In the Beginning.........

So to begin. The first thing I should explain is the way that the guitar is set out and the way this is translated in these lessons that I am going to provide you.

If you turn your guitar around so that the strings are facing you, you will see that the thickest string is to the left of you (if you play right handed), this is called the BOTTOM string. This can be a little confusing at first since, when you play the guitar, it seems like it should be the top string because it is the highest one, physically. It is called the BOTTOM string because the sound that it makes when you pluck it, is LOWER than any other string.

The string on the far right (the thinnest one) is called the TOP string. Don't worry if this is confusing to begin with. Everybody comes to terms with the idea of viewing the guitar this way round even though it seems to be the opposite at first.

OK. If you were to pluck the BOTTOM string, (you are in tune aren't you - we will cover that in our next lesson) the note that you play is called E. The next string up is called A, then D, then G, then B, then E. Yep, the top string sounds the same note as the bottom string, the difference being that one is referred to as the bottom E and the other as the top E, can you guess which is which?

E---------------------1
B---------------------2
G---------------------3
D---------------------4
A---------------------5
E---------------------6

To aid you in memorising the notes of the open strings, try making up a little mnemonic to help you.
How about... Every Alcoholic Dies Giggling But Early
Probably not, so try to make one up yourself. The funnier the better as it aids in memorizing it.

The reason I am telling you this is to, in technical speak, set out our terms of reference. If I were to say to you, "play an E Chord followed by a C Maj7," you would have no idea what I was talking about, at this stage. However if I were to say to you "play a D string and then an A string," you would now know exactly what I was talking about. Everyone has to start at the beginning when learning the guitar and that is what we are doing.