Embarking on your guitar journey is an exciting adventure! It’s natural to be eager to jump straight into playing your favorite songs. However, understanding the guitar basics is crucial for building a solid foundation and progressing smoothly. Many beginners, in their enthusiasm, unfortunately skip these essential fundamentals, which can create challenges later on. Think of it like building a house – you need strong foundations before you can construct the walls! In this guide, we’ll cover the core guitar basics that I introduce in every first guitar lesson: the parts of the guitar, open string names, basic fretting technique, and basic strumming techniques. Mastering these from the start will set you up for success on your guitar playing path.
A common issue I encounter with students, even those who have been playing for a while, is a lack of knowledge about the open string names. This gap in basic knowledge makes explaining more advanced concepts significantly harder and more time-consuming. To make memorizing these fundamental names easier, I use a simple mnemonic. It might sound a bit silly, but it’s incredibly effective: Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears. “E” for Elephants represents the thickest, lowest-sounding E string, and “E” for Ears is the thinnest, highest-sounding E string. Repeating this rhyme and practicing identifying the strings out of order will solidify your understanding. Knowing your open string names allows instructors (or online guides) to communicate effectively. For instance, instead of vaguely pointing, I can say, “Place your second finger on the second fret of the D string,” and you’ll instantly know exactly where to go without hesitation.
Another frequently overlooked aspect of guitar basics is proper fretting technique. Surprisingly, many beginners, and even some experienced players, are unsure where to position their fingers on the fretboard. A common misconception is that fingers should be placed in the middle of the fret space. Some misguided advice even reinforces this incorrect notion. Let’s clarify this right now: this is incorrect. When fretting a note, your finger should almost always (around 99% of the time – we’ll address exceptions later) be positioned just behind the fret. Not directly on top of the fret, and certainly not in the middle of the fret space, but just behind it. This correct placement is crucial for producing the clearest sound with minimal effort. It allows the note to ring out cleanly and sustain properly.
Once you’re starting to get comfortable fretting notes – I usually begin with the first fret of the low E string – it’s a perfect time to introduce basic right-hand strumming or picking techniques. If a student is new to guitar picks and doesn’t have one, I usually start with thumb picking. Simply plucking the low E string with a downward motion of the thumb is a great starting point. If the student is a little more familiar with using a pick, I’ll guide them on how to strike the string with a downward motion using the plectrum. How you hold the pick is also a key part of guitar basics. You shouldn’t have too much of the pick sticking out, as this can feel awkward and hinder control. Similarly, holding the pick in a way that doesn’t strain your wrist is important for comfortable and efficient playing.
Simple Guitar Riffs for Beginners
After mastering these guitar basics, it’s time to make things more fun by learning some simple, recognizable tunes! A classic starting riff is “Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple. I often demonstrate this initially on the low E string, as we usually start our fretting technique practice there. However, to play it in the original key, it’s actually played on the D string. From the very beginning, I strongly encourage, and sometimes even insist, that students use different fingers in their fretting hand. A common bad habit that makes any guitar teacher cringe is seeing a student try to play everything with just one finger (usually the index or middle finger, as these are naturally stronger). For “Smoke On The Water,” for example, you should use:
- 1st finger on the 3rd fret
- 3rd finger on the 5th fret
- 4th finger on the 6th fret
Using the correct fingering keeps your hand in an efficient position on the guitar neck, minimizing unnecessary hand movements.
Other excellent simple riffs for beginners include “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream and “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. These riffs are not only easy to learn but also instantly recognizable and motivating to play.
Introduction to Open Chords
Once a student is comfortable playing single-note riffs, it’s a natural progression to move onto simple open chords. Open chords get their name because they incorporate open strings (played without fretting any notes near the nut/headstock – remember your guitar parts!). Knowing a core set of open chords unlocks a vast repertoire of songs. In fact, with just a handful of open chords, you can play approximately 90% of popular music.
When teaching chords, I like to have a specific song in mind as a goal. Let’s take “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King as an example. For this song, I introduce the chords G, E minor, C, and D (typically played with a capo on the 2nd fret to match the original key). I teach these chords by showing students how to position their fingers and also by explaining how to read chord diagrams. Understanding chord diagrams is essential, as they serve as a visual reference when practicing at home and learning new songs. After learning the basic chord shapes, we practice strumming. Initially, I focus on one strum per bar to allow the student to concentrate on smooth chord changes in the fretting hand. Gradually, we introduce more complex strumming patterns, incorporating downstrokes and upstrokes to add rhythm and groove to the chords.
It’s worth noting that the “finger just behind the fret” rule sometimes needs to be slightly adapted for chords. For example, in an A major chord, the close spacing of the frets means there isn’t enough room to position all three fingers perfectly behind the 2nd fret. In this case, the finger on the D string will likely end up slightly on top of or even slightly ahead of the fret. This is unavoidable in some chord shapes, highlighting the importance of developing strong fretting technique to maintain a clear sound even in these situations.
Power Chords: Rock Guitar Basics
After gaining some experience with single-note riffs and open chords, the next exciting step is learning power chords! Power chords are fundamental to many music genres, particularly rock and its related styles. I usually begin by teaching the power chord shape on the 5th fret of the low E string. The lower frets can be a bit too spread out for beginners to start with comfortably. Once the basic shape is mastered, we practice moving it to different frets and also playing it off of the A string. To put power chords into context, we explore songs that utilize them. A great starting point is the chorus of “Sunshine of Your Love,” especially if the student has already learned the main verse riff.
However, the quintessential power chord anthem has to be “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. This song features an absolutely iconic and instantly recognizable intro. Often, when I ask a student, “Have you heard Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana?” they might respond with a hesitant, “Uuh, I’m not sure, maybe…” But as soon as I play the intro riff, they immediately exclaim, “Yes! YES! I know that song!” This riff is fantastic for learning power chords because it switches between power chords played off of the low E and A strings, involves quick position shifts along the neck, and incorporates a specific strumming pattern with upstrokes. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is an excellent song to learn in its entirety, including the guitar solo, which even introduces the technique of string bending! But for now, let’s keep our focus firmly on mastering power chords as part of your guitar basics journey.
