lesson summary
Lesson 1 of 16 in our Series: Series Intro - Guitar Parts and Tuning
Mark introduces his Phase 1 series and covers some fundamental electric guitar basics.
Chapter 1: (06:10) Lesson Series Intro
Welcome to the Phase 1 Introductory Guitar series with Mark Brennan! This lesson begins with a demonstration of Mark's fluid guitar style. Before you attempt to tackle advanced techniques and chords such as those demonstrated in the introduction music, you must first develop strong fundamental skills.
Mark Brennan Bio
Mark earned a Classical Guitar Performance degree from Cleveland State University in 1980. He began teaching private lessons shortly after completing college. Currently, Mark performs with a Pink Floyd tribute band called Wish You Were Here.
For more information about Mark and his career please read his full JamPlay biography. Also,
click here to tour the Wish You Were Here website.
Advantages of Playing Guitar
The guitar can serve multiple functions in a musical setting. It can be used to fulfill the role as a rhythm player. For example, a chord progression is often strummed to accompany a soloist or a vocal melody. Due to its expressive nature, the guitar can also be used as an effective lead instrument. This is especially true of the electric guitar. With effects and techniques such as string bends, the potential for self-expression is infinite. Since the guitar is a rhythmic and melodic instrument, it is possible to play solo arrangements that include a melody line and a rhythmic part.
Series Overview
Mark begins this lesson series with the assumption that you are brand new to the electric guitar. Before he dives into playing techniques, he explains essential information such as guitar and amplifier anatomy as well as the tuning process. Next, Mark will explore basics such as proper right-hand and left-hand technique. You will learn how to hold the pick and the guitar properly. Once you have mastered basic technique, Mark will teach the essential components of music such as scales and chords. These fundamentals will be applied to rhythm and lead guitar in the rock and roll style.
Specific rock and roll guitar techniques such as power chords and the minor pentatonic scale will be covered later in the series. This scale will be used to compose and improvise your own guitar solos. As he continues to explore rock guitar techniques, Mark will teach some simple rock songs that involve these important elements.
Chapter 2: (11:15) The Parts of the Guitar
There are a vast number of guitar manufacturers that produce several different lines of guitars. However, the majority of guitars produced today are based on a few classic designs. Most guitars are based on classic designs invented by the Fender and Gibson companies. The Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul are the two most popular guitar designs.
Mark's guitar is based on the classic design of the Fender Stratocaster. This guitar was built by the Tom Anderson Company.
Headstock
The anatomy of the guitar is based on a woman's figure. It features a body, neck and a head.
The headstock is located at the end of a long, slender piece of wood called the neck. The nut separates the neck from the headstock. Tuning pegs are fastened to the headstock. The strings are wrapped around the tuning pegs to hold them tightly in place.
Tuning Machines
The tuning machines ensure that the tuning remains stable for as long as possible. Most Stratocaster style guitars feature six tuning machines on one side of the headstock. Turning the tuning machines alters the pitch or tuning of each string. Turning the tuning peg in a counterclockwise motion raises or sharpens the pitch of the string. Turning the peg clockwise lowers or flattens the pitch.
Gibson Les Paul style guitars feature three tuning machines on each side of the headstock. In this case, the three tuning machines on the bottom portion of the headstock work in the opposite direction.
The Neck
The long slender part of the guitar is called the neck. On Strat style guitars, the neck is bolted to the body. Gibson style necks are typically glued to the body.
The fretboard is glued on top of the neck. Fretboards are either made out of rosewood, maple, or ebony. Maple produces a brighter tone. Rosewood and ebony sound slightly darker.
Slits are carved into the fretboard for installation of metal strips of wire. These strips of wire are called frets. Electric guitars typically have 21 or 22 frets. Many guitars designed for hard rock and metal feature 24 frets. Ibanez has recently started to manufacture a guitar that features 27 frets.
In later lessons, Mark will use the word "fret" to refer to the space located between the metal fretwire. For example, the space between the headstock and the first metal fret is referred to as the "1st fret."
Most guitars feature position markers on the fretboard to help keep you oriented. Most Strat style guitars feature pearloid dot inlays. The double dots indicate the 12th fret. As you continue to explore up the neck, these positions markers will become very handy. Position markers are also listed on top of the fretboard. These dots are typically very small. Classical guitars are typically the only type of guitars that do not feature fretboard markers. Guitars manufactured by the Parker Company also do not feature fretboard markers.
The Body
The body is the curvy base of the guitar. The bridge, electronics, and pickguard are found here.
A. Pickups
The pickups sense the vibration of the strings. This vibration is transformed into an electric signal that passes through the guitar cable and comes out of the amplifier. Most Strats feature three single coil pickups. The other type of guitar pickup is called a "humbucker." Les Pauls feature two humbucking pickups. Humbuckers are essentially two single coil pickups that are wired together.
B. Pickup Selector Switch
A toggle switch is used to select a specific pickup(s). The positions of the toggle switch are setup just like the pickups. There are five possible pickup selections available on most Strats. Three of the positions are for each of the single coil pickups. The in between positions blend the sound of the bridge and middle pickup or the neck and the middle pickup. The bridge pickup features a bright, treble sound. The neck pickup produces a warmer, bassier sound. The middle pickup produces a middle ground sound between these two extremes. Experiment with your guitar and explore the different tones that each pickup produces. Compare the sound of a single note played with each of the pickup options.
C. Volume and Tone Control(s)
Most Strats feature a single volume knob that controls the volume of all three pickups. Les Pauls feature two volume controls - one control for each pickup. Most guitars feature two tone controls - one for the bridge and one for the neck pickup. When the tone control is turned down, the high end or treble is decreased.
D. Output Jack
The electric guitar connects to the amplifier through a patch cable. The patch cable connects to the output jack of the guitar. Typically, the jack is located somewhere around the side of the body or the front of the body near the volume and tone controls.
E. The Bridge
The strings attach to the guitar at the bridge. There are several types of bridge systems.
1. Floating Tremolo - Most Strats have floating tremolos. The tremolo is the "whammy bar" that is used to lower or raise the pitch of a note. Pressing the bar downwards lowers the pitch of a note. Pulling the bar upwards raises the pitch. You cannot alter the pitch as much with this system as with a double locking system. Springs that are covered by a plate on the back of the body help maintain equilibrium and keep the strings in tune.
2. Fixed Bridge – These systems do not feature a whammy bar. They are installed on most Gibson style guitars.
3. Locking Tremolo – Refer to the "Lesson Information" section of lesson 1 from Kris Norris' Phase 2 lesson series to learn about locking tremolos.
F. Strap Pegs
Most guitars feature 2 strap pegs. One is typically located on the side of the body directly in line with the bridge. The other is placed on the upper cutaway of the body. Mark's guitar features three strap pegs for more options.
Strap locks will ensure that your strap remains attached to the strap pegs. Straps have a tendency to work their way loose over time. If you are standing up while playing, you could accidentally drop your guitar to the floor and damage it. At the very least, this mishap will negatively affect your performance.
Chapter 3: (03:18) Proper Posture
Playing the guitar properly begins with proper posture. Proper posture involves the entire body. Remember that the entire body is one system. Everything affects everything else. Playing with proper posture will enable you to play with the greatest ease and comfort. Improper posture results in poor playing technique and potentially career-ending injury.
Sitting in a Chair
Do not sit in a chair with arm rests. This will prevent you from holding the guitar in a comfortable position. Also, do not sit on a very soft chair or couch. Otherwise, you will sink in to the cushioning. This prevents you from playing with proper posture.
Legs
The legs are the foundation of the body and proper posture. Any structure requires a solid foundation. Always follow the following guidelines regarding proper leg positioning.
1. Never cross your legs. It limits circulation. It's awkward. Most people do this just to raise the guitar higher. That's why you should always wear a strap instead!
2. Keep the feet about shoulder width apart. When playing sitting down, keep them parallel. If standing up, then you may find it more comfortable to keep one foot slightly in front of the other. Leading too much with one foot can cause back issues that affect the shoulders. This tension can spread to the hands and affect playing.
3. The groin area and feet should form an isosceles triangle (two equal sides). The ancient Egyptians understood that the triangle is the strongest geometric shape. Consequently, you must position the base of your body in this formation.
Shoulders
Keep the shoulders relaxed and loose at all times. Don't shrug them at all. Your arms should feel like they are hanging effortlessly from your body. Do not lift your right shoulder to bring your right hand closer to the strings.
Do not lean over so that you're face is closer to the fretboard. Keep the spine as straight as possible at all times. Playing slouched over for extended periods of time will hurt your back.
The Strap
Always wear a strap regardless of whether you are playing sitting down or standing up. This is true of both electric and acoustic guitars. Raise your left hand slowly until the bicep no longer must use any force to raise the arm. Adjust your strap so the neck meets your left hand at this position. Play with the strap adjusted the same way regardless of whether you are standing up or sitting down. Pay no attention to rock guitarists who play with the guitar slung down around their knees. This is very improper posture. It makes playing the guitar much more difficult.
Positioning the Guitar
The guitar should remain mainly flat against your body. Do not let the guitar tilt down your leg. This will make it hard for your left hand to play chords and scales. A lot of students complain that they cannot see the fretboard as easily when the guitar is flat against their body. You will get over this in time. Use the dots on top of the neck to help orient you if necessary.
Choosing the Right Guitar
Don't play a guitar that is too big, bulky, or heavy for you. Many players run into back and shoulder problems from playing heavy guitars such as Les Pauls night after night. Similar problems may result from playing a large hollowbody or acoustic guitar. Most likely, these problems will not manifest themselves immediately. It may take decades for the issue to come to a head. However, they could eventually knock you out of commission for a long time. Why would you do anything that could potentially lead to injury?
Chapter 4: (08:41) How to Tune Your Guitar
Note: For more information pertaining to the tuning process, please visit the lessons listed below.
Jim Deeming - Phase 1, Lesson 20
Mark Lincoln - Phase 1, Lesson 2
David Anthony - Phase 1, Lesson 1
Steve Eulberg - Phase 1 Kids and Guitar, Lesson 6
Matt Brown - Phase 2 Rock Guitar, Lesson 10
Steve Eulberg - Phase 1, Lesson 10
You must tune the guitar prior to every practice session. It does not matter how recently you played it. The guitar is not like a piano. The strings go out of tune much more quickly. They will slip out of tune in a matter of hours as the guitar sits in its case. Get in a habit of tuning your guitar prior to performing your daily warm-up exercises. If your guitar is not in tune, everything you play will sound bad regardless of how well you play it.
Purchasing a Tuner
Eventually, you will need to learn how to tune the guitar by ear. For now though, use an electronic tuner to help with this process. A reliable electronic tuner can be purchased at your local guitar store for around fifteen dollars. The Korg GA-30 Guitar/Bass Tuner is a great choice for beginning guitarists. This tuner also features a built-in microphone. The microphone allows you to tune an acoustic guitar without plugging a patch cable into the tuner.
Professional tuners such as the Boss TU-2 are designed for live performance situations. Chances are that you will not need a tuner of this quality to start with. These tuners require the use of two cables. They also have two outputs. One output silences the guitar signal when tuning. The other keeps the guitar amplified while tuning.
Open String Names
The tuning process begins with learning the name of the note produced by each "open" string. A string is played open when the left hand is not used on the fretboard.
The thickest string (closest to the ceiling) is referred to as the sixth string. This string produces the pitch "E."
5th string - A
4th string - D
3rd string - G
2nd string - B
1st string - E
Memorize these string names as soon as possible. This information is extremely rudimentary and important. A lot of what you will learn later expands upon this basic information. Notice how the lowest and the highest string are both tuned to the note E. The "high" E string is tuned two octaves higher than the lowest string.
The tuning listed above is referred to as standard tuning. Other alternate tunings are sometimes used. These tunings are discussed in other lessons on JamPlay.com.
When using the tuner, the string number or open string note name will light up as it is plucked. A meter will indicate whether the note is sharp or flat. If the meter is to the left of center, then the string is flat. If it is right of center, then the string is sharp. If the appropriate string number or pitch does not show up, the note is too far sharp or flat for the tuner to register properly.
If you have any sort of a floating tremolo, you have to go through the tuning process twice if not three times. When the tuning of one string is changed, the tuning of the other strings adjusts slightly to even out the tension placed on the neck. This is one disadvantage of a floating or double locking tremolo system.
Chapter 5: (01:07) Lesson Wrap-up
If you ever have any questions regarding lesson materials, feel free to email Mark. You can also leave comments or questions on the forum as well as in the "Comments" section of each individual lesson. JamPlay instructors typically hold live Q+A sessions with members too. These occur roughly every 2-3 weeks with a variety of instructors.
Preview of Upcoming Lessons
Thus far, Mark has covered the parts of the electric guitar and how it is tuned. In the next lesson, he will explain the anatomy of a guitar amplifier. He will also explain how to get the best possible sound out of your equipment. In addition, Mark will demonstrate how to vary your tone to fit the context of the music you are playing. After exploring the amplifier, Mark will dive into some basic exercises that will help develop proper left and right hand playing techniques.
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