Whether you’re a novice or a teacher, guitar books for beginners can help you improve your skills.

Watching legends such as Slash, Angus Young, and Jimi Hendrix strum a guitar looks effortless. However, once you get your hands on a guitar, you appreciate the time and skill it takes to make that instrument sing. 

Proper posture, strum patterns, and finding those tricky chords all play a part. So, where do you start?

Find the right guitar books for beginners. (You’ve come to the right place).

Can you learn guitar from a book?

Learning to play guitar from books can be a great option–especially if you lead a busy lifestyle. You can learn at your own pace and practice whenever you have time. Famous guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Prince also taught themselves at home, so you are in good company.

Most guitar books for beginners teach you the chords and strum patterns you need to know to play simple songs. Others show you how to maintain a correct posture and help you choose the right guitar size and style. 

1. Hal Leonard Guitar Method Complete Edition

Whether you want to play acoustic guitar or rock out on an electric, the Hal Leonard Guitar Method Complete Edition can teach you what you need to know. This step-by-step program shows you the differences between guitar types, how to choose equipment for an electric guitar, and how to tune your instrument. 

Then it walks you through music notation, chording, and licks for different genres of music. It shows you where the notes are on each string and which fingers to use. 

After you learn where the notes are and how to create chords, you can test your skills by playing through over 100 familiar songs. 

The Complete Edition includes the Hal Leonard method books 1, 2, and 3 in a spiral binding.  Then, you learn how to play the guitar step-by-step. 

Every guitarist can benefit from this comprehensive guitar book.

2. Easy Guitar Lessons for Kids + Video: Beginner Guitar for Children and Teens with 30 Songs

Easy Guitar Lessons for Kids teaches basic skills any beginning guitar student needs to know. It walks you through the different parts of a guitar, correct posture, basic chords, and strumming patterns. You also get tips on choosing the right style and size guitar. 

After you learn a few basic skills, you are ready to try out your newfound knowledge with some songs. Oh, When the Saints, Hickory Dickory Dock, and Happy Birthday are just a few of the well-known kids’ songs that you can find in this book. 

This all-in-one guide comes with 40 free MP3 audio files, ten printable songs, and a video instructional companion. Learning guitar with this book as your teacher is simple and fun. 

3. Guitar Exercises for Beginners: 10x Your Guitar Skills in 10 Minutes a Day

Want to improve your guitar skills but don’t have much free time? Guitar Exercises for Beginners shows you how to make the most of your time. Following the ten-minute practice sessions in this book, you can master the guitar one skill at a time. 

This book contains over 100 exercises that help you develop finger dexterity, hand strength, and chording techniques. It includes popular songs that are a pleasure to play and can increase your skills. 

Guitar Exercises for Beginners lays the foundation of guitar theory and prepares you to advance to the next level.   

4. Guitar Book for Adult Beginners

We’ve heard that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. However, people can start learning music at any age! If you are an adult who has never had the chance to learn an instrument, there is no time like the present. 

Guitar Book for Beginners specifically gears its program toward adult learners. Using simple language, pictures, and diagrams, you learn the parts of the guitar, chords, techniques, and more. You can also stream different video lessons to see guitar theory in action. 

After you learn some of the basics, you get the opportunity to play through some well-known tunes.

5. Campfire Songs – Strum Together

Campfire Songs: Strum Together provides the chord positions for up to five different instruments to play through songs with friends. This book is full of 70 classic hits such as Let it Be, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The House of the Rising Sun, plus many more. 

Each song includes standard treble clef notation with the chord names above and the song verses below.  In addition, this book contains chord diagrams for the acoustic guitar, standard ukulele, baritone ukulele, mandolin, and banjo. 

Campfire Songs makes it easy to pick up classic songs quickly and easily. Even if you are new to the guitar, you can keep pace with your friends by using this easy song guide. 

6. Idiot’s Guides: Guitar Theory 

When expert musicians talk guitar theory, it can sound complicated. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The Idiot’s Guide, Guitar Theory teaches music theory in simple layman’s terms. 

It starts with the basics and then builds to more advanced techniques. You can learn about tablature, note names, rhythm, scales, and strum patterns for guitar and other fretboard instruments. Listen to an hour’s worth of examples in this guide’s audio files to further cement what you learn. 

If learning guitar theory seems daunting, allow this Idiot’s Guide to allay your fears and teach new tricks. Then, you can improve your skills and join the experts in spouting off the appropriate lingo as you play the guitar.

7. How to Play Guitar in 14 Days: Daily Guitar Lessons for Beginners

If you are looking for an expert guitarist to teach you the ropes, this guitar guide may be perfect. A guitarist with 30 years of experience under his belt wrote How to Play a Guitar in 14 Days. Troy Nelson crafts his teaching methods specifically for beginning guitarists’ needs. 

Each day has one clear goal for you to conquer. The lessons slowly build off each other until the last 90-minute lesson. This lesson is the grand finale to put everything all your new skills to the test.

In this two-week course, you should master guitar posture, tuning, chords, scales, strum patterns, and more. 

This guitar book supports you as a student to grow in skills and confidence. You can even e-mail customer support if you get stuck on a technique. By breaking challenging concepts into small soundbites, you can master guitar theory and start playing popular tunes on the guitar. 

8. Guitar All-in-One For Dummies

We know you are not a dummy, but why learn guitar the hard way when Guitar All-in-One For Dummies makes it so simple? 

This guide comes with audio and video aids. It takes you from finding your first notes on the fretboard to guitar care, music theory, and composition. Also, you get to focus on the genre you jive with the most. Not into classical music? That’s okay! You can rock out like Axel Rose or learn licks for playing the blues. 

Maybe you don’t have room for a boatload of guitar books. If you are going to pick just one, Guitar All-in-One for Dummies is a great tool.

9. The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method

Christopher Parkening is a legend in the classical guitar world. And this method gives you a window into some of the techniques that make his playing so impactful. 

In the Christopher Parkening Guitar Method, you learn all the details you need to know about playing the classical guitar. It includes how to hold a classical guitar properly, find notes on the strings, and learn to pick and strum. This book shows you how to trim your fingernails for classical strings. 

This book includes 50 classical guitar songs, numerous exercises to strengthen your skills, and 14 duets. Illustrations and photos accompany the instructions and are excellent visual aids for learners.

This guide is a must-have if you pick up the classical guitar! 

10. The Guitarist’s Scale Book: Over 400 Guitar Scales & Modes

As every musician knows, you can’t hit those perfect notes by accident. There is a lot of hard work and practice behind each effortless-sounding piece. 

The Guitarist’s Scale Book helps you get the chords and scales on a guitar. This book packs in at least 400 scales and modes. Each scale has appropriate notation and tablature to find the right notes. Also, it shows how you can weave these scales into the songs. 

This guitar book is one of the most thorough guides out there. Practicing scales may not be as captivating as playing through pop songs at first. However, memorizing different chord patterns gives you a solid foundation for future tunes.

Pick up a guitar book for beginners and follow your passion!

Ready to start playing the guitar? Choose a book from the list above that suits your learning style, and go for it! Learning how to play the guitar from a book can be a low-stress way to start your musical journey. 

Read up on what you need to know, and then carve out regular practice sessions to put your knowledge into practice. Just 10 minutes a day of guitar practice can start to show results. (That’s about as much time as it takes to watch two cat videos on Youtube.)

Looking for piano books instead? Check out The Six Best Piano Books for Beginners to find some helpful guides. Or, if you’re ready to sprint into guitar mastery, download the Simply Guitar app to get started. 

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Do you know what guitar scales are? This article teaches you the most common scales and how to play them on guitar.

Scales are essential when it comes to improving your guitar skills. They’re the foundation for creating your riffs, solos, melodies, and more! By practicing them, you familiarize yourself with the various strings and frets and improve your finger dexterity.

Countless scales are available to play—you can even create your own. 

Let’s descend (or perhaps ascend) into the world of scales, learn about the different types, how you can practice them, and ultimately improve your skill on guitar. 

What is a guitar scale?

A guitar scale is an organized sequence of notes you play in ascending or descending order. They provide a framework for soloing and improvisation. They’re among the fundamental exercises for guitarists. 

Another essential skill any guitarist needs is the ability to play chords. Learn about them in our blog, Guitar Chords for Beginners: Ultimate Guide.

However, scales should always remain a part of your practice. There are many different scales, each with its unique sound and feel.

Different types of guitar scales.

The guitar is an elaborate instrument, so you can create your own even among the countless scales today.

Despite the endless potential for designing different patterns, there is a general categorization or style of scales.

The most common are the major and minor scales. The major scale consists of seven notes, while the minor has six. Other guitar scales include the blues scale, the pentatonic scale, and the chromatic scale–we’ll go over some more too!

The most common and easy guitar scales.

Within each type of scale, there are easier or simpler versions. However, you can make them more challenging by adding notes or altering the sequence or pattern can make them more challenging. 

The most common guitar scales are the major and minor scales. Technically, almost every other type of scale has a major and minor version. 

When it comes down to the easiest scale to play, the consensus agrees that it’s the pentatonic scale.

Pentatonic scale

The pentatonic scale is one of the most popular scales for beginners. They’re often referred to as the skeletal version of the heptatonic scale (seven notes) because they consist of five notes per octave.

If you’re curious about pentatonic scales, check out our blog, Pentatonic Scale Guitar.

Additionally, pentatonic scales are perfect for practice as you easily transpose them to different positions on the fretboard. And you can use it for a variety of different play styles.

The Major Scale

The major scale is one of the most important scales in music. It’s the basis for many popular songs, and people use it in various genres. The major scale consists of seven notes (heptatonic). 

The first note of the major scale is called the root note, and the other notes are called scale degrees. The major scale is a diatonic scale, which contains five whole steps and two half steps. The half steps occur between the third and fourth scale degrees and the seventh and eighth scale degrees.

The Minor Scale

Similar to the major scale, the minor scale is a scale that contains seven notes, each a whole step apart. People use a type of musical scale in sad or somber-sounding musical pieces. The minor scale is used in many different genres of music, including rock, blues, and jazz. 

The Aeolian Mode

The Aeolian Mode is also known as the natural minor scale. On the guitar, the Aeolian Mode starts on the sixth string and fifth fret and uses the following pattern: whole, half, whole, half, half, whole.

Blues scale 

The blues scale can be major or minor, with pentatonic variations. Its distinguishing mark is an added flat fifth, or ‘blue note.’ This scale is used–unsurprisingly–in blues and rock music. 

Dorian mode

The Dorian mode is a minor scale with the sixth degree raised. It’s often used in blues and rock music. Practicing the Dorian mode refines your soloing and chord-building ability in the blues and jazz styles.

The Mixolydian Mode

The Mixolydian mode is a musical scale commonly used in blues and rock guitar. It’s a great scale to solo in when you want to create a bluesy sound.

How to practice scales on guitar.

When it comes to practicing scales on the guitar, there are a few different approaches that you can take. One approach is to run up and down the scale, starting from the lowest note and working your way up to the highest. 

Another approach is using a metronome and practicing playing the scale at different tempos. This is a great way to work on your speed and accuracy.

Finally, you can also practice scales by using a backing track. It offers a feel for how the scale sounds in a musical context.

Regardless of your approach (we recommend trying all of them), it is important to be consistent with your practice. Try to set aside time to work on your guitar scales each day. If you can do this, you’ll be well on becoming a better guitar player.

Guitar scalability.

Scales are an essential part of practicing the guitar. By playing them, you improve your skills on many fronts. Your finger dexterity and strength increase, your positioning becomes more efficient, and your overall ability to improvise and play songs dramatically levels up.

Guitar requires a multifaceted approach. It’s a vast instrument that can create tons of unique sounds. Finding time to practice can be tricky unless you’re a professional musician. With an app, Simply Guitar offers bite-sized lessons that cover everything you need to learn your instrument. Give it a try today!

FAQs.

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Are you new to the world of guitars? Learn how to tune your guitar using a guitar tuner.

A guitar tuner is an essential tool for beginners. It helps keep your instrument sounding how it should. There are tons of tuners on the market. 

The truth is, they all work well. It’s just a matter of finding one that you’re comfortable using and that suits your needs and budget. 

This blog details everything you need to know about tuners, from the different types, their pros and cons, and how to use them.

What’s a guitar tuner?

A guitar tuner is a device that helps you tune your instrument to the ideal pitch. In other words, they interpret the frequency of a vibrating string.

Frequency refers to the number of times something happens in a given period. A tuner measures the frequency in hertz (Hz). Hertz is the unit of measurement which refers to the frequency of sound in a second. 

A guitar tuner picks up the sound of a string via a sensor, cable, or microphone, measures the frequency of the vibration, and compares it to the nearest relative note. The device tells you whether you need to tighten or loosen the tension.

Different types of guitar tuners.

Modern guitar tuners come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You buy a tuner with various designs, including handheld tuners, clip-on tuners, and pedal tuners. You can even download a guitar tuner app. 

Of course, having the right tools makes tuning much easier. However, it may complicate things if you don’t know how to tune your instrument. Learn how by reading our blog, How to Tune a Guitar!

Tuning your guitar.

Before tuning your instrument, there are a few things to keep in mind. There are many tone formats for tuning your guitar. However, as a beginner, you want to set your device to standard tuning. 

Generally, a tuner is preset to standard tone (E-A-D-B-G-E). So if you want to change it to an alternative setting like dropped, open, or modal, you have to adjust it. 

What does it mean when your guitar is out of tune?

The strings on your guitar are out of tune when they’re too sharp or too flat (tight or loose). This makes the music you play sound funky (not in a good way) and messes with your overall sound, making your vibration feel ‘off.’

How to use a guitar tuner app.

Modern citizens rely heavily on their phones, and it’s no wonder. With it, you can access virtually any bit of information within seconds, send messages through multiple platforms with ease, and download use tools in the form of apps. 

You can download a tuner from Apple’s App store or Google’s Play store. There are tons of tuners that work well. A good one to start with is Simply Tune. It works well and is free!

Tuner apps pick up sound waves via a microphone. Most of them offer a built-in guide on how to tune your guitar. Although, that may not be the case for all of them.

Here’s a step-by-step process on how to use a tuner app:

1. Download the app of your choice.
2. Adjust the tone settings if you need (most tuners automatically tune to ‘standard’ tuning).
3. Open the tuning page of your app.
4. Play a string and see what the app indicates. 
5. If your string is out of tune, loosen or tighten it until it is in tune.
6. Repeat this process with all of the strings.

How to use a pedal guitar tuner.

Pedal guitar tuners tune your guitar through electrical signals, identifying them as pitch. They have an input for you to plug your guitar into and an output jack so you can plug your tuner into your amp or another pedal. 

Often pedal guitar tuners are ideal for performers. The issue with other tuners that rely on sound is that they also pick up background noise, making tuning your instrument difficult or impossible.

Pedal tuners are the most reliable as they have direct, unhindered access to your guitar’s tone. 

To use your pedal tuner:

1. Plug your guitar into the device.
2. Plug your device into your amp or another pedal.
3. Turn on your pedal tuner.
4. Play a string. The pedal tuner uses green and red lights to help you tune your guitar. 
5. Tighten or loosen the string until the light is green.
6. Repeat the process with every string.

How to use a handheld guitar tuner.

Handheld guitar tuners (depending on your device) offer users two methods for tuning. You can tune your guitar using the device’s microphone or plug your guitar (assuming it’s electric) into it.

Handheld tuners are easy to transport, making them the ideal tuning device for any guitarist. 

To use your handheld tuner:

1. Plug your guitar into your tuner (if you want to tune using electrical signals).
2. Turn your tuner on.
3. Adjust the settings.
4. Play the string you want to tune and observe what the tuner indicates.
5. Tighten or loosen the strings.
6. Repeat the process for all the strings.

How to use a clip-on guitar tuner.

Another option is a clip-on guitar tuner. These pocket-sized tuners clip-on to your guitar. The devices are small, easy to store, and typically cost under $20. Most clip-on are chromatic tuners, meaning you can tune your instrument to any note in the chromatic scale. 

They work similarly to a tuning app–it picks up sound via a microphone. However, the microphone in a clip-on tuner is specifically designed to tune your instrument. This allows you to tune your guitar with more precision. 

To use a clip-on tuner, start by:

1. Clipping the tuner on the headstock of your guitar (place it on the tip, so it doesn’t hinder your ability to use the tuning machines).
2. Turn on your tuner.
3. Pluck a string. The tuner’s screen will indicate whether the string is too flat or sharp.
4. Tighten or loosen the string until it’s in tune.
5. Repeat the process with each string.

What guitar tuner is better for beginners?

No type of tuner’s better for beginners than the next. For every kind of tuner, higher and lower-quality devices are available. More sophisticated tuners are more expensive. 

When choosing a tuner as a beginner, there is no wrong answer. It ultimately comes down to which type suits your needs. For instance, if you’re playing an acoustic guitar, a pedal tuner doesn’t make sense–you want a tuner that has a microphone. 

Consider how much you’re willing to spend, which tuner works best with your instrument type, and the environment you play in the most. 

Tuning out

A guitar tuner helps you get your instrument sounding right quickly and accurately. As a beginner, tuning your instrument by ear may not be possible, and playing guitar that’s out of tune is hardly ideal. Therefore, a tuner is essential.

At Simply, we design and create various tools to help you learn practice, tune, and ultimately excel at playing your instrument. Simply Guitar is an app that teaches you everything you need to know about owning and playing the guitar. Take your guitar playing to the next level today!

FAQs.

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Who are the greatest female guitarists of all time? Who is the best guitar player of them all? Find out the answer in this article.

Female guitarists make up a significant portion of the guitar field. When Fender studied over 20,000 U.S. guitarists, they found that at least half of the new guitarists were female. 

If you are a guitarist searching for some female role models to teach you their ways, there is certainly plenty of talent to go around. Women have been rocking it in the guitar field since the creation of the guitar. 

Whether you enjoy playing blues, jazz, rock n’ roll, or gospel, there is a female powerhouse that has already blazed the trail for you on the guitar. 

Take a look at these famous female guitarists. Then follow in their footsteps and show your skills to a waiting world.

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is a musical legend whose talent and hit songs inspired other musical icons. Well-known musical artists such Bob Dylan, Prince, Taylor Swift, and Alanis Morissette point to Mitchell as a source of inspiration. Although she made it big in the music scene, Mitchell’s was a Cinderella story. 

Joni Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson in a small town in Canada. She suffered from Polio as a child and found a love for performing and singing while recovering. She taught herself how to play the guitar and had a small following as a teenager. In adulthood, she was alone in an attic apartment with no money.

In 1965, Joni married and became Joni Mitchell. The marriage lasted only two years, but her new last name would carry her through her 40+ year career as a guitarist. In 1968, Mitchell’s debut album, Song to a Seagull, began to attract attention, launching her into the music industry.

As a guitarist, Mitchell is well known for her rich and mellow songs. Her trick to get this sound on the guitar is opening tunings and tuned-down guitar. Her childhood bout with polio left her with a weak left hand. Open guitar tunings allowed her to form chords on the frets and learn to play the guitar. In her career, Joni used over 57 different open tunings in her guitar compositions. 

Joni’s life has had its ups and downs. However, she leaned into music as a source of comfort and self-expression. In doing so, she became an unforgettable guitarist.

Mother Maybelle Carter

Born in 1909 in Southwest Virginia, Mother Maybelle Carter was a guitar master and significantly impacted the county-western music genre. She taught herself to play the guitar by ear at the young age of thirteen. Once she learned the basics, she began blazing her unique trail. 

Many innovative guitar techniques such as the church lick, thumb brush, and Carter Family picking trace back to her. She could make one guitar sound like many when she played back-up for the Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters’ band. 

Mother Maybelle’s fingerpicking techniques and overall skill on the guitar turned a background instrument into a lead. She also inspired many other musicians in the music industry. Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, and Johnny Cash were just a few of Mother Maybelle’s famous admirers. Mother Maybelle was among the first women inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Today we recognize Mother Maybelle Carter as a trailblazer in the Country Western music scene. We also know her as the mother of June Carter Cash and the mother-in-law of Johnny Cash. She earns her place as one of the best female guitarists.

Kaki King

Kaki King is an alternative-indie artist and the first female guitarist to get a slot on Rolling Stone’s list of “guitar gods.” At a young age, she had an ear for music and became a prodigy on the guitar at four. After a few years of playing, she set aside the guitar for the drums. However, her first passion never really died. It just lay dormant. 

While attending New York University, Kaki picked the guitar back up and has never been able to put it back down. She admits, “The guitar has been my adversary, as well as my best friend. It’s shaped my life entirely, and I owe it everything I have.” 

Kaki has a unique approach to guitar playing and is not afraid to mix it up in her music. She interweaves classical guitar, progressive jazz, flamenco, and pop styles to create her signature sound. Her album, The Neck is a Bridge to the Body, is an original multimedia performance with the guitar as center stage.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

In 1915, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born to a religious and musically-gifted family on a cotton farm. When she was only four years old, Tharpe already knew her way around the guitar. By six, this budding prodigy was a traveling performer in an evangelical music group. 

Rosetta Tharpe took her unique playing style, vocals, and gospel music to nightclubs, churches, and concert halls. As a performer, she revamped the “norms” and created a sound uniquely her own. Through her skilled fingers, gospel music met up with blues, jazz, and an electric guitar.

Although her dress was often unassuming, her guitar skills and personality were larger than life. She is known as the “Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll” and “the Original Soul Sister.” Some famous admirers of her talent include Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, and Miranda Lambert.

In 2007, Tharpe was posthumously granted a well-earned spot in the Blues Hall of Fame. Years after her death, Sister Rosetta Tharpe still inspires many other artists to show off their talent to the world. 

Jennifer Batten

If Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Jennifer Batten would be the high priestess of shred. You can see playbacks of this musical powerhouse rocking out next to Michael Jackson and showing off her skills on the electric guitar. With so few female lead guitarists on the stage, Jennifer Batten was sure to stand out. Also, her big, blonde hair, wild costumes, and amazing solo riffs on the electric guitar certainly kept the audience’s attention.

Through the 80s and 90s, Batten grew her career next to Michael Jackson. She later collaborated with the British guitarist Jeff Beck. In an interview with Guitar Girl Mag, she admits that working with other creative artists, such as Beck and Jackson, encouraged her creative style. 

When she decided to perform as a solo act, Batten wanted to bring a new element into her performances. She kept the electric guitar and decided to go fully instrumental without vocals. To create a sensory-rich environment, Batten includes visual media in her solo act. 

In her guitar teaching program and steampunk art, Jennifer Batten keeps creativity alive on and off the stage. 

Nita Strauss

Born in the 1980s, Nita Strauss lost no time making a name for herself in the guitar world. She is a modern-day giant in the guitar niche and even got the top spot in Guitar World’s 10 Female Guitar Players You Should Know list. 

Also, she is certainly motivated when it comes to career goals. Her mad skills on the guitar first got attention when Strauss was part of The Iron Maidens band. From there, Strauss continued to build her resume playing with big names such as Femme Fatale, Consume the Fire,

Critical-Hit, and LA KISS. 

In 2014, another female guitarist, Orianthi, passed off the torch to Strauss when she resigned from Alice Cooper’s band. Strauss took over and continued to play for Alice Cooper until 2022, when she left to begin work with Demi Lovato. 

The guitar company Ibanez also recognized Strauss’s special talent when they chose her as their first female signature artist. 

With a successful career already behind her and more goals ahead, Nita Strauss has made a mark on guitarist history. Some even consider her the best female guitarist in the world today.

Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson is a gifted guitarist paving the way for women guitarists in rock and roll. She started playing the guitar when she was ten and became a guitar virtuoso. In the 1970s, Nancy joined the male-led rock band Heart. She played lead guitar, sang, and wrote songs next to her sister Ann, Steve Fossen, and the brothers, Roger and Mike Fisher. Heart started to get attention when they released the hit song Dreamboat Annie in 1976. 

After Heart’s founders left the band in the 1980s, Nancy and Ann became the band’s leaders. The sisters continued to write new albums and added new members. Together they created many platinum albums, selling over 35 million records total.

Wilson mixes techniques from hard rock, flamenco, and classical guitar to achieve her iconic sound. Her band went on to make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the guitar brand, Gibson, named Nancy one of the greatest female guitarists of all time. She and her sister Ann also received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Lita Ford

The ‘80s punk rocker, Lita Ford, is known as the “Queen of Metal.” She has also been called the “Goddess of Shredding.” Ford carved out a spot as lead guitarist in the band, The Runaways, next to Joan Jett’s powerful vocals. She quickly became essential to the band’s iconic sound. Her edgy riffs, metal hooks, and talented guitar solos reveal Ford’s show-stopping talent. When the band split up in 1979, Ford became a successful solo act, firmly establishing her place in the Rock and Roll genre.

Guitar Player Magazine granted Lita Ford a Certified Legend Award for being the first female shredder in the history of Rock and Roll.

Recently, Lita Ford launched a guitar line called Lita Ford Guitars. Other aspiring guitarists can pick up a guitar in her name and follow in the footsteps of a legend. 

Bonnie Raitt 

Bonnie Rait is arguably one of the most influential guitarists of all time. She received the Rolling Stones’ approval twice by making it to their “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list and the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” But the accolades and applause don’t stop there. 

Raitt grew up in a Quaker family in California. Her father, John Raitt, was a Broadway musical star, and it seems that Bonnie followed in his footsteps with musical talent. She dropped out of college to follow her music dreams. She toured with blues and folk performers and played guitar alongside names such as Sippie Wallace, Jackson Browne, and Little Feat. 

As she moved into more of a pop sound in the 1970s, her career picked up speed. Her slide guitar skills and first hit recording, Runaway, earned Raitt a place in the spotlight. In 1990, she received not one but three Grammy awards.

Although Raitt’s roots are in blues music, she pulls in techniques across rock, folk, and country. When you combine her guitar skills with her voice and lyrics, this ten-time Grammy winner becomes a legend. 

Get inspired. Be an inspiration.

Although the guitar world has historically been a male-dominated enterprise, times are changing. Women guitarists are on the rise and are ready to take center stage. These famous women guitarists use innovative techniques on the guitar and play across all genres. 

Speaking of innovation—the Simply Guitar app can help bring your guitar skills closer to these great guitar-wielding women.

Allow these famous women to inspire you as you learn to play the guitar. Once you start shredding tunes on the guitar, you, too, can be an inspiration to other music beginners.

Check out these famous Female Pianists to meet more famous females in the music world. 

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Do you know who the most famous guitarists of all time are? 

Countless guitarists have graced the stage over the ages, each knowing how to move crowds, injecting them with life and passion. Some performed well, others did great, but some distinguished themselves from everyone else. 

Who were these guitar legends?

This article introduces ten of the greatest guitarists who’ve ever lived.

Jimi Hendrix

1942 – 1970

Born in Seattle, Washington, Jimi Hendrix is a legendary musician and one of the most influential guitarists. He’s a pioneer in feedback and distortion in rock music and is known for his innovative and experimental playing style. 

Hendrix was also a master of the blues, fusing elements of blues and rock to create his own unique sound. He died tragically at 27, but his legacy continues to live on through his music.

Eddie Van Halen

1955 – 2020

Eddie Van Halen was a rock guitarist, songwriter, and producer–responsible for some of rock’s most iconic songs and albums. He’s famous for his innovative and ground-breaking guitar playing style, influencing the sound of hard rock and heavy metal in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Van Halen passed away in 2020, but his legacy as one of rock’s greatest ever musicians will live on forever.

Many musicians have a passion for songwriting and have been doing so early in their careers. If you’re a guitarist looking to write your own music, take a look at our blog So You Want to Be a Songwriter.

Slash

1965 – present

Slash is a world-renowned guitarist and songwriter. He’s best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock band Guns N’ Roses, achieving worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Slash’s guitar playing is on a whole other level. Like many of the guitarists on this list, he’s considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. 

Don’t take our word for it. Take a look at this Youtube video of Slash entertaining thousands of people.

He’s received numerous awards and accolades, including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Pat Metheny

1954 – present

Pat Metheny is an American jazz guitarist who was born in Kansas City. He started playing the guitar when he was just 12 years old. 

Metheny was one of his generation’s most innovative and successful jazz guitarists. He released his first album in 1974, and over the next four decades, he recorded more than 40 albums as a leader and sideman. 

Metheny won 20 Grammy Awards, and in 2015, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Steve Vai

1960 – present

Steve Vai is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Vai’s work with legendary guitarist Frank Zappa and his solo work in the 1980s and ’90s established him as one of his generation’s most technically proficient and innovative guitarists. 

His signature style combines elements of rock, metal, blues, classical, and jazz, and he is known for his use of harmonics, tapping, and sweep-picking. 

Vai has released 15 solo albums and has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Ozzy Osbourne, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, and Alcatrazz. He is a three-time Grammy Award winner and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Carlos Santana

1947 – present

Carlos Santana is a Mexican-American rock guitarist. He first became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock and Latin American music. 

Santana’s music is characterized by its catchy melodies and Latin-influenced rhythms. Some of his hits include “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va,” and “Smooth.” 

He’s won 10 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammy Awards. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tommy Emmanuel

1955 – present

Tommy Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He’s been voted “Best Acoustic Guitarist” by Guitar Player magazine five times and awarded the Order of Australia.

His live performances are renowned for their technical mastery and showmanship. Emmanuel’s style of guitar playing is often described as “fingerstyle” or “cheater guitar,” as he uses various techniques that allow him to play melody, harmony, and rhythm simultaneously. He is also known for using percussive techniques on the guitar, which create a drum-like sound.

Emmanuel has been awarded multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Guitar Player magazine Hall of Fame and the Australian Music Hall of Fame.

Derek Trucks

1979 – present

Playing since the age of nine, Derek Trucks is a slide guitar virtuoso and Grammy Award-winning musician. 

He is best known for his work as a member of the Allman Brothers Band, with whom he played from 1999 to 2014. He won a Grammy Award with the band in 2012 for their live album, Live at the Beacon Theatre. In 2010, he formed the Derek Trucks Band, releasing seven studio albums. The band’s most recent album, Already Free, won a Grammy the same year it was released for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Trucks is considered one of the greatest slide guitarists of all time and have been ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Rolling. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan

1954 – 1990

Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Vaughan was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He began playing guitar at seven and was influenced by blues artists such as Muddy Waters and Albert King. 

Vaughan formed the band Double Trouble in the early 1980s and released his debut album, Texas Flood, in 1983. The album was a commercial and critical success, and Vaughan became a mainstream celebrity. 

Stevie released four more studio albums before his death in 1990–a helicopter crash that took his life. Vaughan was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Guthrie Govan

1971 – present

Guthrie Govan is a world-renowned guitar virtuoso and one of the most influential guitarists of our generation. 

He’s known for his incredible technical ability, unique and instantly recognizable style, and ability to make complex guitar playing look effortless. 

Guthrie has inspired a new generation of guitarists with his skills, shaping the sound of modern guitar music. He is a pioneer and a true master of the instrument. His crisp playing earns regard by many to be the greatest guitarist ever to live.

Join the best guitarists.

The guitar is incredibly dynamic, and in the right hands, it can produce beautiful and inspiring sounds. Many of these legends helped shape the music genre they played in or demonstrated mastery of the instrument on a whole other level. 

Each of these legends shared an understanding of how to play with their guitars. The good news is you don’t have to be a legend to join them. Simply Guitar is an app that helps you make consistent steps toward guitar greatness.

FAQs.

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In this article, we will teach you how to hold a guitar in the right way and what are the common mistakes beginners make when they hold a guitar for the first time.

When you sit down to play guitar, you concentrate on hitting the right notes and finding the correct strum pattern. However, the techniques you need to achieve a guitar masterpiece start as soon as you pick up the instrument. 

Some guitarists stand up to play, while others sit down. Either way, once you learn how to hold your guitar, you are one step closer to making music like the pros. 

Why posture matters.

When you start learning to play the guitar, posture may be the last thing on your mind. However, when you use correct techniques from the beginning, you have a solid foundation to build on as you advance. 

Most guitarists focus on the fingerwork, but how you position your back, shoulders, feet, and arms. When your body is cramped, enjoying your practice time is hard. Your playing usually reflects your feelings. When you feel uncomfortable, the songs may sound stiff and stilted. 

The correct guitar position may seem a bit awkward at first. However, your back, arms, and legs will thank you later. You can prevent injuries and make your guitar sing when you hold your guitar correctly.

Casual vs. classical positioning.

If you move from an acoustic guitar to a classical one, you may notice that the playing style is very different. The fretboard size is different, the type of strings is different, and you hold the guitar differently. Let’s take a closer look at the casual and classical guitar positions. 

Once you decide on a casual or classical position, study the correct posture, then put the tips into practice. 

Common mistakes beginners make while holding a guitar

When you learn how to hold a guitar, check your posture before you play. The “right way” to position a guitar can vary depending on if you choose the classical or acoustic style. However, some ways to hold a guitar are wrong for either position. 

Here are some beginning guitarist mistakes to avoid:

How to hold a guitar: sitting position.

As we saw above, the sitting postures for the classical and casual styles are very different. But, in either position, your goal is to keep your muscles comfortable and relaxed. Many guitarists use a footstool to raise one leg and rest the guitar on it. This puts your guitar in a comfortable, secure position without needing a guitar strap.

How to hold a guitar:
standing position.

When you play the guitar standing up, the guitar should hang near your hips. Some rock stars play their guitars super low or super high. However, these extreme positions can put a strain on your muscles. While it may look cool to hold a guitar differently, it may also shorten your career when your muscles start to ache.

You don’t want your guitar to be up in your armpit or around your knees when you stand up. To find that sweet spot that isn’t too high or too low, adjust the guitar strap while you are in the sitting posture. Then, when you stand up, the guitar should be in the perfect position for you to show off your skills. 

Right-hand vs. Left-hand positions

In Piano Hand Placement each hand is responsible for hitting the keys. However, when you play the guitar, your right and left hands have very different jobs. 

The left hand is preparing the notes on the fretboard. Then, the right hand is responsible for picking or strumming the strings to make the music. You can already guess that the proper posture for each hand also differs greatly. 

Let’s see how to position the right and left hands.

Right-hand position on the guitar

Rest your right arm on the guitar body. You want your forearm close to the elbow to make contact with the guitar body. This relaxes your arm to get ready to play the guitar.

Half of your hand should cover the sound hole. Then, the tips of your fingers are ready to strum the strings. Don’t bend the wrist when you play the guitar strings in an up-and-down motion, d. Instead, allow your forearm to move the hand. This technique eliminates wrist strain and lets your play the guitar fluidly.

Left-hand position on the guitar

On the left hand, you want to keep the wrist relatively straight. Similar to Piano Hands, you want to curve the fingers. This position keeps you from hitting other strings and gives you a clear sound. The fingers should press the guitar strings near the fret toward the sound hole (not in the middle of the fret).

The placement of the thumb is vital. Keep the thumb perpendicular to the guitar neck instead of in line. This position reduces strain on your thumb and keeps your guitar stable. Generally, you want your thumb to line up with the pointer finger on the opposite side of the neck. 

As you play the guitar, your left-hand position may change as you stretch to reach chords. However, the above position should be your “home base.” 

Check your posture, then start playing the guitar.

Playing the guitar can be a rewarding journey. This instrument is portable to pack up and transport to jam with your friends. Or you can go busking and play for an audience. 

For a long career in the guitar field, you want to start with good habits. Before you learn to play diatonic scales on the guitar, you should know how to hold your guitar properly. Once you have the right position down, you are ready to rock out on the guitar.

FAQs.

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From the smallest to the biggest piano sizes in the world, here is a list of different kinds of pianos by size.

Pianos come in all shapes and sizes and generate different sounds–each offering pianists a unique playing experience. There are pros and cons to each type of piano design. However, they all cater to the needs of various musicians and environments. 

So what dimensions do pianos come in? 

This article provides the measurements and weight of all the acoustic piano sizes available today, from the smallest to the biggest. 

Vertical Pianos.

Originally, pianos came in one shape. While the grand piano is elegant, it’s also huge and difficult to fit into the average home. 

The design of vertical pianos makes them far more accessible for private use. Despite the dramatic change in shape, many of them sound fantastic! You can fit a full-sized soundboard and strings in the back of a cabinet piano. 

While a large upright piano can rival some of its acoustic cousins in sound quality with smaller pianos, there is a trade-off between size and tone. 

Spinet.

The spinet piano is the smallest acoustic piano. Production started in the 1930s. However, while they easily fit into the average home, their sound quality falls short. Because of the small case, the soundboard and string length was much smaller–in 1990, spinet production was discontinued. 

Spinets have a height of about 38 inches, a width of around 58 inches, and weigh around 200-300 pounds.

Are you thinking of buying a spinet piano?

Our blog post, What You Should Know Before You Buy a Spinet Piano gives you a better idea of what to look for. 

Console.

Console pianos are larger than spinets, ranging from 40 to around 43 inches in height, 58 inches wide, and weighing 350 to 450 pounds. 

While they’re still compact, their sound quality is satisfactory for the average home user. Because of the console’s superior performance, manufacturers continue to make them today–tweaking the design to improve the sound quality further.

Studio.

Studio pianos are the smallest piano that has full-size action. They bring balance between sound quality and pragmatism. A studio piano fits perfectly into most modern homes. Their height is between 45 to 48 inches, a width of 58 inches, and weighing between 400 to 500 pounds. 

Upright pianos.

Upright or cabinet pianos range from 50 to 60 inches, approximate width of 58 inches, and weigh between 500 and 800 pounds. Depending on the brand and quality of the cabinet piano, they can rival the grand piano. Manufacturers equip concert cabinet pianos with a string length equivalent to a concert grand piano–giving it beautiful sound quality. 

Horizontal pianos.

The most iconic pianos are the grand pianos. All the greats, from Beethoven to Chopin, would perform using these majestic instruments. 

No other piano projects sound like a grand piano. Because the top of the case opens, it helps project the sound more effectively. While some cabinet pianos can hang with lower-tier grand pianos, the sounds of the best grand pianos are second to none. 

However, with great sound, there is a need for more space. While the grand pianos look and sound amazing, having one in your home is inconvenient. 

The are countless piano sizes. Each of them brings something unique to the musical table. Of course, each also has its drawbacks. 

In the case of the spinet, while they are convenient and fit nicely into most homes because they’re so small, the sounds are lower quality. On the other hand, a concert piano is second to none in terms of aesthetics and performance. However, fitting one in your home can be a total nightmare. 

Just like piano sizes, there are plenty of piano apps available today. Similarly, some are better at specific lessons than others and cater to various people. Simply Piano by JoyTunes is the perfect app to help you learn the piano–whether you’re using it to supplement your lessons or as your sole source for learning. 

FAQs.

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Wondering what the best guitar brands are? Here’s a list and a little information about each company and the guitars they make. From Gibson to Fender, here is our ranking. 

Whether you’re shopping around or curious, knowing about the various guitar brands can help you identify which instrument is right for you. 

There’s no single brand. Every instrument-maker adds their personal touch to guitars. Some opt to create top-quality instruments that cost thousands of dollars. Others focus on building guitars suitable for beginners. 

Ultimately, it comes down to what works best for you regarding the best guitar brands. Without further ado, here are the best guitar brands that every beginner should know.

Gibson

Orville Gibson started making instruments in 1894. He founded his first company Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd. in 1902. 

Gibson invented the first arch top guitars by emulating the arch top of violins. In the 1930s, the company started manufacturing and selling flattop acoustic and hollow electric guitars. 

The company has had a massive impact on the world of guitars. Their instruments a renowned for their sustain, making them ideal for folk and country music. 

Some of their popular instruments include:

• Les Paul
• SG
• Flying V
• Hummingbird
• J-45
• J-50

Fender

Fender is the number one guitar seller–their Fender Player Telecaster and Fender Player Stratocaster were the most bought guitar in 2021. 

Founded by Leo Fender in 1946, the company started as Fender’s Radio Service, fixing radios, phonographs, and home audio amplifiers. However, Leo noticed some flaws in the guitars produced during his time and started working on his own. Today, Fender is among the manufacturing giants in the industry and the most recognized. The Stratocaster is heralded as one of the best guitars ever made. 

The company is most known for electric guitars and bass guitars like:

• Stratocaster
• Telecaster
• Jaguar
• Jazzmaster
• Precision Bass
• Jazz Bass

Taylor

When it comes to creating high-quality instruments—Taylor is one of the top makers on the block. However, their guitars are also known to come with a hefty price tag. The company specializes in acoustic guitar but also offers some good electrics too. 

Bob Taylor started working at a guitar-making shop called American Dream. Eventually, he and two other employees would buy the shop and rename it ‘Taylor.’ Bob handled design while the others handled the business side of things. 

Today, Taylor is a powerhouse in the guitar-making industry with various quality guitar designs, including:  

• Dreadnought
• Grand Orchestra
• Grand Symphony
• Grand Pacific
• Grand Auditorium

Martin 

The American guitar manufacturer was established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Today, Martin is one of the leading acoustic guitar makers–influencing the shape of the American acoustic guitar. 

Like Taylor, Martin makes top-tier instruments and is credited with developing the X-bracing system. The company hasn’t lost that innovative touch. With the loss of forests and trees, Martin offers guitar designs that use other woods where possible.

Some of Martin’s best creations include:

• D-28
• D-18
• D-45
• D-35

Yamaha 

Yamaha is a company that does it all. From motorcycles to practically any instrument you can think of, they make them–guitars are no exception. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Yahama, check out our blog post, Yamaha Keyboard for Beginners.

The majority of their electric and acoustic guitars are designed for beginners. They’re affordable, easy to use, offer quality sound, and stand the test of time. 

• Yamaha FG830
• Yamaha Gigmaker Standard
• Yamaha LL-TA TransAcoustic Dreadnought
• REVSTAR
• Pacifica
• SA2200

Guild 

Guild is an American guitar-maker specializing in semi-hollow electric and acoustic guitars—founded in 1952 by a guitarist and store owner, Alfred Dronge. 

The electric guitars look and sound like they’re from the retro-rock era—although Guild is known for their acoustic guitars. It’s not uncommon to see professional musicians with a Guild acoustic guitar–their quality rivaling Martin and Taylor. 

Guild has created several masterpieces over the years like:

• Starfire
• Aristocrat
• D-150
• M-240E
• OM-150
• F-1512E 12 String

ESP

In Tokyo, Electric Sound Products (ESP) was opened in 1975 by Hisatake Shibuya. 

The company provided custom replacement parts for guitars and made guitars. Eventually, ESP was known for creating high-quality custom shop guitars in the 1980s and 90s. Today, they’re one of the top suppliers of guitars for heavy metal, and many professional musicians worldwide go to ESP for top-tier guitars.

In 1995 ESP LTD created a line of guitars that were more affordable for the masses. They’ve got some seriously metal designs.

Some of ESP’s masterpieces include:

• FRX CTM
• Horizon FR CTM
• ESP Horizon-I
• FRX
• RZK-II Burnt
• ESP Arrow

Ibanez 

Based in Japan, Ibanez is the first brand to mass-produce the seven-string and eight-string guitars. They create guitars for every music genre and demonstrate an affinity for metal and rock guitars. 

The company went through a rocky time in the 1960s. They were copying the designs of elite guitars like Gibson, Fender, and Rickenbacker–resulting in a time referred to as the lawsuit period. 

Ibanez returned to its feet soon after, creating models like the Iceman and Roadstar series.

Ibanez is known for creating guitars like: 

• RG8
• AR520HFM
• RGA42FM
• ICHI10
• LB1 Lari Basilio
• PIA3761 Steve Vai

Seagull

Based in Canada, Seagull is a sub-brand of Godin that makes high-quality acoustic guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles and sells them reasonably cheap. 

The guitars are carefully crafted with tonewoods and sophisticated construction techniques, giving the guitars a quality sound. They include a compound curve that adds an arch to the guitar’s top to allow for a thinner and more lightly braced top–improving the structural integrity and sound. 

• S6 Original
• Entourage Rustic CW Q1 GT
• Coastline Cutaway Dreadnought
• Natural Elements Standard Dreadnought
• Artistic Mosaic

There are tons of guitars brands out there today. Some design high-quality acoustic or electric guitars that cost thousands of dollars. Others create instruments for the masses. Knowing about a brand helps you find the right guitar for your needs. 

Regardless of the guitar you play, keeping it in tune is essential—there’s nothing more uninspiring than playing an instrument that’s out of tune. 

You can keep your guitar, bass, or ukelele sound fresh with the Simply Tune app. It’s free, easy to use, and effective. 

FAQs.

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