Contents

Guitar for Beginners.........................................................................................3

Buying the Best Guitar.....................................................................................4
So You've found the Right Guitar?...................................................................6
Buying an Amp.................................................................................................8
When Buying an Amplifier:.............................................................................11
Accessories....................................................................................................13
How to Tune...................................................................................................15
How to use a Metronome ..............................................................................17
Chords, or Tab?..............................................................................................21
Open Chords..................................................................................................24
Barre Chords..................................................................................................28
How to Read Tab............................................................................................29
Techniques.....................................................................................................34
How Do I Hold the Pick?................................................................................34
Fingerstyle......................................................................................................37
Legato............................................................................................................38
Bending and Vibrato.......................................................................................41
Muting............................................................................................................42
How to Solo....................................................................................................44
How to Re-String............................................................................................46
Ready to Rock?..............................................................................................48

Star ting Out

Are you a guitarist? Do you want to learn the technique to be shredding like
the greats? Or are you just in it for the fun?
I know when I started, all I wanted to do was have fun with the instrumentand any thought of taking this so seriously as to organise my time around it
seemed, well, boring- and there's a good chance you think the same right
now, right?
There is something I did manage to do- something so simple- but it
transformed the way I thought about practising my guitar forever. What is
this?
The thing I realised is, when we learn anything, we do it by association.
This means that, once we learn a song with certain chords in (say C, and
Em), we've not only just learnt ways to play those chords, but we've also just
seen how those chords sound and relate to each other in a song, how the
melody notes fit over the chords, which licks fit over which chords...
Do you want to know what the best part is?! Not only can we learn something
new from every single song that we learn, by "lifting out" licks and riffs to use
in our own playing (which eventually become absorbed into our own, unique
style), BUT also, we gain a deeper understanding of how the music works
(without sitting through hundreds of boring textbooks!).
So when you next sit down with your guitar, hopefully you wont see it as just
"I put this finger here, and then this one here...", you'll see it as "I play a C,
and then an Em, which are chords I know (from previous songs I've learnt) go
with the E minor scale...".
And realising this was what changed the way I played the guitar. It gave me a
deeper understanding of what's happening in the music, and it allowed me to,
eventually, compose my own songs and guitar solos- because I understood
what was happening in the music!
So, as you work your way through this E-book, remember that every chord,
every technique, and every little bit of music theory I talk about here is- most
importantly- part of a wider musical context.

Buying the Best Guitar

I still remember the first guitar I played. It was an old, beaten up classical
guitar and that's probably why I still place more importance on learning to
play guitar with good technique than having the best equipment available!
It's not what you have, it's how you use it!
Nonetheless, when you go out to buy a guitar, you don't want to be ripped off!
So I'm going to attempt to lead you through the- sometimes very dauntingactivity of buying a guitar.
W hat Do You Want to Play?
As always, start from the basics, what do you want to play? Obviously the
reason you're buying a guitar is to play the music you love, right? I wouldn't
suggest buying a guitar unless you know what music you like. So what is it?
Classical
If you want to play traditional Spanish music, or are a fan of John Williams
(the guitar player, not the film composer from "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park"
etc,!), you probably want a guitar that's strung with nylon strings (known as a
"Classical Guitar").
These guitars have a wider string spacing,
which is great for playing classical music, but it
also means a wider neck which can inhibit your
fretting hand (which will make it more difficult to
play rock or pop).
Classical Guitar: Photo by Jason
Bachman

Classical guitars also have a lower string tension (i.e. less strength is needed)
and a higher action (distance between fretboard and string being bigger),
again making it difficult to play more modern styles of music. These types of
guitars, however, are easier to handle, and smaller than the others- they also
produce a rounder tone.
Classical guitars are also good for young children to play because they
require less strength and are smaller.

Acoustic
If, however, you prefer players such as Pat Metheny,
Turin Brakes, Bob Dylan, or you want to accompany
yourself singing, you'll almost definitely want a steel
strung acoustic. These guitars are similar to nylon
strung acoustics, but steel strings have a higher
tension (slightly stronger fingers are needed). The
guitar's body also tends to be bigger to create a louder
sound (which I've known some smaller people to have
trouble with), and the strings are closer together- so
these guitars are much better for acoustic rock or jazz
Acoustic Guitar: Image by
and have a "folky" type sound.
Eurok

Tur n it up!

"...but what if I want to play with a band?" I hear you say. If you want to play
guitar with other instruments (especially drum kits), you might notice that the
guitar is, by itself, a very quiet instrument (compared to, say, the saxophone).
This is where amplifiers come in. It is possible to buy steel strung acoustics
that can be plugged in to amps, or you can buy pickups for them (I myself use
a pickup that attaches to the sound hole), but if you really want to rock, you
should buy an electric.
Electric guitars are played buy such bands as:
Metallica, ACDC, KISS, Jimi Hendrix etc, and are the
right choice if you like these kind of bands. The strings
on an electric are the closest together, and have less
tension than those of a steel strung acoustic. The
bodies are also normally smaller, because they don't
need to create their own volume.
Electric Guitar: Image
by Dave Matos

The volume of an electric guitar is created by the amplifier (which you will
also need to buy). The sound travels from the guitar, through a jack lead, and
into an amplifier (where the sound is amplified, duh!). So you will need to buy
a jack lead and amplifier along with the guitar.

So You've found the Right

Guitar?
You're in the shop and have decided which type of guitar you want, what do
you do? Do you just grab the first one you see? The shop could contain
hundreds! What should you be considering (other than price) when buying a
guitar? Here is my breakdown of the main things to be concerned about.
Always Play the Guitar
ALWAYS play the guitar. Seems kinda obvious now that I've said it, right?
You MUST like the feel of playing a guitar before you even consider buying it!
Holding it must be comfortable and (I have to say this, it's important!) it has to
look "cool".
Right, that's not something about the guitar, more about the look that you
want- but if you love to hold your guitar and it makes you look awesome, then
all the more reason to play, right?
Also, when playing it (assuming you can already play), you shouldn't find it
awkward or particularly difficult. The guitar should be easy to play, and if it's
not, try a different guitar! If you can't play yet, then you haven't found what
you prefer, so it won't matter so much for you at this stage.
So what about the build quality? How do you know if something is seriously
wrong with the guitar? Here are some things to look out for:
Action
The guitars "action" is the distance between the fretboard and the strings, if it
is too high it can make the guitar difficult to play, but if it's too low it can cause
the strings to "buzz" against the frets. The action is also linked to the
intonation, so you'll want to make sure that's set up properly (especially if
you're buying a classical guitar, because on these it's not easily adjustable!).
Lift the guitar up and look down it from the base of the body along through to
the head. The neck should be almost straight and with only a slight curve- so
that the strings are closer to the neck at the nut, and get slowly further away
as they reach the 12th fret. There should be no "bumps" or "wobbles" in the

neck, because this means that the neck has "warped" or requires a truss rod
adjustment (classical guitars don't have a truss rod).
Sound
You should like the sound of the guitar.
Again, seems kinda obvious now that I've said it, but don't forget: this is what
you're buying the guitar for. Make sure the guitar sounds good to you, and
sounds how you want.
Test the note at the 12th fret against the open string, and it should be exactly
an octave apart (you might want to use a tuner for this!), if it isn't then the
intonation needs adjusting.
...and talking about the tuning...
Tuning Stability
This can be affected by incorrectly set intonation, but (more commonly) it'll be
a problem with the machine heads (tuning pegs).
When you tune the guitar up, the tuning pegs shouldn't feel extra stiff, or
particularly loose, they should also be able to hold the string in tune whilst
you play (known as "tuning stability"). If they are too loose, you will most likely
have to turn them a lot to get the string up to pitch! However, if they are too
tight they make not be sensitive enough to get the string exactly in tune. You
don't want to be spending years just winding the strings up to pitch, but also
I'm sure you want the tuning pegs accurate enough to get the guitar in tune!
Looser tuning pegs may also "unwind" and detune the string slowly as you
play- again, this is bad!
So, if the guitar seems to be OK after the above checks, then it's probably a
pretty decent guitar. One thing I would look for also, is build quality. Make
sure the guitar is well made (i.e. try to avoid unpolished surfaces or messy
glue joints), all things you would look for in most wooden products (furniture,
for instance). You don't want the guitar to fall apart once you get it home!

Buying an Amp

Marshall JCM900: Picture by Timitrius

On many occasions I've talked about the importance of having a good

amplifier for your electric (or electro-acoustic) guitar. After all, however good
the sound is that you put into an amplifier, the resulting tone is going to be
shaped by the quality of the amp (and/or speaker cab).
I've had many occasions in the studio where the equipment isn't quite up to
the job (just read this post for details on that!), sometimes the amp head just
wont produce the right sound (or can't go loud enough!), and sometimes the
speaker has been damaged to the point where every sound it makes sounds
overdriven!
So, as the helpful person I am, I thought I would write this to help you avoid
various pitfalls (and there are many!) when it comes to buying a guitar
amplifier.

Combo or Stack?
The first question you should be asking yourself is: do I want a combo or a
stack amp?
Now, to those of you unfamiliar with amp design I've probably just jumped
right into the area of "What the fudge is he talking about?!". The main
difference between the two amp designs is that a combo amp comes as one
unit with the amp electronics and speaker joined as one, whereas with a
stack amp the amp electronics are separated into an "amp head" and the
speaker comes in the form of a separate "cab" (short for "speaker cabinet").
However, that's not what you really want to know, is it? What you really want
to know is what each amp type is good for, so that you can choose the right
one for you, right? I mean, it's all very well and good buying a 150watt stack
amp for practising at home, but I'm sure the neighbours (and/or your mum)
aren't going to be so pleased when their eardrums start to bleed!
W hat Do You Want to Play?
Obviously there's a huge difference in practising in your bedroom and playing
on a live stage, so it would make sense that there are two very different amps
for these purposes. Combo amps tend to be much smaller (under 50watt for
guitar), and are probably the best thing if you want to practice in your room
(although, a 50watt amp would also work on a stage with a band...). For
home use you'll only need 10 or 15 watts, any larger than this and you'll start
to get complaints about the volume.
If, however, you want a good amp for loud, heavy rock music on a stage with
other instruments then you almost definitely want a stack amp. This will mean
buying the amp head and cab separately, but it does mean you can mix and
match a bit (just make sure the output on the amp is set right for each
speaker!).
Stack amps are much louder than combo amps (100 up to at least 300watt),
and they can be tonnes more expensive. Of course the only options aren't
either playing in your bedroom or with Motrhead! You'll most likely fall in
between one of these categories and I'll have to leave it up to you to judge
just where on the scale you lie. You probably have a pretty good idea of what
you want to play anyway, but if you're not sure just remember: you'll probably
need at least 50 watts to be heard against a drummer, so don't expect to gig

with only 20watts...(...of course, there are some exceptions...).

Valve or Transistor?

Amp Valve: Image by Mike Seyfang

This is the second main point you'll want to decide on before you even
consider walking into that shop. There are two main types of amplifier that
you should know about (two basic ways that the electronics work and thus
two distinct types of sound produced).
First we have transistor amps. Used almost exclusively for combo amps,
transistor technology hasn't been around for as long as valves (so it's,
technically, more high-tech -but that's not what counts for sound quality!).
This means that there tends to be less to go wrong with transistor amps and
they produce a more modern sound with a "tighter" distortion and the
possibility of more gain. Their sound is preferred by many modern metal acts
especially because of their distorted sound, but that doesn't mean they are
unsuitable for cleaner sounds. In fact, sometimes they are able to produce
cleaner tones than other types of amps. Notable users of transistor amps
include: Dimebag (Pantera, Damageplan); Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath,
Heaven and Hell); and others of a similar style...
The other type of amp- the valve (also known as "tube") amp- is famous for
it's warmer, more natural sounding tone. There's definitely a reason why the

technology has survived all this time, and why nowadays the most expensive
amplifiers and stereos are installed with valve technology.
This type of amp works best for the blues- and that includes any genre of
music with a blues influence. Of course, you can expect to hear the sound of
valve amps from guitarists such as: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Slash, Zakk
Wylde...
Right, so by now you should have a pretty good idea of what kind of amp
you're looking for, now I'm going to take you through some of the things you
should look out for in a good (or bad) amp.

W hen Buying an Amplifie r :

1) Listen to Any Excess Noise
You really want an amplifier that makes noise when you play through it, not
during the pauses in songs or as soon as you turn it on! If you're trying the
amp in a shop you'll probably be at low volume, so just think that any weird
buzz at these levels may become even louder when you crank it! Also watch
out for any odd sounds and harmonics that may be added to your tone.
2) Always Play T hrough Before Buying
Play through and test everything- even if you don't think you're going to use
that super-high-gain channel, it's always good to get to know what you're
buying.
This is the part where you play through all the riffs and songs that you know.
It's not to show-off to your mates/girlfriend/parents or anyone else in the shop,
you should play through what you know so that you can judge the sound of
the amp. If you start playing the riff to "Smoke on the Water" or "Stairway to
Heaven", it's likely that you already know what these songs should sound
like- and so you can make a good comparison between that and the sound
the amp makes.
3) Play Around with the Tone
It may be that the amp you're trying out works better at certain tone setting, or
when you put the treble right up it starts to squeak. I've even known some
amps to start shaking themselves apart when the bass is too high! I know my
amp works best at a certain setting, but the setting I like best isn't too far off

that. You really want to find an amp that sounds great for each setting that
you're likely to use (and, ideally, even for those that you don't).
4) Adjust the Volume
Just like tone setting, the volume can effect an amps performance. Some
amps don't work so well at low volumes. This can be especially true for valve
amps, where at least some of the sound is shaped by how hard the valves
are driven (hence the expression "overdriven"). Try your amp at various
volumes (within reason- you don't want to annoy the shopkeeper) and notice
to see if the sound changes too much.
5) Play Cleanl y
Even if you're goal is to play heavy, distorted, rock I would advise playing
through the clean channel. Often, without the distortion of the amp, you'll be
able to notice any odd harmonics that are there waiting to destroy your tone.
There's nothing worse than picking an amp because of the distorted channel
at low volume only to find out that solo at full volume sounds like a long, wet
fart...

Peavy Amplifiers, Image by Fvancini

Accessories
Next, I'm going to take you through some of the other equipment that you
may want to go with your guitar. Remember: you could have the best
technique in the world, but it's still important to look after the guitar you have!
So here are five things you may need in order to take care of your
instrument:
1) A Har d Case
Once you have your guitar, you're going to need something to carry it in,
right? Well, you could choose a "soft case", which is essentially nothing more
than a guitar-shaped canvas bag. A soft case will protect your guitar from
most of the elements, but not the element of surprise- I'm talking about all the
unexpected bumps and scrapes that it'll encounter in it's lifetime. All those
little bumps can not only dent and scratch your guitar, but they can also knock
the tuning pegs (which will put your guitar out of tune, requiring you to tune up
more often).
Take my advice, get a hard case! I can't count how many scratches I'm got on
my guitars because I've used soft cases! When I was studying at college they
didn't allow hard cases, and my guitars have the scars to show for it, and no
matter how many scratches a guitar has, new ones are no less upsetting!
2) A Guitar Stand
Many people suggest that you should keep your guitar in it's case when
you're not playing it (I think the idea is to protect it from dust etc,), but I
strongly disagree. When you're not playing your guitar (I mean, in the unlikely
event of that happening) you should stand it on a guitar stand- this will enable
you to just pick up the guitar and play it whenever you want. When the guitar
is in a case, you have to dig the case out, open all the locks, open the case
etc... it's much easier to just pick the guitar up from a stand.
Also, keeping a guitar on a stand is better for it than leaning it up against a
wall- because a stand doesn't place so much tension on the neck (which
could warp it!). It also prevents it from falling over (I've smashed off the
machine heads of a guitar from that happening!).

3) Guitar Polish and a Cloth

You want your guitar to stay clean, right? Then you'll need some polish and a
cloth- this will also lengthen the life of the strings (I mean when you keep the
strings clean, of course!). It's also good to ensure that all of the parts of the
guitar are working and aren't clogged up with dirt (machine heads, allen key
sockets etc...).
4) Guitar Tuner
This is essential for making sure your guitar stays in tune, especially if you're
a beginner and haven't developed a good ear yet. Keeping the guitar in tune
keeps an even tension over the neck (uneven tension could cause warping),
and it's also much easier to sound good on a guitar that's in tune! Plus, tuners
aren't that expensive to buy, and it's sometimes impossible for a beginner to
tune a guitar without one.
5) Metronome
OK, so this isn't so much about looking after the guitar, as your own ability. If
you always use a metronome when you practice, it will improve your timing
and feel (two very important things, no matter what you play). It will also allow
you to slow down or speed up according to your own ability. All of the
technical exercises on my site should be practised to a metronome.
So, if you buy these five things, and use them wisely, your guitar should live
for many years to come!

How to Tune
Now you've bought the right guitar, and all the accessories you may need,
what next? Well, before you get to playing your guitar, it'll need to be in tune!
Otherwise you risk making everything you play sound like a cat falling down
the stairs! Guitar tuners will be a big help here, but just in case you didn't buy
one, or just haven't got it on you...
In this chapter I take you through two methods for tuning
your guitar, both of which come under the heading "relative
tuning" as you are tuning each string off of the other strings
(almost "tuning the guitar to itself"). Both methods do
require that you fix some kind of note as a reference point;
You can either tune the low E string exactly to an E, or start
from a rough guess.
If you would prefer to be more "exact" when you tune, you'll
need to tune each string against a set pitch. You'll want to
head over to the tuning section of the website where there
are sound files of the exact pitches you should tune to (or
use that guitar tuner that you bought!).
As you'll be tuning each string relative to this starting point
it doesn't matter how accurate it is (unless, of course,
you're trying to play with other instruments- in which case
you should tune to them). Lots of metronomes will give you
440 Hertz, which is an A note. If you have something like
this then you should tune your A string to 440 Hertz as a
starting point.
Open String Tuning

Tuning Fork Image

by Wollschaf

The first method I'm going to take you through can be called "open string
tuning", as you are tuning the open strings. Once you have the E string tuned,
you can play the fifth fret and produce an A note (which is the same as the A
string). This will allow you to tune the A string. Alternatively, if you have used
an A as a reference point, just do the same thing in reverse- play the 5th fret
E string again, but instead tune the E string to match the A string.
Next, tune the D string to the fifth fret on the A string and the G string to the
fifth fret on the D string. Then play the fourth fret on the G string so that you
can tune your B string, and the fifth fret on the B string is an E note.

Your guitar should now be in tune...at least with itself- which means you can
play chords and scales and it wont sound "out of tune".
Tuning to a Note
The second method I'm going to go through here allows you to start from any
note as your reference point. Starting with- for example- the low E string, the
idea is to tune all the "E notes" on the guitar compared to this. Obviously
each note will be in a different octave (i.e. the E on the second fret D string is
going to be higher than the open low E string), but it's still possible to tune
them.
The "E notes" I use are: the E on the open low E string, tune it to (but an
octave lower than) the second fret on the D string. Then tune that to the fifth
fret on the B string (also an E, but an octave higher). Tune that note to the
open high E string (just as in the previous method). You can then tune the
open low E to the seventh fret A string and the ninth fret G string.
Again, your guitar should now be in tune to itself. The advantage of this
method is that you can use any note as your starting point, provided you
know where the notes are on the fretboard. There is, in fact, a pattern to the
notes and octaves that you will probably discover, and this should eventually
help you learn where all the notes are.
See the Chapter of this Book called Memorising the Fretboard for more
information on finding all the E's on a guitar.

How to use a Metronome

In order to play in time, you might find that you need to practice with a
metronome. It'll definitely help when you're practising strumming chords to
your favourite song! Although, I've realised that many people become
confused by metronomes. There are so many different types with different
(and sometimes crazy) functions that you may never even use!
So here's my breakdown on how to use a metronome properly.
Metronome Types
First, there are several different types of metronome, but they all basically do
the same thing- make clicking or ticking noises at a certain speed set in bpm
(beats per minute).
The first type is what I always think of as the "traditional" metronome. You
know the ones- they're like triangular boxes with a swinging weight on the
front. You move the weight on the pendulum to change the speed of the
clicks. This is the type that you usually see standing on a piano in a school
(often just gathering dust!).
The downside of these mechanical guys is
that they can only be set to certain speeds in
set increments- so you'll be able to get it to
play 100bpm, but not 102bpm (for example)
because the next set speed is 108bpm. Not a
massive problem, but if 100bpm is too slow,
but 108bpm is too fast, you're stuck! They
also tend to be quite big and heavy- so you
Oldschool Metronome: Picture by
couldn't fit one in your pocket.
odolphie

You can also find electric versions of these metronomes- which are pretty
much the same thing
The other type of metronome is the one you'll probably find on sale in most
shops these days: the digital metronome. These are quite good- you can set
the bpm to any number you want (within reason!). These are also the type
that cause the most confusion when people first start to use them.

Keep it Simple
The problem with the digital metronomes is that they have so many features
that beginners often get confused on which ones they should use! Well, if
you've ever been confused, I can tell you now: you only need to set it to click
at a speed. Seems simple enough, but with digital metronome features
including different time signatures and beat subdivisions it's easy to get lost.
That's right! Some metronomes allow you to set it to, say, 44 and it will accent
every first beat of the four (i.e. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 etc...). All you need to set it to
do is to emphasise all the beats the same and then do the counting yourself!
Really, the emphasised beat could help you count, but it's going to be more
help in the long run if you can count the beats yourself.
Rhythmic Subdivisions?!
Another feature that digital metronomes come with that puts people off is:
different numbers of clicks for each beat! As if they weren't already confusing
enough! They might help you to get a "feel" for dividing the beat, but, again,
simpler is better.
All you need your metronome to do is go "tick tick tick" at a speed that you've
set, and with each tick being the same volume and tone. The speed you set it
to is the speed that you would tap your foot to, and when it's on it's doing the
job of "foot tapping" for you.
So there you go, a metronome = a "foot tapping" machine; giving you less
"foot tapping" to do yourself and allowing you to focus on making music (i.e.
the important bit!). The complicated features and stuff can come later...
Complaints about Metronomes
Not everyone loves using metronomes, common complaints about
metronomes include:
"The constant clicking "throws me off" when I try to play in
time!"
"I have great timing when playing on my own, but I can't play
with others!"
"The clicking is so annoying, I would rather not have listen to
it!"

Now, lets tackle each complaint individually...

T he Constant Clicking "thr ows me of f"
While I would agree that the clicking on it's own can get pretty annoying -but
that's on it's own! What you should realise is: the metronome isn't just some
random, inane click; the metronome is keeping a constant beat- which means
you're playing WITH it, not just at the same time with the click in the
background!
Try this as an exercise: put the metronome on and count the clicks. You
should be counting like this "1...2...3...4...1...2...3...4...etc...", each number is
a click. Can you keep in time? When you say each number it should be at the
same time as each click- just as if you were counting beats. Is the metronome
click just something happening "in the background"?
Your answer should be: "No, the click is the thing I'm counting". It's actually a
part of what you're doing. In fact, to take this further, when playing your guitar
to a metronome and you're perfectly in time, you won't actually hear the click
at all!
I cannot play with others
Have you ever thought this? You feel fine and "in time" when you play just by
yourself, but when you try to play with others you can't seem to fit in with
them? Well, I'll give you a clue...it's never the case that "everyone else in the
whole world must be wrong!".
If you find that you have trouble staying in time with others then it's more
likely that you're timing isn't so great. Of course, it could also be their
fault...but- guess what? It's never going to be the metronome going out of
time. A metronome can't have a bad sense of time (by design). So, when you
play with that metronome and "one of you" is out...it's you...sorry!
I can onl y play in a musical situation
Ha! Now, this one is interesting. Many people believe they can't play in time
to a metronome because it's "unmusical" or "unnatural". Well, did you ever
think that when you play with others, they are actually also playing to you?
That's right! When you play with someone else, they are also adjusting to
your timing- therefore it's much easier to keep in time with each other. One of
you speeds up slightly, the other speeds up also; one of you slows down, so

does the other. The metronome, however, cannot and will not adjust to you- it
can only stay perfectly in time.
Listening to the Sound of a Kit...
Usually, this is a great sound to hear, because it means something (you or
anyone) is about to rock! For practice purposes, however, it's not always so
useful.
For one, the sound of a kit ads in a natural resonance (which can cover up
any slight mistakes). When you're playing to a click you only have the one
"click"- no reverb, no tone, nothing else, just a "click" exactly on the beat. This
is why, when you play exactly on each click you don't actually hear the noise
from the metronome at all. This is known as "burying the click" (kind of a
funny expression that...)
Lear ning to Count
So, as I've explained: metronomes are a great tool to help your timing, and (if
you get the ones with just a simple "click") you have to actually count in your
head (rather than just relying on the snare/high hat/bass drum that's being
played on the beat you're listening for...).
I'm sure you're able to count, right?

Chor ds, or Tab?

When you first start to learn to play songs on guitar, or even if you've been
playing for a while but maybe can't read sheet music yet, you have two basic
options: Chords or TAB.
You can either go out and buy/Internet/steal a lead sheet with chord names
on (a lot of the time leaving you to figure out how to play each chord), or you
can learn to read guitar tab (which seems so readily available on the internet).
So, the big question is, which is the best option?
There are many advantages and disadvantages to each option, which I will
attempt to discuss here, for your benefit.
Chor ds
First, I'm going to start with chords. Chords are the thing that are most
associated with guitar- and for good reason! The guitar (whether acoustic or
electric) seems to be almost designed with chords in mind: six strings make it
(relatively) easy to play 6 notes at once, the resonance created (especially on
acoustic guitars) allows the, once lonely and boring, single notes to
harmonize together into one complete sonic chorus.
But how does this help you? Well chords are the basis of guitar playing and,
as a guitarist, will make up about 90% of the things you play (pretty important,
then...). The main advantage you will find from learning chords first is that you
will be introduced sooner to the chord names, which will help enormously
when it comes to working with other musicians (whereas the guy who only
plays tab only knows where to put his fingers). Also, when you've learnt
enough chords you can pretty much pick up any chord song and play it
(whereas, the tab guy has to learn each song from scratch each time, making
life much harder).
So, if what you want to do is play songs, maybe to accompany a singer or a
band, chords are the obvious choice. You may not be able to get riffs or
melodic lines from a chord sheet, but (once you've learnt the relevant theory)
you can better understand the harmonic structure of a song (which may
eventually lead to creating your own songs!).

GuitarTab
Now, guitar tab is more for the people who want to start out learning riffs and
solos- but without a proper understanding of the chords in a song, this can
only take you so far.
The main advantage of this method being that it shows you exactly how to
fret each note, and the guitar techniques used. This is, in fact, almost the only
method to learn some guitar solos and it comes from the point of view of the
instrument (hang on, what?!). What I mean is, guitar tab is describing to you
what to do on your guitar, taking you through step by step how to play the
song (but not telling you what notes you're playing).
So, although Guitar TAB is useful if you're a beginner and you want to learn
riffs and solos, you're not going to get much further than replicating the
techniques used in the original (or, in the case of some Internet tabs, the
techniques of the tabber).
Tabber- [noun- Someone who writes a song down in TAB form. from to tab
verb].
If what you want to do when playing guitar is just mindlessly replicate the
sound of an original recording, I suggest you go buy a CD.
However, don't discount Guitar tabs as useless just yet, they are great for the
beginner (I.E. at the time before you've learnt these techniques or how to
recognise them), and are also great at explaining guitar techniques, or
specific ways of fretting notes etc,. It's just their one main drawback is that
they have no musical value to anyone outside of guitar playing circles (nonguitarist can't read guitar tab!).
Sheet Music
There is one, third option, standard musical notation (A.K.A. "sheet music"),
has been about for centuries- and still survives until this day! The reason for
this popularity? Sheet music comes from the point of view of the music- of the
sounds themselves (just like guitar tab comes from the point of view of the
guitar).

So, whereas guitar TAB is describing what to do on a guitar,

musical notation is describing which sounds to make. Thus,
sheet music can be applied to any instrument ever and still be
readable (to someone who can read music, obviously!) and
playable.
I definitely recommend to anyone to learn to read sheet musiceven though it does have it's failings as well. I mean, it's not
too easy to read blocks of six note chords from sheet music, let
alone figure out the difference between a bend and use of the
vibrato arm!
Conclusion
So, there we have it, all three main methods of reading music- each with
advantages and disadvantages of it's own.
When I write out songs for my students, I use a program called "Guitar Pro",
which allows you to use all three- which I feel is the best way to approach it.
The disadvantages of each system are compensated by each other system,
so it all evens out (a bit like "Rock, Paper, Scissors" in a way...).
Above all, the key is to remember why you want to play those songs in the
first place, and that's to have fun, right?

Open Chor ds
The guitar can be a very complex instrument, and especially daunting to
those of you that are first starting out. This I why I've decided to give away
free chord diagrams of some of the most basic guitar chords.
There are two common types of chords that any beginner guitarist should be
aware of, and they are: Open Chords, and Barre Chords. The first half of this
article will be dealing with the open chords, and then we will move on to barre
chords (which can be slightly harder for the beginner guitarist to play). Here
are the main open chords:

Now, if you've never seen these kinds of diagrams before, they are known as
"Guitar Chord Diagrams" (obvious now I've said it, right?). What do they
mean?
Well, each one is a grid: the vertical lines represent the strings
(Thickest string on the left, thinnest on the right), and the
horizontal lines represent the frets (with the nut at the top, and
the first fret below that etc...). Kinda similar to how you would
look at the guitar if it was standing up.
If you look at the top of each diagram, right under the chord
letter name, you will see a series of X's and O's, these are
telling you which strings to strum- each string with an "X"
above it you miss out, and each string with an "O" you play
(without fretting it).
For example, for the first chord "C": you dont play the thick
(low E, 6th string) string (because of the "X"); you play the
third fret on the next string (the 5th string); the second fret on
the 4th string; open 3rd string (denoted by the "0"); first fret on
the 2nd string, and the thinnest string remains open. This
creates a C major chord.
You may have noticed that, A) These are all major chords, and B) there are
only five chords...don't worry, I have noticed that aswell! You can get more
chords than this, but these open chords, along with their minor equivalent, are
all you need to start playing your favourite songs.

Here are the minor chords in open position:

Not as many minor chords work on this part of the neck, but anyway, this
should be most of the chords you need when learning your first songs on
guitar. I mean, after learning these chords, you will be able to play: C major, A
major, A minor, G major, E major, E minor, D major AND D minor (8 chords!).
If you get this far, you should feel pretty pleased with yourself, you're almost
ready to amaze your friends by picking up as guitar and being able to strum
through any song you can get your hands on! But wait, what happens when
the song has, say, a B major chord? Or a C minor? What do you do?
The good news is, the theory gets even easier from now on. All you need to
do to play, say B major, is to take the shape of the A major chord and move
everything up two frets!

Now, you might try this, and it might sound wrong first time. The trick is, you
also have to move the notes on the open strings up by two frets. Therefore,
instead of A, which (in frets, from the thick string to the thin string) goes X O 2
2 2 O, moving it up by two frets would give you X 2 4 4 4 2 (and not X O 4 4 4
O !). The same is true for the A minor (i.e. B minor is X 2 4 4 3 2, moved up
from X 0 2 2 1 0).
So now you have the shapes below, which can be moved up and down all
over the neck. This is the basic idea behind Barre Chords.
Here are the chord diagrams for B minor (Bm) and B major (B) barre chords
in A Shape (which basically means the shape of an A chord moved up)

Exactly the same principle can be applied to all of the open chords, but the
other most common barre chord shape you're likely to come across is the E
Shape Barre. So I've also included the chord diagrams for F major (F) and F
minor (Fm) barre chords in E Shape. Remember, now we've moved the
shape of an E chord up to F.

Bar re Chor ds
Do you have to learn barre chords to become a good guitar player? My
answer is "Yes, even if you can't play all of them you should at least know of
their existence and know their shape.". Not everyone can play a D Shape G
chord in fifth position, but they should be able to tell you: 5th fret D string, 7th
fret G string, 8th fret B string and 7th fret E string . What you really need to
know is where the chord tones are (i.e. the notes that make up a chord) for
each chord all over the neck.
Now, if you can't do this right now, don't worry, but you should aim to be able
to do it eventually. For instance, did you know that their are five major chord
shapes for each chord? Knowing all five of them will not only help you to play
major chords, but are also invaluable to soloists as the chord tones are
exactly the notes that you should target in a solo.
Playing in a Band Situation
It is true that, when playing in a band situation, you may need to step back to
go forwards, but this needn't mean neglecting to learn barre chords! If you
want to play less as a rhythm guitarist first learn your barre chords; then learn
how to break them down into smaller segments so that you're not overplaying
(sometimes a full 6 string chord is overplaying!). Sometimes it's a good idea
only to play the top three or four notes of a chord (i.e. on the E, B, G and D
strings) instead of all five or six notes of the full chord.
Finding that "Sweet Spot"
Finding the "sweet spots" of each chord is much more useful, and musical
than just blindly playing every note. Something I recommend you try out for
yourself is looking for the best parts of these chords- the "sweet spots"
(provided, of course, that you know the shapes- this should be first on your
list for chords). Nobody can tell you which part of the chord will sound best to
you in each situation, you have to use your own judgement.

How to Read Tab

Tablature, or tab, is a system of musical notation that focuses on where you
place your fingers, rather than the actual musical pitches. Youve probably
heard of guitar tab on the interwebs, but tab is not something specific to
the guitar (tabs also exist for banjo, harmonica, lute, harp, organand even
piano), nor is tab a recent invention!
For example, here is a sheet of tab from the renaissance era:

Guitar Tab for Be ginner s

Guitar tab is generally very similar to the above, with vertical lines
representing the strings, and numbers telling us which fret to play on that
string. Because tab doesnt show you the pitches, but where to put your
fingers, the tuning of each string is normally written just before it (reading
from left to right).

Here is an example of some guitar tab:

e
B
G
D
A
E

--------------------------------------------5------5-----3------3-0-0---0-0----

As you can see, there are six vertical lines, each one represents a guitar
string. They are labelled according to their tuning (with the capital E being
the thickest string, and the small e being the thinnest). Refer to the chapter
on How to Tune for more.
How to Read Guitar Tab
Each number represents a fret (which are numbered from the head of the
guitar up to the body), and the line that the number is on tells you which string
to play.
For example, in the above guitar tab the first note you play is the open low
(thickest) E string (reading from left to right), twice. You can tell its the
thickest string because its on the lowest line, and you can tell that its an
open string (i.e. no fingers on it) because its an 0.
Next, the tab is telling you to play the 3rd fret on the A string, and the 5th fret
on the D string together (together because they are stacked).
Common Mistakes
Remember that you read the tab from left to right, and ALL strings at the
same time. So if you have something like this:
e
B
G
D
A
E

-0-2-3--2-0----------------4----------------------------------------0---2---3-2-0----------

you would start by playing the open high e (thinnest string) and the third
fret on the low E (thickest string) at the same time.
Also, notice that the lowest line in the tab represents the thickest string on the

guitar. This may seem backwards at first, and you should be wary of playing
the whole tab upside-down! Just remember that its as if the tab was the right
way up on your lap. The nearest string to you on the tab (the bottom one)
would be the nearest string when you hold the guitar (the thickest one).
Other Techniques
Now were going to go a little more in-depth and look at some of the other
symbols youll find on a tab (most of these symbols refer to the tabs youll find
on the internet).
Picking Direction
The direction you pick is usually represented by the letter D for down
(towards the ground), and U for up (towards the sky), but is often left off
altogether.
Slides
Slides are normally written either with / (for a slide up in pitch) and \ (for a
slide down). For example:
e
B
G
D
A
E

---------------------------------------------5---------------5/7---7\5---------------------------------------------------

Here, you would play the 5th fret on the D string, slide up to the 7th fret then
play the 5th fret on the G string. Next, pick the 7th fret on the D string and
slide the note down to the 5th fret (only picking the string once for each
slide!).
Stringbends
These are when you bend a note up or down to change its pitch. Usually
notated with b. So, for example 5b(7) would mean you play the 5th fret,
and then bend the string so that it sounds the same as the pitch of the 7th
fret. The 7 is in brackets because you dont re-pick the note.

Other variations include:

(7)b5 which would be the reverse of the above example. Bend the 5th fret up
to the pitch of the 7th BEFORE playing it, then pick it and return it to its

normal pitch. Sometimes also written as pb for pre-bend, r for release

(as in (7)r5), or bd for bend down.
5b(7)(7) which means you need to play the 5th fret, bend it up to the 7th fret,
hold it, then re-pick the 7th fret. Sometimes this is written with rp for repick.
You may also see 5b1/4 which means to bend the pitch up by half a fret
(used alot in blues) creating a quarter-tone bend (as each fret is a semitone).
Vibrato
Vibrato is when you wobble the note, usually by bending it up and down
continuously by a small amount (not usually as much as a whole fret). Usually
notated in tab by ~, it comes it three main forms: standard (just ~ over a
note); wide, and with the whammy bar (written with ~ and w/bar).
Tremolo Picking
Something that confuses many people is that Tremolo is not technically a
technique in itself, but a musical effect- the effect of playing one note multiple
times, very rapidly, for a shimmering effect. In electric guitar circles, youll
hear it referred to as tremolo picking because the notes are usually alternate
picked (down and up picking), but tremolo can be done on any instrument.
Notes that are tremolo picked would be notated with tp above (for tremolo
picking).
Le gato
Legato, or hammer-ons and pull-offs, is written with either h for hammer,
p for pull off or T for right hand tapping.
For example:
e
B
G
D
A
E

-------------------------------------------5h7t10p7p5--------------------------------

May just look like a bit of a mess, but lets decode it! Here you play the 5th
fret on the D string then hammer a finger from your right hand onto the 7th
fret (to sound it without picking it).
Next, hammer a finger from your picking hand onto the 10th fret on the same
string without picking (notated by the t) and pull off back to the 7th fret
(notated by the p).
Lastly, you need to pull the finger off of the 7th fret to sound the note on the
5th (which youre still holding down). I recommend using your first finger for
the 5th fret, your third for the 7th, and whichever you like for the 10th (on the
other hand, of course).
There is also something called a trill, notated with tr. This means you
rapidly alternate between the two notes by hammering on and pulling off. For
example: 5tr(7) means trill between the 5th and 7th frets (the tr may also be
written above).
Muting
Any notes that are supposed to sound muted are written with an x instead of
a number (muted with the fretting hand), or with P.M. written above (short for
palm muting, muted with the picking hand).
Guitar Pro
The program that I recommend for reading and writing guitar (and bass) tab is
Guitar Pro (read my review of tab programs here). If you want something
better than the text based tab Ive used in this post, then you really must have
a dedicated program to display it.
Hopefully you can now read the tabs to the songs you want to play!

Techniques
In this section I'll be taking you through some of the more common guitar
techniques and how to apply them.
So, starting with the basics...
How Do I Hold the Pick?
Seems simple, right? Yet you'd be surprised how easy this is to get wrong!
You hold the plectrum (the fancy word for a pick) between the pad of the
thumb and the side of your first finger. It's best to hold it nearer the tip, as this
provides greater control (like when you hold a pencil- it would be difficult to
write if you held it at the top, you need to hold it nearer the tip!).
Here is a diagram of what I mean:

You can find more information on picking here.

W hat is the Best Str umming Technique?
The simple answer would be "up and down", but there really is no "best" way
to strum- just some techniques that are good, and others that are not so
good. What you want to keep in mind, though, is that picking should be a
relaxed motion from the wrist, similar to the motion you would use to wave at
someone.
Now, a motion "from the wrist" doesn't mean your arm is not allowed to move!
Trying to hold your arm still will cause it to tense up (which will no longer
produce a relaxed action). Your arm is allowed to move, but you should be
trying to move your wrist, and not thinking about any arm movement (after all,

the two are connected, it would be unnatural to have one move without the
other!).
W hich Direction Should I Str um In?
Well if we are talking about lead guitar, there are two main schools of thought
on this. Either you try to change direction as little as possible (known as
"economy picking")- so that going from, say, the A to D strings would always
be a downstroke, and going back would always be an upstroke (so you're
taking the shortest route each time); or you change direction on every note
regardless (known as "alternate picking")- so that going from the A to D
strings would either be an upstroke followed by a downstroke, or the other
way around.
Rhythm guitar strumming is much simpler in many ways, because there are
only two (main) rules:
1) Play downstrokes on the beat (or the main, emphasised
beats)
and
2) Try to keep your hand alternating between down and up
(even if each "strum" doesn't even hit the strings!)

So, if one beat is divided into two quavers (8th notes), the strumming pattern
would be: "Down - Up". If the beat was divided into four semiquavers (16th
notes), the pattern would go: "Down - Up - Down - Up" for that beat. You see,
on the beat (first strum) it's a downstroke, and you're constantly alternating?
If the same beat was divided as one quaver and two semiquavers, you would
play it: "Down - Down - Up". After the first downstroke, your hand moves back
up without hitting the strings- so it's moving as if you're playing four
semiquavers without the second note (because the first quaver is worth two
semiquavers).
Once you've become aware of the action of your own picking technique,
remember that if you're "picking from the elbow" instead of the wrist you'll be
a lot more tense and probably develop something called "Tennis Elbow" (as
suffered by tennis players, it basically boils down to a "stiff elbow" in layman's
terms...).
So what about picking angle? Whilst there is no "Ultimate" picking angle for

you to learn, the way you pick can seriously affect your tone! Just listen to the
difference between a pinch harmonic (think "Zakk Wylde", formerly of Ozzy
Osbourne) and a fingerpicked chord (think "Mark Knopfler" from Dire Straits).
The totally different sounds produced are purely from different styles of
picking.
Am I Anchoring? Should I be Anchoring?
Anchoring is when you fix your strumming hand or arm on the guitar body. It
restricts the movement of your arm and hand, and you shouldn't be doing it!
For more on this, please read my blog post on why anchoring is bad.
How Do I Play Faster?
Guitar speed is a byproduct of good technique and co-ordination. If you keep
your muscles relaxed and follow the basic principles outlined in this article
you shouldn't go far wrong. The next step is to head over to the exercises
section and work on the co-ordination between both hands.
My Own Picking Technique
When I first started playing guitar- for about the first year- I played fingerstyle.
Granted, I was mostly self taught (at first), but that doesn't mean I wasn't
studying classical guitar technique. I'm glad I started out this way because it
means that, to this day, I'm just as comfortable playing with my fingers as I
am with a plectrum. What I want to focus on in this article is specifically
playing with a plectrum.
How do I hold my pick? Well, just as I said earlier about how you should be
aware of your own technique, I am aware of my own. I hold the pick at an
angle most of the time, between the pad of my thumb and the side of my
index finger. This enables me to have a strong grip without tensing my hand
up.
Here are some other examples:
Michael Angelo Batio
Michael's picking philosophy is (apparently) to start at your fastest speed and
slow the technique down so that it's the same when you play slow. I wouldn't
recommend this to everyone, as although it's definitely worked in this case,
starting at a fast speed is a sure way to develop bad muscle tensions and
then retain those tensions as you slow down. So you're picking technique will
be the same slow as it is fast (something I've always said), but don't do this if
your fast playing technique is tense. If your fast playing technique is
automatically relaxed then go for it- but that's not normal!

Also, Michael plays with his pick angled and his thumb above the pick. As I
said before, this method is much faster than trying to push the flat side of the
pick against the strings- and this is undoubtedly why he does it.
Your Picking Technique
What is your picking technique? Could you write as much about your own
technique? There should be no aspect of your guitar playing that you "haven't
really thought about". Try holding the pick at different angles and hear the
difference- you'll be surprised! You'll hear it much more with a clean electric or
acoustic guitar. You also want to look at where on the string you pick- as
nearer the 12th fret sounds "rounder" whereas nearer the bridge sounds with
more "twang". You'll have to play your guitar to see what I mean.

Finger style
Continuing the series on my guitar technical
exercise videos, I wanted to talk a little bit about
fingerpicking. Although this type of guitar playing
is rarely used by many modern guitar players, I
think it is still a valid technique for both acoustic
and electric guitar playing- and I use it some of the time myself. If you've
been reading my posts you may remember that I started out learning
fingerstyle before using a pick, therefore it seems only natural that my
"beginner guitar lesson" videos should feature this playing style.
Finger Picking
The basic ideas behind fingerstyle and fingerpicking are the same as they are
for legato and alternate picking techniques with your fretting hand. That is:
economy of motion, finger independence, wrist angle, correct muscles etc,.
My philosophy is that your hands are both built to the same design (or
evolved to the same shape...but I'm not getting into that one...), therefore
your fingers all move in the same way.
If you remember the "fretboard finger trap", you'll know that the real secret is
moving only the right muscles- and for finger independence this means the
muscles in between your fingers (not so much the ones in your arm). You'll
also want to use different combinations of fingers (to avoid having -or
developing- favourites).

Spicing T hings Up
The most interesting thing about this exercise is that you can add chords with
your fretting hand; then you're not just playing an exercise, but playing a
rhythm part to a song (or writing a new song). There are also many
combinations (or "orders") of fingers that you can use- the same as with my
alternate picking exercise, 1 2 3 4, 1 3 2 4 etc,.
You can try adding in your little finger for these exercises, and I would
encourage the use of your little finger and do use it myself (although it's rarely
really needed). In standard classical guitar technique you wont likely hear
anything about picking with the little finger- and it's not very often used (if
ever). Still, it has it's uses.
I use my little finger for fingerpicking because I use a technique called "hybrid
picking", which allows me to switch between using a pick and using my
fingers within the same song (or even the same lick). If I'm holding the pick
with my thumb and first finger ("p" and "i" in tab/notation) I would only have
my second and third fingers ("m" and "a") to pick with- and -what can I say?sometimes that's not enough for me. So I add my little finger ("c") to go along
with it and get some extra notes.

Le gato

From the series of blog posts on the guitar exercises from the website, this
chapter is about legato technique. If you don't know what legato is, it's what's
commonly referred to in "guitar slang" as "hammer-ons and pull-offs"- a name
that should give you an idea of how this technique is performed.
The Italian word "legato" means smooth sounding (and I believe Italian is
used by musicians to make it sound more clever and obscure than it really is),
and hammer-ons and pull-offs on guitar do sound smoother than alternated
picking, for example. However, the term "legato" really refers to the type of
sound -rather than the guitar technique- so you could equally describe two
handed tapping or sweep picking as "legato".
In the video I concentrate exclusively on the fretting hand; this is because in
classical guitar technique it is standard to play musical passages marked

"legato" with hammer-ons and pull-offs (remember classical technique doesn't

use guitar tab, so the music will just tell you "legato"- marked with a slur).
Le gato Technique
Using only the fretting hand in this way requires a fair amount of finger
strength, as you are literally hammering your fingertips onto the strings to
sound them (and then plucking the string with the same finger for the "pulloff"). To hammer on to the string, make sure the movement comes from the
finger itself; I don't want to see you using your hand or arm for "extra force"no matter how tempting it may be, this will only injure you in the long run.
Aim your finger at the part of the string right next to the fret- the closer the
better (this will take practice getting it accurate- oh and you're fingers can get
sore if they're not used to it!). This is, as I mentioned in a previous post,
almost the same action as you might do when you're bored. You know, when
you're tapping your fingers on the table?
If you don't believe me, try it right now and watch your fingers. Is your hand or
arm moving? No (well, to be fair, you would look a bit odd if you started
thrashing your arms around to hit your fingers on a table top in the middle of
that boring meeting...).
Slowl y Stretch
Next, you want to start at a relatively high fret, say the 10th where the
distance between the frets is about the same as the distance between your
fingers anyway. If you have an electric or acoustic with a cutaway body then
you should be able to start even higher if necessary.
You really want to start in a position where you're not struggling (in any way)
to reach the notes- and I can't stress that enough! Don't start of by playing
something that's already difficult; start off with something that's easy, get it
perfect, and then gradually push yourself, bit by bit.
Be warned: this will take patience and dedication- but in the end it's so worth
it!
Now, hammer your fingers on the notes to sound them: 10 th fret with your first
finger, 11th fret with your second, 12th fret with your third and 13th fret with your
little finger. All along one string.

When you first attempt this, you may get no sound at all! Don't worry, that's
fairly common for beginners- you just haven't built up enough finger strength
yet.
As you move further down the neck (I.E. towards the first fret), where the frets
are further apart, your technique shouldn't change; your hand should be in
the same position, just on a different part of the neck. You should aim to
achieve the stretch that this needs just by moving my fingers apart- and you'll
develop your muscles to do that by practising and slowly moving down from a
fret that you can reach without stretching- until the first fret isn't a stretch for
you.
Slow Motion
So, lower frets are harder, yes. Also, playing slower is harder; you have less
momentum when playing slowly, and if you're thinking "oh, but I want to play
as fast as possible" you should realise that the point of legato isn't about
speed. The point of legato is to sound "smooth" and "fluid"- that's why we use
the Italian word "legato"!
So, in conclusion, start these exercises off at a medium pace (one that you
can play easily), and on a set of frets that's a comfortable width apart. Then
gradually slow the exercise down and move it down to the first fret (you may
want to do the slowing down and moving separately).
Eventually you should start to get comfortable all over the neck and at all
different speeds- slow or fast.
Technical Exercises for Le gato
So how do you incorporate this essential technique into your practice
session? Iif you've been following my three point practice plan just add a few
legato exercises when you warm-up.
Just in case you need a demonstration of how awesome you can be after
mastering the hammer-on technique, search on YouTube for the guitarist Joe
Satriani playing his song "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing".
...and that's what you call "pure mastery" of hammer-ons!

Bending and Vibr ato

There are two main fretting hand positions for guitar: the "classical position"
for alternate picking, legato, and sweeping (the hand position I always
recommend for most playing) and the correct hand position for bending and
vibrato- which is different.

How to Bend on Guitar

Exercises for this technique can be found here, but they wont help unless you
practice them properly. You want to use your arm to provide the power, and
your fingers just to grip the string. You'll achieve this best by placing your
thumb up over the top of the neck, and using it almost like a pivot.
Sometimes, especially when you first learn this technique, the other strings
can get caught on your fingernails as you move the string; this problem can
be due to you moving your fingers instead of your arm. When you twist from
the arm, your fingers naturally angle themselves on the string, whereas when
you move your fingers to get the bend you end up pushing your finger under
the next string (if you don't believe me, try it yourself, first by moving your
finger, then by twisting your wrist with your thumb at the top, and you'll see
what I mean).
Getting a Grip
Sometimes you'll also need to "support" the fretting finger with others- and
"support" is in quotation marks for a reason! The support is not for strength or
more power, because the power is coming from the arm; the support is for
grip.
Think about it: the more power you're sending in to bend the string, the more
likely it is that your finger will slip, therefore you need more grip.
For example: say you were bending a note with your third finger. You may
decide to place your first and second fingers on the same string, behind your
third finger- not necessarily aligned to a fret (they don't have to be, they're not
playing notes themselves!). Then move your thumb up over the top of the

neck and twist your arm. If you've done it right, your fingers hold on to the
string and it bends as you twist.
Perfect Pitch
The second most important thing about bending is: always bend to a note!
Now, this gets kind of complicated because the notes that you'll want to bend
to aren't always the same ones as the frets. For practice reasons, practice
bending up to a note that you can fret and getting it spot on. So, for example,
play the note on the 14th fret, G string and then try to bend the 12 th fret on the
G string up to the same pitch.
The complicated part is (are you ready for this?): the notes in western music
are divided into 12 semitones (each half a tone wide), and these basically
align with the frets on a guitar (ever wondered why the notes repeat after the
12th fret?). The problem is that when Blues music came along (along with
other types of "non-western" influenced musical styles), it divided the octave
(those 12 semitones) into 24 quartertones.
So, when you're bending notes on a guitar, you're actually thinking in terms of
quartertones (each quartertone being "half a fret"). This is why you
sometimes see 1/2, or 3 1/2 fret bends in tab- but you'll probably never see
"bend to somewhere random"! So always have an idea where you're bending
to before you start to bend...
...if you want your music sounding in tune, that is...

Muting
Here's a technique that can make the difference between what you play
sounding like a song, and it sounding like a guitar falling down the stairs.
What is it? Muting.
There are two ways to mute the strings when you play guitar, and both are
equally as useful at preventing unwanted strings from ringing. You can either
use your left or right hand to mute with. The best strategy is to use a

combination of both (unless you're aiming for a specific sound).

Left Hand Muting
First, I want to talk about your left hand (fretting hand). To mute with this hand
you should put your finger on the string (as if you were about to play a note),
but you don't press the string down. This results in a muted note (try itinstead of a "ding", you get a "dnk" sound). Now, on it's own this kind of
muting is used for rhythmic styles such as Funk, or Reggae.
The main riff to Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved?" is a good example of
Left Hand Muting.

Right Hand Muting

In contrast, right hand muting (also known as "Palm Muting") tends to be
used in Rock and Metal styles of music. It produces a tight, crunchy tone
(when used with distortion). When you mute with your right hand, you place
the side of your hand against the strings, right next to the bridge- but, again,
don't push down. You're left hand plays normally.
For an example of Palm Muting; listen to the opening riff of Creeping Death
by Metallica- the first 5 notes of each sequence are very tight and punchy
sounding!
Both Hands
Especially when playing through loud amps, you need to control the strings
that are allowed to ring all the time. This is achieved by using a combination
of the above two methods. The side of your fingers on your left hand should
mute the strings higher (in pitch!) than the one you're playing, and the palm of
your right hand should mute the lower strings. This method prevents
unwanted strings from ringing out and creating horrible feedback and noise!
Of course, you'll want/need to master all three methods eventually. I hope this
article has given you a head start.

How to Solo

Is being able to solo on guitar something you would like to be able to do? For
most of us, the answer is "yes, of course!", as improvisation is a key element
in many modern music genres. So, if you listen to anything from Metallica to
the music of Miles Davis, you should hopefully find this chapter useful and
insightful.
Picture this: you're on stage with your band (or you might just be jamming
with a few mates, it doesn't matter), and you're strumming through the
chords. Things are going well, and you notice that the audience is intently
listening to what you're playing. Slowly the music starts to build, through the
chorus, the singer hits that high note with so much energy. The audience is in
awe.
Right at this moment, you know what comes next, the solo- but wait, you
haven't prepared one already. What do you do? Knowing that what comes
next could make or break the song- and its going so well! You don't want to
make yourself look like a moron in front of everyone. You want to hit just the
right notes for that perfect solo, right?
Where are you at this point? Do you know that you can pull it off? Or are you
frozen to the spot with nothing to play? Well, whichever stage you are at,
there are techniques that can help you overcome this anxiety. It is possible to
practice improvising, so that you can pull off a great solo every time! Instead
of ruining a song with "bum" notes, you can earn adoration from your friends
and fans. You want that, right?
No, I'm not talking about "what scale should I use over this?" or "what mode
am I in?"! I'm talking about actual "improvisation". Basically: How to make
stuff up.
Humming Along
The first technique is "humming along". No matter what you say, you'll be able
to hum a tune! Anyway, practice makes perfect...
So say you have a chord progression- maybe G C D G (simple
enough). The next step is to play that chord progression, and use your voice
to hum along on.
Guess what? If you can do that you've just improvised a melody!
The next stage is to learn that melody back on guitar. You may need to record
yourself and then try and figure out the notes you just hummed, but that's

fine. What you're working on is a connection between the melody that you
think of in your head and the notes you play on guitar.
Eventually, with practice, you'll be able to take out the humming stage and
just play what you think of in your head. OK that might seem a long way off
yet, but with this technique you're working towards that kind of mastery.
Fluency
The second video in this series is about spontaneity, and being able to keep
the groove going with no "gaps". You know what I'm talking about: when
you're taking so long to think about the next note that it's now too late to play
it...
For this technique, you're going to start off with the a scale. Could be the
major scale, could be a pentatonic scale. Turn your metronome on at a
medium speed (i.e. not super fast, and not super slow) and play one note for
each click, on each click. This is forcing you to just keep going at a constant
pace, without stopping to think (or worry) about each note before you play it.
Done that going up and down the scale? Good. The next step is to play the
notes in a totally random order- but you must make sure there is one for
every click, on the click. Don't stop!
Obviously, when you go to create a solo you wont only want to play one note
per click, but using this exercise should start to get you over the stage of
being so overly critical of every note that you end up not playing at all! You'll
eventually learn to "just do it", rather than spend ages deciding about it.

How to Re-String
I normally change my strings at least once a month (for the tone), way before
I ever start breaking them. How often have you been changing yours? How
often should you? What are your reasons to dislike old strings? How do you
judge when to change?
If your guitar strings are no longer smooth and shiny, but are instead sporting
the latest in dull, brown rust, then it's about time you re-string your guitar! If
you play every day, you should have to do this at least every month, maybe
even more- and if you're breaking strings, that's too long to wait. You see,
when your strings start to age, they lose their stretchiness (I'm sure that's a
word...), and this adversely affects the tone they produce.
If this has happened to you, then fear not, for I am here to save you with more
instructions. In this Chapter, I will guide you through the process of restringing your guitar step-by-step.
Step 1- Buy a Pack of Strings
Again, right from the basics: if you need to re-string your guitar, first go and
buy some strings. Make sure the strings are the same size as the ones that
you're taking off.
String size -or gauge- measures the thickness of the string. It is
normally measured in inches (yes, inches), and quoted from the
thinnest string. Common gauges include "0.009" (known as "Nines"),
0.010 (or "Tens"), or 0.011 ("Elevens"). You may also hear "Ten to
fifty two", which means the thinnest string is 0.010 inch, and the
thickest is 0.052 inch.
So, once you have the right string gauge, take the pack if strings home and
open it (to make sure you have a full set of six). If you only have 5 strings
instead of six, don't even think about moving on to the next step.
Step 2- Remove the Old Strings
Before you start just ripping the old strings off, you should know that there is a
proper way of doing things. You want to replace each string separately, so as
not to change the tension over the neck too much (this can lead to intonation
issues).
Detune the first string, you can start from the thinnest or the thickest, it
doesn't matter. Once the string is slack, it's quicker to take a pair of wire
cutters and cut the string in the middle than to try and untangle an entire
string at once. Then all you need to do is unwind one end from the tuning peg
and thread the other through the bridge. If you have a floating, Floyd Rosestyle bridge, then you will need to loosen the blocks that hold the string in

place with an allen key first.

Step 4- A pply New Strings
First, thread the shiny, new string through the bridge, or if you have a floating
bridge, cut the ball end off the string and clamp it in place using the block and
an allen key. Then thread the other end of the string through the tuning peg.
This step should be pretty easy, now comes the difficult part.
Step 5- Tighten the Strings
My method of doing this may seem a but odd, but I can assure you it works.
Place your index finger against the nut and pull the string far away from the
neck with your hand. If your finger is still in contact with the nut, this is how
much slack you should allow the string before tightening.
Pull the string tight with your hand, making sure it's held firmly in place at the
nut with your index finger, and then start to tighten with the tuning pegs. You'll
notice that as the string tightens, your hand is pulled towards the fretboard
(this is a good thing), keep tightening until the string is no longer loose (don't
forget to move your hand out the way as it gets tighter!).
Step 6- Tune the String
Tighten the string until it is in tune. You can either tune it with the other strings
(a method that gets harder as you put more and more new, stretchier strings
on), or with a tuner. Once the string is in tune, grab it at the twelfth fret and
pull it about an inch from the fretboard, letting it snap back into position- this
will stretch out the string. Now tune it again, you'll notice that the string has
gone out of tune.
Repeat the stretching and tuning process until the string stays in tune every
time.
Step 7- Repeat with All Six Strings
Go back to step 2, and repeat the entire process for each string- until each
string is perfectly in tune. If you have a floating bridge, you'll notice that as
you tune one string it changes the tension on all the others (and thus, their
pitch), and you may need to tune each string to equalize the tension.
Step 8- Rock Out
Last, but by no means least, play your guitar and have fun! This is by far the
best way to stretch a new set of strings in.

Ready to Rock?
So, although I can't promise to turn you into Joe Satriani or Jimi Hendrix over
night, after reading through this Ebook you should be well on your way to
playing that first gig...
That's it from me for now, remember to check back at Chainsaw Guitar
Tuition for the latest tips and lessons on guitar and bass technique.
Until then, I'll see you next time.
Rob.