Guitar Tricks Blog

Everyone learns in their own way. Some don’t want to be told how to go about certain things and leave lessons learned in exploration and experimentation (myself included). Others may want to skip the long hours filled with headaches due to an overabundance of coffee and trust in what they already know and are comfortable using. With this guideline, I hope to convey a sense of where one might begin when piecing together their sonic arsenal in the form of the ever so popular and no longer elusive pedalboard.

Do you struggle to nail a crisp-sounding barre chord?

Power chords are the backbone of rock music. They're often used in rock music, and are also known as fifth chords. They're called fifth chords because they're made from the root note and the fifth. They’re beefy, often crunchy and are super simple to play because it takes only three notes to make these types of guitar chords. Here are 5 easy steps to learning and practicing these powerful chords.

When we stop to consider the challenges that face us as a people, rarely, if ever, do we count lefties among the disadvantaged. But southpaws, those 10% of the population who are left-handed, live in a world that caters to the right-handed. Things like spiral notebooks, scissors, car radios, computer keyboards, and handheld can openers are all designed with a right-hand bias. So are things like guitars.

One of the top things we hear from players taking beginner guitar lessons is "my fingers hurt!" Fingertip sensitivity when playing guitar, even just when playing basic guitar chords, is totally normal at first. Don't worry, fingertip sensitivity is only temporary and will go away once you build up some calluses on your fingers. Here are some tips to help with callus building.

The playing style of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix has been analyzed quite a bit over the years, and as a result, there's a huge list of things you can do to replicate his distinctive guitar playing. However, you should always start with the following 5 core concepts that are absolutely fundamental to his playing.

Holding down all the strings is tough because there’s a lot of tension, and playing barre chords closer to the headstock is even more complicated because the strings are tighter and the frets are more spread out. Learn how to play barre chords the right way!

It’s important to know how to find chords within a minor scale so that you have a number of options when it comes time to create your own song or if you simply want to know how your favorite hits have come together. In this beginner guitar lesson we will take a in-depth look at these specific minor chord progressions, minor chords, how to build them and how to use them in your playing.

Extremely prolific, and regarded as one of the best songwriters of all-time, Bob Dylan has been a commanding influence in the music world, and pop culture in general, since the early 1960s. His work is deeply personal, yet anyone can relate to it. With themes surrounding civil rights and the anti-war movement, many of his classic songs are now more relevant than ever. With a troubador-like singer-songwriter feel, many of his songs are quite simple to learn and get comfortable playing quickly, making them perfect for beginner-to-intermediate guitarists looking to get their sea legs playing some iconic folk tunes.

Guitar tablature is a unique notation system just for guitarists. Guitar tab symbols tell a guitar player what to do when reading guitar tablature. The symbols may represent a bend, a palm mute, a hammer on, pull off, vibrato, and more. Even if you do have a key for all of the guitar tab symbols, it may be confusing when it comes time to actually play a tab. When you're first learning how to play guitar you'll definitely be using guitar tabs to learn your first songs, chords and riffs.

We've all been there: The clock is running out and you still haven't gotten that little something for everyone on your list.

This year, skip the socks and scratch-offs and hook-up the guitarist in your life with a gift they'll appreciate and actually use. We've compiled a quick list of stocking stuffers that should be available at the last-minute and will be a welcome addition to any guitar player's gear collection.