Guitar

The Guitar

The Acoustic Guitar

The following diagram illustrates the various parts of an acoustic guitar:

The Electric Guitar

The following diagram details the various parts of an electric guitar:

Getting into position

Sitting Positions

1. Pick up the guitar and make sure that the guitar body is supported by your leg.

2. Position yourself on the front half of your chair.

3. Ensure that your back isn’t arched, ensure that it is straight but not so that it is tight.

4. Lean the guitar back towards you slightly.

Hand Positions

It is important that you relax your wrists and hands when you are first learning about finger

placement because straining them can cause injury.

Fretting

1. Keep your fingernails short as you will need the tips of your fingers to press the

strings.

2. When making a chord, be sure that each fingertip is placed as close as possible to

the fret, the closer they are they less chance there is for buzzing strings.

3. Check to make sure that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing.

4. It’s important to make sure that your fingers approach the strings on the neck at a

perpendicular angle. If they are at right angles to the neck there will be

less fret buzz.

As a beginner guitarist, it may hurt your fingers to play. This is normal. Every guitarist starts

this way for the first couple of weeks. With practise, you will develop guitar fingers (hard skin

on your fingertips).

Holding the Pick