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.
It is OK to wear a hat
while strumming your guitar!
It helps your audience to see
precisely who you are.
Chapeau will show one’s style, panache,
one’s verve and savoir-faire
(in my case, also help to hide
a pronounced lack of hair)
A hat make quite a statement!
be prepared though, for beratement-
you’ll be strumming behind bars mate,
if the rest of you is bare.
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!
What should I do if my neighbor plays guitar and sometimes has his band mates over to play (loud bluegrass/folk) music for hours each week? I’m doing my MBA and work from home when I’m not traveling for work, and it’s very distracting.
If your neighbor and his mates are playing guitar music loudly
and bluegrass music (ugh) is the style of tune they play so proudly
you could ask him (real polite like) for his lads to turn it down- say,
between the hours of 10 and 6 when you’re not out of town.
You could tell him of your studies and your serious intent
how an MBA requires – no- demands – long hours spent
in quiet contemplation, focused solely on the task.
Perhaps he’ll see your side! (you know, it doesn’t hurt to ask)
But barring that my friend, there are two other choices.
One light, one dark. One heaven-sent,
one spawned by hellish voices. So:
purchase a guitar and knock politely on his door
and when that door is opened, well- that’s a metaphor
for expanding your horizons, enjoying life – l’chaim!
(the MBA work might wait a bit, for just a little time)
My alternate suggestion’s simply horrifying, mate.
Not for the faint-of-heart. in fact, it’s difficult to state.
There is one sound that most all humans dread;
whether Verdi floats your boat or your thing’s the Grateful Dead.
Purchase one of these.
And when the time is ripe –
Crush your neighbor’s sanity…
practice your bagpipes.
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?
This has been answered pretty well on Quora but I wanted to add my two cents.
A while ago, a friend was kind enough to loan me (thanks Chuck!) a Schecter Diamond Series electric bass.
I have been playing guitar for most of my life but this thing is just magical. You have to listen so much more closely when playing bass than guitar, I think partly because of all the frequencies under your hand- it seems like so much more is available than on a guitar string. You’ll hear “start with the 1 and 5” and that works fine but if you listen to a bassist who really knows the neck, they carve up chords like a horn player. You could spend a LOT of time getting this under control. It’s really only nominally a guitar if you think about it, in the same way that a ukulele is, imho.
I hope this is helpful and I highly recommend putting your hands on a bass guitar if you get the chance.
PS: how many bass players does it take to change a lightbulb?
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!!!
Why do folk songs not change the key signature?
Well I dunno for sure, but my guess is, to keep them fairly simple. A musically simple song, more people can enjoy it. They can sing them or hear the song’s story without being distracted by unnecessary musical ornamentation (like a key change).
Think about holiday songs like “joy to the world”: that goes “do te la so fa me re do” which is just “do re me” backward. It’s a generality but I’d say folk songs are not musically nuanced on purpose so more folks can enjoy them. Just my opinion, I’d be interested to hear somebody else’s.
What are the four types of instruments?
Guitar is the first and primary category, of course.
Following that there are things that are not guitars but sort of guitar-ish, like ukuleles and basses, banjos, dulcimers, lutes, etc.
Third would be instruments that have strings but are not at all guitar-like otherwise, and you could lump pianos, kalimbas, harps and all that sort of foolishness in that category.
Lastly comes instruments that are not remotely like guitars at all. They have no strings(!) and rely on, if you can believe it, having air blown into them or being pounded on with wooden sticks. As a category, well, that last set of “instruments” are hardly worth a reasonable person’s attention at all.
Those are the four types as far as I can tell.
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 does this work exactly?
You’re probably interested in playing a particular song, or maybe a couple of ’em. You’ll give me a couple of choices; I’ll pick one and break it down into manageable sections*. We tackle it one piece at a time, at a comfortable speed for you. During the online lesson I’ll help you figure out any parts you’re having trouble with. Split screen video show both hands and my face, so you can hear and see just what I’m doing. I will record any video you might find helpful and post it up to YouTube after the lesson.
* how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
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!
What is the best instrument to play around a campfire?
OF COURSE it’s a Tuba.
Hands down, the best instrument to play around a campfire for several solid reasons. Number 1, you (tuba campfire player) will generate stories that will last for decades. 30 years or more from the date of your campfire intubation (I may be spelling this incorrectly), people will still be marveling at your verve and chutzpah and the precision with which you hammer out those blazing tuba riffs. Secondly, when you run out of tunes, or when people ask you to stop playing, you can pack the bell with ice-cold lagers. See? two excellent reasons for tuba camping. Thirdly, tuba music, I have heard, is an excellent bear, raccoon and bigfoot repellent. you will need to sit up all night long gently oompa-ing into the forest, and your camping mates will sleep all the more soundly for hearing the rock-steady stream of tuba’d quarter notes echoing through the darkness. So bungi that instrument to the top of your sedan and head for the woods! You’ll be glad you left your guitar at home, imho.
Sorry to disillusion you, but although tuba music is an excellent bear repellant, it acts like a mating call for moose. (I don’t know about Bigfoot.) And nothing, nothing, will stop a determined raccoon. ;-)
I stand corrected sir, and I wish you had done it sooner. It’s true:
you can’t repel a moose in love
by blowing through a tuba.
Not even when you’re camping on
the island of Aruba.
Carib moose are not as rare
as one might first have thought…
tempted to bring your tuba there?
I’m recommending not.
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.
Claude Debussy
What is the coolest technique you use while playing guitar?
French composer Claude Debussy famously said, “Music is the space between the notes.” I still try to shoehorn as many notes as possible into a piece but I play more musically when I think about the spaces too. Phrasing is more interesting to play (I hope, to hear as well), the playing is more nuanced and more expressive. So I’d say “using space more effectively” would be my cool technique. Still workin’ on it…
Do you use a metronome when practicing music?
I always keep one handy, though more for students than myself these days. I still pop it on for myself- I’d say, weekly. Playing to a metronome is a wildly valuable way to practice playing your instrument! You can of course use a drum track and a lot of loopers come with settable drums- they sound cool for sure, but there is a distinct advantage to playing along with a precise click. Annoying and tedious but quite valuable, imho.
Thanks for a great answer. Timing is everything!
Absolutely! The older I get, the truer that is. If only my now self could reach back in time and smack young me alongside his head. I think a half-dozen measures of quarter note beats might get his attention :-)
Can I learn how to play the acoustic guitar from a book?
well, yes…
but to really learn guitar
lute, banjo or sitar
there’s one method that I recommend by far:
if you follow my advice,
you’ll be sounding pretty nice!
and be on your way to playing above par (like a star).
books are great, and video too
though they may not do for you-
but the single finest thing that you can do…
is to get yourself a teacher!
For sure, I’m pleased to meet ya-
guitar coach Paul, that’s me,
How do you do?
What is easier, playing a guitar standing or sitting?
If you are a sit-down guitar player you should make an effort to practice playing standing up as well. Two good reasons for that: it will make it more difficult to look at the neck when you play and consequently you’ll learn the neck in a new way. Also if you’re ever called to play standing up you’ll have some experience at it, having practiced that way before your gig. I would guess though that a stand-up guitarist probably spends plenty of time playing seated anyway… so I guess I’d say it’s easier to play guitar standing or sitting if you have, in fact, practiced that way a bit. However you do it, don’t forget to have fun!
Is a string winder necessary to change guitar strings, or can you just use your hands?
Time saver for sure. But I think there may be some value to winding your strings by hand, at least until you know you know how to do it. There is a certain – elegance – to the ritual, for me anyway. Paying intimate attention to the equipment. Stretching the strings to their proper tension and focusing on the tiny changes that make the tuning correct. I miss that when I use the winder but of course, the job gets done quickly.
What is the best guitar for a beginner?
Classical guitar, imho, if you’re thinking about learning guitar.
Wide neck, so easy to see when your fingers are supposed to be, whether you have little skinny kid fingers or big fat hand sausages. And nylon strings are so much easier on new guitar player’s fingers. No need to plug it in so you can play it without an amp. Makes a pleasing sound right from the git-go. Relatively inexpensive- you can get a quite decent one new for about a hundred bucks. Looking at some of the other answers though, I can see “easy” means different things to different people. “Playability” is certainly the key here and that means a nylon string guitar to start out, to me anyway.
Why can’t I change guitar chords properly?
Because you are trying to do it too fast. Try this: slow waaaay down. Put your fingers in position for the first chord and play that, Now slowly move all your fingers to the next chord finger positions- very slowly and deliberately. Don’t play the chord until you are absolutely sure about your finger positions. Are they correct? Are you sure??? Play the chord. Now back to the first chord. Once you’re sure about the finger positions (and not before) play the chord. Now back again. now do that- oh, I dunno- about a thousand times maybe. At some point you’ll have those two chords in muscle memory – you probably won’t even notice when that happens exactly. Once you have them, move on to a couple of new chords. Mainly- go glacially slow. You’ll get it, I promise. Good luck!
Is it too late to start on guitar after 40? People say it becomes more difficult to master difficult and/or fast chords and licks at later age, is that true? Would it help to get a live coach or do online tutorial websites work well enough?
Never too late to start making art! Get a guitar and start learning some chords.
I would not concern myself too much with mastery. Instead, how about making yourself happy? Learn a couple of tunes! I don’t think there are too many better ways to calm your mind and improve your mood than playing guitar. Well, there are a couple, but guitar playing is right up close to the top, imho :-)
Regarding online tutorials or a live coach: there is so much good information available online, I’d start there. But you almost certainly know your own learning style- just use what works best for you. Good luck!!
I have been puzzling over playing guitar for close to 50 years and it is only now beginning to make sense to me! And I’m a pretty bright guy, IMHO. I can tell you what helped me was focusing attention on modal scales and the notes on the 5 and 6 strings. But understand this- it’s easier for some folks for sure but I don’t know anybody who gets the neck without a lot of hard work. You’re in good company, certainly. Keep at it!
I may be biased, but by far-
the best to start on is guitar.
The reasons? too numerous to count
so here are just a small amount:
it’s portable, it’s cool (and cheap-
to buy one you don’t need pockets deep)
With six or seven chords at hand
play tons of songs by any band.
No girl to call your own, my friend?
take up guitar, and that will end.