The Right Guitar Guitar Lesson
The Right Guitar
Jessica takes some time to talk about finding the right guitar for you. She explores different sizes and talks about the correct and most comfortable sitting position.
Taught by Jessica Baron in Basic Guitar with Jessica Baron seriesLength: 10:03Difficulty: 0.0 of 5
Supplemental Learning Material
Basic Guitar with Jessica Baron
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsJessica Baron, founder of Guitars in the Classroom, brings her very own unique series to JamPlay. In this highly interactive, easy to follow set, Jessica invites students of all ages to journey through fun, song-based instruction taught in ways she feels we best learn.
Lesson 1
Introduction to Gentle Guitar in G
Jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.
Length: 6:48 Difficulty: 0.0 FREELesson 2
Breathing & Visualizing
Jessica takes a moment to share a breathing technique. Then, she asks you to envision who you want to be as a musician.
Length: 5:30 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Finding Rhythm
In this lesson, Jessica starts talking about the first building block of making music: rhythm. Using yourself as a drum, you will feel the beat and find the rhythm within yourself.
Length: 9:46 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Rhythm & Your Guitar
In the first part of this lesson, Jessica takes some time to explain all the parts of your guitar in detail. She then flips it upside-down and makes a bongo out of it! Grab your guitar and enjoy drumming...
Length: 14:36 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
The Right Guitar
Jessica takes some time to talk about finding the right guitar for you. She explores different sizes and talks about the correct and most comfortable sitting position.
Length: 10:03 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Why G Guitar?
Jessica Baron discusses "Gentle G Guitar" and explains why it is such a great learning method for beginners.
Length: 9:12 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Tuning to Open G
In this lesson, Jessica Baron explains how to tune your guitar to open G with or without an electronic tuner.
Length: 12:31 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Guitar Stringing Part 1: Steel String
In this lesson, Jessica Baron shows how to string a steel string guitar.
Length: 11:34 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Guitar Stringing Part 2: Classical
In part 2 of Jessica Baron's restringing lessons, you will learn how to string your classical guitar, which is a little different from a steel string.
Length: 9:36 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Ear Training & Singing in Tune
Jessica Baron delights in sharing a fun lesson that is all about ear training and singing in tune.
Length: 21:24 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Vocal Warm-up Part 1
Jessica Baron shares some fun and effective vocal exercises to get you warmed up before singing. This is very important for those of you who would like to sing while playing.
Length: 14:15 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Vocal Warm-up Part 2
Jessica Baron shares part 2 of her vocal warm-up lessons with some fun new exercises to prepare you for singing.
Length: 16:07 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Strumming
In lesson 13, Jessica Baron introduces you to strumming technique.
Length: 15:03 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Your First Chord
Jessica Baron introduces your first easy chord, Gsus4.
Length: 2:47 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
All About Chords
Jessica Baron talks about patterns and chord charts. She also provides more exercises for the C note you learned in the previous lesson.
Length: 19:57 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Simple D
Jessica Baron introduces a new chord she calls the "Simple D" and provides a song exercise for practice.
Length: 9:07 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
The Old Chisholm Trail
Jessica Baron teaches techniques in the context of "The Old Chisholm Trail." Learn about the pluck-down strum, practice changing from "Open G "to "Simple D," and learn about capos.
Length: 29:51 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Simple C
Jessica introduces the "Simple C" chord and incorporates it into two fun songs, "Camptown Races" and "The Green Grass Grows All Around."
Length: 21:33 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Fun Strums
Jessica takes some time to show you a variety of different strums to use in your playing. She teaches the song "I'll Fly Away" to demonstrate the different feel of each strum.
Length: 19:37 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Two Finger C Major
Jessica Baron teaches the C major chord using only 2 fingers and provides some fun song exercises for practice.
Length: 9:21 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Your First Minor Chord
Jessica Baron introduces your first minor chord! Learn the beautiful E minor chord and play along to "This Little Light of Mine."
Length: 17:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Earth Is Our Mother
In this lesson, Jessica Baron provides some good, fun practice using a traditional Native American chant called "The Earth Is Our Mother."
Length: 6:53 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
3/4 Time
Jessica Baron explains time signatures with a focus on 3/4 time. She uses fun and interactive song exercises for practice.
Length: 11:11 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
I'm On My Way
Jessica Baron teaches one final song in open G tuning called "I'm on My Way" before moving on to standard tuning.
Length: 8:52 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Standard Tuning
Jessica Baron introduces standard tuning in this lesson! Be ready to tune your guitar and learn "You've Got to Move" for practice.
Length: 19:45 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
A Minor
Jessica Baron introduces the A minor chord in standard tuning and invites you to play along to the fun song "Drunken Sailor."
Length: 9:29 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
A Major
Jessica Baron introduces the A major chord in standard tuning. Practice it with the catchy song "A Tisket, A Tasket."
Length: 11:35 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
D Major
Jessica Baron teaches the D major chord and "Down By The Riverside" for practice.
Length: 14:32 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Over the River and Through the Woods
Jessica Baron is excited to provide more practice changing from D to A7 with the fun song, "Over the River and Through the Woods."
Length: 8:29 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
The Crawdad Song
Jessica Baron teaches a new chord, B7, with "The Crawdad Song" for practice.
Length: 7:31 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
G Major
Jessica Baron helps you play the full G major chord by using the song, "I've Been Working on the Railroad."
Length: 12:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Full C Major
Jessica Baron is excited to finally teach the full C major chord with the bluesy song "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" for practice.
Length: 16:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Composing Part 1
Jessica Baron takes all the knowledge you've learned throughout her series and helps you express yourself through your own compositions.
Length: 8:05 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Composing Part 2
Jessica Baron continues her discussion on composition with a songwriting exercise. In addition, she also takes a closer look at finger picking with one last picking pattern.
Length: 11:46 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I was given one of those "attic" guitars when I was about 9 years old. The strings must have been 1/2" off the fretboard. Now I understand why it was in the attic. No one could play it.
I didnt realize ipad doesnt support the video chat--otherwise i would be online right now joining you all from my counseling office.
Is there a concert size guitar you recommend? I am looking at the Taylor GC3 or GC4. I have shoulder problems and find the dreadnaught body too big yet parlor size doesnt quite have the sound I am looking for.
Hi, what's the brand name of the half size guitar in this vid.? (the one for children)
My guitar is a bit too large for me also, but I'm not really in a place to be switching guitars around now :(
Hi, there! I just added a long description to the person with the Gibson hummingbird below whose guitar also feels a little bigger than is comfy. Wanna scroll down there, read it, and try that approach? Hope it helps. Jess
Hi, Friend. If finances are causing you to stick to your current guitar. please let me know and I can suggest a few strategies for solving that problem (no I do not have a treasure map or a money tree, just some resources to share). A big guitar can really make playing harder if you need something more huggable, so if I can help you problem solve, please do not hesitate to ask, okay? Warmly, Jess
.....I just bought a Gibson Hummingbird.....yeah, the thing is kind of a challenge to get around.....wish I had seen this a couple of weeks ago!
One thing you might try is using a foot stool under your foot on the fingering side of your body. This will give you the opportunity to play your guitar at an angle- you can lower the lower bout between your strumming side knee and your fingering side thigh. Bring the head of the guitar up around your fingering side shoulder. Your strumming side foot should be flat on the floor. The result is that you can get your strumming elbow in a comfy position, your strumming hand over the mouth of the guitar, and your wrist on your fingering hand at a comfortable straight position beneath the neck. Wanna try and see if this helps?? Best wishes, Jess
Until now, I harbored the notion that a what made a guitar a "dreadnaught" was the shape of the body having that classic bell shape as opposed to the auditorium guitars. That is to say I was unaware that it had anything to do with it's size.
You were right, just missing a little piece of the story. And a dreadnaught cutaway is that bell shape with a scoop taken out at the upper bout under the fretboard so you can play way up high!
I bought a Martin D-28 and sold it a while back. It was best for me to size down and I'm more comfortable.
Happy for you!!
Jesus that DN HUGE for you. LOL