Guitar Basics for Beginners

You will be learning the art of acoustic style guitar. Thanks for coming!

Hello. Guitar is a great art and can help you express how you feel or get you chicks. Just kidding. We are in it for the music and art of it. In this Instructable, I will teach you everything you need to know to get you to start playing at bonfires, and camps, and having fun with your family and friends! Let's go!

When you become interested in guitar, you have to find the right instrument for you. It is best too find a cheap instrument to start with, because if later on you decide that it's not right for you, you won't have to regret spending a great deal of money. To begin with, the acoustic guitar is best because it helps build calluses so your fingers won't hurt over time. Great places to look for cheap acoustic guitars are Craigslist and the Swap Meet. This is where you will have your most luck. If you are unsure of an instrument you are getting, have a professional check it out. If it needs repairs, it is not worth getting. Many good beginner acoustic guitar brands include: First Act, Squier, Epiphone, Starcaster, and Yamaha. Anything will work, this is only my suggestions.

This is basically the cost of the essentials you need to use with your guitar:
Picks: These are very important for picking notes and strumming along with songs. You might want to get alot because they get lost quick.
Cost: $.25-1.50 each.

Capo: This is for raising the tuning of a guitar. This is helpful because it is hard for a guitar to get to the key of pop songs on its own.
Cost: $10

Acoustic Guitar Strap: This helps you to get balance while you play. It also builds confidence when starting to play.
Cost: $13-50

Tuner: This is to keep your guitar sounding right. It might sound off eventually so you will need to tune it. Apple products have an app called GarageBand which has a built in tuner, but a real tuner is more accurate.
Cost: Free-$8

Metronome: This helps you play in key as you play along with sounds. It's kind of like playing with a drummer, but not exactly the same concept.
Cost: $12

Guitar Stand:This is where you put your guitar after you finish playing. Also works as a display.
Cost: $15

Music Stand: You put your music books on here. Simple as that.
Cost: $10

The first thing we will discuss about the guitar is the strings. There are six strings on the guitar. The first string is the thinest, which is also on the bottom. The second string is the one that comets right on top of it. That is how it works. Each string has a name because the sound it makes represents the notes. The sixth string is the E String. The fifth string is the A String. The fourth string is the D String. The the third string is the G string. The second string is the B String. The first string is also the E String. The next thing we will discuss is the headstock. The headstock is at the top of the guitar. It is where the tuning machines are located. The neck is right below the headstock. This is where you will be p,align on the guitar. As you notice the neck, there are metal wires covering the neck. These are called frets. In between frets are little spaces, which make up the fret board. You will be putting pressure in these spaces. The next part is the body. The body of the guitar is right below the neck. It is wide and is where you place against your own stomach and chest. There is a hole in the middle of the body. This hole resonates the sound from the strings and sort of works as an amplifier. The strings end somewhere on the body. This is called a bridge. It holds the strings in place.

Chords are what make a song up. With chords, you can play along with popular songs, or some popular alternative and rock. The first chords you need to learn are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. You will see the diagrams in the photos on how to play these chords. To strum this chord, you need to grab your pick with your Thumb and Index Finger, and make a downward stroke with the pint of the pick facing the strings. Learn all these chords because these are the main chords you need to know. Also, memories the names of these chords so you will not have to repeatedly look at chord diagrams and music.

Minor chords, are just regular chords, like the ones you just learned. The name of these chords are A Minor, B minor, C Minor, D Minor, E Minor, F Minor, And G Minor. The chord diagrams are above. Some chords might be difficult because you have to cover your whole finger over a fret. These are called Barre Chords. Over much practice, it will be easy to play these chords.

At this point, you will be able to play many songs. I have a few song suggestions you can start with. These are a few I started with when I began learning.

Maroon 5- Love Somebody
Bob Marley- Three Little Birds
Credence Clearwater Revival: Bad Moon Rising
Jimmy Buffet: Margaritaville
Van Morisson: Brown Eyed Girl
U2: With or Without You
Stay With Me: Sam Smith
Take Me to Church: Hozier
Oasis: Wonderwall (Uses Capo)
Eagles: Hotel California

You have learned the basic fundamentals of guitar. Now that you have learned your guitar basics, you will be able to play full songs with chords. There are many different techniques you can learn. If I get alot of requests, I will also teach how to read tablature. Thank you for reading and ROCK ON!!!!