Knowing how to play guitar can be difficult, even if you have some natural talent. It is very interesting to see how an audience can shut some people down. Some find it easier to play in front of thousands than to play in front of a dozen. Playing in front of friends and family can feel even more paralyzing. Playing guitar in front of people takes some careful planning and plain ole guts. The first few times you do it, your nerves may get the best of you and that’s ok. You can expect cold sweats, shaking, and maybe even some grosser symptoms. After you get past this critical and defining moment, if it doesn’t kill you, you’ll be on your way. Let’s break down how to play guitar in front of people into 5 easy steps.
Kid Guitar 101: How to Learn and What to Do
- March 20, 2017
- Guitar 101
In Kid Guitar 101, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. With children, environment is a big deal. Each kid’s aptitude and attention span is different. Some kids are good in a classroom at six years old, while others can’t seem to manage a classroom for 15 minutes even at an older age. With technology compounding every day, kids are glued to devices and learn only what they need to know in the moment. A kid can look up a song and mimic what he or she sees and hears long enough to pull off a convincing reproduction of the tune. This, however, doesn’t make them a good musician or qualify them to be considered an expert guitarist.
Notes on a Guitar: What and Where Are They?
- March 6, 2017
- Guitar 101
The notes on a guitar are the same notes on a piano or any other western instrument. The only exception is that on a stringed instrument, you can bend a note to a 1/4 step, 1/2 step, whole step or step and a 1/2. The guitar, like piano, is broken down into 1/2 steps and whole steps. Moving just one fret in any direction on a guitar is a 1/2 step and moving two frets in any direction is a whole step. It’s a little tricky with the open strings, but the principal is the same. The steps are harder to see on guitar than piano because the latter has its keys laid out in black and white. The patterns on guitar take some getting used to, but let's see if we can help you learn the notes on a guitar.
Guitar Notes That You Need to Know First
- March 6, 2017
- Guitar 101
Looking at the guitar neck is very confusing at first. It’s not quite like piano where you can see the white notes and the black notes. The low E string is the lowest note of a standard tuned guitar and you pretty much max out 4 octaves later at high C, depending on how many frets your guitar has. Basically from the C1 on the 2nd string, first fret (which is middle C on the guitar), you have 2 octaves up and almost 2 octaves down. It stops short of the full scale at the low E note. Guitar notes that you need to know? We suggest you get to know as many guitar notes as you can, but let’s try to compact things for you.
Learn Guitar Chords: Tips and Exercises
- March 3, 2017
- Guitar 101
First things first, assuming you have a good guitar that has six strings and stays in tune, you’re ready for action. Why is this important? You need a guitar that plays easy and stays in tune so there will be no obstacle in your way on the practical side of things. If the guitar doesn’t play well, your fingers will hurt and you’ll find it hard to hold down the notes. If the guitar won’t hold tune, you’ll hear an out of tune chord and cringe every time you strum. These things will make or break you in the beginning. To learn guitar chords, there are a few things that you must do well. Let’s see if we can help.
