For beginners that would like to start playing the guitar, here is a glossary of words pertaining to guitar parts that are unique to guitar players only.

Body

Also referred to as the sound box. This is the largest part of the guitar and it comes in different shapes and sizes. Acoustic guitars usually have a hollow body, while electric guitars have solid or semi-solid bodies. Acoustic guitars have hollow bodies because they rely on the body structure for sound resonation. Electric guitars use electronic pick-ups to amplify the sound.

Headstock

This is the part at the end of the guitar which holds the tuning keys. It also is connected to the neck of the guitar.

Nut

This is the piece between the guitar neck and the head. It is a small rod with indentations to hold the guitar strings in place.

Neck

This is the long section which holds the fret board.

Fret Board

This board is divided into different notes by small metal rods. The number of frets in a fret board varies depending on the type of guitar and the brand. Modern electric guitars usually have 20-22 frets in the fret board.

Bridge

It is a part of the guitar’s body and it is important in sound resonance. It gives some sort of elevation for the guitar strings so they can produce nice vibrations.

Pick-up

The pick-up is an electronic device which acts like a microphone. It picks up the vibrations from the strings and converts these vibrations into electrical impulses. They are usually found in electric guitars

Amp

The amplifier is like a speaker box where the sounds of the electric guitar come off.

Capo

This is a device which is attached to the fret board. This thing allows a player to play the same chord structures but on a different key.

Listed below are some of the different words that one might encounter in learning how to play the guitar.

Riff

Guitar riffs pertain to musical pieces which are parts of a song.

Reverb

It is added to the sound of the guitar through an effects box or through amplifiers to make the sounds a little bit more natural.

Tablature

Guitar tablatures or more commonly known as guitar tabs are written music for guitars. It is similar to musical pieces (with notes and other musical symbols) but the notes are translated into guitar frets. It’s a useful tool in learning how to play the guitar.

Vibrato

It refers to a guitar technique where the string is slightly bended in a fast rate to make a longer resonating sound.

Arpeggio

This refers to a technique where one takes out notes from a specific chord. He can then use these to make an adlib lead technique or add to the rhythm of the song.

Pick

This is the small device which guitar players use in striking the guitar strings. It is usually made of plastic.

Whammy bar

This is an attachment to the bridge of electric guitars which can be used to bend the pitch of the notes. One can pull the whammy bar to be able to make his guitar “cry.”

Plucking

It’s a picking technique where a player does not strum the strings all at one but hit the strings one by one to be able to get a softer and more defined tone.

Palm mute

This guitar technique is where a player uses his picking hand (usually the right hand) to mute the strings while strumming to be able to get a distinct tone. It is very popular in the rock music world.