After the beginning stage, most students will want to pick some of their favorite songs to learn on guitar and will get training in figuring songs out on guitar by listening. Also, tuning will become part of the practice ritual. The guitar, in comparison to the piano, has to be tuned on a regular basis – basically every time it is played. A guitar teacher will help the student to learn how to tune the guitar in a few easy steps. Studying to read tab and other forms of writing down guitar music will also be part of the journey to master the six strings in private guitar lessons.

After learning the basic chords, some strumming patterns, easy scales and a few simple songs, it is time to venture out into the world of lead guitar playing, learning to play simple solos over changing progressions, and solidifying the use of more complicated chords, such as bar chords.

To start to play lead guitar, first some basic major and minor scales (pentatonic etc.) will be introduced. Then, while one guitarist (for example the guitar teacher) is laying down a basic chord progression, the student can play a progression on top of it. Some songs also feature repetitive easy, melodic solo parts, which can be fun to learn. Learning a whole song (rhythm and lead guitar) can be fulfilling and give the student a sense of accomplishment. A good example of a song, which features an easy riff and some bar chords in the rhythm guitar and an easy melody in the lead guitar is “Come As You Are” by Nirvana.

Rhythm vs. Lead Guitar

Although the lead guitarist seems to be the more celebrated six-stringer, it is the rhythm guitarist who lays down the foundation and  plays the chords that create most songs. In reality, most lead guitarists play rhythm parts throughout the majority of the songs. The rhythm guitar is the backbone of the song, together with the bass guitar and the drums. Developing good timing and being able to play with a metronome or a backing track is a good practice before a guitarist is ready to join a band, for example.

Bending strings, hammer-ons and pull-offs are standard pieces in the lead guitarists arsenal, which also will be studied. Some electric guitars have whammy bars, which allow to bend the strings much more then just by hand. The guitar can be played with a pick, but also with fingers – basic finger picking techniques will be learned, which will be useful in many styles, especially for acoustic guitar.

Playing Guitar In A Band

For many guitar students, the main goal is to play in a band. Making music with other musicians is fun and a powerful experience. Music is the universal language – it is no cliché. A good friend of mine did spend two weeks in Japan without speaking a single word of Japanese and was able to jam every evening with Japanese musicians, who could not speak any English. Communicating with and through music is one of the most rewarding things to do, which is multiplied tenfold when the musicians play in front of a captive audience.