All about guitar playing

Play guitar scales(chromatic, major and minor)

2010-12-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

A scale is a group of musical notes that are played one after the other in either an ascending or descending order. There are many different types of guitar scales, each with their unique characteristics, note patterns and musical qualities.

Now, we will learn about a few of the most common scales and how to use them to improve your guitar playing. They will help strengthen your fingers, improve your hand-eye coordination, and greatly improve your ability to learn more advanced guitar techniques.

Note: Although the diagrams and instructions below show how to play each of these scales in the key of E, they can all be played in any key you want. At the bottom of each section you will find instructions on how to play each scale in the key of your choice.

The Chromatic Scale

For our first scale, we will start with the most basic scale in music: The Chromatic Scale. The chromatic scale is a series of twelve successive half-steps.http://www.start-playing-guitar.com/guitar-scales.html¹While this scale might not seem very musically interesting to the ear, it is still one of the most important scales to know (as it contains the basic elements of every other scale). Here's how to play the Chromatic scale in the key of E.

Start by playing the 6th string "Open."
Next, take the index finger on your fretting hand and hold down the first fret on the 6th string. Pluck the 6th string again.
Using your middle finger, hold down the second fret of the 6th string and play it again.
Use your ring finger to hold down the third fret and play the string again.
Use your pinkie finger to hold down the fourth fret and play it once more.
Repeat these steps for each of the subsequent strings (except the 3rd string & only play the first three frets on that one).

Other Keys

In order to play the Chromatic scale in other keys, follow this simple formula, starting on the root note of your chosen key (H = 1 Half-Step or 1 Fret and W = Whole Step or 2 Frets):

Root - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - H - Root

The Major Scale

The Major Scale is one of the most important and useful scales to know when playing guitar. It is the corner stone of western music and is made up of 7 notes.http://gosk.com/scales/major-scale-for-guitar.php²It has a bright, upbeat quality (much like a Major chord) and can be a great tool for soloing in songs that are in a Major key. Here is how to play the Major scale in the key of E:

Play the 6th string "Open"
Play the 6th string, 2nd fret
Play the 6th string, 4th fret
Play the 5th string "Open"
Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
Play the 5th string, 4th fret
Play the 4th string, 1st fret

Other Keys

In order to play the Major scale in other keys, follow this simple formula (starting on the root note of your chosen key):
Root - W - W - H - W - W - W - H - Root

The Minor Scale

The Minor scale has a darker, more moody quality to it than the Major scale (much like a Minor chord) and can be a useful soloing tool for songs that have a similar quality to them. Here is how to play the Minor scale in the key of E:

Play the 6th string "Open"
Play the 6th string, 2nd fret
Play the 6th string, 3rd fret
Play the 5th string "Open"
Play the 5th string, 2nd fret
Play the 5th string, 3rd fret
Play the 4th string "Open"

Other Keys

In order to play the Minor scale in other keys, follow this simple formula (starting on the root note of your chosen key):

Root - W - H - W - W - H - W - W - Root

Check out th next post for more on scales.

learn the hammer-ons and pull-off technique

2010-10-23T03:56:00.000-07:00

Hammer-ons and pull-off are also called slurs.

Hammer-ons:
A hammer-on involves two different notes. Its done this way: A note is plucked and then a second note is sounded by slamming or hammering another finger on a higher note of the same string.

In internet tablature hammer-ons are represented by an "H'

placed between two notes. Another way that you may see a hammer-on represented in Internet tablature, is this symbol between 2 different notes ^.

or sometimes with an "H" on top

Pull-offs:

A pull-off is the opposite of a hammer-on. There are two notes involved. Before starting, you will need to have both left hand fingers that are involved already placed in their perspective frets. The first note is plucked, then a second note is sounded by pulling that finger off of the string with force. You are basically plucking the string with the left hand finger that you used for the 1st note first note. You will need to pull both towards the floor, and out away from the neck of the guitar.

some famous guitar tabs

2010-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Most guitar players say that these songs were the ones that got them interested in playing guitar. These are all classics with riffs that kill and solos that melt faces. Here are some of those songs and there guitar tablatures.

1) Stairway to heaven-Led Zeppelin

Intro:
E-------5-7-----7-|-8-----8-2-----2-|-0---------0-----|-----------------|
B-----5-----5-----|---5-------3-----|---1---1-----1---|-0-1-1-----------|
G---5---------5---|-----5-------2---|-----2---------2-|-0-2-2-----------|
D-7-------6-------|-5-------4-------|-3---------------|-----------------|
A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2-0-0---0--/8-7-|
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

E---------7-----7-|-8-----8-2-----2-|-0---------0-----|-----------------|
B-------5---5-----|---5-------3-----|---1---1-----1---|-0-1-1-----------|
G-----5-------5---|-----5-------2---|-----2---------2-|-0-2-2-----------|
D---7-----6-------|-5-------4-------|-3---------------|-----------------|
A-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2-0-0-------0-2-|
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

E-------0-2-----2-|-0-----0----------|---------3-----3-|
B-----------3-----|---1-----0h1------|-1-----1---0-----|
G-----0-------2---|-----2-------2----|---0---------0---|
D---2-----0-------|-3----------------|-----2-----------|
A-3---------------|---------0----0-2-|-3---------------|
E-----------------|------------------|---------3-------|
Intro end.
2) Master of puppets-Metallica

Intro:
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-9--------7---6---5-------------|
|-9--------7---6---5-------------|
|-7--------5---4---3-------------|
|-0------------------------------|
*4*Play Four Times*4*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------7---6---5---------------------------------------|
|--------------------7---6---5---------------------------------------|
|-----7-----6-------5---4---3---------------------------------------|
|-0-0---0-0---0-0---------------------0-0-7-0-0-6-0-0-5-0-4-0-3-0-2--|

play twice

*2*Play Two Times*2*
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2-2-----2-----3------5\4---5\4---5\4---|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1-----0-1---0-1---0-0--3\2-0-3\2-0-3\2---|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------4------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------4------|
|-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2-2-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2------|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1-----0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1--------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2-2-----2-----3------5\4---5\4---5\4---|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1-----0-1---0-1---0-0--3\2-0-3\2-0-3\2---|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------4------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------4------|
|-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2-2-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2------|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1-----0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1--------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----2-----3-----4-----3-----2-2-----2-----3------5\4---5\4---5\4---|
|-0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1---0-1-----0-1---0-1---0-0--3\2-0-3\2-0-3\2---|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------2------8------8------8------8------8v-------------|
|-5\4---5\4---5\4--2----7------7------7------7------7----------------|
|-3\2-0-3\2-0-3\2--0--0------0------0------0------0------------------|
3) Sweet child o mine-Guns n Roses

intro

|-------------15----14----|-------------15----14----|
|----15-------------------|----15-------------------|
|-------14-12----14----14-|-------14-12----14----14-|
|-12----------------------|-12----------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------15----14----|-------------15----14----|
|----15-------------------|----15-------------------|
|-------14-12----14----14-|-------14-12----14----14-|
|-14----------------------|-14----------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------15----14----|-------------15----14----|
|----15-------------------|----15-------------------|
|-12----14-12----14----14-|-12----14-12----14----14-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

4) Smells like teen spirit-Nirvana

INTRO:
Guitar (clean):
e|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|------------------|
B|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|------------------|
G|-------------3-3-|-0------------6-6-|-------------3-3-|-0------------6-6-|
D|-3--3-3-xxxx-3-3-|-06--6-6-xxxx-6-6-|-3--3-3-xxxx-3-3-|-06--6-6-xxxx-6-6-|
A|-3--3-3-xxxx-1-1-|-06--6-6-xxxx-4-4-|-3--3-3-xxxx-1-1-|-06--6-6-xxxx-4-4-|
E|-1--1-1-xxxx-----|--4--4-4-xxxx-----|-1--1-1-xxxx-----|--4--4-4-xxxx-----|

Guitar (heavy dist)
e|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|------------------|
B|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|------------------|
G|-------------3-3-|-0------------6-6-|-------------3-3-|-0------------6-6-|
D|-3--3-3-xxxx-3-3-|-06--6-6-xxxx-6-6-|-3--3-3-xxxx-3-3-|-06--6-6-xxxx-6-6-|
A|-3--3-3-xxxx-1-1-|-06--6-6-xxxx-4-4-|-3--3-3-xxxx-1-1-|-06--6-6-xxxx-4-4-|
E|-1--1-1-xxxx-----|--4--4-4-xxxx-----|-1--1-1-xxxx-----|--4--4-4-xxxx-----|
Thats it for now...keep visiting to learn more..enjoy!

How to write a song on guitar

2010-10-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Writing a song on an instrument can be a tough task especially if you dont have guidance. I know this because I too found it pretty hard until my teacher gave me some simple steps to start with and that for me was the way.
Here are the steps:
1) Decide whether you want to write in the major scale or the minor scale. If you dont know about them yet, learn them first. Scales refer to a series of notes that go in an ascending and descending manner. The major scale is the foundation from which all other scales are formed. A C major scale begins with a C and ends with a C. The same rule applies with the rest of the keys where a D Major Scale begins and ends with a D and so on. The notes on a major scale is numbered from 1 to 8, this signifies the intervals.

the major scale looks like this:

If there are major sclaes there are also minor scales. The notes on a major scale sound bright and cheerful while notes on the minor scale sound solemn and sad. There are three types of minor scales and I think this would get us off topic so here is the natural minor scale.

2) Once youve done that choose a key. A key can either be in major scale or minor scale for example major scale in the key of C would have the notes C D E F G A B C. If you choose D then D = D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D. Lets say you wanted to write in C major.
3) Now, each note in the C major scale refers to a chord. So the chords you could use are C D E F and G. These chords would always sound good together as they are in the same key and this answers the question of many new guitar players of how to find chords that sound good together, well this is the answer. You could do this with any other key for example B minor. Remember, the notes in the scale correspond to the chords you could use to stay in that key.
4)Now, you take any 2 or 3 chords out of the ones you've found in step 3 and play them together. Try different techniques and strum patterns. Also try different tempos and variations. You could use open chords, barre chords, diminised chords or power chords, whatever you like, it depends upon the genre you want to write in. You could use the palm mute technique for punk rock style or power chords with distortion for heavy metal or open chords on electric for classic rock .
5) Now, that we have some music lets break that too. First the intro, then the verse and then chorus. Use different chords or same chords with different strum patterns and tempos but if you use different chords make sure they are in the same key.
6) Put a melody over it and start writing lyrics.
I hoped this article helped you, you can expect more from me very soon.