Need to bring your 4th finger (pinky) into play? This exercise will build finger strength, increase muscle memory, improve left-right hand coordination, make your fingerwork more accurate and increase your picking speed. These are the foundation to playing scales and lead solos.
Feel free to check out my other Free Resources, available for you to use and share, at my Guitar Lesson Studio Web Site, below.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
I wish I could take credit for creating this worksheet, but I can’t. I don’t know who the author is (please let me know if you do) or who gave it to me. All I know is that it is THE BESTAND MOSTCOMPLETEFINGERBOARD CHART I have ever seen!
It’s got the name and number of each string. Pretty common, right?
It shows you the notes on every string up to the 12th fret, Yep, that’s pretty common, too.
Ahh, but here’s the beauty…… it shows you each note on the music staff!
It’s pretty self-explanatory, so I won’t take up any more of your time. Download it, print it and have fun!
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
This exercise will build finger strength, increase muscle memory, improve left-right hand coordination, make your fingerwork more accurate and increase your picking speed. These are the foundation to playing scales and lead solos.
Feel free to check out my other Free Resources, available for you to use and share, at my Guitar Lesson Studio Web Site, below.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
So your favorite guitar takes a fall and the headstock snaps off! You buy a nice guitar but you want a different tone from it. Your guitar gets stolen and you’re wondering, “Will I ever get it back?”.
Performer and Guitar Teacher Steve Falter speaks with Luthier Peter Taylor of Chellee Guitars about common maintenance and repair issues for guitars.
Part 1 – Intro, Set up, Frets
Part 2 – Strings, Cleaning, Electronics, Routine Maintenance Tips, Tuning Issues, Shipping Your Guitar
Part 3 – Typical Repairs, Modifications, Recovering a Stolen Guitar
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
So you own a guitar and you notice the sound has changed or you hear some “buzzing” when you play. Maybe It just doesn’t feel the same when you fret your strings or your electronics are making a strange noise (or no sound at all)! What’s up with that?
Performer and Guitar Teacher Steve Falter speaks with Luthier Peter Taylor of Chellee Guitars about common maintenance and repair issues for guitars.
Part 1 – Intro, Set up, Frets
Part 2 – Strings, Cleaning, Electronics, Routine Maintenance Tips, Tuning Issues, Shipping Your Guitar
Part 3 – Typical Repairs, Modifications, Recovering a Stolen Guitar
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
So you own a guitar and you notice the sound has changed or you hear some “buzzing” when you play. Maybe It just doesn’t feel the same when you fret your strings or your electronics are making a strange noise (or no sound at all)! What’s up with that?
Performer and Guitar Teacher Steve Falter speaks with Luthier Peter Taylor of Chellee Guitars about common maintenance and repair issues for guitars.
Part 1 – Intro, Set up, Frets
Part 2 – Strings, Cleaning, Electronics, Routine Maintenance Tips, Tuning Issues, Shipping Your Guitar
Part 3 – Typical Repairs, Modifications, Recovering a Stolen Guitar
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
Guitar picks come in a lot of different shapes and thicknesses, in addition to being made from many different materials.
There are a few “basic” shapes that you will find, regardless of what brand you come across. Three common shapes are the “teardrop”, “triangle”, and “Dorito”. Every manufacturer has its own name for each style, these are just what I call them.
Teardrop
Triangle
Dorito (TM)
Picks also come in a lot of different thicknesses. Some manufacturers simply say “Thin”, “Medium”, “Heavy” or “Extra Heavy”, while others measure thickness in mm. Settling on a guitar pick is a personal choice and, fortunately, they are fairly inexpensive, so you can buy several and try them out to decide which works best for you and your playing style.
My preference is the triangle. I have fairly large hands and it’s easy, and comfortable, for me to hold. For thickness, I like Medium.
Now let’s talk about how to hold the pick, strum the strings and get great sound.
This is always better to demonstrate and may be hard to do from reading an article, so watch the short video below.
You want to hold your pick between your thumb and forefinger. If you are using a larger pick, you may want to also use your index finger. Hold it firmly enough so it doesn’t just flop on the strings as you strum and/or fly out of your hand.
Now, hold the pick so it’s at a right angle to the strings and rest it on the 6th string with the tip of the pick a little past the string, like this.
Next, angle the pick about 45 degrees.
I like to strum with my forearm, so my wrist is kept straight. This lets me easily, and painlessly, adjust my strumming anywhere from gentle to strong.
Now, strum your strings, one at a time and stop to rest on the next string. Just push down and smoothly slide off each string. Kind of like you would stroke a dog or cat.
Do this a few times.
Now, let’s strum all six strings in one motion. This will be like we just did, except we are not going to stop on each string.
Do this 6 times. How does that feel?
Practice these strumming exercises on your own until it is smooth, effortless and you don’t even have to think about it.
I hope you found this helpful. Visit my Online Music Studio and check out the Resources page for plenty of free worksheets and links.
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel or Blog to hear about new lessons as they are posted. See you next time!
Feel free to check out my other Free Resources, available for you to use and share, at my Guitar Lesson Studio Web Site, below.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
The beauty of Barre Chords is that they use a Movable Chord Form. Once you learn them, you can play chords anywhere on the neck.
Barre Chords come in 2 shapes, A and E.
So, how do you know when to use the A or E chord forms? Simple. If your chord’s root is on the 6th string (E), use the E chord form. If your chord’s root is on the 5th string (A), use the A chord form.
By A and E Chord Forms, I mean A (major), Am, A7, Asus, Amaj7 and E (major), Em, E7, Esus, Emaj7.
OK, let’s fret a F# Barre Chord.
We need to know two things to do this. First, the root, F#, is on the 6th string, 2nd fret. Second, that it is a Major Chord.
Think of your 1st finger as a capo.
First, you fret, or “Barre”, all six strings with your first finger on the root’s fret, in this case, the 2nd fret. Next you fret/finger the rest of your chord, just like an open E chord. using your 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers.
If we needed and F#7, we would put our 2nd and 3rd fingers in the same position as an E7, but at the3rd and 4th frets
OK, now let’s fret a B Barre Chord.
The root, B, is on the 2nd string, 2nd fret and it is a Major Chord. Barre the 2nd fret with your first finger, and use an open A chord shape on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings at the 3rd fret.
This takes some getting used to, especially your hand and finger strength. You will usually want you thumb pressing right in the middle of the width of the neck, directly behind your first finger.
Barre Chord Exercise
I have my students start with and E major chord form at the 7th fret, then and Am chord form at the 6th fret, and so on, down to the 1st fret. So, you are alternating chord forms back and forth one fret at a time.
I have found that it is much easier working from higher frets to lower frets and develops muscle memory, hand and finger strength quickly, and at the same time.
Here’s the video version
Feel free to check out my other Free Resources, available for you to use and share, at my Guitar Lesson Studio Web Site, below.
Interested intaking Lessons in person (locally), or worldwide (via Skype) or booking Steve for a Private Party, House Concert or Office Function? Justleave a comment and I will contact you by email (your address shows on my admin panel).
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
Steve, and his bands, have always given back to the community, supporting Special Needs Families, Christian Outreach, Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters and Medical Research.
As a songwriter and registered artist with BMI, Steve’s songwriting and gig sets span the Blues, Rock, Folk, Country and Christian genres.
2009 was the start of a busy solo performing schedule as well as sharing his love of music by teaching both Guitar and Live Performance Techniques. Steve teaches his guitar students to play the music THEY want to play, right from the start, without getting bogged down with music theory. With Live Performance Techniques lessons, students learn how to move from the living room to a live stage.
Steve started playing guitar in ‘69, and has been performing regularly since ’90. His involvement with recording and sound engineering began in the early ‘70’s.
