"Learn to Play Guitar Online Using The Incredible 'Step by Step

System' That Can Improve Your Guitar Skills Overnight And

Have YOU Playing It Like A Pro"

(And more importantly how you don't need any expensive teachers or "hard to study"

methods to achieve these results)

These guitar lessons are arranged with the absolute beginner in mind. Each lesson builds upon the things you learn in the previous lesson. To get the most benefit, I would suggest that you start with lesson one and proceed to the next only when you have the previous lesson thoroughly learned. If you already have some guitar playing experience, You may want to scan the first few lessons to determine where you are best suited to start.
Also, these lessons assume that you are learning on an electric guitar, but an acoustic will work just fine. However, there are techniques here and there that will be difficult or impossible to play on an acoustic guitar. These sections can be skipped over without fear of compromising your own learning. It is also assumed that you are holding the guitar with your left hand on the fingerboard.

HOW THE STRINGS ARE IDENTIFIED

It's a good idea to become familiar with the various parts of a guitar before we go any further. Take a minute or so right now to examine the graphics below.



ACOUSTIC GUITAR

ELECTRIC GUITAR

The basic guitar is equipped with six strings. They are numbered in order from the highest sounding (first), down to the lowest sounding (sixth).

1 = First (high)

2 = Second

3 = Third

4 = Fourth

5 = Fifth

6 = Sixth (low)

Each one is also identified with a letter from the Musical Alphabet:

1 = E

2 = B

3 = G

4 = D

5 = A

6 = E

Here is a simple acrostic which I have my students use to help them memorize the letters associated with each string. Start from the sixth and move up to the first.

------------------------------------------------------------1 = E---------

-----------------------------------------------2 = B----------------------

-------------------------------------3 = G--------------------------------

---------------------------4 = D------------------------------------------

------------------5 = A---------------------------------------------------

---------6 = E------------------------------------------------------------

They are referred to as OPEN tones when played in this manner.

LESSON OBJECTIVE: To memorize the letters and numbers associated with each string.

PRACTICE: Play the open by starting on the sixth string and moving to the first. Say the acrostic out loud as you hear the sound of each tone. Then repeat the process saying just the first letter of each word in the acrostic. After you have memorized the letters associated with each tone in this order, try saying them in reverse by starting on the first and moving back to the sixth.

INTRODUCING THE FRETBOARD

The guitar fretboard, or neck, is divided by metal strips called frets. The NUT, is the white

plastic strip found at the base of the headstock.
The metal strip that is located on the neck just above the NUT, is the FIRST FRET, next is the SECOND FRET, then THIRD, etc... as seen below:

NUT>-1st-fret->-2nd-fret->-3rd-fret->-4th-fret->etc...

When you start on an open note of any string and move UP the neck one fret at a time you will notice the sound of the string getting higher.

Likewise, when you move DOWN the neck toward the HEAD of the guitar the sound gets lower.
It is important for you to realize that you are moving FORWARD on the guitar fretboard both numerically and alphabetically as the sound gets higher and BACKWARD in the same manner as the sound gets lower.

Let's look at the fifth string (open A) as an example:

FRET -----0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--10-
STRING---A-----B--C-----D-----E--F-----G---

As you can also see from the example above, when you move from the open A on the 5th string to B on the 2nd fret, you must SKIP ONE FRET. This distance is referred to as a WHOLE STEP. If you continue up the 5th string you will notice the distance between each letter of the MUSICAL ALPHABET is a whole step EXCEPT:

BC and EF

In music these tones, BC and EF, are always a HALF-STEP apart. All the other letters are a WHOLE STEP apart.

In the previous lesson you learned that the letters of the MUSICAL ALPHABET are:

A B C D E F G

These letters represent NATURAL tones and correspond to the WHITE keys on a piano.

The frets in between the NATURAL tones relate to the BLACK keys on the piano and are known as SHARPS (#) or FLATS (b).

Whenever a NATURAL tone is raised a half-step it becomes a SHARP tone.

Whenver a NATURAL tone is lowered a half-step it becomes a FLAT tone.
I

f you begin with the open A on the 5th string for example, and move up the guitar fretboard to the 1st fret you have raised the A NATURAL to an A Sharp.

If you begin with B on the 2nd fret and move down to the 1st fret you have lowered the B NATURAL to Bb.

--0---1st--2nd
--A-A#-Bb-B-

Now you may be wondering what on earth all this has to do with playing the guitar. Well, NATURALS, SHARPS, and FLATS, are a fundamental part of all music. Knowing how they apply to the guitar fretboard will enhance your understanding of scales, chord structure, reading standard notation, and playing lead guitar.

"WALK-UP" THE GUITAR FRETBOARD

Assuming that you are right handed, the fingers of your left hand will be used to press the strings down on the guitar fretboard. Your right hand will be used to strum or pick the strings. The fingers of your left hand are numbered like this:

1 = first finger

2 = second finger

3 = third finger

4 = fourth finger

When playing notes on the guitar in FIRST POSITION:

1. Your FIRST FINGER plays the notes on the First Fret (the space between the First Fret and the Nut.)
2. Your SECOND FINGER plays the notes on the Second Fret (the space between the First Fret and the Second Fret.)
3. THIRD FINGER/THIRD FRET
4. FOURTH FINGER/FOURTH FRET.

EXERCISE:

1. Strike the first string with the thumb of your right hand. This is the OPEN E string.
2. Now place the first finger of your left hand on the first string behind the first fret. Press down. Strike the string again with the thumb of your right hand.
3. Next, move to the second fret with your second finger and repeat the process. Continue moving up the first string until you have used all four fingers.
4. After you’ve reached the fourth fret, move to the second string and repeat the exercise. Practice this on each string.

E = 0 1----2----3----4----

B = 0 1----2----3----4----

G = 0 1----2----3----4----

D = 0 1----2----3----4----

A = 0 1----2----3----4----

E = 0 1----2----3----4----

LESSON OBJECTIVE:

1. Know the difference between half-steps and whole steps on the guitar fretboard.
2. Memorize where half-steps and whole steps occur in the MUSICAL ALPHABET.
3. Use the Chromatic Scale to develop left and right hand coordination skills, finger calluses, and strength.

PRACTICE:

1. Play the Walk Up Exercises on the guitar fretboard everyday. Go Forward and backward. Focus on clarity of tone (sound) with an even tempo (speed).

2. Speed and Coordination Exercises - You can use this free pdf file for extra practice.

READING GUITAR TAB

Guitar tablature (tab for short) is a system of notation that graphically represents strings and frets of the guitar fretboard. Each note is indicated by placing a number which indicates the fret to play, on the appropriate string. With these easy instructions you will be able to understand how to read and write guitar tab in 5 minutes.

The Basics of Reading Guitar Tab

To start out, tabs are written in lines, each line representing a string on the guitar. The thickest string being the bottom most line and the thinnest string being the topmost.

e--------------------------------

B--------------------------------

G--------------------------------

D--------------------------------

A--------------------------------

E--------------------------------

Numbers are then placed on these lines to represent finger positions on the guitar fret board. If you read the diagram below you would play this on a guitar by putting your finger just behind the 2nd fret on the 5th string (or the second thickest string). As musical notes this would read as follows B B B C# B A. The ‘zero’ represents playing an open string. So in this case you would play the A open with no finger position on the fretboard.
e-------------------------------

B-------------------------------

G-------------------------------

D-------------------------------

A--2--2--2--4--2--0------------

E-------------------------------





How to Read Guitar Tab Chords
To tab a chord the notes would be placed in a vertical line upon the horizontal ones. This diagram represents a C Chord. You would strum the bottom 5 strings of the guitar in one motion if you were to read this tab properly.
e--0----------------------------

B--1----------------------------

G--0----------------------------

D--2----------------------------

A--3----------------------------

E-------------------------------
And this one you would strum the ‘C Chord’ three times.
e--0--0--0---------------------

B--1--1--1---------------------

G--0--0--0---------------------

D--2--2--2---------------------

A--3--3--3---------------------

E------------------------------

The one shortcoming of guitar tab is it doesn’t usually represent how long to hold a note for, or rhythm very well. Although some good tab writers will represent it by how much space is between each note. Tab works best if you listen to the song for guidance on timing then read the notes and practice it. Here for example is the timing of ‘Day Tripper’ by the Beatles, note the distances between the numbers, the first ‘0′ would ring slightly longer then the next 4 notes and the distance between D2 and D0 would also indicate a break in timing:
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G-----------------------------

D-----------2---0---4---0-2--

A---------2-------2---2-------

E-0---3-4---------------------




Tablature Symbols
The numbers don’t really describe the subtle techniques that a guitarist can execute, these are the tablature symbols that represent various techniques.
h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend string up
r - release bend
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
v - vibrato (sometimes written as ~)
t - right hand tap
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

A Hammer On
A hammer on is executed by picking a note and then hammering done with the fretting hand on the second note. The second note isn’t actually picked but kind of echos the first one. Here is an example of how hammer ons are written in tab:
e----------------------5h7----

B------------------5h7--------

G--------------5h7------------

D----------5h7----------------

A------5h7--------------------

E--5h7------------------------
A Pull Off
A pull off is the opposite of a hammer on, so the first note is played again then the fretting hand pulls the finger off and lets the one fretted behind it play.
e----------------------7p5----

B------------------7p5--------

G--------------7p5------------

D----------7p5----------------

A------7p5--------------------

E--7p5------------------------
A Bend
A bend is represented by the symbol ‘b’, this is where the fretting hand actually bends the string to give a wobbly effect.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7b----7b-------------------

D--------------7b----7b-------

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------
A Release Bend
A release bend is represented by the symbol ‘r’, this is just like a bend, but it tells you when to release the bend and go to the next note.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7r5---7r5------------------

D--------------7r5---7r5------

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------
A Slide-Up
A slide up is represented by the symbol ‘/’. You would play the first note on 7 then slide the finger that is holding that note up to 9.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7/9---7/9------------------

D--------------7/9---7/9------

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------
A Slide-Down
Opposite of a Slide Up, slide down is represented by the symbol ‘\’. You would play the first note on 7 then slide the finger that is holding that note down to 5.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7/5---7/5------------------

D--------------7/5---7/5------

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------

Vibrato
Vibrato is like a constant rhythmic bending of the string. You do a bend up and bend down quickly to create a moving sound. It is usually represented by ‘v’ or ‘~’.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7v-------------------------

D--------------------7~~~-----

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------
Tapping
Tapping is much like a hammer-on but you don’t strum any notes. Just tap the notes on the fret board with your fretting hand.
e-----------------------------

B-----------------------------

G--7t---7t---7t---------------

D-----------------------------

A-----------------------------

E-----------------------------

TUNING THE GUITAR

Tuning the guitar is easy once you understand how the fretboard works. But, even if you don't have a clue about the fretboard, it's still a very simple process.

Today there are many electronic and digital devices available to help you with tuning your guitar. I use the Korg TM-40 because it has both a tuner and a metronome. It comes in handy when I’m teaching and I also like to use the metronome during my own practice sessions.

It can also be a great asset to have when playing with a group of other musicians because it makes tuning up a breeze. So you might want to consider adding one to your gig bag.
The method I'm going to show you today, however, will teach you how to LISTEN to the tones of your guitar.

This is an important area to develop if you wish to become a better musician.
To begin with let's review some guitar basics. Remember that the strings are identified like this:

LETTER> E A D G B E

STRING> 6 5 4 3 2 1

These letters represent the natural open tones (sound) of each string and they move forward alphabetically as you ascend (move up) the neck. Each letter is the distance of one whole step from the other except B/C and E/F. These two pairs are always a half-step apart (see lesson on Introducing The Fretboard for further review).

Let's look at the fifth and sixth string as an example:

open-1--2--3--4--5-
5 = A----B--C-----D-

6 = E-F-----G-----A-

Notice that when you arrive on the fifth fret you are on the letter A. This is the same tone as the open A on the fifth string! When you compare the sound of both tones on each string, they should sound the same.

With this in mind, let's get started tuning the guitar!

TUNING TABLATURE

1. Press down and strike the A on the sixth string at the fifth fret.
2. Next, strike the open A on the fifth string.
3. Slowly adjust the fifth string until it matches the sound of the fretted A on the sixth string.
4. Now move to the fifth sting and again press down at the fifth fret. This is D and should sound the same as the open D on the fourth string. Compare and adjust as needed.
5. Move to the fourth string, press down G at the fifth fret. Follow the same proceedure and compare with the open G on the third string.
6. When you arrive at the third string you must move to the FOURTH FRET. This is B (third string, fourth fret). Press down and compare with the open B on the second string. You're almost done!
7. Move back to the FIFTH FRET on the second string. You are now playing an E. Compare this tone with the open E on the first string.
Wah-Lah! You have successfully learned the secret of tuning the guitar by ear!
LESSON OBJECTIVE: To become familiar with tuning the guitar using the method given in this lesson.

PRACTICE

Use this method to help develop your ability to hear the correct pitch of each tone. If you have an electronic or digital tuner, you can use that to check how accurate you are when you've finished. If you continue using this method you should notice an overall improvement in your ability to hear correct pitch after a relatively short tme!

THE IMPORTANCE OF RHYTHM

This lesson will cover the importance of rhythm. You don't need to read music to be able to play the guitar, but having an understanding of note values can be very helpful.

Being able to feel the beats and keep time is essential if you're going to play a song correctly. This is extremely important if you are interested in playing with other musicians. No one will be that excited about having you in their band if you can't keep time with the rhythm of the music!

There have been several occasions when I've acquired a new student who expressed trouble keeping a regular steady beat even after playing guitar for several years. In order to do this a person needs to understand how to count or feel the beats within a measured length of time. That is the essence of rhythm.

In this lesson you will learn about note values and how to count them while playing an A minor scale.

Notes and rests are common symbols used to describe a duration of time in music. The time is measured with beats. This is how the rhythm is established.

At some point in your life you have probably experienced tapping your foot to a song you were listening to. Without realizing it, you were feeling the pulse and keeping time with the rhythm by counting beats! One important thing to be aware of is the fact that
music is primarily an intuitive process and preceeds the WRITTEN form.

Someone creates a piece of music from within themselves and later puts it down on paper as a way of remembering or sharing it with others. You want to develop this ability to FEEL the rhythm of the music intuitively within yourself.

However, understanding some of the symbols within the written form can help you to achieve a good sense of ryhthm.

Each of the following note symbols has a name related to the number of beats it receives:

Whole Note - receives 4 beats.

Half Note - receives 2 beats.

Quarter Note - receives 1 beat.

Eighth Note - receives 1/2 a beat.

The notes are placed on five horizontal lines called a staff. Two vertical bar lines define the space in between known as a measure.

As you can see, the example above uses quarter notes. Count each one individually, just as if you were counting four coins: 1 2 3 4.

Because we are using four beats to a measure we can replace the quarter notes with either two half-notes or one whole note.

Continuing with our analogy of money, a half-note is similar to a half-dollar, and a whole note is similar to a one dollar bill. In other words.

4 quarters = 4 beats
2 halves = 4 beats
1 whole = 4 beats

Today, most guitar music is accompanied by tablature. This is a method which uses numbers and letters instead of notes to indicate how the music is played.

Tablature is an easy way for most students to learn how to play the guitar. I use it very often myself. Unfortunately, tablature doesn't always include the rhythm structure of the song. This means you won't be able to play the piece correctly unless you have heard it or someone shows you the rhythm.

The best way for learning a song in written form is by using a combination of the two. Tablature that includes standard notation will also enable you to learn the rhythm if you know how to interpret the note values and count the beats!

Below is an example of tablature and notation combined. The notes above are written on the five lines of a staff indicating the rhythm. There are four quarter notes in each measure, so be sure to count 1 2 3 4 in all four measures.

The six lines of the tablature represent the six strings of the guitar. The bottom line equals the low sixth string, the top line equals the first string.

The numbers on the lines represent the fret you will play. Use the 1st finger when playing the first fret, 2nd finger, second fret, 3rd finger, third fret, and 4th finger, fourth fret.

PLAY THE TABLATURE EXERCISE:

1. Start by playing the open A (5th string). The next note to play is B on the second fret, then C on the third fret. All three notes (A, B, C) are on the same string.

2. Continue up to the open D on the 4th string, playing each fret indicated, then go to the 3rd string.

3. Play the open G and then A on the second fret. Now go back down, reversing the order.
This is the Musical Alphabet A B C D E F G A, which is also an A minor scale. Notice as the notes go up on the staff you are also moving forward in the alphabet as well as higher in sound. Likewise, as the notes go down the staff you are moving backward in the alphabet and lower in sound.

From this scale we can make an A Minor Chord. A chord is simply a combination of 3 or more tones (or notes) played simultaneously. All chords are built from scales.

The numbers on the chord grid in between the staff and the tablature represent your fingers. This tells you what fingers to use to make an A minor chord.

The whole notes on the staff above tell you to strum the chord once, then count to four while sustaining the sound.

The tablature beneath shows the frets your fingers should be on. Any letter from the Musical Alphabet with a small m next to it represents a MINOR CHORD.
Play the A minor scale again, this time adding the A minor chord at the end. Count a rhythm of 4 beats per measure. Strum the A minor chord one time and let the sound continue as you count the 4 beats of a whole note.

Another chord that is easy to play and also works nicely with Am, is Em.

IMPORTANT:

Keeping your 2nd finger down while practicing this rhythm exercise will help you to remember the chord shapes. You will also be applying a principle known among guitarists as "economy of motion". In other words, less is more! You don't want to slow yourself down with unnecessary motion.

LESSON OBJECTIVE:

To understand how to count a common 4 beat rhythm using the tablature, chord grids and basic note values described in this lesson. To learn the A minor scale along with the Am and Em chords.

PRACTICE:

Play the A minor scale forward and back everyday, using whole notes, half-notes and quarter notes.
Play the chord exercise after the scale. In a short time you should begin to feel comfortable with the fingering. Memorize where each letter of the scale is as you play.

GUITAR SCALES

Guitar scales are important "tools" musicians use to understand chords, increase speed, develop a good ear, play licks and riffs, transpose keys, improvise, and play lead guitar. As you can see, scales are pretty important and they can help you gain a better understanding of your instrument!

This lesson will focus on the C Major Scale, which is foundational to an understanding of music in general.

Like the A Minor Scale in the previous lesson, C Major uses NATURAL notes (tones). The difference being that you will now start on the letter C (instead of A) and move up alphabetically until you again reach the letter C. But before you begin, let me explain a few more things about guitar scales and how they work.

There are 8 degrees (or tones) in a Major Scale:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Notice that the letter name of the 8th degree is C, the same letter name as the 1st degree. The 8th degree of a scale is called an OCTAVE, which simply means eight. The 1st degree is called the ROOT or TONIC and it establishes the Key Note (name) of the scale. The distance from one tone to the next is called an INTERVAL.

Major scales always follow a consistant pattern of whole steps and half-steps. Here is the pattern of a Major Scale:

W W 1/2 W W W 1/2

You can see this pattern clearly on the guitar when you play the scale up the neck using only one string.

E--------------------------------------------

B--1----3----5--6----8----10----12--13------

G--------------------------------------------

D--------------------------------------------

A--------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------

Using your first finger, play the C MAJOR SCALE by following the tablature and moving up the neck along the 2nd string. Notice the series of WHOLE STEPS AND HALF-STEPS as you move up the neck toward the 13th fret. If you play it correctly you will hear the familiar sound:

Do Re Me Fa So La Ti Do

Now play the scale in FIRST POSITION. Remember that "first position" means you will only play notes within the first 4 frets of the guitar. Begin at the ROOT and ascend to the OCTAVE, moving across the strings. It will be harder to see the whole steps and half-steps, but it"s still very easy to do.

Now, starting at the Octave, go down the scale until you reach the Root.