The Guitar ______1 Related Instruments ______1 Guitar Parts and Names ______2 Acoustic vs. Electric ______3 Brand Names ______3 The Neck ______4 Fretboard ______4 Width______5 Thickness ______5 Intonation ______5 Action ______5 Adjustable Truss Rod ______5 Strings ______6 Electric Pickup Configurations ______7 Tele ______7 Strat ______7 Peavey Copies ______7 Les Paul ______7 Active Pickups ______7 Guitar Amps ______8

Accessories______9 Case ______9 Guitar Stand ______9 CAPO ______9 Music Stand ______9 Strap______10 Guitar Strings ______10 Picks______10 String Changing Kit ______11 Peg Winder ______11 Wire Clippers ______11 Polishing Cloth and Polish ______11 Electronic Tuner ______11 Metronome/Drum Machine/Sequencer______12 Tape Recorder ______12 Effects ______12 Harvard Dictionary of Music ______13

Tuning ______15 Tuning Options ______16 Electronic Tuner ______16 Pitch Pipe ______16 Tuning Fork ______16 Standard Pitch ______15 Standard Tuning ______15 Tuning to a Piano ______17 Relative Tuning ______17 Alternate Tunings ______18 Higher or Lower Standard ______18 Drop D ______19 Open D ______19 D minor ______20 Open G ______20 G minor ______21 DADGAD and others______21

The Basics Fingering ______22 Fret Hand ______22 Picking Hand ______22 Fretboard ______23 Fretting Rules ______23 Tabulature Notation ______24 Positional Tabulature ______24

Notes and Names Pitch ______25 Equal Temperament ______25 Chromatic Scale ______25 The Diatonic Scale ______25 Musical Alphabet ______25 Piano Notes ______26 Guitar Notes and Names ______27 Natural Notes by String ______27 Notes in First Position ______27 The Diatonic Scale ______28 Notes on the Fifth and Sixth Strings ______30

Chord Basics______31 Introduction to Chords ______31 Chord Diagrams ______32 Open Chord Example ______32 Bar Chord Example ______32 Basic Rhythm Styles ______33 Strum ______33 Alternating Bass and Strum ______33 Arpeggio______33 Five “Major” Chords ______34 Strumming ______35 Five Basic Rhythm Patterns ______35 “Major” Chord Progressions ______36 More Major Changes ______37 Seventh Chords ______38 The “Twelve Bar Progression” ______38 The “F” Chord ______39 Related Minor ______40 Relative Minor ______41 Minor Changes ______42 Moveable Chords ______43 Moveable Bar Substitutions ______44

Basic Chord Progressions ______45 Diatonic Harmony of the Five Keys ______45 Essential Chord Changes ______46 Essential Chords ______47 The Capo ______48 Capo Chart ______49 Transposition Chart ______50

Basic Chord Alterations ______51 Suspended Chords ______52 Major Seventh Chords ______54 Minor Seventh Chords ______55 Sixth Chords ______56 Passing Chords ______57 Diminished Seventh ______57 Major Alterations ______58 Alternate Bass Note ______58 Alternate Chord/Same Root ______60 Minor Alterations ______61 Minor “Walk Down” ______62

Bar Chords ______64 The “Major” Bar Patterns ______65 Basic Sixth String Root Patterns ______66 Basic Fifth String Root Patterns ______67 The Basic Bar Major Changes ______68 Major and Minor Bar Changes ______69 Five Chords ______70 Palm Mute ______71 Additional Basic Bar Changes ______72

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