| If you want to learn to play guitar for free there's | | | | your friendly neighborhood search engine and look for |
| plenty of software available to help you. This article will | | | | a free music notation program called TablEdit. |
| enable you to define for yourself how to approach | | | | Guitarists record arrangements of songs using this |
| learning the guitar and guide you in setting up the time | | | | program and share it with other guitar players on the |
| and space necessary to make solid musical progress. | | | | internet. You download the software in a zip file and |
| Imagine yourself sitting down to play the guitar. You | | | | install it on your computer. |
| want to play to your own musical standards and to | | | | Now go to your search engine again and type in the |
| make music that impresses your audience. You will | | | | name of the song you want to learn followed by |
| play from beginning to end without a hitch. Your | | | | "tabledit". If your request is not too obscure, you will get |
| attention will be on the music, not nervously anticipating | | | | a number of web pages where you can download |
| the bits that you can "scrape through" when you are | | | | your song. As an example, type "classical gas tabledit" |
| alone in your room but could be your undoing in front | | | | into a search engine and you will be rewarded with |
| of an audience. | | | | over one-hundred-and-fifty results. The only drawback |
| To learn to play guitar with a high degree of fluency, | | | | with the free version of the program is you can't edit |
| the first free resource you will need is time. Even if | | | | and save the music you are learning. |
| you have a busy daily schedule you can find say, half | | | | Another free guitar notation program is called |
| an hour to set aside to learning guitar. Think about | | | | Powertab, so if you can't find a Tabledit file for the |
| what you do during the day. After dinner for instance, | | | | piece you want, try your search using "power tab". |
| do you sit staring mindlessly at the television? Could | | | | Now sit down with yourself and let the notation |
| you get up a little earlier in the morning to play guitar? | | | | program play the song. Get a good grip on how the |
| Failing to seriously think about when you are going to | | | | song sounds. Then start to learn the notes in whatever |
| practice the guitar will make the other elements of | | | | size chunks you need. Break it into licks, bars, half bars, |
| your guitar education more difficult. | | | | whatever, but don't ride over any bits that are difficult |
| Once you have worked when you will practice the | | | | for you. The ultimate aim is to perform a series of |
| guitar each day, you can contemplate the basic needs | | | | small movements, each one leading to the next without |
| behind learning music. You can see in your imagination | | | | unnecessary muscular tension. |
| how you want to play guitar, so how do you go about | | | | If you have difficulty with any part of the song, play it |
| getting the music into your head and your fingers? | | | | slowly several times on your notation program until you |
| An essential piece of equipment you need by your | | | | can hear it in your head. Then try it slowly on the guitar. |
| side is your guitar tuner. With free guitar tuners | | | | Finally, if you can't find a TablEdit or Powertab |
| available to download, there's no excuse not to be in | | | | arrangement of your song, the latest version or |
| tune. I recommend the AP Guitar Tuner. It has a great | | | | Apple's Quicktime has the ability to slow down any |
| visual guide to make sure you get your guitar in tune | | | | music without altering the pitch. All you need then is a |
| with a minimum of fuss. | | | | sound file and a tab or sheet music of your piece and |
| Whether you already read standard musical notation | | | | you're ready to rock! |
| or you will be using guitar tablature, you need to go to | | | | |