Beginning Electric Guitar Lessons

Each electric guitar is fitted with pickups that turn the vibration of a string into sound passed on to an amplifier.

Learning how to play electric guitar like Jimi Hendrix or George Harrison takes time, some money and a great deal of dedication. While becoming a masterful guitarist may not be in the cards for everyone, learning music and how to play an instrument can be fulfilling and rewarding. Before plugging in a new electric guitar, take a few moments to look it over and learn the role each part plays.

Tuning

Before learning how to play an electric guitar, you'll need to learn how to properly tune the guitar. In standard tuning on a right-handed guitar, the strings from the top down represent the notes E, A, D, G, B and E. Many interactive Internet and computer applications offer free guitar tuning software, whereas battery-operated, hand-held guitar tuners usually start around $20 (as of March 2011).

Strumming and Picking

The key to maintaining time signature on a song is your stronger arm's ability to strum on the strings. While some guitarists learn to finger-pick, or use the tips of their fingers to cause a string's vibration, many beginners start by learning how to comfortably hold a pick using their strong hand's thumb, pointer and middle finger.

Scales

Whichever hand you do not strum with will be responsible for finding and holding the notes on the guitar's fretboard using the tips of your fingers. By learning and practicing scales, such as pentatonic and chromatic, your fingers will grow stronger and with increased dexterity, you'll learn your own comfortable way of moving your fingers around the fretboard.

References

• Guitar Lesson One - Theory
• Guitar Scales for Beginners at Guitar Masterclass

Resources

• Guitar Scales