Frequently Asked Questions
How do I determine the scale length of my guitar or bass guitar?
The scale length of a guitar is the "effective" vibrating length of the top E string as measured from the inside edge of the nut to where the E string contacts the saddle portion of the bridge. Visit our instructions page for more on how to measure your guitars scale length.
How do I color code my own sheet music and where can I see some already color coded examples?
Color coding your own sheet music is not hard and can be a very useful tool in learning to read sheet music. Visit our instructions page for more on how to color code your own sheet music.
The key to our guitar learning product is the unique color coding of the notes, both on the Maps and the color coded music and scales we provide. Visit our color coded sheet music page to see examples of how to color code your own music.
How do I tune my guitar or tune my Bass guitar?
Tuning your guitar is a process that takes time to learn, but gets easier with practice. You have to develop an "ear" for the right tone. If you play a chord, and it just doesn't sound quite right, you may have one or more strings out of tune, and you need to "tune up". You will soon become familiar with the tone of what "sharp" and "flat" sound like, in addition to what "in tune" sounds like. Soon you will know how to tune a guitar by ear. Visit our Free Online Guitar Tuner and our Free Online Bass Guitar Tuner pages to learn about our free guitar tuners and more about how to tune your guitar.
I'm new to the guitar and want to develop good skills. Where should I start?
This is a difficult question to answer. Playing guitar has many facets to it. Some folks are strummers, some are pickers and some won’t be satisfied until they learn how to do both.
We suggest strapping a Don’t Fret Note Map™ or a Don’t Fret Chord Map™ on your guitar, go find a good instructor in your area and start with a few well directed lessons. Lots of times those beginning lessons are enough to get someone started in a good direction. Then as time goes on you can always go back to the instructor and pick up more. Learning good habits and good technique right from the beginning is very important and an integral part of what the guitar teaching community has to offer a beginning student.
If you do not have access to a qualified instructor, there is an incredible amount of “learn to play guitar” information on the internet. You can start by visiting our Classroom page for some basic guitar lessons. We also provide a chord generator that shows ten easy to play beginner chords.
What is a good way to get the most out of my practice time and what is a good amount of time to spend practicing?
Many instructors have lamented to their students "you can't learn to play the thing if you don't put it in your hands and get started". Practically speaking, a good amount of practice time to start with is twenty minutes per day. This will allow your finger and hand muscles to gradually become used to playing. You can always add time to your session as your hands and fingers ache less and become stronger.
Try not to "over learn" something at first. Pick easy concepts and commit them to memory before moving on. At the beginning of each session try to revisit what you learned previously. This can give you a good starting place for your new practice session. Add new concepts after you've mastered the one you're currently working on. Increase the difficulty of your lessons and sessions as you increase your skill level and technique. Set obtainable goals for yourself to maximize your practice time.
Try to end each session by having some fun with what you've just learned. Always remember that learning a new thing will take time, but if you practice, practice, practice, repeat, you will soon become proficient at your craft. Keep in mind that if you stick with it you'll be jammin' in the band in no time. Visit our Classroom page for some good tips on getting started.
If you are having lingering difficulties getting motivated or get bored doing the same old thing all the time, don't fret, you just have "Novice Player Anxiety Syndrome". This can be easily corrected by consulting a qualified instructor in your area. A good teacher can give you a jump start on moving forward by showing you new concepts using the skills you've already acquired.
What are some easy songs for beginners?
It is interesting to note that almost all songs have three chords that can be used to play the song. It has been said that there are thousands of songs that were written with three chords and tens of thousands that can be played with four chords. A good place to start would be with one of our color coded Note Maps or Chord Maps and our color coded sheet music. The Maps provide a "no-miss road map" of the notes or chords and the color coded sheet music has several easy to pick and easy to strum songs for both guitar and bass guitar.
I'd like to get started playing guitar, is it best to start with an electric or an acoustic?
The best choice is the one that fits, and gets you going. Make sure to spend plenty of time at a music store actually holding and strumming the guitar you have your eye on (be sure to try a few others while you're there). Make sure it sounds good to your ear, feels good in your arms and your fretting hand can easily finger all the strings in all areas of the neck. Starting on an acoustic has the tendency to move folks toward strumming the instrument. Then when that person picks up their first electric, they tend to treat it like an acoustic. Conversely, if you start on an electric the tendency is to learn power chord techniques and not much else. Each instrument has it’s own special qualities. One option to consider is an electric acoustic guitar. There are many currently on the market that have amazing crossover capabilities.
