With new guitarists turning to simple, 3 chord songs from the likes of Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Fallout Boy, there seems to be less interest in the cool, classy style of finger-picking emulated older artists. Not that Green Day doesn't have skill - emo-rock (or whatever it is) definitely holds its place in the hearts of this generation. On the other hand, though, why not expand your musical savvy to these 10 playable greats that can be appreciated by most age groups?

1. Fire and Rain - James Taylor

   Simple and sweet with smooth vocals, Fire and Rain is not difficult to play. One of the best things about this song is that there is such a blue emotion put into the very notes.

2. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

   Even though this song uses basic picking patterns, it sounds difficult. Don't get stuck on the Dixie Chicks version - Fleetwood Mac pulls this off with refinery.

3. If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot

   Here's another beauty that's best known for its covers by the likes of Stars on 54, Johnny Cash, and Olivia Newton-John. Yes, it sounds a little old but it's fun to play.

4. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

   So cliché it's barely cool to play? Definitely. I mean, what guitarist hasn't tried learning Stariway to Heaven? Yet it maintains rank in the best songs of all time. Listen to the version by mind-blowing duo Rodrigo y Gabriela - you'll be inspired to take it up again.
   
   

5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

   Although some of the fingering may be a little difficult for beginning guitarists, this song has an easy rhythm. Across the Universe's Hendrix-like guitarist, Jojo, brings an ultimate coolness to this tune.

6. Classical Gas

   Despite having been written for beginners, some of the most popular guitarists of our time like Tommy Emmanuel, Eric Clapton, and Mason Williams have performed this number. If your friends aren't familiar with it, they'll be impressed by your playing.

7. Dust in the Wind - Kansas

   What's to say? Yes, it's been overloved by our parents, but it's still a timeless song.

8. Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce

   Finally, a few harmonics. This piece will force you to use your pinky (if that's something you've avoided) and is even more meaningful because of the tragic death of Jim Croce.

9. Mood for a Day - Yes

   So Mood for a Day takes a little more skill and practice than some of the others on this list, but it really is worth the effort.

10. Petite Etude - Triumph

    If you are past everything on this list of fingerstyle songs, then Petite Etude should be a breeze. This little-known gem sounds classical and is beautiful to listen to over and over again.

While there are great modern musicians who occasionally utilize the fading fingerstyle guitar (think Chili Peppers or Jack Johnson) this list suggests just a sample of older songs that are essential to a learning guitarist's expertise.

Looking for more free, accurate tabs? Check out acousticpower.com. You'll have to download the free software Power Tab Editor 1.7 in order to view the files, but it's small in size and allows you to create your own tabs.

You've officially hit the "Wall," that seemingly insurmountable barrier that just looms over every practice session, casting it's shadow over every note. Have no fear, fellow ax-grinder! I've dealt with this problem both in my own play and with students, and as such - I've got you covered. Although there are many articles available on how to get out of this musical rut, many are vague and redundant. Here are eight very simple Wall-jumping steps that will get you to new levels in your quest for shred perfection.

Set Up Your Instrument Properly!

This might sound self-evident, but more often than not, I see players (even those with enough experience that they should know better) buy a new guitar, put on some fresh strings, and call it "good enough." Before doing anything else to improve your play, have your guitar set up by a professional, for a level action and proper intonation. It could be that you find a song that has always sounded "off" comes out just right after a proper setup. Not to mention, the ease of play, smoothness of bending, and better tone will influence the way you feel while you play, and lead to overall better practice. If you are so inclined, it is well worth the time to learn how to set up your instrument on your own - the money and frustration you will save yourself over time will justify the price of the educational materials.

Listen Objectively to Your Own Playing

So many players can seemingly critique others' play with relative ease, yet when it comes to their own tone searching, they seem to have on blinders. Of course, it's really difficult to separate what you think you're playing from what you're actually playing. Need an example? Go to any crowded guitar store and head for the demo amplifiers; you're likely to see at least two or three players who believe they sound like Hendrix or Santana, but sound more like some poor creature in need of immediate medical attention. A good fix for this situation is to record yourself, playing as you normally do, with no studio program trickery or multi-tracking.

The idea here is not to get the perfect CD-ready mix, but to become your own audience and hear yourself as others do. It's like looking into an audio mirror, of sorts. When listening to your recording, really try to listen with your ears rather than your mind (this is a lot easier to say than to actually do).

Identify the Strengths and Weaknesses in Your Plan

If you've completed the previous step, you've likely seen your play realistically; warts and all. The point of doing so was not to make you hang your head in shame, but to progress to this step. You see, the problem doesn't lie with how hard you're trying, but in the value of the time you're putting in, and the direction from which you're approaching your goals. So many players, whether consciously or not, spend almost all of their total practice time playing the things they already do well. What makes this a problem is that by doing this, you never get to improve upon your weaknesses and build upon those strong points - which is the goal of practicing in the first place! So, returning to your realistic self-assessment, pick out the bad spots.

This is what you want to focus the majority of your practice time on! If your arpeggios are sounding sloppy, for example, then slow down your metronome and work on the technique until your playing smooths out. If your pinch harmonics are weak and lifeless, crank up that gain and start focusing on that until you get 'em squealing. The idea is to increase your proficiency overall, so that your play will have consistency. If you can play the best tremolo picking in the world, but your sweeps are bad and your bends never hit the mark, then your overall play will be judged as bad - not good with a few weak spots (listeners are rarely too forgiving of bad play).

Branch Out

Now that you've started honing your chops, you're hopefully feeling a little better about yourself (rightfully so), and thinking that maybe you really can be a professional. Now, however, we have to start developing a well-rounded approach to guitar. It never ceases to amaze me how often "musicians" refuse to explore other styles of music than their preferred style. Whether it be a classical purist who shuns metal as "dreadful" or a rocker who just can't bring himself to try some "chicken-picking" country licks, to avoid learning different musical approaches is to place a limitation on not only your guitar playing, but your level of overall musicianship.

If we look at other forms of art for analogy, we can see just how limiting this type of thinking is. A painter, for instance, who doesn't know how to paint someone's face because he doesn't like portraits, and therefore never tried. Or consider a poet who only knows how to write nursery rhymes because she is afraid of studying Shakespeare. In these examples, both artists are limiting themselves to a "box" - an artistic prison. If you primarily listen to pop, seek out some jazz. If you're a rhythm-and-blues cat, find the most hardcore punk you can subject yourself to. Metalhead? Try taking a bite of some down-home bluegrass - if you thought sweeping at 140 beats-per-minute was hard, wait 'till you've tried string-skipping banjo rolls at 220! Don't just listen to the guitars in the arrangements, either; incorporating phrasing from piano, trumpet, and violin lines can add a great deal of color to your sonic palette.

Learn From Your Peers

A guitarist, at any level of proficiency, has a group of peers - guitarists who are at a very similar level of experience and growth. Seek out these individuals. Meet them in person at music stores, join online players' forums, etc. Posting contact information on bulletin boards at colleges near the music department is a great way to meet fellow musicians! When you meet these fellow players, put your ego in check! Be humble enough to ask them how they play a certain part, or how they approach their solos. Ask them how they set up their gear, who they emulate - talking shop with other musicians is a fantastic way to grow, as you can build upon one another's strengths and share new ideas.

Slow Down!

Striving to burn the fretboard with speed is a common goal of guitarists of all levels, and it should be. Fluidity of play at vicious tempos is a noble goal; too often, however, in the attempt at gaining lightning speed, players rush ahead of themselves and develop sloppy technique. Evenness of tone, accuracy in bending, and note clarity are just as critical at warp speed as in a slow blues. The solution to getting good at machine-gun tempo is to first achieve proper execution at slow, then medium, then fast speeds in gradual succession. If you're finding yourself slipping at medium tempo, don't push ahead until it sounds right.

Learn to Read and Write Music Notation

Ouch! This one is a killer. It requires patience, practice, study, and discipline. Is it absolutely necessary? No, but if one wishes to progress to the ultimate level of musicianship possible, it's a huge help. In essence, you'll be learning another language - a language that looks terribly confusing and difficult at first glance. After some evaluation, though, you'll realize that the hardest part of learning to read and write music is like many other challenges in life - taking the first step really is the hardest part. The best part is that by learning to read music, you're also learning to write it, and vice versa. The newfound clarity with which you will be able to approach your own writing and the enhanced way you'll listen to others' music is well worth the effort.

I haven't ever met a musician who regretted having learned this skill, or who considered it a waste of time. Now, there was a time when to learn the language of music required taking expensive lessons or attending college courses, and could involve lots of money and homework. With the advent of the Internet, however, numerous sources of information and assistance are available, often for free. The barrier to reading music used to be lack of resources or money for school; now the only real impediment is lack of self-motivation!

Learn the Rules; Break Them at Will

It is paramount to having a working understanding of basic chord structure, commonly used scales, and how equipment is designed to be used if you intend to realize your ultimate potential as a guitarist. The peculiarity of mastering basic musical rules, though, is that the more you learn, the more freedom you have to go outside the lines. Simply put - it's way easier to break rules if you have an awareness of what the rules are! Learn the major keys, then play outside of them with chromatics. Learn the standard way to finger a chord, then use an unusual voicing in place of it. To find your unique voice, you must step outside of the herd and do something that sets your playing apart. Breaking the rules - intentionally - can lead to some wonderful and exciting possibilities.

Eight simple steps. Not one of them requires the purchase of mountains of expensive gear, lessons from a guitar Olympian, or wisdom originating from outer space. Only eight steps that will help make the Wall more of a speed bump on your way to your ultimate guitar destination.

1. Hobbies are Fun

   Well, learning the guitar is fun! It may not be at first, but once you learn the basics, you can start to create things on your own. Your friends will be entertained when you play for them, and if you practice, they will want to hear you even more.

2. Writing Songs

   Are you feeling sad? Happy? Write a song! Writing and playing songs can really boost your feelings. Not only this, but you could record your songs. Have fun. Play for your friends. Guitar doesn't just have to be notes, write down some words. Guitar opens up the entire music world, not just the guitar world. Maybe you could make an album someday? And you will tell thank yourself for learning the guitar

3. Awareness and Reflex

   Eventually, you will move your fingers fast, and this can really make some muscle in your hands. You will often catch yourself tapping on a table with your fingers. And you will be doing it fast. And people will be like, “Wow”. Guitar can increase your ability to learn, and be more alert and fast thinking. It is actually proven that learning any instrument can boost your learning ability.

4. Shows and Braveness

   Eventually you will be good enough to say to yourself “I want to perform in front of people”, and no matter how much you had stage fright, you will know you will do good, and it will seem to just go away. Not only is it fun, but you will gain reputation for your talent, and people will look up to you.

5. Opening the World of Music

   When you learn the guitar, it opens up everything about music. You will notice you will be able to play almost any string instrument. Maybe not read its music and know what to play, but you will be able to just know what to play and make simple beats. It just happens. Your mind will tell you what sounds good, and you will interpret that into what you are playing. If you learn to sing with the guitar, you can really lead yourself into fame.

So learn the guitar. You will be happy in the outcome and you will thank yourself for learning the guitar. Instruments brighten your life, and if you stick with it, you will open up so many possibilities in your life. So have fun!

An important note: I use these methods regularly on my guitars, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and a Paul Reed Smith Standard 24. Both are poly-finished guitars, and these methods do not harm the instruments in any way. However, I have NOT tried these things on nitrocellulose finished guitars or acoustics of any kind. Make sure you know what kind of finish you have on your guitar!

1. WD-40

   This is a great little spray which will keep your strings in excellent condition, even with regular playing. It seems to prevent the plain strings from corrosion, and it definitely helps keep all of the strings clean. Have you ever seen the gunk that collects on strings after regular use? Get a small can of WD-40 and a non-abrasive cloth (I use a microfiber cloth). Spray a small spot (an inch in diameter, perhaps) onto the cloth, and pinch one of the plain strings with that spot of WD-40. While pinching, slide the cloth up and down the length of the string. Dirty strings will leave behind dark trails of crud (for lack of a better term) in the WD-40 spot on the cloth. This keeps your strings feeling new and slippery (which I personally like).

2. Pencils

    I have applied this solution several times to guitars which friends of mine own. Many guitars I have played suffer from this problem (my Epiphone as well); strings get caught at the nut, causing issues with tuning stability. This problem distinguishes itself clearly with a ping-ing noise while tuning up. Even though you may be able to tune the open string to the proper pitch, the string may go out of tune when struck. I use a pencil of some sort - mechanical or wood, it doesn't matter - and rub the lead in the string slots on the nut. If you are not aware, the nut is the piece of material (it can be various materials) which has slots to hold each string at the headstock. The graphite in the pencil lead acts as a lubricant, and allows the strings to slide easier.

3. Meguiar's

   Their name has become synonymous with automotive care products, but they work so well on guitars (see the important note above) that Fender has released polishes and such made by Meguiar's. I use two products that I've found in the automotive section on my PRS: Scratch-X and the Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax. The Scratch-X helps to minimize the surface scratches in your finish; don't expect miracles, but it sure helps. The Carnauba Wax gives the finish a deep, mirror-like shine. If you have a good looking finish, this really helps bring it out. For both products, apply with a non-abrasive cloth (again, microfiber is great), let it dry, then wipe off; I apply the Scratch-X first then the Carnauba Wax.

These methods help keep my guitar playing its best, and make it feel its best in my hands. Rock on!

If you visit here, you will find several videos that I have being posting with the purpose of learning from them. When I record this videos I pay close attention to my mistakes or weak points, then I develop exercises to overcome those weaknesses, but at the same time I share with the world my little knowledge on the guitar, is all about having fun anyways!

Any click is very welcome!

Here is the trick! If you like to learn how to play guitar with freedom you need to be able to have complete control of the right and left hands. You need to have a good cense of timing, recognize pitch, tones and speed. You must be able to play with your eyes close, letting your fingers do the job.

Mistakes? don’t worry about it! They always get in your way, but developing techniques to overcome them is very important.

I remember the first time I try to play my guitar, it was so frustrating, I was scare of crossing strings, or just placing my fingers on the frets, it was painful, uncomfortable and it sounded terrible. I couldn’t play a note clearly and never even dream about playing a song. But due to my interest on the instrument I got better as the time past by. If you are just beginning to play guitar I understand how you feel. But don’t worry, because if I learned it, so you surely can also.

In this lesson I wont teach you all the things that I being learning but I can tell you that I will be posting more lessons and if you fallow them I promise you that you will become a master, maybe even better than me, cause its being hard for me to learn. Maybe there is a big talent hidden inside you, and you don’t even know!

Search for all the basic chords first than all, learn them by heart: C, D, E, F, G, A, B strum your guitar don’t matter if it sounds bad, cause the purpose is to free your hands. Break the barrier that wont let you play. I will be glad to help with the little that I know about guitar. Search for my lessons, and if you know less than me learn from them.

Become a Lead Guitar Master!