Before Taking How to Play Guitar for Beginners Lessons

Before you begin any course of study that provides guitar instruction; you should at least be somewhat familiar with the different parts of the guitar you will be playing.  The guitar has been around for quite a long time. 

The acoustic guitar first appeared during the late 1700’s. The electric guitar didn't come along until the 1930’s. As far as the major parts or sections of the guitar are concerned, acoustic and electric guitars both share the same main attributes. The only real difference is that acoustic guitars typically have a hollow body and electric guitars typically have a solid body with a built-in microphone called a pickup. By knowing more about the parts of your guitar, you’ll be able to learn how to play songs more easily.

The major parts of the guitar are the headstock, tuners, nut, neck, fretboard, sound hole, body and bridge. All of these parts play a vital role in the performance and sound of the guitar. Altering even one part will change the way the instrument sounds and can make it easier or more difficult to play. That's why in addition to your guitar lessons, you need to have a fairly high-quality guitar. A good instrument will help you learn guitar fast. 

Some beginners don’t use a pick when they are playing the guitar. This is a mistake. Not using a pick can be very painful to your fingers and the guitar notes will not sound as clear and bright. The way you hold the pick is also important. You want to start with your picking hand open and your palm facing you. Gently take the pick and hold it between bring your thumb and index finger. As you strum the strings up and down, the pick should be held gently but firmly. You will learn more advanced pick placement later, but for now those are the basics.

Next you want to make sure your guitar is in tune. You will learn how to tune your guitar on your own without using an electronic tuner. It is helpful to know how to do this, but using an electronic tuner makes the job much faster and easier.

Early on it is helpful to learn to play scales. Most play guitar lessons will include how to play scales in their lessons. You will also learn which finger should be used when pressing a specific string. You will not be using your thumb to press any strings early on, but you will learn some advanced techniques for using it later as your skill improves.

To play chords, start by looking at illustrated chord charts that are included in most guitar lessons. Begin by trying to place your fingers on the neck of the guitar as illustrated in the charts. Start memorizing the chord positions and practice them as you learn guitar basics.

Soon you will learn all about the guitar fretboard. You will learn guitar riffs, notes, easy songs and how to play guitar tab. As you progress, learning will become easier and faster. Always remember to have fun and enjoy yourself as you learn to play.

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