This article is devoted to learning how to play guitar (and even those just thinking about learning to play or giving the gift of music to a loved one) and how to approach gaining some kind of proficiency on the instrument. Now, we’ve all seen people playing the guitar at various times, sometimes on TV, sometimes up close (a real treat), playing various kinds of music and at varying skill levels. I think the hardest obstacle to overcome when you’re /www.activemusician.com”>learning how to play the guitar or thinking about starting is the thought that playing the guitar is only something musicians can do, or is only for people who are musically inclined. The simple fact is that anyone can learn to play the guitar. It’s just a matter of spending some time with it on a regular basis, and practicing in a manner that’s both fun and productive. Once it becomes part of your routine, it’s only a matter of time before your skill level and confidence develop.

When I started learning the guitar, there were a couple of learning aids I found to be indispensable. They include:

• Learning to Play Guitar Chord Reference Book – This is really helpful when you’re not sure how to play an F chord or a B minor, or want to learn some other ways to play it
• Artist Songbook – This is a songbook which has the piano, lyrics, and guitar chords to your artist’s favorite songs, and is great for learning how to strum and change from chord to chord
• Classical Guitar Book – This helps you familiarize yourself with the feel of scales and arpeggios, and also improves your sight reading
• Guitar Tab Songbook – As you progress, you’re going to want to play some of the guitar parts from your favorite songs note-for-note, meaning exactly as your favorite guitarist plays them. This type of book has the music for this both in standard notation and guitar tablature

I had a very insightful guitar teacher who started off each lesson by showing me a new chord and how to play it. Some good chord reference books that tackle these types of chords are the Whole Book of Guitar Chords and The First Book of Chords for the Guitar both written by Dan Fox. Once I had a feel for the chord, he would choose a song from a songbook from one of my favorite bands that used this chord (say a B minor or an A7) and would have me learn that song using an appropriate strum pattern. My mom played the piano, and would often visit the music store to buy sheet music songbooks from her favorite artists, so eventually I got her to buy me a few gems of this type:

• Beatles Complete – This is a valuable book for two reasons. One is that it’s The Beatles. The second is that The Beatles composed songs with relatively few and very easy to play chords (“I Saw Her Standing There” has three), and also songs with many and often unorthodox chords (“Michelle” has, um, a lot), especially when used in rock music. This makes it a great vehicle for learning new chords incrementally via their songs
• Neil Young – Decade - My brother wore out this recording and when I started playing some of the tunes from it on the guitar, it gave his little brother some instant credibility. Many of the songs in this book were recorded by Neil on the acoustic guitar, so it lends itself to the beginner who’s learning on an acoustic
• Led Zeppelin Complete – This is a strange and beautiful book. It has the main guitar riffs for every Led Zeppelin song on the first five albums (I – IV and House of the Holy) but it’s in standard notation. I spent a summer learning every song in this book and not only did my guitar playing improve, but so did my sight reading
• Eric Clapton Deluxe Revised – This contains some of the best songs from Cream, the Layla disc by Derek and the Dominoes, and some of Eric’s early solo work, but it’s unique in that it has a separate section with some of Eric’s best guitar solos transcribed. Eric is a great role model when you start learning how to play a guitar solo, because some of his solos are simple enough that they can be played by a beginning-intermediate guitar player (though it takes a lifetime to learn to play it with as much feeling as Eric)

Once we covered the chord of the week and the song that went with it, we would tackle a classical piece. One of the best classical books I can recommend, especially if you’re not a classical guitarist, is Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar – Volume 1. This book is great for developing your right-hand picking and also for developing your sight reading since all the music is in standard notation. There are some interesting pieces by Matteo Carcassi, which require you to arpeggiate various chords, and also some Bach Inventions that are arranged for duet guitar, so you can play with a friend. You can hear how this sounds in an on-line guitar lesson I created at WholeNote – Bach’s 8th Invention.

The one thing that’s changed over the past decade in sheet music for guitarists is the emergence of guitar tab songbooks. In the late 1990′s, an archive of guitar tablature files was collectively created and dubbed the On-Line Guitar Archives (OLGA), in which random guitarists from around the world created text files containing their own transcriptions of how to play your favorite songs by your favorite bands. The problem was that the quality and accuracy of the transcription was hit or miss. Sheet music companies finally wised up and started releasing accurate note-for-note transcription books, which were the real deal. In my day, you were a god if you could play the guitar solo, “Eruption”, played by Eddie Van Halen off Van Halen I, because you had to learn it by ear off the record, which is pretty much impossible. Today, you can just buy the Van Halen I guitar tab songbook and get all the music for Eruption both in guitar tab and standard notation. Oh, and they also throw in the rest of the songs from Van Halen I, and from Van Halen II, as well. I’ve always loved the whacked-out intro that Eddie plays in Mean Street, which opens the Fair Warning recording. The Van Halen Guitar Anthology Series has the tab for this, note for note, including every last harmonic, pick scrape, bend, and tap. It’s unbelievable. And it’s not just Van Halen. You can find similar guitar tab songbooks for The Beatles, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Audioslave and pretty much anyone else you can think of.

Finally, as you develop your practice routine, the one thing most often overlooked during practice is being able to play in time. When you start to get comfortable with chords and strumming, there’s a natural tendency to stop or to hesitate while switching between chords. A good metronome will make you aware of this and force you to play in time. The Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome is a good budget option and provides a good click, while the Wittner Wood Case Metronome w/ Bell and Cover is the kind you can hang onto forever and pass along from generation to generation (and I should know – I have one from my grandfather). The Fender MT-1000 Chromatic Tuner/Metronome is unique in that you get both a metronome and a guitar tuner in one convenient package. Very handy, indeed.

You too can learn to play the guitar today! Hopefully, this gives you a bit of direction as you learn to play the guitar. Remember that it’s simply a matter of spending some time regularly practicing some of the basics and then applying them to your favorite music. Keep expanding your knowledge of the basic chords and learn to play songs that use them, along with the strumming patterns of the tune. Combined with some classical pieces for dexterity and developing your sight-reading chops, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the guitar in no time!

Christopher Sung

http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/learn-to-play-guitar-a-beginners-guide-88437.html

People enjoy listening to guitar music. In fact, when questioned about which type of musical instrument people most like to listen to, the guitar oftentimes ends up heading such a listing. With that in mind, if you want to entertain and even impress your friends, you might want to consider taking up the acoustic guitar learn to play.

There are some people who play guitar who maintain that the acoustic is the “true” form of the instrument. Of course, acoustic guitar predates many of the other instrument types, techniques and genres that are popular today. In any event, no matter your position as to this particular debate, the fact is that it’s popular and a worthy type of guitar genre to learn and develop.

You have a variety of options available to you in this day and age when it comes to acoustic guitar learn to play lessons. For example, you will be able to find a number of different options available to you in the brick and mortar world. These options include:
There are individuals who have played acoustic guitar literally for years. Oftentimes these people really enjoy bringing someone under their wings in order to teach them. For these individuals, teaching is rather like passing something or another important on down from one generation to the next.

In many communities a person is able to access actual classes through which the acoustic can be learned. Perhaps you live in such a community where these types of lessons can be accessed with ease. For example, if your city or town has a community center, junior or community college or even a public library, you might be able to find a resource through which you can access such lessons.

In your search for a resource for acoustic guitar learn to play lessons in the brick and mortar world odds are that if you live in or near a community of any size you can find a group of like minded people that have formed a more informal type of group. In many of these types of settings it is possible to learn acoustic guitar and obtain useful tuition from the members of these groups.

Beyond the brick and mortar world, there are opportunities for you online through which you can learn the acoustic guitar learn to play  as well. Some examples of the online resources that are available to you include:
Specialized websites that have been established for the purpose of teaching a person like you how to play acoustic guitar. Because of the popularity of acoustic guitar it really is not all that difficult to locate these types of sites through which you can learn the basics of acoustic guitar.

Beyond these more specialized sites there are more generalized venues on the Net through which you can learn to play a variety of different guitar genres and techniques, including acoustic guitar. The number of these types of sites that are up and running online continue to increase fairly dramatically as more and more people have become interested in learning to play guitar, including acoustic guitar.

In the end, if you are interested in acoustic guitar learning to play for yourself and to entertain your friends, you have a wealth of resources available to you today. Through these resources, you will be able to learn the basics of acoustic guitar in little time.

richard zook
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/best-acoustic-guitar-learn-to-play-lessons-1094805.html

The question of whether bass or guitar is harder to play often comes up in the minds of guitar beginners. Some even think that the bass must be easier to play because it has less strings than the guitar. Right at the beginning of guitar playing, instead of just trying to learn a chord or finding a course of guitar lessons on the internet, newbies always start looking for the easiest or the “best” way to learn guitar. So wondering about which is harder to play between guitar and bass is another question that holds up progress.

The guitar has six strings while the bass has only four but the thicker strings on the bass make it more difficult to play. The choice of which notes to play is harder for a ball player. Once the band has departed from simple chords, playing the root note is not enough for the bass player.

Playing bass needs a completely different frame of mind which needs to be learned and practiced. The bass player does not just stand there and play in the background. He is supporting the drummer and the rhythm guitar player.

There are certain musical styles that are less complex than others. Take punk rock, for instance. You learn a few power chords and you are almost there. For bass players pop rock is not too difficult. Hard rock is more challenging, and genres based on the blues tradition offer the new guitar player a little more background to absorb before he can consider himself a player.

Some musical genres feature the bass in the role of a lead instrument. Funk rock, jazz, groove metal, soul or reggae all demand alot from the bass guitar player.

The fact is playing bass guitar or regular guitar is as easy as you allow it to be. People say that bass is easier to play, but the guitar student’s attitude can change that.

The main thing is your love for music and your wish to play and create music. If you can keep time, have some idea when to be a part of the group and when to be at the front, then you have a start to being a guitar or bass player. Once you start playing, how hard it is does not matter.

For the bass player who started out learning the guitar bass is usually easier to learn. That is because the guitar player already has a feel for the instrument, His body has already become used to fingering chords, playing scales and using a pick, so most bass players who started with the guitar will advise others to do the same.

The most practical approach to the question of whether bass or guitar is harder to play is to take a lesson or two in both. If you cannot afford lessons, check out the free guitar or bass lessons on the internet. Another way to decide is to watch guitar and bass players on YouTube. If your feelings go towards either the guitar or bass, then that is where the rest of you should go. Whether it is harder makes no difference.

Ricky Sharples
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/is-bass-or-guitar-harder-to-play-656716.html

Anyone that’s learning to play the piano knows that you only become proficient at a new skill with plenty of practice. A roll up piano is something that you might find useful in helping you master the art of playing the piano. Many people that take piano lessons don’t have a piano at home due to the fact that a piano can be an expensive proposition. Owning a piano can also be difficult for some due to the space it takes up. This is where the roll up piano comes into play.

A roll up piano can fit into your purse and be played anywhere. It is battery operated and small but unrolls into a decent sized mat with regular sized keys, which can give you the practice you want with realistic sounds. These units typically run for under $100.00 and can be a great asset to someone who wants to practice in various locations or for someone who doesn’t own a piano at all and wants to practice outside their classroom.

A roll up piano can make a great gift, too. If you have someone in your life that is either a proficient player that doesn’t own one or someone interested in learning to play, this can be a thoughtful gift that’s much less expensive than buying a baby grand piano or even an electronic keyboard. Many people that have used these units rave about the quality that comes from them. They have great sound and many sound options such as organ, harpsichord, violin, trumpet, sax and more. This can be not only for the piano enthusiast but also for any music lover. A child or an adult would get a kick out of a great gift like the roll up piano.

Some other tips for learning to play piano better:

Pianists know that practice makes perfect. Here are a few tips to enhance your musical flair and be a better piano player:

· Always warm up before playing. Your fingers need to stretch and become nimble with your practice drills to help you play well. Even concert pianists know the value of a warm up.

· Play every day. If you play every day, you will become more proficient, quicker

· Learn music theory. The more time you spend learning the theory behind music such as reading music and tempos, the quicker you will be able to simply open up a music book and play whatever song you like.

· Use the Internet. The Internet has lots of free information including practice sheets, downloadable music and even online courses that can help you to become more talented at tickling the ivories.

With time and determination, just about anyone can learn a new skill. Whether you are a young child or an adult in your golden years, you can learn to master learning a new language, play a musical instrument or any other undertaking you are willing to put effort into and practice into.

Hunter Pyle
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/beginning-steps-to-learning-and-practicing-to-be-a-pianist-99625.html

TAB, which is short for tablature, is a good way for many people to learn to play the guitar. When learning to play the flute, piano, saxophone, violin, and other types of music, a person uses written music. However, the guitar is different in that chord diagrams are used instead. Now, some people have the ability to read chord music quite well while other people struggle. Because of this, a different method of learning was devised whereby a person can learn guitar TAB.

Tablature is simply a way in which a series of notes are written so a person can learn a riff or run on the guitar. For many individuals, the option to learn guitar TAB is a blessing, helping them learn quickly and with much less frustration. However, you need to understand that while TAB has many benefits, a few drawbacks do exist.

First, when playing the guitar, you are playing not only notes but also rhythm. With TAB, transferring information specific to an intended rhythm is difficult, if not impossible to do. For instance, if you play a musical instrument using sheet music, part of the music shows the rhythm so you know how fast or slow a song should be played. However, when you learn guitar TAB, this rhythm information is not there. For this reason, most people will choose a song they already know the rhythm to so all they have to learn are the notes.

A major difference in how a person would learn guitar with TAB is that the lines on the sheet music have lines that represent the guitar strings. In addition, the music would have dots on the lines, which is the appropriate finger placement. With this, you simple look at the fingers and place yours on the guitar string to match. Again, for many people to learn guitar TAB is the only way they can grasp this particular instrument.

Another important thing to know about TAB is that as you read the TAB, the line on the bottom is the sixth or deepest pitched string on the guitar while the top line is the first or highest string. You will also find when you learn guitar TAB that the dots may or may not be accompanied by a number, which is a reference to the fret on that particular string you need finger. For this, you would make the decision as to the finger used.

Then, as you learn guitar TAB, understand that if a song has two or more notes needing to be played simultaneously, they would show up on the TAB with one directly above the other. Additionally, when looking at a tablature, anything that shows up as an “O” means an open string or no finger placement on that particular string.

For most people who learn guitar TAB the beginning is a bit awkward and confusing but with time, it will soon become extremely easy. Many people learning to play guitar prefer this method for a number of reasons. In addition to being visually easier to learn, hundreds of TAB songs are now available online, giving them a much greater selection of songs to learn without having to pay for expensive DVDs, CDs or instructional material.

Nick seigal
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/learn-guitar-tab-does-it-help-you-teach-yourself-guitar-420712.html

Let’s say you practice five hours a day on your guitar. What happens when you become a father with children around your feet. Can you still be a guitarist and practice?

As a father and a guitarist I have some advice. The story on how a mother can continue playing guitar has to be written by an expert on that subject.

I guess the problem is that many guitarists think that if they can’t practice the way they are used to they might as well quit.

What happens with you as a guitar player when you become a father with small children?

1. You will still have time to play guitar but not when you expect it.

I have many times wondered why people that practice a lot on their guitars as they become parents suddenly stops completely to play guitar and become desillusioned with this part of their lives.

It’s like a person who wants to train on a gym two hours a day. If this doesn’t work he quits completely. Why?

To make ten push ups a day is better than doing nothing. I takes maybe ten seconds to make this exercise and it will have positive results. The most important thing is that you are still trying to work with your body and the time will probably come when you can increase the amount of training.

Of course the same principle applies to guitar playing. Change the way you play but don’t quit. I’m sure your children don’t want that.

2. Time to play guitar will come in small portions.

As you don’t always know when you have time to play on your guitar you have to have your guitar or guitars extremely accessible. Have the guitar on your bed or somewhere else very close at hand. Maybe you have to buy a cheaper guitar in order to feel comfortable with this arrangement.

Personally I have an very expensive classical guitar but I mostly play on my less expensive guitars as I have them nearby all the time.

3. You might be interrupted in the middle of your guitar playing at any time.

I suggest that you give yourself a reasonable amount of homework to practice on your guitar. Try to learn this homework by heart as soon as possible so you don’t need pieces of paper around as you practice. I guess you know that small children like the taste of paper..

If you give yourself just one task to perform as your guitar lesson homework you will even with small amounts of time to practice spread all over the day see yourself progressing. The important thing is to focus on this task long enough to see results and long enough for the skills to become part of your playing.

4. You will have to concentrate on more things than your guitar playing.

If you have a long term goal with your playing you will always be able to look back on what you are doing as a guitar player and can see yourself progressing. I suggest that you put your long term guitar playing goals on a place out of reach for your children but within reach of your eyes.

5. You must feel that your guitar playing is of benefit for your wife and your children.

Is it selfish to play guitar when you have children? Let me give you an example from my own childhood:

My dad was a musician playing violin, cello and guitar in our home. He was working as a guitar teacher and I heard him play classical guitar pieces, cello pieces and violin pieces everyday.

I can still remember some of those melodies and they invoke a feeling of peace and memories of childhood in my heart. I have a special relation to those pieces of music and they have certainly enriched my life.

In other words, you will need to have a repertoire of nice melodies to play for your children. Focus on learning melodies to play and try to find opportunities to play them for your wife and children.

Having a family has certainly enriched my life and made me a better musician and guitar player.

Peter Edvinsson
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/guitar-lesson-congratulations-but-what-happened-to-your-guitar-playing-83844.html