How to Play Guitar: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Guitar

by Roger Evans

Overview

In How to Play Guitar guitar players of all levels will find a wealth of instruction and inspiration. Whether you want to play pop, folk, country, rock, blues, jazz, classical, or any other style of music, you will pick up the basic techniques without tedious drills and exercises. Using real music and a step-by-step approach, How to Play Guitar will teach you about:
- Choosing and buying a guitar
- Tuning your instrument correctlyReading sheet music, guitar music, and tablature
- Playing melodies with chordsFingerpicking
- Mastering left-hand techniques, including sliding and bending notes
- Transposing melodies from one key to another and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312287061
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/10/2001
Series:	How to Play
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	132
Sales rank:	976,460
Product dimensions:	7.31(w) x 9.14(h) x 0.37(d)

About the Author

Roger Evans has helped nearly half a million readers learn to play an instrument on their own. His other books include How to Play Piano and How to Play Keyboards

Table of Contents

	Introduction	7
	The Guitar	8
	Which is the right guitar for you?	10
	How to choose and buy your guitar	12
	Secondhand guitars	13
	Before you buy	14
	Taking care of your guitar	16
	Starting to play	17
	Holding your guitar	18
	Playing with a beat	21
	Training your fingers	26
	How to tune your guitar	27
	Tuning hints	30
	More Notes and tunes to play	31
	Starting to play Chords	34
	How to practice	37
	Starting to read music	38
	Are you playing correctly?	41
	More Chords to play--F, Am, Dm, E7	42
	Changing Chords	44
	More about music	45
	Time signatures, dotted notes, tied notes	45
	Should you play with a Plectrum?	49
	Become your own Bass Player	50
	Brush strokes	53
	How to play melodies with chords	56
	More Chords--G, B7, Em and D	60
	Rhythm Guitar Playing	61
	How to start Fingerpicking	62
	More Advanced Music	67
	Eighth notes, sixteenth notes, rests	68
	Sharps ([musical sharp]) and Flats ([musical flat])	70
	Natural signs ([musical natural])	71
	Notes up to the 4th fret	73
	Music in different Keys	74
	Key signatures	74
	More Fingerpicking	76
	How to play with a Capo	80
	Chord and note names at different Capo positions	81
	Useful Left-Hand Techniques	82
	Hammering-on, pulling-off	82
	Sliding notes, bending notes	83
	Some 'Classical' Guitar Techniques	84
	Plucked chords, arpeggios	84
	The rest stroke, free strokes	86
	How to become a better guitarist	88
	Polish your playing, read music, practice	88
	Learn from other guitarists	89
	Do you need guitar lessons?	89
	Playing higher up the Fingerboard	90
	How to work out notes higher up the fingerboard	91
	All Notes on the Guitar	92
	Chords for every Key	93
	Chords higher up the Fingerboard	97
	The Barre or Bar	98
	Learning to play new music	100
	Learning new songs	101
	How to read Sheet Music	102
	Making up 'intros' and guitar solos from piano parts	103
	Reading Guitar Music	104
	How to read Tablature	105
	Changing Music to other Keys (Transposing)	106
	How to transpose chords to another key	106
	Transposing melodies	107
	Playing by ear	108
	Playing fingerpicking and brush strokes by ear	110
	Helpful Hints and Friendly Advice	111
	Have fun--play guitar with a friend...	111
	... or play with a recording of yourself	111
	Playing along with records	112
	Do you need a new guitar?	112
	Buying an 'electric' guitar or amplifier	113
	Selling a guitar	113
	Playing to an Audience	114
	Travelling with your guitar	115
	Changing the strings on your guitar	116
	Choosing your Steel Guitar Strings	119
	How to play Harmonics	120
	How to tune with Harmonics	121
	Open Tunings	122
	The Problem Page	123
	Buzzing and rattling noises	123
	If strings keep breaking	123
	Problems with tuning or staying in tune	123
	Are you Left-Handed?	124