Scales and Playing Your First Song

If you happen to know anything about playing the piano, you know that a “scale” is a group of notes that are played in succession in ascending or descending order.  There are a number of different scales.  Each scale has unique characteristics, musical qualities, and note patterns.  We will talk a little bit about scales and how to use them to improve your guitar playing.  Practicing and playing scales can be unexciting and tiresome but you can do it.  Scales can help make your fingers stronger, improve your ability to learn advanced techniques such as guitar solos and improve hand-eye coordination.

The most basic scale is the chromatic scale.

To begin playing the chromatic scale:

• Start by playing the sixth string “open”

• Take your index finger on the hand you will fret with and press down the first fret on the

number six string.  Pluck it again.

• Using the middle finger, press down the sixth string at the second fret and play the sixth

string again.

• Utilize the ring finger to press down the third fret and play the sixth string.

• Utilize the pinkie finger to press down the fourth fret and play the sixth string again.

• Continue with these steps with the rest of the strings.

You have now played your first scale.  Of course this may not be the most fascinating experience in your life but with this you are on your way.

Other  scales are the Major Scale and the Minor Pentatonic Scale.  You will learn these scales as you continue practicing the guitar.

After  you have learned notes, scales and chords, you are now ready to play songs.  Many people have their personal favorites whether it is their favorite songs, favorite bands, or favorite pieces of music.    Most everyone knows their favorite songs by heart and they are anxious to play

them.  This is great.  However, it is best to slow down and learn a few basic songs that can assist you in getting the feel for the structure of songs and the feel for timing.  You will also get your first opportunity to sing along with your instrument.   There are a few songs that are good for beginners

• Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan

• Leaving On A Jet Plane by John Denver

• For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield

These songs can assist you in practicing chords:

• The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

• Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.

There are resources on the internet where you can find easy beginning guitar.  Three of these are, GuitarNoise.com:  Easy Songs for Beginners, About.com: Easy Song Tabs, and Gitarrero- Beginner:  Easy Guitar Song Collection.

Playing Notes and Chords

Now for the fun part, actually playing the guitar!  It is essential to practice playing the guitar.  It is not that difficult to make sounds on the guitar but if you want to make these sounds pleasing to the ear, you have to practice.

Begin by plucking the sixth string.  Do not use your fretting hand.  You will hear an E note.  If you play a string without using the fret, you are playing the note “open”.

The next thing to do is to move downward and play the strings “open”.  You will hear the A, D, G, B, and E notes, in that order.  Each note will sound higher than the one preceding it.

After  you have done this, return to the sixth string and take your index finger and place it on the first fret.  The first fret is the space between the nut and the first fret.  You should be using the index finger on your fretting hand.  Now press down the note with the tip of your index finger instead of the joint.  As you hold the index finger down on the initial fret, use the hand with the pick in it and pluck the sixth string.  If you have done this right, the sound that you hear should be a little higher than when you first plucked the string without holding down the fret.

Next move the index finger up to the second fret.  This is the space between the second and first frets.  Pluck the sixth string once more.  You should hear a higher sound than the previous one.

Repeat these steps with every string.  Play the string open, place your finger on the first fret, and then place your finger on the next fret.  If you hear notes that are bad, muffled or off-key, make sure that you are firmly pressing down on the note and that your finger is on the center of the fret.  Continue to practice until you are comfortable making each note.

After  you have practiced playing notes, you can move on to playing chords.  A chord is two notes that are played at the same time.  Chords create a richer sound than what you would hear if you played each note by itself.  Most chords are three notes that are played together.  Some chords include more than three notes.  Chords involved playing multiple strings together.  This is “strumming”.

The most common chords are “Major” chords and these are the chords that beginning guitarists usually learn first.  The major chords are C Major, A Major, G Major, E Major, and D Major. These chords are a combination of different sets of notes.  When theses notes are played together they create a sound that is unique.  Many of your all-time favorite songs are played by using three or more chords.  Let’s discuss fingering positions, exact notes and patterns of strumming that are used in “Major” chords.

To play a C Major chord, place your ring finger on the third fret and fifth string.  Then place your middle finger on the second fret and fourth string.  Last, place your index finger on the first fret, second string.  Now, starting on the fifth string, strum the 3 string quickly.  Don’t play the sixth string.

The C Major chord should look like a staircase.  The index finger forms the lowest step.  It will feel odd when you begin to work on chords in this way but the more you practice chords and as your  fingers become stronger, you will not have a problem forming chord structures with your hands.

Don’t worry if when you begin practicing chords that sound horrible and the notes sound strange. As they say “practice makes perfect.”

To play the A Major chord:

• Put the index finger on the second fret and fourth string.

• Put the middle finger on the second fret and third string.

• Put the ring finger on the second fret and second string.

• Now, beginning with the fifth string, strum the strings quickly.  Don’t play the sixth

string.

The A Major chord is harder to play than the C Major chord because three fingers are crunched together on the second fret. Play the chord a couple of times so you can see how it sounds and feels.  If you continue to have problems or your fingers are big and cannot fit together on the second fret, you may want to

tr y other fingerings.  One solution is to use the middle finger instead of the ring finger to press down the second and third strings together.

To play the G Major Chord:

• Put the middle finger on the third fret, sixth string

• Put the index finger on the second fret, and fifth string

• Put the finger on the third fret and first string.

• Now strum the strings quickly.

To play the G Major chord you can use a number of different fingerings, though the one described above is simplest for beginning guitar players.

To play the C Major chord:

• Put the third finger on the fifth string and the third fret.

• Put the second finger on the fourth string and the second fret.

• Put the first finger on the second string and first fret.  Make sure you do NOT strum the

sixth string and strum the bottom.

To play the E Major Chord:

• Put the middle finger on the second fret and fifth string

• Put the ring finger on the second fret and fourth string

• Put the index finger on the first fret and third string.

• Now strum the string quickly.

E Major is the best known of the chords because it is found in the most memorable rock and blues songs.  Remember not to worry if the notes don’t sound right or if they sound muffled.  If you practice, you will be able to press down the right notes on the

right strings.

To play the D Major chord:

• Put the index finger on the second fret and third string

• Put the ring finger on third fret and second string.

• Put the middle finger on the second fret and first string.

• Begin with the fourth string and play the notes quickly.  You will not play the fifth of

sixth strings.

The D chord is the hardest for beginning guitarists.  This chord is that hardest one to make sound correctly.  But again, with practice

you should not have any problems

Ways to Tune Your Guitar

The easiest way to tune your guitar is by relative tuning.  Relative tuning is comparing the sound and pitch of adjacent strings.  The string with the higher pitch is tuned to match the sound of the lower  string.  In this method, there is the assumption that the lower string is tuned properly.  If you use this method, you will have to tune the sixth string with a tuning fork or piano.  More details on this will be provided later.

The process starts with the tuning of the sixth string.  When the sixth string has been tuned, you need to press the sixth string at the fifth fret and pick the string.  Next, tune the fifth string so that it matches that sound.  The sound of the fifth string should match the sixth string’s, fifth fret.  If you find that the sound does not match, turn the tuning peg for that fifth string and change the pitch. Don’t do anything to the sixth string.

If the sound of the string is too low, tighten the string.  If the sound of the string is too low, loosen the string.  Be sure that the fifth string is tuned in comparison to the sixth string because the fifth string has to be properly tuned in order to tune the fourth string.  After that, the fourth string needs to be in tune in order to tune the third string and it continues from there.  If there is a tuning mistake on any of the strings, the sound of the whole instrument will be thrown off.

If you have a piano at your disposal and you are familiar with the notes, you can tune your instrument by matching the sound of the strings with the matching notes on the piano.

To begin, find the E note of the piano and then play the sixth string or E note on your guitar. Turn the tuning peg so that the sixth string on your guitar sounds like the E on the keyboard.  Do this with all the stings on the guitar.

An electronic keyboard can help tune your guitar as well.  Keyboards give you clear, precise, and loud pitch that makes it easy to tune your instrument.  This method of tuning is a great choice for beginning guitarists who have access to a keyboard or for guitar players who will be working with someone who plays the keyboard.

You can also tune your guitar by using pitch pipes.  You should be able to find these at your local music store.  These pitch pipes will give you the pitches of all strings.  All you need to do is match the sound of each string to the proper pipe.  Pitch pipes do not cost a lot and even very young guitar players can use them.  They are small and easy to carry.

Some more advanced guitar players would not be satisfied with pitch pipes because they do not have a clear pitch like an electronic tuner, tuning fork or piano.

Using a tuning fork is a popular way to tune a guitar and other instruments.  A tuning fork is a two prong device that has a stem and is shaped like a U.  They are usually made of steel.  The tuning fork gives off a certain pitch when it is struck against a surface, causing it to vibrate.  The sound that comes from the tuning fork depends on the length the two prongs are.

The standard tuning fork used has the pitch of an A note.  Tuning forks that emit this sound can be found easily.  Tuning forks with the sound of the E note can be found easily as well and they are very useful for guitars.  Tuning forks are cheap and easy to bring along with you.

When using a tuning fork, hold the fork by the stem so that the prongs can vibrate freely.  Strike the prongs hard enough so that they begin to vibrate.  Be sure not to strike them on anything that will dent.  It is best to strike the fork against your knee.  Not too hard of course!  After that and without touching the prongs, place the stem lightly on the guitar body.  Now tune the string to match the sound that comes from the guitar.

In order to use a tuning fork properly you will need to practice.  It may be hard for a young player and a guitar player with experience will not want to carry around different tuning forks.

The preferred method of tuning a guitar is intervals.  The advantage of tuning this way is that the guitar ends up having a pleasant sound that is in tune.  Intervals involve tuning strings in conjunction to other strings.  This is ver y easy when you have practiced this method for a little while.

To tune by interval, begin with the sixth string and have something such as a tuning fork or pitch pipe handy.  To find the A note, press down the sixth string at the fifth fret, then tune the A string.  Next tune the D or fourth string to the D and the fifth string at the fifth fret.  Repeat this process with the G, B, and E strings.  To check your tuning, play the E and B chords and listen carefully.  Make any adjustments you need to.

Next we have harmonics.  Advanced guitarists prefer using harmonics when it comes to tuning their instrument.  Harmonics can be hard to learn, but the result is a very accurate tuning.

Instead of holding a string down, below the fret, you touch the string very lightly at the fret This is harmonics.  This is not the best tuning methods for beginners but it is mentioned here to give you a complete overview of guitar tuning.

There are many other ways to tune a guitar.  Slack key tuning is tuning some strings lower than other types of tuning.  The result is a major chord when all strings are played.  A tuning method used in rock and classical guitar is D tuning.  This involves tuning the D string instead of the E string.  No matter what type of tuning you use, it is best to tune your guitar frequently.  Strings get out of tune over time especially if you play your guitar a lot and practice a lot.

Tuning Your Guitar

It is very important to tune your guitar.   You need to tune your guitar on a regular basis if you want it to sound good and make practice enjoyable.  At first tuning a guitar will be difficult but this will change over time.  It is advisable that if you know someone that is a guitar player, you can have them tune your guitar for you. You can also simply learn to do it yourself.  It just takes practice and patience.

There are different methods of tuning a guitar.  All of the different methods are appropriate but some are more convenient than others.  This is especially important if you are just beginning to learn the guitar.  Tuning a guitar involves adjusting the strings so that they play the right note.  You loosen or tighten the strings by using the tuning pegs.  If you tighten the pegs on the headstock, this will make the pitch of the string higher, while making the pegs loose will make the pitch lower.

Beginning guitar players may want to purchase an inexpensive electric “guitar tuner”.  This is a great choice for beginning guitar players.  Electronic tuners can pick up the sound of a string and let you know through a display that the note is either too low (flat) or too high (sharp). Beginning guitar player have difficulty telling when a string is not in tune by just listening so buying an electric tuner can assist in making tuning faster and more precise.

A starting guitarist who is practicing by themselves, easy and convenient tuning methods are best.  However, as you become pickier or begin playing with other people, utilizing alternative tuning methods will become increasingly important.

If you cannot afford or do not want to buy an electric tuner, there are a variety of ways to manually tune your instrument.  These ways are relative tuning, tuning with a piano, pitch pipes, keyboards, tuning forks, intervals and harmonics.  We will go into these types of tuning in the next chapter.

Guitar Positioning and Tuning

Now that you have learned a little bit about the guitar, you are now about to learn about how to position a guitar and tune it.

First you will learn about positioning a guitar.  Begin by finding an armless chair that has good support for your back.  You should sit comfortably with your back against the chair.  Slouching is not good because you will develop bad guitar habits and a sore back.  When sitting in an armless chair, be sure that there is a lot of room on both sides of you so you can hold your guitar properly and move your arms.

Once you are seated in the chair, you should place the guitar on your lap and have the rear of the guitar facing your chest.  The guitar body should be on the leg that is farthest from the headstock. If you are right handed, the guitar should lay on your right leg.  The majority of acoustic guitars will have curved indentations that are great for playing the guitar on your leg.  If you are holding the guitar properly than the sixth string should be close to your chest and the first string should be close to your feet.

Your fret hand will have to be placed on the left if you are right handed and on the right if you are left handed.  You should grip the neck of the guitar gently with your fretting hand.  You thumb should be placed behind the guitar’s neck.  The other fingers should be floating on top of the strings, slightly curled.  It is ver y important to curl the fingers at the knuckles unless an instructor tells you not too.

Next we are going to discuss picking.  When beginning to play the guitar, you should purchase a set of guitar picks.  A guitar pick is a small flat tool that you used to strum the guitar.  You should purchase a minimum of ten guitar picks and they are relatively cheap.  There are different types of guitar picks but it is best to start with one that is not too hard or too flimsy.  Picks are made of rubber, wood, stone, plastic, tortoiseshell, and metal.  They are usually in the shape of a triangle but other shapes are available from manufacturers.

Once you have a guitar pick and are seated in the proper position, you can begin strumming the guitar.  Your picking hand will be nearest the bridge of your guitar.  You should open up the hand you will be picking or “strumming” the guitar with.  The palm should face you.  Then make sure the thumb is next to the index finger.   Make sure that you rotate the hand so the knuckle of the thumb is facing toward you.  With your free hand you should slide in the guitar pick between your index finger and thumb.  That way, the pick is secure.  The pick should end up behind the thumb’s knuckle.

You should hold the pick firmly and the pointed portion of the pick should be pointing away from your fist and should be sticking out about ½ inch.  The hand you are strumming with should be over the sound hole if you are using an acoustic guitar or over the guitar body if you are using an electric guitar.  Your strumming hand should be placed above the strings.

Your picking hand should not sit on the body or stings of the guitar.  Using your wrist, not your arm, strum the lowest string downward.  If the string rattles too much, do not use a lot of the pick surface or strum softer.  Then pick the lowest string upwards. Try this a few times.  Try to lower the motion of your picking hand by doing a short pick downwards and a short pick upwards. Now repeat the process with the rest of the strings.    Remember that holding the pick will feel strange at first.  You will have to concentrate on your picking hand when you begin practicing the guitar.  Your downstrokes and your upstrokes should sound the same.  Also remember you will sound bad at first but this will change with practice.  It takes time to become the next guitar hero!