Getting Started with the Guitar

Kent Johnson

L595

Why the guitar?

• Whether you want to become the next rock guitar hero, or simply accompany yourself as you sing lonesome ballads at the local coffee shop, the guitar has something to offer everyone!

• Few instruments possess its versatility – from a tender lullaby to the most abrasive, outrageous hard rock.

Which guitar?

There are three main types:

• Classical

• Acoustic steel-string

• Electric

If you want to be able to play all

types of music, I recommend the

acoustic steel-string

How to protect your new guitar

You have invested a lot of your hard-earned money in your new pride and joy, so you want to make sure it is protected.

The investment in a high-quality

case to protect your guitar

from the bumps and bruises

of life is well worth it!

What about strings?

Once you have your guitar, you are going to want to buy some strings. They come in different tensions – high tension give more volume but are harder to play.

If you want to play soft,

fingerstyle music, try some

low tension strings – your

pinkies will thank you!

How do I get the strings on the guitar?

It can be a real hassle to wind the strings onto the tuners by hand. That is why a handy gismo called a “string winder” was invented. Think of it as a crank to help you get those strings wound on fast, so you can get to playing!

I have strings – how to tune them?

This can be a bit tough for the beginner, but don’t despair. The six strings of the guitar, from low to high, are tuned:

E A D G B E

To get the pitch right you can use

a good old tuning fork.

If you want to get fancy, use an

electronic tuner.

How do I get sound out of this thing?

• Now that you have a guitar, a case to protect it, and strings that are in tune, you might wonder how to pick the strings. The two options are:

Your Hand Picks

The hand offers lots of different effects, if your nails are hard! Picks can

be soft for strumming, and hard for lead work.

What to play?

Ahh, the million dollar question! Start with songs you already know, perhaps from cd’s

As you become more advanced, learn to read music – it can open up audio realms, just like books open worlds of ideas!

What next?

HAVE FUN!!!Learning to play the guitar is the work of a

lifetime. Just be sure to enjoy where you are along the road. As you learn more, it

just keeps getting better. Keep picking and grinning!!