Five of the greatest and most impressive guitar solos, from Jimmie Hendrix to Van Halen.

Guitar solos are the place where master guitarists get to show off their skills. For a few music bars, the audience’s focus shifts away from the lead singer, and the guitarist gets the full attention. The best solos bring something original to the table and create an emotion that listeners won’t easily forget. 

Get your lighters ready, and let’s look at a few of the best guitar solos of all time. 

1. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Guitarist: Brian May

Bohemian Rhapsody is Queen’s best-known song. It was a number-one hit when it came out in 1975. It hit the number-one spot again in 1992 after Freddie Mercury’s death. This piece remains popular over 40 years after its first recording. And for a good reason.

Freddie Mercury wrote this song from start to finish using a complex musical structure that doesn’t follow the rules. In an interview, Brian May discusses how Freddie wanted a guitar solo in the song and gave Brian May a free hand to work on it. May wanted the guitar to sing its own verse and wrote the classic guitar solo.

Brian May’s guitar solo in this song is short and sweet. The guitar interlude is crucial in tying the musical piece together. The first half of the song starts as a lyrical ballad. Then the guitar interlude signals a new episode in this rhapsody. It takes the piece from ballad-like rock to an emotional opera worthy of the stage. The song heads into rock and roll and ends on a smooth reflective note. 

Brian’s vibrato techniques and lyrical lines touch an emotional chord tying Freddie Mercury’s complex piece together. 

2. “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd, Guitarist: David Gilmour

Many consider the guitar solo in Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb the best guitar solo of all time. This piece contains two solos by David Gilmour, but the second one steals the show.

In a 1993 interview with Guitar World, David discussed how he wrote the guitar voice for Comfortably Numb. He “banged out five or six solos” in the studio and then listened to the playback. Then he pieced together the best parts for a well-structured solo with the interest of creative improvisation.

Guitar solos have become favorites because of the guitarist’s intricate fingerwork and original techniques. However, in Comfortably Numb, the behind-the-scenes studio work is responsible for half of this solo’s charm. The delay and doubling of the guitar’s voice create a full edgy sound–almost as if two guitars are playing at once.

The smooth tone, rapid rhythms, and expressiveness of the guitar’s sound make this solo unforgettable.

3. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, Guitarist: Slash

Slash’s guitar solo in Sweet Child O’ Mine is one of the most memorable of 1980s rock. This song was Guns N’ Roses first hit song to hit Billboard’s Top 40s. 

But Slash was responsible for much more than just the guitar solo. His sweet riffs on the guitar were the inspiration for the creation of the piece. While Slash entertained the rest of the band during a rehearsal, he struck gold. Axl Rose listened in, liked what he was hearing, and began jotting down lyrics to match Slash’s notes.

The Sweet Child O’ Mine guitar solo begins with a relaxed, laidback tone before it steadily increases in energy. The bends and vibrato on the strings require a talented left hand. 

Slash makes use of the pentatonic scale in this piece. He builds energy with upstrokes and downstrokes as he plays. Although he tends to be more understated than other guitarists in his performance style, his raw improvs connect the audience to the piece on a rich emotional level. 

4. All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix, Guitarist: Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix admired Bob Dylan’s work and enjoyed covering many of his songs. In All Along the Watchtower, Hendrix reinterprets Dylan’s classic song, turning it into a creative masterpiece. Even Dylan admitted that Hendrix improved upon this piece.

Hendrix’s version came out in 1968 and included not one but four different guitar solos in All Along the Watchtower. In one of the solos, he uses a cigarette lighter to slide up the guitar neck. 

Hendrix was full of musical ideas and enjoyed bringing psychedelic sounds and original techniques to the guitar. His distinct musical voice makes this song a classic rock hit. 

5. “Eruption,” Van Halen, Guitarist: Eddie Van Halen

When Eruption first appeared on Van Halen’s debut album, it caused a stir. However, it was only by chance that this piece made it onto the album. As Eddie was practicing for an upcoming gig, his producer overheard him playing and encouraged him to record it.

Eddie Van Halen was using a tapping technique. But, instead of using it on one or two notes like most guitarists, he was playing a solo almost entirely with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and tapping. This technique requires both hands to tap out the notes going up the guitar neck while muting the bass notes.

The rhythm Van Halen uses is also tricky. Sometimes he taps on the first and fourth sextuplet notes, and sometimes he emphasizes the third and sixth notes. This makes it one of the most challenging solos for other guitarists to recreate. Van Halen’s imaginative style makes him one of the top 10 guitar soloists in rock history. 

Learn from the greatest guitarists, and put theory into practice.

Rock stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, and others brought guitar solos to life with their innovative techniques and creative interpretations. 

You, too, can master skills on the guitar by listening to the classics, watching expert guitarists’ fingerwork, and learning guitar theory. To boost your skills,  Simply Guitar can help you lay the framework for music theory and walk you through chords and strum patterns step-by-step. 

Who knows? One day your guitar solo may hit the charts.

FAQs.

The post 5 Best Guitar Solos of All Time. Do You Agree? appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

In this beginner’s guide, we will teach you everything there is to know about natural and artificial guitar harmonics.

When you first pick up the guitar, your want to learn where the notes are on the frets and how to strum. However, as you advance in your skills, you discover new techniques to make your songs come to life. 

Guitar harmonics are fun to play and not too difficult once you learn how to find them on the guitar. This technique can add a bell-like quality to your strings. Are you ready to learn a new skill? Let’s dive into how to play natural and artificial harmonics on the guitar.

Are you ready to learn a new skill? Let’s dive into how to play natural and artificial harmonics on the guitar.

What are guitar harmonics?

You can hear subtle guitar harmonics every time you play the guitar. A note on guitar strings creates vibrations between the fret and string base.

The name note is audible because you play it intentionally. Then you have additional pitches that are less audible. These overtones are harmonic.

These overtones are harmonic.

When you play guitar harmonics, the string can vibrate from a fret to where the string meets the headstock. This technique brings the overtones to the forefront while the fundamental note takes a back seat. With this technique, you get a bell-like sound.

Guitar harmonics can add an impressive new tone to your guitar playing.  

Natural vs. artificial harmonics and how to play them.

There are two different types of harmonics you can play on the guitar: Natural and artificial harmonics. Let’s look at each type. 

How to play natural harmonics on guitar.

Playing a natural harmonic is not hard at all once you know where to find them on the fretboard. Follow the step-by-step. Then try playing natural harmonics on your guitar.

Step 1: Find the fret marker

To play a natural harmonic on the guitar, you can lightly rest your finger over any string on the fifth, seventh, or twelfth fret bars. These frets should be easy to find since there are dots that mark these frets. 

Step 2: Lightly touch the string 

After you find the fret, place your finger above the fret bar and lightly touch a string. You don’t want to press down too hard to fret the note. The string should touch only the tip of your finger and nothing else.

Step 3: Pluck and release

Once you pluck the string, release your finger to get a crisp, bell-like harmonic note. If you are using a capo, remember to count up the fifth, seventh, or twelfth from the capo instead of the headstock.

Different harmonic techniques.

Natural harmonics are straightforward to play. However, you have different techniques you can try when you play artificial harmonics on the guitar. These include tap harmonics, touch harmonics, and pinch harmonics. 

Artificial harmonic techniques can be tricky at first, but with practice, they can become second nature. To warm up your fingers so you can play these techniques nimbly, try these finger exercises: 5 Guitar Finger Exercises for Every Guitarist.

How do you read guitar harmonics in tablature?

Standard music notation indicates guitar harmonics with diamond-shaped notes and a dot next to the tablature numbers.

You may also see the words Harmonics or Harm above the staff.  These words indicate a natural harmonic. If there are several notes in a row you should play, you may see a dotted line after the word Harm. Here are a few other harmonic terms and their abbreviations that you commonly see in tablature: 

A final word on guitar harmonics.

Harmonics can be satisfying to play and give you a new dynamic to your guitar. For beginning guitarists, it is simpler to start with open-string harmonics. Then you can try out different techniques with artificial harmonics. 

To excel at guitar playing, you can download the Simply Guitar app. This app lets you stay on track while practicing guitar at home. It can also give you real-time feedback to strike all the right notes. Try it free for two weeks to see if it is for you!

FAQs.

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This article teaches what guitar frets are, their purpose, and how many frets there are on an acoustic and electric guitars.

Frets are important components of guitar playing. Without frets, finding notes and chords becomes guesswork. Guitars with fewer frets can sound smooth and mellow, while a guitar with more frets may have a brighter sound. 

However, when strings start to buzz, it may mean that your frets need work. So how do you clean and level frets on your guitar to get the best sound?

Read on and find out everything you need to know about guitar frets. 

What are guitar frets?

Guitar frets are strips of material spaced at specific intervals on the fretboard. Most often, the fret material is a nickel alloy. Other materials such as bone, wood, ivory, and stone don’t bend easily and are difficult to fit into a fretboard. 

Strings can easily bend over the domed top surface of the fret. At the bottom of the fret is a shaft that fits into the guitar neck. Some frets are glued into the fretboard, while others are set firmly into the wood. 

What is the purpose of guitar frets?

Frets divide the guitar into sections based on the Western music scale. They give the musician a guide making it easy to find standard notes. Each fret creates a point of tension for the guitar sound. If a guitar has no frets, the string vibrates from the guitar bridge. 

The number of guitar frets.

Most guitars have between 19 and 24 frets. The number of frets can vary based on the type of guitar and the genre of music you play. Acoustic guitars usually max out at around 20 frets, while electric guitars have at least 21 frets. 

How many frets are on an acoustic guitar?

Acoustic guitars can have 18 to 20 frets. However, the upper frets on an acoustic guitar are more for aesthetics than for use. The high frets on an acoustic guitar are hard to reach. Many guitarists don’t use the upper frets at all and stick to the 12 to 15 frets that are easily accessible. 

How many frets are on an electric guitar?

Electric guitars usually have at least 21 frets up to 24 frets. When a guitar has fewer frets, the tone of the guitar has a warm, mellow tone. Many jazz players prefer a guitar with fewer frets because of its smooth, jazzy sound. 

However, a guitar with 24 frets gives you four full octaves and can be easier to play. If you enjoy playing songs in the metal genre, you may need 24 frets for some songs.

What is fret leveling, and how do you level guitar frets?

When you play the guitar regularly, the strings can wear down or scratch the frets erasing the fret crown. A flat fret can be uncomfortable to play and may cause your guitar strings to buzz. The strings need to be able to contact the tip of the crown to give a clear sound. Leveling the frets puts them back at a standard height. So how does it work?

Step 1: Check your fret level with a fret rocker

Leveling, crowning, and polishing frets is a time-intensive process that can take up to five hours. So, before you start, make sure that fret leveling is necessary. Use a fret rocker to check your frets. The fret rocker has three sides, so you can measure the frets closer together and farther apart. Straddle three frets and see if the tool is stable. If it rocks, this means that the frets are unlevel. 

Step 2: Remove the strings and guitar neck from the body

To repair uneven frets, remove the guitar strings and neck. Bolt-on necks are the easiest to remove. Simply remove the bolts with a screwdriver. Once you separate the guitar neck from the body, you are ready to go to work.

Step 3: Mark each fret with a permanent marker

Use a permanent maker to mark the top of each fret. This trick helps you know if all the frets are level or not. Once all the marks disappear, it is time to stop sanding.

Step 4: Protect the fretboard with masking tape

The wooden fretboard shouldn’t come in contact with the sandpaper. However, for extra protection, you can protect the fretboard with masking tape.

Step 5: Sand the frets

A leveling beam is a straight block of wood covered in sandpaper. You can make one or buy your own. If the beam is large enough, you can lay the neck face down on the board and rub it back and forth using even pressure. Once all the marks from the permanent marker are gone, you know it is time to stop sanding.

Step 6: Recrown the frets

The frets are now level. However, your job is not over yet. You need to recrown each fret individually using a triangle file. This process can be painstaking and time-consuming. You may need the help of a luthier to finish the job correctly. With the crowns in place, you should have a comfortable guitar with a great sound.

How to clean and polish guitar frets.

After you level your frets, you want to finish the job by cleaning and polishing your frets. Over time your guitar frets can become dirty and dull from the moisture in the air, sweat, or the oil from your fingertips. You may notice a difference in how it feels to play the guitar and its sound. Time to clean your frets. But how?

Here are some steps to clean and polish your guitar frets:

Step 1: Take the strings off your guitar

To clean and polish your frets without making a mess, you need to remove the strings from the guitar. This gives you access to dirty frets and makes your job easier in the long run. 

Step 2: Protect the fretboard by using a fret guard 

You don’t want to get the polish on your fretboard when you polish the frets. Protect the wooden fretboard by using a fret guard. The guard has a slot that fits over the fret and lays flush against the fretboard. For the upper frets, you may need to cover the wood with masking tape since the fret guard may be too big to be useful. 

Step 3: Rub a polishing compound over the fret

Place a dot of polishing compound (such as Frine) on a microfiber cloth. Then, rub the polish firmly over the fret. You want to cover both the top and sides. Continue to clean until the fret looks clean and shiny. Polishing shouldn’t take more than a few seconds per fret.

Step 4: Use a cotton cloth to remove excess polish

After you apply polish to the fret and cover the top and sides, remove the excess polish. Use a cotton cloth and follow the same back-and-forth strokes you used to apply the polish. Also, if you notice polish on the wooden fretboard, wipe it off immediately.   

Step 5. Restring your guitar

After you finish polishing all your frets, it’s time to restring your guitar. Now is a great time to add new strings to your guitar. 

With a level, clean frets, and a new set of strings, it’s time to enjoy playing your guitar.

Learning is easy with guitar frets (and guitar apps).

Frets make playing the guitar easier. When your frets are clean and level, playing the guitar is more comfortable for your fingers and has the best sound. Frets can help you find the right notes—the right learning tools can make it easier to pick up skills on the guitar. 

You can try the Simply Guitar app if you want to play the guitar but don’t know where to start. This app is a no-stress way to learn the basics of guitar playing and can start you off on your musical journey.

FAQs.

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This article examines why you should invest in a guitar case, what case types are available, and what each is best suited for.

Most guitarists travel the world with a six-string at their waist. How much additional equipment they plan to purchase is up to them, but every guitarist should consider buying a guitar case. 

The practicality of having a safe, mobile way to transport your guitar and the comfort of knowing your instrument is secure does more than just give you peace of mind. 

Whether traveling, moving, or just taking a trip around the block to jam out with fellow aspiring musicians, a good case keeps your instrument safe.

Why do you need a guitar case?

There are several reasons why guitarists should consider buying a case. Whether you want to arrive in style with your Gretsch, are protecting your investment in an original Gibson Les Paul, or only have one workhorse guitar, keeping it safe is key.

Having the ability to take your guitar along for the ride gives you access to different venues, jam sessions, and open mics – eventually leveling up your talent as a guitarist.  

Most players want to share their passion and talent with the community and the world, from the acoustic guitarist to the electric guitar shredder. Having the right guitar case ensures no harm to your prized possession.

Choosing a guitar case may seem like a straightforward purchase, but it’s also like comparing apples to oranges. Should you get a hard, soft, or guitar case backpack? Let’s narrow down the options by getting into the details.

Types of guitar cases.

Hard case, hybrid case, molded case, soft case, or gig bag, with so many options, it can be hard for a budding guitarist to decide.

Soft cases

What kind of case you need depends more on how active you are. Are you grabbing your guitar to go down the block to your instructor? You might get away with using a simple soft case. 

Soft cases can be folded up and tucked away, making them perfect for jam sessions in crowded garages. They are also lightweight, making it easy for the guitarist to travel on public transportation.

Hard cases

Are you hopping into the van with the rest of your band for a road trip to fame and fortune? Then investing in a hard case is probably your best option.

The road trip is usually the easiest part of these ventures. With a good hard case, your guitar arrives unscathed from the bumps and oscillation of the open roads. 

Custom cases

The type of guitar you use may limit your case selection. Some guitars require a custom case.

For example, an Ibanez X series death metal guitar won’t fit in any other case than the one it came with. If that case is lost, you need to have a custom hard case made from scratch or find one second-hand for your guitar.

Hard cases vs. soft cases.

A hard case offers more protection for your guitars than a soft case. We highly recommend a hard case over a soft case for long-term storage.

If you are more collector than a guitar player, knowing your investment is safely stored with little chance of damage is important. 

A hard case also protects from the elements and slows the effects of rapid cooling and warming on your guitar.  

On the other hand, a soft case is certainly better for the active guitarist who plays frequent gigs around their city or town. Lugging a hard case around to gigs can be cumbersome and is physically straining. 

Being able to fold up your soft case quickly and put it away when you get on stage also helps when playing crowded open mics or singer/songwriter nights.

Where can you buy a guitar case?

Guitars often come with the option of including a case for an additional fee. This is usually the best-fitting and easiest decision you can make when purchasing a guitar case. 

Other options include local music stores or guitar shops. Here experts eagerly wait to sell you the best case for your needs and upsell every accessory you can imagine. 

Don’t take these humble servants of the string instrument for granted. They can do much more than just sling you a guitar case. Having a go-to person that knows your guitar is always a good idea, and they are likely happy to help elevate your playing with tips and tricks. 

They may be able to help you find additional resources or connect you with other players as well. Don’t be hasty in your decision-making. You want to find the right guitar shop – one with the best cases at the right price.

You can always turn to online marketplaces and message boards if you are not finding what you are looking for. Be careful. However – it’s always best to ensure that your guitar fits the case. So, don’t be surprised if you end up disappointed and lose some cash if you order online.

What’s the average cost of a guitar case?

The cost varies depending on your guitar type. There are generic guitar styles, such as the dreadnought, that have very affordable cases simply because there are so many around. 

The true guitar aficionado may have to consider every aspect of their guitar when hunting for its case. For instance, Fender, with its flagship Stratocaster, offers a special molded case with a unique style. The same is true of the Epiphone hollow body archtop electric guitar line.

If you buy one of these guitars without a case, be ready to fork out some serious coin to buy the right case down the line.

In the world of acoustic guitars, Taylor also offers custom hard cases capable of storing its thick curvy body in a deep well. This is typical of most jumbo acoustic guitars – cases are harder to find and more expensive.

Having a uniquely shaped guitar increases the price of your case. Generally, you can find what you are looking for on the second-hand market and hopefully won’t need to have one custom-made.

The best guitar cases you can buy in 2022.

Putting everything in its case.

The purpose of the case, hard or soft, is to get your guitar to the show safely or to keep it safe in storage.

The importance of protecting your guitar from one session to the next cannot be overstated. Take the time to compare acoustic guitar cases, hard cases, gig bags, guitar backpacks, and flight bags before making a decision—your guitar will thank you.

Do you want to take your guitar playing to another level? Then download the Simply Guitar app and start leveling up your guitar playing today!

FAQs.

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Learn how to play the guitar for beginners! This article covers everything from the mechanics of the guitar to choosing a teaching method and mastering the fundamentals. 

When you see one of the great guitarists on stage, like Jimmi Hendrix or Pat Metheney, the guitar looks like an extension of their body and sounds like an extension of their voice. It seems entirely out of reach. 

It’s easy to forget that they, too, started from the beginning. 

Every incredible journey starts with small steps, and nobody walks it alone. In this article, we hope to help you take your first steps toward playing guitar. We’ll start you on all the initial stages, like understanding how the instrument works, the fundamentals of playing guitar, and designing a learning approach. 

What do you need before starting?

Make sure you have the following:

• A guitar (for playing)
• A tuner (for tuning)
• A pick (for picking)
• A notebook and pen (for writing important notes during your lesson or practice session)

Do you know how to hold the guitar? This is important. Unless you’re left-handed, you want to have the head in the left hand and the body resting on the leg, with a hug from the right. Not familiar with these terms? 

Guitar anatomy.

Knowing your guitar’s body is important to use it correctly and care for its needs.

1. Headstock: This is the head of the guitar. Small and compact, but it’s where the tuning of the whole system lives. 
   
2. Tuning pegs: These are small nobs on either side of the headstock. If you turn them right, the strings loosen, and their pitch gets lower. If you turn them left, the strings tighten, and their pitch increases. 
   
3. Nut: All the strings are tied to this small fragment that separates the neck from the head.
   
4. Neck: Long like a giraffe, the guitar neck connects the headstock to the body, and the strings stretch across it from the tuning pegs towards the end of the guitar’s body. 
   
5. Fretboard: The neck contains lines that create columns across the strings. This makes a grid which is called the fretboard. Each fret or column raises the pitch by a semitone by holding the string down in that fret while you pick or strum the note. This is how we play chords on guitar.  
   
6. Body: This is the beautiful wooden part of the instrument, which can be found in an infinite number of colors, styles, and shapes. Each shape gives it a unique sound. 
   
7. Soundhole: This is exactly where the heart would be in the body – okay, maybe a little less to the left. You’ll find the sound hole in the body’s upper center. This is how the strings’ vibration enters the body and resonates with sound. 
   
8. Strings: Six of them, each with slightly different material and thickness giving them different pitch ranges. The lower strings are thicker and heavier. The extent to which they pull along the neck and are tuned on the headstock is what determines their final pitch. 
   
9. Saddle: A small piece on the guitar’s body, below the soundhole, where you tie the strings. The tension of the strings pulled between the saddle and the headstock makes the music happen! 

Guitar out of tune? Check out How to Tune a Guitar.

Basic guitar chords.

Let’s go back to basics for a second. Do you know what a chord is?

A chord is when you play two or more notes simultaneously. The sound of multiple notes together creates harmony, a building block of all music. We make chords from scales (a series of seven notes played consecutively) and use a simple numbering system.

Each of the six strings on the guitar tunes to a different pitch. Playing the strings open as they are doesn’t make a chord (technically, it does, but it’s not a very nice one). When we change the strings’ pitches by pressing our left-hand fingers on the fretboard, we can make so many different kinds of chords. 

Some chords are tricky to play because they require complicated finger positions on the fretboard. Others only need two or three fingers and are super accessible for beginners. 

Knowing even three of four chords on the guitar can open a whole world of music under your fingers, but an excellent place to start is with the different types of guitar chords. 

There are three main types of chords that we play on the guitar:

Open chords

Open chords resonate beautifully on the guitar. We call them ‘open’ because they require very few fingers, leaving most strings open in their natural tuning. Pressing on the strings creates tension which changes the pitch – but that tension also limits the resonance of the strings. 

Open strings vibrate wide and far, creating a beautiful warm guitar sound. There is an acronym to remember the names of the primary open chords on guitar – CAGED. 

Power chords

Power chords are simple and robust because they only use two notes and usually only two or three fingers. A power chord is when strings are pressed on the fretboard and sometimes muted altogether so that the only remaining notes are the root note and the fifth of the chord. 

This creates a “five chord” in general musical terms and a power chord on the guitar. We usually play them on electric guitar, where we can distort and amplify the sound to add even more power! 

Barre chords

Barre chords are when the side of one of the fingers presses down on a whole column of the fretboard. As you can imagine, this requires finger strength and takes time to develop. 

By blocking out a whole column, you raise the strings’ pitch by one semitone. On top of that, you usually need another one or two fingers to press down on specific squares to complete the chord. These chords are instrumental because they mostly use a one-hand shape, allowing you to move your fingers smoothly up and down the fretboard. 

Guitar strumming.

When you see a pro guitarist strumming, you probably think: “That looks incredibly natural. I can probably do that!” But then you try, and it’s super awkward. Learning strumming patterns is one of those things which feels like learning to walk – incredibly foreign and overwhelming at first, but it very quickly becomes second nature. 

Part of learning to play guitar involves strumming patterns. These are different combinations of up-stroke and down-stroke movements of the right hand on the strings. Some strumming patterns are even and intuitive. Others are irregular and require a lot of practice until it sinks into your muscle memory. 

Strumming tip

Make sure your wrist is loose and that the strumming pattern happens through the power of inertia. If you are tense in your hand when strumming, you’ll very quickly get tired and possibly even injured. 

But it’s not just for your fingers! Training your ears to identify the up and down strokes which comprise strumming patterns is an important part of learning the language of the guitar. It helps you pick up songs easily and groove with the instrument.

You can strum using a pick or using your fingers. A pick is usually better for songs where you want more volume, power, and momentum. Fingers are ideal for something more gentle or folky. Ensure you angle the pick correctly towards the strings, so it doesn’t accidentally hit the wrong strings while you’re playing. 

Scales and finger exercises.

As we mentioned earlier, scales are a series of seven notes. Most songs you know were born from the major scale, which has become the iconic sound of Western music. If you want to dive deep into the guitar, begin by learning to play scales starting on all twelve notes in different positions on the fretboard. This get’s your fingers nimble and helps you learn the fretboard like the map of your hometown or the palm of your hand. There are many online resources to learn about guitar scales and applications, such as Simply Tune, to guide you through your guitar journey.  

When practicing scales, think of them like finger exercises. Like with any training, starting slowly and building gradually is essential. Find a pace that enables accuracy and consistency rather than trying to go 200km/h straight off the bat. Remember to do lots of repetition – the idea is to be precise and effortless, so keep repeating specific phrases and scales until that’s how it feels and sounds. Take breaks to stretch your fingers backward, forwards, and sideways. We want to build agility and finesse like the hands of a surgeon, but without creating tension or blockages. 

Start your journey with a song. 

The moment you finally play a song on guitar brings joy like no other. Relish the moment and immerse yourself in the music that you make. This moment can be pretty anticlimactic if you don’t choose the right tune for where you’re at. Here’s our list of the best songs for beginners to learn on guitar:

• Stay With Me (Sam Smith)
• Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
• Twist and Shout (The Beatles)
• Elenoar Rigby (The Beatles)
• Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
• Skinny Love (Bon Iver)

You can find some of these songs and more on the Simply Tune guitar app for a comprehensive learning experience on the guitar. 

FAQs.

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