A
a Abalam Abalone Accent Accidental Acoustic Acoustic guitar Acoustics Acrylic Action Active Active pickups Alder Alnico Altered view Alternate picking Amp Amp head Amplification Amplifier Amplifier stack Amp rack Anti-nodes Apoyando Archtop Arpeggiated chord Arpeggio Artificial harmonics Ash Ashtray A-string Augmented Augmented chord Axe |
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| a | A symbol used to represent the ring finger (annular finger) on the picking hand. It is part of the pima labelling system. |
| Abalam | A manufacturers term for abalone that has been cut into sheets for use as decoration |
| Abalone | A type of shellfish that have a slighlty spiralled shell lined with mother-of-pearl. When polished, the shell becomes a suitable material for decoration. Used for the fretboard inlays on guitars. |
| Accent | A symbol requesting that emphasis should be placed on a note to make it louder and more pronounced |
| Accidental | A symbol used in standard music notation to indicate a rise or fall in pitch of one semitone. The symbol can be a sharp, flat or a natural sign. Once applied, an accidental remains in effect until countered by another accidental. See also Naturalise |
| Acoustic | 1. Short for acoustic guitar |
| 2. Referring to sound or hearing | |
| Acoustic guitar |
A guitar that uses a hollow body to resonate sound instead of electrical amplification |
| Acoustics | The characteristics of an environment that effect its ability to transmit sound |
| Acrylic | A paint that is used on guitar finishes |
| Action | In the context of guitar, the action is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. However, it generally refers to the force required to produce a note on an instrument. A lower action usually makes the guitar easier play but produces less sustain. |
| Active | Refers to circuitry that alters a signal before it reaches its destination. Active elctronics can be used in pickups and preamplifiers. See also Active pickups |
| Active pickups |
Pickups that use electricity to boost the signal being sent to the amplifier. They require a battery that is located in a control cavity on back of the guitar. |
| Alder | A type of hardwood that is used in the manufacture of solid-bodied guitars. |
| Alnico | Derived from the symbols for aluminium, nickel and cobalt (Al, Ni & Co). It is a magnetic alloy containing iron, aluminium and nickel, in addition to cobalt, copper or titanium. It can be used in loudspeaker construction or in the manufacture of pickups. |
| Altered view | Looking at modes that are derived from the same scale but having each mode in the same key. It provides a good way of seeing the different interval patterns. Syn - Parallel view |
Alternate |
A strict alternation between downstrokes and upstrokes, often starting on a downstroke. Exercises - Alternate picking |
| Amp | Short for amplifier Full article on Amplifiers |
| Amp head | The amplifier base, in which controls can be set, that increases the electrical signal. It is attached to a loudspeaker cabinet to form an amplifier stack. Syn - Head |
| Amplification | Generic term for the various forms of amplifier |
| Amplifier | A device that increases the strength of the electrical signal coming from the guitars pickups. Stronger signal, louder sound. There are two main types of amplifier: the combo amp (combinations amplifier) and the amplifier stack. Full article on Amplifiers |
| Amplifier stack | A form of amplifier where the signal is amplified in an amp head and then sent through loudspeakers. The loudspeakers are kept in a separate unit called a cabinet. |
| Amp rack | A metal frame that is used to mount amplifers for use in large stage performances. |
| Anti-nodes | The places on the strings that dampen the sound when touched. As opposed to a node (where the harmonics are produced). |
| Apoyando | A technique used by classical guitarists in which a picking hand finger plucks a string and follows straight through to the adjacent string, on which, it rests. Syn - Rest stroke |
| Archtop | A guitar body that has a curved top. The term is usually used to describe acoustic or semi-acoustic guitars and distinguish them from flat top varieties. |
| Arpeggiated chord | A chord sounded by rolling the thumb/plectrum across the strings. It should not sound like a strum or single-note line, more like a cross between the two. Tabs will indicate whether it is an up or down stroke via arrows. Full article on Arpeggiated chords |
| Arpeggio | When each individual note of a chord is played separately, either in continuous succession or a more complex pattern. The word comes from the Italian language and means 'broken chord'. Full article on Arpeggio |
| Artificial harmonics | Generally refers to any harmonic that is produced whilst fretting a note. The term is sometimes used specifically for touched harmonics. See also Natural harmonic and Tapped harmonic |
| Ash | A type of hardwood that is used in the manufacture of solid-bodied guitars |
| Ashtray | A name given to a metal plate that was used to cover the bridge on vintage Fender telecaster guitars |
| A-string | The second thickest and second lowest sounding string on a guitar. Named so because it is tuned to 'A' in standard tuning. Syn - 5th string |
| Augmented | A perfect interval that has been increased by a semitone. For example, a perfect fifth is an interval of 7 semitones, therefore an augmented fifth is an interval of 8 semitones. |
| Augmented chord |
A chord consisting of a major triad with a sharpened fifth. For example, an A major triad uses the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the A major scale (A C# E), therefore an 'A augmented' chord would contain the notes A, C# and F. Chord charts - Augmented |
| Axe | A slang word for guitar |