There are several types of guitars. The most commonly known are the electric and acoustic guitars, but their lesser known cousin, the bass, is a very rewarding choice, as well.

Bass Guitar For Beginners

The bass guitar is the easiest type of guitar to learn. Beginner bass guitar players are urged to learn individual notes, one by one, to avoid confusion. Also, you do not use chords when playing the bass guitar, so the notes are all you need.

If you are an absolute beginner, you should definitely use a fretted bass. This will make it much easier for you to learn the notes, and their position on the fret board.

When you first decide to learn how to play bass guitar, you will not even need an instrument. Before you pick up a bass, you must concentrate on finger exercises, since the bass guitar takes a great deal of hand strength to play. Bass guitar can be played by both right and left handed people, so use the hand that is most comfortable to play the frets. Start by relaxing your fingers, then lift your hand so it creates a 90 degree angle with the floor. Once you are in this position, lift your fingers, one by one, making sure that it is in rapid succession.

After some practice with these finger exercises, you are ready to begin using your instrument. Place the guitar on your thigh, with the strings opposite your body. The body of most bass guitars are sloped, but if yours is not, you can adjust the guitar's position with your forearm. The neck of the guitar should be supported by the hand that you have chosen as your fret hand.

When a beginner wants to learn to play bass guitar, the most daunting challenge they may face is finding bass guitar instruction. There are several options to choose from, including private instruction, which can become costly. There are also DVD programs and books. If you are looking for an inexpensive, or even free way to begin learning, online bass lessons are always available, if you do a little searching.

As with anything else, it is always easier to learn bass guitar at an early age. If you have kids that are interested in the bass, you should definitely get them started right away. However, it is never too late to start, so adults should never be discouraged from learning to play the bass guitar. Just make sure that you have the motivation, confidence, and patience to succeed. Also, make sure that you have the time to spend on your lessons. You can't learn overnight.

Once you have some practice, it is always fun to play guitar with others. It can help you relax, and even meet new people. If you know how to play the bass guitar, you can get together with acoustic and electric guitarists and compliment each other's sounds. Start with the basics, then start learning some advanced notes. Eventually, you will be able to lay down a bass line that others will be happy to follow.

There's never been an easier time to teach yourself to play the guitar. Even if you lead a busy lifestyle guitar lesson dvds are making it easy to learn on your own in your spare time. The key is a quality lesson plan, good videos and a good instructor. Don't fall for inexpensive learn guitar products that promise you'll be playing songs in a weekend, that's just not realistic. If you really want to play the guitar and you're willing to put the time in then keep reading, I'll share with you what you need to know to become a great guitar player.

Good Instructors

I know when you think of a guitar teacher you think private lessons. How ever you still need a teacher even if you use dvds to take lessons from. That teacher recorded those lessons in advance for you to learn from on your own time, but still that teacher has to be good at what they do. Some guitar lesson courses provide a bio on the instructor, what their experience is teaching and playing. If you can find out some background information on the individual in the videos that can be an asset.

Good Lesson Plans

Just like in grade school when you're learning to play the guitar you need to learn things in a logical order. For instance it makes no sense learning strumming techniques if you haven't yet learned what chords are. Also, you should be directed in which lesson comes first, second, third etc. Some learn to play guitar products give you 200 different lessons but it's a free for all. There's no instruction on which lesson to watch when.

Quality guitar home study courses will give you an exact order to their lesson and also a time line on how long you should practice the new skills you learn before moving on to the next lesson.

Quality Videos

Most dvds today are top quality, but seeing a screen shot of snippet of the videos would be good before you buy. Something people don't think about when buying guitar lesson dvds is there are two hands you have watch when learning guitar. The right hand is strumming and the left hand is making a chord or moving around the neck in some way. If the videos show a split screen of each hand for new techniques you'll be able to pick up new skills much faster.

Getting Started

I've found that most guitar lesson dvds at your local music store aren't very good for beginners. You really need to be able to start with a dvd that has several volumes to it. This way you'll be sure that the teaching style and lesson match up as you progress.

Some dvds are available as a complete set, I'd suggest searching on the Internet for a course like this. The price will be more expensive but if you're getting 10 or 20 dvds it's worth it.

To learn more about guitar instruction dvds visit our website. We've reviewed and used the best and worst products available to learn guitar. Our top rated program is Learn & Master Guitar a 20 dvd series that offers online support, practice workbook and jam along cds to help you learn.

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Learning acoustic guitar is an extremely broad topic. One that would fill many books no doubt. The following guide focuses on some of the most important aspects of playing guitar providing you with an excellent starting point. This guide was written for the right handed, absolute beginner using a steel string guitar. My apologies to all of you left handed guitarists in advance.

ABOUT THE STEEL STRING GUITAR

The steel string guitar is a masterpiece of musical instrument engineering. Before the steel string, the acoustic guitar was very limited. The guitars of old were very quiet when played, so much so, that a guitarist was not able to play along with other musicians as the sound produced was simply too quiet. In order to overcome this shortcoming, the steel string guitar was born. The steel string produced a louder sound, but also caused too much stress on the instrument because of the added weight. The body construction therefore needed to be altered to accommodate the heavier strings. These changes not only made the guitar stronger, but they also increased the life of the guitar.

GUITAR STYLES - WHAT STYLE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Guitars are available in a variety of different styles and sizes and it really depends on what is most comfortable and enjoyable for you. Popular guitar styles include the Dreadnought, Nex, Artist, Classic and Jumbo. Each guitar has its own unique look, feel and sound. The larger styles like the Jumbo and Dreadnought produce more bass and are more difficult to hold and play. The smaller models like the Nex and Artist favor the midranges and treble and are much easier to hold and play. The Classical guitar is a whole different animal. It can only be played using nylon strings and produces a sound that is noticeably different than steel string guitars. So if you aren't sure what guitar style is right for you, then head over to your nearest music center and give them all a test drive.

HOW TO HOLD THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Holding your acoustic guitar is not an exact science. Everyone has different body types, finger lengths and there are a variety of different sizes and shapes of guitars, but here are some general instructions. Sit down in a comfortable chair and prop your right foot up on a stool or box. Rest the guitar on your right knee and you are ready to play.

HAND POSITIONS

The Left Hand

Try and keep your thumb behind the neck. This isn't always possible, especially if you have large hands, but try your best. Wrap your hand around the neck of the guitar and arch your fingers so that they are at a 90 degree angle to the strings.

The Right Hand

Keep your forearm close to the body of the guitar and try only moving your wrist to strum. Many beginners like to strum using there whole arm but if you look at professional guitarists, you really do not see much movement in the arm. It is all in the hand and wrist.

LEARN HOW TO TUNE YOUR GUITAR

You can find free step by step guides and tools online to help you learn how to tune your guitar, or you could purchase a guitar tuner at any local music store. Make certain that you spend time learning how to do this. Head over to YouTube and search for videos on how to tune your guitar. It is much easier to learn by watching others.

LEARN HOW TO CHANGE YOUR STRINGS

Learn how to change your strings and change them often. I know the idea of changing your strings on your own is intimidating, but it really isn't that difficult and eventually it will become second nature. There are a ton of lessons online that teach you how to change your strings. Again, head over to YouTube and perform a search there and you will find some very good lesson on this topic.

GUITAR MUSIC THEORY

Guitar music theory is where all of your scales, chords, progressions, notes and more come into play. It is such a huge topic and would fill many books all on its own. Music theory is extremely important to your growth as a musician and should not be overlooked. Many beginners frown upon guitar theory and completely ignore it. They would much rather take the short route and learn tablature and start playing their favorite songs. There is nothing wrong with learning tablature and playing your favorite songs, but don't make that your main form of study.

One of the best websites I have found on this topic is: TheoryLessons.Com. I highly recommend you start there. The owner of that site starts at the very beginning and covers all the major bases. Your guitar is like a challenging puzzle and music theory is a key that will open up many new doors for you.

SHOULD YOU HIRE A GUITAR TEACHER OR LEARN ON YOUR OWN?

This is a very common question amongst beginners and is open for debate.

Learning on your own

With the right home study course, teaching yourself how to play is quite possible, assuming you are dedicated to working hard and practicing. Teaching yourself how to play will save you a ton of money in the long run and allow you to learn at your own pace. You also have the option to access the same information whenever you want and for as many times as you want. There are several excellent home study courses available that can be just as effective as hiring a a good teacher. Courses can cost anywhere from $30 to as much as a few hundred dollars, depending on the quality and content of the home study course.

Hiring an Instructor

Over time this option is expensive. Private guitar lessons, on average, can cost about $15 - $30 for a half hour lesson, and $20 to as much as $75 for an hour lesson, depending on the teachers experience and reputation.

Finding a good teacher can be a difficult task and you should choose one carefully if you decide to go that route. Even the most talented guitarists, that have been playing for decades, can make terrible instructors, so your criteria for choosing a teacher should not be based on experience alone.

A good guitar instructor can be an excellent investment. One of the most common problems a beginner faces is developing bad habits. A good instructor will help you recognize your bad playing habits and help you correct them.

The choice is yours. Only you can determine which options is best for you. Some of us simply cannot afford to hire a teacher, so the choice is rather simple. Others are simply unable to learn on their own and need the guidance and encouragement that a teacher can provide.

PRACTICE

Whoever coined the phrase: "Practice Makes Perfect", knew what they were talking about. Practice as many days out of the week as you can for at least twenty to thirty minutes, more if possible. The more often you play, the faster you will learn. Be careful not to overdo it though and take breaks of course. Your brain can only absorb so much information before it needs a break and your hands and the rest of your body need time to recuperate as well. When you practice do not rush through any of your exercises. Twenty minutes of quality focused practice is much more effective than an hour of sloppy practice.

Ralph Serpe is Webmaster and found of : http://www.learn-acoustic-guitar.com. Visit today for more free acoustic guitar lessons.

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A chord melody or guitar chord solo is a method guitarists use to bring out the musical possibilities of a tune by interpreting it as a series of chords rather than single notes. Or, putting it another way, you play the chords AND the melody simultaneously. You will find the guitar chord solo - a group setting or unaccompanied - used quite a lot in jazz guitar music.

In rock-oriented music we are used to hearing a guitar solo played by one guitar, the bass notes by another, and the rhythm by a third guitar. Using the chord melody approach, the guitar player makes use of all three elements of a piece of music to produce a different way of interpreting the melody by making use of musical effects of the guitar chord. Solos played this way often have the ability to draw the listener's attention into the music.

What do we need to enable us to play a guitar chord solo? We can make our chord melody by taking a piece of sheet music, tab or a fake book that gives us the basic melody and the chords. Of course, you will need to be beyond the raw beginner stage to make any progress on a guitar chord solo, because your facility for changing chords needs to be established in your body.

Once you have chosen your piece of music to transform into a guitar chord solo, try playing the melody as chords with the melody note on the highest string. This way you can simply strum the chord from bass notes to treble and see how the melody sounds and feels on the guitar. If playing the piece as a chord solo feels too awkward, you will need to think about changing keys.

An alternative approach to arranging your own chord solo is to make use of some of the collections of chord melody arrangements on the market. Some of these anthologies are for either fingerpicking or flatpicking only, but some include both.

There is quite a good book by Mel Bay called Mel Bay Jazz Guitar Standards And Chord Melody Solos. This book has a CD with all the guitar chord solos recorded and they are written in music notation as well as tab.

If you decide to learn to play guitar chord solos you might need a friend or teacher to help you with left hand fingering or the use of your right hand fingers for fingerpicking arrangements. Whichever course you take you will find that learning to play chord melody arrangements quite rewarding.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

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