A guitar strap is a strip of material with an attachment mechanism on each end, made to hold a guitar via the shoulders at an adjustable length. Guitars have varying accommodations for attaching a strap. The most common are strap buttons, also called strap pins, which are flanged steel posts anchored to the guitar with screws. Two strap buttons come pre-attached to virtually all electric guitars, and many steel-string acoustic guitars. Strap buttons are sometimes replaced with "strap locks", which connect the guitar to the strap more securely.

The bass guitar (also called an "electric bass", or simply a "bass") is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and four to six strings. The four-string bass, by far the most common, is usually tuned the same as the double bass, which corresponds to pitches one octave lower than the four lowest pitched strings of a guitar (E, A, D, and G). (The bass guitar is a transposing instrument, as it is notated in bass clef an octave higher than it sounds (as is the double bass) to avoid excessive ledger lines.[jargon]) Like the electric guitar, the bass guitar has pickups and it is plugged into an amplifier and speaker for live performances.

Flatwound strings have a flat surface. These strings are very popular among jazz guitarists because they have a very dark and understated tone. However, they are also more difficult to play. These strings are not a good fit for rock or blues, because they’re stiffness and dark tone means that it’s hard to cut through the mix and pull off the fast and intricate runs and bends that define blues, rock, and metal.
Guitar chords are dramatically simplified by the class of alternative tunings called regular tunings. In each regular tuning, the musical intervals are the same for each pair of consecutive strings. Regular tunings include major-thirds (M3), all-fourths, augmented-fourths, and all-fifths tunings. For each regular tuning, chord patterns may be diagonally shifted down the fretboard, a property that simplifies beginners' learning of chords and that simplifies advanced players' improvisation.[70][71][72] The diagonal shifting of a C major chord in M3 tuning appears in a diagram.

The neck joint or heel is the point at which the neck is either bolted or glued to the body of the guitar. Almost all acoustic steel-string guitars, with the primary exception of Taylors, have glued (otherwise known as set) necks, while electric guitars are constructed using both types. Most classical guitars have a neck and headblock carved from one piece of wood, known as a "Spanish heel." Commonly used set neck joints include mortise and tenon joints (such as those used by C. F. Martin & Co.), dovetail joints (also used by C. F. Martin on the D-28 and similar models) and Spanish heel neck joints, which are named after the shoe they resemble and commonly found in classical guitars. All three types offer stability.


Do you play a warm-up exercise when you practice guitar? Guitar teacher Kirk R. shares three guitar exercises that are perfect for players at all levels... There are literally thousands of exercises and studies for the guitar. There are some that are great for beginners who are just getting used to having their fingers on the guitar, and some that are designed to challenge and grow the technique of seasoned players. But who has time to learn thousands of guitar exercises, even over man
The playing of conventional chords is simplified by open tunings, which are especially popular in folk, blues guitar and non-Spanish classical guitar (such as English and Russian guitar). For example, the typical twelve-bar blues uses only three chords, each of which can be played (in every open tuning) by fretting six-strings with one finger. Open tunings are used especially for steel guitar and slide guitar. Open tunings allow one-finger chords to be played with greater consonance than do other tunings, which use equal temperament, at the cost of increasing the dissonance in other chords.

As a beginner guitar player, one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome is that of transition between chords. We learn the chords to our favourite songs or a new complex chord shape, but when it comes to making music with them, our lack of muscle memory and dexterity inhibits us from stringing these chords together in a meaningful and comprehensive manner.
In Mexico, the popular mariachi band includes a range of guitars, from the small requinto to the guitarrón, a guitar larger than a cello, which is tuned in the bass register. In Colombia, the traditional quartet includes a range of instruments too, from the small bandola (sometimes known as the Deleuze-Guattari, for use when traveling or in confined rooms or spaces), to the slightly larger tiple, to the full-sized classical guitar. The requinto also appears in other Latin-American countries as a complementary member of the guitar family, with its smaller size and scale, permitting more projection for the playing of single-lined melodies. Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by the Spaniard Antonio de Torres Jurado (1817–1892).[12]

While four years old is a little young for formal guitar lessons, it's not too early to begin teaching your child musical concepts that will be important once they are old enough for guitar instruction at School of Rock. Your 4-year-old can participate in the Little Wing music program to learn fundamental concepts through fun, dynamic musical activities. 

The sound of an acoustic guitar is arguably the most well known in all of modern popular music. Without electronic components, the guitar relies solely on the interaction between the strings and the sound box to produce every note. Because of this, the strings of your acoustic guitar can significantly influence its sound. To get the most out of your guitar, keep an eye on the condition of the strings. You don't need to wait until your strings break to replace them. When they get old enough that their tone starts to change, it's time to re-string. Depending on the guitar, you may choose either nylon or metal strings. Nylon strings are the modern substitute for gut strings, so they're usually found on older styles of guitar such as baroque or flamenco. If you play the classical guitar, take care to fit it with the correct strings: since classical guitars are sized and tensioned differently from other varieties of acoustic guitar, they can be damaged by standard strings. Similarly, classical guitar strings won't work with other guitars. For metal-stringed guitars, there are several options available, each with its own acoustic character. The three most common types of metal strings are bronze, phosphor-bronze and silk-and-steel. The staple string for many guitarists, bronze produces a bright, quickly-fading tone that's lively and well-suited to any style of music. Phosphor-bronze is similar, but with added warmth and longer sustain. For a completely different sound, consider silk-and-steel. These strings create a tone that's gentle and mellow. Lower in tension and available in lighter gauges, silk-and-steel strings are easier to play and are great for vintage guitars that need special strings. It's also important to keep in mind the gauge of the strings you're choosing. Higher gauges are thicker, producing increased volume and extended sustain with an overall warmer tone. The trade-off of the rich overtones of heavy-gauge strings is that they are more challenging to play, requiring more force to fret, pick and strum. If you are an experienced guitarist, you likely have a preferred gauge already. If you're a beginner, it's a good idea to start with a lighter gauge to make the learning curve more forgiving. In the end, the right combination of material and gauge is a matter of personal preference. You may need to try several different acoustic guitar strings before you find the perfect ones for you, but the results will certainly be worth it.

There are many different styles of play. Chords are played by strumming all of the strings. Classical guitarists pluck the strings with their fingers and always play sitting down. Slide guitarists slide along the strings with a slide made of metal or glass. Whether you're interested in classical, bluegrass, flamenco, folk or blues, the acoustic guitar is something you can enjoy playing alone or in a group.