1. Start slow, Speedy

This couldn’t be more important.  Practice playing guitar scales slow at first with proper fingering, posture, and technique.  Set a metronome at a slow speed then practice at faster speeds.  It’s really boring at first (I won’t lie to you), but it’ll be harder to play guitar faster if you don’t have good technique.  You must walk before you run.

2. Alternate Picking

As you pluck the individual strings with your pick, pluck each string alternately with a down pluck and an up pluck with the pick.  When you play a guitar scale or lead line, don’t pluck every single note with a downwards pluck.  You’re losing speed.  Alternate your picking.

3. Relax

Any tension in your arms, wrists, hands, or fingers will hinder your speed.  When you’re playing guitar fast everything should be relaxed.  If you notice yourself getting tense when you get faster, slow it down, eliminate the tension, and then gradually speed back up.

4. Develop a Nervous Twitch

Okay, so I’m referring back to my previous post here about Bill. Bill not only told me to practice but to develop a bit of “nervous twitch” in my picking hand.  I don’t have any ideas on how to do this.  Do you?

5. ”Patience, young skywalker, patience.”

Eat Yoda’s words.  While you should notice results if you try these things, don’t expect that your guitar speed will jump to that of Van Halen overnight.  Be faithful in your practice and keep these things in mind and you’ll progress.
These are just some things that have helped me learn how to play guitar fast.  What are things that have helped you picking up your guitar speed?

Beginning Guitar Lessons? Nice one! On this page you will find 6 cool strumming patterns that will help you out big time as you’re just starting to learn acoustic guitar.

Learning guitar chords is only have the battle. Once you know how to play a few you’ll need some strumming patterns to put them to work. If you have both then you can play loads of easy guitar songs with just that: Chords and Strumming Patterns. Visit our Easy Guitar Songs page if you want to learn a few acoustic guitar songs.

If you’re looking for some beginning guitar lessons strumming patterns then I suggest you start with the 6 rhythms below. Do you know how to read them? If not, fear not. You can watch the video at the bottom of this page. In the video you’ll learn how to read strumming patterns. You. Really. Need. This.

The reason you need to learn how to read rhythms is simple… You can learn new patterns quickly and easily and you can play along even if you don’t know the song. Reading basic guitar charts is far more effective than downloading acoustic guitar tabs that don’t show you the rhythms. Same goes for lyrics with the chords written above which generally is a waste of time as well. Let me explain. Music consists of the following three things of which you absolutely need to master two if you want to play acoustic guitar.

1. Rhythm
2. Harmony (Fancy way of saying chords)
3. Melody

So if you’re just beginning guitar lessons then you would need Rhythm and Harmony. If the acoustic guitar tabs and the lyric sheets don’t show you how to play rhythms or strum, then you’re left alone in the dark. So clearly you can understand that reading rhythms (which is super easy) is an integral part of acoustic guitar playing. Get going with these basic patterns and I’ll be posting more advanced ones soon.

A guitar is a musical instrument with strings that can be played through strumming; either with fingers or using a pick (a plectrum used to pluck a guitar).  Playing guitar is one of the most popular hobbies worldwide, likely because it is one of the easiest instruments to learn.  Not only that, but one can play many different types music on a guitar, anything from pop to jazz to country.  Even classical.  Learning the guitar can be done solo or with friends, entirely at your own pace.  There is no pressure at all.  If you are someone who is interested in learning to play the guitar here are a few notes to help you get started.

Playing Position

Playing the guitar requires a proper playing position. Having the proper playing position not only makes technique easier but can help you avoid pesky backaches related to playing. There are two common positions for holding the guitar, sitting or standing.  Under the sitting position, there’s the classical position and casual position.  The classical position simply means that one sits with the guitar resting on the left leg while in the casual position it is rested on the right leg.

For the standing position, simply place the guitar’s strap over the shoulder while standing, using the left hand to support the guitar’s neck while resting the right hand over the guitar’s bridge.  The ease that one feels in the position he or she chooses greatly helps to learn guitar fast.

Hand Position

Hand position also plays an important role in how fast you can learn to play the guitar. It is essential that the wrists and hands are relaxed as tensions could cause injuries.  Never press the thumb onto the back of the guitar neck, this cause strain to the wrist and thumb.  Use left hand fingers to press down the strings on the fret board (fretting) while using the right hand to strum the strings at the bridge end of the guitar.  When using a pick, position it between the thumb and index finger.

Tuning

Learn guitar fast by getting good sound quality out of the guitar, by having it properly tuned.  This means that each string is in tune with another string on the guitar.  Start by making sure that the sixth string E (the lowest sounding and thickest string) is in tune, followed by A, D, G, B then E (highest sounding and thinnest string.)  This is considered as the standard in tuning and the most popular tuning method for a six-string guitar.  There are also “guitar tuners” for sale in the market today designed to help guitarists, mostly beginners, tune their guitars. As one becomes a pro at tuning, one may also try alternative tunings to achieve a unique chord voicing that add up color into the rhythm.

Chords and Scales

After tuning, start playing chords and scales. Chords are notes, three or more, that are played together simultaneously. A chord involves playing multiple strings or strumming at the same time. Using different chords makes riffs that can be used in creating songs.  Scales, on the other hand, are a group of musical notes collected in ascending or descending order that are played one after the other.  Play chords several times, moving from one chord to another.

With a little time and practice, before you know it you’ll be a guitarist!

Is it your ultimate dream to learn to play bass guitars? Would you like to know the basics of playing one? If you do, then the information below would be helpful in starting off your journey to become a bass player. Let’s take a moment to help familiarize yourself with the features of a bass guitar, the basic terms used in playing one, and tips on how to position your fingers when playing the notes.

The basic anatomy of a bass guitar includes the body, neck, nut, headstock, and the tuning pegs. The body is the large area attached to the neck. The long slim part of the guitar is called the neck and it holds the strings and the frets where you will place your fingers on. The headstock is the furthest part of the neck, and attached to it is the four tuning pegs.  The small part found at the center of the headstock and neck is called the nut.

The standard bass guitar has four strings that have different tunes. The strings are arranged as follows: E, A, D, and G. E is the thickest string, while G is the thinnest.

There are common terms associated with playing the bass.  Fretting and plucking. Fretting is done by holding two strings and releasing them together to play a certain note. The proper way of doing this is by placing your thumb behind the neck of the guitar and your fingers angled above the fret board. Plucking is different from fretting in that you need to pluck each string to create your desired note. Some guitarists use an accessory called a “pick” to aid in plucking, but most naturalists go for fingers.

Before playing any note, proper handing and positioning is essential to play the instrument properly. For right-handed individuals, it is best to position the headstock to the left (vice-versa for left-handers). Note where the strings are positioned, if your positioning is correct you could see that the thickest string (E) is on the top-most while the (G) string is at the bottom.

When playing, pluck the thickest string first without using the fretting hand. In this instance, you will produce an E note. Plucking the third string without the fretting hand will create an A note, the 2nd string with a D note, and the last with a G. This type of playing (without using the fretting hand) is called “Open”.

If you repeat the procedure again and hold the string with your index finger of the fretting hand, the sounds that will be produce will differ from the “open” technique. Every time you move the fret nearer to the base, it creates a higher note from the previous fret.
Now that you have learned the basics, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Try to find a song to play and use the notes to produce the melody. When we learn to play bass guitars, it is not about having formal training since the most important part about playing is having fun, and that’s all to it.

Listening to guitar songs is one way to relax when you are in the company of friends. But why just listen when you can learn and play songs on guitar? One way of practicing the skill is by listening to guitar songs on the radio internet. This way, you can widen your musical knowledge just by listening to the strums and beat. This technique is called “playing by the ear”, but you will need to know the basics of guitar playing before you can reach this level. Playing a guitar requires patience and determination. Practice is the only way to enhance your skills.

Playing different varieties of song choices can help you greatly with your musical growth. Invest in song books, recordings, and music sheets. By having them, you can practice in your free time. Start memorizing notes and melodies so it can help you widen your play-by-ear skill. Also, you can listen to musical books and tablature. Search on the web for videos by your favorite artists and try to find instructional videos on how to play their songs on an acoustic guitar. For beginners, its best to choose songs that involve strumming or picking since they are easier to master and learn. But never go for less; always try to level up every time you learn a new song. Try to mix strumming patterns and stabilize the rhythm.

And as your journey of learning to play a guitar progresses, keep practicing. At the beginning, you might notice that chords tend to buzz and the quality is jittery. This shouldn’t hinder you; all you need to do is to practice, practice, and practice. It’s like riding a bike, on the first attempt it will be jittery, but in time you will learn how to balance and correct your mistakes. Flawless strumming comes with constant practice. It is evident that when we learn songs on guitar, we get frustrated, but this should not stop us from pursuing the dream.

In time, when you progress to a higher level, you will meet songs that have multiple chords. You can counteract this by playing an easier song that you have already recognized and hide behind a normal strumming pattern. However, if you are confident with your skills, you can level up buy challenging yourself with constant shifting of patterns and chords. Choose songs that you like but cannot yet play. It can motivate you to learn and push yourself to the limit.

The last and most important thing to remember when we learn to play songs on the guitar is to enjoy and have fun! There are some songs that are frustrating to learn and master, but if you really want to become an expert guitarist, you should never give up. Pick up your guitar and keep practicing.

A lead guitar is said to be the guitar part that plays the melody, creates instrumental fill passages and guitar solos within a song.  Though it is often associated with heavy metal music, it is also present in jazz, blues, pop and some other musical genres.

Guitar players, mostly beginners, at some point take on some sort of a lead guitar lesson.  This mostly focuses on the essential roles that the lead guitarist takes on.  One of which is to play the melody lines of the song (melodic playing) and at the same time adorn it as melodic playing enabling the guitarist to play more smoothly as compared to linear playing.

Oftentimes lead guitar and rhythm guitar are easily confused with each other -especially when the lead guitarist starts to add in chords and double-stops to their riffs. It is best to remember that lead guitar focuses mainly on giving the melody, the lead guitarist incorporating more single-string playing and soloing, while the rhythm guitar is characterized mostly by playing chords in patterns.

Some important techniques found in lead guitar lessons are bending, vibrato and slides. These provide the basic means of emphasizing notes, and allow for greater expression in the melody.

Bending happens when the guitarist bends the guitar string to the side by pushing it towards the sixth string, or by pulling it towards the first string. The first three strings are normally pushed while the others are normally pulled. Whether the string is pushed or pulled, the note will be raised in pitch.

Vibrato adds feeling and emotion to the notes.  It can be done by either rapidly bending the guitar’s string back and forth or by applying pressure parallel to the string towards the guitar’s neck then towards the bridge repeatedly.  One helpful lead guitar lesson or tip for the vibrato is that the action should come from the wrist not from the fingers.

Slides (or sliding) are one of the simplest but most effective guitar techniques in creating a wailing sound on the guitar.  There are two kinds of slides, the legato slides and the shift slides. Legato (connected tones) slides are done by plucking the first note and sliding up or down to the second note. In the shift side, a note is fretted then the fretting fingers slide up or down to a different fret.

Another useful lead guitar lesson revolves around creating lead guitar lines.  This is done by using scales, modes, arpeggios, licks, riffs, and fills.  It is best to use these together with a variety of other techniques.  Learn the blues scale then the pentatonic scales as this provide a good foundation for creating solos—a classic element for the lead guitar player. Arpeggios add depth, and the progression of the solo often mirrors the underlying rhythm guitar part.  Licks give short improvised solos and while the solo puts the guitarist in the spotlight for a minute or two, riffs and fills supply a series of notes for improvised backing.

With all the scales, chords, combinations, and variations available, there are thousands of ways to improve one’s lead guitar skills.  Imagination plus creativity combined can create a wonder, that’s a lead guitar lesson everyone should learn.

At the end of the 19th century, one particular style of music emerged from the African-American communities belonging in the Deep South of the United States. It was usually performed by prisoners and slaves. These were derived from field hollers, work songs, even chants and shouts. This musical style is called Blues. One legend says that William Christopher Handy, a cornet player and bandleader, wrote the first Blues song which was both printed and documented in the year 1912. The song was entitled Yellow Dog Blues.

The Blues musical genre has garnered popularity throughout the years and in different nations around the world, capturing the hearts of many people of all ages, making a lot of music lovers want to try and learn blues guitar. Blues and guitar are like bread and butter to each other. They work well together. An acoustic or an electric guitar would be a great instrument to have if you want to play the Blues. Thicker strings may help in getting better tones and sustainability while nylon strings are not recommended.

The majority of Blues songs are played following the 12 bar. The 12 bar Blues simply means that the song is divided into 12 “bars” or “patterns” with a given chord sequence. If one is really interested in learning blues guitar then one should start by learning this basic beat – which also happens to be the easiest one too. When playing, this form is repeated over and over for every verse of the song until the song ends. While practicing this, it is recommended that it should be started with a single down strum for each beat, until one becomes familiar and comfortable with it before trying to elaborate each strum and trying other variations.

Blues, in most cases, is major in chord structure but there are also different scales that can be used in order to create or add a colorful tone associated with Blues. Some of these scales are major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, dorian, and mixolydian. These can be used individually or in combination with each other.
To better learn blues guitar, it is essential to practice the three (3) rhythm feels that are used in Blues, namely, straight feel, shuffle feel, and twelve/eight feel.
In the straight feel, the eighth note rhythm is usually used and are spaced equally apart while the shuffle feel follow a long-short scheme (the second note is placed in every pair of eighth notes.) The twelve/eight rhythm has twelve beats per bar and each eighth note obtains one beat.

Techniques are also vital in playing Blues on the guitar and one of these is the Vibrato. It is a musical effect that is created when the pitch of a note is slightly changed to a higher pitch and then back to its original pitch by changing the tension of the string.

In order to fill the chords with melodic figures, turnarounds, intros, and endings – riffs are used. Turnarounds are usually played on the last two bars, making the solo complete and points the song back to its beginning. Some turnarounds even make wonderful and interesting intros and endings of songs.

To fully learn blues guitar, there is no one trick, way, method or procedure to master it. Learning the Blues takes constant and accurate practice. No matter what the sellers of books, ebooks, and videos promise, nothing beats perseverance and dedication.