Guitar Lesson for Complete Beginners: Common Questions About Getting Started (BC-101)

 

Uploaded on Jun 3, 2009

In this Guitar Lesson for Complete Beginners: Common Questions About Getting Started (BC-101) I answer some of the very common questions that beginners ask about learning to play the guitar.

A harmonic is a tone that’s created by the guitar by touching the string above a fret on an open vibrating string. There are 2 types of harmonics Natural and Artificial or I prefer to call them pinch harmonics. 

Natural Harmonics 

Natural Harmonics can be produced by touching your index finger on your fret-hand above at the 5th, 7th or 12th fret. Just place your finger on the string above the fret, don’t press to hard or you will mute the note, pluck the note and then p...

A harmonic is a tone that’s created by the guitar by touching the string above a fret on an open vibrating string. There are 2 types of harmonics Natural and Artificial or I prefer to call them pinch harmonics. 

Natural Harmonics 

Natural Harmonics can be produced by touching your index finger on your fret-hand above at the 5th, 7th or 12th fret. Just place your finger on the string above the fret, don’t press to hard or you will mute the note, pluck the note and then pull your finger off. Try it on the A string.

E|------------|

B|------------|

G|------------|

D|------------|

A|----12------|

E|------------|

Timing is critical when playing harmonics. The length of time you keep your finger on the string will determine if you hear a harmonic, muted sound or just a regular note. Natural harmonics occur in various locations along the fretboard. The most common ones are on the 5th, 7th, and 12th fret. The harmonics in those positions will ring for all 6 strings on the same fret. Try playing them in all 3 positions. Place your finger across all 6 strings and play from the Low E to the high E lifting your finger as your pick strikes each individual string. You have to work at this and it takes some time, but it sound so cool.

E|---------5-----|--------7-----|----------12---|

B|--------5------|-------7------|--------12-----|

G|-------5-------|------7-------|-------12------|

D|------5--------|-----7--------|------12-------|

A|-----5---------|----7---------|-----12--------|

E|----5----------|---7----------|----12---------|

Pinch Harmonics 

Pinch harmonics are done with the pick hand hand. I found this technique very difficult to master. The best method is to “choke” down on your pick so there is very little pick exposed between your thumb and your index finger. With time you’ll learn the pick has to be mobile in your hand, and you will move it into different position depending on how you play. Now when you pluck a string with your pick the trick is to hit the pick first and then slightly twist your thumb so that it touches the string immediately after hitting the string. 

Why play a pinch harmonic…..well because they are very cool when playing solos. You can combine string bends with pinch harmonics and vibrato to get totally cool sounding “squeals”. They even sound great when you do them by accident. The trick is to devote some of your practice time everyday to just playing cool licks and try adding a pinch harmonic with some demonic vibrato. Oh yea, it makes you want to play more guitar because you can just create some of coolest sounds!

When you learn to play music on guitar it is one of the most rewarding things you can learn. It can be used at a variety of occasions and can also be used to make money when you become experienced. I will try to show you some simple steps to learn to play music on guitar, but it requires a lot of patience and even more practice.

When you learn to play music on guitar it is one of the most rewarding things you can learn. It can be used at a variety of occasions and can also be used to make money when you become experienced. I will try to show you some simple steps to learn to play music on guitar, but it requires a lot of patience and even more practice.

You have to remember there is no easy way out you have to practice or you won’t perfect the things you have learnt. Try not to get frustrated if it does not come to you straight away because it will develop over time.

Reference material

There is a wide range of reference materials available in book and video form. These are all available on the internet. Classes are also a great way to learn to play music on guitar. In the first few pages of most guitar books there is always a short riff, and easy song’s try. Start with them and practice those for a while until you are confident enough to continue.

Equipment

When it comes to buying a guitar go to a music shop and pick them up and hold them try to choose one that feels comfortable and if you still can’t decide talk to the shop assistant and see if they have any tips and tricks for picking the right guitar. Don’t be fooled by the price tag most of the cheap guitars are fine to begin with. When you first learn to play music on guitar you will not need a fancy guitar as most of the features will go unused and will only get in the way. However as you improve you may want to upgrade in small stages to suit your level of experience. 

Classes and community lessons

There is a wide range of classes to learn to play music on guitar. Some classes are free or require a small donation. However most have a fee attached to cover the costs of teachers and equipment. When you participate in a free class, these are generally just as good as a paid class. All classes will help you with basics when you learn to play music on guitar. The best thing about classes is the hands on approach to learning; there is nothing better than having someone give you first hand knowledge on how to do something.

Practice make’s perfect

There is no such thing as too much practice when you decide to learn to play music on guitar, but you need to spread that practice out. Don’t burn yourself out to the point where you stop enjoying playing. Always remember that it’s about having fun and the second it stops becoming fun don’t do it anymore. There is no point pushing yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

Always remember that when you learn to play music o guitar it’s not just for you it’s for everyone one else to enjoy as well so don’t be afraid to share your new talent with your friends and family.