How to Get Started On the Guitar

In this article you are going to learn how to be the best beginner you can be. The things you should learn in the beginning are going to be wrong by professional standards, however if you ask the professionals how they started out this is what they will say. I learned the open guitar chords, the pentatonic scale, and played along to my favorite songs.

Learning the “open guitar chords”

“Open guitar chords” mean that when you are playing a couple of notes and some of the notes are the strings ringing free- without putting your fingers on the frets. The open guitar chords you should learn are A minor, A major, D minor, D major, E minor, E major, F major, G major, C major. Chords are represented on charts that graph the fingers onto the fretboard like this.

The lower pitched strings (the thicker) strings are on the left side and the thinner high pitch strings are on the right. Where those dots are placed is on the fretboard- the horizontal lines. The strings are the vertical lines. The numbers refer to the finger you should use. 1- index 2- middle 3-ring 4-pinky. If there are zeros on the top then that means you play the the strings freely.

You’re going to memorize the shapes of these chords and the note names of the strings. E, A, D, g, b, e- Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie.

Problems you will have are going to be stretching your hands, switching between the chords, your fingers are touching the other strings and making them quiet. These are all normal and the more you try it the better it gets. Guitar is hard, but also the most fun.

The pentatonic scale most people learn is this one- played at the fifth fret.

Similar to guitar chords charts, the scale charts have the finger numbers placed on the frets you are supposed to play. The thicker line is the lower pitched strings and the thinner lines are the higher pitched strings. To go up the scale you start at the bottom (thickest string) and play left to right then go to the next string. To come down the scale you start at the highest thinnest string and read it right to left and change strings.

The pentatonic scale means the 5 tone scale and is how most pop, blues, and rock melodies and riffs are formed. Learning the scale gives you a predictable play space to take risks and create with. The pentatonic scale changes shape depending on the fret you are starting on, but for now learn the first position A Minor Pentatonic Scale. It will improve your dexterity, comfortability, and right hand picking accuracy as you change between the strings.

Problems you will have learning the scale is forgetting the shape, only using the index, middle, and ring finger, and only playing it as it is. Experiment with the scale, use your pinky, and memorize it like it’s your name.

Playing Along with Songs

I believe that every guitarist should have at least 10 favorite songs where the guitar is the main instrument. When you memorize the song and learn it, you will be much more likely to remember the guitar chords, scales, and structure. The struggle with learning from method books is the songs students learn are not worth remembering so how are they supposed to memorize things on the guitar?

Having 10 songs with a guitar init also starts to define which guitar techniques you are interested in. Most genres of music are not just theoretic or sonic, it has to do with the techniques used. In Metal music palm muting and pinch harmonics are used more than classical music even though the scales and arpeggios are similar. Jazz and Blues used the same chords yet blues uses more bends than jazz guitar.