Simple guitar lessons. How to learn to play the guitar: help for beginners. Chord shapes you need to remember: G, C, Dm, E, Am

We offer a selection of six-string guitar lessons for beginners. There is a minimum of boring theory, but a lot of exciting practice. We illustrate all the necessary information with diagrams, photographs and videos, how and what to play. Now learning to play the guitar has become easy - watch and repeat! If there are any lessons missing, or if you have any questions, please write to us. VKontakte, V Facebook, Twitter or just as a comments to our guides to the world of guitar. Our playing lessons are guitar lessons from scratch, from tips on choosing an instrument to the heights of soloing on this instrument.

Choosing a guitar and electric guitar

Before you decide to take such a step, how to start mastering the guitar, you need to understand how it should sound: classical, acoustic and electric guitar in different styles music.

Tips for choosing a manufacturer; the material from which the guitar is made; the effect of pickups and wood on sound. Tips on how to behave with a salesperson in a store.

The article provides diagrams with explanations: notes on the guitar neck and their location on the staff, notes on the guitar in the form of letters, location of notes on the guitar tablature.

We suggest you master tuning your guitar by ear at the fifth fret. This method is the most popular among guitarists when tuning a guitar. Read the guide on this method of tuning a guitar.

If you have a seven-string guitar, then it can be configured to play romances and Russian classics, or to play rock. We give advice on how to set up the instrument in both ways. And you see for yourself which formation is best to play in.

After advice, you need to move on to practice. Extract the reference sound of notes from our tuning fork and adjust the strings of your guitar to them.

If you are the owner of an electric guitar, or you have a microphone at home, then the instrument can be configured using this application. How to use it, as well as guitar tuning options, see the description of the application. Happy iPhone owners can download this tuner to their phone.

Correct hand position when playing

It is the right hand that produces sounds on the guitar. And the pick (or fingers) is your “bow”. The beauty of the performance, the depth of sound and the unique timbre of the instrument when you are behind it depend on how you know how to wield the bow. No guitar lessons for beginners would be complete without an article of this kind.

Correct positioning of the left hand will help you not to experience difficulties in increasing the speed of the game and will help you correctly perform certain strokes and techniques. The article provides an overview of how classical production left hand and blues style delivery. Most rock musicians, due to the use of such touches as bending, use blues production with their left.

To learn chords, you first need to understand how it is written in chord diagrams.

Don't know how to play a chord? Take advantage of this service. In just a second you will get the 6 most common variations of the chord you are looking for. Now all you have to do is choose the option that is most convenient for you.

This article contains the simplest and most necessary chords for beginners. Master them - consider that you have learned to play the guitar. Many students begin their first guitar lessons from this point.

Sometimes in songbooks you will find chord symbols such as Am/E, E/G# or C/G. What kind of chords are these and how to play them, read the link.

If you don't know how to play this or that chord with a fraction, take a look at this table

Many beginners struggle with barre chords. And there are two options: either you learn to play it (and use our tips, see below), or look for chords that will help you play the F chord without barre

We offer a life hack for playing the H chord without barre. We hope you will find something for yourself from the given fingerings.

The article discusses the issue of different designations for the same chords with a base from the note C. Why do they write B, Bb, H, but mean the same chord? All chord variations with the letter B.

Accompaniment Basics

You can play the guitar not only with the help of strumming, but also with the help of various fingerpicks. We will show you the most common of them.

This article provides simple and accessible information about the basics that every guitarist needs. musical literacy, like notes and note durations, beats and meters in music, musical rhythm and tempo, strong and weak beats musical beat, syncopation and beat.

The guitar is a specific instrument. Her playing can be recorded not only with notes on five lines, but also with the help of tabs (tablature). About how to read tabs and we're talking about in the article.

A big difficulty at the initial stage of mastering the guitar is the slow rearrangement of chords. After all, the song should not “wait” for the guitarist to move his fingers for the next chord.

All you need is an effective system that will make it easy to remember all the guitar chords and their order. What you need to do and what you need to avoid, see in this article, and then mastering the guitar from scratch will be a real holiday for you.

Barre is the technique that makes a guitar a guitar. It is quite difficult to master for beginning guitarists. But there are a few exercises that can help you play barre. Barre is not difficult.

First of all, you need to play smoothly. This skill is taught by the online metronome.

Do strings break often? There are reasons for this, don’t you think? Let's look at why they tear and what needs to be done to avoid such trouble.

A good instrument is a well-tuned, clean instrument. Take care of your guitar and it will last you a very long time.

Many people consider mastering the guitar an impossible task that takes them for many years. This is partly true, but only if you want to master the instrument at a professional level.

Much more often, people want to learn to play the guitar in order to perform their favorite songs in a company or just for fun. In this case, training will not take much effort and time: in two to three months you can easily learn the basic chords and ways of playing.

Don't give up, even if you've already had a bad experience. Talent is only a tenth of success. Determination and regular practice are much more important.

What you will need

Guitar.
Wish. It is even more important than the tool itself.
Time to study. You can do it easily too, if the desire is strong enough. Moreover, 30 minutes a day will be enough for you.
Teaching aids. There are no problems with them at all: you can buy a tutorial in a bookstore, watch video lessons on YouTube, and find chords on the Internet.

As you can see, nothing supernatural.

Choosing and purchasing a guitar

Let's assume that you have the desire and time. All you have to do is get the tools. They say that any guitar is suitable for a beginner, but this is not true. When the strings touch the frets and cut into your fingers, and the guitar does not stay in tune, there can be no talk of any progress.

A bad instrument will almost certainly discourage you from learning.

Therefore it is better to find good guitar. At first, you can borrow an instrument from one of your friends, and then, if things work out and you like it, get your own. Not necessarily expensive and branded, the main thing is more or less high quality.

There are two main types acoustic guitars: classical and dreadnought (western). There is an opinion that they are more suitable for beginners classical guitars due to the wide neck and nylon strings. The first feature reduces the chances of accidentally touching an unnecessary string with your fingers, because the distance between the strings is greater than that of a dreadnought. Yes, and ourselves nylon strings softer than metal ones, so they don’t dig into your fingertips so much and cause less calluses.

On the other hand, if performing classical compositions is not part of your plans, it is better to immediately take a dreadnought. This guitar sounds louder and more resonant due to metal strings, and on a narrower neck it is more convenient to play chords. Again, when playing on metal strings, your fingers will become rougher faster and there will be no more calluses.

As a compromise, you can take a dreadnought and replace the metal strings with nylon ones, at least for the duration of training.

When going to the store to buy a guitar, take a friend with you who knows how to play: each instrument has many little details and a beginner may simply not notice them. Choose a guitar not only by appearance, but also for convenience. Pay attention to the possibility of adjusting the neck, the tuning mechanism, and the strings.

Getting to know the guitar

The tool is purchased (or borrowed from friends), and you are one step closer to the goal. Take a close look at the guitar.

The larger part is called the soundboard. A neck is attached to it, ending with a head with pegs: with the help of them the strings are stretched.

The neck is divided into frets by metal sills, against which the strings are pressed to produce sound. The first fret is at the headstock, the last is at the soundboard.

There are only six strings. The countdown starts from the bottom, thinnest one.

Guitar tuning

Before you try to play, your guitar needs to be tuned. Don't be alarmed, even a beginner can do this. And without this skill you will not be able to play.

By tuner

You will need a tuner in the form of a separate device (you can buy it in a music store or on AliExpress) or an application for your smartphone. In both cases, tuning consists of alternately tightening or loosening all the strings in accordance with the tuner's prompts.

By the fifth fret

This method does not require any additional equipment. Its essence is that the strings, clamped on certain frets, sound in unison and can be adjusted relative to each other.

According to the rules, the first string should be tuned to the note E, using a tuner (for example, its online version) or another tuned instrument as a reference. However, this only makes sense when playing in a group, so that all instruments sound in the same key.

If you play alone, or even just learn, then the first string can be adjusted arbitrarily by approximately selecting its tension. All others are configured like this:

Press the second string at the fifth fret and loosen or tighten until it sounds the same as the open first string.
Press the third string at the fourth fret and tune it in unison with the open second string.
Press the fourth string at the fifth fret and adjust it to the open third string.
Press the fifth on the fifth fret and adjust it to the open fourth.
The sixth is clamped in the same way on the fifth fret and tuned in unison with the open fifth.

It sounds complicated, but in reality everything is simpler than simple. Each string pressed at the fifth fret should sound in unison with the previous, lower string. The only exception is the third string: it must be clamped not on the fifth, but on the fourth fret.

The setup process itself is also extremely simple. For example, to tune the second string, you need to loosen it, and then pull the open first string and gradually rotate the second peg until the sound of both strings merges into one tone. That's it.

Let's try to play

Finally we got to the most interesting part - the game itself. It seems there is nothing complicated here. Know to press the strings with your left hand and hit them with your right: you’ve seen this a million times and probably tried it yourself. Why then doesn't it work? The strings rattle, the pads of your fingers burn, and your joints become tired and stiff.

It's all about experience, which comes with practice.

Take your guitar and sit on the edge of a chair or sofa, crossing your legs or placing your left foot on a low stand, such as a stack of books. This way the instrument will not rest against the chair and slide off your leg.

The right arm should be relaxed and the hand should not be twisted. The left one covers the fingerboard, but the thumb is always parallel to the frets. There is also no need to squeeze the bar as hard as you can, otherwise your hand will quickly get tired.

You already know that fret numbering starts from the headstock, and strings - from the thinnest, bottom. Try playing random notes by pressing the first string with your index finger on different frets. Try to fully press the string so that it sounds clear. It won't be easy, but over time the technique will improve.

Try playing on other strings, as well as using other fingers, letting them get used to it.

Playing melodies on one string

Just making sounds is boring. Therefore, to make it more interesting, you can learn simple melodies on one string and practice on them. Here are some example tunes.

Classic “A grasshopper sat in the grass”:

"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple:

Introduction to “ Iron Man"Black Sabbath:

Melody from the movie "Boomer":

"Imperial March" from Star Wars:

Spend some time playing on one string. Bring your actions to automaticity and achieve coordinated work of both hands. Practice until the melodies sound smooth and clear, without stopping or stuttering.

During this time, your fingers will get used to the loads, which means you can move on to more complex things.

Playing chords

The next step you have to climb is playing chords. This is much more difficult than single string melodies, but don't be discouraged. Once you learn the chords, you will be able to play full songs.

The principle here is the same, but you will need to press not one string, but several at once: usually three, less often two or four. There are many chords. However, to perform most songs, only five to seven are enough. First, let's learn the three main, so-called thieves chords: Am, Dm, E.

All chords are indicated in Latin letters depending on the main note:

C - before;
D - re;
E - mi;
F - fa;
G - salt;
A - la;
H - si.

If there is a small letter m next to the chord symbol, this means that the chord is minor. If there is no such prefix - major. Chords are read either by letter designation or by name. For example, “a-um” (Am) or “G major” (G).

Chord patterns are called fingerings. A neck with strings is drawn on them. Frets are signed with Roman numerals. Arabic denotes the strings and - in circles - the fingers that should be used to press the strings (1 - index, 2 - middle, and so on). A zero opposite the string means an open sound (unpressed string), and a cross means that the string should not sound.

Let's return to our thieves chords. Here are their fingerings:

To play an Am chord, you need to press the second string on the first fret with your index finger, the fourth string on the second fret with your middle finger, and the third string on the second fret with your ring finger.

The rest of the chords are taken using the same principle: we look at which frets and which strings need to be pressed.

With these three chords you can already play simple yard or army songs. But it’s better to learn three more chords, with which your repertoire will expand significantly. Here they are:

There shouldn't be any difficulties with the first two, but the third one is a little different from the previous ones. It uses barre - a technique where the index finger is used to pinch all the strings on one fret. Barre chords are a little more difficult than open chords, but with practice you can get the hang of them.

As always, to make learning more interesting, you can practice on some song right away. For example, on the canonical “Pack of Cigarettes” by the group “Kino” or “Vakhteram” by “Boombox”.

You can also find any other songs that you like on the Internet (for example, by searching for “Louboutin chords”). If you come across unfamiliar chords in the selection, you can try to find another one or simply learn something new.

Fight and bust

There are two ways of sound production: busting and fighting. Some songs are played only by fingerpicking or only by strumming, others by both methods. The same chords are used, the only difference is whether you pluck the strings with your fingers or hit them.

Overkill, like fighting, exists huge amount. And they are, of course, different in different songs. Usually, in the analysis, along with the chords, it is indicated which fingering or strumming should be played.

Let's look at some of the most common ones as an example. You'll learn the rest as you go.

What's next

Now that you have become acquainted with the basics, studied the chords and have gained some experience, the main thing is not to give up on your training. Your fingers will get sore and tangled when changing chords, and the strings won't always sound.

Don't stop under any circumstances and just keep playing. Every day you will do better and better, and in the end you will achieve your goal.

Finally, a few tips that will help you learn to play the guitar on your own and won’t let you despair:

Always use multiple sources of information to fill in possible gaps and inaccuracies from one teacher to another.
Play every day: Regular exercise will boost your confidence. Remember that talent is only a tenth of success, the rest is practice.
Once you've learned a couple of songs and are comfortable performing them, be sure to invite your friends over and play for them. Listeners will help develop and point out shortcomings.

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Having set ourselves the goal of mastering something new, we often run into the same question: where to start? The same problem arises for a person who decides to learn to play the guitar on his own. Our article will tell you how you can learn the basics of playing the guitar at home from scratch and quite quickly.

What is important is that below is the easiest and fastest way to learn to play the guitar. Here we will not suggest you study notes and theory. Just practice!

Guitar. First of all, you will need the guitar itself. But don't rush to spend money. If you have the opportunity to borrow a guitar from friends, then by all means take advantage of it. What if you don't like it? You will always have time to buy a guitar, but selling an inexpensive instrument is very problematic. But if you still have a burning desire to become a great guitarist, then this article will help you with choosing a guitar: How to choose an acoustic guitar?
Settings. In order for a guitar to delight you and your neighbors with its sound, it must always be in tune. Therefore, you need to learn how to configure it yourself. The process is not particularly complicated and is well described in almost any tutorial. You can find an online tuner on the Internet. If you have a microphone in your computer, then using it it is very easy to tune each string to the appropriate note. If not, it doesn’t matter: look for a tuner online that produces the sound of each string. It is very easy to tune your instrument based on the sounding string.
Correct posture and hand placement. Please pay SPECIAL attention to correct posture and hand placement. This is very important because... playing incorrectly will not only hinder your progress in the future, but can also cause overwork, muscle tightness and other unpleasant “sores”. There is a lot of material on the Internet with photos and videos on hand placement and landing. But ideally, it is better to take 2-3 lessons from a professional guitarist. No matter how hard you try yourself, you can see better from the outside. Good professional will easily detect all your mistakes in the bud, which will have a beneficial effect on your learning in the future. Correct landing is a big asset for future progress.
In general, there are 2 types of landing: classic and fatal. Each type of planting has its pros and cons; we will not describe them here. It’s easier to position your hands - there are several unshakable rules that will help you easily pinch the strings, play with strumming and plucking.
Regarding sound production, it is worth paying attention special attention right hand. Correct sound production is a necessary condition for the purity of your music. There are many exercises for the right hand in the tutorials. Do them separately first, only right hand. Then - together with the left, changing chords. This will help develop hand coordination. As a result, it will not be difficult for you to play the rhythm with your right hand and press the chords with your left.
Chords. Now that the guitar is tuned, you can start learning chords. They are in all tutorials and on the Internet. Start with simple ones, for example Am, Em, Dm, etc. After learning a few chords, try changing them. For example, Am to Dm, etc. A quick change of chords is practiced as follows: take 2 chords and within one minute move from one to another: Am-Dm-Am-Dm... And so on for a minute. At first it will be difficult, your fingers, as if made of wood, will reluctantly search for the right place on the frets. But after a few days of consistent practice at home, you will feel progress.
Right hand technique. If you are not an ardent electric guitar fan, then forget about the pick at first. You need to master the finger technique. There are 2 options for playing with the right hand: combat and bust. Accordingly, there is different types battles and various searches. Mastering them yourself will not be difficult, it’s just a matter of time.
Songs. So, we have a minimum set of knowledge and skills. What's next? The simplest thing is to start practicing chords, strumming and strumming on songs. Find a few easy songs that you like and play them. Slow songs are sung with strumming, fast songs with strumming. At first it will be difficult to remember the chords and move your fingers in time. However, this skill develops quite quickly. And in just a few weeks it won’t be difficult for you to play more than half of the repertoire of the average “drive-in” guitarist. Yes, and don’t try to sing on the guitar right away. And don’t be too upset that you can’t sing and play at the same time - we’ve all gone through this stage :) First, practice the accompaniment until it becomes automatic and only then start singing along.
Performance of compositions. How to learn guitar compositions? Learning to read music requires serious effort and time. A simpler option is to play using tablature. These are schematic images that show which string to press on which fret. Today there are many computer programs, which represent music in the form of tablature. The most popular is Guitar Pro. Download a few simple tablatures and practice them. This will allow you to learn new playing techniques and take your game to the next level.
So, how to learn to play the guitar from scratch on your own and at home? Of course, the path described in this article is not the only correct one. If you already have some musical experience behind you, or have an irresistible desire to approach the issue thoroughly, then you can immediately start learning with theory. Learn notes, scales, modes, and how they all apply on the guitar. However, for a person who picks up an instrument for the first time, such an abundance of theoretical information will most likely lose any desire to study music in the future. I would like to immediately learn the minimum basics.
I wish you creative success!

Hello to all new and aspiring guitarists! So I finally decided to write an article that, I hope, will help you understand well how and where to start playing the electric guitar. You will also learn about processing guitar sound, various guitar effects, connecting a guitar to an amplifier, and also learn what straplock and tablature are.

Guitar sound

So, let's get started. If you pick it up and (without plugging it in) play a couple of chords, you will find that it sounds very quiet and poor compared to an acoustic guitar. This happens because it is a solid piece of wood. Well, or several pieces glued together. There are, however, very cheap guitars made of sawdust, or plywood - with them you can amaze ignorant friends with your cool look, but it is not recommended to play them.

A real “guitar” sound can be obtained through one or through a chain of several (for experienced guitarists the number reaches almost a dozen) so-called (“gadgets”) in a special combo amplifier (in common parlance “combination”).

A beginner's amp usually has a transistor amp. Its main advantages are reliability and low price. Tube combo amplifiers, as a rule, are an order of magnitude more expensive than transistor ones; in addition, the electric lamps in them must be changed periodically (about once every six months). What are the benefits of tube amplifiers? I’ll tell you a secret - the topic of “tube sound versus transistor sound” has been the cause of more than one holy war, we’ll just note that tube amplifiers give a more “correct” guitar sound. Moreover, as the volume increases, the sound of a tube amplifier becomes more and more “correct,” while the transistor one becomes more and more desirable to turn off.

Effects pedals

When it comes to effects pedals, there really is a wide variety of them. And each gives its own unique sound. They are called pedals because they are small boxes on which, in addition to various controls, there is a power button (also known as the power button), which the guitarist presses with his foot. Well, the box itself, accordingly, lies on the floor. This button is often designed in a manner somewhat reminiscent of a car pedal - hence the name.

Perhaps the most popular type of effect is distortion(English distortion - “distortion”). It is used by a large number of musicians playing music various styles- from pop rock to heavy, aggressive styles like thrash metal. To get an idea of the sound distortion produces, I suggest listening to the beginning of the song “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit.

However, if you want to play a solo (if anyone doesn’t already know what “playing a solo” means, let me explain - when playing a solo, the sound is produced using only one string at one specific moment in time). So, distortion would be a bad choice here, this effect distorts the signal too much. Another very common type of effect is good for soloing - overdrive(English overdrive - “overload”). It distorts the signal minimally, and when used solo, it sounds intelligible and melodious.

When the pedal is off, it allows sound to pass through without making any changes. This makes it possible to include effects in a chain - sequentially, so that you can quickly switch from one to another - turn off one, turn on the other and that's it - no switching wires.

IN real life A guitarist often needs to switch entire groups of effects while playing, but he only has two legs. For such cases, they came up with a special switch pedal - the so-called footswitch(English footswitch - “foot switch”).

Another very common effect is delay(English delay - “delay”). It works in conjunction with other effects. Its essence is that the sound of one note becomes longer, as if stretched out in time. As a rule, delay works in tandem with overdrive, but options are possible here, because people’s imagination is limitless, and if these people are also guitarists...

Also, there are more complex devices - effects processors. These are digital devices that can emulate sound large number various and combo amplifiers. With their help, you can play directly “in line” (that is, into a regular amplifier or the input of a computer sound card). Their main advantage is their size. A small processor is much more convenient than a suitcase of gadgets and a huge combo to boot. But, firstly, emulation is emulation, no matter how high-quality it is, and secondly, you cannot press your foot on the processor - you need to turn its numerous switches, and this is not always acceptable due to lack of time.

Don't forget that the effects pedal requires its own power - usually a 9-volt Krona battery. Instead, you can connect a network adapter to almost all gadgets.

How to connect everything?

Both the guitar and the effects are connected using “ ” type connectors at the ends. It should be said that the shorter the cable, the better, the less sound distortion there will be, the less your combo will pick up the radio, and combos, oddly enough, really like to listen to the radio. This is especially true for the cable connecting the guitar and the “gadget”. Its best length is 2-3 meters, no more.

Also, a lot depends on the quality of the plugs and the wire itself. The law here is simple: the more expensive, the better (by the way, anyone who knows how to solder can easily make a cable for the same money, using components of higher quality than in a ready-made factory cable). Thus, if your chain looks like “guitar - effects pedal - amp”, you will need two jack-to-jack connecting cables.

Safety precautions: belt and straps

Let's say that we have already connected the guitar, and our hands immediately reached out to play something on it. Now, now, one more note regarding safety precautions. Inspect your guitar, see how it is attached to it. Most likely, you will see such “hats”, to which the belt is attached on both sides.

The belt has holes with slots into which the “hats” fit and the guitar is held on the belt by its own weight. The most common mistake beginner guitarists make is throwing the strap over themselves without checking to see if the end of the strap is twisted.

Ironically, very often the belt is locked in the wrong position. When this happens, the guitar falls to the ground as soon as you let go, which is quite unfortunate.

In order to protect guitarists from such collisions, and expensive instruments from irreparable injuries, the so-called streplocks(English straplock - “belt lock”). The strap locks are built in (or rather, screwed in) in place of the “hats” and securely fasten the belt in any position. Most new guitars are released by manufacturers without straplocks, as if leaving the guitarist a choice - to put on the guitar those straplocks that he likes best.

Let's play rock!

So, I sincerely want to believe that you got to this point in the article with already connected and. Let's try to play something!

To be honest, I feel bad for those beginners who are forced to play immortal things like “A grasshopper sat in the grass” when they get acquainted with the instrument. The man decided to play the electric guitar, he has already stocked up on “Metalzone”, he wants it to be louder and heavier, and you give him “Grasshopper”.

Therefore, I propose to learn how to play a simple, but at the same time nicely driving riff from the song “Fight For Your Right” by the Beastie Boys. At the same time we will find out what “ power chords” and how tabs are written.

First, let's listen to a fragment of the song, the riff to which we will learn to play.

In this song, the guitarist uses a distortion type effect. I recommend not turning on the distortion at first, but simply playing directly into the amp (guitarists call this “ clean” – pure sound). Playing on a clean sound will let you understand what mistakes are being made, where your finger went in the wrong place, where else what happened. It is important for beginners to remember that playing through distortion will cover up individual mistakes. It’s not that they are invisible, it’s just more difficult to understand where you made a mistake.

The riff of our training song is entirely built on the so-called power chords(English: power chords – “power chords”). Although generally accepted musically They are not exactly chords, but they sound really unusually powerful even without overdrive, which is why they got their name. Power chords are ubiquitous in rock music. There is even a special guitar tuning for playing power chords - Drop D. More about it below.

What is tablature?

Musicians write down how to play a particular composition using notes. For guitarists, a more convenient form of recording is tablature(""). On the tabs, each string has its own line. Here you go, clean tablature:

1) —————————————-

2) —————————————-

3) —————————————-

4) —————————————-

5) —————————————-

6) —————————————-

The top line corresponds to the most thin string, the bottom one is, accordingly, the thickest. You can also find this version of tablature - with letters - everything is the same here:

E|—————————————

B|—————————————

G|—————————————

D|—————————————

A|—————————————

E|—————————————

And now, please love and favor, here they are - tabs for our educational song:

E|————————————————-

B|————————————————-

G|———————5-7——5-7————

D|—7—————-7-5-7-7-7-5-7——-

A|—7—————-7-3-5-7-7-3-5——-

E|5-5—————-5——5-5—————-

E|—————————————————

B|—————————————————

G|———————-5-7——5-7————-

D|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7—7-5-7-7-7—5-7

A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7—7-3-5-7-7—3-5

E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5—5——5-5———

x x x x x x x x x

The numbers on the corresponding line indicate the fret number that needs to be pressed while pulling the string. If the numbers are located at the same level vertically, then the corresponding frets need to be clamped simultaneously, i.e. play . The number 0 means that the string should be pulled without pinching.

So, we see that the first number in the tablature is 5 on the bottom line. Those. you need to clamp the fifth fret on the thickest one. The letter “x” under the number means that the note should be muted. This means that when you pluck a string with a pick, use the edge of your right palm (if you are right-handed) to lightly press the strings at a distance of 3-4 cm from the tailpiece.

The string on the fifth fret must be held with the thumb of your left hand. We need to pluck this way for the reason that immediately after we hit the first note, we need to hit a power chord. The thumb remains in place, and the middle and index fingers move to the seventh fret. “we go through” three strings at once (namely the lower three; we should not touch the remaining strings). In this case, there is no need to mute the notes - there is no cross (the letter “x”) under the numbers.

Clamp the power chord

After a pause we start playing the main riff. The power chord on strings three to five is plucked in the same way:

We press a power chord on strings 3-5. After the main riff comes the following fragment:

E|——————————

B|——————————

G|——————————

D|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7—

A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7—

E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5—

x x x x x x x x x

I think it’s already clear to you how to play it. The result should be the “j-j-j” sound, which is extremely beloved by all fans of heavy music.

I advise you to first practice playing at a slow pace. Then, when you get some skill, you can turn on the sample and try to play along with the Beastie Boys.

Now, as promised, a few words about the system Drop D. It differs from the standard tuning only in that the thickest (sixth) string is weakened by an additional two frets. That is, if in standard tuning the sixth string, clamped at the fifth fret, sounds like an unclamped fifth, then in Drop D tuning it should sound like the fifth, being clamped already at the 7th fret.

What does this give? Now all power chords that are played on the last three strings can be pressed with just one finger. Consequently, you can move between chords much faster than with standard tuning. Metalheads really like this fact, because... they often have to move quickly from chord to chord in a low key.

I hope that the article will be useful for beginners. In it, I tried to answer the questions that arose in my mind when getting acquainted with the electric guitar. Good luck in mastering the instrument!

Many people consider mastering the guitar an overwhelming task that takes many years. This is partly true, but only if you want to master the instrument at a professional level.

Don't give up, even if you've already had a bad experience. Talent is only a tenth of success. Determination and regular practice are much more important.

What you will need

Guitar.
Wish. It is even more important than the tool itself.
Time to study. You can do it easily too, if the desire is strong enough. Moreover, 30 minutes a day will be enough for you.
Teaching aids. There are no problems with them at all: you can buy a tutorial in a bookstore, watch video lessons on YouTube, and find chords on the Internet.

As you can see, nothing supernatural.

Choosing and purchasing a guitar

A bad instrument will almost certainly discourage you from learning.

Therefore, it is better to find a good guitar. At first, you can borrow an instrument from one of your friends, and then, if things work out and you like it, get your own. Not necessarily expensive and branded, the main thing is more or less high quality.

There are two main types of acoustic guitars: classical and dreadnought (western). There is an opinion that classical guitars are more suitable for beginners due to the wide neck and nylon strings. The first feature reduces the chances of accidentally touching an unnecessary string with your fingers, because the distance between the strings is greater than that of a dreadnought. And the nylon strings themselves are softer than metal ones, so they don’t dig into your fingertips as much and cause less calluses.

As a compromise, you can take a dreadnought and replace the metal strings with nylon ones, at least for the duration of training.

When going to the store to buy a guitar, take a friend with you who knows how to play: each instrument has many little details and a beginner may simply not notice them. Choose a guitar not only by appearance, but also by convenience. Pay attention to the possibility of adjusting the neck, the tuning mechanism, and the strings.

Getting to know the guitar

The tool is purchased (or borrowed from friends), and you are one step closer to the goal. Take a close look at the guitar.

The larger part is called the soundboard. A neck is attached to it, ending with a head with pegs: with the help of them the strings are stretched.

The neck is divided into frets by metal sills, against which the strings are pressed to produce sound. The first fret is at the headstock, the last is at the soundboard.

There are only six strings. The countdown starts from the bottom, thinnest one.

Guitar tuning

Before you try to play, your guitar needs to be tuned. Don't be alarmed, even a beginner can do this. And without this skill you will not be able to play.