Beginners Guitar Lessons, Scales - 4 Tips to Get the Most From Your Lead Playing
October 22, 2008
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By Mike P Hayes
guitar scales can be frustrating and confusing for the beginning guitarist. Often the student simply doesn’t know where to start.
How important are scales?
It appears that learning and understanding scales is vital to becoming a better guitarist, how many scales should I learn and which scales should I learn first?
Good questions, the truth is scales re important, they’re like our musical alphabet. The thing to keep in mind is that you only need to know a few scales, guitarists often become obsessed with practicing scales and over their real purpose which is to make music.
Here’s a list to help you choose what scales to practice and eliminate the confusion.
Tip 1 — Select a style
With literally thousands of scales to learn the first thing to do is decide on which style of music you want to play. Certain scales are more applicable to particular types of music e.g., the minor pentatonic scale works well for rock, blues, metal music…mainly songs with power chords.
The blues scale is used mainly for rock, blues, metal music while the major pentatonic scale is mostly used for country, pop, country rock …generally songs with open chords.
Of course, I’m generalizing here, you can use any scale you wish for any style of music, however some scales work better than others. The idea is to use the correct musical alphabet (scale) for the style of music you want to play.
Tip 2 — start on the keynote
Simply running up and down a scale won’t produce any meaningful music no matter how fast you play them. It won’t communicate anything to the listener.
The idea is to train our brain and fingers to make musical decisions, which note do you want to play next? Where is the note I’m hearing in my head is it higher or lower than the previous note?
To get this brain — fingers connection practice starting on the keynote of the scale and decide whether your next note is higher or lower than the keynote.
The keynote is the first note of the scale, e.g., the keynote for the A minor pentatonic scale would be “A”.
Tip 3 — record a background
Once you have decided on a scale to practice, record a background in the key you want to practice. The recording does not have to be elaborate, a simple acoustic guitar will work fine.
Record the backing track for 5 to 10 minutes duration, this will give you plenty of time to practice and try out your ideas.
A good idea is to try and play just one note (the keynote is an idea choice for this), practice all different types of rhythms, slides, bends etc., to see how creative you can be.
Recording a backing track is very helpful as you will find that you react differently to certain chord textures, the same note will sound different when played against a variety of chords.
Tip 4 — learn all keys
Guitarists should practice their favorite scale(s) in all keys, this is especially important when working with singers.
Each key has it’s own personality, certain keys have a warm feeling, while others are bright.
Try playing a “G” minor pentatonic scale over a recorded background in the key of “G”, then, play a “B” minor pentatonic scale over a pre-recorded background in the key of “B”.
Scales can “free your fingers and freeze your brain” the whole idea of scales is to help you play music. Think of music as a language, scales are our musical alphabet, knowing the alphabet is just the beginning, it’s how we use the alphabet to communicate that’s important.
These ideas will help you develop your own style and soon you will be transferring the music you are hearing in your head onto the guitar.
Mike Hayes develops systems and products to help you succeed in your guitar playing. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with his popular free ecourse, available at:
=> http://www.guitarcoaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_P_Hayes
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beginners-Guitar-Lessons,-Scales—4-Tips-to-Get-the-Most-From-Your-Lead-Playing&id=1429636
Learn Acoustic Guitar - The 13 Most Important Open Chords Explained
September 10, 2008
Learn Acoustic Guitar - The 13 Most Important Open Chords Explained
By Dave Long
Open chords are one of the first things you learn on acoustic guitar.
What differentiates the open chords from other chords is the use of the open strings within the chord shapes. This feature gives a little more play to some of the chords by allowing the guitarist to fret and unfret strings to form the sustained versions of several chords (chords where the third is replaced by a major second or perfect fourth).
Using sustained chords in the middle of progressions can make bars that really are just one basic chord sound much more interesting than just strumming the chord for the entire time. A very good example of this is the Dsus4,D,Dsus2,D chord riff in the chorus lead in of The Beatles ‘You’ve got to hide your love away”.
E and Em Chords
E: 0-2-2-1-0-0
Em: 0-2-2-0-0-0
The above are the notes of the E and Em open chords. The two chords are fairly easy to switch between, only requiring the lifting of the index finger. However, swapping between the major and minor versions of a chord is a pretty infrequent chord change, but it does make learning both the chords fairly easy.
A, Am, and Asus2 Chords
A: X-0-2-2-2-0 or X-0-2-2-2-X
The open A chord has two common ways it is held.
The first shows a variant that leaves the open high e string in the chord, while the second has the first four strings barred (which means that high e is not played in the second version).
Someone having difficulty holding the first chord shape may want to use the second version instead, since the first can be somewhat difficult to hold without bumping into the open A and open high e strings. The second version also can be much easier to get into and out of in some progressions (particularly ones using moveable bar chords), and may be a better choice even for guitarists who can hold the first fingering of the chord.
Am: X-0-2-2-1-0
Asus2: X-0-2-2-0-0
The above shows the Am chord, as well as the Asus2 chord. The Asus2 chord can be moved into by lifting the third finger in the first version of the A chord or by lifting the index finger on the Am chord. It can be used to add a little more interest to progressions using either the A or Am chord.
D, Dm, Dsus2, and Dsus4 Chords
D: X-X-0-2-3-2
Dm: X-X-0-2-3-1
The D and Dm chords do seem very similar, but due to the position on the neck, the fingering is slightly different for the two. It is one of the easier chords to learn because it does not really require the same amount of strength or dexterity to hold as some of the other chords.
Dsus2: X-X-0-2-3-0
Dsus4: X-X-0-2-3-3
D and Dm are probably the two nicest open chords for swapping to the sustained versions of the chords. Despite the different fingering, both work pretty much exactly the same for these chord shifts. To reach Dsus4, both chords simply require placing the pinky onto the fretboard. Dsus2 is reached by lifting the finger on the high e string to let the open string ring. There are quite a number of songs based fairly heavily around these types of switches because they sound good and are quite easy to perform.
C, C7M, and Cadd9 Chords
C: X-3-2-0-1-0
C can be a bit awkward at first, but it is still a good chord to get down well.
C7M: X-3-2-0-0-0
Cadd9: X-3-2-0-3-0
C has a few easy variants to move in and out of without too much effort. The index finger is just lifted off the B string. The Cadd9 variant is not quite as easy to do as Dsus4, but can sound quite nice in some progressions. For that variant, the pinky is brought on the B string to fret the third fret.
G Chord
G: 3-2-0-0-0-3 or 3-2-0-0-3-3
G is a useful chord for many songs, but there is not really all that much play to it besides the basic chord. There are two variants, but most guitarists just pick one. The second variant does have the advantage of being easily shifted into Cadd9, but that is about it (X-3-2-0-3-3 is also a valid way to hold Cadd9).
Learn more free acoustic guitar tips: Learn Acoustic Guitar
Dave Long is the owner of http://www.LearningAcousticGuitar.net where he provides acoustic guitar tips and advice.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Long
http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-Acoustic-Guitar—The-13-Most-Important-Open-Chords-Explained&id=1473411
Free Online Acoustic Guitar Lessons For The Beginner…
July 13, 2008
Looking for 
free online acoustic guitar lessons? What beginner isn’t?
I came across a real gem on YouTube today. Chances are you are already familiar with this guy. If not, I highly recommend you stop what you are doing and check out the following free video lessons below.
The following 
acoustic guitar lessons are from a gentleman by the name of Justin Sandercoe. Justin is a very talented London based guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator.
You can listen to some of his original music over at his myspace page. He is currently in the process of recording his first solo record which features vocal songs as well as instrumental guitar pieces.
I have learned a great deal by watching Justin’s videos and I know you will as well.
Enjoy the free online acoustic guitar lessons below and be sure to also check out Justin’s website here.
10 Free Acoustic Guitar Lessons That Will Bring Out the Creative Guitar Player In You
June 26, 2008
If you are a beginner in search of free online acoustic guitar lessons, then you are sure to learn a lot from the lessons below. Below are 10 free acoustic guitar lessons from the folks who created Next Level Guitar.
What is Next Level Guitar?
It contains Over 100 individual videos starting with Guitar chords and progressing to playing full songs.
Next Level Guitar does not use old tired methods that will leave you frustrated. You will learn the fundamentals of guitar playing that will build a solid foundation and enable you to progress faster. You will learn rock solid principles and techniques and how to avoid developing bad habits.
Next Level Guitar includes methods that are often overlooked in other programs, like – STRUCTURE – so you know exactly what to practice. Included are easy to follow practice routines to ensure you are practicing the right things and not wasting your time. Next Level Guitar uses popular songs as vehicles to learn strumming, new chords, rhythm, timing, and chord changing.
So practice is no longer like practice, but rather a fun and enjoyable way to learn guitar. This teaching methodology has helped hundreds and hundreds of guitar players all over the world. These methods work. They are fun and will have you playing the guitar fast!
I really like the teaching style of the folks over at Next Level Guitar and I know you will as well.
Click here now to learn more about Next Level Guitar!
Now onto some awesome beginner acoustic guitar lessons:
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 1 - Beginner Guitar Lesson on Percussive Chucking |
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 2 - Learn a New Acoustic Guitar Strum Pattern |
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 3 - Another New Acoustic Guitar Strum Pattern |
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 4 - Learn About Timing & Rhythm and How To Use A Metronome |
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 5 - Tips To Help Choose The Best Acoustic Guitar |
| Online Acoustic Guitar Lesson 6 - Another Cool Strum Pattern |
| Acoustic Guitar Lesson 7 - Learn All About Octaves |
| Acoustic Guitar Lesson 8 - Learn About Hammer-On’s |
| Acoustic Guitar Lesson 9 - Learn How To Write Your Own Songs |
| Acoustic Guitar Lesson 10 - Learn How To Write Your Own Songs Part 2 |
Commitment is Key to Playing Expert Guitar
April 28, 2007
While it’s absolutely true that musical talent is generally either there or it’s not, when it comes to guitarists, developing screaming fingers is something they all have to work at. If a guitarist plays with their heart, has some innate talent and a desire to truly practice, screaming fingers are a possibility.
To be able to take a guitar and play hot licks like a pro, however, some conditioning will need to come into play. Screaming fingers are, after all, made and not born. This means anyone who expects to pick up a guitar and play like a pro within a few hours is probably fooling themselves. The process of learning will require some time, patience and practice.
To ensure the best development of screaming fingers for guitar players, a novice player will need to set his or her sights on a few things. Number one in all of it will be a desire to learn to play the guitar and play it well. In order to have fingers scream across the strings like they are on auto pilot, it will be important to have a very good understanding of chords, finger placement and the such.
Getting started on the road to success involves some time and practice. The first thing is first, however, learn the guitar! This means take lessons, either face-to-face or online, learn the chords and learn finger placement while practicing it on a daily basis.
Once a basic understanding of the notes and finger placement is in place, the next step in developing screaming fingers involves a willingness to practice these things over and over again. For something to become second nature, it has to be practice. Just like learning to walk, ride a bicycle or write your name, screaming fingers will take repetitious learning to perfect and master.
The idea behind all the practice is to ensure that the mind drives the fingers exactly where they need to go when they play. The more chords are practiced, the more likely it is the movement to play them will become route. When this is the case, having true screaming fingers status is almost attainable.
The other major factor in creating screaming fingers is a willingness to exercise the fingers, as well. It’s important to keep hands limber and ready to play. Many guitar players who want to ensure they can pick up their axe and play it like it was made for them develop or follow an exercise routine for their hands. Whether it’s simply playing the guitar or working on limbering exercises during down times, keeping the hands moving and fast is an important consideration.
Going from beginner to guitar playing expert takes time and a little innate talent, it’s true. The fact is anyone with a heart for the instrument and an ear for music can learn to play and play well.
Developing screaming fingers, however, will require more dedication than just learning the guitar. To truly attain this status, a player needs to know the instrument about as well as they do themselves. The key here is time and patience.
Learn professional guitar skills with premier training tools:
