Many times my students or the readers of my blog ask me what guitar book I would recommend them to learn about general aspects of the guitar. Since I am of the opinion that the experience itself is the best counselor to make a recommendation, I have clear for years the answer to this question.

But let me start the story at the beginning, and in a very summarized way. It was the year 1990 and I was a young guitar student eager to learn, I had not started my studies at the Conservatory and the world of the guitar was for me a mystery in general. The Internet did not exist in spain at this time. I had the immense luck of running into a local bookstore, where I found a copy of THE GUITAR HANDBOOK, by Ralph Denyer, I bought it and started reading it with great interest. From the first minute the book caught my attention, because it was a book dedicated to the guitar in general, and was not limited to a specific type of guitar, a musical style or a specific playing technique. This feature, along with some really fabulous illustrations and the absence of mistakes or false information are the greatness of this book.

 

 

If you’re looking for information about the mysteries of Bach’s lute works or the tapping technique, this is not your book. This is a book to understand the world of the guitar in a broad and generic sense, which awakens the love and liking for the guitar through its different chapters, in which it deals with different topics related to the instrument, always in well organized way, with excellent planning, rigorous information and a sufficient dose to train the new guitar player.

Especially interesting are the sections dedicated to the biography of great guitarists and to the constructive details of the different types of guitars. It also includes information about the technical interpretation on the guitar, such as chord charts, arpeggios, harmonics, intervals, etc.

 

 The book is widely illustrated

 

The Clasical and Flamenco Guitar are well covered

 

The biographical information is very succulent

 

Also deals with the subject of electronics

 

These are the pages dedicated to harmonics

 

… intervals

 

… and to finish, a complete dictionary of chords

 

The passionate and systematic reading of this book took my love towards the guitar to a new plane, more solidly passionate, and it provided me with a broad base of knowledge about the instrument.

These are the reasons that make me recommend this book when someone asks me for advice, since its reading is pleasant and the information it contains is very valuable.

Since it was published, there have been several editions of the book and it is translated into several languages. I have the Spanish edition with hard cover, nowadays discontinued (to which belong the images that illustrate this post). There are currently several editions available in English on the Internet, whose contents are identical and which differ only in the covers.

 

 

As you know, the links to Amazon generate a small commission that does not increase the price of the book for you. Buying the book through these links you collaborate to the maintenance of this blog, in which I have invested hundreds of hours of work.

Thank you very much and have very good moments with your guitar!

 

If you are going to play the guitar for the first time, this is your place. In this post I will explain the basic steps to play your first chords on the guitar.

I have chosen the easiest chords, thinking in someone who play the guitar for the first time. They are the easiest chords to play, and among the three they complement each other and can be the basis of thousands of songs. These chords are:

A MAJOR

It is the easiest chord to play on the guitar, because all the fingers go in the same fret:

1. Place your index finger (1) on the fourth string at the second fret.

2. Place your middle finger (2) on the third string at the second fret.

3. Place your ring finger (3) on the second string at the second fret.

4. Leave strings five and six open.

All strings are played except the sixth. The fundamental note (main), which is A, is in the open fifth string.

This chord is the tonic chord (the main one) of the key of A Major. This post is based on the key of A major.

E MAJOR

To play this chord:

1. Place your middle finger (2) on the fifth string at the second fret.

2. Place your ring finger (3) on the fourth string at the second fret.

3. Place your index finger (1) on the third string at the first fret.

4. Leave the strings one, two and six open.

All the strings are played. The fundamental note of the chord (main), which is E, is on the open sixth string.

This chord is the dominant one (the second most important) in A major key.

D MAJOR

To play this chord:

1. Place your index finger (1) on the third string at the second fret.

2. Place your ring finger (3) on the second string on the third fret.

3. Place your middle finger (2) on the first string on the second fret.

4. Leave the string four open.

Only the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings are played. The fundamental note, which is D, is in the open 4th string.

This is the subdominant chord (the third more important) in A Major key.

 

EXERCISE

The next exercise combines these three chords. You can see the video first:

This is the exercise tab and score (click on it to enlarge):

WHAT SONGS CAN I PLAY WITH THESE CHORDS?

Thousands of songs are composed with just 3 chords, and they are precisely these: tonic, dominant and subdominant. Although many other songs require more chords, these are the main ones, and with these you can play many songs.

 

HOW TO TRANSPORT A SONG FROM OTHER KEY TO A MAJOR?

If the song you want to play is not in the key of A Major, like this lesson, you just need to transport it. To do this, you must first take into account what scale degree that chord is (the scale degrees are named with Roman numerals:

TONIC = I (the main chord)

DOMINANT = V (the second more important)

SUBDOMINANT = IV (the third more important)

In A major key:

A Major is equivalent to I

E Major equals V

D Major equals IV

Now we are going to transport. Imagine that the song you want to play is in G Major key, and is based in the chords: G Major, C Major and D Major. Then, in G major key:

G Major is I (tonic)

Counting 5 from G is D, since D Major is V (dominant)

Counting 4 from G is C, since C Major is IV (subdominant)

Now you just have to change the chord sequence of G Major key, using the numerical equivalent (I, V or IV) into A Major. In the previous example:

G Major (I) = A Major (I)

D Major (V) = E Major (V)

C Major (IV) = D Major (IV)

This last step may be somewhat more complicated, but with a little practice it is done even on the fly.

Good luck with your first guitar day!