Things You'll Need:
- Any six stringed guitar (preferably acoustic)
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Step 1
First of all you need to make sure your guitar is in tune. We are going to use the standard tuning. For this you should use a guitar tuner if you have one or a piano or other instrument as reference.
Starting with the lowest note, the thickest string you should tune the strings to the following notes.
E
A
G
D
B
E -
Step 2
Learn some basic chord patterns. You can download basic chord charts from many places online (see the resource box at the end of this article).
The easiest chords to learn are the open chords which just involve you using two or three fingers on the fret board.
Amongst the easiest to start with are E minor, E major, A minor, A major, G major, D major and D minor -
Step 3
If your are right handed place your fingers as indicated by the chord charts firmly on the strings just before the fret. Try to not let the finger touch any of the other strings.
once you have the fingers in the correct position try and relax your hand as much as you can. -
Step 4
With the right hand you now can start strumming. You can use a pick or plectrum held between the thumb and index finger or you can simply strum with your thumb and fingers or just your thumb to get you started.
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Step 5
Once you have a chord sounding good then you can move onto another. Try practicing changing from one chord to another or even building up a sequence of chords.
By learning just a few basic chords you will be able to play many popular songs. You can download sheet music or get books with the basic chords, melody and lyrics for most popular songs.
