A Beginner's Guide to Learning Guitar

Embarking on a musical journey with the guitar is an exciting endeavor. Whether you dream of strumming along to your favorite songs or composing original tunes, this guide provides essential information and resources to help beginners start playing guitar. Many find it a very cool experience to combine music with their studies.

Getting Started: Essential Gear

Before diving into chords and scales, gather the necessary equipment:

Guitar: The first step is to choose the right guitar. Acoustic guitars are excellent for beginners due to their simplicity and portability. The hollow body amplifies the sound, making them ideal for practice anywhere. Electric guitars require additional equipment like an amplifier and cable but offer a different sonic experience. Smaller-sized guitars (1/2 or 3/4) are generally suitable for children. A trip to your local guitar store is in order and try a lot of different types of guitars.
Picks: Essential for strumming and picking strings.
Tuner: To ensure your guitar is in tune.
Strap: For comfortable playing while standing.
Amplifier and Cable (for electric guitars): To amplify the sound of an electric guitar.

Choosing Your Learning Path

There are several avenues to explore when learning to play the guitar. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages:

Free Online Resources: A popular choice, especially for those wanting to test the waters. Platforms like TrueFire offer a vast library of online guitar lessons, from basic techniques to advanced shredding. TrueFire's interactive synced tab is the best way to follow the guitar lessons. Crystal clear multi-angle video guitar lessons are presented with high quality audio. These resources offer flexibility and variety, but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content. Sticking to one teacher or method is advisable.
Guitar Books and DVDs: A traditional approach that provides structured lessons. While books and DVDs offer valuable information, they lack the interactive element of asking questions.
One-on-One Lessons: The standard for personalized instruction. A qualified instructor can tailor lessons to your specific needs and provide immediate feedback. However, finding the right teacher is crucial.
Group Lessons: A more affordable option that offers a supportive learning environment. Learning alongside others can alleviate pressure and create a comfortable atmosphere.
Online Lesson Sites: These platforms offer well-structured learning methods with the added benefit of re-watching videos. Many sites also provide avenues for interaction with instructors.

Initial Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Learning guitar presents some initial challenges:

Finger Pain: Pressing down on the strings can cause discomfort, especially for beginners. Building calluses on your fingertips takes time and practice.
Hand Coordination: Coordinating both hands to fret chords and strum or pick strings requires practice and patience.
Rhythm: Developing a sense of rhythm is essential for playing music. Using a metronome or playing along with recordings can help improve timing.

Foundational Concepts: Chords, Scales, and Tabs

Understanding basic music theory is essential to progress. Fender has all the resources you need to build a solid foundation and embark on your own musical journey. Whether you want to learn your favorite songs or compose your own original tunes, you’ll find what you need among Fender Play’s catalogue of chords, scales, songs and skill-based lessons.

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Guitar Chords

Chords help create harmony in music. Without them, there wouldn’t be much rhythm and music itself would feel incomplete. Most popular instruments are played, with the exception of drums and bass as they pertain to the beat, tempo and adding depth to the harmony.

Chords may be challenging for beginners, as there are different types of chords and various ways to play them. Power chords are some of the first few chords that you’ll learn at School of Rock. Power chords are very common as they are used in rock, classical and modern music today. Power chords are known to be easy for beginners as they focus on two or three strings and frets which makes it easier on the fingers and therefore, easier to play. They can be played on any type of guitar, but are primarily used for electric. When power chords are played on an electric guitar, sounds can be distorted to add more depth and color.

Open chords are great for beginner players as some of the strings are open in the chords. Open chords are similar to power chords as they focus on fewer frets, using fewer fingers and making it easier to play. The only difference is that open chords use all the strings. Your left hand, which you use to fret down on the string, is not used for every string. The common open chords are called CAGED.

Barre chords are very different and tend to be a bit trickier than power and open chords. They are very useful because as you get more skilled and equipped with the guitar, you’ll be able to take the position/shape of the chord and move it up and down the frets to create new chords. In a sense, they’re easier to switch between because you don’t have to change the shape of your fingers, only to move the fingers up and down your guitar. However, they’re known to be hard for beginners because most barre chords focus on one or maybe even two fingers holding down the same fret on different strings at the same time.

Before we look at any open chords, we want to make sure our guitar is fully tuned so when we start playing, the notes will be in key. If you’re having trouble with guitar tuning, check out our article on how to tune your guitar that can give you some good tips to make sure your guitar sounds good before you start playing.

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Now, let’s look at open chords like CAGED and see how we can play them. CAGED is used in the School of Rock performance-based method because the majority of the songs that students perform will use these chords. Each letter in the word CAGED stands for a chord. A chord diagram shows what strings are being played, what frets are used, and which fingers are on each fret. The diagram is read horizontally. The first line is your low E string and the last line is your high E string. Think of it as if you’re holding the guitar upright in front of your face. The x stands for muted strings which means it’s not played at all. The O, or circles on top, stands for an open string which means no finger is on any fret on those strings but it’s still being played. The numbers are on particular frets but they don’t represent the fret that is being played on. The numbers represent which finger is on that fret: 1= index finger, 2= middle finger, 3= ring finger and 4= pinky. You want to figure out what fret it’s on by looking at the box from the top to down. The first box represents the first fret and so forth. As an example, in the A Major chord, all the frets are on the second fret. However, your index finger is on the second fret of the D string, middle is underneath, and ring finger is underneath that. Besides CAGED, here are some other guitar chords that are commonly used and are easy for beginners.

Chord diagrams

A chord diagram is read a bit differently than reading tablature. Tablature is used to help guitarists by reading notes and finding where those notes are on the guitar. When it comes to tablature, the lines represent the strings and are read vertically as shown below. The bottom line represents your lower E string and the top represents your higher E string. As you go up on the Tablature, it’s as if, when you’re holding the guitar, you’re going down on the strings. The numbers on the TAB represent which fret you’re playing. O stands for open string and the numbers stand for frets. Therefore, even though both diagrams look different, you don’t want to confuse reading a chord diagram the same way you read TAB and vice versa.

Chord diagrams are super useful as they not only show you how to play the chords, but they also show you the correct fingers to use to play the chord so it’ll make it easier to transition between them. The more you practice, the more they’ll be committed to memory and you’ll no longer have to look at the diagram. Make sure that your fingers are as close to the fret as possible. What does that mean? On the guitar, there are little bars that separate each fret. You’ll want to keep your finger close to those little bars but not directly on them. Use your fingertips. This is where you’ll get the most sound. When it comes to placing the fingers on the frets, you want to place right on your fingertip or close to the fingertip and make sure that you keep your finger arched, almost like a C. Play each note/string by itself. Why is this important? Practice fretting and unfretting a chord. What does that mean? You want to practice with your fingers on and off the fretboard.

Guitar Scales

Scales are an organized series of notes that can be played in an ascending or descending order, and they are a great way to develop your ear, build finger strength and learn songs faster.

Blues Scale: A six-note progression that sounds right at home in blues, rock, and country music.
E Minor Scale:
G Major Scale: A popular scale that is very similar to the E minor scale, as they both have the same notes, just with different starting points.
C Major Scale: A great guitar scale for beginners to start with because many other instruments, like the piano, are played in the key of C.

Power Chords

Power chords are easier than open guitar chords but are very similar to barre chords. How? Compared to open guitar chords, power chords have fewer notes which means they use fewer frets and fewer strings. However, the chords for both are very similar. Before it gets more confusing, let’s look at it a bit more deeply. Let’s think of an example of an A major chord and an A5 power chord. The A Major chord has the notes A, C# and E. The A5 power chord has the notes A and E. The A Major chord focuses on the root, third and fifth while the A5 focuses on the root, fifth and octave (same note as the root). In essence, they are almost the same chord. The only difference is the power chord doesn’t have the third. Also, when it comes to power chords, they are neither major or minor. The third in a chord is what determines if it's major or minor. Since a power chord doesn’t have the third, they can be used where a major or minor chord is called for. Compared to barre chords, power chords are very similar but are easier to play. Power chords can be played in many different ways. There are three string power chords that can be played like a barre chord using the barre technique. What is the barre technique? What types of music can you practice with power chords? Classic rock music and even some pop music today focus heavily on power chords. In the Rock 101 program, beginner guitarists would learn power chords for this type of music.

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Practice Tips for Beginners

Set Realistic Goals: Begin with simple chords and songs.
Practice Regularly: Consistent practice, even for short periods, is more effective than sporadic long sessions.
Use a Metronome: To develop timing and rhythm.
Record Yourself: To identify areas for improvement.
Find a Practice Space: Choose a comfortable and quiet environment where you can focus. A guitar stand is recommended to keep the instrument visible and accessible.
Take Breaks: Avoid burnout by taking regular breaks during practice sessions.

Popular Beginner Songs

Once you've mastered a few basic chords, try playing some simple songs. Many songs use easy guitar music chords. Here are a few suggestions:

The Beatles - "She Loves You": Released in 1963, "She Loves You" is the Beatles' best-selling single, with the simple call-and-response refrain of "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" catching fire around the world.
Green Day - "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)": In the key of G and uses the G, C, Cadd9, and D5 power chords. Using a C and a G chord guitar shape is very common in pop and rock.
Wheezer - "Island in the Sun": Uses four chords throughout the song. Em, Am, D, G.
Green Day - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams": In the key of Fm and uses the chords Em, G, D and A.
The Beatles - "Let It Be": With this song, you can use power chords or open chords. The song uses the C, G, Am and F open chords.
Green Day - "When I Come Around": The whole song uses power chords.
Neil Young - "Rockin’ In the Free World": Starts off with power chords then goes into a mixture of open and power chords.

The Importance of Proper Guitar Setup

Guitars have many adjustments that can make them play a lot easier. You will need help for this step. Find someone local that you know knows a bit about guitars. If you don’t know anyone that knows about guitars, take it to a local music store and ask if they could help you set up your guitar. Heavy gauge strings are tough to press down and require a good bit of hand strength.There are many different gauges of strings available. For beginners, it is better to start out with light gauge strings. They are much easier on the fingers. An example of light gauge string for an electric guitar would be a pack of 9’s. That would mean that the high E sting would be .009 or 9 thousandths of an inch.

Overcoming Frustration and Staying Motivated

Learning guitar can be challenging, and it's normal to experience frustration. Here are some tips to stay motivated:

Set Realistic Expectations: Progress takes time and effort.
Celebrate Small Victories: Acknowledge and appreciate your accomplishments.
Find a Practice Buddy: Learning with a friend can provide support and encouragement.
Join a Community: Connect with other guitarists online or in person.
Remember Why You Started: Focus on the joy of making music.

The School of Rock Method

With the School of Rock method of teaching, students will take what they learn in the lesson room to start performing in front of a live audience. Students will learn how to play the parts of lead or rhythm guitarist. Lead guitarists focus more on the melody, riffs and guitar solos while rhythm guitarists play chords and use different techniques such as strumming and fingerpicking.

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