Introduction to Guitar
Welcome to Your Guitar Journey! 🎸
Congratulations on taking the first step toward learning guitar! Whether you dream of strumming campfire songs, shredding rock solos, or fingerpicking beautiful melodies, it all starts here.
Parts of the Guitar
Before we start playing, let's get familiar with your instrument:
Headstock
The top of the guitar where the tuning pegs are located. You'll use these to tune your strings to the correct pitch.
Neck & Fretboard
The long part of the guitar where you'll press down on strings. The metal strips across the neck are called frets - they help you play specific notes.
Body
The main part of the guitar. On acoustic guitars, this is the hollow resonating chamber. On electric guitars, this contains the pickups and electronics.
Strings
Standard guitars have 6 strings, named (from thickest to thinnest): E - A - D - G - B - E. A helpful memory trick: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie"
Types of Guitars
Acoustic Guitar
Great for beginners! The hollow body produces sound naturally without any equipment. Perfect for folk, country, and singer-songwriter styles.
Electric Guitar
Requires an amplifier to be heard properly. Used in rock, blues, jazz, and metal. Generally easier on the fingers due to lighter strings.
Classical Guitar
Features nylon strings (softer on fingers) and a wider neck. Traditional for classical and flamenco music.
What You'll Need
- A guitar - Obviously! Acoustic or electric.
- A tuner - We have one built-in! Check our Tuner Tool
- Picks - Start with medium thickness (0.73mm)
- Patience - Learning guitar takes time, but it's worth it!
Lesson Complete!
You've learned the basic parts of the guitar and what equipment you need. In the next lesson, we'll cover how to hold the guitar correctly.