How to Play Guitar A Beginner’s Guide to Learning Guitar Basics

Katherine Dvoskin, Co-Founder of K&M Music School

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Author: Katherine Dvoskin | Co-Founder of K&M Music School
Published October 26th, 2024

Always dreamed of playing guitar? This guide has all the tips and tricks to go from beginner to strumming chords and wailing solos in no time.

Do you want to learn how to play the guitar? You’re in the right place! Playing guitar is a fun and rewarding hobby. In this beginner’s guide, you will learn the guitar basics. You will find out about the parts of the guitar, how to strum guitar chords, and how to play melodies. Whether you want to play acoustic songs at a campfire or electric solos, this guide will help you. It will start you on your musical journey.

Getting Started	Essential Techniques	Recommended Gear
Choose acoustic or electric guitar	Learn open chords (E minor, G major, C major, A minor)	Acoustic: Yamaha FG800, Fender FA-115, Epiphone DR-100
Understand guitar anatomy	Master strumming patterns	Electric: Squier Affinity Stratocaster, Epiphone Les Paul Special II, Ibanez GRX20
Proper tuning and playing position	Practice scales and lead techniques	Accessories: Picks, straps, tuners, capos, gig bags
Regular practice (15-30 minutes daily)	Use tablature to learn songs	Maintenance tools: Microfiber cloth, lemon oil
Set goals and track progress	Develop rhythm with a metronome	Recommended apps: Ultimate Guitar Tabs, tuner apps

Getting Started: Guitar Selection and Accessories

Before you can begin playing, you need to get your hands on an actual guitar! Here is an overview of the key equipment beginners need.

Choosing the Best Beginner Guitar

The first major decision is whether to learn on an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar.

Acoustic Guitars

Whether you want to play acoustic songs at a campfire or electric solos, this guide will help you. It will start you on your musical journey. Acoustic guitars don’t need extra equipment to amplify the sound. This makes them great for practice.

Acoustic guitars are perfect for playing with friends or busking outside. Acoustic guitars are also good for learning the basics.

Acoustic guitars have wider necks and thicker guitar strings. They also have higher action, which means the strings are higher above the frets. This can be hard for beginners. It helps strengthen their fingers, but it can also be painful. Many cheap acoustics have bad strings and tuning, which can cause buzzing sounds. I recommend the Yamaha FG800. It is affordable and good quality.

Good starter acoustic guitars:

Yamaha FG800
Fender FA-115
Epiphone DR-100

Electric Guitars

Electric guitars turn string vibrations into electrical signals using pickups. They need an amplifier to make sound. Unlike acoustic guitars, electric guitars don’t have a soundhole. Instead, they have knobs and switches to control volume and tone.

Electric guitars have thinner necks and lighter strings. This makes it easier to play intricate solos. The lower action makes it easier to play smoothly. The amp and effects, like distortion, give electric guitars their crunchy sound. Squier, Epiphone, and Ibanez all make great starter electric guitars.

Good starter electric guitars:

Squier Affinity Stratocaster
Epiphone Les Paul Special II
Ibanez GRX20

So, which guitar is better to start with? I suggest starting with an acoustic guitar to build finger strength. After that, you can switch to an electric guitar. However, starting on electricity can help you learn good habits right away. You really can’t go wrong with either choice!

Other Beginner Guitar Considerations

Budget – Set a maximum budget for your first guitar. Expect to spend $150-$400 for a decent starter instrument. Remember, amps and accessories will incur additional costs.
Body Style – Acoustics come as dreadnoughts, parlors, or orchestral models. Electrics include Stratocasters, Les Pauls, and hollow-body varieties. Each shape produces slightly different tones, so try some out!
Used Guitars – You can save money buying used. Check local music shops and Guitar Center’s used inventory online. Just inspect thoroughly for damage before purchasing.

Okay, guitar selected? Now you need some essential add-ons:

Must-Have Guitar Accessories

Guitar picks – to properly strum the strings
Straps – to stand and play guitar hands-free
Electronic tuners – to tune your guitar accurately
Capos – devices to raise the pitch and play different chord voicings
Gig bags/cases – to protect your guitar when transporting
Spare strings – because strings break and lose tone over time
Guitar stand – so you can neatly store your guitar when not playing

That covers the basics you need when starting. Let’s move on to…

Taking it from the top, the main guitar parts include:

Part	Description
Headstock	Houses tuning machines to control string tension/pitch
Tuning Machines	Turn to tighten/loosen strings and tune guitar
Nut	Plastic/bone ridge strings pass over, correctly spacing strings apart
Neck	Long, narrow part strings run down with metal frets guitars have
Fretboard	Flat surface of the neck that has fret metal strips guitars have
Frets	Metal strips along the neck that shorten string lengths to change pitch
Inlays	Dot or other position markers to help orient yourself while playing
Body	Main structure containing the bridge, pickups, and controls
Pickups	Magnetized coils that change string vibrations into electrical signals. This is how electric guitars produce sound.
Volume/Tone Knobs	Control master volume and high/low end (on electric guitars)
Soundhole	Helps project unamplified acoustic guitar sound
Bridge	Holds strings in place and sets string spacing/length
Saddle	Part of the bridge each string rests on that can be adjusted
Strings	Vibrating wires that run from headstock to bridge producing sound
Output Jack	Where guitar cable plugs in to connect to amp (on electric guitars)

Now let’s prepare to play this instrument!

Guitar Setup: Tuning and Proper Playing Position

Before we learn chords and strumming, we need to set up your guitar. Also, make sure you have the right playing position. This will help you play better and enjoy it more!

How to Tune a Guitar

Tuning a guitar means adjusting string tension so notes sound at the proper pitch. Tuning is crucial for guitar chords to ring clearly and melodies to sound correct.

Guitars usually stay in tune, but they can go out of tune over time. This happens more with changes in temperature and humidity.

Get into the habit of checking and tuning every practice session. Electric tuners instantly show what notes strings are playing:

How to Tune Guitar with Electronic Tuner:

Clip tuner onto headstock so it detects string vibrations
Play each string one at a time
Turn the tuning machine to tighten or loosen the string. Keep adjusting until the tuner shows the right pitch.

Standard guitar tuning from thickest to thinnest string is: E A D G B E

Another option is using a free guitar tuner app which listens via your phone’s mic as you strum all strings. This takes a bit more skill to isolate each string’s pitch.

Using a piano, harmonica, or even your voice to reference pitches can also work in a pinch!

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Proper Guitar Playing Position

Good guitar posture is important for comfort. It also helps you produce a better sound. Plus, it makes playing smoother and easier.

Here are key elements of the ideal guitar-playing position while seated:

Sit near the edge of a sturdy, armless chair
Keep back straight but relaxed
Place the guitar against your stomach/chest with curve curve-fitting body contour
Adjust the strap so the guitar is propped at a slight upward angle
Rest fretting hand wrist on the body to anchor and stabilize
Don’t squeeze the neck too tightly with the fret hand
Keep shoulders, elbows, and wrists relaxed
Support fret hand fingers using thumb wrapped around the neck
Let strumming hand hang loose, fluid and gravity-assisted
Plant feet firmly on the ground to ground yourself

Good posture helps spread your weight evenly. It stops you from hunching forward. This way, you can move both hands freely while playing.

Take breaks to stretch if you feel tension setting in. And use a footstool if needed so your legs form 90-degree angles.

Learning Basic Open Chords

Alright, guitar setup? Check. Now we can finally start playing actual chords!

Chords involve pressing multiple strings down in specific patterns to produce harmonious sounds. Simple open chords only use unfretted strings, so they are easier to learn initially.

The 4 open chords that every single guitar player learns first are:

E minor
G major
C major
A minor

How to Play Open Chords on Guitar:

Study chord diagrams showing exactly where to place fingers
Curve fingers slightly and lay fingertips flat against frets
Apply enough pressure to press strings firmly onto frets
Be sure ONLY strings meant for chord ring out
Adjust fingers until the chord sounds clean

Chord diagrams for E minor, G major, C major, and A minor

At first, pressing the strings and making chord shapes will feel strange. This is normal for beginners. With regular practice, your fingers will get stronger. Calluses will form, and you’ll develop muscle memory. This helps you play better over time!

Expect sore, tender fingertips for the first couple of weeks. Push through this phase by limiting practice sessions to 10-15 minutes. Soon enough, basic open chords will feel smooth, comfortable, and familiar.

Once you have these down solid, you can learn advanced chord types like barre and power chords. But mastering open chords lays a crucial foundation for rhythm and song accompaniment.

Now let’s cover…

Strumming Techniques: Rhythm Essentials

While open chords create harmony, strumming patterns add crucial rhythm and time feel. Combine chords and strumming to play actual songs!

Here are essential strumming techniques all guitarists need to know:

Down and up strokes – Alternate sweeping down and up across strings
Muting strings – Damp strings not meant to ring out
Strumming consistency – Even spaces between strokes
Strumming to a beat – Match strum patterns to song tempo and beats
Chord transitions – Switch smoothly between chord shapes

At first, it can be hard to mute unused strings, keep timing, switch chords, and stay in rhythm. However, these skills will improve quickly. Playing along with backing tracks and using guitar tabs can help!

Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + with quarter note strums landing on the bolded counts:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ↓ ↓

Many beginner songs just use eighth note-down strums on 2 and 4:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ↓ ↓

As you get better, you can add cool strum patterns to your playing. First, it’s important to keep time with quarter and eighth notes. This skill helps you play songs better. It’s a must for every guitarist!

Okay, we covered essential rhythm abilities. Now let’s segue into…

Playing Melodies and Guitar Solos

You can play simple songs using open chords and strumming patterns. However, learning lead guitar techniques lets you play solos. This adds more fun to your playing!

These skills let you play melodies, craft guitar solos, and unlock the entire neck:

Scales – Practice memorizing notes within musical key patterns
Hammer-ons/pull-offs – Quickly play notes on a single string without re-picking
Bending – Push or pull strings to temporarily raise the pitch
Sliding – Glide finger up and down frets for smooth pitch changes
Raking – Strum strings while smoothly gliding across them
Palm muting – Damp strings with picking hand for percussive effect

Learning the notes up and down the fretboard is crucial for melodic lead playing. Print a guitar neck diagram and start memorizing the note name on each string and fret.

Understand how scales, chords, and arpeggios logically map out. This music theory knowledge helps everything click together when applying lead techniques.

Let’s demonstrate these ideas by looking at…

Playing Songs Using Tablature

What actual songs should a guitar beginner start with? Here are some classic easy tunes:

“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals
“Time of Your Life” by Green Day
“Wonderwall” by Oasis
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles

The best way for beginners to learn songs is by using tablature (or guitar tabs). Tabs show you what strings and frets to play, and in what rhythm. They translate notes and chords into an easy visual diagram.

Here’s a simple 2-string tab example:

E|–0–3–5–|-0–3–5–|

B|–1–3–6–|-1–3–6–|

The top line represents the high E string, bottom line is the B string.
The numbers indicate what frets to press strings on.
Play the notes on the beats indicated by the dashed lines.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs is my favorite place to find free songs. It has many user-created tabs. You can easily learn to play your favorite songs there.

Playing along with the actual song recording helps internalize the rhythm and timing. Slow everything down first, then gradually increase speed. Nailing a favorite tune keeps you motivated!

Now that we covered core playing techniques, let’s talk about…