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