Learn Guitar your way with a TakeLessons expert

Peter Dazeley / The Image Bank / Getty Images Figuring out how to find a great first-time guitar can be a challenge in itself, but what to do when you're looking for a child? Have no fear, guitar instructor Matthew K. is here! Read on for some professional insight, purchase recommendations, and how to find the best guitars for kids... Parents who want to give their children the opportunity to explore music and learn a new skill have many options.  From traditional pianos to trendy uku

Whether you're looking for an extra challenge between guitar lessons, or you need a refresher on some basic guitar concepts, YouTube is a treasure trove of instructional videos. But how do you find the best ones when there are so many free guitar videos out there? Follow these recommendations from guitar teacher Milton J.... Congratulations on your decision to take guitar lessons! This incredible instrument has given me joy beyond belief ever since I picked it up when I was 13 years old. As y

Yearning to learn to strum a tune? Guitar teacher Kirk R. shares a perfect first lesson in strumming a guitar... Most of the songs that my guitar students want to learn consist largely, if not completely, of strummed chords. While most students are able to pick up both simple and more complicated rhythms, or strumming patterns, often I notice that beginners have a hard time keeping track of where the beat is and really getting into the groove of the song. It’s also common that

Looking for a way to make your bass lines move? Bass guitar teacher Miller W. shares his three step plan to creating walking bass lines... The walking bass line is one of the most fundamental parts of American music. It is found most commonly in blues and jazz, but as you learn bass guitar, you will hear its influence in almost any style of music. A walking bass line provides a strong rhythmic and harmonic foundation by smoothly moving from each chord to the next using four quarter notes pe

What's the fastest way to learn songs on the guitar? Learn the guitar chord progressions involved! Below, Greeley, CO teacher Andy W. shares a quick refresher lesson and what you'll need to know to play songs by Lorde, Pearl Jam, the Beatles, and more!   For this lesson, you'll learn the specific chords used in one song for each progression.  To play other songs that use the same progression only in other keys, it’ll be important that you have a basic understanding of how Roman nu

It's always fun to play a few tunes that match the season. With Earth Day bringing in spring weather, why not learn a few easy guitar songs to play as we celebrate our planet? Here are a few songs that make us think about being outside and loving the earth! Rush - "The Trees" What better way to kick off our top five list than a song with trees in the title? This classic rock tune by Rush was recorded with fingerpicking throughout the song, but if it's easier for you, you can play the intr

So, you decided to step into the world of music…great! You are picking up the guitar…even better! However, as a brand-new guitarist, you might be feeling overwhelmed with the material you are trying to learn. You may be asking yourself “What should I be practicing?”, “How should I practice and for how long?”, or “How do I stay organized in my practice?”. In this article, we will be diving into these questions and I will give my advice for guitarists of all levels and all genre

Learning guitar scales prepares you for the fun of playing riffs and solos. If you know your scales but you don't know how to take the next step, try one of these tips from guitar teacher James W... Are you tired of playing the same old licks and runs over and over again? Do you want to add some new dimensions to your guitar solos and riffs? If so, this blog post is for you. In it, we will explore seven ways to use movable guitar scales to write solos and riffs.  You have 7 notes to ch

Taiyou Nomachi / DigitalVision / Getty Images How many strings does a bass guitar have? What are the string names on a bass guitar? What kinds of notes do they produce, and how do you play chords? If you're new to playing the bass, these are all questions you might find yourself asking - and for good reason.  After all, one of the most important instruments in any Rock’n’Roll band is the powerful bass guitar. These 4 stringed guitars are the instruments of choice for artists such

Nick Jonas may have taken some flack lately after a guitar solo gone wrong at the ACM Awards, but  don't let that fool you, the young musician is a very talented guitarist. In this guitar tutorial, State College, PA guitar instructor Jonathan B. teaches you how to play Nick's new song "Close". Before you watch the video, make sure you have a basic understanding of the following guitar concepts: How to Use a Capo Basic Chord Progressions Guitar Strumming Techniques Use the