Before you start each lesson or practice session you will need to tune your guitar. If your guitar is out of tune everything you play will sound incorrect even though you are holding the correct notes. For a complete description of how to tune your guitar, see Appendix One - Tuning.
The electric guitar was invented by Adolf Rickenbacker in the 1930s. Rickenbacker guitars are now commonly used in Rock and Pop music. The Rickenbacker 12 string was made famous by George Harrison of the Beatles. It is also used by Roger McGuinn of the Byrds and by Tom Petty. 12 string guitars contain six courses of two strings side by side, with the two strings tuned an octave apart. The 12 string has a singing quality and is great for both chords and picking melodies.