Hot Electric Guitar How-Tos

How To: Play the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" on guitar

Want to know how to play "Don't Let Me Down" by Beatles on your electric guitar? While this free video lesson is best suited for intermediate players, rock guitarists of all skill levels can play along given a little sticktoitiveness. For more information, and to get started playing the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" on your own guitar, watch this how-to!

How To: Play the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" on the guitar

Want to know how to play "A Hard Day's Night" by Beatles on your electric guitar? While this free video lesson is best suited for intermediate players, rock guitarists of all skill levels can play along given a little sticktoitiveness. For more information, and to get started playing the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" on your own guitar, watch this how-to!

How To: Play variations of the I VI II V chord sequence

The I VI II V jazz chord sequence was first popularized by the George Gershwin song "I've Got Rhythm" and later had its popularity reaffirmed for the masses by The Flintstones theme song. This guitar lesson teaches you how to play ten different versions of this chord progression on electric guitar. This video is meant for somewhat advanced jazz guitar students, and is sure to improve your skills and give you lots of new ideas for your own songs.

How To: Do the I VI II V jazz guitar exercise

Jazz guitar is one of the deepest, most challenging, and most rewarding kinds of playing. This video by Justin teaches us an jazz guitar exercise designed to work on I VI II V I chords. Some skill is definitely required, but if you're an experienced jazz player this exercise should very much help you improve your skills.

How To: Read guitar tabs with Peter Vogl

Reading tab is a great way to learn the next step while you learn how to play the guitar. If yo feel you're ready to take it to a higher level but you don't want to read traditional sheet music, tab can get you started in that vein while still showing you all the details you need to play your songs. This video from Peter Vogl of Free Guitar Videos will teach you how to read tab. Read guitar tabs with Peter Vogl.

How To: Fix a wobbly whammy bar with plumber's tape

Wobbly whammy? Don't fret. This brief how-to from YouTube guitar whiz Justin Sandercoe will demonstrate how to use normal PTFE tape (also known as thread seal or plumber's tape) to keep your guitar's whammy bar from rattling around. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video tutorial.

How To: Wire a three way toggle switch and use as killswitch

Having a three way switch can be useful for those interested in controlling one set of lights or a light in two different locations. But there are other ways to use a three way switch and that's by using it as a killswitch. It's fairly easy to do, but to those who don't know what to do, can result in serious injury. So make sure before you try to do anything with wiring, know exactly what you're doing. Good luck and enjoy!

How To: Use tritone chord substitutions in jazz guitar

This free video guitar lesson discusses tritone chord substitution. In short, when a dominant 7th chord is functioning, it can be substituted by a dominant chord that is a tritone or augmented fourth away from its root. For more information, and to get started playing tritone chord substitutions on your own guitar, watch helpful jazz tutorial.

How To: Hold your guitar pick for different types of chords

In this how-to video, you will learn how to hold your pick in different ways for certain styles of guitar playing. You must have a pick and guitar. Hold the pick between your index finger and thumb. Feel free to modify the way to hold it so that you are comfortable with it. For strumming, keep your picking hand loose. This will allow you to comfortable strum up and down. For picking chords, relax your picking hand and allow the pick to be slightly more perpendicular when picking. For shreddin...

How To: Hold you guitar pick for more accuracy

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to properly hold a guitar pick. Don't hold the pick with the point facing down because it can easily slip and cause you to lose accuracy. Instead, hold the pick with the point facing forward. Don't let the pick stick out too much. Secure it behind the index finger and under the thumb. This video provides a visual demonstration for viewers to easily follow along. This video will benefit those viewers who are beginning to play the guitar and would like ...

How To: Put strings on an electric guitar

In this how-to video, you will learn how to change your guitar strings. This is essential in learning how to maintain your guitar. Make sure you roll up your used guitar strings and throw them away in the trash. Unwrap the new strings. The string bag should have a label of what string it is. Put the correct string through the end of the hole in the back of the guitar. It should come out the other side. Pull it through and make sure the end of the string with the ball stops the string from goi...

How To: Bend notes when playing a minor pentatonic scale

In this how to video, you will learn to use the pentatonic scale and bend notes. First, you must remember that your bend must reach another note in the scale. When bending, you are bring the fret to your finger rather than sliding up to it. You must use your ear to make sure it is in tuned. The blues note, or half step, only sounds good when it is going to another note. You can bend the half step as long as it resolves to another note in the scale. You can also do the whole step bend. This ca...

How To: Play Randy Rhoads' intro from "Crazy Train"

Play Randy Rhoads' intro from Crazy TrainHere's how to play Crazy Train by Ozzy. Play the top two strings. Then play the second and fourth fret which is the power chord F sharp. Play the A chord twice and then F sharp, D and E twice. That's the first bit that he plays. The next part is the riff. He plays F sharp twice. Then, he plays the second string fourth bar and back to the second bar. Next, he plays the fifth on the second string. Then, he goes back to the second string. Next, he plays t...

How To: Play Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" on electric guitar

This video shows you how to play "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne on the electric guitar. The first step is to strum the second fret of the low E chord twice. Then move your ring finger to the fourth fret of the A string. Go back to the second fret of the low E. Strum that twice. Then place your pinky on the fifth fret of the A string. Then you go back to putting your pointer finger on the second fret of the low E string. Then the fourth fret of the A string. Then the second fret of low E strin...

How To: Play "Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance on guitar

Long before My Chemical Romance made "Desolation Row" a hit, a legendary and music-changing artist named Bob Dylan sang it loud and proud as the closing track on his 6th studio release in 1965, Highway 61 Revisited. In this video tutorial, learn how to play My Chemical Romance's version of "Desolation Row" on acoustic guitar with help from Your Guitar Sage.

How To: Play "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd on guitar

This is a short clip that gives a few pointers on how to play sweet home Alabama. The song starts with D-String open twice, B String, G string, B String twice, B String, G string, then the E string twice. It is a little hard to understand what the host is saying as his/her voice is very low in comparison to the music, but you can make it out if you turn the volume up. Overall, this is a good tutorial on how to play the two main melodies of the hit song sweet home Alabama if you are new to the...

How To: Make your guitar sound sorta like a lightsaber

Marty Schwartz demonstrates a guitar trick--how to make your electric guitar sound like a light saber from Star Wars. First, he turns his volume knob all the way down. Then, he plucks the string, keeping the front side of the guitar facing away from the camera. Then, after he plucks the string, he turns the volume knob up as he waves the neck of the guitar in his hand like a light saber. The volume knob is turned down as the guitar swings to the side, and turned back up as it nears the listen...

How To: Replace or install a new pickup in a Telecaster guitar

1. This video tutorial in Music & Instruments category will show you how to replace or install a new pickup in a Telecaster guitar. First you need to remove the strings so that you can take the bridge plate off. Pull the strings out from the back of the guitar. Take a calipers and measure the distance from the back plate to the front of the bridge and note down the readings. Then remove the four screws from the bridge plate and unscrew the telecaster panel. The pick up wire is connected betwe...

How To: Play "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica on guitar

In this two part electric guitar lesson teaches you how to play "Nothing Else Matters" by the great Metallica off "The Black Album". In the video, instructor Bobby Crispy breaks down the song cord by cord, from beginning to end. This is great for both expert and beginner guitarist, of course with lots of practice and this video you'll be mastering Metallica in no time.

How To: Paint a 5150 Van Halen replica guitar

This three part tutorial shows you how to pait a EVH Kramer 5150. You'll paint and design, doing it all for less than $350.00. It covers all the steps from primer, taping, painting, clearing coating, and assembly. After watching this you'll have your very own Van Halen replica electric guitar to jam out with.

How To: Learn AC/DC "Shoot To Thril" from Iron Man 2

This is a very extensive video teaching you how to play AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" from the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie. In this video Justin Sandercoe, breaks it down, step by step, from finger placement to the sound your looking for. It's perfect for any level student, and very easy to follow. You'll be rocking out in no time.

How To: Incorporate jazz harmony in your guitar playing

Jazz harmony is the theory and practice of chord usage in jazz music. This instructional video demonstrates the basics of jazz harmony and incorporates licks and runs on the electric guitar. Once you've mastered the basic chord progression you'll be able to improvise and further develop your sound. The chord movement known as the "two," "five," "one," is by far the most popular jazz chord movement. Most of the jazz standards contain this cycle of chords. It's popularity is on the same level a...

How To: Music read & understanding the music staff

A step by step video tutorial by Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio that shows you how the music staff works. Have you ever had trouble reading a music staff? Not anymore! Andrew Wasson explains to you what a treble clef, key signature, and time signature are and how to understand them. He goes on to teach you how to read quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted quarter notes, sixteenth notes, and triplets. The video also shows you how to bring everything that you learned on to the guitar and...

How To: Change a guitar string on a Stratocaster

In this how-to video, you will learn how to change a guitar string on a Stratocaster. You need a guitar, a new set of strings, and a diagonal wire cutter. You might also need a string winder. You will need a guitar tuner and a guitar cable if you have an electric guitar. First, remove the broken string from the guitar. Push the broken string down and through the bridge. Remove the other end from the tuning post. Take the correct string and unroll it. Do not bend the string in any way. Take th...

How To: Play "Sweet Home Alabama" on the electric guitar

This video is part 1 of the lessons of FamousRiffs that teach you how to play the basic, easy riffs of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" on electric guitar. The video starts with a clean demonstration of how to play the intro and bridge of the song. After that, the guitarist shows and explains the 3 chords of the song: D power chord, a modified C and a modified G (all of them are very easy, even for beginners). He then explicitly explains and demonstrates the picking pattern used with the...

How To: Play "Another Brick in the Wall" on electric guitar

The song might say "We don't need no education" but you might to play this Pink Floyd song from the late 70's. This video shows you how to play "Another Brick in the Wall". You'll learn the main riff first and the chords that accompany it. You'll learn the strumming technique to make it sound just like David Gilmore did. Next, you'll learn the chords to the chorus. You'll now learn a fill in lick that comes in the middle of the chorus. Once you learn each section the song is complete and you'...

How To: Play the "Super Mario Bros" theme on electric guitar

We've all heard of Mario. He is probably one of the most famous characters in video game history created by Nintendo. Remember the theme song that you would hear and dance to when you were a kid? This video shows how to play that theme song on guitar! This guitar lesson shows each fret and string to strike as it carefully explains each note in the Mario theme song. Watch the fingers fly as you learn how to play using tabs with walkthrough explanations every step of the way. Learn each section...

How To: Play the intro solo to "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"

In this lesson Bobby Crispy teaches you the whole solo, breaking it down into small sections, and demonstrating it note for note with on screen tabulator to guide you. You'll learn how to play the intro solo to Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" from the Master of Puppets album. The tabulator used in the video is very easy to read, and his teaching style easy to follow, as he demonstrates the solo in a slow manner so that you can readily see which notes he is playing and how to place you...

How To: Put new strings on an electric guitar

Learn with this informative video how to put new strings on an electric guitar. The best kind of strings to put on an electric guitar are Ernie Ball Coated Slinky strings. The first thing you want to do is release the tension in the string. You do this by loosening up the tuning knobs on the top of the guitar. The string will then be loose and will release all the way to the bottom bridge. Next all you have to do is push the string towards the guitar and it will push through out the back side...

How To: Study & practice triad chord construction

This is a video tutorial on how to study and practice triad chord construction. The video starts off with explanations on consonant sound which is a stable and relaxing sound like any major or minor chord. The other type of sound is the unstable kind of sound. There are 4 kinds of triad chords: major, minor, augmented and diminished. To construct a major triad, you take the 1st note, 3rd note and the 5th note from a major scale. For example, if we take a C major chord, then we use the C, E an...

How To: Use key modulation in a musical piece

This how-to video will show the proper use of key modulation in music. Follow Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio as he takes you through the uses of key modulation in music writing. Watch as he explains the difference between direct modulation and pivot chord modulation. Once you know the different types of modulation, you can learn how to introduce both of them to your music writing as you continue growing as a muscian.

How To: Play Nickelback style riffs with an electric guitar

Everyone wants to be a rock star! Grab your electric guitar and get ready to rock. This guitar lick is in the key of D. The tuning is "Drop D", just tune your low E to D. Hit the low D twice. Next slide from the third fret to the fifth fret. Now go down to the A string and the third fret (C). Repeat these notes three times. Then mute check for a three count. For the next part move up two frets for the all of the riff. This riffs are great for southern style rock and alternative rock. The vide...