|
Lesson 1: Getting to know your Guitar There are hundreds of different types of guitars but they all have similarities. This lesson is going to familiarize yourself with some basic terminology and all the different parts that make up a guitar. It'll help you through the other lessons, knowing exactly what we're talking about when your going through our more advanced lessons. Overall, if you don't know much about guitar this is the place to start!  The Body of the guitar is where all the wiring and stuff goes. It's hollow, varies in size, shape, design, and colour, and comes in many different styles. For example: some guitars are strung by pushing the strings through a small board on the back of the instrument, others are strung through the bridge. The Six Strings are the most important part of a guitar. They are as follows:
The best way to memorize these is to go up and down the strings saying each note as you play it. This will help you develop your ear, and you will begin to know the notes sound as well as it's name. Once you can relate sound, name, and string easily, you'll have a lot easier time learning more notes. Developing your ear will prove worthwhile. I guaruntee it. The Neck of the guitar is the skinny part between the head and body, where you will be pressing pulling and bending the strings. The neck will sometimes have a thin hollow adjustment tube down it, and can be adjusted at your local music store if you prefer to have your strings closer or farther from fretboard. (The fretboard is the wooden "faceplate" of the neck, the area where all the metal frets are located.) The Head is found right at the end of the neck referring to the wooden area where all the tuning pegs and turning heads are found. It is one of the only two places the strings are actually attached to the guitar. Suspended between the bridge and the turning heads.
Tuning Pegs are the pegs you turn to tighten or loosen the strings, adjusting the pitch. The Nut is the small brace between the head and neck spacing the strings out evenly. Frets is the name guitarists give to the small metal bars on the fretboard. On an average electric guitar there are usually 21 frets. On acoustic guitars you'll find many of these frets aren't playable because the fretboard extends onto the body. You would have to make a very awkward reach to play them properly. The Dotted Frets are the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 15th, 17th, and 19th. The 12th Fret is marked with two small symbols. On average guitars they are simply small metal circles, and on custom guitars they could be anything. Also, there are small dots on the top of the neck, so they're easy to see when your playing. Pickups (and Input jacks) are only found on electric guitars. The pick-ups are what gives the electric guitar it's sound. They are bars on the pik-guard (the plastic area under your right hand that prevents scratches to the body) with small metal spots, one for each string, that pick up the vibrations when the string is played. The better your pick-ups work, the better your guitar will sound.
The Bridge is the main string attachment area. This is where the strings hook-up to the body. The Volume / Tone Dials are used for quick adjustments while playing but it's hard to do without stopping. They are very useful however if you have two guitars in the same amp, or a mic and a guitar in the same amp. Then you can turn the amp to the volume you want the mic to be at, and turn down the guitar so you can hear yourself properly. Make sure your amp is rated for singing before try it though! There you go! Your done niceaxe.com lesson one, congratulations! < Previous | NiceaXe.com | Lesson Two >
Written By: Admin
|
|
