THE PARTS OF YOUR GUITAR 2HOW TO HOLD YOUR GUITAR 3THE RIGHT HAND 4THE LEFT HAND 5HOW TO TUNE YOUR GUITAR TO A KEYBOARD 6GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH MUSIC 7THE FIRST STRING E 8

Playing with E, F, G 8More 9Still More 9No More 10

SOUND-OFF: HOW TO COUNT TIME 11THE SECOND STRING B 12

Two-String Rock 12Merry-Go-Round 13Beautiful Brown Eyes 13Guitar Rock 14Jingle Bells 14Alouette 15

THE THIRD STRING G 16Au clair de la lune 16Three-String Rock 17Largo 17Back to the ’50s 18Repeat Signs 18Aura Lee 18

INTRODUCING CHORDS 19Chord Study No. 1 19Chord Study No. 2 19

THREE-STRING C CHORD 20Ode to Joy 20Quarter Rest 20Rock ’n’ Rhythm 20

THREE-STRING G7 CHORD 21Two-Chord Rock 21Love Somebody 21

THREE-STRING G CHORD 22Rockin’ with G & C 22Down in the Valley 22Oh, Susanna 23

THE FOURTH STRING D 24Old MacDonald Had a Farm 24Hold Sign (Fermata) 25Reuben, Reuben 25Common Time 25G Whiz 25Bohemian Folk Song 26Good Night, Ladies 26Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two) 27

FOUR-STRING G & G7 CHORDS 28Laughing Polka 29

THE FIFTH STRING A 30Volga Boatmen 30Peter Gray 31Low-Down Rock 31Liebesträum 32Boogie Style 32

INTRODUCING HIGH A 33Rockin’ in Dorian Mode 33The Riddle Song 34

INCOMPLETE MEASURES 35A-tisket, A-tasket 35The Yellow Rose of Texas 35

THE SIXTH STRING E 36Down Low 36Bottom to Top 36

TEMPO SIGNS 37Three-Tempo Rock 37The Blue Danube Waltz 37

BASS-CHORD ACCOMPANIMENT 38Can-Can (duet) 38

DYNAMICS 39Echo Waltz 39

SIGNS OF SILENCE 40The Desert Song (duet) (Study in Counting) 40Echo Rock 41She’ll Be Comin’ ’Round the Mountain 41

FOUR-STRING C CHORD 42Ties 42When the Saints Go Marching In (duet or trio) 42

MORE BASS-CHORD ACCOMPANIMENTS 44Chiapanecas (duet) 44

EIGHTH NOTES 46Happy Birthday to You 46Eighth-Note Bounce 46Walkin’ Bass Rock 47More Dynamic Signs 47Pachelbel’s Canon (duet) 47Annie’s Song (duet) 48

SHARPS #, FLATS b, AND NATURALS n 50The Chromatic Scale 50Chromatic Rock 51My Melancholy Baby 51Over the Rainbow 52

FOUR-STRING D7 CHORD 54Four-Beat Blues 54Amazing Grace 54Rockin’ the Bach 55Buffalo Gals 55

THE MAJOR SCALE 56KEY SIGNATURES 57EIGHTH RESTS 58

Eighth Rest Exercise No. 1 58Eighth Rest Exercise No. 2 58Eighth Rest Exercise No. 3 58Bill Bailey 59La Bamba 59

DOTTED QUARTER NOTES 60Auld Lang Syne 60Singin’ in the Rain 61Take Me Home, Country Roads (duet) 62

CERTIFICATE OF PROMOTION 64

Third EditionCopyright © 1966, 1990, 2007, 2008 by Alfred Music All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Alfred Music P.O. Box 10003 Van Nuys, CA 91410-0003

alfred.com

Contents

Book & Online Audio ISBN-10: 1-4706-2623-3 ISBN-13: 978-1-4706-2623-5

Book, DVD & Online Audio/Video/Software ISBN-10: 1-4706-2752-3 ISBN-13: 978-1-4706-2752-2

• O

VER F

IVE MILLION

•

CO P I E S S

O

LD

ALFRED’S BASIC GUITAR METHOD1

No part of this book shall be reproduced, arranged, adapted, recorded, publicly performed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the publisher. In order to comply with copyright laws, please apply for such written permission and/or license by contacting the publisher at alfred.com/permissions.

Front cover guitar photos: Guitar courtesy of Taylor Guitars • Guitarist photo by Jeff Oshiro • Back cover photo models: Luis Cabezas from The Dollyrots (middle right), thedollyrots.com • Back cover photos: Top, and center right: Kevin Estrada • Middle left: © shutterstock.com / Elnur sitting guitarist • Bottom: © iStockphoto.com / Nathan McClunie

4

The Right HandTo .strum .means .to .play .the .strings .with .your .right .hand .by .brushing .quickly .across .them There .are .two .common .ways .of .strumming .the .strings .One .is .with .a .pick, .and .the .other .is .with .your .fingers

StrummingwithaPickHold .the .pick .between .your .thumb .and .index .finger .Hold .it .firmly, .but .don’t .squeeze .it .too .hard

Strum .from .the .6th .string .(the .thickest, .lowest-sounding .string) .to .the .1st .string .(the .thinnest, .highest-sounding .string)

Important: Strum .by .mostly .moving .your .wrist, .not .just .your .arm Use .as .little .motion .as .possible .Start .as .close .to .the .top .string .as .you .can, .and .never .let .your .hand .move .past .the .edge .of .the .guitar .

StrummingwithYourFingersDecide .if .you .feel .more .comfortable .strumming .with .the .side .of .your .thumb .or .the .nail .of .your .index .finger .The .strumming .motion .is .the .same .with .the .thumb .or .finger .as .it .is .when .using .the .pick

Strum .from .the .6th .string .(the .thickest, .lowest-sounding .string) .to .the .1st .string .(the .thinnest, .highest-sounding .string)

Start near the top string.

Strumming with the thumb. Strumming with the index finger.

Move mostly your wrist, not just your arm. Finish near the bottom string.

8

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E

E

F

F

F

G

G

G

(HOLD)

DOUBLE BAR LINE

USED TO SHOW THE END OF THE PIECE

GO TO NEXT LINE WITHOUT STOPPING.

5

5 (Measure number)

The First String E

Use .only .down-strokes .indicated .by .≥ The .symbol .L .over .a .note .means .open string. .Do .not .finger

.Play .slowly .and .evenly

Playing with E, F, g

*Though .no .photo .is .shown .for .the .open .string, .the .fingers .of .the .LH .should .remain .slightly .above .the .string . .to .be .ready .to .play .the .correct .fret .when .needed .The .thumb .should .also .remain .in .its .proper .position

&

w

E

OPEN STRING* (not fingered)

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w

F

w

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G

1st FRET

1

3rd FRET

3

Track 3

G

F

E

FRET 1

FRET 2

FRET 3

1

3

Dashed .line .means .string .is .not .to .be .played

Track 2

37

Tempo SignsThe .three .principal .tempo signs .areAndante (slow), .Moderato .(moderately), .Allegro .(fast)

thrEE-tEMPo rockPlay .three .times: .1st .time .Andante, .2nd .time .Moderato, .3rd .time .Allegro

thE BluE danuBE waltz

& 4

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Johann .Strauss

Track 55

Track 56

42

Four-String C Chord

The .four-string .C .chord .requires .placing .the .2nd .finger .on .the .2nd .fret .of .the .4th .string

&

ww

ww

C

C

& 4

4 w œ

Hold D for 5 beats.

1

2

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Hold D for 5 beats.

1

2

TiesA .tie .is .a .curved .line .that .connects .two .or .more .notes .of .the .same .pitch .When .two .notes .are .tied, .the .second .one .is .not .played; .rather, .the .value .is .added .to .the .first .note

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COUNT:

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Track 62

whEn thE SaintS go Marching in (duEt or trio)