John Sulzbach of Killingworth, CT enjoys playing guitar and singing. For novice musicians accompanying themselves, it can be challenging to remember chords, finger positions, lyrics and pitch while singing. To simplify this, musicians need to make chord changes and technique automatic. Experts recommend starting with a single down strum per chord instead of a full strum, and becoming more complex as skills improve.

1. Learning Guitar as
Accompaniment
By John Sulzbach, Killingworth CT

2. Introduction
• An arborist by profession, John Sulzbach of
Killingworth, CT, enjoys playing the guitar and singing in
his free time. John Sulzbach of Killingworth, CT, played
in bands throughout his high school and college years,
and he continues to play and sing.
While playing guitar to accompany one's own singing,
the novice musician can find himself or herself
challenged by the need to remember chords and finger
correctly while also delivering the song on pitch, with the
correct lyrics, and in the spirit of the music. To simplify
the process, the musician needs to become proficient
enough on the instrument so that chord changes and
technique become automatic.

3. Guitar as Accompaniment
• It is possible to simplify the accompaniment
pattern for the developing player. Some experts
recommend reducing the strum to a single down
strum per chord, which requires less activity and
thought than a full continuing strum. As the
musician becomes more skilled, he or she can
resume the full strum and later can introduce
some fingerstyle picking to add interest to the
accompaniment.