The Most Important Guitar
Terms
3/4-size guitar
A smaller than normal guitar with shorter strings
and less space between frets.
action
A term referring to the height of the
strings above the frets and fretboard.
altered and open tunings
The result of changing the tuning of one or more
strings from standard EADGBE.
alternate picking
Picking in alternate directions
(down-up-down-up).
arpeggio
A broken chord, usually played evenly low
to high and back again.
arrangement
The setting of an original or standard
tune for a given solo instrument or group of
instruments
barre chord
From the French term barré. The
technique of placing the left hand index finger
over two to six strings in the fingering of a
chord. The great advantage of using barre chords
is that they are "moveable shapes" that
can be applied at practically any fret.
bending
The act of pushing or pulling a string
sideways across the a fret to raise the pitch of
a note by a half to full tone or more. Used
extensively in rock and blues playing as well as
in jazz.
Bridge
Section for fixing and supporting
the strings on an acoustic guitar. The method of
supporting the strings on an electric or acoustic
guitar.
capo
A mechanical barre that attaches to the
neck of a guitar by means of a string, spring,
elastic or nylon band, or a lever and thumbscrew
arrangement. The capo can be used to raise the
key of a song to suit a vocalist as well as to
lower the action and shorten the string length.
chord
Three or more notes sounded
simultaneously.
chorus (of a tune)
Strictly speaking, the portion of a song
lyric or melody that is repeated, often with
other voices joining in. In jazz improvisation,
however, "playing a chorus" would mean
taking a turn improvising over the tune's chords
progression.
closed voicing
The term "voicing" refers to
the vertical arrangement of the notes of a given
chord. "Closed voicing" places the
member notes as close together as possible, no
matter the inversion as opposed to "open
voicing" which spreads the member notes of
the chord at larger intervals.
cutaway
A concave area generally in the upper
right bout of a normal right-hand guitar that
allows the player easier access to the high
frets.
dobro
A type of resonator guitar.
dreadnought
A large acoustic steel-string guitar
dropped-D tuning
The practice of lowering the sixth string
(E) by a whole tone, one octave lower than the
fourth string.
finger picks
Banjo-style picks that fingerstyle
guitarists use when playing steel-string
instruments.
fingerstyle
Playing with the fingernails or
fingertips with or without fingerpicks as opposed
to playing with a flatpick.
flatpick
A triangular or teardrop-shaped piece of
nylon or plastic used to pluck or strum guitar
strings. Flatpicks are available in a large
variety of shapes, sizes, and thickness.
footstool
A small adjustable stool used to raise
the height of the guitar.
fret
Metal strips placed across the
fingerboard to determine semitonal spacing
hammer-on
A note sounded literally by
"hammering" down with a left hand
finger, often performed in conjunction with a
note first plucked by the right hand on the same
string.
harmonics
Chime-like sounds achieved in two ways:
1) natural harmonics - by touching a string at
any equidistant division of the string length
(typically 5th, 7th, and 12th fret), directly
above the fret with left hand, and striking hard
with the right-hand fingers or pick near the
bridge where there is more string resistance; or
2) artificial harmonics - touching a string with
the index finger of the right hand twelve frets
higher than any fretted note and plucking the
string with either the thumb or third finger of
the right hand.
headstock
Section for mounting the machine
heads or pegs.
heel
A reinforced section supporting
the neck where it joins the body.
interval
The distance between two notes.
inversion
Structuring a chord with a note other
than the root as the lowest note.
lead guitar
The part played by a guitar soloist in a
rock band
luthier
A guitar maker or repair person.
machine head
Mechanical device for adjusting pitch.
modulate
To change keys within a piece of music
nut
Point at which the strings are
supported as they run from the fingerboard to the
headstock.
open voicing
A manner of chord construction in which
the member notes are broadly separated. See
closed voicing above.
pentatonic scale
A five-tone scale used often in rock.
pickguard
A plate for protecting the guitar
body from pick scratches.
picking
Plucking or producing a sound on the
guitar in general, either with the fingers or a
flatpick. Sometimes refers to playing a
single-note melody line.
pickup
A coil wound with fine wire which
converts the sound into electrical signals.
p i m a
Letters derived from the Spanish names
for the fingers of the right hand: pulgar
(thumb), indice (index), medio (middle), and
anular (ring). Used to indicate fingering.
plectrum
Another name for a flatpick.
polepiece
Individual metal poles under each
string on a pickup
positions
A reference to placement of the left hand
index finger at various frets.
pot
Potentiometer for controlling a
signal. Usually a volume or tone control.
power chord
A chord consisting of the first (root),
fifth and eighth degree (octave) of the scale.
Power chords are typically used in playing rock
music.
preamp
A signal-boosting device
pull-off
The opposite of a hammer-on. Performed by
plucking a note with a finger on a higher note
and pulling parallel to the fret to sound a lower
note on the same string.
purfling
Decorative inlays next to the
binding.
rasgueado
Method of strumming used by flamenco
guitarists.
rosette
The circular decoration around the
soundhole.
rhythm guitar
Rhythmic strumming of chord backup for a
lead player, singer, or ensemble.
saddle(s)
The point on the bridge for
supporting the strings.
setup
The adjustment of the action of a guitar
for optimal playing characteristics.
shape
The outline form of a chord on the
fingerboard.
slide
A plastic or glass tube placed over the
third or fourth finger of the left hand and used
to play "slide" or glissando effects in
rock and blues and other forms of traditional
music.
soundboard
The top or table of the guitar.
soundhole
Normally a circular section cut
out of the top to allow sound and energy to
project from the soundchamber.
standard tuning
The guitar is generally tuned EADGBE low
to high.
string winder
A swivel device with a handle with a
fixture that fits over the tuning keys.
strumming
Performed with a pick or the fingers.
Generally consists of brushing across 2-6 strings
in a rhythmic up and down fashion appropriate to
the tune being played.
tablature or tab
A system of writing music for fretted
instruments whereby a number or letter appears on
lines representing the strings, indicating the
fret to be played.
tailpiece
Metal frame or stud for holding
the strings on the body of a guitar.
transcription
To write a solo, note for note, off of a
recording.
transducer
A device for transferring energy
from one form to another. Used to describe a form
of pickup used for amplifying acoustic
instruments.
transpose
To change the key of a piece of music by
a specific interval.
tremolo
A technique performed with either a very
rapid down-up movement of the pick or a pami
plucking of the fingers.
triad
A three-note chord.
truss rod
Reinforcing metal rod for stabilizing and
adjusting the neck.
tuner
An electronic tuning device.
tuners
Machine heads.
vibrato
To vibrate by slightly altering a pitch
higher and lower.
voicing
The arrangement of the member notes of a
chord, or placement of the melody or bass line
within a harmonic progression.
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