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How To Play THE GUITAR

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The frets on a guitar are one half tone apart. Remember this always*

Fig. 35 shows the range of natural notes (without sharps or
flats), which are generally used on the guitar, together with
the positions of the left-hand fingers as they make these notes.
Careful study of this figure and a little practice will enable you
to master most of the notes in a short time. Concentrate chiefly
on the notes on the staff itself. These are the ones you will use
most often.

In Fig. 35 the numbers above the notes show which left-
haQdJ^2ge^to--place on the string. The numbers below the
notes show what fret to put the finger on. The sign O means
an open string—just play the string without touching it with a
finger. This figure is condensed but comprehensive.. Take your
guitaf^ahH start-to figure out the notes, one string at a time.
You will soon get the hang of it.

Playing sharps and flats on the guitar is quite simple. You
always know that a sharp is a half-tone higher than the note
that is sharped, and a flat is a half-tone lower. The frets on the
guitar are always a half-tone apart. To make F#, therefore,
you simply move your finger up to the next fret beyond F. This
is shown in Fig. 35. This figure also shows the position of the
commonly used B flat, which is in the same position as A#.

Playing Simple Tunes

The average person should be able to play simple tunes on
the guitar at the end of the first week—or even before. Playing
tunes that you know is the quickest way to get familiar with
the location of the different notes on the guitar's fingerboard,
and the fingers with which to make them. This is partly be-
cause you can tell at once if you strike a wrong note. Refer to
Fig. 35, if you need to, as it shows you exactly where each
note is.

To play the tunes, you will need a book with a number of
songs in it. If possible, get a book arranged specially for the
guitar, as it will usually show you the fingering for each note
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