Understanding guitar notes for beginners is a game-changer.
With this guide you'll learn how to play guitar inside and out by learning guitar notes on the fretboard for beginners.
Knowing guitar notes on the fretboard will help you play more smoothly, understand chords better, and even create your own music.
This guide is here to break down the essentials, starting with what the guitar notes are and why they matter.
You’ll learn about the musical alphabet (don’t worry, it’s way shorter than the one you learned in school!) and how notes work on the fretboard.
Plus, we’ll give you tips for navigating the fretboard like a pro.
Then we’ll jump into chords — from power chords to open chords — and how they create harmony and rhythm.
You'll even find some great beginner songs to practice and tips on playing these chords smoothly.
We'll also give you a free dead-simple 10-minute daily guitar practice routine proven to help you quickly build your skills.
Ready to dive deeper into the world of guitar notes for beginners?
Let’s get started!
Quick Things To Know
What are the 5 basic guitar chords?
The 5 basic guitar chords are C major, A major, G major, E major, and D major. These are often referred to as the "CAGED" chords and are some of the first shapes beginners learn because they are easy to play and form the foundation for many songs.
What are the basic chords on guitar?
The basic chords on guitar include open chords like C, A, G, E, D, and their minor versions (Am, Em, Dm). These chords are played using open strings and are great for beginners because they are simple to form and play.
What are the correct chords for guitar?
The "correct" chords for guitar depend on the song or music style you’re playing, but for beginners, it's best to start with the open major and minor chords like C, G, D, E, A, Am, Em, and Dm. These chords are essential for playing a wide variety of songs.
What are the six chords on a guitar?
If you're looking for a set of six chords to get started, the major chords C, G, D, E, A, and the minor chord Em make a great starting point. They are easy to play and cover a lot of ground for most beginner songs.
The Building Blocks of Music
Guitar notes are like the "letters" of music, forming the foundation for melodies, chords, and everything you hear or play on the guitar.
Think of them as the ABCs of music — once you learn them, you can build words (chords) and even whole sentences (songs!).
For beginners, understanding guitar notes is key to improving your playing, helping you pick up new songs faster, develop better technique, and even communicate easily with other musicians.
So if you're just getting started, knowing your guitar notes will make learning much smoother.
Musical Alphabet
The musical alphabet only has seven letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
Pretty easy, right?
But between some of these notes, you’ll find sharps (#) and flats (b), which are like the in-betweens or half-steps.
For example, between A and B, there's an A# (A sharp) or Bb (B flat).
But there’s a special rule: there are no sharps or flats between B-C and E-F.
Knowing this will help you find notes on the fretboard quickly and understand how notes flow together as you play.
Navigating the Fretboard
The fretboard can look overwhelming at first, but learning the names of the guitar strings is a good place to start.
In standard tuning, from thickest to thinnest, the guitar string names are E, A, D, G, B, and E (yes, there’s a high E and low E string).
Each string is like a path to different notes.
As you press down on frets, you’re moving up the musical alphabet as you make your way up the fretboard.
Fret markers, those little dots on the neck of your guitar, can help you find your way around by showing key fret positions.
These are typically at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets.
It’s helpful to start memorizing notes on just the E and A strings at first since they’re great reference points to find any note on the fretboard.
The low E and A strings are how you build your barre chords and power chords.
Don't worry, we'll get to that.
Fretboard Guitar Notes for Beginners
Learning the guitar fretboard notes can seem like a huge challenge for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be!
With a few simple tricks and regular practice, you'll be navigating the fretboard with confidence in no time.
Here’s how you can make the process easier.
Open Strings
First, start with the open strings.
Remember the notes of the strings from lowest to highest: E, A, D, G, B, E.
You can use a mnemonic like “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie” to help memorize this.
Once you've got the open strings down, you’re ready to move on to the notes on the fretboard.
A great way to break down the fretboard is to learn the notes on the low E and A strings first.
These are the foundations for many chords and scales, so mastering these strings early on will be very helpful.
Pro Tip: The note pattern repeats at the 12th fret.
For example; the open low E string is the note E, first fret is F, 2nd fret is F#, third fret is G, etc.
At the 12th fret the pattern starts over; E, F, F#, G, etc.
Natural Notes
Next, focus on memorizing the natural notes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) on these strings first.
Don't focus on sharps (#) or flats (b) to start.
For instance, on the low E string, the frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10 are E, F, G, A, B, C, and D.
Reference the fretboard graphic above for where the natural notes are across all strings and frets.
Finally, use visualization and repetition.
Spend a few minutes each day saying the note names as you play them.
Use apps, flashcards, or fretboard diagrams to test yourself.
And remember, learning the fretboard is a gradual process—take it one string and one note at a time.
Soon you’ll find it much easier to navigate.
Power Chords to Open Chords
In learning guitar notes as a beginner, it can be tempting to try memorizing every single note on the fretboard.
But that’s a fast track to feeling overwhelmed.
A great starting point is learning some basic guitar chords first.
When you learn new chords, you'll learn the fretboard guitar notes easily hand-in-hand.
Once you're comfortable playing a few chords, you’ll start to recognize the notes within them naturally.
Work with a guitar chord chart to learn what notes make up which chords.
In playing chords and understanding what notes they are made of, you'll quickly start to understand guitar notes.
Open Chords
Open chords are the first chords most people learn how to play.
They make use of one or more open strings, hence the name open chords.
This means you don’t have to press down all the strings on the fretboard to make the chord.
These are fuller-sounding chords since open strings sound nice and big when they ring out.
Open chords are the starting point for the CAGED system guitar concept.
This technique is a bit advanced, so don't worry about it for now.
Power Chords
If you love rock or punk, you’ll be happy to know these are the go-to chords for many iconic songs.
What are power chords on guitar?
Power chords focus on just 2-3 strings and have a simple shape that’s easy to move up and down the fretboard.
They sound great on electric guitars and give you that edgy, powerful sound.
Power chords are perfect for beginners because they’re straightforward and easy to play.
These chords are a great first step in learning your guitar notes.
Barre Chords
Barre chords require you to "barre" or press down multiple strings across the fretboard with one finger, making them a bit trickier.
But once you get comfortable with them, barre chords open up a whole world of possibilities since you can move the same shape up and down the fretboard to create new chords.
Getting your chords to sound clear and smooth can be challenging at first, but a few tricks will make a big difference:
Proper Thumb Placement - Place your thumb on the back of the guitar neck, roughly in line with your index finger. Keep it parallel to the neck to provide stability and leverage. This helps you apply the right pressure across all strings without straining your hand.
Index Finger Angle and Pressure - Your index finger should lie flat across all six strings, but slightly tilt it so the bony side of the finger is pressing down. This makes it easier to press down the strings firmly. Start by focusing on getting the top two or three strings to sound clear before attempting all six.
Apply Pressure Gradually - Don’t try to press down all strings with full force immediately. Place your index finger first, then add the other fingers to the chord shape. Apply pressure gradually to see which strings are buzzing or muted, and adjust your finger positions and pressure as needed.
Finger and Wrist Position - Keep your wrist slightly bent and your fingers curled. This helps in keeping your knuckles over the fretboard and allows you to press down with the pads of your fingers more efficiently. Avoid letting your wrist collapse toward the back of the neck, as this will reduce pressure and control.
A great practice exercise is to play each note of a chord individually to identify any muffled sounds and adjust your fingers as needed.
Barre chords are going to test your strength and help build calluses on your fingertips.
Don't hurt yourself!
But working through this phase will put you ahead of most other beginner guitarists.
Applying Guitar Notes and Chords to Music
Now that you’ve learned some guitar notes for beginners, it’s time to apply them to actual music — the fun part!
Start by learning and working on 3 chord songs.
It's best to keep things simple in the beginning.
This way you can learn the song quickly while also taking your time with new techniques like finger placement and smooth transitions.
Here are a few songs to get you started:
"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Chandelier" by SIA
"Let It Be" by The Beatles
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones
To learn these songs, chord diagrams and tabs for guitar are super helpful.
Guitar chord diagrams show where to place your fingers on the fretboard, while tabs give you a string-by-string guide to play the exact notes of a song.
Take your time to understand how to read these — it makes learning much easier and more enjoyable.
Power Chords and Barre Chords in Action
When it comes to learning guitar notes for beginners, power chords and barre chords are your secret weapon.
They’re simple to play, you can slide them up and down the fretboard without changing shape, and power chords only use two or three strings.
This makes them perfect for those who want to get started playing songs quickly, especially in rock and punk music.
Here are some beginner-friendly songs to practice power chords:
"Wild Thing" by The Troggs
"Highway To Hell" by AC/DC
"Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple
"Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix
Power chords give you that heavy, full sound while keeping things simple, which is why they’re perfect for those just starting out.
Barre chords give you the full harmonic spectrum and chord harmony so you can hear exactly what a chord is made of.
If you’re ready to rock out to some of your favorite songs while practicing your guitar notes for beginners, these songs are a great way to build your confidence.
Practice Strategies
When it comes to learning guitar notes for beginners, you don’t need hours of practice to make progress.
In fact, if you practice playing guitar just 10 minutes a day you can make a huge difference!
Consistent, short bursts of practice build skills over time, and you’ll find that daily practice is way more effective than a once-a-week marathon session.
Start by practicing chords and notes separately — for example, spend 5 minutes strumming your chords cleanly, then 5 minutes finding and playing individual notes.
Once you feel more comfortable, integrate both into playing simple songs. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you improve when you build these daily habits.
Be sure to grab a FREE Ultimate Beginner Guitar Guide which includes a comprehensive guitar chord chart, top mistakes all beginners should avoid, and a dead simple practice plan that will speed up your learning.
Mastering Notes Through Exercises
One of the best ways to master guitar notes for beginners is to do simple guitar exercises that help you recognize notes on the fretboard.
A great place to start is by finding all the "natural" notes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) on each string, as outlined above.
This helps you get familiar with how the notes are laid out on your guitar.
Another helpful exercise is to practice moving between specific notes like E to F or F to G, as these are common transitions.
The goal isn’t to rush — focus on accuracy first, and speed will naturally follow as your familiarity grows.
Online Guitar Lessons and the Next Steps
If you’re ready to take your guitar notes for beginners to the next level, it might be time to look into online guitar lessons.
Structured learning can be a huge help, offering practice routines, feedback, and a clear path to follow as you improve.
Plus, there's a big benefit to learning in a community, whether that's jamming with other players, joining a local guitar group, or hopping on an online forum.
Sharing your progress, asking questions, and playing with others can make learning more fun and help you stay motivated.
Learning guitar notes as a beginner can feel like a lot, but remember — everyone’s guitar journey is unique, and it’s all about consistency and enjoying the process.
Every time you pick up your guitar, you’re getting one step closer to mastering those notes, strumming those chords, and playing your favorite songs.
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good; just focus on having fun and making a little progress each day.
FAQ
What are the basic notes for guitar beginners?
The basic notes for guitar beginners are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. These are the natural notes that you'll find on your fretboard and are the building blocks for learning chords and melodies.
How can I learn guitar notes easily?
Start by memorizing the open string names (E, A, D, G, B, E) and work your way up the fretboard, focusing on one string at a time. Practicing scales and simple note exercises daily will help you get familiar with where each note is located.
What are the six notes on a guitar?
In standard tuning, the six open string notes on a guitar are E (low), A, D, G, B, and E (high). These strings are often remembered with a mnemonic like “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.”
What is the easiest song to play on guitar?
"Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" by Bob Dylan is a great beginner song with just a few simple chords — G, D, Am, and C. Its slow tempo and repetitive chord pattern make it easy to pick up quickly.
What's the first song I should learn on guitar?
"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a fun, easy song to start with because it uses just three chords (D, C, and G) and a basic strumming pattern.
How can I teach myself to play guitar?
You can start by learning a few basic chords and strumming patterns, then practice switching between chords. There are plenty of online tutorials, apps, and YouTube videos designed for guitar notes for beginners that will help guide you through your first steps.
What is the first thing to learn on the guitar?
The first thing to learn on guitar is how to hold the instrument properly and tune it. Once that’s down, start with basic open chords and simple strumming patterns to get comfortable with the feel of the strings and frets.
Is it OK to self-teach guitar?
Absolutely! Many guitarists are self-taught, and there are so many resources available to help you learn. Just make sure to practice regularly and start with the basics to build a strong foundation.
What is the simplest way to learn guitar?
The simplest way to learn guitar is to focus on playing a few basic chords and practicing switching between them. Try learning some easy songs that use these chords so you can practice in a fun, musical context right away.
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