Acoustic Guitar Lessons
- Why Play the Acoustic Guitar?
- Playing Styles and Techniques
- Anatomy of the Acoustic Guitar
- Choosing Your Acoustic Guitar
Why Play the Acoustic Guitar?
- Fun
- Sociable
- Easy to learn
- Sounds amazing
- Portable
- No need to be wired up
- Cheap
The acoustic guitar is a great instrument to play. It projects its own sound through the soundhole in the centre of its body. It requires no extra equipment and is always ready to be played (as long as you are in tune!).
Learn a few simple chords and there are literally 1000's of easy songs to play! The acoustic guitar is responsible for countless songs which have been created over the last century and you can still hear its presence in all genres of music still to this day. The sound it creates is timeless and diverse.
It is a very accessible instrument and can instantly provide a lot of enjoyment. It can be especially useful if you sing and you want to support your own vocal performance by having a sound to pitch to, which is very popular with many artists.
If you want to play in a band it's a great way to meet people and jam with other musicians. This can be a great experience and you can literally have a great time.
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Playing Styles and Techniques
There are two main techniques that can be used to play the acoustic guitar: strumming and plucking.
Strumming an acoustic guitar gives a very big sound. It is generally the easier of the two techniques to learn and is achieved by using a pick. There are countless rhythm patterns to learn and experiment with. Learning to keep a very basic rhythm is a very important technique in itself.
Plucking can be performed using your fingers (finger picking) or a using a pick (also called a plectrum).You can learn to play melodies and perform lead guitar techniques on the acoustic guitar using this method. Finger picking is a more complex technique than strumming and produces a sound that can sound complete by itself. This is a very satisfying technique to play and there are many different finger picking patterns to study; from beginners to advanced. Finger picking is used in many genres of music and can be heard in delta blues, traditional folk, through too todays current music. The clawhammer is the most common finger picking style.
Anatomy of the Acoustic Guitar
Machine Heads (Tuning Heads) - these are located at the head of the guitar and are the tuning devices. Turning them one way tightens the string (making the pitch higher) and the other way loosens them (making the pitch lower).
Fretboard (Finger Board) - this is where the left hand goes to press down on the strings, so that notes can be strummed or plucked with the right hand. (This, of course, would be the opposite way around if you are left-handed and your strings have been strung the opposite way around.) The fretboard spans from the nut to the soundhole and is divided up into sections.
Marker Dots (Fret Markers) - these are the dots on the fretboard that make it easier for you to find the right position to play a note, or a chord.
Soundhole - this is where the sound is projected from when the guitar is being played.
Nut - this is located at the top of the guitar (just below the machine heads). Its job is to hold the strings.
Bridge - this is located below the soundhole and is there to secure the strings.
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Choosing Your Acoustic Guitar
You can pick up a reasonable acoustic guitar (budget range) for as little as £50.00 and second-hand can be even cheaper! However, you could spend thousands! The cost primarily comes down to the quality and history of the wood and the brand name attached to it. Electro acoustic guitars have a pickup or microphone built into the guitar, so you have the option to plug it into an amplifier or PA (these are generally more expensive). Again, it is worth doing your research by going to music shops to try some acoustic guitars and looking online to find out what you can get for your money. You could also attend jam nights to see what other guitarists use. Most guitarists are only too happy to talk about their guitars! If you still need further advice, you could ask you guitar teacher. I have helped many of my students to find guitars that they feel comfortable with.
(Check out advice on buying second hand electric guitars, as most of the info also applies directly to the acoustic guitar.)
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