Begin by familiarizing yourself with the parts of the guitar:
String Names
The six strings of the guitar have both a letter and number name. The highest pitched string, the one nearest to the floor while playing, is the first string or high E string. The thickest string, the one nearest to your face, is the sixth string or low E string. Memorize both the letter and number names of the strings:
String Diagram | Vertical lines represent strings and horizontal lines are frets.
String names are used in this text for technical discussions. Know them by heart!
Fingers 'n Fingernails for Guitar Players | Professor Frary
Finger Names
Learn the terms and abbreviations used for fingers.
Right-Hand • P-I-M-A
The right-hand picks and strums the strings. Symbols for these fingers are based on Spanish names: thumb = p (pulgar), index = i (indice), middle = m (medio), and ring = a (anular), i.e., P-I-M-A.
Left-Hand • 1-2-3-4
The left-hand fingers are used on the fingerboard. These fingers have numerical names: open string = 0, index = 1, middle = 2, ring = 3, and little finger = 4.
If you play guitar left-handed, finger names are reversed: P-I-M-A on the left and 1-2-3-4 on the right.
Fingerings on Scores
In music scores, use of a particular finger—called a fingering—may be indicated. In this example, notes are labeled with left (blue) and right hand (red) fingerings:
Fingerings on Chord Diagrams
Chord diagrams may indicate left-hand fingerings by placing the numerical name above or below the diagram. "X" means don't play.
Fingerings are suggestions and not written in stone. However, they are a smart starting point for beginners and will help you avoid awkward fingerings.
Fingernail Care
Before playing the guitar, prepare your fingernails.
Left-Hand Fingernails
Trim left-hand fingernails short—below the fingertips. Short nails reduce buzzing and muffled tones by allowing a solid contact between finger and string.
Right-Hand Fingernails
The nails of the right-hand may be used to pluck and strum the strings. Fingernail length should be about 1/16 of an inch beyond the fingertips. Grow the thumbnail about 1/8 of an inch beyond the tip.
Use an etched glass file or a powdered gemstone finishing file to shape the nail into a half-circle or half-oval. Glass and gemstone finishing files are available at Amazon and in the beauty departments of Longs Drugs, CVS and Walgreens.
After shaping the nail, finish its edge and underside with1000 grit sandpaper or a nail buffer such as the Tropical Shine 3-Way Buffer. For the best tone, lightly sand your nails daily. Rough nails make a harsh tone and are prone to snagging.
Can't Grow Nails?
If you can’t grow adequate nails, trim the right-hand nails as short as possible and use the fingertip flesh to pluck the string. Fingertip flesh yields a beautiful timbre: softer and more mellow sounding than nails.
Tuning
Guitars need daily tuning, albeit normally small adjustments. Electronic tuners and tuning apps provide an easy tuning method by displaying pitch name and if the pitch is flat, sharp or in tune.
D'Addario NS Micro | Tuner installed on the head stock of a guitar.
We recommend a clip-on tuner such as a D'Addario NS Micro. The NS Micro is designed for head stock installation, protruding about 1/2 inch. It is inconspicuous and may be installed long-term without harm to most instruments. No need to remove it when you stow your guitar in the case.
The NS Micro senses pitch through wood vibration rather than airborne sound, yielding a significant advantage in noisy environments.
D'Addario NS Micro Tuner | Information about the NS Micro
Tuning Apps
A smartphone tuning app such as D'Addario D'Tools, available at the Apple App Store and Google Play, may be used to tune your guitar. You don't have to go to a local music store or wait weeks for a shipment from Amazon, but can be tuning your guitar within a couple minutes. D'Addario D'Tools has custom setups for different instruments but I recommend using the chromatic mode.
D'Addario D'Tools App | The screen indicates the note E (6th string) is flat (too low). To tune, tighten the tuning key so the meter centers at 0.
There are many good tuner apps—GuitarTuna comes to mind—but most of them require a subscription to disable the persistent and infuriating ads.
Seiko ST777 Tuner | Old school soap bar tuners often have extras like tone generation and cable pass-through for use with electric guitar pedal-boards.
Ready to Tune!
Before using a tuner, memorize the letter names of the strings (see "string names" above). Otherwise, the LCD readout will not make sense. Tuners don't know how your instrument should be tuned. They simply measure existing tuning. You take this information and decide how to tune it. Here's how to tune your first string:
Power on the tuner.
Gently pluck the first string (E) every couple seconds.
Observe the displayed pitch.
Is it too high or too low?
Using the tuning key, adjust pitch as appropriate.
The crucial part for beginners is step 4: accessing the metered pitch. For example, if D or D# is indicated, tune the string higher until E is displayed. If F is shown, lower the string until E is indicated. Once the correct letter name is displayed, fine tune until perfectly dialed in.
How to Tune the Guitar | Tips for tuning with an electronic tuner.
Tuning Tips
Tune with the front of the guitar facing away from your body. Thus, if a string breaks, you won't be struck in the face.
Turn the tuning key away from you to raise pitch and towards you to lower pitch.
Tune up to the desired pitch rather than down to it. This reduces slippage by allowing the gears to lock.
If you are not sure which way to adjust the string, loosen it until you are positive it is low and try again. This helps avoid string breakage and limits you to one direction of tuning—up.
Tuning is a learned skill and requires practice to perfect. If tuning isn't working for you, email for a Zoom appointment and we'll be happy to help you.
Study Questions
1. What are the names of the left-hand fingers?
2. What are the names of the guitar's strings? [answers below]
Answers
1. Beginning from the index finger, the left-hand fingers are numbered 1-2-3-4.
2. The strings of the guitar are E-A-D-G-B-E.
Need Help?
Do you need help? Don't be shy about asking questions. For guitar issues, make an office or Zoom appointment and we'll help you figure it out.
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Guitar Anatomy
String Names
Finger Names
Fingernail Care
Tuning
Tuning Apps
Answers
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