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Play The Guitar - Learn The Parts Of The Guitar And How To Hold It Properly
By Bob Hamilton
So you have decided to learn to play the guitar. Where do you start at? Well like anything else, the basics are a good place to start. So this article will go with the basics and assume you, the reader, are a complete beginner.
The parts of the guitar are the headstock, nut, neck, frets, body, tailpiece and the strings. I know this might seem like a lot to remember, but you’ll soon have these parts down. You’ll soon discover you need this knowledge to play the guitar.
1. The body is the largest part of the guitar. It rests under your right hand. This is the part that gives the guitar its character and design. The material and shape can affect the tone, or sound, of the instrument.
2. Towards the bottom of the body is the tailpiece. This is the part that holds one end of the strings and is either bolted onto or glued to the body. It may include a whammy bar.
3. Sticking out to the left is the neck, which is where you will use the fingers of the left hand to create notes and chords. It is usually about 25 3/4” long and is either bolted or glued to the body. In more expensive models, the body and neck are carved from one piece of wood.
4. Running across the neck are the frets. These look like gold bars and there are usually between 22 and 25 of them. The frets get closer together as they approach the neck. You will be placing the fingers of the left hand just behind the frets to create different tones. There are dots (simply decorative) on the neck, usually at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th
and 17th frets. There might be a couple more, depending on the manufacturer.
5. At the top of the neck is a nylon divider called the nut. There will be grooves in that act as a guide for the strings.
6. Above this is the headstock and it holds the tuning keys. The shape of the headstock is dependent on the make and/or manufacturer. You can tell a Gibson or Fender guitar by the headstock, for instance.
7. The tuning keys hold the other end of the strings and are used to tune the strings by tightening or loosening the tension.
8. The strings are those steel wires running from the tailpiece to the headstock/tuning keys. I don’t really need to tell you what they do, do I?
So let’s get ready to play the guitar. Now you know the parts of the guitar, here is how to hold the instrument properly.
1. Sit down and position the body of the guitar on your knee. Right handed players will have the neck sticking out to the left.
2. Hold the pick in the right hand, between the thumb and forefinger just above the strings.
3. Place the left hand on the neck with your palm under the neck and the fingers wrapping around and hovering over the strings.
4. Use a strap if you need to so you can keep the guitar balanced.
This is the basic holding position when you play the guitar. You can alter this as needed to make it so the guitar is comfortable for you. Comfort is important; very important. Find your best, most comfortable position and get ready to take your first lesson.
Learn more about how to play the guitar.
Find out how you can quickly and easily learn to play the guitar!
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