Anatomy of the guitar. In this lesson series “Beginner Guitar” we’ll cover all of the basics so that you can finally build up the confidence to pull out that guitar that’s been in your closet since you were 16 years old, and at very least reach “Campfire” proficiency.
Before we get into too much detail, it’s best to start by reacquainting ourselves as to what each piece of the instrument is, and does. Hence the title of this article, “Anatomy.” Also, I’ve chosen to give examples for electric guitars as they tend to have more parts, but acoustics are similar enough that you should be able to figure it out.
#1 Body: The body is one of the most important parts of the guitar,
its shape and structure helps the strings to resonate, and is the backbone of the instrument’s tone.
#2 Neck: The neck is the workhorse of the guitar, it’s where all the action is, and its size and shape can are key factors effecting both comfort and speed.
#3 Pickup: Magnetically detects string motion and converts to audio signal. Most guitars have 2 or 3.
#4 Bridge: Where string height and length is adjusted.
#5 Tailpiece: Where ends of strings are secured.
#6 Pick Guard: Protects guitar from pick.
#7 Pickup Selector: Controls sounding pickup (neck or bridge side)
#8 Volume Knob: Self-explanatory. Usually one knob for all pickups
#9 Tone Knob: Controls tone: bright or dark. Most numerous knobs.#10 Headstock: It is what it is!
#11 Tuning Pegs: Where strings are fastened to headstock, and guitar is tuned.
#12 Amplifier.
#13 Chord: Connects guitar to amp.
#14 Strap: Self-explanatory.
#15 Tuner: 3rd Party device useful for tuning the instrument.
Additional Parts:
Frets: The metal wires on the neck.
Now that we know what everything is, let’s put this knowledge to use!
Beginner Guitar pt 2: Thinking Like A Guitarist
Beginner Guitar pt 4: Chord Diagrams
Beginner Guitar pt 5: Reading Tab (still to come)
more articles by Tyler Oakleaf
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- Like our lessons? Take a poster!
- The Big Picture
- Chord Soloing & Chordal Embelishment 1
- Good Things…
- “Making It” In Music
- Practice Progression
