Terminology:
Arpeggio- A 'broken chord'. A chord where each note is hit individually rather than at the same time. Sweeps are often made up of arpeggios
Barre- Using your index finger to hold down multiple strings of the same fret
Barre Chord- A movable chord in which you use your first finger, the pointer/index finger, to hold down all the strings on the same fret('Barring' the chord) and use your other fingers to hit seperate notes to create a chord
Bend- When you bend the string on a fret. Used to heighten the sound of a note
Bend Release- When you bend a string and then release after the note has rung for its total time(Such as a quarter not ringing for 1/4 of a measure, then releasing, assuming it's a 4/4 time signature. 1/3 of a measure if the time signature is 1/3, etc.)
Behind the Nut Bend- Usually used in blue grass and some country. Where you bend the string behind the nut of the guitar. The Nut is guitar anatomy, it's where the fretboard ends and the headstock begins.
Chord- Usually a combination of 4 or more notes struck simultaniously.
Dead Note- A note that doesn't sound due to the fret not being held down.
Drop D- Tuning in which the largest string, the High E, is tuned down one whole step.
Finger Tap- A technique in which the guitarist uses both hands to hammer-on and pull off strings, while clamping a first finger down(In most cases) create a quick and fluid muscial affect. Check out Eddie Van Halen if you want the perfect example of this. Can be done with 1, 2, 3 or all 4 fingers of the same hand, however the more fingers you use it gets much more difficult to do.
Fret- Part of the guitar where a note is placed. The spaces on the fretboard. A spot us placed on the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, twelf, fifteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty-second and twenty-fourth frets. Usually. There are guitars that have them placed differently.
Fretboard- Part of the guitar where the frets are, between the body and the headstock.
Hammer On- Using your finger to 'hammer' a note above the previously struck note on the same string without picking or strumming. For example, let's say you hit the fifth fret on the third string. A hammer on would be, while holding the fifth fret with your index finger, you would use your ring finger to 'hammer' the seventh fret.
Harmonic- A sound made when a certain fret is not held down by the finger, but rather the finger is lightly placed over the string as it is struck. The result is a much higher pitched sound, different than the normal for that particular fret. The Mario Bros. coin sound can be made with Harmonics on the fifth fret of the first and second string, second before first.
Mute- To silence a string after, or before, it has been struck
Note- The sound made depending on pitch; Different pitches will create different notes.
Palm Mute- A technique in which the guitarist uses the hand he picks with to prevent the strings from vibrating and creating excess noise. This is done by placing the edge of the picking hand on the bridge where the string first comes off. This will not prevent sound from coming from the string, however it will prevent the string from vibrating after the sound is intitially sounded off and will keep away excess sound that is undesirable.
Power Chord- 2 or 3 notes hit simultaniously
Pull off- The exact opposite of a hammer on. Instead of 'hammering' the note, however, you will pull off the note with the correct finger while another finger holds a lower note. For example: If your ring finger is on the ninth fret and your middle finger is on the eighth, you would slightly bend the string at the ninth note and then quickly let go. In a sense, you're picking the string with your left hand. Joe Satriani uses a lot of hammer-ons and pull-offs
Scale- A pattern of notes put together rhythmetically, ending on the same note in which it started. For example:
The A Pentatonic Scale:
e|--------------------------5-----
G|---------------------5-8-------
B|----------------5-7------------
D|-----------5-7-----------------
A|------5-7----------------------
E|-5-8---------------------------
The first note struck is A, the second is C. The pattern for the Pentatonic Scale goes as follows: A, C, D, E, G, A; C, D, E, G, A Sweep- Multiple notes struck at one time, usually made up of arpeggios, where each note of a different string rings for only an instance before the next note is hit. The previous note should be muted or silent.
Tremolo- "Tremolo is the rapid repetition of one note in music or a rapid alternation between two or more notes" - Wikipedia
Tune- The setting of a string; The sound the string makes when open. Standard tuning is E,A,D,G,B,e.
Vibrato- Quickly bending the string back and forth. This gives a vibration affect, where the note struck will rise in pitch and lower in pitch along with how you vibrate the string
Whammy Bar- Part of an elecetric guitar that lifts the bridge of the guitar up and creates a dipping sound from the strings due to the strings being 'released' from their natural positioning. Carefull: Excess usage can cause your strings to come out of tune and sometimes snap.
Anatomy of an Acoustic Guitar Anatomy of an Electric GuitarBarre Chords vs. Power Chords-
It depends entirely on what style you want to play. Creedence Clearwater Revival and other such older bands use barre chords a lot, and they sound really good. Power chords are often times used in rock and other such genres, as well as metal. Barre chords can also be moved up and down the frets while the fingering remains constant. There are many variations of barre chords, just like any other kind of chord.
Incrasing speed-
Keep practicing and you'll get it! However one way to play faster is to pick up and down the strings. It'll take some practice to get used to, but picking upwards and downwards will help you move faster since you'll be able to hit the notes twice as fast than you would picking downwards only. Another method is to play on an acoustic guitar, where you have to hold down the strings much harder than an electric guitar, building up finger strength and dexterity, which in the end improves your speed.
Different Picking styles-
I only use my pick, and sometimes finger picking. However there are finger picks, picks that are worn similiarly to rings on each finger and can be used to finger pick much more affectivally.
Ways to keep your guiar in tune and basic maintenece: To keep the guitar in tune you can always buy an electric tuner and use it. That's the best I've got for you. However for maintanence: For acoustic guitars you're going to want to replace the strings every 3-8 months. Electric guitar strings can last forever, however you might want to replace them every now and then too, in about the same span of time. Keep your strings clean, and perhap wash your hands before you play. The fretboard does wear down over time, so be carefull. Mostly for electric gutiars, you can use a product called 'Fast Fret' to clean the strings and fretboard to prolong fretboard life, increase the sound of your strings and will smooth the strings down, which allows you to play faster, too. Don't get me wrong, Fast Fret isn't a substitute for talent when it comes to speed, in fact it doesn't help you get any faster at all. It simply cleans the strings and allows your fingers to glide more freely.
Hope this helps.
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