Articles about Playing Guitar

Have you ever been scanning through a chord chart, only to come across two chords separated by the forward slash (/) symbol?

Whether you’re a self-taught beginner or a classically trained performer, you’re bound to run into these funny looking chords from time to time. And depending on your experience with them, a few questions might spring to mind …

When learning any new skill, you're bound to hit a few roadblocks that will leave you frustrated and demoralized. Learning to play the guitar is no exception and it comes with its own set of unique problems. Veteran players know them all too well but they'd also be the first to tell you that once you overcome them, it only gets better. Those beginning to learn to play the guitar will certainly experience these 7 problems, but with some practice, they thankfully won't last long.

Slide guitar is a way to play guitar using what is known as a slide. This object is generally made of glass or metal, and each type creates a different tone. Get a slide at a music store to get started. You can also use a lipstick cover, straight razor or even, cigarette lighters. Either way, when you have one, use this advice to help you use it to play.

Whether you’re a beginning guitarist or a long-time expert, shopping for a new instrument is likely to inspire giddiness that can’t be replicated anywhere else in life. The difference between a novice’s shopping habits and those of a two-decade-long player is that the new guitarist might not know exactly what to look for. You’re still trying to figure out your style and preferences, so getting the best instrument for your tastes might be more challenging. These tips and suggestions will help you pick a guitar that will make joyful ...

The guitar is a cultural icon in American music. It helped free African American slaves and end the Vietnam War. You've decided to add your name to the hall of fame of great musicians, and become a legendary guitarist. The great news is, you can definitely do it. But first, you must learn to play guitar. Here is some indispensable, expert advice on how to learn the craft.

The minor pentatonic scale is extremely common. It is used extensively in American blues music and other cultures around the world employ it frequently as well. Personally, the minor pentatonic is one of my favorite scales and probably the one I rely on most for live improvisations. Here is the minor pentatonic in the key of G:

A thumb pick is a plastic plectrum that a guitarist fits onto the thumb rather than holding a flat pick between thumb and forefinger. This gives the player freedom to use the forefinger to pluck the strings in unison with, or separately from the thumb without losing control of the plectrum. Some music historians say that the use of the thumb pick originated with the early blues artists who played the banjo in preference to the guitar.

Here are some tips that will help you to begin playing acoustic guitar using a plectrum. This guide is for the novice guitar player who wants to achieve both emotional fluency and technical precision.

Many young people dream of learning to play the guitar but delay it off because they have not decided on the style they want to learn. There are so many great guitar players, so much wonderful music. How do you go about choosing a particular genre to study seriously? One way is to take acoustic guitar lessons so that you can learn what guitar playing feels like for you, as an individual. That way, you will not be wasting your time looking for a convenient opportunity to make a final decision on your preferred genre before you start playing ...

Despite the inroads made by the electric guitar into every area of modern music, acoustic blues guitar playing still has the power to stimulate the interest of audiences all over the world. The origins of this style of music lie in church gatherings of rural America in the early 1900’s. From these modest beginnings, Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and other self-taught masters improvised their way into the hearts and minds of blues fans all over the world.

A good guitar amplifier is one of the most important parts of making your instrument sound great. However, it is not enough to just have a good amp. You must also know how to get the best possible sound out of your amp. Let's take a look at some ways to make your guitar amp sound great.

OK, so you’ve bought your first guitar and already your mind is dreaming about rock superstardom. Pretty soon you’ll be joining the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Page and Jack White in the pantheon of all-time rock gods. There’s just one problem though: you’re not entirely sure how to get your shiny new music-box in tune.

The pentatonic scales are the most important scales to learn for evolving guitar steps. The pentatonic scales are used in all styles of music, especially pop & rock. They serve particularly as a special gift for amateur guitarists with less experience. They are very easy to remember and apply to almost any music style with a little time to practice.

This article gives some tips on how to memorize them and use them.

Whether it's around the campfire, with family, or a personal jam session, playing the guitar is a fun and wonderful hobby to invest in. As a beginner, however, you'll need some tips to help you get started. Use these to help prevent the many pitfalls that can cause trouble for the new guitar player.

Guitar chord diagrams show you how play chords. At first they can look like confusing grids of lines, numbers, and circles. Soon, though, they become useful tools for learning and writing down finger positions.

This article provides some basic hints on how to read guitar chord diagrams.