What you’ll learn
- Identify the body, neck, frets, tuning pegs and strings.
- Hold the guitar without tensing your shoulders.
- Understand string and fret numbering.
Before you practice
Strings are numbered from the thinnest to the thickest, from 1 to 6. The spaces between the metal fret wires give you reference points for chords, scales and melodies.
Press each string just behind the fret wire with your fretting hand. Your other hand controls the attack and rhythm. Aim for a clean sound with light pressure before trying to play faster.
Check your tuning and adjust your posture before practicing. An out-of-tune guitar can make a correctly fingered chord sound wrong.
Lesson exercise
- Name the six strings while looking at your instrument.
- Play each open string slowly and listen for a clean sound.
- Spend two minutes pressing lightly at different frets, one finger at a time.