Beginner · Getting Started with the Guitar

Welcome! This first lesson covers everything you need before playing your first song.

▸ PARTS OF THE GUITAR • Headstock & tuning pegs — adjust string pitch • Nut, neck & frets — where you press the strings • Body & soundhole (acoustic) — where the sound comes from • 6 strings, thickest to thinnest: E A D G B e

▸ TUNING (STANDARD) From the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st): E – A – D – G – B – E. Use a clip-on tuner or a phone app. Tune a little flat, then up to pitch.

▸ HOLDING THE GUITAR • Sit upright, guitar on your strong-side leg • Fretting-hand thumb behind the neck, fingers curved • Press strings just behind the fret, not on top of it

▸ FINGER NUMBERS 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky. Chord charts use these numbers.

▸ PRACTICE TIPS • 15 focused minutes daily beats 2 hours once a week • Go slow and clean before going fast • Sore fingertips are normal — calluses build in 1–2 weeks

Next: learn how to read chord charts.