27 Mistakes Any Guitarist Should Avoid

The guitar is a fascinating instrument that will enrich your life in more ways than one. It will be your companion either when you're feeling alone or when you the life of the party; beside you in your highs and lows - a confidant you can turn to day and night. It'll help tide over your boredom and sooth you when you are fatigued and go with you where ever you wish to take it.

It all sounds quite romantic but if you are a beginner, you're probably thinking I've gone nuts! What I wrote sounds inspiring, but be warned, the first few months your guitar will test you severely. You will lose your cool, get frustrated, angry and feel extremely inept. Don't expect your guitar to easily play into your hands - it takes time, patience, practice and perseverance. While learning, you are bound to make mistakes and fail. But failure is the pillar of success, and believe me, you will tide over and tame your beast.

Enough with the lecture, let us get down to certain mistakes that you must avoid. These not only cost you time and energy, but more importantly hurt your morale.

(I.) Broad Mistakes:

1. Don't give up before you start: If you want to learn the guitar, go out and buy yourself one. Procrastination will leave you at air guitar at best and playing in your dreams doesn't count as solid practice. Here's the guide / advice on buying (and maintaining) a new guitar.

2. Don't give up too soon: If you skipped the introductory paragraph then go back and read it and hopefully you'll be inspired. How soon is too soon? If you are quitting - its too soon! If your finger tips pain, use cold water or ice and rest them. It will get better. And once the calluses form in a few weeks, it won't pain any more.

3. Get lessons: You're only delaying things if you don't. Just a few lessons can propel you a long way. Guide like this site are not enough if you are just staring off.

4. Don't get intimidated: Sure the thing looks complicated, but there is a simple design behind it. Read up a bit about the construction of a guitar and you will see how it all works. Remember, you play just a few frets at a time and the pattern has a logic which is easy to catch. It may seem too difficult to play, but if I can do it, anyone can. It took me six months with regular lessons to get a basic hang on it. Remember - baby steps! Take your time and it will become easy.

5. Learn to tune your guitar: Always tune your guitar before you start playing. Practicing on an out-of-tune instrument makes you sound poorer than you actually are as well as wrecks your ear training. You can learn to tune your guitar quickly and easily. It is more important to hit the right note than hitting the right fret. Tune your guitar before every practice and touch it up in between songs.

6. Theory first: Start off first by learning the basic music theory. At the very least, you have to learn about the notes of music, the guitar neck, fret board, inlays, etc. Simultaneously improve your skill and knowledge. Here's a free guitar e-book (the index page) to guide you through. One thing here - learning staff notation from the get go will be beneficial but its not mandatory.

7. Don't get too ahead of yourself: Go slow at first. As your skill and understanding improves, it will get easier. Don't try and learn difficult songs in the beginning - you won't be able to and it'll just demoralize you. Start off with something simple like Twinkle Twinkle and Yankee Doodle. I understand that this might neither fulfill your rock-star dreams, nor live up to what you're friends might be expecting to hear, but its great practice. You can try something harder when you feel comfortable.

8. Give it some of your valuable time: Books on the shelf won't help you acquire knowledge by diffusion (not even if you sleep on them) - the same applies to music. Learning an instrument is all about practice. It makes you familiar with what you're dealing with and more importantly builds up muscle memory so that you don't have to think before playing every single note - just like cursive writing and riding a bicycle. You need to give it time. What ever amount you put in every day adds up, even a few minutes.

9. Listen to music: Listening to music is just as important as playing it. It will help you catch wrong notes.

10. Don't forget that you're learning it for enjoyment: If you're getting too worked up with it and it is becoming one more bit of your daily work schedule, may be you're just missing the whole point. There is a difference between playing and practicing - don't forget it.


(II.) Specific Mistakes:

1. Take care of your gear: Nothing shows that you picked up the guitar just to impress people than letting it stand / lie in the corner of your room / closet gathering dust.

2. Going all out and then fizzling out: Buy one guitar, preferably acoustic (and some basic effects, if you choose to go electric). Don't spend your life's savings on your first setup. Learn the instrument; hone your skills and the move on to bigger and better things. More / better things don't equate to better playing.

3. Tune your guitar: (mentioned above - and yeah, it is that important). You learn music through your ears.

4. Don't start off by using distortion: Learn how the notes originally sound before you "distort" it. Pick up your skill first and then add all the effects you desire. You must understand the alteration to the sound that effect produces.

5. Don't start off by playing songs alone: Practice the scales first and the songs will be easier. Go parallel, but scale first. Practice both chords and leads. Practice changing chords and strumming songs. Again, don't just play only the songs your want. Learn music as a whole and have a wide selection in your repertoire.

6. Don't look at your hands too much: Do not keep looking at your hands. It will hamper your progress. See which fret you have to play and try and hit it without seeing. You will have to develop that skill and it will be difficult going at first. Sooner or later your fingers will strike the right notes / chords. Like I said - it applies for both hands.

• You can see your fretting hand at the beginning and if you get lost, but look away once you have found one of the notes of the piece. Try and play the rest of the notes by visualizing that part of the fret board. Its easier than it seems. Your body has position sensors that will kick in once you look away.
• Plucking the strings (with your right hand) is something that you should do strictly without looking. 
• Don't fall prey to these bad habits and trust you position sense.
• Try and play the guitar with your eyes closed, or with the lights off, or blindfolded (if you're into theatrics). You will be able to do all that quite soon, if you do away with your dependence on sight of the strings.
• Plectrums are optional. You can finger-pick / strum just as well.

7. Practice pieces and not individual notes or chords: Don't go about playing single notes or chords. It won't do you much good. Music is in the change (of the note or chord) as well. Learn to properly fret and strum. Learn to strum and change chords. Develop fluidity.

8. Don't go by the book all the time: No two people are the same. Everyone can play things in a way that is easy for them. Just because someone tells you to hold down a chord in a particular way, doesn't mean you can't do it in a way that you're more comfortable with. Concentrate on the sound and not on how to contort your fingers - simplify.

9. Don't neglect music theory: Learning theory is essential. You need to know what you're doing. It's not enough to just know the scales and chords, it's also essential to know why that is so. Learning to deconstruct a piece, a chord, etc and understanding its constitution will make you into a musician and not just a player.

10. Don't depend too much on spoon-feeding: Don't depend just on tablature or notes. Learn how to figure out for songs by yourself and liberate yourself. First learn how to read guitar tablature and start by practicing on the available tablatures of some songs. Remember, internet tabs are not deadly accurate, so depend more on your ear. Playing a song by ear is one of the most important things that you must do. If you want to play any song you want, this is your ticket.

9. Learn to use proper pressure, at the proper place, properly: Use just the right amount of pressure on the strings. What is the right amount? Well, the string should be pressed into the fret and your fingers shouldn't hurt terribly. The aim is to shorten the length of the vibrating string at the end of that fret and not to muffle it either. Try holding down a string towards end of the fret, just to the left of the metal piece down the neck (schematic below).

(Nut)|------|-----|----|.........|----|---|--|-|  (sound hole)
                ^     ^

Press at these points

As for the plucking hand, use just enough force to clearly sound each string. For both hands, be careful not the touch the vibrating segments of the string, as that will cause a buzz and silence the string. When playing chords don't press down on the strings with the flat (pulp) of your finger (left hand), use the tips instead. Conversely when playing leads, try and play using the pulp of your finger. Use the pulp of your right hand to pluck the strings and not the tips. Again, don't grip the neck too firmly. Your hand needs to slide over it.

10. Use all your fingers: Use all the fingers of both your hands - that includes the little fingers and the thumbs as well. The little fingers are key to playing most chords properly. The right thumb and little fingers will help you in playing fast arpeggios and riffs. The left little finger is pivotal in fretting fast solos. Don't forget to place your right little finger on the guard plate - this acts as a reference point allowing you to pluck the proper string.

11. Don't be afraid to play slowly: Your audience doesn't need to see how fast you can play. Nor would they be bored if you took your time. Don't get nervous and play at a moderate speed. Slow and steady wins the race. Try the slow pieces first and gradually pick up speed. Don't push yourself too much right in the beginning of your learning.

12. Don't play notes, play a song: Don't try and be excessively accurate with your timing. Do get a good rhythm, but play with passion. Express feelings through the piece. Music is all about that. Not doing this is what is called poor phrasing. It's quite like trying to speak in a foreign language by just reading out the "words" written down in your own. You speak something, but sound like an idiot.

13. Don't play on just one string: Many beginners (of Spanish guitar) are quickly enamored of the 1st (high E) string and play everything using just that one string. You get all 12 notes on it, but it sounds silly. It's a bad practice, to not utilize the other strings. Plus you know you have to stop doing that sooner or later.

14. Don't break your wrist or rhythm while strumming: I mean don't move your right hand's wrist while your strum. All the movement should come from the joints above. Stiffen your wrist while you strum. Again, don't break your rhythm while playing either.

15. Play along with someone or a soundtrack: It's important to learn how to keep up with everyone else. If you want a go at it alone, play a song and play along.

16. Learning how to sight read: If you are serious about a career in music, you must be able to fluently read music (staff notation). Being able to seamlessly read a new piece and play a song is sight reading.

17. Don't be afraid of making mistakes and experiment: Catch them, learn from them and get over them. Make intentional mistakes and gauge the results. Unless you deconstruct and analyze everything, you will not get it.

How to Tab a Song by Ear (Hearing)

Tabbing a song by ear
First, you must understand that it's not at all difficult. It's a bit like riding a bicycle. You have to do it to know how to do it. And just like riding a bicycle -

1. Tabbing is easier than it seems
2. It just needs a bit of practice
3. It takes some time to learn
4. Tabbing is hard at first and gets easier as you progress
5. Once you learn how to tab a song by ear, you can't forget it
6. It's faster, if you have someone teach you how to
7. You enjoy the result in both cases

Prerequisites:

1. You must know the song well ( must have heard it a couple of times)
2. You must know how to write in tab notation
3. You must be patient

What this tutorial teaches you:

1. How to find the scale / key of a song
2. How to find the tabs of a song on a guitar
3. How to find the scale of a song on a guitar

So, here's the process of tabbing a song by ear:

1. Think of it as singing the song with your hands on the guitar.
2. First listen to the song - this will get your mind to catch the original scale of the song.
3. Try humming the song - this will make you sing the notes of the song
4. Now catch a few notes of the song by trying to play it on the guitar. It's a trial and error process.
5. Now, when the pitch goes up, play a higher note to match. Play a lower note when the pitch goes down. Match and play with the humming.
6. Play again and again from your mind try to remember the sequence.
7. As more and more of the song unfolds, the easier it will get to figure out the rest.
8. Add details and things like hammer ons, pull offs, etc on subsequent passes

And that's how you do it. Try it and ask for and clarifications in the comments below the post.

To figure out the chords to a song:
Follow a similar process, but try playing chords instead of notes. It's a bit more difficult than tabbing. Discussed separately .

To figure out the strum pattern of a song:
To get the pattern of the strum, all you need to do is listen to the song over and over. Discussed separately
Happy tabbing...

How to transpose a song to another scale?

What is transposition?

Any piece of music may be composed in one key (scale) and played in another. For example, a song written in the key of C major, may be played in A major, F major, D major, etc., as one chooses. It may be done for the sake of ease of play in a particular key. A song is easier to play in using the notes and chords of C major scale than in C# major. Transposition may also be done to suit a song to the vocal range of the singer.

Moreover, if you are a new played and find a song in a difficult scale (key), you can always transpose the song up or down a few semitones to the scale you are comfortable with. You can later come back to the real key and learn it when you are skilled enough.

Example:
Song in C major scale:

C        F    C
We shall over come....

Song transposed to Eb major scale (transposed up with respect to C major):

Eb       G#   Eb
We shall over come....

Song transposed to A major scale (transposed down with respect to C major):

A        D    A
We shall over come....

The property of music is that it allows it to be transposed from one key to another without altering the song. The song sounds almost the same, just more high pitched. Some songs even incorporate parts where the key is shifter up (or down) by a certain number of notes. Thus the song itself incorporates a piece of transposed music.

An introduction to chord progressions

A chord progression is a sequence of chords that, when sounded in succession, “aims for a definite (musical) goal” and conveys some feeling or expresses some musical pattern.

A chord, as discussed in the chapter on scales, may be built upon any note of a scale. Thus a heptatonic scale allows seven basic triads built up using the first, third and fifth notes of that degree. The starting note of each scale degree of the scale becomes the root note of its own chord. This is different from the concept of chords being formed from a scale using the notes of that scale, keeping the root unchanged. Now, a chord built upon the note C is an C (something) chord. So, the seven chords thus formed will have different root names.

Systematically learn all guitar chords - the CAGED system:

A chord is formed by, anywhere from 3 to 6 notes on a guitar. Three, because, any lesser makes it an interval, ans six, as there are six strings on a standard guitar and six identically tuned pairs on a 12-string guitar. Now, each string has upto 22 frets (or more). One can probably stretch his/her fingers and hold frets on different strings that are 4-5 frets apart, giving us at (4x6=) 24 to (5x6=) 30 individual frets that can be played at once. The permutations and combinations using 3 to 6 notes and accounting for all positions produces a huge number of chords that the guitar can play.


Of course, only some of these are played, still, the number is quite daunting. Unless there is a simpler way to remember all these chords - a system to remember these by - a simple Aide-mémoire, it will be rather difficult to play a guitar! Now imagine a chord chard depicting all such chords - it will run into a hundred pages! Enter - the CAGED system.


The CAGED system is a method of learning how and where to play any chord utilizing some standard chord shapes. The shapes, as will be evident, overlap each other and are located such that they conform to the layout of the notes on "a standard 12-TET, six string guitar, tuned to standard tuning."


The basic chord shapes chosen are of those that can be played as open string chords (in root position), viz:

C major, A major, G major, E major and D major. And hence the name: an acronym for these chords taken in the above order – C-A-G-E-D. These are also the most basic chords taught to a beginner. Let us have a look at this post on Middle C on Guitar - F above and G above middle C on a Guitar. Note the positions of the C4 note. Similarly, if we include all the C notes on the guitar (here open string i.e. 0 to 15th fret), we get a picture like this:
The red dots show the position of the C note on the neck of the guitar. As is obvious, the locations of C on the fret board are as follows -

6th string - 8th fret, 5th string - 3rd and 15th fret, 4th string - 10th fret, 3rd string - 5th fret, 2nd string - 1st and 13th fret, 1st string - 8th fret.

Here we see something interesting - straight out of the anatomy of the guitar - The strings where the C note repeats itself, it does so only after 12 frets. This is because, when we traverse 12 frets from any position on the guitar, we arrive at the harmonic of the note that we started off from, making it the same note (same pitch class). The same principle applies to chords - only thing is that we do not have "harmonics" of chords. As we move a chord down 12 frets, we effectively arrive at the harmonic of every note we started from, thus preserving the chord.

The point of this discussion being, that the shape of a chord at a position is basically the same as that within the first 12 frets of the guitar. Only a "bar" is a added using the index finger at the beginning of such a chord. For example, the E major in 1st position chord is 022100. The same chord is also playable using the same shape at the (0+12 = 12) 12th fret as (adding 12 to all the notes) 12-14-14-13-12-12.

Using the example of C major chord, we see that C major in root position is played as x32010. It is also playable at 12 position as x-15-14-12-13-12 (adding 12 to each note). Now have a look at the diagram above, The bar is placed at the 12th fret; the pattern of C notes begins to repeat after the 12 fret (bar shown). Again, verifying the chord, we see that both these chord forms are made of the notes x-C-E-G-C-E (also in the same order, from 5th to 1st string). Thus, both of these are indeed C major chords and each of the notes of the 12th position are harmonics of their same string counterparts in the 1st position.

A similar simple calculation proves the same thing for the E major chord described earlier. The notes played are E-B-E-G#-B-E in both cases.


Thus we have effectively entered into the heart of the matter of the CAGED system and already discussed and equated two positions of the C major and E major chords (to be elaborated later on).

This brings us to the point of the "bar" and bar chords.
The term "bar" in "bar chords" refers to the placement of the index finger (other fingers are not commonly used) on the frets at one position at the head end of a guitar chord requiring one. The chords that require this bar are termed "bar chords" while the ones that do not require a bar at the beginning are termed "open chords" or "root position chords." Thus, the use of a bar effectively classifies chords into these two types.

The open chords that can be played on the guitar are the CAGED major chords. The bar chords are played by extending the shape of the CAGED major chords down a few frets. By extending, we mean, we hold the basic shape of the chord and move the entire hand down by the required number of steps (semitones).

Just like if we play the chromatic scale on a single string, the pitch of the note increases by a semitone for every fret we traverse, the chords also increase in pitch the same way. This is because every note under a finger is going up by a semitone as we move down the neck by a semitone.

For example, if we move the open (root position) E major shape (022100) down by one fret, we replace each note we play by the one a semitone above. The notes being played are thus changed from E-B-E-G#-B-E of E major to F-C-F-A-C-F, forming the F major chord. Moving it down by 2 frets produces F# major, 3 frets - G major, 4 frets G# major, 5frets A major, and so on and so forth.

Thus bar functions as a sort of "movable nut" of the guitar (also called a "capo"). This effectively reduces the length of the fretboard thus increasing the pitch of the constituent notes.

The shape of a chord is the most important thing here, as it is this shape that defines the relationship between the notes being played irrespective of the root note. Thus one may play multiple chords using the same basic shape.

Thus, its obvious, all the caged chords can, similarly, be extended downwards to form chords other than C A G E and D majors. The individual shapes are now left to be discussed.
Let us have a look at the basic five shapes of major chords - those of the five CAGED Chords:

The chords in question are the five major chords played at the root position (open string chords). These are:

C major, A major, G major, E major and D major. It must be noted here that some strings utilize all six strings, while some are played using only the lower few strings so as to keep the root note as the bass note.

In the diagram above, the root notes have been marked out using red dots. The notes marked in red are all the same and the one on the highest string is the root note. All notes of the same pitch class have been marked by red dots for the sake of simplicity of the diagram.

It will be obvious on observation that the bass note for all these shapes in the root note of that chord. For example, D major is chord (triad) of the notes D, F# and A, with the D note as the bass / note. If, now, we play the D major chord using the 5th string open - i.e. as x00232 instead of xx0232, thus incorporating the A note above, it still remains D major, though the bass note now becomes A, making it the 2nd inversion of D major play in open position.

These are the five primary chord shapes are shifted up and down and modified or some notes are added to these shapes producing all other chords. Some notes, at times are removed to produce them.

The basic theory behind movable chord shapes, as discussed briefly earlier, is that a chord is formed of some notes. A shape alters the effective length of the each string in a particular way. This preserves the frequency ratio between the notes played by that shape in any position - thus preserving the nature of the chord - major, minor, added, etc.

If we play a chord using that shape, the root note (and hence the pitch and name) of that chord is determined by the note that occupies the root position of these shapes - i.e. the note played on the bass note playing string of the basic shape. Hence, a D major chord shape is shifted down by two frets from open position and hence played at the 2nd position, will be E major (E major - second position - xx2452) as the root note, which lies at fret zero (open position - D note) is moved down 2 frets to the 2nd position (E note).

What are intervals and scales?

Chapter - 5B

Musical Intervals and Scales:

Intervals:

An " Interval" is said to have been played, when two notes are sounded together. It is the relationship between the pitches of two notes and is often measured in as their frequency ratio.
When two notes are played together, they constitute a "Vertical Interval" and when they are sounded separately, they are make up a "Horizontal Interval."

A special type of intervals needs to be mentioned here: Pitch Class -
A frequency with all its octaves is called a "Pitch Class." Thus the names of these notes are the same but their frequencies are either obtained by multiplying or dividing one of them by the number 2 (two). E.g.: g.: The middle C (written as "C4" but different in meaning from that in music sheet or chords) is 262 Hz. Its octaves C3 (131 Hz) and C5 (524 Hz) are all written, in general music notation, as "C" only as they belong to the same pitch class, viz. "C." So a scale, dividing any octave, begins and ends on the same pitch class.

The intervals in the 12-TET divided octave are as follows:

If we take any note to start with and take its frequency to be F Hz, the ratio

Semitones---------Interval-----------Just Intonation
from Unison:--------Name:--------------Equivalent:-
(1/2 steps)

-0-----------------Perfect Unison---------1:1
-1-----------------Minor 2nd-------------16:15
-2-----------------Major 2nd--------------9:8
-3-----------------Minor 3rd--------------6:5
-4-----------------Major 3rd--------------5:4
-5-----------------Perfect 4th------------4:3
-6------Augmented 4th/Diminished 5th--45:32/64:45
-7-----------------Prefect 5th------------3:2
-8-----------------Minor 6th--------------8:5
-9-----------------Major 6th--------------5:3
-10----------------Minor 7th-------------16:9
-11----------------Major 7th-------------15:8
-12----------------Perfect 8Ve------------2:1

(Intervals written out in staff notation)

Vertical intervals are often played as double notes in certain pieces where as the horizontal intervals make up the pieces themselves.

N.B.:
An augmented interval is one which is a 1/2 step longer than the perfect or major interval.
A diminished interval is one which is a 1/2 step shorter than the perfect or major interval.

Scales in Music Theory:

A scale is a group of musical notes arranged in ascending and descending order of their occurrence in an octave, that is used in composing music. The specific notes that are chosen gives each piece its distinctive flavor. Its like in a kitchen, though all the ingredients are sitting there, seldom will one put chilies into an ice-cream or a cake. Its the systematized list of ingredient of sorts, for a piece of music.

Various scales have been in use since time immemorial. The ones that are important to beginners are:

• Details of these scales can be read in the article: here
• Here the pattern of half(1) and whole(2) steps between two notes has been represented below each scale.
• One may start from any note and follow the semitone progressions given below to derive all the notes of that scale upto unison (after which the pattern repeats itself).

I. Chromatic Scales: (progressing through the octave fully)

~Ascending Chromatic Scale:: A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A (one may start at any note - sharps and flats are written as sharps in all ascending scales including this one, i.e. where the frequency is rising from one note to the next.)
Pattern: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

~Descending Chromatic Scale: A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C B Bb A (one may start at any note - sharps and flats are written as flats in all descending scales including this one, i.e. where the frequency is falling from one note to the next.)
Pattern: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

How to read sheet music?

The Staff Notation:

(Absolute must know basics have been discussed here. For details, one may refer to any good music book, site or online encyclopedia.):


The Staff Lines:

Staff lines are a set of five lines drawn on a sheet from left to right and joined at the beginning, or end by a single or a double bar.


Symbols of time length of each notes to be played is placed on these lines. The position of such a note on the line indicates its pitch with respect to the other notes.

In the above figure, we see a staff made for a guitar. The large curved G-like symbol sitting on all the five lines is called the G-clef (Treble clef). Clef means “key.” It the staves used for guitars, the G-clef is placed on the 2nd line and that line denotes the position of the G (and G# but not Gb) note above the middle C (indicated in the figure). The middle C has a frequency of 262 Hz.


As we go from below upwards, the pitch (frequency) of the note rises according to the natural notes of the Ascending chromatic scale. The sharps (or flats) are indicated by placing the sharp (#) or flat (b) sign next to the symbol time symbol of the note. The staff is read from left to right, irrespective of the line on which a note is positioned. All lines are read at the same time

A number of additional small incomplete line segments may be added (hand drawn), as per requirement, above and below the five main lines, printed on sheets. The lines indicate notes in the same order as the main staff. The notes placed higher up have a greater pitch than the lower ones as they indicate notes of octaves and vice versa for lower octaves. These lines, added above or below the five main lines (drawn along the whole page and joined by a bar or two) are called ledger (also spelled - leger) lines.


Placing the G-clef on the 2nd line, the lines and spaces (without adding additional lines) correspond to the following notes (and their sharps wherever applicable):

Spaces: D F A C E G

Lines: E G B D F

Important dictum:
A sharp of a particular note is the flat of the next higher, and the position of a non-natural note in the staff is determined by its “sharpness” and not by its “flatness.”

We can write the flats of a particular note, on the line or space below the designated line or space for that note as it is the sharp of the note below.


Examples: (compare with above)

(i) The lower A and A# are written in the 2nd space, while Ab is written on the 2nd staff line of the staff. This is because Ab = G# and G is written on the 2nd line.

(ii) The B that is one octave lower than the one in the middle (of the five lines), is written in the 2nd drawn (added) space below the F that sits within the main five lines. But Bb, being equivalent to A# will be written on the line below that space, i.e. the 3rd line added below.


Each note is written as a time symbol on its corresponding line. If it be as sharp, the # symbol is added to the time notation. For flats the b notation is used and the note is placed on the line or space below the one designated for the note whose name it bears.

On the staff, Sharps, Flats and Naturals are written as:

Shown here using the crotchet. The natural sign is required in case one uses Key Signatures

How to read strumming patterns?

Though, I believe that there is a standard notation for strum patterns, many people (and internet sites) use different notations. The notations that I use in these blogs is a mixture of the standard with a bit of modification to match the QWERTY keyboard.

Components:

D - Means a chord is struck with a downward stroke (from the 6th towards the 1st string)

U - Means a chord is struck with an upward stroke (from the 1sh towards the 6th string)

( ) - Brackets are sometimes used instead of the bar on top () It means that the strokes within / under these constitute one unit and all of them share the time allotted to that group equally.

' or * - These marks are placed on top of the particular stroke to denote that it is sounded and then muted quickly.

| | - These are the symbols of a meter. The strokes or their groups between these two lines constitute one meter (time unit) of the song.

/ or _ - Indicates a rest when the plectrum is not to be used though the strings may continue to vibrate unless it has to be muted.

Dashes - These may be used to separate the character and do not indicate anything in particular and hence do not alter the time fractions. e.g. |DDDD| is the same as |D-D-D-D|.

All songs in these blogs that have strum patterns provided generally have the following explanation attached to them -

Explanation - x beats per meter; the stroke that is marked with a (') is played and muted (D' here); the beats in brackets are divided into subunits of equal duration as noted.

Here, the "x beats per meter" indicates that for each complete cycle of rhythm, or commonly - line, of the song contains "x" individual equal subdivisions.

This pattern usually repeats itself throughout the song and provides the rhythm of the song.


Examples:
|DUD|

3 beats per meter; these are a down stroke, followed by an upstroke and again a down stroke.

|(DD')(DD)(DD')(DD)|

4 beats per meter; that is to say each beat is divided into 4 subunits. Each such subunit - shown in brackets -contain 2 individual strokes. Here the second stroke of alternate subunits are muted. All strokes here are down-strokes.

|D(DU)(DD)U|

4 beats per meter; 1st and 4th subunits are a down-stroke each while middle two subunits have been divided into two strokes each : 2nd unit - down - up and 3rd unit - down - down.

|DDD| |D(DD)(DD)|

Two alternating meters. Both have 3 beats each. First is just 3 down-strokes while the second is a bit more complex. Its two final subunits have 2 down-strokes each.

How to read guitar chord notations?

This one is for the absolute beginners. So here it goes:

You get guitar chords online in a variety of patterns -

(i) The writing over the lyrics kind,
(ii) The writing under the lyrics kind, and
(iii) The writing within the lyrics kind.

All kinds are quite self explanatory. But the information is deficient as there is no time signature. So,

The prerequisites to playing chords from online sources is that:

(i) You must have heard the song very well. Well enough that - (ii) you are aware of the pace of the song, i.e. the speed at which the song is sung. If you do not know it, you will not be able to "play along." A similar concept deals with being able to figure out the chords - its called ear training.

Finally, how to read it then?

If indeed, you have heard the song well, you can play along with the typical online "chords with lyrics" format. The basic formats that you will encounter have been mentioned above. They look like this (example - based on Blowing in the wind by Bob Dylan):

(i) The writing over the lyrics kind:

D        G            D        Dsus4   D        G          A4  A
How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?

(ii) The writing under the lyrics kind:

How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?
D        G            D        Dsus4   D        G          A4  A

(iii) The writing within the lyrics kind:

(D)How many (G)roads must a (D)man walk (Dsus4)down,
Be(D)fore you (G)call him a (A4)man? (A)

They all mean the same.

The position of the chord is show with respect to the lyrics. So, just play the lyrics at the position (at the exact point of the word or syllable). And let the chord continue till you strike the next.
If the chord is shown somewhere in between two words or just before a word, play it exactly like that - "in between two words or just before a word" respectively.

The chord must be struck at this exact time. So you must start and finish changing the chord in the time in between the striking of the previous chord and, obviously, before striking the new one that you are changing to.

In the above example:

Play all the chords as you start saying each word. Play the D major chord on the word "before" as you finish pronouncing "be-" and start pronouncing "-fore." Play the last A major, shown outside the line just after the last word is sung (before the next line).

N.B.:
Sometimes there may occur, parts where just some chords have been written side by side without any lyrics accompanying. These are the interludes or connecting pieces of music between two parts of a song. Play these as you hear the song. It will correspond to the said music part. Change the chord as you hear them change in the song. E.g.:

A  B  E  A....

Or,

|A  |B  |E  |A   |....

These only show a sequence and not the timings, unless they are shown like

|  A|  B|...

These mean that the chord is to be played for one full division of the meter. For example, a song in 4/4 where we find

|A  |B  |E  |A   |....

will be played such that each chord lasts 1/4th of the time of an average line of that song. Read the post on time signatures for further details.

The "slash chords" -  P/Q type and numerical notations of altered guitar chords:

Again, some chords may be written as C/E or Dsus4/A, or a more generic "P/Q" -

These are notations of the root note (bass note) that is to be played for that chord.

The "P" here is the actual chord in question and the "Q" is the root note of that chord. For example:

C/E means a C major chord whose bass note is E. When this is played in root position, the chord will be played as 032010 (i.e. as ECEGCe written from the 6th to 1st string), where all strings are played. Note that the bass note being played here is "E" instead of the "C," for a "normal" C-chord.

Dsus4/A will, likewise, be played (in the root position) as x00032 (i.e. as xADGDF# written from the 6th to 1st string; x means that that string is not played). Note that the bass note being played here is "A" but a "normal" D-chord has "D" as a bass note (root note).

C/G means a C major chord whose bass note is G. When this is played in root position, the chord will be played as 232010 (i.e. as ECEGCe written from the 6th to 1st string), where all strings are played. Note that the bass note being played here is "G" instead of the "C," for a "normal" C-chord.

Again, many of these chords can be played as shorter versions (using a lesser number of strings). For example, C/G may be played as xxx010 (xxxGCE), and A/E can be played as xx2220. Please note, that all examples use the common root position just for the sake of simplicity; C/E, for example, can also be x(10)(10)988.
 
The N.C. or N. Ch. chords / parts in a song:

N.C. or N. Ch. or n.c. or n/c, etc mean "no chord." These are not chords, just places in the song where chords are not played. Some songs start with the chord a little into the verse. Here N.Ch. is usually not written - it is understood that the player will start playing from where the first chord is in the song.

It must be noted that the song continues and generally other parts of the orchestration or the vocals continue during these parts.

How to read and play leads on a guitar?

Chapter - 3c

Reading The Guitar Tabulature / Tablature (Tabs):

Guitar music sheets are available on the net mostly as tabs. This is because this system is easy to write in on a QWERTY keyboard. Here's how to read it.


The Lines in Tabs:
The tab lines correspond to the guitar string as follows (as this site uses):

E|---------------------------- 6th String
A|---------------------------- 5th string
D|---------------------------- 4th string
G|---------------------------- 3rd String
B|---------------------------- 2nd String
e|---------------------------- 1st String

The 6th (thickest) string on top, to the 1st (thinnest) string, at the bottom.

N.B.: Many people also use the reverse order; so read the eBGDAE / EAGDBe order before you start playing. This is more common but not used on this site in general.

e|---------------------------- 1th String
B|---------------------------- 2th string
G|---------------------------- 3th string
D|---------------------------- 4rd String
A|---------------------------- 5nd String
E|---------------------------- 6st String

The 1st (thinnest) string on top, to the 6th (thickest) string, at the bottom.

As can be seen, at the beginning of every line, the open string note of the string indicated is written, followed by a divider, "|" - found in between the backspace and +/= keys of standard 101 / 102 keys keyboard. Often - not always, the 1st string E note is written as "e"(small E) to denote the strings thinness or the notes fineness as compared to the 6th string open E note.

The lines are drawn with the standard hyphen "-"

At times, the number of lines drawn may be less than six to save space, as all of these lines may not be required. Examples of this are common, like:

e|--------------------------------
B|--------------------------------
G|--------------------------------

(P.S.: the 1st line is the 1st string; notice that the E is written in a small letters)


Numbers:

E|---------------------------------
A|---------------------------------
D|---------------------------------
G|---------2-----------------------
B|-------4-------------------------
e|-1--3-------0-------------------

The numbers on the lines indicate the fret number on the string corresponding to the line on which that number is on.

The numbers are read from left to right. No matter which line these are on, the one more left is read and played first. Not one line at a time!

Left to right no matter what....

So, in the above example, we will play this sequence:
1(1) - 1(3) - 2(4) -3(2) - 1(open)
.......x(y) meaning "string number(fret number)"

N.B.: x(0) means string number x, "fret number zero", i.e. open string.

Numbers occurring in a cluster as one column - these are chords. Hold and play all these notes together.


Timing in Tabs:
There is no indication of timing here. Just play the song you are playing from your album/CD/PC and match notes to the timings in the song. Trust me, its easy.

This is where Tab fails to Staff - no time component expressed. But, when a person looks for a tab online, generally, he / she has already heard the song. So, its not a major concern.

How to tune you guitar by yourself?

Set 1:
the 6th string in open position (E note) to the 5th string open position (A note);
the 5th string in open position (A note) to the 4th string open position (D note);
the 4th string in open position (D note) to the 3rd string open position (G note);
the 3rd string in open position (G note) to the 2nd string open position (B note); and finally,
the 2nd string in open position (B note) to the 1st string open position (E note);

Set 2: (optional)
the 1st string in open position to the 5th fret of the 2nd string - E notes;
the 2nd string in open position to the 4th fret of the 3rd string - B notes;
the 3rd string in open position to the 5th fret of the 4th string - G notes;
the 4th string in open position to the 5th fret of the 5th string - D notes; and finally,
the 5th string in open position to the 5th fret of the 6th string - A notes.

Set 3: (optional)
the 1st string in 7th fret to the 2nd string in open position - E notes;
the 2nd string in 8th fret to the 3rd string in open position - B notes;
the 3rd string in 7th fret to the 4th string in open position - G notes;
the 4th string in 7th fret to the 5th string in open position - D notes; and finally,
the 5th string in 7th fret to the 6th string in open position - A notes.

Set 4: (optional)
Start with - 2nd string open with 1st string 7th fret.
6th string open with 1st string open - E notes;
5th string 2nd fret with 2nd string open - B notes;
4th string 2nd fret with 1st string open - E notes;
3rd string open with 1st string 3rd fret - G notes;

Finally,
Play a few chords to test out your tuning.

Guide To Buying and Maintaining A Guitar

Pick Your Hand:

By a guitar, one usually refers to the right handed guitar. If you are a left handed person, you may look around the shops for a custom made left handed guitar. It may be easier for you to play.


How To Check The Turn Keys / Keys:

Take a person along who knows a bit about guitars. Ask the seller or your friend to tune the guitar and play it. Check if the guitar loses tune over a short period of time. This may mean that the turn keys on the headstock are damaged or badly made. Putting it simply - the guitar can't hold a tune for a long time and will be a bad purchase.

Also turn them around and check if they turn too quickly or turn "too easily" as this will again make your guitar loose tune.


How To Check The Fretboard:

The best test would be to play it.
It should not make any additional buzzing sounds besides the note. This occurs if the metal inlays that make up the frets get worn out or sink into the wood. Compare with other guitars in that shop.

It should be absolutely straight (look from the sides). A fretboard usually curves in front over time due to the constant tension of the strings. This is especially true for 12 string guitars.

There should not be such that the metal dividing pieces are set too deep - if it takes too much strength to hold on to a bar chord, the fretboard is probably old or badly made

The wood should not feel too light as any light wood here will bend in a few years.

Make sure that everything is smooth and there aren't any jagged projections. This is obviously more important for the safety of your hands.

The "truss rod" is a metal strip that runs along the inside of the guitar's neck. It is used to compensate for the tension of the strings that changes to the curvature of the neck over time.

The junction of the head and the neck has a metal structure called the nut through which the strings are threaded. Check if it is alright. You may miss a crack on the plastic material there. Look particularly at the edges. These edges are the first ones to break off and cause a hell of a trouble for both playing and tuning the guitar.


How To Check The Guitar Strings:

Your guitar strings have the least longevity of all your guitar parts. The 6th and 5th (heaviest) strings are, for all practical purposes, never affected structurally. Early learners tend to have a problem keeping the 1st (and 2nd) string(s) intact for long as they tend to play more in these parts. But, over all, the 3rd, and sometimes, the 4th strings are the most affected. Buy spares and replace them as and when they break. You do not need to replace the entire set, if you aren't going to be playing on stage.

Once a new string is fitted, it begins to stretch under the tension and "gives way" for a first few days losing its tune frequently. There's nothing wrong with your keys in that case. Just retune and keep playing. It will get better in a day or two.

Moving the guitar in and out of hot and cold environments (AC rooms) will alter its tune as the guitar strings will either expand or contract according to the change in temperature. This is especially bothersome in the winter months when a tune you set in the morning is ruined in the evening and vice versa. Again, it's not a problem of the keys. Just retune and it'll be fine

A guitar string needs to be replaced, even when it is not broken, if the spun coils on the core string get broken separately. This will make a bad buzzing sound and wreck your guitars sound.


How To Check Guitar The Body:

Look for any obvious defects. Make sure you see inside to see whether the guitar you're being sold as a wood guitar is actually made up of fiber, rather than plywood.

Keep your guitar away from water. Playing your guitar in the rain looks great on film but will damage the guitar for sure if it is acoustic and will probably electrocute you in the process as well, if it is an electric. (Mentioning this for kids.)


How To Check Guitar The Bridge:

This fixed guitar bridge not only raises the strings above the sound board allowing one to play them, but also is another point another attachment (for most) to the instrument other than the keys. The bridge should be symmetrical in height. Some bridges have white bits just below the strings that allow one to adjust the length (the pitch) of the particular string. Its best left untouched at this point.


Choosing The Plectrum / Pick:

These are either hard or soft and small or large. I would recommend a hard large plectrum for an acoustic guitar and a soft large one for electric guitars.


Buying Electronics:

Make sure you know what you are buying. Research it on the net a bit and then go for the purchase. Start with a basic amplifier and effects kit and as you learn more add more gadgets to your inventory.

How to Play a Guitar / Learing to Play a Guitar

A guitar is not the easiest of instruments to learn, but with the right mix of guidance and perseverance, even the most unsure of beginners can make magic. Many leading guitarists are taught having no formal training in music.

So, How does one play a guitar?

Well, first, you need a guitar to begin to try. Get one - acoustic is the best for beginners, in my opinion.

A formal tuition in music is going to a definite boost. If you are really serious - enroll in a college music course and major in the guitar! Get a tutor or a friend to get you through the hoops.

If you don't have the time for lessons, try learning on the internet - sorry to bother you if you have already decided upon this method ;-) There are a dozen free sites and articles on the net that will help you a lot.

Last but perhaps the most important thing about being able to play well, is that you must either possess or develop a keen ear. There is a proverb - "the eyes don't see what the mind doesn't know." For the guitar it can be restated as - "the fingers can not play what the mind does not hear." Listen to the songs that you want to play over and over again - just like you will mug up a piece of poem before a recital. Once you know the basic structure of the song, and have a bit of playing experience, you can play the lead yourself. The more details your ears pick up. the more precise will be your rendition of the song.

Learning is the = Listening + Practicing. You may, now, after learning staff notation, go through every piece of sheet music that you can lay hands upon; but how many such will you be able to play flawlessly unless you have HEARD the song properly?

So, lets start learning how to play a guitar (the real kind - not the game):

Here's a link to the index page on my absolutely forever free online ebook on basic music theory: Index of Basic Music Theory .

Take your time and go through the pages. Pick up some easy song you like and try and play that along with track.

Best of luck and may your labour soon bear the fruits you desire...

Photo credits (both) : flickr.com/alterna2