Intro to Guitar

“What do I do first?”

 

Reading Notation

  1. Notation is the standard media for communication between musicians
  2. Even if musicians don't speak the same verbal language, they can still communicate using notation
  3. First position starts every string at the nut
  4. Fingers in first position are usually played with corresponding fingers and frets(1st finger/1st fret - 2nd finger/2nd fret . . .)
  5. Scale patterns generally use the same finger pattern for each scale tonality(Major, Minor, Blues) just shift frets to a new key
 

Reading Tablature

  1. Tablature is a way to communicate melodic pitches without using traditional music notation.
  2. "Tab", as it is sometimes called, uses horizontal lines and numbers to represent the placement of a finger on the fingerboard
  3. The horizontal lines represent the strings of the guitar (bottom-string 6 through top-string 1)
  4. The numbers represent where to place a finger on the fingerboard
 

Classical Guitar

Parts of a Guitar

Electric Guitar

Head - Top of Guitar
Machines - Knobs for tuning strings
Nut - Holds strings above the fingerboard
Neck - Back of the fingerboard
Fingerboard - Where you play the strings
Fingerboard - Front of neck separated into frets
Fret bars- Metal bars on fingerboard
Fret - Space between two fret bars
Strings - Nylon or steel strands that make vibrations
Body - Main sound source
Tone hole - Sound source for Classical Guitar
Pick up - Magnetic sound source for Electric Guitar
Bridge - Holds strings at the bottom of the guitar
Saddle - On the bridge, holds strings above fingerboard
Volume Knob - Controls sound level on Electric Guitar
Tone Knob - Controls sound quality on Electric Guitar
Pick Guard - Protects the body from pick marks
Output - Connection for Electric Guitar to an amplifier
 

Introduction to Guitarists

Andrés Segovia
(1893 - 1987)
Chet Atkins
(1945)
Charlie Christian
(1916-1942)
Eric Clapton
(1945)
 

What is a Call Chart?

Crossroads
 

Unit Vocabulary

 
Tuning Your Guitar - Interactive and Video
Scorch Files
Video Demos      

Basic Guitar Lessons

Individual Strings

Jam Tracks

Scales

Chords

String 6 Patterns
String 5 Patterns
A Major (m3-m4)
String 4 - D String 4 - D
String 5 - A Regg-AAAA-String 5
A Minor
 
String 6 - E Funk-EEE Mood-String 6
A Minor Pentatonic
 
 

Supplemental Video Lessons

Choosing a Guitar-mpeg4
Reading Tab-mpeg4
Reading Notation-mpeg4
Maintenance-mpeg4
Choosing a Guitar-wmv
Reading Tab-wmv
Reading Notation-wmv
Maintenance-wmv
 
Lesson1 - Strings 1, 2 & 3 Lesson
Lesson 2 - Strings 4, 5 & 6  
Lesson 3  
Lesson 4  
Lesson 5 - Shifting to 5th Fret  
Lesson 6  
Lesson 7  
Lesson 8  
Lesson 9  
Lesson 10