This quick start series is designed to get eager beginners making music and having fun with the guitar! You will learn how to tune your guitar and then how to play a simple version of the song Sweet Home Alabama.
In this quick start series you will learn how to get your guitar in-tune, and then you will learn a very simply version of the song Sweet Home Alabama!
If you are an absolute beginner this is a great place to get started!
If you already have a little bit of experience we recommend skipping ahead to Chapter 1 of Guitar Fundamentals, as this tutorial is designed for people who are picking up the guitar for the very first time.
In this chapter you will learn the basic parts of the guitar, how to hold the guitar, the names of the strings, how to tune your guitar and how to care for it. If you're an absolute beginner, then this is the best place to start.
Welcome to the guitar! Let's learn a bit about the varieties of guitar models that are available to you, and what model of guitar will be the best fit or you. We'll learn how to hold the guitar properly, and some basic guitar anatomy too!
Even if you're the greatest guitar player in the world, if your guitar is out of tune, it will sound bad. Let's learn all about tuning your guitar using a couple of different methods. Plus, you'll learn a story about my friend Eddie that you will never forget - and which will help you forever stay in tune.
In order to really get the most out of your guitar learning process, it is good to understand the basic principles of how it works as a musical instrument. After all, you will be interacting with this instrument to make music, so you two gotta get to know each other!
In this chapter you will learn the basic functions of both hands, using a pick, how to fret notes and basic finger warm up exercises. Then it's time to learn your first simple chords and use them to play music! You will also get some tips about how to practice effectively.
Let's learn the basic positions and skills for getting your right hand and your left hand started on their guitar journey. Each hand has its own set of skills to get used to, and we'll look at those one at a time. And then, we'll be ready to make some music!
Let's start out nice and easy, by learning 2 'Simple Chords'. This will enable us to work on the skill of changing from one chord to the other in rhythm. Then we will learn to play a short and easy song using those new chords and new skills, called 'Walk Downtown.'
Are you ready for another pair of SImple Chords? Once again, these chords use only 3 strings. We will practice their tone, and switching from one to the other in rhythm. Then we'll put all that to work and learn to play the song, 'I Believed You'.
Are you beginning to see how much music you can make with just a handful of simple chords, and a song to play? Let's add one more Simple Chord to your collection, and then learn to play the songs 'Would You?', and 'Long Long Train'. Have fun with this!
In order to make the most of your guitar-learning journey, it is very helpful to understand some important concepts about the learning process, and, how best to practice. Wondering how long it will take you to learn to play? We'll find out in this tutorial
If you are having any trouble getting good clear tone out of your notes, you are not alone!! In this tutorial we'll learn some very specific strategies for discovering what is going wrong, and how you can fix it. These tone tips apply to all guitar players at all levels. You will be using these strategies for years to come.
In this chapter you will learn to read tablature and play some single note melodies using just one string. Then you will gradually add strings, until eventually you're playing on all six strings! You'll also learn the names and locations of the musical alphabet notes.
We'll start with just one string, and work our way up. Let's learn to read tablature line-by-line, and use it to play simple melodies together, and along with the band! Have fun learning to play 'Higher Elevation', and 'Ode to Joy'! It's easier than you might think!
When we add 2 more lines to the tablature, we open up the ability to read and play melodies which will involve the high E, B, G, and D strings. Have fun learning to play 'Early Bird Gala', and 'Cousin Dave's Blues'!
By the end of this tutorial, you'll be reading full tablature, and playing melodies that use all 6 strings of the guitar. Reading tablature and playing melodies is an essential guitar skill. Congratulations on getting this under your belt! Have fun learning to play 'Five Miles Out', and 'Six Days Till Sunday'!
You now have a solid understanding of melody and tablature. If you'd like to continue honing these techniques, give these more advanced songs a try. If, however, you'd rather move on to working with full chords, feel free to skip ahead to the next tutorial.
Or, stick around and learn to play 'Heading Home', Hickory Ridge', and a grand-slam version of 'Ode to Joy'!
In this chapter you will start to learn full, open chords that form the basis of rhythm guitar playing. You'll get a lot of opportunities to put them to use, playing them in songs! You will also get a lot of helpful chord changing strategies.
Welcome to the world of 'full' chords, using all 6 strings of the guitar. We'll start by learning the E Minor and the D Major chord, plus a couple of fun songs to play along with Lisa and the band. Have fun learning to play 'Funky Holiday', and 'Do Something For You,!
When you add the chords C, G, and Am to your collection, you will have learned the 5 most commonly found chords in guitar music! You won't believe the amazing doors this will open for you and your guitar playing.
Now that you know how to make 5 essential chords, let's put them to work in the context of rhythm, and playing songs. In this tutorial, you'll learn strategies for switching from one chord to another, plus, 2 fun songs to play along with Lisa and the band! Have fun learning to play 'Cross the Line', and 'Begin Again'!
4: Chord-Change Strategies for the 5-Chord Power Pack
Once you master the skills of getting from one chord to the next, on time and in rhythm, there are thousands of songs you'll be able to play with your 5-Chord Power Pack. Switching chords on time and in rhythm takes strategy - and you'll learn it all in this tutorial.
Let's put those Power-Pack chords, and chord-change strategies to work! In this tutorial, you'll learn 3 fun songs that use the skills you have been working on. Have a blast learning to play 'Roll Like Water', 'I Get It Now', and 'Skeeter Loves Annie', along with Lisa and the band!
In this chapter you will complete your repertoire of full, open chords by learning all 7 basic major chords, along with some minor chords for good measure. There will also be more chord change strategies to shore up any problem areas in your technique.
Now that you've mastered the G, C, D, Am, and Em, and learned to play several songs, let's expand out your collection of major and minor chords. This will open so many exciting new doors for you and your guitar playing!
In these lessons, we'll learn four slam-dunk strategies for navigating your way from one chord to the next, no matter what the chords are! This will be super-helpful at this point in your guitar learning process, and in years to come as you encounter more advanced challenges. Memorize these golden strategies!
In this chapter you will learn what a key signature is, how it is used to group chords into musical patterns. You'll then use that knowledge to play some songs in important, widely used key signatures.
With millions of songs in the key of G, you'll get a ton of mileage out of mastering this key. We'll determine the major and the minor chords, talk about chord-change strategies, and learn a new song in the the key of G called 'Darling Destination'.
A very common key, you'll find there are millions of songs in the key of C. In this set of lessons, We'll determine the major and the minor chords, talk about chord-change strategies, and learn a new song in the the key of C called 'Keep That Faith'.
The key of D is another very common key in popular music. Some of the minor chords aren't quite as friendly as in the previous keys we have studied, but don't worry - where there is a will, there is a way. Let's determine the major and the minor chords, talk about chord-change strategies, and learn a new song in the the key of D called 'What Love Can Do'.
The key of A shows up quite commonly in contemporary music, and is a good one to have under your belt. We'll determine the major and the minor chords, talk about chord-change strategies, and learn to play a new song in the the key of A called 'Shiny Objects'.
The key of E is the last key we will explore in this section. Once again, we'll determine the major and the minor chords, talk about chord-change strategies, and learn a new song in the the key of E called 'Three Long Days'.
In this chapter you will learn what a time signature is, how it is used to keep track of counting and rhythm in music. You'll then use that knowledge to play some songs in important, widely used time signatures. Finally, you'll get a brief course recap and what to look for going forward.
Let's learn to understand the nuts and bolts that lie behind the strumming rhythm we have been working on so far in this course. Applying this new info to what you can already do will vastly expand your strumming grooves and options! You'll be amazed at how easy, and how very cool this is going to be.
When you are strumming in 3/4 time, the moves and skills are very much the same as what you are already comfortable with, but the feel is quite different. Discover how 3/4 time gives a song a "dance-like" feel, and learn to play the song 'With You I Am Whole'.
As you graduate from Guitar Fundamentals 1, let's take some time to make sure all your basics are solidly in place. But even more importantly, and way more fun, let's explore the power and potential of your accomplishments so far! It's Graduation Week! Congratulations to you!
