FAQ for fingerstyle guitar. The most fun and satisfying way to play!
What does it mean when a chord is diminished?
Ah, diminished chords. I knew this question was going to come up eventually. Have a seat.
You see, after a major chord has flourished for a while, it begins to lose its luster. It’s just not as shiny as it was when it was new! And it starts to get a little soft, particularly around the 3 and 5. Eventually of course, the 3 and 5 each slip completely down a half step, and we shake our heads and say the chord is half diminished.
It is still strong though, never doubt it! Its character has just changed. It moves with more nuance, has greater gravitas and I believe, a greater appreciation for the chords and notes around it, generally speaking.
Eventually it’s 7 also flattens out, and we say that it is completely diminished. It certainly looks and sounds different than it did when it was a sprightly young major chord, but it has attained a more profound way of communicating its essence that it ever would have been able to, had it not reached this certain level of maturity.
Respect your diminished chords!
They have been around the block, and can show you a thing or two.
Diminished chords need a place to go
to prove they’re not just there for show.
For instance, take C7 diminished-
Sounds kind of weird? a bit “unfinished”?
Just sharpen up 3, 5 and 7
you’ll die and think you’ve gone to heaven
’cause now you’ve make a moving part
of musical arrangement art.
Is it a bad thing that I have been playing guitar for 10 years and know virtually nothing about music theory? Would it be harder for me to learn it at this point?
It’s not a bad thing, imho. James Taylor said famously “I don’t read music, I don’t write music. I just wander around on the guitar until something presents itself”. You’re probably pretty creative and have a decent ear. You can hear how some things fit together better than others and you’re willing to experiment until you get something that sounds nice.
That said, if you learn a little theory and can attach it to what you already know, you’ll move lightyears ahead! I mean it. Find a teacher or a book or an online system. Whatever works for you can help fill in some of the gaps in your music head. You’re asking if that will be hard; it will be easier if you can start making connections right away to what you already know. Take small bites at first. And if it’s any help at all, know that we (guitar players) are all on the same path. Best luck to you, my friend!
How can I know what chord this is?
Try Chord Namer at jguitar.com!
The chord namer will automatically name a chord shape (if a valid chord shape is supplied.) Simply select the circles on the fretboard that correspond to where your fingers go and hit “Go”. A few things to watch out for:
Strings that aren’t strummed should be set to “Mute” and open strings should be set to zero.
Don’t enter your chord upside-down! The fretboard is shown with the lowest pitch string at the bottom and the highest pitch string at the top (unless you’ve tuned your instrument differently.)
If there is more than 1 way to name the chord you supplied, the chord namer will give you multiple results. They are all correct but which one you choose may depend on the context it is used in.
Why do bass guitars even exist? Why not just use an electric guitar and just use the lowest four notes?How hard is it to learn the acoustic guitar and how much time will it take learning it on your own (I mean to be able to play full length songs including riffs, strumming, etc.)?
It depends! :-)
Start with hand-friendly chords, a simple 3-chord song and a patient friend who already knows how to do this part pretty well. Mix in a little determination, a standard portion of hand-eye coordination and a reasonably good “ear” (meaning you can hear when the notes sound correct. Bake for 2 to 3 hours. Et voila!
One serious thing though- the process is more important than the result. Although this is hard to imagine when you’re starting out, it’s true. Enjoy your adventure!!!
How do I play any major scale on the guitar?
Well you can do 5 of ’em right off the bat and I like to do this with my starting guitar students. You know intervals? the space between the steps in a scale? Major scale intervals go: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Now each of the frets represents a half step, so of course, 2 frets is a whole step.
If you start from the open string (call this fret 0) and follow that pattern, you ’d put your finger on frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12 which will give you the octave. So there’s the major scale for E, A, D, G, B and E again. You can easily play a major scale on any one string from any fret, the only provision being that if you want to stay on that string, you need 12 frets after the one you start with. Try it!!!
When all the strings of the guitar are played at once, why does it form a harmonious chord even though only 3-4 of the strings make up the original chord?
It’s because of the voicing. “Voicing” is how chords are organized, as they sound different depending on which notes are on the bottom and which are above.
For instance if you play a hand-friendly, top-of-the-neck E major chord, you’ve got two open E strings and a finger on the second fret of the D string, so that’s three E’s! Plus your G# which you need for the 3rd and 2 Bs (the 5th), That voicing for an E major sounds so full and rich because that voicing has a bunch of overtones from playing the root note (the E). and one of the amazing, beautiful things about a guitar is that you can play the same chord in a ton of different places! You can take advantage of the different voicing each position can offer.
Keep experimenting & have fun!
How do we get started?
How to get started with distance guitar coaching, personal online lessons? Just reach out and we’ll set up an online session. The first one is generally to get acquainted, make sure the technology is comfortable for you, get a baseline on your skill level and for me to understand what your intention is. Based on our interaction, we’ll choose a tune and tailor your lessons specifically to your interests and playing level! Contact me
Which music notation software programs are the best for someone who simply wants to compose by playing a guitar and singing?
I can highly recommend Musescore for that. The learning curve isn’t too steep and it’s wicked easy to use once you get past some basic stuff. I use it every day, practically. And it’s FREE which is hard to believe considering what you get, but true. Download it here
Here are a couple of tunes I wrote using Musescore while on vacation in New Orleans. You can easily see- the program has tons of capabilities. Enjoy!
OF COURSE it’s a Tuba. 
How did you stay motivated as a beginning guitarist (who is over 50 years old)?
Two pieces of advice I offer all my students, regardless of their age. First: manage your expectations! You cannot expect to master this in weeks or months, it is the work of a lifetime. You can, however- and this is my second piece of advice- have fun while you’re learning!
I ask my students not to set the guitar down until they do something that makes them smile. I don’t care what it is! Did you play that single note beautifully? Did you finally get that strumming pattern you were aiming at? Did you learn something new about the neck of the guitar? Enjoy the ride, pat yourself on the back frequently and have fun with it! Having fun doing anything spikes up your endorphins, and that is a great way to stay motivated, imho.
