New guitar players always struggle with the correct position and shape for their left hand when playing first open chords. To a beginner, the hand shape feels unnatural and they tend to flatten the fingers on the fretboard and grip the neck too tight, leading to problems as the chord doesn't sound right and doesn't ring... and makes your fingers hurt! All very discouraging to the guitar newbie. But help is at hand with a simple accessory to overcome these hand problems.

Aimed at both beginner guitarists and guitar teachers, the Space Trainer is a simple and cheap little gizmo that clips onto the neck of any guitar. Available worldwide directly from http://guitar-gizmos.com , the Space Trainer clips into place on the neck of your acoustic, electric or classical guitar and the space bar across the bottom of the fretboard has the effect of read more »

A quick guide to tuning your guitar
The strings on your guitar are named as follows:
6th string = low E (thickest string)
5th string = A
4th string = D
3rd string = G
2nd string = B
1st string = high E (thinnest string)
Tuning your guitar by ear
First tune the 5th string to sound the same as this tone: A440
Once your 5th string (A) is in tune, play D on the 5th fret of the A string and tune the open 4th string to sound the same.
Once your 4th string (D) is in tune, play G on the 5th fret of the D string and tune the open 3rd string to sound the same.  read more »

Guitar strings age in several ways - they stretch, tarnish and get contaminated with sweat and dirt. Professional players change strings before each gig. For general light home use we would recommend you change your strings every 6 months as a minimum. If you play a lot then every few weeks would be more appropriate. read more »

One of the biggest problems children (and adults) have when first learning to play the guitar is the correct position for their left hand when playing chords. There is a natural tendency for the student beginner to over-grip the guitar's neck and flatten the fingers on the fretboard, leading to much frustration as the chord is incorrectly fretted and doesn't sound as it should... read more »

UK guitarist Kelvin Pratt has launched a guitar hand position guide - the "Space Trainer" - to overcome the problem of beginners struggling to position their left hand correctly when first learning basic chords. read more »

One of the most basic questions asked by student guitar players is 'what is a chord'?

A chord is simply a collection of single notes that, when played together give a pleasing sound. Chords are made up of a minimum of three notes and are referred to by the 'root' note - that is, the dominant note that you hear. read more »

Electric guitar strings are made of ferrous metal because the electric guitar pickup directly senses the vibration of the string magnetically. They are made of usually steel plated with a nickel alloy. read more »