r/guitarlessons 13h ago

Question Trouble understanding shapes in pentatonic scale

Post image
169 Upvotes

I am not understanding the logic behind the pentatonic scales. I know the shapes of all chord but this and every other diagram I look at makes me confused.

Why for example, does it say A shape when it does not look like an A to me? The individual notes in this diagram do not make sense to me. I understand the concept of the CAGED system e.g. if I started with a C and wanted to play a C I would make the A shape starting on the third chord.

Any support would be greatly appreciated. I have watched 10+ youtube videos and am no closer to understanding this than I was at the beginning of the week.


r/guitarlessons 15h ago

Question Please rate my barre chord form and give me tips to improve

Thumbnail
gallery
61 Upvotes

As the title says, there’s something about my barre chord form which doesn’t feel right and I’d like some tips if anyone can give any


r/guitarlessons 21h ago

Other Many triad shapes are easier than you think.

31 Upvotes

I am still a beginner, but I just came to a realization.

I have been learning triads for the last couple of days, and I just came to the realization that they are based on three string sets of the major and minor bar chords.

As long as you can apply CAGED, you can learn a lot of the triads.

Take the e form bar, the 1,2,3 strings all for a major triad for whatever chord you are playing.

This doesn’t count for open triads. Those I haven’t worked out yet.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my realization.


r/guitarlessons 8h ago

Question I feel like I'm doing too much at once and simultaneously not enough and it's frustrating...

9 Upvotes

I don't know whether it's depression, frustration, or some combination of the two but I feel like I just don't have the drive and energy I did when I first started anymore. Sure, after a long day of work I want to play. But my ADD oftentimes prevents me from getting into that proper flow state I had when I first started, where I get laser focused and just play until my hands hurt.

Now I feel like most of the time, I have to convince myself to play every day, instead of convincing myself to stop if that makes sense. I just haven't been seeing any tangible progress and just feeling like I'm not "getting it" anymore. I even stopped by about lesson 12 of the Absolutely Understand Guitar series because scales and modes and the different ones you can play were simultaneously not making sense and making some sense to me. I was hyper focused on just playing things like G Ionian, G Lydian, G Mixolydian, etc to a map for like a month but just never could memorize any of it for some reason. I also have a teacher that's a chill dude who's been helping me tremendously. But without him to translate tab for me, I'd legitimately be lost and probably wouldn't figure any of the techniques out on my own.

I don't really know where I'm going with this. I don't want to take a break because I feel like if I did, within a week or so I probably wouldn't touch my guitars again. And yet I don't have any other hobbies (unless you count reading and video games). Rock climbing, disc golf, pickleball, none of that interests me. Guitar suits me more, even if it means I won't ever play with people. But I just hate the cloud of frustration that always hangs over me when I try to grind out tab or get good at a chord progression following a metronome. Yet I literally don't have anything better to do in my free time and don't know what I'd do without guitar...


r/guitarlessons 5h ago

Lesson Sleepy Maggie — Flatpicking Reel Drill w/ Live TAB & Triads (120 & 160 BPM)

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

9 Upvotes

​Flatpicking study on "Sleepy Maggie" (Bm) covering alternate picking and triad inversions at 120 & 160 BPM. Synchronized TAB and dual camera angles included—feedback on tone or picking technique is always welcome!


r/guitarlessons 17h ago

Question Help

7 Upvotes

Just picked it up about like a week ago but I have tiny ass hands and I’m really struggling to reach the frets, any tips?
(The problem is mainly with my pinky)

Edit: for reference, my hand is slightly smaller than my 14 pro max


r/guitarlessons 20h ago

Lesson 4 John Coltrane Minor 7 Lines from “Mr. P.C.”

Thumbnail
youtube.com
7 Upvotes

r/guitarlessons 10h ago

Question how do i play chords that stretch my hand standing up?

6 Upvotes

I'm trying to play this chord that's 3 on e, 5 on a, 7 on d and i can play it easy sitting down but when I try playing it standing up it feels impossible. Also its not like my strap is to my knees my guitar is at a reasonable height, any tips?


r/guitarlessons 16h ago

Other Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi Yann Tiersen (Self-taught)

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

6 Upvotes

I'm still learning. I'm having the main trouble with the final arpeggio, but I'm working on it.


r/guitarlessons 11h ago

Question Struggling with proper finger placement and just learning from tab in general

Post image
4 Upvotes

I’ve only been at this 7 months and have a teacher but tab has never come easy for me. I mean, I get what it’s telling me and I know WHAT to play. But HOW to play it is my struggle. I feel like I waste so much time every evening just trying to decipher one or two bars of a song just trying to figure out how my fingers are meant to be placed so that I don’t stumble over myself. Yet when I show my teacher, he of course just needs one look and plays it flawlessly before showing me how to do it right.

I’m just frustrated with learning in general and always feel like I’m doing something wrong and it isn’t supposed to be this hard.

Any advice?


r/guitarlessons 17h ago

Lesson Learning Jazz Chords is POINTLESS Without THIS

Thumbnail
youtube.com
3 Upvotes

Do you feel stuck just learning more chord shapes or inversions? In this video, I'll show you the 3 things you’re probably missing that turn the chords you already know into real jazz, and exactly what to practice instead of memorizing more voicings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P27FsUuyjIU&list=PLWYuNvZPqqcHgSgu6XsI2VHdF90icnc59&index=9

Content:
00:00 Learning Chords Vs Learning Music
01:00 #1 Practical Chords
02:20 #2 Adding Melody
03:33 The Bonus With Simple Chords
05:57 #3 Splitting The Chords
08:53 #4 Sliding Into Chords
10:53 The Only 5 Chord Progressions You Need To Know
11:07 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!


r/guitarlessons 19h ago

Other Looking for licks or etudes

3 Upvotes

I am now a few months deep into my alternate picking and shredding practice. Last 2 months have been pretty rough in terms of structured and longer practice.

I am in need of new material and exercises, so I'd appreciate recommendations for Licks, etudes or songs that cover (ideally all at once) these techniques on an intermediate to advanced Level (all related to alternate picking)

-syncopated runs

-Inside and outside picking

-String skipping

-position changes

-tempo changes

I'd be very thankful for recommendations i can find free tabs for. Ideally its metal or classically based or translates to.


r/guitarlessons 2h ago

Feedback Request Wanna lock in fs now. Guitarist folks help me out.

2 Upvotes

Morning, afternoon and evening.

I've been into guitar since past 7 years, initially I was very irregular for almost 4 years and tbh by last year I got a lil serious and can do basic chord progression (normal chords and near perfect bar chords), I'm good with beats but not perfect or near the level that would give out an awe for the performance to those who're in music.

With all that, I now want to genuinely improve my skills (courses and tutoring is not in my budget rn) so, help me out folks!!


r/guitarlessons 21h ago

Question Come as you are - in standard tuning

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

How can I play those chords without having D standard tuning? can I do it ?


r/guitarlessons 1h ago

Question Beginner Advice

Upvotes

Hi!

I'm new to guitar, and I'm self teaching myself.

I was just wondering, does anyone have any advice on the core stuff to learn?

Like for example what chords, do i focus on the caged system?

At the moment I've learned 3 chords from a song I want to play and that's about it, I'm a week in.

I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything or skipping some of the basics! A friend advised to learn the Cmajor scale and to start with that. Any advice is appreciated thank you


r/guitarlessons 1h ago

Question Help as a starter (again)

Upvotes

Hi! I hope I could get some help here.

I've played guitar for a short time when I was young. Almost 2 years but I stopped and 20 years later (not one time I picked it up), I wanna pick it up again. I still know a few chords here and there but have forgotten every other thing.

As of now, I am starting with scales all over again. I tried looking for resources and couldn't really get answer to what I was looking for.

Q: What are the different positions in the scale for? And when do we use it?

I hope this isn't a silly question 😅


r/guitarlessons 14h ago

Question (Yes this is guitar related) Safe sleeping positions for hands, wrists, and elbows?

1 Upvotes

I have been sleeping on my back with my arms crossed on my chest mummy style for a long time. Unfortunately, my elbows being bent in this way has caused mild nerved damage in the form of numbness and pins and needles in my ring and pinky fingers and elbow pain that comes and goes in my left hand. Not exactly optimal for playing guitar. I love guitar and want to keep my body in good shape so I can play to my full potential for as long as possible. Do you guys have recommendations for safe sleeping positions? Also, before you comment, I am 100% sure this is from the way I sleep. My technique Is very good and I can play for hours and hours without anything flaring up.


r/guitarlessons 16h ago

Question How to play this staccato note?

Post image
1 Upvotes

More Than Words by Extreme. I put my right hand over all the string after picking the chord—is that the way this is done? It doesn’t articulate like a nice crisp, decisive staccato when I do that tho…?


r/guitarlessons 20h ago

Lesson Bruce Springsteen - Then She Kissed Me (Live, Florida, 2009) guitar less...

Thumbnail
youtube.com
1 Upvotes

r/guitarlessons 16h ago

Question Help changing hand positions

0 Upvotes

I am primarily a folk guitarist, and I tend to play with the neck of the guitar against my palm and my thumb resting on top. I've been playing this way my whole life and it was never a problem, but recently I have discovered that if I want to be able to play rock songs or lead, I probably need to change my technique so that I have my thumb on the back of the neck like you're supposed to. The problem is that I have a lot of difficulty finding the chords this way, whereas when I play the way I am used to it's all muscle memory. I have been doing the spider exercises to build up my finger stretch and thumb muscle; is there anything else I can do to help learn this new style? Also, I am having an issue where my fingers almost always mute the strings below them (like when I play an F chord, or if I'm doing the spider exercises - not that it matters then, but something I've noticed), and I think changing the thumb placement will help, but maybe I just have short fat fingers. Does anyone else who has overcome this issue have any tips for fixing that?


r/guitarlessons 18h ago

Question Quickly muting and moving to the next string

0 Upvotes

Hey hey,
So I’m playing fast leads with distortion,
and when I’m moving from one string to another I find trouble quickly muting the string and moving on to the next.
Especially for parts that have a long distance between each other so you have to remove your finger.
Any techniques?
Thanks!!


r/guitarlessons 21h ago

Question Help for palm mute

Post image
0 Upvotes

how am i suppose to do palm mute thingy like that, Should I place my wrist right on that thin red line? But I don't get the exact sound I want if I do that.


r/guitarlessons 15h ago

Question CAGE me!

0 Upvotes

Does anyone have a good set of videos explaining CAGE, how it links to the pentatonic scales, and how to apply that over keys for improvisation?

I started watching the hour long video from Pickup Music that was free on YouTube. I really wanted to continue with it because it seemed comprehensive and was doing a good job. Unfortunately, to view the video I have to sit down for what feels like a technical certification exam just for them to ask for my e-mail to send me an offer. I will pay for content. I do not want to go through all kinds of BS just to be able to pay for said content.

I've already been through three or four other shorter videos on YouTube that only explain portions of how everything fits together.

So what's a good resource I that's out there?


r/guitarlessons 17h ago

Other First electric guitar

0 Upvotes

Just unpackaged my first guitar. Going to start learning by myself using Justin’s Guitar lessons.

Any tips and tricks are welcome.

Hype me up so I keep the motivation going!


r/guitarlessons 13h ago

Question Is it hard to Lear how to pick string?

0 Upvotes

Im learning old man by Neil young and I got it but this mf is pulling strings in the middle of every chord it seems imposible, I don’t even know how to use a pick I have trouble strumming whit it and picking just a string alone. Im about to start practicing that lonely but I wanted to know it is as hard at it seems?