By francois arcoix

If you want to play as many of your favorite songs as possible, learning the basic chords of which there are 10 or 15 will help. The background of songs are made up of chords which are accompanied by other instruments. Now, you are probably asking what is a chord. The chord is three or more musical notes which are played together.

On a guitar this would mean three strings are strummed if there are three notes in the chord you want to play. On a guitar the number of notes that may be played in a chord is at the most six because this is the number of strings. There are three groups of chords - Minor, Major and Seventh. Of these three each one has its own mood. The minor chords are melancholy. The major chords are steady and the seventh chords are upbeat and less stable.

There is no standard number of chords that everyone can agree on but the general feeling is there are 8 to 18 chords that anyone who is going to play guitar should know. These chords should be the first ones you learn because they are used in basically everything you will be playing. When you learn these chords you can play rock, country or jazz and enjoy learning many songs.

Basic chords - what are they? The basic chord are the major and minor chords of D, E, A plus the major chords of C and G. The chords are played by leaving one or more strings out when pressing the rest down with your fingers. This makes an open chord. The fingers on one hand press the strings while the other hand strums. The chord is played and the fingers are fretting by pushing the strings against the neck of the guitar.

When the beginner starts learning to play guitar open chords are the easiest. The ones considered to be basic chords are G, F, E Minor, E, D Minor, D, C, A Minor and A. The best way to know where your fingers are supposed to go is by using a guitar chords chart. The beginning guitarist often teaches himself to play using this method.

When learning chords, the method used the most is teaching that chords have families. Each family can be mixed to produce chords that are used in a lot of the popular songs played today. When the learning process is looked at in this manner it is much more fun and the beginner can choose one of the families and learn this before moving on to the next one. This method allows you to begin playing much faster and enjoying your own music.

Songs based on three chords are quite popular thus they are plentiful. Trying to learn too many is not going to be conducive to learning to play the guitar. With over thousands chords in some learning systems, you will be confused and more apt to give up the guitar. This is too many for a beginner or someone who knows how to play. The chords you learn when playing guitar as a beginner are the ones you can learn the easiest so that you can play songs in no time.

There is no need to learn all of these chords (which would take a long time) when you can be having a great time playing in just a matter of a few days. When using the basic guitar chords chart you will have the information right in front of you so seeing where your fingers need to go to produce the beautiful music you like is just a few days away.

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By francois arcoix

Once the basic guitar chords are mastered - it only takes 10 to 15 - you will be able to play many of your favorite songs. The chords are what the background of most songs consist of and are what provide the accompaniment for other instruments. What is a chord? This is when three or more musical notes are played together.

On a guitar this would mean three strings are strummed if there are three notes in the chord you want to play. On a guitar the number of notes that may be played in a chord is at the most six because this is the number of strings. There are three groups of chords - Minor, Major and Seventh. Of these three each one has its own mood. The minor chords are melancholy. The major chords are steady and the seventh chords are upbeat and less stable.

Most people cannot agree on a standard number of chords but the feeling is there anyone who wants to learn to play guitar should know from 8 to 18. The ones typically used in all types of music from rock to classical are among these. When learning these chords you increase the number of songs you can play and it is much more enjoyable.

Ok, what are the basic chords? The must learn ones for beginners are the minor and major chords of E,A,D and C and G major chords. The way these chords are played is by at least one string in the chord not being pressed down. This is called an open chord. Frets are what you do when the fingers on your left hand hold the strings down and the right hand strums the chord.

The easiest chords to learn for a beginning player is the open chord. Basic chords consist of Am, A, C, Dm, D, Em, E, F and G. When playing these chords if you use a guitar chords chart you will see exactly where your fingers are supposed to be on the guitar to play the chord. Newbie guitarists often use this method to teach themselves to play.

When you begin to learn the chords the most used method is to learn the chord families. The notes of the family are mixed to produce chords that are the basics of many songs that people are playing today. This makes learning more fun when you think of it in this way and the families are learned much easier than just choosing chords randomly. You will be playing in no time.

There are many songs that are based on three chords. The process of studying and trying every chord you can find is going to do nothing more than confuse you. When learning to play the guitar for the first time mastering the easy chords is the step you need to learn in order to start playing right away. There are some places that have over 1200 chords which is by far too many for the beginning player and probably for many accomplished players.

There is no need to learn all of these chords (which would take a long time) when you can be having a great time playing in just a matter of a few days. When using the basic guitar chords chart you will have the information right in front of you so seeing where your fingers need to go to produce the beautiful music you like is just a few days away.

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How to Buy a Guitar

By Matthew James

It is a difficult task to buy a guitar especially if there are wide options to choose from. Knowing the right features and the style of your choice can give you a definite idea on how to buy a guitar that suits your personality. The different guitar available in the market is a factor for many guitar enthusiasts to be confused in buying the right guitar for them thus, ending with not being able to produce a good decision in buying one. As a beginner, it is frustrating to have different options for a single guitar and not knowing how to find the right one for you.

Make sure you examine the guitar for obvious faults. Used guitars will always have little scratches in their finish. This is not an issue as they can normally be buffed out. Besides it gives the guitar character to have a little wear and tear. But examine the body and neck of the guitar closely for cracks in the wood. Also look for dents on the bottom of the body, the end of the body and around the headstock. Dents in this area are also an indication the guitar has been dropped. Small dents on the face of the body are not usually an issue.

Now lets take a closer look at the neck. Electric guitars have three types of necks: bolt-ons, glue-ons and straight thrus. Straight-thrus are the most robust as this is where the neck makes up the centre part of the body of the guitar. So the neck actually runs from the base of the body all the way through to the headstock. There are not many guitars with necks like this, Carvin still make them and the Gibson Firebird that was made in the sixties had a straight through neck.

After identifying your type of music and identifying the right guitar for you, it is also important to test the quality of the guitar you wish to purchase. Knowing how to buy a guitar is important for this will determine what kind of music you can produce with the guitar you purchased. One can check every music stores and look into different newspaper and online ads for the brands and the reviews by other users for you to have a comparative basis in choosing what guitar to buy.

Check the harmonics of the guitar by using a guitar tuner. Play an open string and tune it to the tuner. Play the same string, fretted at the 12th fret and ensure the tuner reads exactly the same as it did when you played the string open. If it doesnt than the harmonics are out. Harmonics can be tuned by adjusting the bridge but if they are out then the guitar will sound in tune when you play an open chord but out of tune when you barre a chord further up the neck.

The last step that you need to remember in learning how to buy a guitar is to consider the amount that comes in buying it. You may find a good guitar at a cheaper cost in a different music store. The tendency of a person is to buy the first guitar that he sees in a store after evaluating its features. Remember that a same guitar can be offered in a different store with a lower price. The best thing that you need to do in determining how to buy a guitar is scout for the prices of the guitar you want and negotiate with the sales person.

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By Eugene W

Take a trip with us as we examine at a few key tips for learning how to master the guitar. You'll learn how playing clean with no effects improves accuracy. Learn how to get the most out of practice sessions with backing tracks for guitarists, as well as a few principles to apply to guitar practice.

Everybody who picks up a guitar has the ultimate goal in mind of being able to just pick up their guitar and blaze a solo, leaving impressed friends and family in a state of speechless shock. The problem is that most people don't put in the effort that is necessary in order to master their instrument because they desire instant results. Guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to master, yet anyone can do it if they put in the effort and time and have a true passion for creative musical expression.

There are a few tips that are the key to unlocking success when it comes to mastering the guitar. One of the most basic tips to guitar success is to put in the time that is necessary to practice. As elementary as it may seem, a lot of people fail and give up the guitar because they expected instant results without putting in any work. Practice takes time, effort, passion, and work. There isn't a single great guitar player in the history of music that didn't sacrifice a lot of time to practice their guitar. Some would practice for five to eight hours a day. This doesn't mean that you have to practice that long every day, but you have to give more than five minutes of your time if you want to see any real results.

Another great tip for mastering the guitar is to take it slow at first. This means that playing fast is put to the side for awhile. Take your time perfecting your chords and learning them. Learn all your scales, commit them to your mind, master these fundamentals first, and then you can begin to build on your speed. It's important to remember that playing fast is not as important as playing with accuracy.

One tip for mastering accuracy and clarity in your playing is to play your guitar clean. Playing your guitar clean means no distortion and no effects. By practicing your scales and chords without distortion, you will have to play the notes clean and accurately in order for them to sound good. This will push your style and accuracy to the next level as you're learning new techniques and scales.

An excellent tool to allow you put into practice all that you have learned is guitar backing tracks. These tracks are great for helping you take what you have learned and use it alongside other musicians. It makes guitar practice so much more entertaining and keeps your motivated! These guitar backing tracks are like practicing with an entire band, and will help you develop timing and rhythm during lead sections. They are excellent for helping you tap into your creativity and apply what you have learned to creating excellent lead parts.

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