GUITAR BEGINNER LESSONS
Guitar Guide
YOUR GUITAR LESSONS
Hi Everyone!
Now, this is how free lessons works…
When you hover over the ‘Your Guitar Lessons’ menu bar in the main navigation, you will see a selection of acoustic guitar lessons for beginners, Intermediates, and experts that I have found to be very useful. I have also included some must watch Inspirational video’s from around the world that I think you will get a buzz from. I have also added a section called ‘Just for Fun’, which I will add to from time to time as I come across videos that have brought a smile to my face.
I like to monitor youtube for new and creative training videos that might be of use to you and I in regards to our shared interest of acoustic guitars, however from time to time I will also be uploading my own videos from the professionals I hire who have over 15 years experience as a guitar musician, and have or are currently involved as a teacher.
I have managed to use the experience of these musicians and guitarist and together we have managed to write the content for this site to best help others improve their own guitar skills and knowledge (including mine), and we have some exciting stuff in development that will be uploaded for your benefit as soon as it is completed.
The experts I am working with all have unique backgrounds in blues, jazz, lead, rhythm, rock, pop and just about anything else you can think of that Involves playing some sort of guitar, and with their help we can all become better guitar players.
Here are just some random, miscellaneous “rules of the road” and the “little things” that experienced teachers have shared with me.
Top Tips
- Keep your guitar clean! The wood, the strings, the frets –everything. This is rule number 1. It is the easiest way to preserve tone and avoid gradual damage that can go un-noticed.
- Listen to your “elders”. Check the ego at the door. It doesn’t matter how well you play –when it comes to getting the most out of your playing, there is always someone out there to show you something. You may think they’ve spent 30 years doing nothing but strumming three chords, but don’t mistake musical complexity for an understanding of tone, maintenance and an eye for quality. This doesn’t only apply to people with more actual experience –if you bump around the world of musicians enough you will find “techies” –people that obsess over tone, repair and maintenance, etc., and may not have your experience or level of playing, but they know things. Know when to be humble. No matter how much you know there is always someone out there that knows more.
- “Open mic night” –Depending on your music scene, there may be places where you can go to play with a band or just by yourself. Look for these and go to them. Even if you aren’t comfortable playing, it’s good to get out there and meet musicians. You will learn things by “being there” that would otherwise take years if ever to understand. You would be amazed at what you soak in just by being around other musicians.
Top Tricks
- Check the string gauge. If you find your guitar is too hard to play, you may want to get a lighter “gauge”. The most popular gauge of strings by far is mediums (also called “13’s or “33’s because the high E string is 0.13 in. or 0.33 mm in diameter). Note that a lighter gauge string will result in a thinner tone and reduce volume, while a heavier one will add substance to the tone and increase volume. A newer player may elect to sacrifice tone for playability while the fingers get tougher. A very important thing to know here is that if you change the gauge of strings you use, you need to go get your guitar setup again, as using a different gauge will increase or reduce the tension on your guitar, affecting action and intonation.
- Capos –Many acoustic players use capos. Pick a good one. There are lots of good brands out there, but don’t ever buy the cheapest one. Bad quality capos can wear out easily, causing string buzz, or they can allow strings to stay bent after you’re done bending them. Also, you’ll see a lot of players clip it onto the headstock when not using it. Don’t do that. It wears the spring and can reduce the spring tension over time, causing all of the problems listed above, even if it’s a good one. If you’re unsure about which one to get, Kyser has been pretty much the industry standard since the dawn of time.
- Fingernails –You want to keep your left hand fingernails short. Otherwise, you will have problems fretting chords (you won’t get clear tones out of all the strings sometimes). Additionally, your long nails can leave fingernail marks on your fret board. If you fingerpick at all you’ll want to pay as much attention to the right hand as well. You don’t want to be strumming chords and catch your thumb nail on the low E and tear it off. Trust me that is not a pleasant experience. Players with a classical background will find steel strings wear their fingernails down. It’s a necessary reality of playing steel strings. Just make sure your nails don’t get too long and that you file down any corners that could catch on the strings.
Last notes
This has been said before, but it’s important. Even if you are not an expert, you are not an idiot. Trust your gut. People come up with all kinds of things that they think are great ideas, but if it doesn’t work for you it means nothing. If a friend tells you this or that brand or product is “the best”, take it as a recommendation but never accept anybody’s word on such things as absolute truth. The strings you like may be the most expensive ones out there or they may be the cheapest. The particularities of your guitar and your tonal preferences determine that. While you usually get what you pay for, don’t get sucked into the idea that more expensive always equates to “better for you”. It’s just not that way sometimes. If you will learn to listen to that little voice in your head, you will go a long way faster than just blindly accepting bits and pieces of wisdom as the rule of law. Advice should be taken as a guide for your own perspective. And listen to your guitar!! Also visit : https://bestguitarunder.com/1500-dollars/