Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 Learning to Play 2 Hit the Ground Running 3
Continue Your Guitar Education 4
Some Final Advice Before You Start 5
CHAPTER 2 Parts of the Guitar 6
Parts of the Acoustic Guitar 7
Parts of the Electric Guitar 8
Headstock and Tuning Pegs 9
Neck 10
Body 12
Bridge 14
Strings 15
Electric Guitar Controls 16
CHAPTER 3 Tuning the Guitar 19
Standard Tuning of Strings 20
Tuning with an Electronic Tuner 21
Relative Tuning 25
CHAPTER 4 Getting into Position 28
Sitting 29
Standing 32
Fretting Hand Position 35
Picking Hand Position 38
CHAPTER 5 Your First Chords and Song 40
How to Read a Chord Chart 41
D Chord 42
A7 Chord 44
G Chord 45
Put These Chords Together in a Song 46
CHAPTER 6 The Rest of the Open Chords 48
A Chords 49
B7 Chord 52
C Chords 53
D Chords 55
E Chords 57
G7 Chord 60
CHAPTER 7 Moving Between Chords 61
Economy of Motion 62
Chord Shifts with Common Fingering 64
Chord Shifts on the Same Fret 65
Chord Shifts on the Same String 66
Move from Chord to Chord without a Common String 67
CHAPTER 8 Strumming and Picking 69
Start with Your Thumb 70
Play with a Pick 72
Fingerpicking 74
CHAPTER 9 Rhythm Guitar 83
The Basics of Tempo 84
4/4 Time 85
3/4 Time 90
CHAPTER 10 Reading Chord Symbols, Tablature, and Lead Sheets 91
Five Common Types of Guitar Chords 92
Read Tablature 97
Play a Song from a Lead Sheet 99
CHAPTER 11 The Capo and Barre Chords 103
Use a Capo 104
Barre Chord Technique 109
Your First Barre Chord: F 111
Related Barre Chords: F7, Fm, and Fm7 114
Moving Up and Down the Neck 116
CHAPTER 12 Arpeggios, Suspensions, and Bass Runs 125
Arpeggios 126
Suspensions 133
Suspension Chord Fingerings 136
Bass Runs 146
CHAPTER 13 Reading Music and Basic Theory 166
Scales 167
The Treble Clef and Ledger Lines 174
Note and Rest Values 175
Time Signatures 177
Accidentals 178
Key Signatures 179
CHAPTER 14 An Introduction to Soloing and Improvisation 184
The Pentatonic Scale 185
Simple Solos 190
CHAPTER 15 Advanced Techniques 201
Slides 202
Pull-Offs and Hammer-Ons 205
Vibrato 213
String Bending 215
Tremolo Bar 217
Harmonics 218
CHAPTER 16 Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment 220
Buy an Acoustic Guitar 221
Buy an Electric Guitar 223
Buy an Amplifier 225
Care for and Maintain Your Strings 226
Restring Your Guitar 227
The Truss Rod 231
Adjust Intonation on an Electric Guitar 232
Humidification and Other Maintenance 233
CHAPTER 17 Electric Guitar Sounds 234
Controls on Your Electric Guitar 235
Controls on Your Amplifier 236
Effect Pedals 238
APPENDIX A Chord Charts 240
Major and Minor Chords 241
E-Shaped Barre Chords 242
A-Shaped Barre Chords 247
APPENDIX B Scales 251
Major Open Scales 252
Major Movable Scales 253
Minor Open Scales 253
Minor Movable Scales 254
Major Pentatonic Open Scales 255
Major Pentatonic Movable Scales 256
Minor Pentatonic Open Scales 256
Minor Pentatonic Movable Scales 257
Blues Scales 258
APPENDIX B Scales 251
Index 259
