Ny Ody An: Learn To Play Guitar

Any Body Can
Learn To Play Guitar

It’s as easy as ABC!
Author:
Kathy_Unruh
©2009 – all rights reserved
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Book at any time, for any purpose, in the future.
1
Any Body Can Learn to Play Guitar… It’s as Easy as ABC!
Introduction
Hi, my name is Kathy Unruh. Thanks for choosing me to be
your guitar teacher! I have been providing guitar lessons to
students of various ages and interests from my home for
over 20 years.
In 2004, with the help of SiteBuildIt!, I was able to create

my own website and expand my teaching to include the
internet. This has given me the opportunity to share my
knowledge and experience with online students just like you!
You’ll find that each beginning guitar lesson in this e-book is written in a short,
easy to follow format; offering a primary objective and a practical application.
The four essential ingredients you need to develop in order to become a good
guitarist are:
• Knowledge
• Coordination
• Experience
• Skill
Try to keep these areas in mind as you’re going through this course.
To access the extra resources throughout this e-book, simply hover over any
blue link and left click with your mouse button.
You may give this e-Book away; however, the contents are protected by
copyright law and may not be changed, or altered without my personal consent.
In the last chapter I also explain how you can use this e-book to generate an
income for yourself, so be sure to read it!
I must confess this is my very first e-book, but hopefully not my last! I created it in
order to provide my online guitar students with a resource they could print out
and study offline; away from their computer.
If you are a brand new student, I suggest you follow each guitar lesson in
sequential order. With a little effort you will begin to develop the coordination
skills that are necessary to play the guitar well.
No matter what you may have been told, the path to becoming a good guitarist
requires a commitment of your time and effort, and continuing education is the
key to your success!
©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

2
GUITAR ANATOMY
GETTING STARTED
It will help for you to become familiar with the anatomy of a guitar before you
begin the lessons. The following is a graphic of an acoustic guitar.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR

3
Here is another graphic showing the parts of an electric guitar.
ELECTRIC GUITAR

4
How the Guitar Strings are Identified

Knowing how the guitar strings are identified is foundational to everything else
you will learn on the guitar. You will find this first lesson to be very easy and
straight-forward, but don't overlook its importance! With that said, let’s begin!
Did you know that you already understand something about playing the guitar?
That’s right! Seven simple letters:
ABCDEFG
These seven letters make up the MUSICAL ALPHABET and with them you will
learn:
How the Strings are Identified
How the Fretboard Works
How to Read Music
How to Play Chords
The basic guitar is equipped with six strings.
They are numbered in order from the highest sounding (first string), down to the
lowest sounding (sixth string).
1 = First (high)
2 = Second
3 = Third
4 = Fourth
5 = Fifth
6 = Sixth (low)
Each one is also identified with a letter from the Musical Alphabet:
1=E
2=B
3=G
4=D
5=A
6=E

5
Here is a simple acrostic which I have my students use to help them memorize
the letters associated with each string. Start from the sixth and move up to the
first.
1--------------------------------------------------Ears-------- (high sound)

2------------------------------------------Big------------------
3----------------------------------Grow-----------------------
4--------------------------Dogs--------------------------------
5------------------And-----------------------------------------
6----------Elephants------------------------------------------ (low sound)
They are referred to as the OPEN tones on the guitar.
________________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To memorize the letters and numbers associated with each string.
PRACTICE:
1. Play the open tones by starting on the sixth string and moving to the first.
2. Say the acrostic out loud as you hear the sound of each tone.
3. Then repeat the process saying just the first letter of each word in the acrostic.
4. After you have memorized the letters associated with each tone in this order,
try saying them in reverse by starting on the first and moving back to the sixth.
________________________________________________________________
Congratulations, you’ve just completed your first guitar lesson and learned how
to identify the guitar strings! Like I said… it's as easy as ABC!
However, if it seems a little weird, don’t worry about it. The fog will disappear
soon!
You may already have some questions, but I have a feeling they will be
answered as we move along.
Keep a notebook handy just in case. That way, you can write your questions
down and get help with them later if you need to.
There are several mp3 downloads that accompany this e-Book, so you may
want to create a special folder on your desktop to keep them in.

6
Introducing the Guitar Fretboard

The guitar fretboard is divided by metal strips called frets as seen below:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 etc…
• The NUT is the white plastic strip found at the base of the headstock.
• The space between the NUT and the metal strip is commonly referred to
as the First Fret. Next is the second fret, then third, etc.
• This pattern continues as you move UP the neck toward the BODY of the
guitar.
• The distance from one fret to the next is a HALF-STEP.
• When you start on an OPEN tone of any string and move UP the neck one
fret at a time you will notice the sound of the string getting higher.
• Likewise, when you move DOWN the neck toward the HEAD of the guitar
the sound gets lower.
• It is important for you to realize that you are moving FORWARD on the
guitar fretboard both numerically and alphabetically as the sound gets
higher.
• When you move BACKWARD in the same manner the sound gets lower.
Let's look at the fifth string (open A) to see how the tones move. The
horizontal line in-between the numbers and letters represents the 5th string:
Fret = numbers
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A
Tones = letters
Down Up

7
As you can also see from the example above, when you move from the open A
to the B on the 2nd fret, you must SKIP ONE FRET (A#). This distance is
referred to as a WHOLE STEP.
If you continue up the 5th string you will notice the distance between each letter
of the Musical Alphabet is a WHOLE STEP EXCEPT:
B|C and E|F
In music these tones, B|C and E|F, are always a HALF-STEP apart. All the other
letters are a WHOLE STEP apart.
In the previous lesson you learned that the letters of the MUSICAL ALPHABET
are:
ABCDEFG
These letters represent NATURAL tones and correspond to the WHITE keys
on a piano.
The frets in-between the natural tones relate to the BLACK keys on the piano
and are known as SHARPS (#) or FLATS (b).
• Whenever a NATURAL tone is raised a half-step it becomes a SHARP

tone.
• Whenever a NATURAL tone is lowered a half-step it becomes a FLAT

tone.
If you begin with the OPEN A on the 5th string for example, and move up the
guitar fretboard to the 1st fret, you have raised the A Natural to A Sharp.
If you begin with B on the 2nd fret and move down to the 1st fret you have
lowered the B Natural to B Flat.
Example:
--0-|--1st--|2nd|
--A-|A#-Bb-|-B--|

8
Now you may be wondering what on earth all this has to do with playing the
guitar.
Naturals, Sharps, and Flats, are a fundamental part of all music.
Knowing how they apply to the guitar fretboard will enhance your understanding
of scales, chord structure, reading standard notation, and playing lead
guitar.
Assuming that you are right handed, the fingers of your left hand will be used to
press the strings down on the guitar fretboard.
Your right hand will be used to strum or pick the strings. The fingers of your left
hand are numbered like this:
1 = first finger
2 = second finger
3 = third finger
4 = fourth finger
When playing notes on the guitar in FIRST POSITION:
• FIRST FINGER - plays the notes on the First Fret

• SECOND FINGER - plays the notes on the Second Fret
• THIRD FINGER – Third Fret
• FOURTH FINGER – Fourth Fret
EXERCISE:
1. Strike the first string with the thumb of your right hand. This is an OPEN E.
2. Now place the first finger of your left hand on the first string on the first fret.
Press down. Strike the string again with the thumb of your right hand.
3. Next, move to the second fret with your second finger and repeat the process.
Continue moving up the first string until you have used all four fingers.
4. After you’ve reached the fourth fret, move to the second string and repeat the
exercise. Practice this on each string.
In musical terms this exercise would be referred to as a CHROMATIC SCALE,

which is just another way of saying HALF-STEPS.

9
Important Note: Most people play the fretboard with their left hand and strum
with their right hand. However, if you are a left-handed guitar player, you will
need to reverse the instructions given above to coincide with your hands.
_____________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To know the difference between half-steps and whole steps on the

guitar fretboard.
• Memorize where half-steps and whole steps occur in the MUSICAL
ALPHABET.
• Use the Coordination Skills exercises to develop left and right hand
finger calluses, muscle memory, and strength.
PRACTICE:
1. Click the blue link and print the Coordination Skills Exercises_Tab file.
2. Play through them everyday as part of your warm up routine.
2. Start slowly. Go forward and backward.
3. Focus on clarity of tone (sound) with an even tempo (speed).
4. Be sure to keep the first knuckle (the one closest to the nail of each finger)
bent. Push directly down on the string, being careful not to bend the string.
5. Your fingernails should be short enough to allow you to push a string down
without interfering with any other string.
________________________________________________________________
Play along with me by downloading the…
• Coordination Skills Exercises_Mp3

These Coordination Skills exercises are great for building finger calluses,
strength, and muscle-memory.
For additional combinations you can try, watch this…
Download This Exercise Video: Finger_Strength
Be sure to download the free tab too!

10
How to Read Guitar Tab

Learning how to read guitar tab is probably one of quickest and easiest ways to
start playing the guitar.
I use tablature to introduce music fundamentals to my students who haven't yet

learned how to read notation. This gives them a starting point and provides a way
for me to communicate and write out their lesson plans.
Here is a simple explanation of how tab works:
If we take the six strings of a guitar and write them down on paper they will look
like this:
E: -------------------- > FIRST STRING

B: -------------------- > SECOND STRING
G: -------------------- > THIRD STRING
D: -------------------- > FOURTH STRING
A: -------------------- > FIFTH STRING
E: -------------------- > SIXTH STRING
Numbers placed on a string indicate which FRET you will play.
0 = OPEN
1 = FIRST FRET
2 = SECOND FRET
3 = THIRD FRET (etc…)
Try playing the following tab exercise:
1. = E:|--------------------------------------------
2. = B:|--------------------------------------------
3. = G:|--------------------------------0---2-----
4. = D:|------------------0---2---3---------------
5. = A:|----0---2---3-----------------------------
6. = E:|--------------------------------------------
A B C D E F G A
Remember, first position covers the first four frets. When you are in first
position you will use your first finger to play the notes on the first fret, second
finger plays second fret, third finger/third fret, and so on.
So, when you are in first position your fingers will correspond with the same fret
number that you are on.
11
If you shift your hand up the neck so that your first finger is playing the notes on
the second fret (second finger/third fret, third finger/fourth fret, etc.) then you are
in second position. Your position on the guitar is always determined by
your first finger.
If you play the exercise correctly you will have an A Minor Scale which is:
ABCDEFGA
(Musical Alphabet)
_______________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
To understand guitar tab so that you can learn how to play songs.
PRACTICE:
1. Play and memorize the A Minor Scale (musical alphabet) shown above.
2. Click the blue link and print the Easy_Songs_Tab file.
3. Download the Easy_Songs_Mp3 file to play along with me.
________________________________________________________________

12
Tuning the Guitar

Tuning the guitar is easy once you understand how the fretboard works. But,
even if you don't have a clue about the fretboard, it's still a very simple process.
The method I'm going to show you today, however, will teach you how to LISTEN
to the tones of your guitar. This is an important area to develop if you wish to
become a better musician.
Let's begin by reviewing some of the guitar basics you’ve already learned.
Remember that the strings are identified like this:
EADGBE
6 5 4 3 2 1
These letters represent the natural open tones (sound) of each string which
move forward alphabetically as you ascend (move up) the neck. Each letter is the
distance of one whole step from the other except B/C and E/F. These two pairs
are always a half-step apart. Let's look at the fifth and sixth strings as examples:
5th string = A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|
6th string = E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|--E-|
Fret = 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Notice that when you arrive on the fifth fret of the sixth string you are on the
letter A. This is the same tone as the open A on the fifth string. When you
compare the sound of both tones on each string, they should sound the same.
Always ask yourself: Do the strings blend? Are they in unison?
It should sound like you're hearing the same tone twice, even though you're
hitting two different strings.
If the tones don't sound the same you will adjust the OPEN STRING by either
raising or lowering the pitch with the tuning key at the head of the guitar until it
matches the fretted string.
It is always safer to LOWER the pitch first so that you don't accidentally break a
string!
With this in mind, let's get started tuning the guitar…

13
TUNING TABLATURE:
1. Press down and strike the A on the sixth string at the fifth fret.
2. Next, strike the open A on the fifth string.
3. Slowly adjust the fifth string until it matches the sound of the fretted A on the
sixth string.
4. Now move to the fifth sting and again press down at the fifth fret. This is D
and should sound the same as the open D on the fourth string. Compare and
adjust as needed.
5. Move to the fourth string, press down G at the fifth fret. Follow the same
procedure and compare with the open G on the third string.
6. When you arrive at the third string you must move to the FOURTH FRET. This
is B (third string, fourth fret). Press down and compare with the open B on the
second string. You're almost done!
7. Move back to the FIFTH FRET on the second string. You are now playing E.
Compare this tone with the open E on the first string.
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To become familiar with tuning the guitar using the method given in this
lesson.
• To develop your ability to hear the correct pitch of each tone.
PRACTICE:
1. Memorize this tuning sequence.

2. Use it to develop your ear.
3. Check your guitar with these audio clips on: Tuning
________________________________________________________________

14
The Importance of Rhythm

Many people are born with an innate sense of rhythm. Perhaps you are one of
them. But, if you’re not, there’s no need to worry. Music can be taught instead of
caught! In fact, you don't need to be able to read music at all in order to play the
guitar.
Music is an intuitive process

which precedes the WRITTEN form
At some point in your life you have probably experienced tapping your foot to a
song you were listening to. Without realizing it, you were feeling the rhythm and
subconsciously counting the beats!
You want to DEVELOP the ability to FEEL rhythm intuitively
As you are doing this you will also find that it’s very beneficial to have a basic
understanding of the various note values associated with music.
Each of the following note symbols has a name related to the number of beats it
receives.
Note Values:
Whole Note - receives 4 beats.
Half Note - receives 2 beats.
Quarter Note - receives 1 beat.
Eighth Note - receives 1/2 a beat.
©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved 15 www.abclearnguitar.com

Notes and rests are common symbols used in music. They are placed on five
horizontal lines called a staff. Two vertical bar lines define the space in between
which is known as a measure …
|------measure------|
1 2 3 4
I’m using quarter notes in the example above. Each quarter note is counted
individually, just as if you were counting four coins: 1 2 3 4.
Because we are using four beats to a measure, we can replace the quarter notes
with either two half-notes or one whole note.
Continuing with our analogy of money, a half-note would be similar to a half-

dollar and a whole note would be similar to a one dollar bill. In other words…
Money Notes
4 quarters = 4 quarters | 4 quarter notes = 4 beats
2 half-dollars = 4 quarters | 2 half-notes = 4 beats
1 dollar bill = 4 quarters | 1 whole note = 4 beats
It all adds up the same!
The essence of rhythm is being able to count or feel the number of beats within
a given, or measured, length of time.
Being able to feel the beat and keep time is essential to playing songs and riffs
correctly. It’s also extremely important when playing with other musicians. No
one will be that excited about having you in their band if you can't keep a steady
rhythm!
Today, most guitar music is accompanied by tablature. Tablature provides an

easy way for students to learn how to play the guitar.
Unfortunately, tablature often excludes the rhythm (number of beats per

measure). That means you won't have any idea what the timing of the song is
supposed to be. It will be almost impossible to play the music correctly unless
you have heard it, or someone else shows you how it goes.

The best way for learning a song for guitar in written form is to use a combination
of standard notation & tablature. Once you understand how to read tab and
count the beats of each note correctly, you will be able to learn the song or lick
you want to play.
Below is an example of tablature and notation combined. The notes above are
written on the five lines of a staff indicating the rhythm. There are four quarter
notes in each measure, so be sure to count 1 2 3 4 for each measure.
A B C D E F G A A G F E D C B A
Remember:
The six lines of the tablature represent the six strings of the guitar.
The bottom line equals the low sixth string; the top line equals the first string.
The numbers on the lines represent the fret you will play:
1st finger plays first fret

2nd finger, second fret
3rd finger, third fret
4th finger, fourth fret
PLAY THE TABLATURE EXERCISE:
1. Start by playing the open A (5th string). The next note to play is B on the
second fret, then C on the third fret. All three notes are on the same string.
2. Continue up to the open D on the 4th string, playing each fret indicated, and
then go to the 3rd string.
3. Play the open G and then A on the second fret. Now go back down, reversing
the order.

As I already mentioned in the previous lesson…
This is the Musical Alphabet A B C D E F G A, which is also an A minor scale.
Notice as the notes go up on the staff you are also moving forward in the
alphabet as well as higher in sound.
Likewise, as the notes go down the staff you are moving backward in the
alphabet and lower in sound.
From this scale we can make an A Minor Chord. Chords are simply a
combination of 3 or more tones (or notes) played simultaneously. All chords are
built from scales.
Am
Staff >
Chord Grid >
Tab >
The numbers on the chord grid in between the staff and the tablature represent
your fingers. This tells you where to place your fingers for an A minor chord.
Here is a better picture…
The whole notes on the staff above tell you to strum the chord once, and then
count to four while sustaining the sound.
The tablature beneath shows the frets your fingers should be on.
Any letter from the Musical Alphabet with a small m next to it represents a
MINOR CHORD.

Play the A minor scale again.
Count a rhythm of 4 beats per measure.
Strum the A minor chord.
Let the sound continue as you count the 4 beats of a whole note.
Did you hear the relationship between the scale and the chord?
Have someone strum Am using a 4/4 rhythm (or record yourself) while you
play the notes of the A minor scale ascending and descending.
Another chord that is easy to play and also works nicely with Am is…
Em
Notice how the 2nd finger is on the fourth string for each chord.
6 543 21
6 543 21

EXERCISE:
1. Strum Am.
2. While keeping your 2nd finger down on the fourth string, move to Em and
strum the chord.
3. Keep your 2nd finger down on the fourth string and move back to Am. Strum
the chord.
IMPORTANT:
Keeping your 2nd finger down while practicing this rhythm exercise will help you
to remember the chord shapes.
You will also be learning a guitar principle known as "economy of motion". In

other words, less is more! You don't want to slow yourself down with
unnecessary motion.
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To understand chord grids, basic note values and how to count a

common 4 beat rhythm.
• To learn how to play the A minor scale along with the Am and Em chords.
PRACTICE:
1. Play the A minor scale forward and backward everyday using whole notes,
half-notes and quarter notes.
2. Play the chord exercise until you begin to feel comfortable with the fingering.
3. Memorize where each letter of the scale is on the fretboard as you play.
4. Print this Rhythm_Tab for additional exercises you can try.
5. Download the Rhythm_Mp3 exercises.
_______________________________________________________________-----------_

* The slanted line / in Scarborough Fair means you are to repeat the previous chord.
Scarborough_Mp3
SCARBOROUGH FAIR
(easy version)
*Time Sig. = ¾ (three strums each chord)
Am / Em Am
1. Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Am / Em Am /
- Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Am Em Am Em /
Remember me to the one who lives there
Am Em / Am /
She once was a true love of mine
Am / Em Am
2. Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Am / Em Am /
Am Em Am Em /
Without any seams nor needle work
Am Em / Am /
Then she’ll be a true love of mine
Am / Em Am
3. Tell her to find me an acre of land
Am / Em Am /
Am Em Am Em /
Between the salt water and the sea strand
Am Em / Am /
Am / Em Am
4. Tell her to plough it with sickle of leather
Am / Em Am /
Am Em Am Em /
And bind it all in a bunch of heather
Am Em / Am /

Using A Metronome
To some of you, the thought of using a metronome may conjure up old memories
of past piano lessons. If the experience was an unpleasant one you may have
developed some negative ideas as a result. Perhaps I can help dispel any
misconceptions you might have by explaining how a metronome can be used to
benefit your guitar playing.
Now, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a metronome is a
handy tool that musicians use for clicking exact intervals of time within a given
piece of music
As a guitar player, one of your highest priorities should be learning how to count
time correctly. A metronome can work wonders in helping you to develop a more
consistent rhythmic feel. It can be used to practice simple exercises (such as
scales or licks) or help you to master a more complicated piece of guitar music,
whether it be classical, jazz, rock or whatever.
Metronomes come in a wide variety of types and sizes, everything from large
wind-up, pendulum swinging metronomes to small, pocket-size digital ones with
lights that blink on each beat. I have a Korg TM40 Tuner/Metronome that looks
exactly like the one shown below.
KORG TM40
The tempo can be adjusted to suit any relative speed that is suggested for a
particular composition or exercise. If you are new to using a metronome, I
suggest setting the tempo at a slower speed than may be indicated on the piece
of music you're playing. Using a slower tempo will give you time to map out the

fingering on the guitar and get used to recognizing the down beat. Be patient with
yourself.
With consistent practice you will begin to feel comfortable using a metronome,
and it won’t be long before you’ll notice a definite improvement in your playing
too.
After all... it's just a matter of time!
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECIVE:
• To learn how to use a metronome and improve your rhythmic feel
PRACTICE:
1. Try playing an exercise, or song, from this e-Book with a metronome
2. Set the click on the quarter beat (down beat) of the music so that it counts
the correct number of beats per measure
3. Start with a slow tempo (60-65)
4. After you can play smoothly at this tempo, increase the speed slightly
5. Continue on in this manner until you can play at a speed that seems
appropriate for the exercise or song
________________________________________________________________

23
Building Guitar Scales

Guitar scales are important "tools" musicians use to understand chords,
increase speed, develop a good ear, play licks and riffs, transpose keys,
improvise, and play lead guitar.
As you can see, scales are pretty important and they can help you gain a better
understanding of your instrument!
Learning and practicing guitar scales will not only build your confidence, it will
also help you to unravel many of the mysteries often associated with playing the
guitar.
Do you remember the saying "knowledge is power"?
Well, Guitar scales are the key to unleashing some of that power!
There are many different types of guitar scales, but this lesson will focus on the
C Major Scale, which is foundational to an understanding of music in general.
Like the A Minor Scale in the previous lesson, C Major uses NATURAL notes
(tones). The difference being that you will now start on the letter C (instead of A)
and move up alphabetically until you again reach the letter C. But before you
begin, let me explain a few more things about guitar scales and how they work.
There are 8 degrees (or tones) in a Major Scale:
The C Major Scale

CDEFGABC
12345678
The 1st degree and the 8th degree are both given the letter name C.
The 8th degree of a scale is called an OCTAVE, which simply means eight.
The 1st degree is called the ROOT or TONIC and it establishes the Key Note
(name) of the scale.
The distance from one tone to the next is called an INTERVAL.

24
The major scale always follows a consistent pattern of whole steps and half-
steps between the tones.
Here is the pattern of a Major Scale:
C W D W E 1/2 F W G W A W B 1/2 C
You can see this pattern clearly on the guitar when you play the scale up the
neck on one string. Use your first finger to play the C MAJOR SCALE on the
2nd string by following the tablature below.
C D E F G A B C
| | | | | | | |
v v v v v v v v
E|--------------------------------------------
B|--1----3----5--6----8--10--12--13----
G|--------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------------
Notice the series of WHOLE STEPS AND HALF-STEPS as you move up the
neck toward the 13th fret. If you play it correctly you will hear the familiar sound:
Do Re Me Fa So La Ti Do
C D E F G A B C
Remember to use just your first finger as you move along the string up to the
13th fret.
Now play the scale in FIRST POSITION:

25
Remember that "first position" means you will only play notes within the first 4
frets of the guitar. Begin at the ROOT and ascend to the OCTAVE, moving
across the strings. It will be harder to see the whole steps and half-steps, but it’s
still very easy to do.
Try it in reverse. Starting at the Octave, go down the scale until you reach the
Root.
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To understand how to build Major Scales.

• To memorize the tones used in a C Major Scale.
• To memorize the pattern of whole steps and half-steps needed to make
a Major Scale.
PRACTICE:
1. Play the C Major Scale ascending from the fifth string to the first.
2. Play the C Major Scale descending from the first string to the fifth.
3. Use the A Minor and C Major scales to memorize all the natural notes in first
position on your guitar. “Play it and Say it!”
________________________________________________________________

26
Learn Every Major Scale

In this lesson we will focus on learning every major scale in first position on the
guitar. Playing scales will help you firmly establish your "map" of the fretboard
and reinforce your musical foundation and muscle memory.
There are seven scales which use sharps [#] and seven which use flats [b].
The scales move progressively in order of sharps or flats. This simply means that
the first major scale will have zero sharps (or flats) the second will have one
sharp, the third will have two sharps and so on. The C major scale is the only
one which has neither sharps nor flats, therefore it is first.
Before we begin you should know how to recognize some common music
symbols.
The guitar is a treble instrument, meaning it has a relatively high sound

compared to a cello, which is a bass (low) instrument. Therefore, guitar music is
written on a staff using a Treble Clef…
Treble Clef Key Signature Time Signature
The number of sharps or flats which a scale has is written on the staff following
the Treble Clef.
This is referred to as the Key Signature.
Notice how the middle graphic shows the # symbol sitting on the top line of the
staff. This line identifies the tone of F.
This F# symbol identifies the Key of G which has one sharp (#).
Scale: G w A w B ½ C w D w E w F# ½ G
Following the Key Signature is the Time Signature, which resembles a math
fraction…

27
The top number tells you how many beats are in a measure.
The bottom number tells you the type of note (quarter, half, whole, etc.) which
receives the beat.
4/4 = count four quarter beats per measure. 3/4 = Count three quarter beats per
measure.
I’ve put all the major scales in tab format to accommodate those who don’t read
music. To access them, click the blue link in the practice section below.
As you are practicing, be aware of the fret you are on, the name of the note and
the finger you are using.
A good guiding principle to use when practicing any scale is: "Play it & Say it"
Saying the notes out loud as you play the scales will help you associate them
with their position on the fretboard. This will also help you memorize the notes on
the guitar neck.
Something to keep in mind...
When you play a major scale correctly you will ALWAYS hear the familiar sound
of: DO RE ME FA SO LA TI DO
________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To become familiar with playing all 12 major scales in first position

• To increase finger dexterity and speed
• To understand basic music symbols
PRACTICE:
1. Click the blue link to print and play the Major Scales_Tab in first position.
2. Play through all the scales, starting with C major.
3. Memorize the fingering for each one so that you can play them without looking
at the tab.
________________________________________________________________________
Download and play the Major Scales_Mp3 along with me.

The Twelve Keys of Music

Circle of Fifths
|----------------Enharmonic Keys---------------|
• Notice that there are 7 keys that use sharps (#) and 7 keys that use flats (b).
• It would seem that 7 sharp keys + 7 flat keys would = 14 keys.
• And if we were to add the key of C to the mix, the total number of keys
should = 15 total keys.
How do we get 12 keys? Answer… The Enharmonic keys are counted as one key
because they sound exactly the same and are played exactly the same; the only
difference is that they are notated differently. So, if you start at C and count each
key around the Circle of Fifths you will have a total of 12 keys!
Compare the fingering and notes of these two enharmonic keys when played
from the 2nd fret:
Key of B: B C# D# E F# G# A# B
Fingering - 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
http://www.abclearnguitar.com/B-Major-Scale.html
Key of Cb: Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb
-
Fingering 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
http://www.abclearnguitar.com/C-Flat-Major-Scale.html

29
THE KEY SIGNATURES
The key of C has 0 sharps/ 0 flats:
These 7 keys use sharps:
If you begin at C and move to the right around the Circle of Fifths, you’ll notice that
each new key adds a new sharp. Notice how the same thing occurs with the flat
keys if you begin at C and move to the left.
These 7 keys use flats:

30
Primary Guitar Chords

Learning guitar chords may seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you
don't use a systematic approach!
There are many different shapes and positions that can be used to play just one
chord on the guitar. Imagine how much time it would take to try and memorize
them all!
A better approach, in my opinion, would be to gain an understanding of the

various types of guitar chords, how they are made, and which ones are the
most essential to get you playing right away. Your chord vocabulary will improve
as your knowledge of the fretboard increases.
If you build your basic chord foundation well, you can add “color” and “texture”
guitar chords later. Using this approach should help to simplify things for you in
the long run.
There are only three PRIMARY types of Guitar Chords:
1. MAJOR
2. MINOR
3. DOMINANT 7TH
All other guitar chords are a modification of one of these 3 basic types!
I encourage my beginning students to learn these three primary chord types first
because they are used in hundreds of popular songs!
But you should also know…
• Songs and chord progressions are written around a specific KEY.
• The KEY is generally determined by which Scale is used to write the

Melody.
• The MELODY refers to the individual notes that make up a tune. Thus, it
can be either sung or played instrumentally.
So, if "Mary Had A Little Lamb" was written in the Key of C, the notes used to
sing or play the song would come from the C Major Scale.
The Chords used to strum the rhythm and accompany the melody would also be
related to the C Major Scale.

31
Playing a Simple Chord Progression:
When a song is written, various chords from a Key will be played together in a
specific sequence known as a CHORD PROGRESSION.
You should already be familiar with these two MINOR chords:
Am and Em
The C MAJOR chord is made from the C Major scale and looks like this:
An easy way to practice the C Major Chord is to start on Am, and then move to C
and back to Am again. Notice on the chord grids below how the 1st and 2nd
fingers are on the same frets and strings for both chords!
EXERCISE:
1. Strum Am.
2. Stretch your 3rd finger over to the 5th string on the 3rd fret. Do not move your
other fingers!
3. Strum C.
4. Move your 3rd finger back to the 3rd string on the 2nd fret.
5. Strum Am.
If you leave your other fingers down while moving only your third, it will give you
an "anchor" and help you to remember the guitar chords faster.

32
This method is called - ECONOMY OF MOTION and it’s used by guitarists to

develop speed.
Once you feel comfortable moving from Am to C, add the Em chord to the
sequence and try the following chord progression:
Remember to use ECONOMY OF MOTION by leaving your 2nd finger down

when you move from one chord to the next! Notice that…
Minor chords - sound sad or dramatic

Major chords - sound positive or happy
• This is an important point to recognize if you wish to develop your ear.
• Learn how to distinguish between the different types of guitar chords.
The DOMINANT 7TH CHORD has a distinct sound also. It seems to be asking a
question: "Are we there yet?" or "When is this song going to end?"
This “question” is the reason why you often see dominant 7th chords near the
end of a song. They tend to draw the ear back to the Tonic or keynote chord
(usually the first chord of a song) for resolution, bringing the song to an end.
Dominant 7th chords are identified by a letter from the Musical Alphabet and the
number 7.
To sum up, any letter of the Musical Alphabet can be used to make one of
these three primary chord types…
Major Minor Dominant 7th
Notice how the second finger is on the same string (4th) for the A, Am, A7 chords given
above. Strum the chords while you listen to the difference in sound between them.

33
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To become familiar with the different types of primary guitar chords

introduced in this lesson
• To learn how to distinguish the sound of a Major, Minor & Dominant 7th
chord
PRACTICE:
1. Play the chord progressions given in this lesson until you can transition
smoothly from one chord to the next without losing the beat.
2. Keep your second finger down on the string when you change chords.
3. Print and play the easy version of The Beatles song Yellow Submarine found
on the next page.
________________________________________________________________
Download the Yellow_Submarine_Mp3 Strum pattern.
Each chord is given 4 beats. Strumming 2 quarter notes and 1 half-

note will give you four beats per measure.
Count: 1 2 3 (4)
Strum: / / / - -
Make sure to let your third strum sound two beats for the half-note. Count: 3 (4).
The first finger is on the same string for all three guitar chords in the song.
So… leave your first finger down when moving from A to E by sliding to the first
fret.
Play E and E7, then slide back to the 2nd fret to play A. That way you’ll be using
"economy of motion" as you move from chord to chord.

34
YELLOW SUBMARINE
By The Beatles
Count: 1 2 3 4
Strum: / / /
Verse:
A// A//
In the town where I was born
E// E7 / /
Lived a man who sailed to sea
A// A//
And he told us of his life
E// E7 / /
In the land of submarines
A// A//
So we sailed up to the sun
E// E7 / /
Until we found the sea of green
A// A//
And we lived beneath the waves
E// E7 / /
In our yellow submarine
Chorus:
A / /
We all live in a
E / /
Yellow submarine
E7 / /
Yellow submarine
A / /
Yellow submarine
(Repeat chorus)

35
BASIC CHORDS
Major Chords:
Major 7 Chords:
Dominant 7 Chords:
Minor Chords:
Minor 7 Chords:
Suspended Chords:
The Four Basic Barre Chord Shapes:

36
Common Chord Progressions

Chord progressions should be easier to learn now that you have a basic
understanding of how a major scale works…
LETS REVIEW ONCE MORE -
• There are 8 degrees in a scale.
• Each degree moves alphabetically from the Root (1st degree) to the
Octave (8th degree).
• An Octave is a musical term which simply means eight. The Octave has
the same letter name as the Root.
• Every degree of the major scale can be used to create a chord.
• Each guitar chord created from a particular scale has a unique relationship
to the Key.
• The letters associated with each degree of the C Major Scale are:
CDEFGABC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C
The letters of a scale (ex: C D E F G A B C) can be used to represent either notes or

chords.

37
Because of this, the numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 are used to represent each

individual note, or degree of the scale.
A note is a single tone
The Roman Numerals: I II III IV V VI VII VIII are use to represent each chord
related to the scale.
A chord is comprised of 3 or more tones played simultaneously
The chords will correspond with, and have the same letter name as, the degrees
of the major scale with which they are associated.
Chord: I II III IV V VI VII VIII

Letter Name: C D E F G A B C
Degree: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A common chord progression from the C Major Scale is:
Notice that the I chord (C) shown above has the same letter name as the 1st
degree of the C major scale, the IV chord has the same letter name as the 4th
degree and the V chord has the same letter name as the 5th degree.
This is called a I IV V chord progression.
The progression ends by returning again to the I chord.

38
I IV V chord progressions are commonly used for blues, rock, folk, blue-grass,
jazz and other popular genres.
The V chord (G) is commonly played as a dominant 7th in order to create more
tension or pull back toward the I chord (C).
This would slightly alter the chord progression given above to:
In other words, the G7 chord can be used as a substitute for the G Major chord
and vice-versa.
Now, if you are new to the guitar, this chord progression might be a little hard to
play in the Key of C. In that case, we can simply transpose it into another Key!
For example, the next Key in order of sharps is G. The scale degrees are:
G A B C D E F# G
1 2 34 5 6 7 8
So, a I IV V I chord progression for the Key of G is: G C D G
If we convert the V chord to a dominant 7th chord we have:
Notice how each chord gets its name from the specific degree of the scale that it
is derived from.

39
Here are the remaining I IV V7 I chord progressions for the Keys of D, A, and E.
This completes the first five Keys (in order of sharps).
Here is a simple strum pattern you can use to play them...
Down Up D U D U D U
Remember- Two eighth notes equal one quarter note.
Since a quarter note has a value of one beat, an eighth note has a value of
only 1/2 a beat. That means you will have twice as many eighth notes when
counting a 4/4 rhythm.
Therefore, eighth notes are counted: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (shown above notes.)
The Numbers are downbeats (strum down), the &’s are upbeats (strum up).

40
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To become familiar with using I IV V chord progressions in various keys.
PRACTICE:
1. Play the I IV V7 I chords in each key. Start with the Key of A as it is the easiest.
2. Once you feel comfortable with the chords in the Key of A try the same chord
progression in the Key of D.
3. Continue on in this way until you are able to play the I IV V7 I chord
progressions in all five Keys given in this lesson.
* The next lesson shows these chords in a format that is easier to read.
________________________________________________________________
Print and play Wild Thing by the Troggs…
• Wild_Thing_Tab
• Wild_Thing_Mp3
A simplified strum pattern for Wild Thing is shown below…
STRUM: Down Down Up D U
The arrows are pointing in the direction of the first string which is DOWN (but it
is shown as an Up arrow when written.)

41
TRANSPOSING CHORDS
Below is a chart which identifies every primary chord of the twelve major keys.
I I II III IV V VI VII
MAJOR MINOR MINOR MAJOR MAJOR MINOR DIMINISHED
C Dm Em F G Am B dim
G Am Bm C D Em F# dim
D Em F# m G A Bm C# dim
A Bm C# m D E F# m G# dim
E F# m G# m A B C# m D# dim
B C# m D# m E F# G# m A# dim
F# G# m A# m B C# D# m E# dim
C# D# m E# m F# G# A# m B# dim
F Gm Am Bb C Dm E dim
Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm A dim
Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm D dim
Ab Bbm Cm Db Eb Fm G dim
Db Ebm Fm Gb Ab Bbm C dim
Gb Abm Bbm Cb Db Ebm F dim
Cb Dbm Ebm Fb Gb Abm Bb dim
The name of each Key is identified by the first (red) chord at the beginning of
each row.
The Roman Numerals at the top of the chart represent the position of each
chord in its related key.
Underneath the Roman Numerals you will find the type of chord to use in that
column.
• The chords in the first column down are all MAJOR chords
• The chords in the second column down are all MINOR chords
• The chords in the third column down are all MINOR
• The chords in the fourth column down are all MAJOR chords, etc.
NOTE: The chords in fifth column down (V MAJOR) may be played as either a
major or dominant 7th chord (G or G7, etc).

42
Below is an example of how to transpose a I, IV, V chord progression from the

key of C to the key of G...
The I, IV, V chords in the key of C are: C F G.
Transposed to the key of G the I, IV, V chords are: G C D.
________________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To Learn How to Transpose Chords From One Key to Another
PRACTICE:
1. Create a I, VI, IV, V, l chord progression in the Key of C
2. Play the chord progression - beginning and ending on the I chord (C major)
3. Transpose this chord progression into the Key of G by substituting the chords
from the Key of C with the corresponding chords found in the Key of G
4. Play the I, VI, IV, V, l chord progression in the Key of G
5. Continue on in this manner through all twelve keys
________________________________________________________________
Print and play this Chord Progressions_Tab in the Key of C
• Chord Progressions_Mp3
Scroll down to the next page

and print out the chord chart…

43
CHORDS BY KEY
I II III IV V VI VII
Sharp Keys:
Enharmonic Keys:
Cb Dbm Ebm Fb Gb7 Abm Bb dim
Gb Abm Bbm Cb Db7 Ebm F dim
Db Ebm Fm Gb Ab Bbm Cdim

44
Chords By Key Continued
Flat Keys:
This chart shows the seven basic chords that are in each Key.
The name of the Key is the same as the first chord in a specific row.
Playing all the chords in a row from left to right produces a chord scale.
Always begin and end a chord scale with the very first chord in the row.
If you begin at the Key of C and play through to the Key of F, you will have gone around
the Circle of Fifths.
The Roman Numerals at the top of the page identify the position of the chord in the Key.
They are used to identify various chord progressions, such as…
I-V-I
I – IV – V - I
I – VI – IV – V – I
II – V – I – VI – II – V - I
You’ll notice there are several different ways to play a chord. The basic shapes presented
relate primarily to the Root of the chord being in the fifth or sixth strings; with some
exceptions.
The Enharmonic Key of Db/C# shows the full Barre shape for each chord.

45
USING A CAPO
It’s really quick and easy to transpose guitar chords into a new Key with a capo.
These nifty little gadgets allow you to change keys WITHOUT changing the chord
shapes themselves.
Capos are especially handy if you've learned a right hand fingering for a guitar
piece and need to change the key. Normally, you would have to rewrite all the
fingering. But just add a capo and presto- you're in a new key WITHOUT
changing any of the fingering.
Capos are really easy to use, but you should be able to identify the Key Note
(Root) in order to know which chord you’re actually playing.
For example, when you play the C major chord, the Key Note is C. It is located
on the second string at the first fret. It is also located on the fifth string at the third
fret.
Key Note
Your first finger is on this note [C] when you play the C major chord.
If you put a capo on at the first fret and play the same chord shape, you will
then have a C# major chord. If you move the capo up to the second fret and
play the same chord shape again, you will have a D major chord, and so on.
Let’s try the same experiment once more using the D major chord shape …

46
Which finger is playing the Key Note D in this chord shape?
Did you pick your third finger? Congratulations- You got it right!
What note is your third finger on when you play the D major chord shape with
the capo at the third fret?
If you said F then you are right again!
When you have your capo on at the third fret and play the D major chord shape
you are really playing an F major chord!
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
• To understand how to change keys by using a capo
PRACTICE:
1. Have a friend strum the F major chord shape at the first fret
2. Put your capo on at the third fret and strum the (F major) chord using the
D major chord shape
Even though the chord with the capo on the third fret sounds higher, it is still an F
major chord and blends nicely with the F major chord that your friend is playing at
the first fret.
3. Put a capo on at the second fret and play a song with the chord shapes
you already know
4. Try to identify what the true chords are and what key you are actually
playing in.
________________________________________________________________________
Capos are a great tool to use when two guitarists in a band are both playing the
same chord progression. If one player adds a capo it will create more interest
and color to the song.

47
Blues You Can Use!

Many hundreds of songs have been written using an easy format known as the
12-Bar Blues.
Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Eric Clapton, B.B. King,
Elvis Presley, and The Beatles, are only a few of the famous names
that have used this structure to create hit songs. So, it's not
something to be taken lightly!
If you have any desire at all to play rock n' roll, or lead guitar, then
you definitely should gain an appreciation for, and an understanding of, the 12-
bar blues.
But what does that mean exactly? It's really quite simple...
The term "12-Bar" is referring to the number of measures in a particular song or

chord sequence.
| Measure |
In music, a measure (or bar) is the space between two vertical (bar) lines on a
staff. Note values (beats) are measured to create a specific rhythm which is then
indicated by a Time Signature such as 4/4 or 3/4, etc.
The 12-bar Blues is a chord progression comprised of 12 measures.
The cool thing is that this 12 bar chord sequence (I, IV, V) is virtually always the
same, with only a few minor variations occasionally.
It also has a familiar sound which helps make it easy to learn. The simple
structure provides a great format for practicing chords, licks, and riffs too; not to
mention bass and lead guitar runs.
TIPS for playing the 12 Bar Blues chord progression are given in the
practice section of this lesson
• Each measure equals 1 bar.

• Play through the entire 12 bar progression.
• Return to the beginning and play the chord progression again.

48
• After the 12th measure strum the E chord and count to four to end.
Remember:
The arrows indicate the strum pattern and are pointing in the direction that your
right hand will move across the strings.
DOWN= UP=
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
To become familiar with a basic 12-bar blues chord progression.
PRACTICE:
1. Click the blue link to print and play the Basic 12 Bar Blues_Tab.
2. Play in the Key of E until you can keep a steady rhythm all the way through.
3. Concentrate on chord transitions and trying not to miss a beat.
4. Use this same blues format to play in different keys using the chords below:
I IV V
A D E7
D G A7
G C D7
C F G7
3. Use the Root of the chord (name of chord) as your bass note.
For example: On the chord E, play the open E (6TH string) as your bass note
before strumming the chord. On the chord A, play the open A (5TH string) as your
bass note. Do this with each chord in the progression.
________________________________________________________________
Listen to me playing this exercise by downloading the…
• Basic 12 Bar Blues_Mp3
Print and play this Descending Bluesy Turnaround exercise too:
• Turnaround_Tab
• Turnaround_Mp3

49
Easy Blues
In this guitar lesson you will learn how to play a simple blues bass line in the key
of E.
It's important to use first position fingering at this stage, since it will help to
reinforce your awareness of the fretboard. You will find this bass run to be a
great exercise too, since all your fingers will be involved.
Try to keep your arm relaxed and relatively straight from your elbow through to
your wrist. This may be a little difficult when trying to reach for the lower strings,
but do not hyper-extend your wrist as this will create undue stress.
When the wrist is stressed over a prolonged period of

time it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a
very common injury of musicians and can be quite
disabling.
So, be careful when practicing this guitar lesson, not to

overdue it. If your hand begins to feel tired, take a break!
You need to give yourself time to develop strength and
coordination skills when you are new to playing the
guitar.
This bass line is intended to compliment the basic 12-bar blues rhythm of the
previous lesson.
If you can, record the rhythm part and then practice playing the bass line along
with it.
Or, if you have a friend who plays the guitar, one of you can play the rhythm,
while the other one plays the bass line. Be sure to alternate with each other so
that you can practice both parts.
You will also notice these symbols > > above the notation. They are called
accent marks.
An accent mark simply emphasizes the duration of a beat slightly. In this case
the first down beat of each pair of eighth notes is emphasized.
So, you would strike the notes that fall on the numbered part of the count a little
stronger and the &'s a little lighter.
Example: 1- & 2- & 3- & 4- & (etc.)

50
TIP:
One of the best things you can do to help increase your understanding of the
blues is to listen to some recordings. Eric Clapton's acoustic blues CD
"Unplugged" is one of my favorites. It's just great.
Playing the blues is very dependent on "feel" so why not listen and learn from
the best?
________________________________________________________________
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
Developing finger coordination, strength and "feel" through using a typical

blues bass line for guitar.
PRACTICE:
1. Click the blue link to print and play this Easy_Blues_Tab.
2. Start slowly at first.
3. Concentrate on developing a smooth rhythmic feel.
4. Be sure to get a clean sound from each note.
5. Get together with a guitar friend and practice playing the Blues Bass Line
while they play the 12-bar Blues Rhythm given in the previous lesson.
________________________________________________________________
Download the audio clip and play along with me…
• Easy_Blues_Mp3

51
Any Body Can Learn To Play Guitar It’s as Easy as ABC!
Guitar Practice
Here are some resources that will help you develop an effective practice routine.
Setting Goals
Short Term Goals:
• Learn new song

• Learn a new lick
• Learn a new chord
• Learn a new chord progression
• Learn a new scale
• Learn how to fingerpick
• Memorize the open tones (name) of your guitar strings
• Memorize the tuning pattern
• Memorize the notes on the first 3 frets of your guitar
• Memorize the Minor Pentatonic Scale, finger pattern 1
• Memorize the Major Pentatonic Scale, finger pattern 1
• Memorize the C Major Scale, open finger pattern
• Memorize the C Major Scale in second position, finger pattern 1
• Memorize the C Minor Scale in second position, finger pattern 1
Long Term Goals:
• Learn how to play a particular guitar style well (Jazz, Rock, Classical, etc.)
• Learn how to read music for guitar
• Learn all the primary chords of each key around the Circle of Fifths
• Learn and understand chord theory
• Memorize every note on every fret of the guitar
• Memorize every first position (open) Major scale for each Key
• Memorize every first position Minor scale for each Key
• Memorize every movable Major scale pattern
• Memorize every movable Minor scale pattern
• Learn the different guitar modes
• Learn alternative finger patterns for a Major scale
• Learn alternative finger patterns for a Minor scale
• Learn how to play in Alternate Tunings
• Develop a repertoire of songs and perform in public

Guitar Practice Schedule

Use this schedule to generate some ideas of your own. Feel free to modify it as needed.
MONDAY
Focus: Reading Music/Tab
Use standard notation &/or tab to learn a song, or play a single line melody.
Goal: To improve sight reading skills, learn new songs and guitar techniques.
TUESDAY
Focus: Chords
Practice strumming various chords progressions and songs in different key Learn
a new chord.
Goal: To change easily & smoothly between chords. The long term goal is to
learn the fundamental chords for all 12 keys.
WEDENSDAY
Focus: Performing
Memorize a song you have learned. Play it in front of someone or record yourself.
Goal: To gain confidence and get feedback in order to improve guitar playing
abilities.
THURSDAY
Focus: Theory & Technique
Study scales &/or chord structure. Incorporate slides, hammers, pull-offs and
other techniques.
Goal: To increase understanding of music, and improve dexterity on the guitar.
FRIDAY
Focus: Fretboard
Memorize &/or review the notes on the fretboard. Start with first position (the
first four frets). When this area is memorized, move to second position, etc.
Goal: To improve fretboard awareness in order to facilitate a broader range of
playing options.
SATURDAY
Focus: Review
Take time to go over any trouble spots. Concentrate on one specific area. Write
down any thoughts or steps needed to improve performance &/or understanding.
Goal: To play the guitar in such a way that it produces music with a clean, clear,
quality sound
SUNDAY
Focus: Free Time
Take time off or experiment. Jam with some friends and have a little fun.
Goal: To enjoy music and become a creative guitarist.

Effective Practice Strategies

Provided By: GuitarTips/Acoustic
Your guitar instructor tells you to practice. Practice. What exactly is practice? Does
this mean to go home and play everything that you covered in your lesson in one
day? Maybe it means to dig out your most impressive song or riff and play it over
and over.
The truth is that many instructors, myself included, take for granted that students
know how to practice - this is simply not the case. I can't tell you how many times I
asked a student if they practiced and they said "yes", only to witness a less than
stellar performance where the student couldn't play past the second measure.
Like most guitarists, you probably have a few things in your tool belt to work on:
scales, arpeggios, chords, picking technique, soloing, exercises, songs, theory, etc.
How do you juggle everything and feel like your moving forward and not stepping
backward?
Plan a Strategy
What do you want to accomplish today? If you can set aside 30 minutes or an hour
and focus on 1 or 2 of these tools you'll be able to focus better than thinking of a
dozen things you need to cram into your practice session.
The operative word here is "Focus". You can "play" for 3 hours and get nothing
accomplished because you're just "playing" guitar and not committing yourself to a
"focused practice" routine.
What happens if you get to a couple notes on that 2nd string that don't sound right?
Play ONLY THE 2ND STRING. This is so important because many, many students will
play the WHOLE passage or exercise again. This wastes A LOT of time because you
already know the rest - it's just the 2nd string that's a concern.
After practicing the 2nd string problem, back up and play a note or two before the
problem area to transition smoothly. Another big problem now is working transitions,
so after working on any problem area - practice transitioning INTO the problem area.
Practicing slow will teach the fingers exactly what they need to do.
Ok, so DAY 1 maybe you work on scales and exercises. Memorization might be on
your list. If the scales are 2 octaves, just focus on the 1st octave and memorize that
part.
Be sure you can play smoothly through the exercises and/or scales you are
practicing even if it's only 1 or 2!
Day 2 - Attempt these scales and exercises with a metronome. Start slow and write
down the tempo you can play comfortably.

This tempo marking will only be temporary because you'll be getting more
comfortable with the fingering. You may also want to start creating melodies with
these scales today.
Mixing them up and making music is the best way to understand these scales. This is
also a good time to work in your arpeggios if you have them.
Day 3 - Review scales and exercises and get into your reading. The only way to be a
better reader is to practice reading.
Read anything you can get your hands on. If you're still working out the 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd string notes in open position - read them and write your own ideas that use
these strings. Writing your own ideas and playing them is a GREAT way to relate to
the notes quicker.
Day 4 - Review what you've been doing this week, maybe spend 15-20 minutes on
review and jump into a song you're working on. If there is an area in the song that
you have problems with, begin there. You don't have to start at the beginning. Start
at the end and work backwards if you want.
Day 5 - You know you have chords to work on. First, review everything to this point.
It doesn't have to be laborious like previous days, just run through your tools so you
don't forget them. Start with some easier chords and work your way to the difficult
chords. When dealing with complicated chord progressions, take your strumming
hand out of the equation and just focus on what your fretting hand is doing.
Observe each finger as it transitions to the next chord. Do this many times until you
see the responsibility of each finger. With this knowledge, you can minimize the
movements of every finger resulting in a smoother transition because the fretting
hand is now moving as a precision tool.
Day 6 - You guessed it, quick review. Cover everything in roughly 20 minutes or so
and work on your theory. You may have written work to complete or apply to the
guitar. Spending time with the written work will give you new perspectives into the
fingerboard, so really take your time here! This is a vast subject, so take your time
and make sure you understand each phase because everything builds from the
basics.
Day 7 - Oh, it's your lesson day! Depending on the time of your lesson you may be
able to practice and you may not. If you do, great! Go over everything thoroughly
and touch on any problem areas a bit longer.
Ok, this is a nice way to organize your practice sessions, but what if you don't have
the time to commit to a 6-day practice schedule?
Any teacher who is worth your time will be flexible. If you have 3 or 4 days to
practice and you can only realistically practice one - three concepts or tools, than
that's what you work on in your lesson. Believe me, you won't be working on
EVERYTHING in a typical 30 or 45 minute lesson.

Usually the teacher selects 1 or 2 tools to work with. You may even have a couple
questions that take up 15 minutes of the lesson, which leads to examples and
discussion if necessary!
Practicing is an art form all to itself. Everyone has their own way of practicing and
what works for one student will not necessarily work for another.
The above schedule is only a suggestion and will hopefully give you a great guide to
tailor for yourself on your musical journey.

10 Easy Ways to Improve
Your Guitar Playing Today

Provided By: GuitarTips
One of the most frustrating aspects of playing guitar is when you reach the point
where you are not improving.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned musician, we all face the same problem and
ask the question, "Why am I not at the level I want to be and how can I get there?"
To add insult to injury, we see our guitar heroes in magazines and on TV everyday
and it seems as if they are constantly inventing new tricks and improving their skills.
When we read about them in Guitar World to try to emulate their skills and learn
their tricks only to leave more confused. Becoming the ultimate guitarist is far harder
than it looks.
So what is the key to success?
While there is no one answer that can solve everyone's problem, there are a number
of concepts and theories that can help you break through the barrier that keeps you
from reaching your full potential.
The one thing that you need to realize is that you don't need to be a genius to
become a great guitarist. The two key things you need to have in your possession
are interest and commitment.
You'll never meet a great guitarist who isn't passionate about music.
They didn't get to the level that they are at by being apathetic and lazy. They took
the initiative to go out and try to learn something new.
The guitarist who dares to challenge himself takes the risk of failing. This is where
many musicians lose their battle with low self-esteem and quit.
It's not that they didn't take the risk, rather, that they failed and couldn't pick
themselves up again. If you realize that failure is a part of growth and that it takes
many jam sessions to get some tricks down, you have just acquired the first skill you
will need to become the ultimate guitarist.
I have compiled a list of concepts that I believe every guitarist should try out. Unlike
other articles you will read, these short and simple steps ask you to do, rather that
simply read. Thoughts and attitude are important but in the end it's what you do that
counts to your audience.
Let's get started with the top ten things you can do to obtain maximum results as a
guitarist.

Top 10 tips for success...
1. Learn something new - Educating yourself is the first step to becoming a

better guitarist. Whether you choose to believe it or not, there's always
something new to learn and master. If you are currently studying music in a
conservatory, at school, or in college, you will find that learning will come
more easier to you. If not, I highly recommend that you get in a program.
While I believe in teaching yourself, I also know from first hand experience
that motivation and encouragement from a teacher is priceless. Once you
conquer the subject that you were learning, push yourself to learn something
that you're not quite comfortable with. Learning within your comfort zone
often results with you running around in circles.
2. Make your time count - Practicing does not make perfect, it makes
permanent. That makes the time you spend playing your guitar all the more
important. Don't waste your time fiddling around on your guitar. Dig in and
learn something that will aid you on your quest for musical success. Set goals
and work towards achieving them. Whether it's technique, tricks, or a new
song, you can become better just by using your time more wisely.
3. Listen to more music - The more music that you are exposed to, the better
guitarist you will become. Listen to the bands that you enjoy most and draw
inspiration from them. Take note of what the musicians are doing in their
songs and make a list of the techniques you want to learn. This can be the
motivating force that gets you to play your guitar more often.
4. Surround yourself with excellence - When you play your guitar with
people who are better guitarists, you not only learn from them but feel
motivated to push yourself to keep up. At first this idea seems obscure. Why
would you expose yourself to that kind of stress? Let's face it, if there's one
thing that will make you get motivated quickly it's the fact that people are
counting on you. Don't play with musicians who are arrogant and rude.
Embarrassment doesn't foster self-esteem and will only get you down. The
people you want to learn from are patient and understanding. Eventually you
will find yourself at their level. It happens faster than you might think.
5. Ask yourself what will you do when you obtain the skills you want - What
do you want to do with what you learn? Perhaps you want to make a CD or
join a band and play at some local venues. Start planning for it now and use
what you currently have. This ties into setting goals but is not to be
underestimated. Knowing how you want to use your talent is important.
Create a vision and use goals to act on it. Whether you want to play for
others, or to the wall in your bedroom, the choice is yours.
6. Teach someone how to play guitar - To teach is to learn. If the only chord
you know how to play is a G chord, show someone that. Why? Because it
reaffirms what you know and solidifies your knowledge. I can tell you from
personal experience that I have learned more through teaching than I ever
learned through being taught. It forces you out of your comfort zone and
when questions are asked, you need to know the answer. I'm a firm believer
that anyone can teach someone something if they want to. Give it a shot and
see the results for yourself.

7. Believe in your ability - Yes, I know how cliché this sounds. However, you
need to hear it. You can do anything you put your mind to and if you choose
to play guitar well, chubby fingers or not, you can! Don't listen to what others
say and be true to yourself. This can be hard seeing as we live in a critical
society that doesn't realize how much words can hurt. Keep at it and surround
yourself with supportive people. More of a life lesson than a guitar lesson, but
as far as I'm concerned music is intertwined with daily living.
8. You are incomparable - In case you haven't picked up the hint yet, you are
the ultimate guitarist. There is no one like you and there will never be anyone
who even comes remotely close to being like you. Integrate who you are into
your music and you will never have a shortage of material. Your music will
soon form into your own tone and style.
9. Learn what worked for others - Whether you research your favorite
guitarist or talk to your guitar teacher, ask others what worked for them. I
don't claim to know all the answers but when everyone puts their heads
together, some really neat ideas start to flow. Networking allows you to give
and receive at the same time.
10. Crush your weakness - We all know where we lack the most in the guitar
realm. For me it's in technique and finger picking, for others it's something
different. Whatever it is, don't ignore it while enjoying your recent victory.
Keep attacking your weak points and you'll soon see improvement. The secret
is that you never stop seeing problems and you continually get better over
time. You'll never be stuck without something to do. Take out a sheet of
paper and write them down. Then find the resources you need to help you
destroy them. It's not unlike a war, but in the end you always win.
Don't Believe The Popular Myths

You may be surprised to hear that a lot of the common advice distributed amongst
guitarists couldn't be farther from the truth. There are myths and tokens of advice
that get passed along and guitarists like yourself use them. Try as hard as you like,
but you'll end up realizing that what meets you at the end of the road is failure.
To avoid that, let's look at some of the most common myths floating around:
All good players can play all styles: While great in theory, it doesn't work out in
practice. Throughout the history of this newsletter, I have consistently pushed trying
various genres of music and becoming a more cultured guitarist. However, no where
will you ever hear me, or any other teacher, say that you should be able to master
all of them.
The fact is that it takes a lifetime to master one style. Some take up two genres that
mix well together, such as blues and rock, but those genres are the exceptions. You
will never hear a neoclassical shred guitarist play country. Many jazz musicians take
decades to perfect their craft and even then they still see areas that need
improvement.

If you want to be a great guitarist, take the genre and style that you're passionate
about and focus on it. Don't get distracted with other music. Your guitar heroes are
heroes because they mastered a genre. Very few will ever play outside of their
specialty and that's just the reality.
You either have "it" or you don't: Let's face it, some understand music more
easily than others. That doesn't mean that you can't be as good as them. Everyone
can play guitar, it just depends on the effort and time you want to put in.
There are dozens of specialties within music and no one knows all of them from the
time they are born. Perfect pitch is developed, as is technique and originality. Look
at where you started from as opposed to where you are now. Would you say that
you are just as original as you were when you first picked up the guitar? I know I'm
not.
While things may come easier to others, remember that we all have our own
struggles within music and that we are in it together.
To sound good, you need the best gear - The best gear is nice, and yes, you do
sound better. However, it's unnecessary for those who aren't interested in
professional music or are just starting out.
Beginners love to see the rack of guitars at their local music store and say, "I want
the $2000 one." That was me for years but the truth is that a guitar of that caliber is
useless to someone who can't play it. Learn on something modest and work your
way up.
Not only will the experience be more rewarding, it's also nicer on the instrument and
your self-confidence. In the end, the guitar is only as good as the person who plays
it.
I have heard crappy guitars sound half-decent when played by someone who knew
what they were doing. The same applies to you. For those who can afford $5000
guitars, my advice is go for it.
For the rest of us, I say save your money and work towards being the ultimate
guitarist. Think about it, if you sound good on a crummy guitar, how much better will
you sound on something that can really produce a good tone?
You need to be the most talented to succeed- All too often, as mentioned
above, we tend to compare ourselves to others. The ultimate guitarist is you meeting
your goals and making progress.
There will always be others who sound better in certain areas but who cares? Be the
person you want to be and music will be far more enjoyable. Success is measured on
a personal level, not n how many CD's you sell.
The famous musicians in today's society often find themselves wishing they weren't
so pressured by record labels. They want to be in your shoes where they have the
choice to do what they want to do. Enjoy yourself and the rest will fall into place.

How to Change Your Guitar Strings

By Kathy Unruh
Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a little uneasy at first, especially if you have
never done it before! But it's really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar
maintenance routine. Before you do anything though, take time to make some personal
observations, such as:
• Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten or loosen the guitar strings?
• How are they aligned from the nut to the bridge?
• Where is the heaviest one?
Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration and make the job much easier in the
long run.
I like to remove all of the guitar strings during this process in order to give my guitar a thorough
cleaning, but you can remove them one at a time if you prefer. Below you will find some helpful
step-by-step instructions to follow. Once you've done it a couple of times your confidence will begin
to grow and you shouldn't need to refer to these steps any longer.
Guitar Care Tools
- Needle-nose Pliers (to cut string ends)

- String Winder
- Soft Cotton Cloth
- Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniture polish, oils, or wax)
-
Removing the Guitar Strings
Acoustic Guitar
1. Using the string winder, begin slowly loosening the guitar string(s) until completely
slack.
2. With the needle-nose pliers, carefully grab the string from the capstan (the part it winds
around) and pull through the hole until it is free.
3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end of it to grab the pin at the bridge.
Gently pull the pin until it comes out of the hole.
4. Clean guitar surface thoroughly.
Classic Guitar
Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three, take your needle-nose pliers and
carefully loosen the figure eight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free.
Electric Guitar
Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic guitar. However, if you have an electric
guitar with a movable bridge you may want to take it to your local music store and have them
show you how to do it safely. If the bridge is moved from its correct position you will not be able to
tune your guitar when you're through.
Re-stringing Your Guitar

Acoustic Strings
1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it inside the hole below the bridge. Some
acoustic guitars do not have pins. When this is the case, just pull it through the hole.
2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert the pin into the hole, making sure it is
secure.
3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan.
4. Pull it through leaving a fair amount of slack between the capstan and the bridge.
5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan to keep it secure.
6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with your left hand.
7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string with your right hand to help keep it taught.
Make sure you are winding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will be winding
counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble strings you will go the opposite direction.
8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up. Do not worry about tuning yet.
9. Cut off all excess length.
Classical Strings
1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just below the bridge.
2. Pull about 3 inches through.
3. Bringing it up over the tie block, pass the string underneath itself at the original point of entry.
4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end around itself in a figure eight type pattern.
5. Insert the other end down through the hole on the capstan.
6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself in order to secure it in place.
7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left hand while maintaining some tension
with the other until all the slack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will wind clockwise on the
bass strings and the treble strings.
8. Always keep the guitar strings as straight as possible as they continue from the capstan
through the nut and down onto the neck.
9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do, cut it off.
Electric Strings
Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic guitar.
*Note – On some electric guitars the strings are fed through the back of the guitar.

Any Body Can Learn To Play Guitar…It’s as Easy as ABC!
Moving On From Here

Congratulations! Upon completing all the beginner guitar lessons in this e-Book
you have laid a solid foundation on which to build for years to come. At this point,
however, you may be wondering where to go from here.
As you probably know, there are many free resources available on the internet
for guitar players these days, but how can you know which is best? Well,
because I am a guitar webmaster I have had the opportunity to review several
programs personally. So, click the blue links below to take advantage of my best
recommendations for you right now…
1. First of all, I suggest that you get my free guitar tips sent to you each
month! Just click the blue link and subscribe to the ABC Learn Guitar
Newsletter.
2. Next, you should get this free eBook titled: “50 Ways To Dramatically
Improve Your Guitar Playing Today” as it provides some great tips that
you can start using right away,
3. Then learn about Power Chords, the CAGED System and more with
these free Guitar Lessons.
4. After that, hone your chops with 4 free Blues guitar lesson Videos.
5. Last, but definitely not least, Learn Your Favorite Songs from YouTube.
It’s easy when you slow the video down with this free Demo Software.
These excellent instructional tools will enable you to keep growing as a musician.
So, I encourage you to take full advantage of them.
In the days ahead, try to utilize every opportunity and resource you can to
increase your knowledge and understanding of the guitar; including- friends,
books, teachers, videos, CDs, DVDs, magazines, and of course, the internet.
Listen to lots of music; especially guitar music. Expose yourself to different styles
and go to some “guitar” concerts whenever you can.
Above all….keep it fun and enjoy the music along the way!
©Kathy Unruh – All rights reserved 63 www.abclearnguitar.com

How To Earn $$ With This e-Book

Reading through this e-Book has given you the unique opportunity to evaluate it
first-hand. If you have found it to be a useful resource for learning guitar, then I
could use your help with promoting it. In return for your help, I will show you how
to use this e-Book to begin earning some money for yourself!
All you will have to do is follow a few simple instructions to get set up. After that,
whenever you share this helpful e-Book with others, you will be able to profit from
it financially.
Today many people (including myself) are making an income from home with
their computers. Why not join us? You don’t even need to have a website! An
internet connection is enough to get started.
Just click the link below and you will be taken to a new page which will explain all
the exciting details.
Yes, I want to know how I can help

promote your e-Book and get paid!
Get instant access to all the details…

Click Here!
And start learning how to earn $$ today!
It is my sincere hope that this e-Book will help you and others learn how to play
the guitar AND earn a nice income in the process!
Looking forward to working with you in the days ahead…
Musically yours,
Kathy Unruh
Abclearnguitar.com


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Any Body Can

Learn To Play Guitar

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Logos, graphics, company names, and product names are

Due to changing conditions on the internet, the author reserves the

In 2004, with the help of SiteBuildIt!, I was able to create

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

Here is another graphic showing the parts of an electric guitar.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

How the Guitar Strings are Identified

How the Strings are Identified

How the Fretboard Works

How to Read Music

How to Play Chords

The basic guitar is equipped with six strings.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

1--------------------------------------------------Ears-------- (high sound)

They are referred to as the OPEN tones on the guitar.

• To memorize the letters and numbers associated with each string.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

Introducing the Guitar Fretboard

• The distance from one fret to the next is a HALF-STEP.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

B|C and E|F

• Whenever a NATURAL tone is raised a half-step it becomes a SHARP

• Whenever a NATURAL tone is lowered a half-step it becomes a FLAT

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

Naturals, Sharps, and Flats, are a fundamental part of all music.

When playing notes on the guitar in FIRST POSITION:

• FIRST FINGER - plays the notes on the First Fret

In musical terms this exercise would be referred to as a CHROMATIC SCALE,

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

• To know the difference between half-steps and whole steps on the

2. Play through them everyday as part of your warm up routine.

2. Start slowly. Go forward and backward.

3. Focus on clarity of tone (sound) with an even tempo (speed).

Play along with me by downloading the…

• Coordination Skills Exercises_Mp3

For additional combinations you can try, watch this…

Download This Exercise Video: Finger_Strength

Be sure to download the free tab too!

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

How to Read Guitar Tab

I use tablature to introduce music fundamentals to my students who haven't yet

Here is a simple explanation of how tab works:

E: -------------------- > FIRST STRING

Numbers placed on a string indicate which FRET you will play.

Try playing the following tab exercise:

2. Click the blue link and print the Easy_Songs_Tab file.

3. Download the Easy_Songs_Mp3 file to play along with me.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

Tuning the Guitar

Remember that the strings are identified like this:

5th string = A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|-E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|

6th string = E-|-F-|---|-G-|---|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|---|--E-|

Always ask yourself: Do the strings blend? Are they in unison?

With this in mind, let's get started tuning the guitar…

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

1. Memorize this tuning sequence.

©Kathy Unruh - All rights reserved www.abclearnguitar.com

The Importance of Rhythm