Here I will nest some videos and text around the fundamentals of playing guitar.

Lesson 1, the parts of the guitar.

An explanation of the components of the acoustic guitar.

Lessons 2: How to hold the guitar.

We don’t really hold a guitar. We balance it. If we hold it withe our hands, we can’t actually play it. If we try to hold and play, we do a bad job of both.
Here’s a short video to explain it.

Lesson 3: A Better Way to Switch Chords on the Guitar

Back in the day when you learned your first few guitar chords you’d be expected to immediately play something like this

| C / / / | G7 / / / ||
The reality is that it would sound bad. You’d play your first chord 4 times then fumble to move your fingers to a chord you just learned and then play 4 more and then repeat.

Most chords are relatively straight forward to play, the challenge remains CHANGING chords

A better way is to first practice changing chords by playing it once, moving each finger to the next place and playing the new chord once and then repeating.

In the Case of C – G7 you play C then move your first finger to the 1st string, your 2nd finger to the 5th string and your 3rd finger to the 6th string. Play G7 the reverse the process and repeat

Once that is somewhat comfortable, it is time to bring a little steady time into the equation.

Strumming the C chord on the 1st beat moving each finger on the remaining beats then playing the G7.

You can do this with any 2 chords for now.

G – D7

Play G with your 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers, 1st finger to the 1st fret of the 2nd string, 2nd finger to the second fret of the 3rd string and the 3rd finger to the 2nd fret of the 1st string ( the 4th should come off as well.
And so on

Here is a video explaining it further.

If you have questions, feel free to write.

River Heights School of Music
202-2025 Corydon Ave
2nd Floor of the Tuxedo Park Shopping Center
(Safeway, Starbucks Mall)
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
R3P 0N5
204-487-3664
guitar@riverheightsmusicschool.com