What are fundamental acoustic guitar techniques? Basic strumming, flatpicking, and fingerpicking are all techniques that provide a solid foundation on the instrument. Legato moves like hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides also fall under the umbrella of fundamental technique. The lessons here are perfect for beginning and intermediate guitar players.
Explore four solutions and subtle technique adjustments to deal with unwanted, distracting string noise when you play guitar.
The first job of playing acoustic guitar is to make those strings ring, with a clear and rich tone. The second is to make them stop.
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Whatever style you prefer—and regardless of whether you’re more of a soloist or accompanist—you should learn how to get these techniques under your fingers.
Songs in 3/4 can sound sweet on acoustic guitar, especially when you go beyond a basic one-two-three waltz rhythm and take a more nuanced approach to picking patterns, chord voicings, and bass lines.
Harvey Reid says, “the best way to learn to play music is by playing songs, and there is no better place to start than some good songs that are easy to play.”
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This brief exercise is excerpted from Rhythm and Strumming Basics by Josh Workman. Let’s start working on some chord shifting by changing between G and C chords on each beat (Example 6). Allow your fingers to change as slowly as necessary for a smooth transition. If the open strings continue…
Getting a full chord sound depends on where you place your fingers and how hard you press on the strings.
There are an infinite number of licks that can be built with suspended chords.
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This exercise includes the fretting hand, and is designed to aid in coordination—the goal is to get both hands working together.
The boom-chuck beat is one of the first rhythms guitarists learn, and for good reason: you can play thousands of acoustic-guitar songs in this style.
Step-by-step, learn the techniques you need to enhance your acoustic-guitar playing skills with a host of complex rhythms.
