Lesson 1: The Basics

• Lesson 1: The Basics

  • Before we start playing, let's first go over a few of the basic terms and parts of the guitar that you will need to know in order to proceed:

• Strings

  A normal guitar has six strings, each of which has a different size and note value. In standard tuning, the bottom string (also the skinniest and highest sounding) is an E note. This is also known as the 1st string. The 2nd string up (a little bit thicker and lower sounding) is a B note. The 3rd string up is a G note, 4th is a D, 5th is an A, and the 6th string (thickest, lowest sounding, and closest to your body) is also an E note. When in tune, playing the 1st and the 6th strings open should produce the same note, albeit at different pitches. Mnemonic devices can help you remember the order of the strings: For example, from top to bottom: Eat All Day Get Big Easy. Or come up with your own.

• Frets

  • While the strings divide the guitar from left to right (as in the diagram), frets are small metal strips that divide the guitar into sections from top to bottom. If you look at your guitar from above, you can begin to see that the strings and frets together form a kind of grid that covers the entire neck of the guitar. Placing your finger on a string in between two of the frets is what enables you to play a note. The higher up you get on the frets, the higher the notes sound. In general, each fret is a half-step higher than the previous fret.
  • TIP: Since you don't actually put your finger directly on each fret, guitarists usually describe frets as the space on the neck between each metal strip. So, the 2nd fret would refer to the second gap between frets that is found on the neck, rather than the second actual metal piece.

• Other Important Guitar Terms

  • Headstock: The top-most part of the guitar on which the tuning pegs are located.
  • Nut: The small piece of material that is found where the headstock meets the neck. There are usually small grooves carved out in order to guide the guitar strings up to the tuning pegs.
  • Neck: The long, skinny part of the guitar that holds the frets and strings and where the fingers are placed in order to play individual notes or to create chords.
  • Body: The large base of the guitar (usually the most bulky part) that is attached to the neck. Acoustic guitars will usually have hollowed out bodies, with the circular "sound hole" in the middle used to project the sound of the instrument. Electric guitars use "Pick-ups" instead of sound holes in order to capture and project the sound of the strings being played.
  • Tuning Pegs (Keys): Hold the strings in place and allow the user to adjust the pitch of the string by turning the peg.
  • Bridge: Small piece of hardware used to anchor the strings at the base of the body