Introduction

Welcome to the FindGuitarTeachers.com Guitar Lessons collection.  This section of our site houses an array of lesson materials for anyone to browse.  We cover a large range of information, from beginner concepts to advanced techniques.

The FindGuitarTeachers.com lesson guide is meant to serve several purposes.  For someone who is thinking about starting to play guitar and/or has never taken a lesson, the tutorials can be an exciting introduction into the world of the six-string.  More experienced players can use the lessons as a refresher course, or reference guide.  Some advanced players may even find something they may not have learned before. 

Our guitar lessons provide a general guide to basic playing, and we think they are pretty solid.  However, they barely scratch the surface compared to the knowledge you will be able to receive by using a professional teacher.  We recommend using our lessons as a stepping stone into the vast domain of the guitar, not as an end-all to your education of the instrument.

Tuning Your Guitar

Now, with the introduction out of the way, let’s begin by tuning up your guitar.  The first thing you’ll need to do is tune your low E string.  The term “low” refers to the pitch of the string rather than its position on the neck of the guitar.  Therefore, the low E string (also known as the 6^th string) is the thickest and highest string on the guitar.  Since this is the first string to tune, you will have to use a guitar tuner.  (A staff-recommended digital guitar tuner can be found here: Korg CA-40 Electronic Chromatic Tuner). 

Turn on the tuner and begin to pluck the E string.  The tuner will tell you whether the pitch is flat or sharp.  Turning the tuning peg will either tighten or loosen the string, depending on which way it is turned.  The change in tension will alter the pitch of the string.  Fool around with it until your digital tuner gives you the green light.  Now that your low E string is in tune, it’s time to tune up your A string.

The A string is tuned by using the low E string as a reference.  The low E string is already in tune, so playing any note on that string will create the correct pitch.  Since the A note is on the 5^th fret of the low E string, hold down the 5^th fret on the 6^th string and pluck the A.  Continue to hold down the string and let the note ring out as long as possible.  As the A note sounds, pluck the open A string (the 5^th string).  This note, when tuned correctly, is also an A note.  Pluck the 5^th fret on the low E string again, then quickly hit the open A.  You will hear the difference in pitch between the two tones.  Now adjust the tuning peg for the 5^th string (A string) until the two notes sounds identical.  You have just tuned your A string.

The process for tuning the D string (4^th string) is the same, except now you’re using your A string as the reference string.  The D note is located on the 5^th fret of the A string.  Hold down the D note on the A string and let it ring.  Then hit the open D string directly below it.  Tune up the open D string using its tuning peg until the tone matches the D note on the A string.  Once that is done, move onto the G string (3^rd string).  The G note is the 5^th fret on the D string.  Use the same steps we’ve taken by tuning the G note on the D string to the open G string below it.  Now that your G string is in tune, let’s move onto the B string, which is a little different.

While all the other strings are tuned five frets apart from each other, the tuning between the G string and the B string is only four frets.  Therefore, the B note is located on the 4^th fret of the G string, NOT the 5^th fret.  When you have located the B note on the G string, go ahead and tune the B string by the same method as the other strings.

The high E string (1^st string) goes back to the original tuning of five frets apart.  Locate the E note on the B string (5^th fret) and tune the high E string accordingly.  Once you have gotten your high E string in tune, you can check your work by plucking the low and high E strings simultaneously.  If the tone of both strings sounds the same, then you have successfully tuned your guitar!

This process of tuning up will seem difficult at first, but don’t worry.  It will become much easier over time.  Although it’s possible to tune every string using the digital guitar tuner, it is strongly recommended that you practice learning to tune your guitar the old-fashioned way.  It will set a good precedent for your practice regimen, as well as drastically improve your ear training. 

Now that you’re all tuned up and ready to play, it’s time to move onto Lesson 2: Warm-Up Exercises.