#Bar chord a major ten thumbs free#

In the URBAN Guitar lesson app, Keith and his co-pilot JUNOtake you through several of the basics and guide you through 14 fantastic songs that are easy to learn. It’s also worth noting that the string tension on the URBAN Guitar by Yamaha is lower than on many other beginner instruments, so your hands have a lot less to fight against right from the start. In fact, you’ll be shocked at how quickly you progress simply by setting aside fifteen minutes to a half hour every day just to play. But don’t get discouraged: Your fingertips will quickly adjust with regular practice and the muscles in your fingers will get stronger. Take it easy at first your fingers (and especially your fingertips) are probably going to be a little sore after practice sessions of half an hour or more. One of the hardest parts of learning guitar is building finger dexterity and strength. I suggest you try both approaches and see which one feels best to you.

Some guitarists like to keep their thumb anchored at the back all the time others like to move it around, depending on what their other fingers are doing. Where it touches the neck really doesn’t matter too much. The thumb of your fretting hand is there to provide support for the rest of your hand as you play, so make sure it’s actually touching the back of the guitar neck. Your fretting hand should wrap around the guitar’s neck so your fingers naturally form an arch over the fretboard, like this:īy the way, the neck on the URBAN Guitar by Yamaha is thinner than the average acoustic, so wrapping your fingers around it is a lot easier than on many other guitars. That said, your picking hand should more or less follow the line of your forearm, making a diagonal angle to the guitar strings when laid across them, like this: Establish Good Hand PlacementĪgain, keep in mind that “good” hand placement for you may not necessarily be the same as it is for other people. Then cradle the guitar with the arm of your picking hand, and bend that arm so that the crook of your elbow is right against the top edge of the body and your forearm makes a diagonal angle across the instrument: 2. Be careful not to place the guitar too close to your knee or it might slip off while you’re playing. Once you’re seated comfortably, hold the guitar so that the narrowest point of the inside curve on its bottom half is balanced around the middle of your thigh, as shown in the photo below.

#Bar chord a major ten thumbs free#

(Feel free to attach the strap to the guitar as soon as you want, of course, and don’t worry - you’ll be standing soon enough!) That’s because it’s easier to focus on what your hands are doing when you’re seated. One piece of advice: Even though the URBAN Guitar comes with a strap that allows you to play standing up right away, I recommend that, at least in the beginning, you practice while sitting, not standing. If you already feel comfortable with how you’re holding the guitar, that’s a great start. Find the Right Body Positionīy the “right” body position, I mean what’s right for you. The URBAN Guitar lesson app (available for both iOS and Android™) covers all the basics you need to get started, but here are eight tips of my own that beginning acoustic guitar players might find helpful. (Okay, I’ll admit I may be a little biased.)

With the recent release of the URBAN Guitar by Yamaha and its companion lesson app (featuring instruction from Keith Urban himself), lots of folks are getting excited about learning to play steel-string acoustic guitar … to which I say, great! In my opinion, it’s one of the most enjoyable things you can do in your life.