Many people consider mastering the guitar an overwhelming task that takes many years. This is partly true, but only if you want to master the instrument at a professional level.

Much more often, people want to learn to play the guitar in order to perform their favorite songs in a company or just for fun. In this case, training will not take much effort and time: in two to three months you can easily learn the basic chords and ways of playing.

Don't give up, even if you've already had a bad experience. Talent is only a tenth of success. Determination and regular practice are much more important.

What you will need

1. Guitar.
2. Wish. It is even more important than the instrument itself.
3. Time to study. You can do it easily too, if the desire is strong enough. Moreover, 30 minutes a day will be enough for you.
4. Teaching aids. There are no problems with them at all: you can buy a tutorial in a bookstore, watch video lessons on YouTube, and find chords on the Internet.

As you can see, nothing supernatural.

Choosing and purchasing a guitar

Let's assume that you have the desire and time. All you have to do is get the tools. They say that any guitar is suitable for a beginner, but this is not true. When the strings touch the frets and cut into your fingers, and the guitar does not stay in tune, there can be no talk of any progress.

A bad instrument will almost certainly discourage you from learning.

Therefore, it is better to find a good guitar. At first, you can borrow an instrument from one of your friends, and then, if things work out and you like it, get your own. Not necessarily expensive and branded, the main thing is more or less high quality.

There are two main types of acoustic guitars: classical and dreadnought (western). There is an opinion that classical guitars are more suitable for beginners due to the wide neck and nylon strings. The first feature reduces the chances of accidentally touching an unnecessary string with your fingers, because the distance between the strings is greater than that of a dreadnought. And the nylon strings themselves are softer than metal ones, so they don’t dig into your fingertips as much and cause less calluses.

On the other hand, if performing classical compositions is not part of your plans, it is better to immediately take a dreadnought. This guitar sounds louder and more resonant due to metal strings, and on a narrower neck it is more convenient to play chords. Again, when playing on metal strings, your fingers will become rougher faster and there will be no more calluses.

As a compromise, you can take a dreadnought and replace the metal strings with nylon ones, at least for the duration of training.

When going to the store to buy a guitar, take a friend with you who knows how to play: each instrument has many little details and a beginner may simply not notice them. Choose a guitar not only by appearance, but also by convenience. Pay attention to the possibility of adjusting the neck, the tuning mechanism, and the strings.

Getting to know the guitar

The tool is purchased (or borrowed from friends), and you are one step closer to the goal. Take a close look at the guitar.

The larger part is called the soundboard. A neck is attached to it, ending with a head with pegs: with the help of them the strings are stretched.

The neck is divided into frets by metal sills, against which the strings are pressed to produce sound. The first fret is at the headstock, the last is at the soundboard.

There are only six strings. The countdown starts from the bottom, thinnest one.

Guitar tuning

Before you try to play, your guitar needs to be tuned. Don't be alarmed, even a beginner can do this. And without this skill you will not be able to play.

By tuner

You will need a tuner in the form of a separate device (you can buy it in a music store or on AliExpress) or an application for your smartphone. In both cases, tuning consists of alternately tightening or loosening all the strings in accordance with the tuner's prompts.

By the fifth fret

This method does not require any additional equipment. Its essence is that the strings, clamped on certain frets, sound in unison and can be adjusted relative to each other.

According to the rules, the first string should be tuned to the note E, using a tuner (for example, its online version) or another tuned instrument as a reference. However, this only makes sense when playing in a group, so that all instruments sound in the same key.

If you play alone, or even just learn, then the first string can be adjusted arbitrarily by approximately selecting its tension. All others are configured like this:

1. Press the second string at the fifth fret and loosen or tighten it until it sounds the same as the open first string.
2. Press the third string at the fourth fret and tune it in unison with the open second string.
3. Press the fourth string at the fifth fret and adjust it to the open third string.
4. Press the fifth on the fifth fret and adjust it to the open fourth.
5. The sixth fret is clamped in the same way on the fifth fret and tuned in unison with the open fifth.

It sounds complicated, but in reality everything is simpler than simple. Each string pressed at the fifth fret should sound in unison with the previous, lower string. The only exception is the third string: it must be clamped not on the fifth, but on the fourth fret.

The setup process itself is also extremely simple. For example, to tune the second string, you need to loosen it, and then pull the open first string and gradually rotate the second peg until the sound of both strings merges into one tone. That's all.

Let's try to play

Finally we got to the most interesting part - the game itself. It seems there is nothing complicated here. Know to press the strings with your left hand and hit them with your right: you’ve seen this a million times and probably tried it yourself. Why then doesn't it work? The strings rattle, the fingertips burn, and the joints become tired and stiff.

It's all about experience, which comes with practice.

Take your guitar and sit on the edge of a chair or sofa, crossing your legs or placing your left foot on a low stand, such as a stack of books. This way the instrument will not rest against the chair and slide off your leg.

The right arm should be relaxed and the hand should not be twisted. The left one covers the fingerboard, but the thumb is always parallel to the frets. There is also no need to squeeze the bar as hard as you can, otherwise your hand will quickly get tired.

You already know that fret numbering starts from the headstock, and strings - from the thinnest, bottom. Try playing random notes by pressing the first string with your index finger on different frets. Try to fully press the string so that it sounds clear. It won't be easy, but over time the technique will improve.

Try playing on other strings, as well as using other fingers, letting them get used to it.

Playing melodies on one string

Just making sounds is boring. Therefore, to make it more interesting, you can learn simple melodies on one string and practice on them. Here are some example tunes.

Classic “A grasshopper sat in the grass”:

"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple:

Intro to “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath:

Melody from the movie "Boomer":

"Imperial March" from Star Wars:

Spend some time playing on one string. Bring your actions to automaticity and achieve coordinated work of both hands. Practice until the melodies sound smooth and clear, without stopping or stuttering.

During this time, your fingers will get used to the loads, which means you can move on to more complex things.

Playing chords

The next step you have to climb is playing chords. This is much more difficult than single string melodies, but don't be discouraged. Once you learn the chords, you will be able to play full songs.

The principle here is the same, but you will need to press not one string, but several at once: usually three, less often two or four. There are many chords. However, to perform most songs, only five to seven are enough. First, let's learn the three main, so-called thieves chords: Am, Dm, E.

All chords are designated by Latin letters depending on the main note:

• C - before;
• D - re;
• E - mi;
• F - fa;
• G - salt;
• A - la;
• H - si.

If there is a small letter m next to the chord symbol, this means that the chord is minor. If there is no such prefix - major. Chords are read either by letter designation or by name. For example, “a-um” (Am) or “G major” (G).

Chord patterns are called fingerings. A neck with strings is drawn on them. Frets are signed with Roman numerals. Arabic denotes the strings and - in circles - the fingers that should be used to press the strings (1 - index, 2 - middle, and so on). A zero opposite the string means an open sound (unpressed string), and a cross means that the string should not sound.

Let's return to our thieves chords. Here are their fingerings:

To play an Am chord, you need to press the second string on the first fret with your index finger, the fourth string on the second fret with your middle finger, and the third string on the second fret with your ring finger.

The rest of the chords are taken using the same principle: we look at which frets and which strings need to be pressed.

With these three chords you can already play simple yard or army songs. But it’s better to learn three more chords, with which your repertoire will expand significantly. Here they are:

There should be no difficulties with the first two, but the third is a little different from the previous ones. It uses barre - a technique where the index finger is used to pinch all the strings on one fret. Barre chords are a little more difficult than open chords, but with practice you can get the hang of them.

As always, to make learning more interesting, you can practice on some song right away. For example, on the canonical “Pack of Cigarettes” by the group “Kino” or “Watchmen” by “Boombox”.

You can also find any other songs that you like on the Internet (for example, by searching for “Louboutin chords”). If you come across unfamiliar chords in the selection, you can try to find another one or simply learn something new.

Fight and bust

There are two ways of sound production: busting and fighting. Some songs are played only by fingerpicking or only by strumming, others by both methods. The same chords are used, the only difference is whether you pluck the strings with your fingers or hit them.

There are a huge number of battles, just like battles. And they are, of course, different in different songs. Usually, in the analysis, along with the chords, it is indicated which fingering or strumming should be played.

Let's look at some of the most common ones as an example. You'll learn the rest as you go.

What's next

Now that you have become acquainted with the basics, studied the chords and have gained some experience, the main thing is not to give up on your training. Your fingers will get sore and tangled when changing chords, and the strings won't always sound.

Don't stop under any circumstances and just keep playing. Every day you will do better and better, and in the end you will achieve your goal.

Finally, a few tips that will help you learn to play the guitar on your own and won’t let you despair:

1. Always use multiple sources of information to fill in possible gaps and inaccuracies from one teacher to another.
2. Play every day: Regular exercise will boost your confidence. Remember that talent is only a tenth of success, the rest is practice.
3. Once you've learned a couple of songs and are comfortable performing them, be sure to invite your friends over and play for them. Listeners will help develop and point out shortcomings.

How to choose a guitar?

If you have an old guitar in the corner of your house, gathering dust, that your father or grandfather played, which is already more than 20 years old, then let it continue to stand, we won’t need it! Such guitars have a bad sound, they look terrible, they are difficult to learn to play - all these factors negatively affect our desire to learn to play the guitar. Take such a guitar in your hands and all desire will disappear...

Here I will tell you about 2 types of guitars: acoustic guitar and classical. It is explained more clearly in the video.

Classical guitar:

• Wide neck approximately 52 mm
• Body shape different from acoustic guitar (see video)
• Nylon strings (“Line”)

Acoustic guitar:

• neck 42 mm
• large body
• metal strings

Which guitar is best for learning?

Game on acoustic guitar more ringing, rich - it’s great to sing songs to. This is what we need, we will master various songs with you and we need a bright and loud sound. But there are also disadvantages - an acoustic guitar has a narrow neck, so it will be harder for beginners to hit the strings than on a classical guitar. Hence the conclusion: it is easier to learn on a classical guitar, but the sound is better on an acoustic guitar.

What to do?

There are special guitars - “a classical guitar tailored for an acoustic” or “an acoustic guitar with classical parameters” - with a wide neck.

Is it possible to put metal strings on a classical guitar?

No! Ruin your guitar. On the classical guitar, we have a nylon “line” and its sound is quiet, so the body of the guitar is made thinner so that the sound is louder. If we install metal strings, they pull the metal much stronger than the “fishing line” and the body must accordingly be thicker! That's why You cannot put metal strings on a classical guitar!

Problems can be the following: swelling on the body, curvature of the neck, cracks in the body, neck, the neck may break, etc. Also, the problem may not appear immediately, but after some time. Due to the strong tension of the strings, gradual deformation will occur and as a result, what is written above will happen...

So, let's summarize: above we looked at the pros and cons of acoustic and classical guitars. We found a middle ground in the form of an acoustic guitar with a wide neck.

Name of the guitar in the video:BestWoodMCA-101/1EQ/S.B.

Attention! After recording this video, I went to the music store. instruments and saw a large number of similar guitars. The model in the video is already old, so I recommend that you take something else, fresher. Go to a store and tell them you want an acoustic guitar with a wide neck. But before going to the store, watch the next few lessons, then I will tell you how to choose a guitar in the store and what you need to pay attention to!

When potential students contact me, they usually provide some brief backstory about what brought them to the teacher. All these stories are quite different, however, during my professional career I began to notice common features in them. In this article, I would like to dwell on one of the situations often described by potential students: “I really want to learn how to play the electric guitar, but I have a problem. I have never played an acoustic (classical) guitar, but many people say, and I myself have read various articles that Before learning to play the electric guitar, you need to master the basics of acoustic or classical. But acoustic or classical guitars don’t attract me at all, but the electric guitar is the opposite. How critical is the lack of ability to play the acoustic (classical) guitar in order to start learning the electric guitar?”

The fact is that the classical guitar, acoustic guitar and electric guitar are three completely different musical instruments, differing not only in sound, but also in their functionality. Consequently, they also differ in sound production techniques. To make it clearer, I will give a couple of analogies as examples. If a person wants to learn how to drive a car and comes to a driving school for this purpose, it is unlikely that the teachers there will offer him training in riding a motorcycle or a dump truck. Despite the fact that these types of transport travel on the same roads, they are still fundamentally different from each other. Likewise, people who want to take up boxing probably won't go to a Greco-Roman wrestling coach, since they are obviously two completely different martial arts. And if these statements raise virtually no doubts in anyone’s mind, then with guitars the situation is completely different.

Unfortunately, quite a large number of people really do not understand the difference between a classical, acoustic and electric guitar. Of course, quite a lot of people are aware that the above tools have little overlap. However, among them there are those who are convinced that you cannot start learning to play the electric guitar without learning to play the acoustic or classical guitar. With all responsibility, I can assure you that these beliefs are purely a stereotype and do not represent any informational value. Following these unfounded speculations is a grave mistake that will lead to nothing but wasted money and time. Where does this stereotype come from is the second question. Someone read it on the Internet, someone guessed it themselves, someone was explained this by a teacher who is either incompetent and himself believes in this nonsense, or is simply a scammer trying to keep his student for as long as possible at any cost.

In fact, there is not the slightest connection between an acoustic, classical and electric guitar, except for the number of strings (and even then not always). As mentioned earlier, each of these musical instruments has its own specifics and functionality, which impose on it certain features, expressed in the technique of sound production. That is, if a musician is good at, for example, an acoustic guitar, this does not mean that he will be able to master the electric guitar or classical guitar without preparation.

Differences between guitars in terms of sound production techniques

How does an electric guitar differ from an acoustic and classical one? Let's take, for example, such a parameter as the purity of sound production. An electric guitar, unlike an acoustic or classical one, is essentially a hypersensitive instrument, since in the vast majority of cases it is used when playing with overdrive. It is so sensitive that it requires constant total control over the damping of unnecessary strings. Pronounced dirty playing on an acoustic or classical guitar involves a direct attack of extra strings instead of/together with playing strings. With an electric guitar everything is much more complicated. Even if the pick hits the playing strings perfectly accurately, the extra strings in the absence of jamming will still resonate, which will instantly be heard from the speaker of the combo in the form of a heap of dirt and all sorts of overtones. That is why one of the main problems encountered on the path of beginning electric guitarists is clean sound production. On acoustic and classical guitars, such situations are also possible, but it will not be as obvious to people with undeveloped hearing. In order to learn to hear the resonance of neighboring strings on acoustics and classical instruments and the overlap of dissonant (dissonant) notes caused by collateral vibration of extra strings, you need some experience in playing these musical instruments, which beginners, of course, do not have. Consequently, your hands will work in a completely different mode when playing different types of guitars.

Obviously, you shouldn’t count on playing the electric guitar cleanly while learning only classical or acoustic guitar. This absolutely does not mean that an electric guitar is better than an acoustic or classical one - they are just different. But which one is better (or rather, it would be more accurate), everyone must decide for themselves, relying solely on taste (musical) preferences. There is no other way to answer such a subjective question.

On the versatility of teachers

The example with clean sound production is just one of many parameters, one way or another, interpreted in their own way when playing different types of guitars. And each parameter makes significant adjustments to the technique of playing these instruments. I personally felt the significance of these differences in 2003, when, having studied classical guitar for three years with one of the best teachers in Russia, Leonid Reznik, I was unable to master the electric guitar, having spent a lot of time on futile attempts to independently master this musical instrument. . Subsequently, from 2004 to 2006, I was able to take a full course of training in playing the electric guitar from one of the best and most sought-after teachers in Moscow, Yuri Sergeev.

In life, I always try to be wary of one-size-fits-all solutions. No matter how beautiful modern smartphones are, they will never record sound the way a separate good microphone will, they will never take photographs as well as a decent SLR camera will, they will not sound the way an adequate speaker system will, etc. d. No matter how cynical this may sound, in my opinion, the situation with specialists is similar. The more versatile a specialist is, the worse he performs each of his functions. This applies to both musicians and teachers. However, there may be exceptions to this rule (and I know people who have demonstrated this by personal example), but they are only possible if a number of certain requirements are met.

Of course, one of the necessary requirements is the ability to play a musical instrument with dignity. But, as you know, a good musician is not always a good teacher. In my understanding, the competence of a teacher lies, first of all, in the presence of a program for teaching him to play exactly the musical instrument whose lessons he offers. Let me remind you that under training program In my understanding, this means a whole complex of educational and methodological elements, the implementation of which is aimed at achieving specific results in mastering a particular musical instrument. It is not difficult to guess that since classical, acoustic and electric guitars are so different from each other, then the programs for learning to play these instruments will have little in common.

Quite a long time ago I decided to connect my professional career with the electric guitar. Several years ago I managed to compose and skate my training program, which is the basis of my current teaching activity. Training program development in my understanding, it is painstaking work that requires a certain amount of time, teaching experience, a stable flow of students, collection of statistical data, systematic analysis of the results obtained, on the basis of which the program will be modernized, etc. and so on. In my deep conviction, in order to teach on another musical instrument, without turning into another “universal” specialist in the bad sense of the word, it will be necessary to go all this way from the very beginning.

Conclusion

It is no secret that the work of a general worker is paid much less than the work of a narrow-profile specialist. Coincidence? No, rather an objective pattern. A boxer must teach boxing; an instructor with a category “B” license must drive a car... Absolutely, music and, especially, teaching are no exception here. Therefore, if you want to learn the acoustic guitar, I strongly recommend that you contact an acoustic guitar teacher. If you want to learn classical guitar, look for a teacher who specializes in classical guitar. And if you dream of learning to play the electric guitar, then I am at your service!

Which guitar is best to learn to play?

A typical situation: a novice musician comes to us and is advised to buy a classical guitar. During the conversation, we understand that a person just wants to play an instrument, and not classical music, he wants play rock or pop music. When we try to play such music on a classical guitar, we hear something completely different from what our ears are accustomed to, dissonance and a problem arise. Often because of this, young people lose interest in the guitar and give up their lessons, perhaps without even understanding what’s going on.

The main argument of people who advise starting to practice the classical guitar is a well-known fact - classical guitars have nylon strings, which means they are easier to pinch, and your fingers do not suffer as much from calluses and accompanying pain. We don't agree with this. Almost every day we tune instruments for children who themselves do not understand whether they need classical or acoustic instruments.

What are we doing?

We have two identical Sigma DM-ST guitars. We will leave one with the factory settings, and on the second we will lower the strings a little.

Initially, the guitar has a distance from the neck of 2.7 mm at the 14th fret for the 6th string, and 2.2 mm for the 1st, which is quite high. It will be quite difficult for a beginning musician to play such an instrument. We will lower the strings much lower, for the 6th string it will be 2 mm, for the 1st - 1.5 mm. As the musician's skill increases and the sound becomes more confident and powerful, the strings can be raised.

We change the strings, usually they put 12 strings on acoustics, we put 11.50 Extra Lite Phosphor Bronze, they will sound bright, and at the same time they will not put much strain on the fingers.

All these manipulations are a compromise for a beginner. Until a person figures out what exactly he needs and what kind of music he wants to play, he should pick up a guitar and start playing right away, without thinking about how his fingers or the muscles in his palms hurt. Such tuning will not give the instrument power, but you will hear in the guitar exactly the sound that you are used to hearing.

This adjustment is suitable for those who want to master fingerstyle. We have reduced the distance from the strings to the fretboard, making it very convenient to pinch chords in any position along the entire fretboard.

If you have picked up a guitar at least a couple of times, then when you pick up such an instrument, you will feel that it is very comfortable. You just need to put your fingers on the strings, and the sound will come on its own without any extra effort. This is how we tune guitars for beginners, but if you already have some experience playing the guitar, then most likely this tuning will not be suitable for you. Again, you need to look at your specific playing style; many professionals, especially in fingerstyle, use instruments with a very small distance from the fingerboard to the strings.

Conclusion

If you yourself are starting to play the guitar, or one of your friends is starting to play, and you think that you need to start with the classical guitar, and usually everyone says so, then we have exactly the opposite opinion. If you like rock or pop, you hear this music within yourself, and it is in the acoustic guitar, but not in the classical one.

Come to us if there is such a need - we will rebuild the guitar. It will be very comfortable to play, even perhaps more comfortable than playing a classical guitar.

One day I came up with the idea of ​​learning to play the guitar. I sat down to look for information on this topic on the Internet. Having found a lot of things on the topic, I could not understand what information was important and what was unimportant.

In this article I will tell you what a beginning guitarist needs to know: how to choose a guitar, what strings are best to start playing on, how to tune a guitar, what chords are and how they are placed, etc.

What types of guitars are there?

There are many different types of guitar. The two main types today are the electric guitar and the acoustic guitar. Guitars also differ in the number of strings. This article will focus only on six-string acoustic guitars. Although some of the tips are also suitable for electric guitars with the same set of strings.

Which guitar should I buy?

When buying a guitar, you should understand one simple truth: guitars have almost no objective parameters. The only objective parameters of a guitar include, perhaps, the wood from which the body of the instrument is made, and the material from which the strings are made.

Guitars are made from almost every type of wood or rolled wood that exists. I don’t recommend buying guitars made from plywood, as they can fall apart in a couple of months, and they don’t sound very good.

Strings are divided into two types: nylon and metal. I recommend taking a guitar with nylon strings, as they are easier to hold on the fretboard when playing chords.

One more thing. If you're left-handed, you might be better off with a left-handed guitar (the neck faces the other way). Everything else is purely subjective. It’s best to just come to a music store, pick up a guitar and play; if you like the way it sounds, buy it without hesitation.

How to tune your guitar?

Let's talk about the second way in a little more detail now. Let's start with the fact that when you play the first chords, the fingers of your left hand will ache a little, and also, if you do everything correctly, then your forearm, and even your back a little. This is fine! You just get used to new movements. The discomfort will go away in a couple of days; help yourself with a simple physical warm-up that will free up all your muscles.

Regarding the positioning of hands and holding the guitar in general, the following can be said. The guitar should be placed on the right leg (not very close to the knee), and the neck of the guitar should be grasped with the left hand (the neck is the left part of the guitar, at the end of which there is a tuning machine). The left thumb should only be behind the fingerboard and nowhere else. We place our right hand on the strings.

Chords, and in bulk on the Internet. Chord patterns are called fingerings (these fingerings indicate where to place which finger). One chord can be played in several different fingerings. So, you can start playing and learn how to play yours, you can also read the material about to see how you can play the guitar without knowing the notes.

It's enough for today! You already have enough tasks before you: find a guitar, tune it and sit down with the first chords, or maybe purchase a training course. Thanks for your attention and good luck!

See what you'll learn! This is cool!