‘60s, this verse form held sway, and is still one that a lot
of musicians revert to. On account of the fact that there is no chorus,
pop music has had nearly no use for i since the 70s.
The AA verse form has just two verses. Each verse tells a complete
story. A verse is typically 16 bar long. The second verse will normally
be the same as the first, musically speaking. There are some songs
where the second verse starts off the same as the first verse
musically, but then it ends in a different musical way altogether.

The AABA Verse Form

From the first half of the 20th centre, the AABA verse form was the
go to verse form. Over time though, it has dropped in popularity. Still,
it doesn't hurt to know this verse form, because you just might have
the perfect song in you for it, waiting to be sung!
With the AABA form, the A sections are the verses, while the B is a
bridge. B is basically the section of a song that comes second. You'll
find the title in the last line or the first line of each of the verses, and
often in the exact same place each time.
The bridge provides something different and fresh, in contrast to the
verses, as it often uses much different chords, or a very different
melody. Sometimes it's the lyrics themselves which veer off to a path
unbeaten in the song as yet, and this can be really cool, if you pull it
off well.
With the classic AABA format, the A sections are barely ever more
than 8 bars long, and will have the song's major melody. The three
verses, however, will have completely different words. Sometimes,
the last A section will be a repeat of the first A section. There are
even instances where all the A sections are exactly the same in
lyrics and melody. These are actually exceptions to the rule though.
For the most part, there will be completely different lyrics for all the
verses.
Till date, the AABA form is still in use in a lot of music styles, from
Christian, to theatre, jazz, pop, and film. It's just not as common as it
used to be. With this form, you can have an intensely satisfying
emotional journey. The function of the first two verses is to give you
the song's main melody, then once the bridge comes on, it feels so
different, because it is different. So once you're done with the bridge
and get back to the final verse, it feels very satisfying, emotionally,
as you return to the status quo.
Please note that it's not every time the AABA follows its rules. There
are some songs with the AABA form that don't bother with
introducing the song's title in the first line or the last line of the
verses. Also, some AABA songs happen to have a coda at the end.
A great example of this is the song "Over the Rainbow" sung for the
film The Wizard of Oz.

The AABA form (Extended): AABABA

At the start of the 60s, the AABABA became a popular verse form.
It's still the AABA form, except there's one more bridge, and then
one more verse at the end. Sometimes the verse is merely the
previous verse, repeated, and other times it's just parts of previous
verses stitched together. You can find a lot of Beatles songs written
this way, like "Hey Jude," "Hard Day's Night," "I'll Follow the Sun," "I
Want to Hold Your Hand," "Long and Winding Road," and "I Call Your
Name."

ABAB: The Verse Chorus Form

I'm sure you know this one all too well. That's what's being used
today, in rock, pop, gospel, country, and R&B. Here, the verses are
alternated with a chorus. The chorus stays the same. If it changes,
chances are the change will happen toward the end of the song, to
give it a fresh coda.
The song's story is told in the verses. The chorus will often have the
title as its hook. A lot of rock and pop songs that do very well with
belt out a line that a lot of people can connect to. Once the verse
begins, the listeners are sucked in. Once the chorus comes on, if it's
well written, then it's game over. You've got your listeners hooked,
completely. Listeners love a great chorus. Since you have to repeat
a chorus, it will definitely be imprinted on the minds of your audience,
and that's what makes them keep coming back for more of your stuff.
In the basic format of the ABAB verse form, you can expect to find
two verses that will tell a story, while the chorus simply lays
emphasis on the mood and message of the verse. The chorus
always remains relevant to the song's message. Also, it can begin
and end with the title, so that the listener will always remember the
hook, no matter what. If you want to stay memorable, then definitely
stick your title in the first line of your chorus. Another tactic is to have
the title in the first and last line of the whole song.

ABC: Verse Chorus Form + Pre-Chorus

Pre-choruses are amazing when they are written and used well. The
pre-chorus is like a bridge. A little one. Just like a bridge, it takes
your listeners to uncharted territory, and gives you a little more room
to beef up our story before you get into the chorus.
Whenever you write a song, you have to pause and consider
whether your chorus would pack a lot more of a punch if you set it up
with a nice pre-chorus first. The great thing about pre-choruses is
that there is room for chords that have not yet been used in the
song, and if your chorus and verse use the same chords, then it just
makes sense to use a pre-chorus. Also, you could put the title of
your song right in the pre-chorus as well.

ABABC: Verse Chorus Form with Bridge

The point of a bridge is to give a sort of intermission between the
song's other sections. This format of songwriting is very popular in
this day and age. Let's analyze the song "Everything You Want" by
Vertical Horizon, which was released in 2000. First, the song begins
with two verses, before getting into the chorus, which sucks you in.
Once the two verses are over, the song plays out in a very repetitive
way that is super catchy. This is the part of the song that sticks in
your head. Then there's the third verse, which is the same mood that
has been taken care of in previous parts of the song, but with some
differences. Then the chorus comes up next. After the chorus, you
have the bridge, and it's just amazing in theme and in terms of chord
progression, giving the singer more of a challenge, which is dealt
with beautifully. Then the song goes on to the fourth verse, inspiring
a sense of nostalgia. After this, is a chorus repeated twice, where the
pronouns have been changed to the first person. Interwoven
throughout the song is a moody, magical guitar motif, which shows
itself to be an important aspect of the song.

ABCABCD: Verse Chorus Form with Pre-Chorus

and Bridge
This is another popular form of song. The ABCABCD is no joke. It's
the form you use when you mean to make a mean song — as in a
song that is just pure awesomeness. With this form, you have a pre-
chorus preceding all choruses. You also have a bridge that is smack
dab in the middle of the song. Often, that bridge comes right after
chorus number two, before the song's out chorus or final chorus ,
if you prefer that term. If you really want to ride out the attention span
of your listeners, you could add a third verse just after the bridge,
before you move to the final chorus.
The beauty of this song form is that allows you to get your point
across lyrically. It allows you to make the statement you want to, and
makes for a challenge to get on the air since most radio stations play
songs of a certain length, beyond which they are not eager to go. To
use this form, you have to be precise. You need to make sure it's not
all over the place. For a great example of this, do check out the track
"Hold on Loosely" by 38 Special. This was written by Jeff Carlisi,
Don Barnes, and Jim Peterik. It continues to enjoy airplay, even
today. In this form, you will notice there are ties when the last verse
of the song just eschews the pre-chorus and goes straight to the final
chorus. The writers have built the song up so well that there is no
further need for the pre-chorus.
Another song worth looking at is "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. This
song definitely leaves a mark, reeling you in from start to finish. It
has wonderful twists which keep it very fresh each time you listen.
The song begins with a piano figure of its verse. The one reference
in the entire song to the title happens only in the first verse — a very
contrarian way of writing.
Right after, you have the chorus. It's anything but the usual stuff,
since there's not a peep about the chorus. Once the chorus is over,
there's an instrumental signature that has very palpable significance,
played by a section of strings. Next comes the second verse, which
is written with the same structure the previous verse has. The one
difference is that the last line before chorus two, which has even
more of an impact on account of how it is extended. One of the
wonderfully wacky things about the second chorus is that while the
lyrical rhythm and the melody of the song remain the same, every
word is different. The only thing that remains constant are the words
"Tell me" which is the song's hook.
Next, you've got the bridge. However, it is not the conventional
bridge that switches the mood up by using different keys. It makes
use of devices reminiscent of chanting, and it also switches up the
action by changing the lyrical rhythm. Next, the song breaks down to
simply voice and piano, and then it goes into the out chorus. The
writers do not stay true to conventions forms, even here. They don't
bother to combine the bits of older choruses into a single form.
Instead, the song ends with "Na, na, na," giving a very infectious
vibe, as there are various ad libs from vocals from different parts of
the song. The final line is a very new twist on a passage from much
earlier in the song. The song's lyrics are open to whatever
interpretation you glean from it.
There are lots of songs out there which just do not follow the rules,
and they have turned out amazing. Maybe you just could be inspired
by the beauty that is "Drops of Jupiter." If you really want to stand
out, if you want to be noticed, then you could move around the
sections of your song, so there's clearly something unique about
your music. However, don't overdo this. There's a fine art to it. If you
do it wrong, you're just going to have one very confusing track.

Practice!
The best way to get really good at something is to practice. You can
take some great examples of the songs and forms you like, and then
analyze them. Break them down into their separate parts, so you can
see what makes them so unique. I recommend you choose your top
7 tracks, no matter what era it's from. Listen to them, and then break
down their structure. Write it out on a piece of paper, or print out the
lyrics from the internet if you need to. When you've got them written
out, you can see the sections, and see how they were made to fit
together seamlessly. If you notice that your favorite songs tend to
have the same pattern, then you might want to consider creating
songs in that same form.
Pay attention to how the great songs continue to ignore conventions.
Notice how they challenge the status quo. Take notes as you listen.
Ask yourself what it is each section has that makes it very unique
compared to all other sections of the song. Focus on the way the
story is built upon, from one verse to the next. Notice the way the
chorus takes the song to a new level. Observe how the bridge allows
the listener to enjoy something new, and fresh, changing the tone
and mood of the song.
Figure out the strange things or the super original stuff in your most
loved songs. If you love a song, chances are there are certain
elements in it which make it stand out from every other track out
there. Some songs will do the weirdest things, like choose to move
down a key rather than up on the chorus. Just be on the lookout for
cool stuff in the songs you love that really get you.
Finally, you should pay attention to where the titles of your most
loved songs pop up in the songs themselves. The more inventive
writers do not bother with placing the titles in the first line of the
chorus. So look at what they choose to do instead. Do they set up
the titles in the end of the chorus, or the bridge? Maybe they choose
the pre-chorus. Maybe they don't even bother to put the title in. Be
curious about this, and apply what you learn to your own writing.
Conclusion
So, we have finally come to the end of what has been a wonderful
journey! I'm willing to bet by now, if you have put in all the work
needed, you're a pro at playing the guitar! Okay, maybe you're not a
pro. But you're certainly not a newbie either! The goal is not just to
finish this book, but to put everything that you have learned into
practice. It's important to practice as often as you can. Set aside a
time of day each day, where you can just practice uninterrupted. If
you spent so much money on a guitar, and you invested your time
reading this book, doesn't it make sense that you should do what
needs to be done to reap the benefits? Of course, you know it's
worth it! That's why you should practice.
The beautiful thing about playing the guitar is that the more you do it,
the more you'll discover, and the better you get. You'll develop the
strength you need to play every note and every chord loud and clear,
the way it ought to be! What's more, you get to lookultra-cooll as you
play. Now, you're no longer just the guy or gal who lugs a guitar
about; you actually can play it. That's awesome, in my book.
Keep in mind that there will be times when playing your guitar feels
like an absolute chore. This is completely fine. There is nothing
abnormal about that. On days like that, it is okay to take a break.
Never be too hard on yourself. Remind yourself that it's only a rough
patch. Think back to when you first learned to ride a bike, or a car.
Sure, it was frustrating in the beginning, having to keep track of so
many little things. But somehow, you pulled through. Now, even if
you go years without riding a bike, you know once you get on one, it
will be as though you've always ridden it your whole life. It's truly the
same thing with learning to play the guitar. You just need to give it
some time, some work, and a lot of patience. It will most definitely
pay off!
If you're looking to learn the guitar because you intend to use it to
augment your music career or something, then I sure hope that this
book has been of immense value to you. Call me old fashioned, but
I have always believed that a true musician should be able to play at
least one instrument. You could definitely never go wrong by
choosing the guitar!
Don't just stop with this book. Go on YouTube and check out videos
to help you better your technique. Check out amazing guitarists of
today, like Acoustic Trench and his cute little dog. Dare to challenge
yourself and to grow. Even when you feel like you've mastered every
chord and technique in this book, still do your homework by checking
out other stuff. There are people who do amazing things with the
guitar. I saw a guy play an entire set where he kept fiddling with the
tuning gears while playing , and it was beautiful. I saw a lady
playing reggae tunes, and she had rigged her guitar so she could
also play the reggae drums on them as well. It was insane! The point
is that there are so many things you can do with your guitar. Do not
allow tradition to get in your way! Dare to think outside the box and
to experiment. Who knows, you could create a whole new style of
guitar playing!
Again, this is not rocket science. You do not need to know every little
thing there is to know about music theory before you begin enjoying
the guitar. I personally started by playing tunes I knew and loved by
ear. It wasn't until decades later that I bothered with learning the
technical stuff — and even that, I will admit I'm still struggling with.
But you know what? When I pick up the guitar and play in position,
no one can tell I don't know the difference between fortissimo
and pianissimo! Okay, I do know the difference between those two
terms, but you understand the point I'm trying to drive home.
At the end of the day, what I really would love you to do is have fun
as you learn. Have fun as you grow in strength, dexterity, and
prowess in your guitar playing journey. Celebrate the little wins.
When your calluses come in, celebrate even those too. Find little
ways to keep inspiring yourself through it all, so that you keep going
with this. When the time comes that you want to create your own
music, you will have all the necessary tools needed to make that a
reality, and you'll have a blast doing so. I guarantee that. So what are
you waiting for? Go on then, and strum! Who knows? You could very
well be the next Hendrix. I'm rooting for you!
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