Unlock Guitar Magic: 5 Must-Learn Strum Patterns Every Beginner Needs NOW

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on the five most essential strum patterns — not a giant list, just the ones that give you the most bang for your buck and actually build your internal sense of rhythm.

Strumming is the heartbeat of most guitar playing. A lot of people hunt for "the strum pattern for the song" and play the same pattern the whole time. That's not the point. A strum pattern takes a chord and gives it life. Think Wonderwall, Jumper by Third Eye Blind, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz — the rhythm is what makes those memorable.

Pattern 1: Whole Notes (Most People Skip This)

This is the most important skill in strumming. You can know a fancy pattern and still not be able to change chords in time. Music is noise in time.

Strum the chord on beat 1 and count to four. That's it. It actually gets used in real songs.

I'm on a G / G5: third finger third ...

No Tuner? No Problem! How to Tune Your Guitar to Itself Like a Pro

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on what to do when you need to tune and you don't have a tuner — dead battery, left it at home, whatever.

This is one of the most essential skills every guitar player needs. At least get the guitar in tune with itself.

You can do this. Not as bad as you think.

First: Strum a Chord and Listen

Pick up the guitar. Strum something you know — I like E a lot of the time, or G. Does any of it sound off? Pick through the strings one at a time. Sometimes it's obvious. Sometimes it's just a little out.

That takes ear time to develop. So we use a reference pitch and tune the guitar to itself. All six strings agree with each other. That doesn't always mean they're at concert pitch — if your A is a little off A, the guitar can still sound good with itself.

I usually pick the A string as home base. Sometimes the E. Whatever works.

Fif...

Why Adults Are Secretly Awesome at Learning Guitar

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube video on why your age is an asset, not a liability — and the practical first steps (plus the number-one thing that determines success).

"I'm too old." "I wish I'd learned as a kid." "It's too late." Wrong. Adults have serious advantages. You're exactly the right age to start. I've got your back.

The Myth: You're Too Old

I've taught kids and adults for years. Unequivocally: adults typically pick up guitar faster than kids.

Adults usually have a more developed sense of rhythm, better ears, and they can focus. You've got discipline. You've got actual passion. A lot of kids get dragged to lessons by mom or grandma. Some never catch the bug and later wish they'd stuck with it.

You've already got the want-to.

The thing that holds adults back is also a strength: that good ear. You can tell when you're in the suck stage. Everybody sucks at first. Hendr...

Use This Simple Trick to Show Off on Your Guitar

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on a simple trick: play a few open chords, throw in some licks from a scale, and make it sound like you know exactly what you're doing.

This is great when you're hanging out with people, you're at a party, and you don't really know what to play. I do it all the time.

The Chords (Keep Two Fingers Parked)

I'm using chords where I can leave my third and fourth fingers in place on the third fret of the first and second strings the whole time:

• G: first and second fingers on the sixth and fifth strings, frets 3 and 2
• Cadd9: move those two fingers down one string — third fret on the fifth string, second fret on the fourth string
• E minor 7: second fret on both of those strings
• Dsus4: first finger, second fret of the third string (or just a regular D)

The Scale: E Minor Pentatonic (Open Position)

We're going to use E minor pentatonic. In thi...

Having Trouble With Guitar Chords? Try This Simple Switch to Make Them Easier

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube video on a simple shift that makes playing chords a lot easier — especially if your hand hurts, you're just starting out as an adult, or your wrist and fingers don't want to cooperate.

It's a short lesson. Straight to the point.

The Usual Position (What We See on TV)

A lot of people start with the guitar on the right leg (left leg if you're left-handed), sitting pretty flat. That's comfortable. It's what we see on TV. There's nothing wrong with it.

But if your arm is stretched out, your wrist is kinked, and you're thinking "why won't my hand work the way I want?" — try this.

The Switch: A More Classical Stance

Take the guitar and put it on your left leg. Let it lean between your left leg and right leg, and lean back against your body.

You may elevate your left foot a little. Sometimes I put my right foot on the groun...

THIS Is What Separates GREAT Guitar Students From OKAY Guitar Students

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube video on the one simple trait that separates really great guitar students from really mediocre students — and how you can start to embrace it even if it doesn't come naturally.

Shout out to my buddy Michael Gumley, who was talking about this. I've been discussing it with the teachers at my school, and we all agreed: this is the thing.

The Trait: Embrace Monotony

Great students can sit there and do repetition after repetition after repetition. They don't get bored and quit after a few tries. They're not constantly adjusting the chair, the pick, whatever — looking for a distraction.

Mediocre students get bored. They only do it a few times, if they do it at all.

Learning anything on the guitar — a scale, a chord, a song — takes a lot of reps. Getting a lot of repetitions in a small window is magical. That's what changes your pla...

This Makes Open Chords on Guitar SO MUCH EASIER for Beginners

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on one simple switch in how you think about open chords. It makes it easier to know which strings to play, and which picking or strumming patterns will work.

I used to think everybody learned this from a book. They don't. Here it is.

Think in Three Categories

Think of open chords as:

1. Six-string chords
2. Five-string chords
3. Four-string chords

These aren't the only categories (there are three-string chords too), and they aren't the only way to play each chord. They're a simple starting map.

Why it matters: if you strum extra strings that don't belong, it starts to sound like mud.

Six-String Chords

Play all six strings. Easiest, because you don't have to aim.

Examples from the lesson: G, G7, Gmaj7, and E, E minor, E7, Em7.

E minor: open sixth string, second fret on the fifth and fourth strings, other three strings open.

F...

How to Smooth Out Your Chord Changes

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on the factors that go into smooth chord changes — and the exercises that actually get them there.

If you know you need chords, but the changes feel impossible, this is the work.

First: The Chord Has to Be Clean

Before the squeezes: form the chord and pick through each string. You want a clean sound. Get that first.

I often start new students with one finger on C (just the first three strings), then add the second finger, then the third. You can jump into full three-finger C. Do whatever's easier for you.

Full C from the lesson: first finger first fret of the second string, first string open, third string open, second finger second fret of the fourth string, third finger third fret of the fifth string.

Chord Squeezes (Build the Shape as One Unit)

Set a timer for one minute each round. Squeeze all fingers at the same time, relax all at the same time. ...

How to Change Your Guitar Strings For Beginners

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on changing strings if you've never done it. You're not going to hurt anything. It needs to happen regularly, and you can do it yourself.

I demoed this on an old acoustic. Floyd Rose / locking nut and Bigsby are a different animal — I don't have a magic Bigsby trick. What I'm showing works for pretty much any regular acoustic or electric. You just need to know how the strings go in at the bridge.

Tools

• New strings
• A string winder (the notch on the end pops acoustic bridge pins)
• Wire cutters

I like light strings. On acoustics I use .010s. On electrics I like .007s and .008s. I used to play super heavy. Lighter is easier.

Step 1: Take the Old Strings Off

Loosen all the strings with the winder (or a drill attachment if you have one). Get them off.

Taking all the strings off is not going to ruin your neck if you're not leaving it that wa...

How to Use the Tone & Volume Knobs on Your Guitar for Beginners

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on what the knobs on your guitar actually do — volume and tone — on a Les Paul–style guitar and on a Strat-style guitar.

"Pot" is just short for potentiometer. We call them pots.

Volume Knobs (Les Paul Style)

On a dual-humbucker Les Paul–style guitar you typically get:

• A volume for the neck pickup
• A volume for the bridge pickup
• A tone for each

On a good amp — especially a tube amp — the guitar's volume knob changes the tone, not just loudness. All the way up is fuller. Rolling it back thins it out, can get more "raw." You can go almost nothing, or crank it.

If you're on the middle pickup position (both pickups), both volume knobs affect the blend. You can have the neck rolled down and the bridge up, then bring the neck up to mix.

Use volume knobs to shape the sound, whichever pickup you're on.

Tone Knobs = High Frequ...