updated 3/2/10

Guitar Basics

Amazingly all the technical stuff you need to know to get started  is on this page!

The sound of one string played alone is called a NOTE

Several strings played together are called a CHORD

(The Bad News!) There are 1,000's of chords!

(different left hand fingerings)

(The Good News!) We only need to know 3 of them!

The 3 chords we will learn Gadd5, Cadd9, D,

are the 3 most easiest to change between,

 (while still strumming the guitar.)

STRUMMING is what you do with your right hand, stroke the strings with the thumb, fingers or plectrum

This is a picture of the end of the Guitar!

the neck and the headstock.

Strings, from the left, numbers/notes are:

6/E 5/A 4/D 3/G 2/B 1/e

The big silver bit at the end/top of the neck is called The Nut,

(in this case a Roller Nut, more commonly white Plastic/Bone/Graphite)   

The little bars running across the neck are called Frets.

   The 1st fret is 1 down from the Nut  then 2nd fret etc

Left & below is what is called a Chord Box or chord Window,

really just a picture of the end of the guitar

and is used to write down chords(where to put your fingers!)

This is how we write down the chords.

numbers in circles refer to the fingers of your left hand

1 = index finger 2= middle 3= ring 4= little finger

Ask yourself:

Which finger, goes on, which string, in which fret,

How many strings do you play? ( not those with X above)

The Musical "Alphabet" consists of 12 "notes" and  you can think of each one having it's own family/group of chords.

there are names for each family member, Major/Minor/7th/add5/add9 etc

 These are the three chords I recommend to get started,

Gadd5 Cadd9 DMajor (we don't bother to say Major all the time!)

Please note: "Gadd5" is really my own invention and most people/books would call it just "G"  however I like to make the distinction of Gadd5 having the 3rd finger on the 2nd string 3rd fret which is the 5th note in the G scale. You don't need to understand this just play it, as it will make things easier for you 

The change between The Gadd5 and Cadd9 is the easiest as you only move 2 fingers .

You will often get shown G & C instead but it much easier to change between Gadd5 and Cadd9 and then D

There is also at least 2 other ways of writing down chords

1) Gadd5 = 320033 ie the frets played on the 6th-1st strings

(this way doesn't specify which finger goes where but it is a very quick and easy way)

2) Gadd5 as "Tablature"

Tablature is a way of writing down chords and solos riffs runs etc etc

It consists of 6 lines 1 for each string (top line 1st string)

 then the numbers refer to the fret on whichever string it is written

0 = Open   X = Don't play/Mute

If the numbers are written over the top each other then they are played together as in a chord,

 but if written after each other (reading left to right) they are played individually in sequence

Below is Gadd5 (The chord) and The "G" Diatonic Scale (Do Ra Mi Fa So Lah Ti Do!)

1e-------3------------------------------|

2B-------3------------------------------|

3G-------0------------------------------|

4D-------0-----------------------2-4-5--|

5A-------2-----------------2-3-5--------|

6E-------3------------3-5---------------|

Start with Gadd5, Cadd9, D,  using a DDUUD strumming

from the strumming page

Go to see a Chordsheet