Before we do anything else, let's go ahead give the open strings a big old open strum. This is the starting point for our guitar journey, and while it may not be the prettiest sound you've ever head, it's also not terrible. And that's pretty cool, cause on many other instruments you have to study for a long time before you can even make a sound that isn't terrible. And it only goes up from here!

The first step on our guitar journey is to make sure you're comfortable when you're sitting with the guitar, so let's talk about that for a second. Your guitar should be either hanging from a strap across your shoulder or resting on your thigh. Make sure it's upright and not at an angle, even though it might be tempting at times.

If you're resting your guitar on your thigh like I am, and your guitar is sliding down, you need to get your thigh to be more horizontal by either putting your foot on something like a book or lowering your chair.

We're holding the guitar with our left hand gently supporting the neck and our right forearm resting across the body. That should feel pretty effortless and you shouldn't feel any real tension in your neck, shoulders or elbows.

Now go ahead and give the open strings another strum. Do you feel comfortable and relaxed? Try not to overthink it, but if you do have some burning questions about posture there's a comprehensive tutorial in the trouble shooting chapter. But chances are you're ready to go, so let's get started!