GUITAR 101
by Guitarslinger124 (Jul 26, 2007)
In standard tuning, strings on the guitar, from low to high (low being the thickest string), are tuned to : E, A, D, G, B and E. an easy way to remember this is with this phrase: Every Acid Dealer Gets Busted Eventually.
The notes go in order of the alphabet- up to G and they include sharps and flats. (there is no E sharp or B sharp [technically there is, but dont worry about them at this point])
Lets start with the low E string:
Start with playing the string open ("open" means that you are fretting any notes) and go in order of the frets (1, 2, 3...)
The (low) E string:
The string open is E, (the first fret) F, (2nd fret) F# (# is the symbol for a sharped note), (3rd fret) G, (4th fret) G#, (5th fret) A, (6th fret) A#, (7th fret) B, (8th fret) C, (9th fret) C#, (10th fret) D, (11th fret) D# and (12th fret) E.
The A string:
(open) A, (1st fret) A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# and A.
The D string:
(open) D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C# and D.
The G string:
(open) G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F# and G.
The B string:
(open) B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A# and B.
The (high) E string:
(open) E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D# and E.
After the 12th fret the note patterns repeat themselves. Now you the notes on the fret board.
When moving upward on the fret board (E, F, F#, G....) you count the half step using sharps. (half steps on a guitar are the equivalent of moving one fret.) However when moving downward or backwards (G, Gb, F, E....)(b is the symbol for flat notes) you'll notice that some notes are the same. Here is a diagram to explain. (open notes are before the colon and frets are indicated by dashes.)
As you can see from the diagram, some notes share tones, such as G# and Ab or E and Fb or A# and Bb. This may seem unimportant but is a good thing to keep in mind.
The easiest and most basic finger work out there is- is simply to play chromatics. which means to play the notes in order. Start with the higher frets and work your way down to those bigger stretches:
Here's another:
play all the 1's with your index finger, all the 2's with your middle finger, all the 3's with your ring finger and all the 4's with your pinky. this exercise can be tricky so go slowly.
REMEMBER: ACCURACY IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPEED! START OUT SLOW AND THE MORE YOU PLAY, YOUR FINGERS WILL NATURALLY SPEED UP!
Rock on!
The notes go in order of the alphabet- up to G and they include sharps and flats. (there is no E sharp or B sharp [technically there is, but dont worry about them at this point])
Lets start with the low E string:
Start with playing the string open ("open" means that you are fretting any notes) and go in order of the frets (1, 2, 3...)
The (low) E string:
The string open is E, (the first fret) F, (2nd fret) F# (# is the symbol for a sharped note), (3rd fret) G, (4th fret) G#, (5th fret) A, (6th fret) A#, (7th fret) B, (8th fret) C, (9th fret) C#, (10th fret) D, (11th fret) D# and (12th fret) E.
The A string:
(open) A, (1st fret) A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# and A.
The D string:
(open) D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C# and D.
The G string:
(open) G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F# and G.
The B string:
(open) B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A# and B.
The (high) E string:
(open) E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D# and E.
After the 12th fret the note patterns repeat themselves. Now you the notes on the fret board.
When moving upward on the fret board (E, F, F#, G....) you count the half step using sharps. (half steps on a guitar are the equivalent of moving one fret.) However when moving downward or backwards (G, Gb, F, E....)(b is the symbol for flat notes) you'll notice that some notes are the same. Here is a diagram to explain. (open notes are before the colon and frets are indicated by dashes.)
E: E#/F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A - A#/Bb - B/Cb - B#/C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E/Fb
B: B#/C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E/Fb - E#/F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A - A#/Bb - B/Cb
G: G#/Ab - A - A#/Bb - B/Cb - B#/C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E/Fb - E#/F - F#/Gb - G
D: D#/Eb - E/Fb - E#/F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A - A#/Bb - B/Cb - B#/C - C#/Db - D
A: A#/Bb - B/Cb - B#/C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E/Fb - E#/F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A
E: 'same notes as the high E string'
As you can see from the diagram, some notes share tones, such as G# and Ab or E and Fb or A# and Bb. This may seem unimportant but is a good thing to keep in mind.
The easiest and most basic finger work out there is- is simply to play chromatics. which means to play the notes in order. Start with the higher frets and work your way down to those bigger stretches:
E:--------------------------------------------------------------------------12-13-14-15
B:------------------------------------------------------------12-13-14-15--------------
G:---------------------------------------------12-13-14-15-----------------------------
D:------------------------------12-13-14-15--------------------------------------------
A:---------------12-13-14-15-----------------------------------------------------------
E:-12-13-14-15--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's another:
play all the 1's with your index finger, all the 2's with your middle finger, all the 3's with your ring finger and all the 4's with your pinky. this exercise can be tricky so go slowly.
E:---------------------2-4-1-3---------------------
B:-----------------1-3---------2-4-----------------
G:-------------2-4-----------------1-3-------------
D:---------1-3-------------------------2-4---------
A:-----2-4---------------------------------1-3-----
E:-1-3-----------------------------------------2-4-
REMEMBER: ACCURACY IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPEED! START OUT SLOW AND THE MORE YOU PLAY, YOUR FINGERS WILL NATURALLY SPEED UP!
Rock on!