| If you're someone who wants to learn to play the | | | | guitarist should know. |
| guitar or you're looking to take acoustic guitar | | | | - Your Fingers Will Hurt! - If you're just starting out |
| lessons, this article will teach you a few of the | | | | on guitar, especially if it's an acoustic, your fingertips |
| essential techniques that you need to know to get | | | | are going to hurt for the first couple of weeks until |
| the most out of your practice and playing. These | | | | you build up calluses. The best thing to do is to just |
| techniques will give you a base of knowledge so you | | | | keep playing, because if you stop and wait for your |
| won't be lost when you start acoustic guitar lessons, | | | | fingers to stop hurting, you will never build up the |
| and if you're teaching yourself, you cannot afford to | | | | strength in your fingertips and they will always hurt. |
| overlook these tips. | | | | When I was first starting out on acoustic guitar I |
| - Learn the Basic Open Chords - Using open chords | | | | found that rubbing my fingertips on the carpet when |
| on an acoustic is one of the most common things | | | | they were sore helped a lot. |
| among acoustic players. These chords can be found | | | | - The Most Common Strumming Pattern - Now this |
| in almost every genre of music and are the most | | | | technique goes along with the open chords, and |
| common played chords. The chords I'm referring to: | | | | learning this before you start acoustic guitar lessons |
| A Major, D Major, G Major, E Major, C Major, A | | | | will be a big time saver. This strumming pattern can |
| Minor, E Minor and D Minor. If you're just starting out | | | | also be found in a lot of popular songs, especially |
| on acoustic, don't worry, these chords are pretty | | | | rock songs. The pattern I'm talking about goes like |
| simple and you can make up your own songs using | | | | this: Down, Down, Up, Up, Down, Up. So once you |
| these chords. Pretty much all Rock 'n Roll songs and | | | | learn a couple of the basic open chords I mentioned |
| popular songs you hear on the radio use these | | | | above you can practice playing them with this |
| chords!! | | | | pattern. |
| - Learn to Tune Your Guitar - This is something that | | | | This pattern is referring to your right hand, AKA |
| you definitely need to know how to do, preferably | | | | picking hand. If you imagine your right hand |
| before you start your acoustic guitar lessons...You | | | | strumming up and down over and over at the same |
| don't want to waste time and money having to tune | | | | tempo, but ONLY hitting the strings the way the |
| your guitar during lesson do ya? Tuning your guitar | | | | pattern indicates. The first strum down you would hit |
| isn't very difficult and it's worth the time to learn | | | | the strings but on the way back up you wouldn't hit |
| because trust me, an un-tuned guitar sounds horrible. | | | | them. The second strum down, as indicated in the |
| You could also buy a tuner to help you with this, but | | | | pattern, you would hit the strings and on the second |
| being able to tune it manually is something every | | | | strum up you would also hit the strings. |