| If you love rock music, and have always | | | | A -||--|--|--|--|4X|-- |
| wanted to be able to play some of your | | | | |
| favorite songs on the guitar, but maybe | | | | E -||--|--|1X|--|--|-- (lowest-sounding) |
| you've found it difficult to get started, | | | | |
| then here are 5 steps to help get you get | | | | In this diagram, the X's show where to put |
| going. | | | | your fingers (of your left hand usually) on |
| | | | the fretboard, and the number shows which |
| Step 1 - Choose Your Guitar & Amp | | | | finger to use where. So in this case, the |
| | | | first finger will go on the lowest string at |
| Of course, you can learn to play the guitar | | | | the 3rd fret, then the 4th finger at the 5th |
| using any type of guitar, acoustic (classical | | | | fret, then finally the 5th finger at the 5th |
| folk) or electric. | | | | fret. |
| | | | |
| However, if you particularly want to start | | | | When forming this pattern, try to make each |
| playing rock guitar, then an electric guitar | | | | finger rest just behind the fret marker, and |
| is probably the best choice. The main reason | | | | not be right in the middle, as this makes the |
| for this is that guitarists in most rock | | | | notes sound more clearly (with less |
| bands use electric guitars, so from the start | | | | 'buzzing'). Try strumming the bottom 3 |
| it's going to sound more like the music you | | | | strings with your right hand, while holding |
| want to play (after all, you're not looking | | | | down this pattern on the fretboard with your |
| to play 'Greensleeves', but more 'Green | | | | left. That is a G power chord. If your guitar |
| Day'). | | | | strings are in tune as in step 2, and you |
| | | | have a distortion sound, then that should |
| Another reason, which some people may debate, | | | | really sound like a rock chord. |
| but I think that it's just easier on the | | | | |
| fingers to start learning on an electric | | | | Step 4 - Shift It Around |
| guitar, and that's less likely to put you off | | | | |
| when you're just beginning. | | | | Now for the best bit - to play some songs |
| | | | right away you can use this same pattern, but |
| As for the amplifier or 'amp', to start off, | | | | play different chords with it. So, keeping |
| you don't need a huge stack, or a | | | | your fingers in this pattern (1st, 4th and |
| particularly powerful amp. A small practice | | | | 5th fingers), try sliding it down 2 frets to |
| amp (e.g. 10-20 Watts) can be sufficient to | | | | play an F chord: |
| begin with. Most of these will have at least | | | | |
| 2 different modes - 'clean' and 'distortion' | | | | E -||--|--|--|--|--|-- (highest-sounding) |
| (or this second one may be called 'drive'). | | | | |
| The distortion mode is really the one you | | | | B -||--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| want to use, as this is used to some degree | | | | |
| by many rock bands, and is the definitive | | | | G -||--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| 'rock guitar' sound. Even if at this point | | | | |
| you don't know how to play anything, just | | | | D -||--|--|5X|--|--|-- |
| plug the guitar in, select the distortion | | | | |
| channel, and strum the open strings - chances | | | | A -||--|--|4X|--|--|-- |
| are it sounds 'rock like' already! | | | | |
| | | | E -||1X|--|--|--|--|-- (lowest-sounding)it's |
| Many music stores sell starter packages which | | | | the same 'L' shape pattern as in Step 3, but |
| include an electric guitar, practice amp and | | | | you've just shifted it further down the |
| case, which can be great value when starting | | | | fretboard. This is now an F power chord. |
| out. | | | | |
| | | | And now for another chord: |
| Step 2 - Tune It! | | | | |
| | | | E -||--|--|--|--|--|-- (highest-sounding) |
| An out of tune instrument can make even the | | | | |
| best guitarist sound awful. Get into the | | | | B -||--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| habit of always tuning the guitar before you | | | | |
| start playing or practicing. There are many | | | | G -||--|--|--|--|5X|-- |
| different ways of tuning the guitar, but the | | | | |
| most common one is called 'Standard Tuning', | | | | D -||--|--|--|--|4X|-- |
| and this is the one used by most rock | | | | |
| guitarists. | | | | A -||--|--|1X|--|--|-- |
| | | | |
| On this diagram of the guitar neck: | | | | E -||--|--|--|--|--|-- (lowest-sounding) |
| | | | |
| E -||--|--|--|--|--|-- (highest-sounding) | | | | In this one, we've taken the original power |
| | | | chord from Step 3, and just shifted it across |
| B -||--|--|--|--|-X|-- | | | | to start on the next string. This is now a C |
| | | | power chord. When strumming this one, try not |
| G -||--|--|--|-X|--|-- | | | | to sound the bottom E string. |
| | | | |
| D -||--|--|--|--|-X|-- | | | | In all cases here, the pattern stays exactly |
| | | | the same, we've just changed which fret the |
| A -||--|--|--|--|-X|-- | | | | 1st finger starts at, and on which string (E |
| | | | or A). Since the frets on the guitar aren't |
| E -||--|--|--|--|-X|-- (lowest-sounding) | | | | evenly spaced, you'll have to adjust your |
| | | | fingers slightly when moving it up or down. |
| The lowest-sounding strings are shown at the | | | | |
| bottom, and the highest-sounding at the top. | | | | This diagram shows where you have to start |
| The diagram shows the names of the notes for | | | | with your 1st finger to play different power |
| each string in Standard Tuning. Don't worry | | | | chords: |
| if you don't know the names of the notes, or | | | | |
| can't read music. The most important thing to | | | | E -||--|--|--|--|--|--|-- (highest-sounding) |
| begin with, is just to tune the guitar | | | | |
| strings relative to each other. Let's say | | | | B -||--|--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| we'll tune relative to the highest E string | | | | |
| (top one in the diagram). | | | | G -||--|--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| | | | |
| Play the B string on the 5th fret (X in the | | | | D -||--|--|--|--|--|--|-- |
| diagram) and at the same time play the open E | | | | |
| string. In Standard tuning, these should be | | | | A -||Bb|-B|-C|C#|-D|Eb|-E |
| the same note, so if they don't sound the | | | | |
| same, adjust the B string tuning until they | | | | E -||-F|F#|-G|G#|-A|Bb|-B |
| match. Then carry on with the other pairs of | | | | (lowest-sounding)so, for example, if you |
| strings. In each case you play the 5th fret | | | | wanted to play a D chord rather than a C as |
| on the lower string, against the sound of the | | | | we did above, then just start with your 1st |
| open upper string. The only exception is the | | | | finger on the A string at the 5th fret. |
| G string, where you play the 4th fret note - | | | | |
| see the X's in the diagram. | | | | With this chart, and the chords to your |
| | | | favorite rock song, you can use the one |
| Step 3 - The Power Chord | | | | pattern to play it all the way through! |
| | | | |
| Okay, now the guitar is in tune (at least | | | | Step 5 - Practice! |
| with itself), so you can start learning some | | | | |
| rock chords. Most people start off by | | | | It will still take some practice so that you |
| learning the open shape chords (C, D, G | | | | can form the pattern shown above, and move it |
| chords, etc), then move on to barre and other | | | | around easily between frets. However, for |
| more complicated chord patterns. This is a | | | | now, there's only one pattern to learn, and |
| perfectly acceptable way to learn, but to | | | | you can concentrate on making the notes sound |
| play most songs, you usually need at least 3 | | | | clearly by holding them down firmly behind |
| different chords, and the most frustrating | | | | the frets with your left hand on the |
| thing is trying to switch your fingers from | | | | fretboard, and trying to strum only the |
| one chord shape to another. With some | | | | strings you're holding down. |
| practice, this becomes quick and easy, but | | | | |
| there is another way to approach it, which | | | | Once you've got the hang of this shape, and |
| only involves learning one pattern. | | | | can play it easily at different frets, then |
| | | | you should be able to play a few different |
| That pattern is the 'Power Chord' pattern, | | | | rock songs. From there, the sky is the limit, |
| and this can be used to play a large | | | | there are many more techniques and things to |
| proportion of rock songs out there. Let's | | | | learn as you progress with your guitar |
| look at the G power chord pattern: | | | | playing. |
| | | | |
| E -||--|--|--|--|--|-- (highest-sounding) | | | | I know that this technique works well, as |
| | | | recently my 11-year old son came to me, and |
| B -||--|--|--|--|--|-- | | | | wanted to learn to play a song on the guitar |
| | | | called 'Teenage Kicks'. He hadn't really |
| G -||--|--|--|--|--|-- | | | | played guitar at all until then. I showed him |
| | | | the power chord shapes here, and within half |
| D -||--|--|--|--|5X|-- | | | | an hour, he was playing the basics of this |
| | | | song, much to his delight! |