If you’re like me you’ve played guitar for a while and it is your primary instrument. But you also dabble in the ukulele. Keeping the two instruments separate is a bit of a challenge – just a bit. Not a major challenge because many of the basic techniques are the same. But the big difference
I follow a couple guitar beginner forums, and one comment I often see refers to being able to “play songs”. For example, a typical comment goes something like this: “I know enough chords to play a few songs, but I’m not happy with my progress.” What do they mean when they say “I can play
You want to play along with a song but you don’t know what key it’s in. How do you figure it out? The simple fact is…most popular or traditional songs end on the root note of the major scale they are written in. This is known as the “anchor tone” around which the song is
I recently saw a question on Quora which was basically asking “If a song is in a key too high for me to sing, how do I adjust my chords so I can hit the high notes? Should I just tune my guitar strings down a tone or semi-tone?” Many people responded to this question
If you’re thinking of getting started playing guitar, here is some information that may be useful. You can find reviews of two other starter guitars on this page: Buying a Starter Guitar. The most important factors for most people just starting out on the guitar are: First, the size of the guitar. If it is
Guitar tabs got you spooked? For a really good explanation of how guitar tabs work check out Guitar Magic here. The inexpensive course explains how tabs work and gives you tabs for many familiar songs. Many FREE tabs are available here. Now ask yourself “What is the best, easiest, and fastest way to get started
Here’s a little video where I emphasize striking the strings smoothly. If you are mixing melody notes or bass notes with chords, try to keep your volume and speed consistent. Strike the strings with feeling.
A common way of talking about the use of guitar chords in pop songs is called Basic Chord Theory. It is also referred to as the “1-4-5” or (in Roman numerals) “I-IV-V”. Another term you will sometimes hear is the “Nashville System”. I prefer the name “1-4-5” so that’s how I will refer to it
More strings is not necessarily better. Often it is better to focus on fewer strings when chording. This is especially the case with an electric guitar.
