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Guitar For Dummies

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The bestselling guide now updated with video demonstrations and audio tracks online

The guitar is one of the most versatile instruments in the world, which is why it's so appealing to musicians. Guitar For Dummies, 4th Edition gives you everything a beginning or intermediate acoustic or electric guitarist needs: from buying a guitar to tuning it, playing it, and caring for it. Fully revised and updated, with online video and audio clips that help you learn and play along, you'll explore everything from simple chords and melodies to more challenging exercises that are designed to satisfy players of all levels. Additionally, new players can dive into the basics of guitar and accessory selection. Whether you prefer the cool sounds of the acoustic or the edgier tones of the electric, your guitar will get a lot of use as you play your way through the lessons presented in this integral book. But your journey doesn't stop at the last page! With an updated multimedia component, you have access to more than 80 online videos and 35 audio tracks that help build your talent.

  • Play along with online videos and audio tracks to develop and reinforce your new skills
  • Tune your guitar, change strings, and make simple repairs to keep your instrument in working order
  • Choose the right guitar and equipment for your needs
  • Explore numerous musical styles, including rock, blues, jazz, and country

Guitar For Dummies, 4th Edition guides you in the development of your strumming talent—and who knows where that can take you!

ISBN-13: 9781119293354

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Wiley

Publication Date: 06-20-2016

Pages: 416

Product Dimensions: 7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

Series: For Dummies (Lifestyle)

Mark Phillips is a former director of music at Cherry Lane Music, where he edited or arranged the songbooks of such artists as John Denver, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica. Jon Chappell is a multistyle guitarist, arranger, and former editor-in-chief of Guitar magazine.

Read an Excerpt


Chapter One


Guitar 101


In This Chapter

* Identifying the different parts of the guitar

* Understanding how the guitar works

* Interacting with the guitar


All guitars—whether painted purple with airbrushed skulls and lightning bolts or finished in a natural-wood pattern with a fine French lacquer—share certain physical characteristics that make them behave as guitars and not violins or tubas. If you're confused about the difference between a headstock and a pickup and you're wondering which end of the guitar to hold under your chin, this chapter is for you. The following sections describe the differences among the various parts of the guitar and tell you what those parts do. You also find out in this chapter how to hold the instrument and why the guitar sounds the way it does.

And, in case you took us seriously, you don't hold the guitar under your chin—unless, of course, you're Jimi Hendrix.


Anatomy of a Guitar


Guitars come in two basic flavors: acoustic and electric. From a hardware standpoint, electric guitars have more components and doohickeys than do acoustic guitars. Guitar makers generally agree, however, that making an acoustic guitar is harder than making an electric guitar. That's why, pound for pound, acoustic guitars cost just as much or more than their electric counterparts. But both types follow the same basic approach to such principles as neck construction and string tension. That's why both acoustic and electric guitars have very similar constructions, despite a sometimes radical difference in tone production (unless, of course, you think that Segovia and Metallica are indistinguishable). Figures 1-1 and 1-2 show the various parts of an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar.


The following list tells you the functions of the various parts of a guitar:

• Back (acoustic only). The part of the body that holds the sides in place; made of two or three pieces of wood.<

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Guitar 7

CHAPTER 1: Guitar Basics: The Parts of a Guitar and How It Makes Music 9

CHAPTER 2: How to Tune Your Guitar 17

CHAPTER 3: Preparing to Play: Holding the Guitar and Reading Guitar Notation 25

Part 2: Ready to Play: The Basics 37

CHAPTER 4: The Best Way to Begin: Strumming Chords 39

CHAPTER 5: Playing Melodies — without Reading Music! 59

CHAPTER 6: Adding Some Spice with 7th Chords 69

Part 3: Beyond the Basics: Starting to Sound Cool 85

CHAPTER 7: Making Things Smooth by Playing in Position 87

CHAPTER 8: Doubling Up with Double-Stops 97

CHAPTER 9: Stretching Out: Barre Chords 105

CHAPTER 10: Special Articulation: Making the Guitar Talk 129

Part 4: A Pile of Styles 157

CHAPTER 11: Ready to Rock: Rock Guitar Basics 159

CHAPTER 12: Bluer Than Blue: Blues Guitar Basics 187

CHAPTER 13: Around the Campfire: Folk Guitar Basics 211

CHAPTER 14: Maestro, If You Please: Classical Guitar Basics 237

CHAPTER 15: Sunglasses and Berets: Jazz Guitar Basics 255

Part 5: A Guitar of Your Own 269

CHAPTER 16: Shopping for a Guitar 271

CHAPTER 17: Eyeing Guitar Amps, Effects, Cases, and Accessories 287

CHAPTER 18: Changing Your Strings 303

CHAPTER 19: Guitar Wellness: Basic Maintenance 317

Part 6: The Part of Tens 333

CHAPTER 20: Ten (Or So) Guitarists You Should Know 335

CHAPTER 21: Ten Great Songs for Beginning Guitarists 339

Part 7: Appendixes 343

APPENDIX A: How to Read Music 345

APPENDIX B: 96 Common Chords 355

APPENDIX C: How to Use the Website 359

Index 373