Hello Triond users! If you're reading this than you probably want to learn guitar. If you don't, then get off this page and get your eyes checked!!
The first thing you need to know is how you get the guitar to make sound. I hope that everyone knows that you strum the strings to make noise, but if you just strummed you'd only be able to make 6 notes. Now, if you look at your guitar that there are silver bars on the neck (for those who don't know, the neck is the skinny part) called frets. You can vary the pitch of the strings by pressing down JUST ABOVE the frets, don't press on them, press JUST ABOVE them. The fret at the very top is the first fret, one fret down is the second one, then third, and just keep counting Now you should have some fun with the frets, play around until you get a nice solid sound, it should only take like three minuets though.
Next we'll talk about the strings. The only thing really worth saying about them is their names. If you're holding the guitar right then the lowest string should be at the top. The lowest string is the low E string, or the 6th string. The next one down is the A string, or the 5th string, then the D string or 4th string, then the G string, or the 3rd string, the B string is next, and guess what, it's the 2nd one, and FINALLY the 1st string is the high e string. I didn't capitalize e on purpose because most of the time the 6th string is referred to as the E string and the first one is the e string.
Now if you want to learn any cool songs then first you need learn to read tablature. Tablature, or tab, is pretty much just a diagram of where your fingers go. Below is an example.
E---0---3------------------------------------------------------|
A-----------0---1---2-----------------------------------------|
D--------------------------0---2-------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------0---2---3------------------|
B------------------------------------------------0---3----------|
e----------------------------------------------------------0---3-|
As you can see, on the left are the strings, and then there are some numbers on lines also. You read tab the same way you read a book, right to left. In tab, the numbers show which fret you need to press (if there is a 0 than don't press anything). So if there is a 3 on the line labeled A, then you press down the A string on the 3rd fret. It's really simple. Why not you try playing that sequence of notes. That sequence of notes is the E scale. Learning and practicing scales is the first step to learning to play solos.
Now that you have learned the basics, practice until you can do the scale flawlessly, then you can move on to my next guitar article!
