# Guitar/The Basics

The guitar is, and has always been, a social instrument. In all its
forms, it has always been a portable, multi-stringed instrument made for
public hearing. Even today, there\'s nothing better than hanging out
with some friends and being able to strum a few songs on the guitar. And
if you\'ve just bought your first guitar, then you\'re in luck: you can
play literally hundreds of popular songs by learning just a handful of
chords. But playing the guitar is more than just struggling through a
half-recognizable version of some song, it also requires good technique.
In this section, you will learn the basics of how to hold the guitar,
use a pick, and other important fundamental techniques.

Never forget that instruction books are not a replacement for playing
with other guitarists, or learning from a teacher, who are excellent
sources of information and inspiration.

Also, this section, as with most guitar manuals, is written with right
handed players in mind. Left-handed players may simply reverse the
instructions as appropriate.

## Holding The Guitar

The guitar can be played in many positions, but some positions are
clearly more efficient than others. The choice of position is personal,
but clear guidelines exist. Some basic considerations in determining a
chosen playing position include:

-   the physical stability of the instrument
-   ensuring the freedom of both hands such that they have thorough
    access to the instrument and can meet all technical demands without
    having to support the instrument
-   elimination of general muscular tension in the assumed body
    position. While it is natural for a beginner to experience fatigue
    in the muscles of his hands and arms, you must be careful to sit
    straight and not cause damage to your spine and waist. If you do
    experience pain in those regions it is possible that the position is
    harmful and must be changed to prevent damage.

Many beginners try and turn the guitar towards themselves, so they can
look down at the frets and soundhole. Curling the guitar towards
yourself in such a way actually makes it more difficult to fret the
strings efficiently, because you have to curl your wrist more. This
tension can be harmful. Beginners are also often inclined to put their
elbow too high or low, which leads to cramping. Ideally your arm and
shoulder should be relaxed.

It may take a beginner several weeks until holding the guitar feels
comfortable and natural. By using efficient hand positions and not
straining, the muscles in the arm and hands will get stronger. If you
ever feel pain you should immediately stop and ascertain the cause of
pain before continuing. Sometimes discomfort is due merely to fatigue
and a period of rest will be all that is required.

### Sitting

#### Classical Style

Sit up straight on a chair or stool, with your left foot on a footrest
approximately 10-20 cm in height. Place the waist of your guitar on your
left thigh. Rest your right forearm on the top front edge of the
guitar\'s lower bout so that it is comfortable and allows you to easily
strum the strings over the soundhole. The guitar headstock should
approximately be at head level, which corresponds to an inclination of
the guitar neck of about 45 degrees. Your left hand should be presented
to the guitar neck and fretboard such that the thumb is behind the neck
and all three segments of the fingers are forward of the edge of the
fingerboard. Shoulders should be level and relaxed, and it helps to be
leaning forward slightly. Most people should feel comfortable and able
to stay in this position with little effort. If you cannot, something
may not be right. As an alternative to using a footstool, you can use
some sort of guitar support between your left leg and guitar. This also
allows for good alignment of the spine and an efficient playing posture.

With your left hand, put your thumb so that it is behind the second
fret. This is the most comfortable area for playing open chords. Your
thumb should not extend over the edge of the fretboard and touch the E
string.

#### Electric Guitar

Many rock performers hold the electric guitar lower than the classical
position. The neck is held horizontally, rather than at a 45 degree
angle. This allows bends to be more easily achieved and also allow the
same hand angle to be maintained when moving up the neck through box
positions. playing in extremely high fret positions is also facilitated
by this angle as the left hand twist to accommodate playing in the
cutaway in a way that would be straining and more difficult in the
classical position.

#### Lapsteel or Hawaiian guitar

With these styles, the guitar is played horizontally, so the frets and
strings point upwards. Some skilled players can fret notes and play
chords by pressing down on the strings, but more often these guitars are
played with a slide.

### Standing

If you have a guitar strap, available from any guitar store for a few
dollars, then you can also learn to play standing. This is useful if you
plan on playing in a band. If you have a heavy guitar a broad guitar
strap is often more comfortable than a thin strap. To attach a strap,
there should be a hole in each end that you can put over two pins,
usually fitted on the endblock of the guitar and where the neck meets
the body. Many acoustic guitars only have one pin on the end block, and
straps must be attached under the strings above the nut on the
headstock. However, this sometimes makes it difficult for keep the
guitar at an optimum height and can cause shoulder strain. You can
usually install a second pin where the neck meets the body, but you
should be careful or you might damage (and devalue) your guitar.

With the strap attached to the guitar, sling it so that it hangs around
your neck on your left shoulder. You can usually adjust the height of
the guitar, but the exact method depends on each strap. The length of
the strap depends on your preferences, but you can use the same
guidelines in found in the previous section. Some professionals have
their guitar hanging down at their knees, and others keep it under their
shoulders. Neither of these extremes are recommended for a beginner.

## Using the Picking Hand

!Various guitar picks. From top going clockwise: A standard Jim Dunlop
nylon pick; An imitation tortoise-shell pick; A plastic pick with high
friction coating (black areas); A stainless steel pick; A pick
approximating a Reuleaux triangle; and
a Jim Dunlop Tortex \"shark\'s fin\"
pick; A stainless steel pick; A pick approximating a Reuleaux triangle; and a Jim Dunlop Tortex "shark's fin" pick"){width="265"}
*Please see the Picking and
Plucking section for more
information.*

Much of the \"feel\" of a guitar style comes from the way the strings
are hit. Since there are many different techniques, and often they defy
explanation, it is difficult to explain all but the most basic
techniques. How a player hits the strings is something they must
discover for themselves.

In order to advance with the guitar, it is very important to properly
use your picking, or impact hand. This should almost always be your
dominant hand, so if you are right handed, you would use your right hand
for your picking hand, and vice versa for left handed people. This hand
should always be loose, because if it is not, the strings can sound
clunky.

Your hand should \"float\" at a comfortable height above the sound hole,
and you should be keeping your wrist straight or slightly bent. You
should always be ready for movement in either direction, and your wrist
should not touch the strings as you are strumming (unless you are doing
some sort of muting technique).
You can use your fourth finger to brace against your guitar, but this is
considered bad in the long term; this is like a crutch, and you are
limiting the potential you can get from practicing with your whole arm.
For example, even though the brace will let you pick notes faster, it
sometimes limit your ability to play complex rhythms using chords. While
it might be good to practice using your fourth finger for a brace
sometimes, you will become a better guitar player if you don\'t brace
yourself like that.

It doesn\'t matter if you are using a pick or just your fingernails,
whenever your impact hand hits the strings, the type of hit can be
changed based on the tension of your upper finger joints. This is the
area to pay attention, because slight variations in pressure and speed
can make distinctly different sounds.

### Fingers

The fingers can be used in two main ways, through finger picking or
strumming through chords like using a pick. There are several styles of
finger picking, such as Travis picking, where you only use the thumb and
first finger, and other styles where you use three, four or all five
fingers.

### Using a Pick

Hold the pick in between your first finger and your thumb. Don\'t pinch
it, hold it firm but loose, with the pick flat in between the side of
your first finger and the bottom of your thumb. Your thumb should be in
line with the first segment of the first finger, with the pick firmly
(but not tightly) between. When you pick, your wrist should be loose,
and the main motion comes from your wrist for picking on one string, and
you should use the Elbow for crossing strings. Similarly, when you
strum, make sure to use your forearm and not your wrist for strength.
Your wrist should be loose enough, but controlled, and the power should
come from your forearm.

It is helpful to imagine the pick like a small bird between your thumb
and finger; you do not want it to fly away, and you do not want to crush
it.

## Using the Fretboard

The most important things to remember when playing are to keep your hand
loose, avoid unnecessary movements and finger spreading, and not to
smother the strings. Having good flexibility in your hand is one thing,
but trying to reach too far can be exhausting. Keep your fingers tight
together, but not cramped. In general, when playing acoustic instruments
you should always use the tips of your left hand fingers and not the
pads to press the strings. If you use the pads, you risk muffling the
sound coming from adjacent strings, which may be required to be heard.
The greater sustaining properties of electric guitars often requires
that such strings be damped so this rule does not always apply. Ideally
your left elbow should be extended from your body, and your left hand
should curl in towards your body. Your fingers should be like little
hammers hitting down on the strings, and this way you will use the tips
to push the strings down into the frets.

Regardless of where you are playing on the fretboard, you always have to
make sure that you\'re pressing down in the best spot to get the best
sound. You should always be fretting down the string slightly behind the
fret of the note you want to play. Press the string down firmly to the
fretboard, close to the metal fret. If the finger is too far away from
the fret, then the pressure is not sufficient to press the string down
completely on the frets, and the note will buzz. If you are pressing too
close to the fret you will sometimes accidentally play a note too high.
You\'ll have to practice to get the right amount of pressure to use and
the right distance at which to hold your arm. Be careful on how you hold
strings

### Chords

*Please see the Chords section for more
information*

A chord is defined as three or more different notes sounded at the same
time. Ability to play chords is a basic requirement of most guitar
music. There are many different types of chords, and each type has its
own sound. Other things about the guitar affect how a chord sounds.

Generally, playing chords involve pressing several (and sometimes all)
the strings down on the frets. Sometimes this can be very tough for
beginners until their muscles develop. Often a beginner will find that
when playing a chord, not all the strings are being pressed down
properly, and some strings sound dead. It is important to make sure that
all the strings ring out, which can be tested by picking up and down a
chord, and adjust your fingers when needed. It doesn\'t matter how fast
or loud you can play, if your chords are not fretted properly you will
sound terrible.

Some players use their thumbs to play the low E string. They do this by
turning their fretting hand slightly out and squeezing the thumb down on
the string. Players with long thumbs can play on the low E and A
strings. This technique compromises efficient left hand function as the
wrist and hand have to undertake significant re-adjustment in order
present the thumb to the string in such a manner and then to return the
hand to its standard presentation. Additionally the tips of the fingers
can no longer be presented vertically to the strings. The technique is
not recommended for beginners who wish to maximise their technical
abilities.

Your hand is in a different position depending on whether you are
playing an open chord or a barre
chord.

### Melody

When a player is first starting out, it is not their ability to make
melodies causing problems, it is a lack of skill in their hands. Many
people can whistle or hum a melody, but have difficulty translating that
to the fretboard. Learning the sound of different intervals between
notes takes time and patience.

The best way to learn how to carry a melody on the guitar is simply to
keep practicing. Unfortunately there is no secret to being a good
player, you simply have to practice and learn for yourself. This is good
though, because even if there was some secret, if everyone did the same
thing, then all the music would sound the same. For general advice about
learning about melody, see the Lead Guitar and Rhythm
Guitar page

## Coordinating Your Hands

Truly great guitar playing comes from the unison of the left and right
hand. Unless both hands are connecting with the strings at the proper
time, your playing will sound sloppy. So it is very important to start
out slow and work your way up to playing faster.

## What\'s Next?

Now that you have some basic control over the guitar, you\'re ready to
start playing. A good place to begin is by exploring some of the other
styles and techniques listed on the main page. The
most important thing to remember is that you become a good player by
practising properly, and accurately. It is always better to learn and
practice a piece slowly, and then increase your speed as your increase
your skill and comfort, rather than struggling through it a few times
and just considering it \"learned\".

