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Acoustic and Electric Guitar Terminology

Learning guitar is exciting, but all of the new words and gear can be a lot to take in. Whether you’re playing an acoustic guitar by the campfire or plugging into an amp to rock out, it helps to understand the terms related to your craft. Once you have a good grasp of the vocabulary of the guitar, you can focus more on playing and less on getting lost in the jargon.

Action: The height of the strings above the fretboard. Lower action makes the guitar easier to play, but if the string are too low, it can cause buzzing.

Alternate Picking: A picking technique where you move the pick up and down in a steady rhythm. It’s good for fast playing.

Amplifier (Amp): A device that makes the sound of an electric guitar louder. Amps also shape the tone through different settings and effects.

Arpeggio: A chord played one note at a time instead of strummed all at once

guitar-bridge

Barre Chord: A chord made by pressing one finger across multiple strings

Body: The main part of the guitar

Bridge: The part on the guitar body where the strings are anchored

Bend: A technique where you push or pull a string to change the pitch while holding a note

Capo: A tool that clamps onto the neck of a guitar to make playing in different keys easier

Chorus: An effect that makes your guitar sound fuller by duplicating the sound and slightly changing the pitch and timing

guitar-chord

Chord: A group of notes played at the same time

Cutaway: An indentation in the body of a guitar that lets you reach higher frets more easily

Delay: An effect that repeats your sound after a short pause, like an echo

Distortion: A gritty, growling effect often used in rock, metal, and punk music

Dreadnought: A common acoustic guitar body shape known for its large size and powerful tone

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Drop Tuning: A type of tuning where one or more strings are tuned lower than standard

Effects Pedal: A small box connected to a guitar that changes the guitar’s sound. Popular effects include delay, reverb, overdrive, and chorus.

Electric Guitar: A guitar that uses pickups to convert string vibrations into electric signals

EQ (Equalizer): A setting or device that adjusts the bass, mid, and treble frequencies in your tone

Fingerpicking: Plucking the strings with your fingers instead of a pick

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Flatwound Strings: Strings with a smooth surface, often used in jazz for a mellow tone

Frets: Metal strips across the fretboard that are placed at specific positions, corresponding to different string lengths that produce different notes

Fretboard (Fingerboard): The front of the neck where you press the strings down

Gain: The level of signal going into the amp or effect. More gain usually means more distortion.

Gig Bag: A padded soft case for carrying and protecting a guitar

guitar-picks

Guitar Pick (Plectrum): A small piece of plastic or other material used to strum or pluck the strings

Headstock: The end of the neck that holds the tuning pegs

Humbucker: A type of pickup that cancels unwanted buzzing noise and gives a thick, warm tone

Hammer-On: A technique where you hit the fretboard with a finger to sound a note without picking again

Intonation: How in tune the notes are up and down the neck. Poor intonation can make your guitar sound out of tune even if the open strings are correct.

lead-guitar

Jam: To play music freely, often with others, without sheet music or a strict plan

Lead Guitar: The part of the band that plays melodies, solos, or high riffs, usually in contrast to rhythm guitar

Loop Pedal: A pedal that records a short part of your playing and plays it over and over so you can layer more parts on top

Mode: A type of scale with a unique pattern of notes. Modes create different moods in music.

Muting: A technique used to quiet the strings, either with the picking hand (palm muting) or the fretting hand

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Neck: The long wooden part of the guitar that holds the fretboard and connects the body and headstock

Nut: A small piece at the top of the neck that guides the strings and keeps them spaced evenly

Overdrive: A warm, crunchy effect often used in blues and rock that’s similar to distortion but less aggressive

Palm Muting: A technique where you rest your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge to create a muted, chunky sound

Pedalboard: A flat board used to organize and power multiple effects pedals

guitar-amp

Pickups: Magnetic parts on electric guitars that sense string vibrations and send them to the amp

Power Chord: A two-note chord often used in rock. It’s simple and sounds powerful with distortion.

Pull-Off: A technique where you pull your finger off the string to let another note ring out without picking again

Riff: A catchy musical phrase, often repeated

Rhythm Guitar: The part of the band that plays the chords and keeps the beat steady, supporting the lead guitar

guitar-slide

Scale: A series of notes that follow a certain pattern

Slide: A technique or a glass/metal tool used to glide smoothly between notes

Strumming: Sweeping your hand across the strings to play a chord

String Gauge: The thickness of a string. Heavier strings sound fuller; lighter strings are easier to bend.

Tone: The quality or character of the sound

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Tone Knob: A control that adjusts how bright or dark your sound is

Tremolo Arm (Whammy Bar): A lever that changes string tension, letting you raise or lower the pitch while playing

Tuning Pegs (Tuners): The knobs you turn to tune each string up or down

Vibrato: A slight and fast change in pitch that makes a note sound more expressive

Volume Knob: A control that adjusts how loud your signal is, usually found on guitars and amps

Wah Pedal: An effect pedal that changes the tone of your guitar in a way that sounds like a human voice saying “wah”

Winding: The way a string is wrapped

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