Free Articles

How To Find The Right Guitar For You
A couple of things to think about before you buy your first guitar. Preferred brands of beginners guitars, how much to spend, new or used, and more.

Make Your Guitar Easier To Play
Adjusting your guitar's action, what kinds of strings you can use with what guitars, what to tell your guitar tech. Understanding a few basics save time, money and frustration.

Parts Of The Guitar
Photos of some of the parts you'll need to know to make minor adjustments to your guitar, especially the intonation and height adjustments on the bridge. You can adjust the height yourself. Intonation is usually a job for a guitar tech.

Electric Or Acoustic
The most basic decision you have to make when you buy a guitar. Reasons for buying one or the other. Most people are happier with an electric, unless you specifically like acoustic music. Cost relative to quality is about the same.

Expensive vs Cheap Guitars
The good news is you can get more guitar for less money than ever before. The differences in price reflect differences in workmanship and materials.

Notation and the Guitar:

Reading Notation for Guitar
Is reading for you? Not everyone needs to read. Short explanation of tablature and staff notation, advantages of each. A few pointers for learning to read.

Tablature and Staff Notation
A comparison between staff and tablature notation. The advantages of tablature for the guitarist. Lessons on this site are notated in tablature only.

Reading Tablature
A short explanation of how to read tablature, complete with video demonstrations.

How To Read Chord And Scale Diagrams
The diagrams used on this site are different from some other publishers. Our diagram orientation is photographic - like a photo or someone facing you. It's the reverse of tablature orientation. All explained here.

Tuning Your Guitar:

Using Your Electronic Guitar Tuner
A few tips on getting the best from your $15.00 guitar tuner. Don't throw it out yet!

The Well-Tempered Guitar
An explanation of 'tempered' versus 'just' tuning. Understanding the built-in flaws of tempered tuning, and how it effects the guitar.

How To Hold The Guitar

Scales and Chords:

Note Names on the Neck
Diagram showing the natural note names up to the 19th fret.

Major Scales in A
The 8 'traditional' scale shapes in a large, print-friendly format. The examples shown are in 'A,' but the shapes can be moved to different areas on the neck, and apply to all scales.

Pentatonic Scales in A
The 5 'traditional' pentatonic scale shapes in a large, print-friendly format. The examples shown are in 'A,' but the shapes can be moved up or down the neck, and apply to all scales.

Open Chords
Large diagrams show how to play the 14 most common open chords. Practice the positions for a few weeks first, don't worry about the sound at first.

Notes and Scales
A short explanation of notes, and how they relate to scales, scale shapes, letter names and the 'number system.'

Guitar Technique:

List of Guitar Techniques
Breakdown of attack, sustain and muting techniques for the left and right hand.

How To Bend Strings
A few pointers on this important sustaining technique.

How To Mute Strings
Muting is the other side of playing. An explanation of muting techniques for each hand.

Counting and Playing In Time:

How To Count Rhythms
An explanation of 4/4 and 6/8 drum beats in pop music styles, and how to count them.

Reading Music By Ear
Telling which instrument is which, finding and counting the basic pulse, and which instrument does what in the overall arrangement.

 

Click on the link above to visit the HoustonGuitar Jam Room. These are videos showing a mixture of rhythm and lead guitar grooves, with full band background - drums, bass guitar, and keyboards. Many Jam Room videos are available for viewing, and jamming, for free. These videos give you examples of cool things to play in a variety of musical situations. Check back often because content is rotated regularly.