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7. What is a metronome?

A metronome is a device used to mark time by means of regularly recurring ticks or flashes at adjustable intervals. This device is very important for developing the guitar student's rhythm. Good rhythm (or playing in time) is usually the biggest challenge for the guitar student. Using a metronome trains the student to play in time. I can't over emphasize how important a metronome is. Metronomes are available at your local music store.

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8. What is a capo (cheater bar)?

A capo is small movable bar placed across the finger board of a guitar that raises the pitch. A capo is a great tool for playing your open chords in all the keys. They are used more in acoustic folk music than in other genres. A few examples are Fire and Rain by James Taylor, Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, and A Man Of Constant Sorrow from the movie Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Bluegrass and Folk players such as Doc Watson and Tony Rice use them frequently.

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9. Is using a capo a crutch?

If you avoid learning barre chords and everytime someone says the words "flat" or "sharp" you reach for your capo, then yes, it is a crutch. However, the capo is an essential tool when used properly and I highly recommend them.

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10. How do I know when it's time to change strings?

If the strings have a dull color, sound dead, muted, or are hard to tune, then it's time to change them. Many beginners don't realize their strings are dead until they hear how good their guitar sounds with new strings.

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11. What is a key? What does it mean when someone says playing in the key of G, the key of C, etc.?

Simply put, it means there are certain chords that always sound good together. See FAQ 17 and 24 for a list of the basic chords in each key.

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12. Should I learn to finger pick, use a flat pick, or a thumb pick? 

There are three styles of right hand technique that are commonly used. Finger style, flatpicking, and a combination of both. The style of music you play will have a bearing on the style of picking you choose. Classical guitarists usually use finger style exclusively. Chet Atkins uses a thumb pick and his fingers. Chet has a style that is unique and most players that use a thumb pick emulate his style. Tommy Emmanuel, Doyle Dikes, James Taylor, Leo Kottke, and Michael Hedges are a few popular finger style players. The legendary Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang used flat picks. Flatpicking guitar has become style of playing that is popular in Bluegrass and Folk music. A flatpicking guitarist usually works out fast traditional fiddle tunes on the guitar. Developing the ability to play as quick as a fiddler is an impressive accomplishment. Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Dan Crary and Steve Kaufman are a few examples of great flatpicking guitarists. Eric Johnson, Steve Morse and Phil Keaggy are masters of mixing both styles.

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13. Should I learn to read music?

There has been many discussions and many musicians treat this as a philosophical subject. One extreme says you aren't a true musician unless you read music. The other extreme is very proud that they learned to play guitar without reading music. Music notation is the language of musicians. If you walk into a library and pick up a book but you can't read the English language then the book is useless to you. It's the same with sight reading. We have a rich heritage of music from centuries past. Music that people spent their lives creating is at our disposal if we are able to read music. If you are a serious musician and you are unable to read music there will probably come a day when you wish you did.. On the other hand, some of my favorite musicians could not read music and yet were considered master musicians. Using tablature is useful especially for players that use altered tunings or play multiple instruments. The down side of using tab is you aren't learning the names of the notes as you learn songs. Also, If you use tab there is a good chance you'll avoid notation because tab is easier. Unlike tabs, with notation you are reading music and learning the names of the notes on the guitar fret board. With tabs you are only learning the fret numbers. I recommend that you make reading music notation your number one priority. It will take dedication but you'll be glad you did when you see the results.

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14. What is Tablature?

Tablature or tab is a system of lines and numbers that represent your strings and frets. Tablature is a very useful tool for learning to play guitar but it has limitations.

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15. What is a chord chart?

A chord chart is a piece of sheet music that shows you the chords to a song for playing rhythm accompaniment. 

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16. What is a chord progression?

A chord progression is a combination of chords that sound good together. A song may have one chord progression that repeats itself throughout the entire song.

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17. What is the Nashville Number System?

The Nashville Number System was developed by the Jordanaires who were session musicians in Nashville during the 60s. A number is given to each chord. The advantage is you can write a chart for a song without knowing what key it will be played in. Also, You can write charts quickly using the Nashville Number System. Many musician use Arabic numbers while others use Roman numerals. Designating the chords with Roman numerals has actually been around much longer than the use of Arabic numbers in Nashville. The advantage of using Roman numerals is the major is designated with upper case while minor is lower case. The table below shows the chords and corresponding number for all 12 major keys. 

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18. Why do my strings buzz when I make a chord?
    
    There could be several reasons:
    

• You may not be pressing your strings hard enough against the fret board. 

• Your fingers may not be on their tips.  

• Your fingers may be barely touching an adjacent string.  

• Your finger should be placed directly behind the fret.  

• You may need to have your guitar inspected by a guitar technician.

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19. Does loud music cause hearing problems?

Loud music does cause hearing problems. Many famous musicians suffer from hearing loss or tinitis (ringing in the ears). Ted Nugent has publicly stated he is deaf in one ear and has problems with his other ear. Pete Townsend, of The Who, has stated he has hearing problems also. Eric Johnson has developed tinitis. These are but a few musicians I have read about who have developed hearing problems related to loud music. The electric guitar is a relatively new instrument and the problems associated with loud music are just recently coming to light. I recommend that you play as softly as possible while retaining the integrity of your music. If you absolutely feel you must play loudly, do not stand in front of your speakers but stand off to one side. Always keep ear plugs with you and use them when you are subjected to loud noises such as the lawn mower, guns, etc.

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20. Should I take private guitar lessons?

Nothing can substitute the insight and direction you can receive from someone who has years of experience doing what you have only recently begun to do. I'll never forget the teachers I studied under. A price can't be put on what I gained from each one of them. Without guidance from an instructor the beginning student is like a ship without a rudder with no direction. It is very important to seek professional guidance from an instructor.

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21. Are videos and DVD's a good way to learn guitar?

Yes DVDs and videos are a good way to learn to play the guitar because you can watch them over and over again. However, not all of them are good and a great player isn't necessarily a great teacher. If possible, talk to a friend who has seen the video and ask him his opinion. You may ask a salesman at the local music store to guide you in purchasing a video that fits your needs.

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22. What sources do you recommend for the guitar student?

Visit Guitar Method and Instructional Material Reviews.

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23. What are power chords?

A power chord is actually not a chord at all. It is a diad (two notes). Actually, its constructed by taking the common barre chord forms and deleting the third interval leaving only the root and fifth interval creating a powerful sound. The power chord is predominantly used by guitarists in the rock genre. They are moveable. The lowest note is the root note. The F5, Bb5, Eb5 etc. is how power chords are usually written. 

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24. What are open chords?

Open chords are chords that utilize open strings and are usually the first chords the student learns. The open chords below are the most common:

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25. What is an electronic tuner?

An electronic tuner is a device for tuning the guitar. It is the easiest and most convenient way to tune. I use the Sabine but there are many brands and models that are very good.

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26. What is a pitch fork?

Another tuning device is the pitch fork. It produces a pitch (usually A 440) and you tune the fifth string (A) to it. You tune the guitar by ear using the pitch fork.

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27. What is a pitch pipe?

Another tuning device with a six pipes you blow. Each produces the pitch of the individual strings.

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28. When changing strings, is there anything I should know?

There are several tools you need when changing strings:

• A peg winder makes turning the keys much faster and they aren't expensive.

• Wire cutters are helpful for cutting off the old string and trimming the ends of
   the new ones.

• Use a polishing cloth to clean your guitar. The most opportune time to clean
  your guitar thoroughly is when you change strings.

• Polish for cleaning your guitar is available at local music stores.

• A tuning device - (see FAQ 25, 26, or 27)
  

Be sure to loosen your old strings before cutting them. Never cut the string when they are tuned to pitch. Also, when slipping the strings through the eye of the key be sure to leave some slack so the string will wind around the post several times. After you string the guitar and tune it, tug the strings so they'll stretch a little. It will be out of tune after you tug on them so retune and your ready to jam.

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29. What is palm muting? 

Palm muting is accomplished by resting your right hand on the strings at the edge of your bridge creating a muted sound when the strings are stroked. The surf tune Pipeline is a good example of palm muting.

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30. How can I improve my rhythm?

Use a metronome or better yet, a drum machine when practicing. A drum machine usually has many different styles programmed in the presets and are excellent for practicing your rhythm. Also, Try to emulate your favorite guitarist by playing along while listening to their CD. Play with other musicians whenever you can. Try to play with musicians that have more experience than you. When practicing, play at a slow tempo until you feel you can move to a faster tempo. Playing too fast is the most common mistake that student makes. Always practice your exercises slow. Band-in-a-Box by PG Music is software that simulates a background band. It can create any genre of music you desire. I love this program. I use it all the time for teaching and practicing. Also, many instruction books come with CDs. Be sure to use the CD.

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31. What is a whammy bar (vibrato arm)?

The whammy bar is the bar you see protruding from the bridge. Not all guitars have them. They are usually on the Fender Stratocaster or guitars similar to the Stratocaster. If your guitar is a student model, I would suggest taking the whammy off by unscrewing it. The whammy bar tends to cause the guitar to get out of tune. However, if you have a pro-line guitar, you can create wonderful effects such as vibrato and dive bombing. Most notably, Jimi Hendrix's version of The Star Spangled Banner, Eddie Van Halen's song Eruption, and anything by David Gilmour the guitarist for Pink Floyd.

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32. What is vibrato?

Vibrato is produced by shaking your wrist, finger, arm, or body while fretting a note producing a singing effect. I can't express the importance of vibrato enough. It is one of the most crucial elements of a guitarists style. Most notably, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, David Gilmore, S.R.V, and Jimi Hendrix all have great vibrato.

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33. How can I change my chords faster?

When learning chords in a particular key notice which notes chords have in common. For example, C and D7 both have the C note on the second string, first fret. Also, when learning a song, go through the chord changes several times before trying to play the song.

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34. How can I make my practice time the most effective?

Find a quiet room without distractions. Keep your accessories such as picks, a tuner, a metronome, a boom box, a music stand, books, and CDs within arms reach. Always keep a journal. This is very important because you'd be surprised how much you forget if you don't take notes for later reference. Write down the things that you want to learn and keep track of how much time you spend on each topic. Be goal oriented and stay focused on your goals. Set short term and long term goals and make them reasonably attainable. First, use a method book to work on your sight reading. Second, work on songs. Learn songs from start to finish. Work on songs that are arranged for solo guitar. Always work on expanding your repertoire. After you work on your sight reading and songs, you can work on scales, chord exercises, improvising, or any subject of interest. Everyone has different interests and will cater practice to their personal taste. To keep balance in my practice, I follow a simple outline:

The following outline is more detailed and offers sources.

I. Sight Reading Methods

A.       Progressive Method Book 1

B.       Progressive Method Book 2

C.      Berkley Method Book 1

D.      The Library of Guitar Classics (Amsco pub. order number AM 928950)

E.       Mel Bay Modern Method Book 1-7

II. Songs

A. 50 Tunes for guitar, Traditional, Old Time, Bluegrass and Celtic Solos. Volume 1 by Mark Gesliswon (pub. Mel Bay)

B. Jamey Aebersold books and CDs

C. Hal Leonard play along books and CDs

D. Steve Kaufman books and CDs

E. Mel Bay books and CDs

F. Dix Bruce books and CDs

G. Just Jazz Guitar magazine

H. Flat-picking Guitar magazine

I. Fingerstyle Guitar magazine

J. Guitar Player magazine

K. Acoustic Guitar magazine

L. Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazine

M. Guitar World magazine

N. The Fiddler's Fake book by David Brody  

III. Chords

A.      Dr. Brianstine’s Guitar Method Volume 1

B.      Open Chords

C.      Cycle of 5ths

D.      Barre Chords

a.        The Johnny Smith Approach

b.       Chord Progressions for Jazz and Popular Guitar by Arnie Berle

c.        Backup Trax for Swing and Jazz by Dix Bruce

d.       Jazz Guitar by Mickey Baker  

E.       Triads

a.       Inversions

b.       Harmonized Scales

F.       Chord Construction

G.      Progressions

IV. Scales

A.      Major Diatonic

B.      Minor Diatonic

C.      Major Pentatonic

D.      Minor Pentatonic

E.      Modes

F.       Arpeggios

G.      Double stops

V. Improvising

A.       Lets Jam CDs

B.      Chord Progressions

C.      12 Bar Blues

D.      Theory

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35. What is the difference between steel string and nylon string guitars?

A steel string guitar has a brighter sound than a nylon string guitar and is more common than the classical (nylon string) guitar. Generally speaking, a flat pick is used on steel string however, many guitarists finger pick the steel string guitar as well. You hear the steel string predominantly in country, folk, and popular music. Nylon string (classical) guitars have a soft, mellow, warm, and pretty sound and are preferred by classical and flamingo guitarists usually.

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36. Should I practice with a drum machine? Yes (see FAQ #30)