It is essential to learn rock guitar solos on an electric guitar, barring a few songs that may have been written to be performed on an acoustic guitar. The feel & playing discipline on an electric guitar is different from that of an acoustic guitar. On an electric guitar, whatever you play gets amplified. If you happen to touch unwanted open strings that would also get amplified. Hence it is essential to learn on an electric guitar, if you choose to play rock style of genres.

Yes, besides the electric guitar, the student would need to have: Guitar Amplifier & Speaker (or a Combo Cube), Effects Processor/Analog Pedals, Guitar Tuner, Guitar Capo, Guitar Pick; and Guitar Strap.

No pain, no gain! Initially, the student is likely to experience some pain on the fingertips/joints. It is recommended that the student takes a break from guitar practice, if he/she is experiencing continuous pain. However, once the pain threshold is overcome, the pressure you apply on pressing/bending/picking the strings kind of gets converted into muscle memory and there’s no more pain!

Plan / schedule your practice routine diligently. Avoid practicing the easy exercises which are in your comfort zone – you need to practice the hard ones, where you face difficulties. Keep practicing varied exercises/songs/solos, which will break the likelihood of monotony setting in. More detailed inputs are available later in this document under the topic.

It is important to maintain a good sitting posture while practicing, which will enable the student to play the guitar equally effectively even while standing up. It is essential to use a guitar strap while practicing the guitar in a sitting posture – the length of the guitar strap, the resting of the guitar & the angle of your hands play a key role. If the sitting posture discipline is maintained accurately, the student should have no trouble in switching to a standing position & playing with equal ease.

Guitar Tablature is a great tool to learn & also transcribe guitar notes in a simple & effective manner that visually guides the guitar player. Tablature is an easy tool for musicians, who are not familiar with the standard music notation system – in the tablature system, the 6 strings of the guitar are visually depicted through horizontal lines & the fret numbers are written numerically on top of the respective strings. Guitar Tablatures are also used alongside the standard music notation system, which is a boon for guitarists seeking to learn songs – because the tablature visually indicates the fret-board navigation & the standard music notation instructs the time duration of each note. Digital Guitar Tablature apps are also available on the internet, which include playback options.

A Chord Window Chart is an illustration that visually guides the guitar player on how chords are to be voiced. In the chord window chart, the 6 strings of the guitar are shown as vertical lines and the frets are depicted horizontally, while the notes to be fretted are written on the vertical lines at the appropriate fret locations.

A Chord Progression is a set of chords that repeat itself in a particular sequence as written by the composer. Depending on the genre of music the progression & choice of chords could vary musically. In the context of a Jazz piece, the chord progressions follow a particular concept; while in a Blues style, you could perform the full length of a song with just 3 chords, played usually within a progression of 12 bars.

(A) Depending on the guitar solo, the student chooses to learn, the appropriate guitar would be required to be used. In general, 3 types of guitars of required, viz., 1. Regular guitar (with a Hard Tail bridge), in which guitar there is no whammy bar (Tremolo arm) 2. Guitar fitted with a single-direction tremolo arm (whammy bar), where the whammy bar can be depressed to reduce the pitch down 3. Guitar fitted with a floating whammy bar (required very rarely), where the whammy can be depressed or pulled upwards to reduce the pitch down or increase it up (B) As regards the guitar effects pedals/gadgets, the basic effects that would be required are • Overdrive or Distortion • Octaver / Harmoniser • Delay • Compressor • Wah • Optional: Chorus, Noise Gate, Chromatic Tuner If the student is using a new-age guitar multi-effects processor, all of the above required effects would be built in as part of the bank of patches. (C) Obviously, the student would need to possess a guitar amplifier & speaker or a combo guitar cube with a decent output wattage that would relay the guitar signal in a clear & undistorted manner (D) Accessories required: • Guitar Pick (Plectrum) of medium gauge • Guitar Strings of light gauge (.009’s) • Guitar Tuner (clip-on) or the built-in one on your guitar effects processor • Guitar Capo • Guitar Strap (the one with adjustable length)

In order to play effectively, a student is required to practice at least 60 minutes in a day, which could be split into not more than 2 slots of 30 minutes each. The importance of practice plays a huge role while playing/performing – the more time one spends with the instrument, the more dexterity he/she can develop. Given below are some very valuable pointers with regard to practice routine, which are excerpts from an interview with a progressive-rock guitarist: 01. Have a goal. Say to yourself, “During this hour I’m going to master this passage.” There’s nothing wrong with noodling—it can actually produce some of the best ideas—but you’ll get a lot more out of your practice time if you have an agenda. 02. Vary your practicing. Don’t get stuck in a rut. If you started yesterday’s practice playing arpeggios, start today’s with scales. Also, try to make a song out of what you’re practicing to help break the tedium. 03. Use a metronome. …or a drum machine or sequencer, if you have one. Whatever you use is fine; what’s important is that you learn how to play in time. 04. Go easy. It’s all about training the tiny muscles in your hands. Start slow, relax and don’t press hard. When you watch your favorite guitarists play, notice how little their hands and fingers move sometimes. The economy of motion can’t be overemphasized. 05. Record yourself. After you’ve practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you’ve recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses.

1. Tablature Score Sheets in PowerTab format 2. Music Transcription Score Sheets 3. Chord Charts 4. PDF/JPG Images 5. PowerPoint Slides 6. Video Clips (could also include slow-mo close-up clips) 7. Audio Clips (of the lesson/solo/song) 8. Guitar Backing Tracks in mp3 format 9. WhatsApp Voice Notes/Recordings 10. Other relevant reference material.

• Practice regularly – make time for practice routines & follow them religiously • Stay committed – you might face a few obstacles off & on when you begin your relationship with the guitar, however if you are committed, there’s no looking back • Avoid missing classes – stick to your class schedules • Listening to music is essential – develop a habit of listening to music on a regular basis, if you haven’t already • Care for your gear – meticulously maintain your guitar, equipment & accessories • Need the students to remember that music is an ocean, once you start the process of learning, you will continue to learn through your lifetime.

The student is required to inform the teacher about his absence from a particular session, two days prior to the class. In such a case, the teacher will reschedule the class and conduct the rescheduled class on or before the end (i.e. Saturday) of the ensuing week or such other time as may be mutually decided between the teacher and the student. In case the student misses to give two days prior notice about his absence to the teacher, then the decision to conduct another class for that student is completely based on teacher’s discretion.

In case the teacher is unavailable for the scheduled class, he/she will inform the students two days prior to the class. The teacher will conduct the rescheduled class on or before the end (i.e. Saturday) of the ensuing week or such other time as may be mutually decided between the teacher and the student.

It is important to use the ideal gauge of strings on your electric guitar, because the gauge of strings affects the sound of your guitar & the playability. It is advisable to use Light Gauge Strings of gauges .009 thru .042 since these gauges work for all type of electric guitar bridges, including the floating, 2-way whammy bar one. Mentioned gauges are best suited for rock-style of playing.