The guitar and its family
Guitar · Getting started · Level 1 · 8 min
The guitar is an instrument with six plucked strings. You shorten the vibrating length of a string by pressing it behind metal bars called frets. Each fret raises the note by one semitone: that is the principle behind this whole course.
The three main families
| Guitar | Strings | Neck | Typical repertoire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | Nylon, soft and gentle on the fingers | Wide and flat (≈ 52 mm at the nut) | Sor, Tárrega, Bach, bossa nova, flamenco (flamenco guitar) |
| Folk (acoustic) | Steel, bright and loud | Narrower, slightly rounded | Songs, folk, pop, fingerpicking, acoustic blues |
| Electric | Thin steel, low tension | Narrow, easy access to high frets | Rock, blues, jazz, funk, metal |
For beginners the classical guitar is the kindest to the fingertips; the folk guitar suits you if you want to accompany songs; the electric needs an amplifier but its light strings are easy to press. Everything in this course applies to all three.
Anatomy
- The headstock holds the tuning machines (tuning pegs).
- The nut separates the headstock from the neck: it is “fret 0” for open strings.
- The neck and its fingerboard, divided into frets. Position markers (dots) sit at frets 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12.
- The body, with the sound hole and the bridge where the strings are anchored.
Numbering strings and fingers
Strings are numbered from high to low: string 1 (high E, the thinnest) is nearest the floor when you hold the guitar, string 6 (low E, the thickest) nearest your face. Standard tuning, from 6th to 1st: E A D G B E.
Left hand (fretting hand): 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = little finger; the thumb stays behind the neck. Right hand (plucking hand): we use the Spanish initials p (pulgar, thumb), i (índice, index), m (medio, middle), a (anular, ring).
M:4/4 L:1/4 Q:1/4=60 K:C clef=treble-8 "^6"E,4 | "^5"A,4 | "^4"D4 | "^3"G4 | "^2"B4 | "^1"e4 |]
In guitar music the treble clef carries a small 8: the guitar sounds one octave lower than written. The tablature under the staff shows the string and fret directly.