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Previous article: Guitar Primer: Plectrum, Fingers and TAB (pt3)

Continuation of guitar primer lesson involving how to hold plectrum, how to read tab and which fingers to use.

Click above picture to play sequence…

This is the TAB that is being played,

A few tips to try:

‘Alternative picking’

V = Down Stroke

X = Up Stroke

Try playing V X V X for each note as below:

Try keeping your notes smooth, try not to snatch at the note.

Slow down, play a note and hold for 4 beats – play the note and count to 4

As you get comfortable try holding the note for 2 beats before playing the next.

Then Try 1 beat, then 2 notes per 1 beat – make sure that you’re comfortable and that each note is clean.

‘Thumb Position‘

When playing lead guitar some times your thumb will sneak over the top of the guitar,

Try getting your thumb down the back of the neck as below:

Getting your thumb position right will in the long run solve problems of stretch.

Take a look at the picture above, the wrist is forward and my fingers are overlapping the top of the guitar.

A good stretch is not down to long fingers, I have quite small girly hands(stop sniggering) – Therefore getting your thumb position correct is well advised.

Previous Articles:

Guitar Primer: Plectrum, Fingers and TAB

Guitar Primer: Plectrum, Fingers and TAB (pt2)

Guitar Primer: Plectrum, Fingers and TAB (pt3)

previous article(pt2)

Hopefully you’ve read the previous free guitar lessons giving you a few ideas and tips on correctly holding your plectrum.

This the 3rd article in this primer will talk about fingers in relation to TAB or tablature.

—Dealing with TAB—

Reading guitar tabulature:

Lines = Strings

The ‘Bottom E’ is the thickest string on the guitar – the ‘Bottom’ part refers to the low sound.

The ‘Top E’ is the thinnest string on the guitar – ‘Top’ part refers to the high sound.

Basically TAB is upside down, at first it’s hard to get your head to remember this but with practice it does get easier.

—TAB in relation to Fingers—

The above picture of a hand shows the ‘Fretting Hand’.

As an exercise try playing the the above tab: Use the same number finger as the fret.

Click above picture to play sequence…

Click for next article: Part 4

previous article: Guitar Primer: Plectrum, Fingers and TAB (pt1) CLICK

Once you’ve got to grips(ahem) with holding your plectrum you need to get your hand position correct when striking strings.

Getting a comfortable position to stike the strings of your guitar is very important.

If you look at the above picture you can see that I rest my forearm on the body of the guitar.

My palm is resting on the bridge/tail of the guitar.

This is fine for plucking/picking strings with your plectrum or fingers.

In the above picture my plucking hand is not directly over the sound hole, this is a sound choice.

You can strike the string anywhere, closer to the neck and you’ll get a warm sound, closer to the body a tighter/brighter sound.

When picking notes you should take care to move you wrist and not your elbow.

When you strum you use a combination of Elbow, Shoulder and Wrist.

Always choose what is comfortable to you.

Try checking out youtube of video footage of your favourite guitarists, take care to watch their picking/strumming hand.