Guitar

101
prepared By
HBA Saum
 LeCtuRE 2
INDEX
Contents
1. Tones & Semitones

2. Scale (Major)

3. How to Read Tablature (Tab)

4. Alternate Picking

5. Alternate Picking Excercises

6. Playing Your First Scale (C Major)

7. Exercise

8. Quiz
1. Tones & Semitones
Semitone:
The smallest distance between two notes is a Semitone. It’s also called ‘’Half Step”.
Example: Distance between C and C# is Semitone.

The easiest way to identify a semitone is to look for notes between the two notes. If there isn’t
any note in between them, the distance is semitone.

Tone:
2 Semitones = 1 Tone
If there is a note in between two notes, the distance of those notes is Tone. It’s also called the
“Whole Step”.

TONE

C C# D

Semitone Semitone

2. Scale (major):
A scale is a group of notes arranged in ascending and descending order. In this lesson, we will
learn about the Major Scale.

All major scales follow same pattern of tones/whole step and semitones/half step.
The pattern is,

W = Whole Step H = Half Step

W W H W W W H

Let’s build C major scale using this pattern.

 have

yourself.

The major scale is one of the most used scales and the fundamental building blocks of western
music. So, it’s necessary to learn about it.

Let’s play C major Scale:

Follow the Tab

3. Reading tablature (Tab):

Tablature is a way to represent a musical performance. But it shows strings and fret numbers
rather than notes. It is pretty easy to read tabs.

Thinnest String
Fret Number

Thickest Fret

These are the basics to start with. It is obvious that you have noticed more than just three
things. We will learn them gradually.

Note: Fret Number = 0 means “open fret”. In this situation, you will play the string without
fretting.

We will use Tabs to demonstrate upcoming lessons. So, it is essential to understand tabs
properly.
4. Alternate Picking:
So far, we have only picked strings by down-stroking. But if we combine down-strokes and
up-strokes for picking, it’s called alternate picking. We alternate the down and the up
strokes when picking.

Positions of hands and techniques will be the same as picking a note explained in class 01.

Try to remember these symbols. We will use these quite often.

Down Storke - Up-Stroke -

5. Alternate Picking Excericises:

pattern for all strings.

Exercise : 01

Exercise : 02

Now, play this exercise backward. Also, change the fret-positions

6. Playing your first scale (C Major):
We have already learned how to construct a major scale. Now, follow the tab to play C major
Scale.

Try to follow the picking pattern and fretting hand number.

7. exercise:
Exercise 2.1:

Exercise 2.2:
6. Quiz:
1. Write down the name of the 2nd string.

2. What comes after the note E?

3. What is the note of the 3rd string if the guitar tuning is half-step down?

4. What is this (“Gb”) note called?

Guitar
6. What is used to bring the left foot higher than the right one in classical

sitting position?

101
8 .What comes before the note D?

9. Half-step down tuning’s Intervals between strings are not same as standard

tuning. True/False

10. E and B do not have ‘Sharp’ notes. True/False