7. IDENTIFYING THE FRETBOARD

Now that we have understood the basics of playing the guitar, let’s get started with the first steps to playing guitar …
Well the FUNDAMENTALS is what I focus on …

So we will be studying how to identify the fret board so that later on we can easily know the note we are playing …

To identify the fret board we must know the STANDARD TUNING or THE A440 TUNING…
The STANDARD or the A440 TUNING is the notation assigned to each string when played open (meaning no fret is pressed on the fret board)...
In this tuning the strings when played open have the respective tone:

e string (1st) - e (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an e note)
B string (2nd) - b (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an b note)
G string (3rd) - g (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an g note)
D string (4th) - d (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an d note)
A string (5th) - a (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an a note)
E string (6th) - e (i.e. the first string should be tuned to an e note)
So if we plot the fret board now it will be

You mite be amazed by the grid arrangement of all the notes , however this is really simple as we just follow the sequence starting from the first note on each string….

START WITH THE C NOTE (IN BLUE) SO THAT WE CAN REMEMBER EACH NOTE ONE BY ONE AND THEREFORE REMEMBER ALL OF THE FRETBOARD, THE SEQUENCE OF NOTES WHICH I FOLLOW IS TO REMEMBER
C , G ,D , A , E , B , F # , C# , G# , D# , A# ,F……
It means u should know all the positions where each of these notes are placed on each string. and should practice playing them each…

The above sequence is helpful when we do the CIRCLE OF FIFTHS...and we would thus see the position of each note and their interrelationship….

THINGS TO REMEMBER:
1."Sharp" is notated as #
2."Flat" is notated as b
3.If a letter name is followed by a sharp(#), the note is one fret higher than the fret you'd normally play that letter name on. Example: you'd play G on the third fret, sixth string. You'd play G# on the fourth fret sixth string.
4.If a letter name is followed by a flat(b), the note is one fret lower than the fret you'd normally play that letter name on. Example: you'd play D on the tenth fret, sixth string. You'd play Db on the ninth fret sixth string.
5.F# = Gb, G# = Ab, A# = Bb, C# = Db, D# = Eb
6.The note name on the 12th fret of any string is always the same as the open string.
7.Memorize the open string name, and several more note names and locations on both the sixth and fifth string. This will make finding all other notes much quicker.

6. HOLDING A PICK

Hopefully, you've found, bought or borrowed a guitar pick. If not, you'll need to buy yourself some. Don't be stingy, go and pick up at least 10 of them - guitar picks are easy to lose (they often don't cost more than 10 to 30 rs at the max).


You can experiment with different shapes and brands, but I highly recommend medium gauge picks to start; ones that aren't too flimsy, or too hard.The following documentation explains how to hold, and use a pick.

When reading, keep in mind that your "picking hand" is the hand which is nearest to the bridge of the guitar, when sitting in the correct position.

1. Open your picking hand, and turn the palm to face you.

2. Close your hand to make a very loose fist. Your thumb should remain beside your index finger.

3. Rotate your hand until you are looking at it's profile, with your thumb's knuckle facing you.
·With your other hand, slide your guitar pick between your thumb and index finger. The pick should be approximately located behind the knuckle of the thumb.
·Be sure the pointed end of the pick is pointing directly away from your fist, and is protruding by about a half an inch. Hold the pick firmly.
·Position your picking hand over the soundhole of your acoustic guitar, or over the body of your electric guitar. Your picking hand, with thumb knuckle still facing you, should hover over the strings.
·Do not rest your picking hand on the strings or body of the guitar.
·Using your wrist for motion (rather than your entire arm), strike the sixth (lowest) string of your guitar in a downward motion. If the string rattles excessively, try striking the string a bit softer, or with less of the pick surface.
·Now, pick the sixth string in an upwards motion.
·Repeat the process several times. Try and minimize motion in your picking hand: one short picking stroke downwards, then one short picking stroke upwards. This process is referred to as "alternate picking"
·Try the same exercise on the fifth, fourth, third, second, and first strings.

Tips:
1. Holding the pick in this manner will invariably feel awkward at first. You will initially have to pay special attention to your picking hand whenever you play guitar.
2. Try and create fluidity in your alternate picking. Your downstrokes should sound virtually identical to your upstrokes

5. HOLDING A GUITAR

Now, that we know about the basic parts of a guitar, it's time to get our hands dirty, and start learning to play it. Get yourself an armless chair, and take a seat. You should be sitting comfortably, with your back against the back of the chair. Slouching significantly is a no-no; you'll not only end up with a sore back, you'll develop bad habits on the guitar.

Now, pick up your guitar, and hold it so the back of the body of the instrument comes in contact with your stomach/chest, and the bottom of the neck runs parallel to the floor.
The thickest string on the guitar should be the closest to your face, while the thinnest should be closest to the floor. If this isn't the case, turn the guitar the in other direction. Typically, a right-handed person will hold the guitar so the headstock points to the left, whereas a left-handed person will hold the guitar so the headstock points to the right. (NOTE: to play the guitar as a lefty would, you will need a left-handed guitar.)

When playing the guitar sitting down, the body of the guitar will rest on one of your legs. In most styles of guitar playing, the guitar will rest on the leg farthest away from the headstock. This means, a person playing the guitar in a right-handed fashion will typically rest the guitar on his/her right leg, while someone playing the guitar in a lefty manner will rest it on their left leg.
(NOTE: proper classical guitarist technique dictates the exact OPPOSITE of the above, but for this lesson, let's stick to our initial explanation)

4. PARTS OF A GUITAR

The various parts are self explanatory and if u have any queries feel free to ask ..

3. TAKING CARE OF YOUR GUITAR

A guitar is like a piece of precious china. You don't want to leave it around and allow opportunities for it to become damaged. Much like any other kind of stringed instrument, such as harps, sitars, pianos, etc. these instruments play better when they are better taken care of. Therefore, it is important that if you want to obtain a good, clear sound from your guitar, you take good care of it.

Don't spend all of your time investing in a good guitar without investing some money in a good carrying case.Also, make sure that the case is firm and hard, so that in the event that you happen to drop your guitar, the case will prevent any damage to the guitar itself. Your case may be the best case in the world.

Do not leave it exposed to the sun for long periods of time. The sun can penetrate through your case, no matter how good it is, and can damage your guitar, causing its sound and tone to degrade. Take care of your guitar like you would take care of your car. Both provide means of enjoyment and can take you to places that you have never been before.

I would thus advice you all to purchase a good carrying case and also a guitar stand so that the guitar stays in shape …


And keep a clean cloth to clean the guitar and the strings whenever required .

2. BUYING A GUITAR


THE FIRST QUESTION THAT COMES IN OUR MIND IS WHICH GUITAR TO BUY??!!!!.....

Well a very tricky question though … however simple things that you need to look for while buying a guitar and you will get the best deal….

I’ll also try and provide my best knowledge in this subject as there are many companies available for guitars but at the end of the day its your call...So whatever u buy make sure you buy a good instrument which u can cherish for a long time …


There are many brands which are available …some of them are:

YAMAHA
IBANEZ
ESP
PLUTO
GBnA
GRANADA
TAKAMINE
B.C. RICH
CORT
ARIANA
GREG BENNET
TAYLOR
FENDER
GUILD
MARTIN
GIBSON
And many more….


The first step in buying a guitar is choosing what guitar maker produces a guitar that will suit your needs and fit your budget. A good way to go about this is visit local guitar shops in your area and see what is available. Getting some expert advice from those who work in guitar shops is always a good idea.

Another way to find a good guitar builder is to find out what types of guitars are played by the artists you admire. There are many publications that report this information and a little research on your part will reveal who is playing guitar tabs on what type of guitar.

Finally, ask around to see what people say about each guitar maker. Asking a few questions of experienced guitar tab players may provide some insight into what the best guitar for your needs might be. Getting to know a few people in the industry can also help you determine what guitar you'll need for your lesson.

Thus in a nutshell depending upon your style of playing, choose the best instrument to suit your mood …. Take your time testing it and if possible take an experienced player along …

LEARNING ONLINE vs. LEARNING FROM A PRIVATE TUTOR...

Hello everyone again .. i thought of putting in front of you all one more important aspect of learning guitar ..i.e learning online or learning by a private tutor ...

The main emphasis is to learn and that too in a structured way ..

Both ways have their own benefits however personally i belive that if u hav sumeone with you to teach u then u get more focussed and dedicated..

whereas studying onlin u can get a lot of exposure however if not channelised in a proper way can lead to wastage of time and resources .. because there are hundred of sites online and no. of people teaching u the same stuff...so make sure you go for the right thing...

So make sure that u get a mix of both so that you knw wht u r being taught and also whts going on in the outside world...

I'll try me best to give you the right input at the right time ...

Gud luck & Keep Rocking...

and feel free to ask for help ... coz the passion is the same ...WE ALL NEED THE DEDICATION

Some common frustrations for beginners when learning how to play the guitar:
• Wasting money on lessons, books or DVD's that looked great in the store but you will never understand them at home on your own
• Having local group or private lessons that are not offered during a time that is convenient for you or are too expensive
• Not having your guitar properly "set up".
• Strings that are too thick and heavy that lead to stinging or bleeding fingers
• Strings that are set too high off the fret board which makes it difficult to play
• A teacher that may know guitar theory but cannot explain it in a way that you can easily understand
• Not knowing the importance of how to set up a good time and place to practice where you will not be disturbed
• Not having an easy to follow method which will allow you to go "at your own pace"
• A method that has you practicing boring drills only to see a slight improvement in your playing
• Not knowing "where and how" to get started
If any of these examples sound familiar and ring a bell with you, know that answers are right around the corner.
Do not allow these frustrations to bog you down to the point that you do nothing. Do not give up on your dreams of playing the guitar!
Everything at the start is difficult but nothing is impossible … you just need the passion ….

Follow the lessons and get in touch with someone who can work with you in improving your skills…

Also you cal call me for any issues
Rahul Garg
9911096757                                                                                                          INDEX