Getting Started & Orientation — Learn Guitar

Interactive Anatomy Map

Knowing what each part is called makes every later lesson easier to follow. Tap or hover the numbers below, and switch between the three guitar types.

Which guitar should you start on? Classical nylon strings are kindest to fingertips. Acoustic steel strings sound brighter but feel harder; electric guitars have the lightest strings and easiest action but need an amp. Start with the one you actually want to play — motivation beats everything.

Tuning Guide & Pitch Reference

The six strings are tuned, thick to thin, E – A – D – G – B – E. Strings are numbered from the thinnest: string 1 is the high E, string 6 the low E. A classic mnemonic: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie".

The buttons below play each string's correct pitch and keep repeating while you tune. Tap again to stop.

Step by step

Open a tuner or tuning app (or use the reference tones above).
Pick string 6. If it sounds flat (too low), turn the peg to tighten; if sharp (too high), loosen it — slowly.
Always approach the target from below: if you overshoot, drop under and come back up. The string holds its tuning longer.
Repeat for every string, then do a second pass — tightening one string slightly flexes the neck and nudges the others.

No tuner? The 5th-fret method

If string 6 is right, compare each string with the one below. The lower string fretted as shown should sound identical to the next open string:

Fret	Compare with	Listen
String 6, fret 5 (A)	Open string 5
String 5, fret 5 (D)	Open string 4
String 4, fret 5 (G)	Open string 3
String 3, fret 4 (B)	Open string 2
String 2, fret 5 (E)	Open string 1

Watch the exception: between the G and B strings you use the 4th fret, not the 5th. If you hear a wobbling "wah-wah-wah" between the two notes they are not equal yet — adjust until the wobble slows down and disappears.

Reading Notation: TAB, Chord Boxes, Rhythm

Guitar TAB

TAB is the easiest guitar-specific notation. Six horizontal lines are the six strings — the top line is the thinnest string (high e), the bottom line the thickest (low E). Numbers tell you which fret to press; 0 means open string. Read left to right; stacked numbers are played together.

Example: the notes of a C chord one at a time (an arpeggio). Press ▶ to hear it.

e|-------------0---|
B|---------1-------|
G|-----0-----------|
D|---2-----------2-|
A|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|

Symbols you will meet: h hammer-on, p pull-off, / \ slide, b bend, ~ vibrato, x muted hit. Track 2 covers them in detail.

Chord boxes

A chord box is a picture of the fretboard held upright: vertical lines are strings (low E on the left), horizontal lines are frets, and the thick top line is the nut.

Purple dot + number: the finger pressing that fret (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky).
○ above: play the string open. ×: don't play that string.
Tap a box to hear how the chord should sound.

Rhythm (slash) notation

Song charts show how long each chord lasts with slashes. Each / is one beat and | is a bar line. In 4/4 time every bar has 4 beats:

| G | C | D | G | | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Physical Posture & Ergonomics

Good posture gives you a cleaner sound and prevents injuries. Check yourself in a mirror or film a short clip on your phone.

Area	✅ Do	❌ Avoid
Sitting	Near the front of the chair, back straight, shoulders loose. Guitar waist on your right leg (classical: left leg, raised with a footstool).	Hunching forward to look at the fretboard.
Guitar angle	Body against you, neck tilted slightly up (about 10–30°).	Letting the neck droop toward the floor — it over-bends the wrist.
Fretting thumb	Behind the neck, roughly behind your middle finger; it may peek over the top for open chords.	Squeezing the neck like a fist.
Fretting wrist	As straight as possible, elbow slightly away from your body.	A sharply bent wrist (causes pain over time).
Picking arm	Forearm rests on the upper edge of the body; the hand swings freely over the soundhole / pickups.	Driving the motion from the shoulder.
Standing	Set the strap so the guitar sits close to its seated height.	Slinging the guitar very low (it kinks the wrist).

30 seconds before every session: shrug and drop your shoulders, roll your wrists, open and close your hands. If something hurts, stop — "no pain, no gain" does not apply to guitar.