Strings? Tuning? Whaaaaa?!

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Hi guys,
Foetus here *laughs* I just got done with the 3rd lesson; Tuning. Aaaaand I’m completely lost. Is there any resources you could possibly recommend to me so I can learn which string is which, which way the frets are numbered, and the easiest ways to memorise these essentials?
I have literally just picked up the guitar for the first time today. A black and white Fender Squire Bullet Strat, all tuning pegs on the same side, looks like maybe three pickups? I have no idea what the brand or model mean, or if they are even half decent, it was I guess you could say, bequeathed to me by a friend who left the country.
Any help on pointing me in the right direction to get me started would be very much appreciated
Cheers,
Kye

 

[idssdi]

Squier is basically a babybrand of Fender. As to knowing which string is which I don’t really know how i started remembering that. For knowing the whole fretboad I would say start with playing the 5th fret on the e, a, D and b string that will give you the note of the open string that comes after it. on the g string this is the 4th fret. basically 5th fret on the e string is an A etc.
hope this helps a bit

 

[Filip Tomiša]

This is how I learned the name of the strings and fret numbers:
There are 6 strings and starting from the 6th string ( the thickest one) and going all the way down to the first one ( thinnest string). Name of the strings are E A D G B e, but how to easily memorise that is just saying this sentence: Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears.
As for the fret numbers what I did was get little white stickers on which you could write on and I wrote numbers on each sticker, I cut them into little squares and glued them on top of my neck where each fret is located (above my fist fret I glued a sticker with number 1, above the second I glued the sticker with number 2 and so on…). That really helped and after quite a while the glue wore off and stickers one by one started coming off so I had to memorise what fret number that was on the fret that didn’t have a sticker anymore. Eventually all of them came off and I memorised the whole fretoard number.
Hope that helps you!

 

[Filip Tomiša]

and you can also download GuitarTuna app for tuning, it’s really great

 

[Josh Wright]

Eat All Day Get Big Easy, or Earl Ate Dynamite Good Bye Earl

 

[Adin Shepherd]

As already mentioned standard tuning is EADGBe working toward the floor from the thickest string to the thinnest.
Frets work their way up from 1 as you move toward the guitar body, you will also find fret markers (those little dots) at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st and 24th frets. The 12th and 24th fret markers have 2 dots, these positions are also octaves of the open strings, meaning that the fretted notes repeat the EADGBe pattern.
As for memorizing, it will happen naturally over time, don’t stress to much about it. Regular tuning will help cement the standard EADGBe open strings, as for the fret numbers I found focusing on the dotted frets and using them as a reference point helped me early on.
Good luck!

 

[Kevin Welton]

Write down the standard tuning and keep it with your tuner! Reference it to tune your guitar each day before practice and you’ll soon have it embedded in your head lol, remembering fret numbers is just a case of remembering number 1 is furthest away from the body of the guitar and the number goes up as you get closer! Also if you memorise the position of the neck markers (usually at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st and 24th) it will help (you’ll notice a gap pattern that repeats over twelve frets)! It gives you a good reference point as to which fret you are on without having to count all the way up (obviously it will take a bit of time to memorise but it is worth doing) you’ll find writing down stuff over and over and refering to it regularly will help you memorise stuff a lot quicker

 

[Bartosz Tkaczyk]

Just try to memorize letters on your tuner or simply learn them – E A D G B e – it’s standard tuning, that’s all you need to know for now.

Frets are also really easy, if you have dots on your guitar look at them.

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Cheers, Ids, Filip, Adin, Kevin, and
These little tricks are going to make it just that little bit easier to try and remember (I have issues retaining information due to severe fibromyalgia, which makes learning anything new really difficult)… EADGBe, ok so, what is the little e?

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Filip, THANK YOU! Being an animal nut, this will probably how I remember the strings. Absolute legend, thank you again!

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Thanks Josh! It’s going to be a lot easier to try and remember (I have issues retaining information do to severe fibromyalgia, it makes trying to learn anything new really difficult) with these little tricks!

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Thanks Adin!

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Thanks Bartosz! What is a “Fat E”? And why are your string names in a different order? Should I learn this order as well? I do apologise for the silly questions *shame face*

 

[idssdi]

Fat E us the Low E(basically the string that makes the lowest note in standard tuning) the little e is the high e(the string that makes the highest note in standard tuning). It’s really like the first string if you hit the open strings on your guitar from the first string to the ground the fat E is the first strig you hit and the little e is the last string you will hit.
I don’t think Bartosz his order is wrong that is just how the fret board is usely layed out on paper(in tabs, chord diagrams etc.)

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Ahhhhh! I see, it’s upside down! There ya go, I just learned another thing! That’s how it will look in tabs; E the fattest string is at the bottom in written form, but from the top looking down while playing, is the first string.
You guys are awesome. I really appreciate you putting up with my rather silly questions while I get a handle on this xxox

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Exactly,just imagine if you place your guitar on the floor and you look above it, that’s how tabs look

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Thats what the site is for. I was like you once too, literally picked up a guitar and just started to play. Atleast you’re doing it the right way and asking questions. I was always too impatient or stubborn to ask questions. I’m just now starting to fix that issue thanks to this site lol.
You’re in for a long rough ride, but I promise its worth the struggles.

 

[Dark & Twisty KyFe]

Cheers Calvin! I’ve always been in love with music, but my mother and step-Satan would never let me learn any instruments “because they’re loud and annoying”*eyeroll* So now I’m teaching myself at 33. My tiny metalhead two year old LOVES drums, and a little bit of guitar, so we’re in the process of looking for a little drum kit for her. She’s my Tiny Rev *laughs* Baby Brooks, even?
I really appreciate everyone’s patience, as I mentioned, I’m pretty much a musical foetus, and my CFS/FM wreak havok on my ability to learn and retain information. It’s insanely frustrating! But music has always been my happy place, so I know it will be worth it xxox