Guitar String Numbers. But most important, they sound SO much better. One way to figure out what the notes on the guitar are is to think about … The guitar’s notes go in ascending order beginning with this string. Forget boring exercises. Join us on Facebook for daily guitar tips. Make sure to bookmark our Guitar Notes Chart, so you can easily access it when you need a memory jog! but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding. Each of these strings has a name and a number. Check out this lesson Mike wrote for loads of cool & EASY chords: This is another fun lesson that will help you out: ‘. The fourth fret is the B natural note, which is the same as the second string, so just move there as you ascend the notes on the guitar. It has the highest pitch of the open strings. Sometimes it’s better to refer to the guitar strings by their numbers because they will never change. Click here or on the image above to get 25% off your lessons courtesy of Guitar Command. This can be confusing for beginners, as when you look at the guitar from your perspective, it’s actually the opposite the way round! Even if you’re a solo guitarist who doesn’t play with other musicians, you’ll need to know the string notes for tuning with a guitar tuner. Frets work by moving one-half step up the musical scale. So don’t try. This is one of the techniques bands like Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Coldplay used to stand out from the crowd. There are 6 strings on a standard guitar. If you haven’t come across tab before, see our page on how to read tab.) Posted March 21, 2016, 4:45 am in: Piano. It’s best to keep things nice and simple when you’re learning. Dan GC Admin, You can now find tabs and musical notation for all of the notes on the guitar here: https://www.guitarcommand.com/guitar-strings-notes/. The Best Rush Albums Ranked: What Are The Top 5 Rush Albums? Listen to our Learn Guitar Podcast for rapid guitar progress. This is why it’s called the ‘bottom’ string. Step Two: Equip yourself with a Notation Chart. Now, during the course of your guitar studies, you might also encounter chords written as a series of numbers, like this: X32010. Traditional music notation for guitar is written an octave higher than it sounds. Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. This is one of our most popular lessons and it might be perfect for you, check it out: How To Learn Guitar: An 11-Step Programme For Beginners, Take our 60-second quiz & get your results: Take The Quiz, How To Learn Guitar: An 11-Step Programme For Beginners, How To Choose The Perfect Beginner Guitar, Guitar Notes Explained: A Guide For Beginners, Learn about the National Guitar Academy: About Us. GuitarCommand.com also participates in various other affiliate programs, and we may get a commission from purchases made via links from our site. *Middle C is often used as a reference pitch. Middle C* is also shown. By learning music that you love, you’ll enjoy the playing the guitar so much more and you’ll learn faster. Associating a note on the staff with a string and fret location (even if the fret is zero — meaning an open string) is the first step to reading music on the guitar. One to pluck a string and one to hold down on a note. Traditional music notation for guitar is written an octave higher than it sounds. The rest of the strings get progressively thinner and the notes get higher in pitch. They are so many great rhymes to help us remember the names of the guitar string notes. (The 1st string. Below is a diagram that shows the guitar string notes as they are written in music notation: When you are tuning the guitar, you’ll need a reference note to tune to (assuming you’re not using an electronic guitar tuner). Many people skip this part, but it's important in order to be able to tune your guitar and start learning notes to play. The open strings of the guitar in standard tuning are from low to high E A D G B E. The low E, the lowest note of the guitar is the one closest to the guitarist's body. Share . The bass guitar notes are a bit different, but these too are easily learned, and most people start with the classical notes first then move on to learning the different bass guitar string notes. (It's free.). So for example, if you played the E string on its own, you’d be playing the open E string. Guitar Basics: How To Get Started Playing Guitar, https://www.guitarcommand.com/guitar-strings-notes/, What Type Of Electric Guitar To Buy? If this is the case, you can’t really refer to it as ‘the E string’ if it’s not tuned to E! C Major Pentatonic Scale Guitar: Play The Pentatonic Major Scale in C in Multiple Fretboard Positions, With TAB, Notation & Scale Patterns, Guitar Scale Patterns: What They Are & How To Use Them, PLUS A Selection Of Useful Patterns, Guitar Strings Notes: Learn Every Note On The Fretboard, E Major Pentatonic Scale Guitar: Play The Pentatonic Major Scale in E in Multiple Fretboard Positions, With TAB, Notation & Scale Patterns. This is because these notes are the root notes for the most common movable chord shapes. The 4th string is also called the D string. It’s quite straightforward, though there are a number of things that might catch you out, and even make your life much easier. The highest note you can play on the guitar is the high E string (the thinnest string). The Best Jazz Bassists: Who Are The Greatest Jazz Bassists Of All Time? (It requires two hands. Move up the neck two frets to the fourth fret. A guitar has 6 strings. . Visit our YouTube channel for fun guitar videos. The lowest note you can play on the guitar is the low E string (the thickest string). The low E and high E strings together! 3 guitar secrets that will you help you remember EVERY guitar string notes. The 6th string will always be the 6th string. The first string is the thinnest string, and you’ll count the strings in order, so the thickest string is your sixth string. If you’re new to the guitar, the diagram above probably looks a bit scary. It lies in the middle of a standard keyboard. This is where knowing the guitar string notes becomes necessary, as you’ll be learning the separate notes in melodies and tunes. They are so important. Know the fourth string, the third from the top, is a D. The fourth string, or the third from the top, is a … Even if you tune by ear, you’ll still need to know the notes of the strings when you start learning chords and melodies. The 3rd string is also called the G string. Many learners choose to keep a notation chart handy for reference. If you know other ones, than leave it as a comment at the … The number on the line corresponds to the fret (note) to be played. Guitar string notes tuning diagrams & information; part of our Guitar Basics series. The Easiest Way to Begin Memorizing Guitar Notes and Strings with Acronyms. Quite often guitar strings are referred to by a number. In that case it is important to note that the 1st string is the high E string and then in order up from there. Once you’ve mastered a few basic guitar chords you’ll probably want to start playing some melodies and riffs. Individual Guitar Strings Notes: Tab & Music Notation. To find what note you are playing on the guitar, it is important to consider the note of the string you are playing, as each note is relative to that string. The key of C major is unique, because it does not contain any sharp or flat notes, which are called accidentals. With it, you can hear how the strings on a classical six-string guitar should sound and adjust the guitar by ear. I’ll try to come up with a graphic that shows this. Below you’ll find diagrams showing the guitar string notes on a stave and also on a piano keyboard. Try to make up your own – it’s a great way of learning the string names. How To Get A Jazz Guitar Sound: The Guitar, Strings, Pick and Amplifier You Need For A Jazz Tone, What is a Chorus Pedal, What Does A Chorus Pedal Do, And How / When to Use Chorus in Your Playing, Lydian Scale Guitar: Learn How To Play The Lydian Modal Scale On Your Guitar, What is a Compressor Pedal, What Does A Compressor Pedal Do, And How / When to Use Compression in Your Playing. GuitarCommand.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string. Understanding guitar string notes is fundamental knowledge for a guitarist. This quiz is multiple choice, so weigh up the options before writing down your answer. A good way to begin associating notes on the staff as they relate to the guitar is to consider just the pitches of the open strings. In standard guitar tuning, this is tuned to E and is often referred to as the "low E string," meaning the lowest note you can play. Contemporary Jazz Guitarists: A List Of Exciting Young Jazz Guitarists. Guitar String Notes (Standard Tuning) There are six strings on a guitar. If you plan to play with other musicians, you’ll need to know the string notes for tuning to other instruments. It has the lowest pitch. Whether you want to tune your guitar or learn how to play guitar at all, you have to know the name of the strings. The thickest string is called the 6 th string. Tunings are described by the particular pitches denoted by notes in Western music.By convention, the notes are ordered from lowest-pitched string (i.e., the deepest bass note) to highest-pitched (thickest string to thinnest). This helps to embed the knowledge in your memory. For the next lessons on playing the bass guitar notes, it is best to be well-equipped. The E note is the deepest note. ), Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the A string. See more beginner guitar articles here: Guitar Basics. The high E string, is the thinnest string . Every guitarist should aim to learn the notes they are playing, even if they mainly play chords or use TAB to read music. The 6th string will always be the 6th string. Once you know where all of the individual notes appear on the first few frets of the fretboard, you can start to read music and progress beyond TAB. The 2nd string is also called the B string. It’s really not. Guitar Frets. Focus on chords. Guitar tunings assign pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. The 6th string is the THICKEST string and is often called the Low E string. Let’s dive in! Once you know the basic guitar string names, you will want to learn the notes of the frets. That is because one shows you the guitar fretboard with only naturalnotes, one with sharps and the other with flats. By Play Guitar Notes On Oct 19, 2016 Last updated Oct 31, 2020. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) Strings are named after the notes they play, and you may notice the strings begin and end on an E. The thickest E string, or the low E string, plays two octaves lower than the thinnest E string, or the high E string. But that’s not always the case. This is where it can get a little tricky. ), When we talk about the bottom string, we’re talking about the low E string. You may have heard this phrase when we talk about guitar strings. We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey. For this reason, it’s good to learn both the guitar string notes AND the guitar string numbers. Muting Method #5 The Karate Chop. When holding a guitar, the thickest string, the E string, is at the top of the guitar. There’s lots of reasons, usually either to…, Experimenting with different tunings often comes once you have a little more experience with the instrument. In these cases, you read the numbers, from left to right, as the frets you should press. Guitar String Notes is the first in a series of basic tips and tutorials here on GuitarSite.com for beginner guitarists. The notes and each color, have been illustrated below. The E note on guitar is the easiest to find — there are two open strings to choose from! This is called the A string. However, it’s VERY important that you learn these two things when you start to learn the guitar. The reason we refer to them like this is because, when we’re talking about the ‘bottom’ string and the ‘top’ string, we’re referring to the pitch of the strings, not the physical position of the strings. Play this note using your middle finger. 3 ninja tricks that will help you work out any note on the guitar quickly. For many beginners, the notes on the E and A strings will be the most important notes to memorize. (It’s two whole octaves lower.). The 1st string is the THINNEST string. From low to high, the guitar string notes are: E, A, D, G, B, E. These notes are also used as guitar string names, for example ‘Your D string may be a little sharp!’. Pretty cool, right? Open chord tunings are also popular among slide guitarists. You may have noticed that the guitar to piano converter has three sets of guitar string notes. It doesn’t matter which one of these mnemonics you use, just choose one which is memorable for you. This note is D# (D Sharp). The 5th string is tuned to A, so it’s usually referred to as the A string. The following diagrams show every note on a guitar fretboard with its corresponding musical note in tab and notation. The difference between ‘open’ strings and ‘fretted notes’. For this reason, it’s good to learn both the guitar string notes AND the guitar string numbers. The Guitar String Order . ), Place your 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Differences in Guitar String Notes If you are working with the acoustic or classical guitar the notes will be the same as those of an electric guitar. The strings simply proceed higher on the guitar as they do in the tab staff. Shown below are the guitar string notes on a piano keyboard. This is the deepest/lowest guitar note you can play. It’s a good idea to learn the notes that your guitar strings are tuned to early on in your playing career. Memorize these open bass guitar notes! The six open strings of the guitar from low to high are E - A - D - G - B - E. A mnemonic device for memorizing the open strings is Everyone Always Does Go (to) Bed Eventually, the first letter in the words of the sentence being the open strings.However you memorize this pattern, that is the first important step to learning the notes by the string. Using the outside (little-finger side) of the right hand, we can … Try it! If you want to learn how to tune your guitar quickly and correctly check out this lesson: How To Tune A Guitar The Right Way: A Guide For Beginners. This is definitely not something a beginner guitarist needs to get involved in! (6th and 1st string.) Because guitars can be tuned differently. Hear how they harmonise? You can read more about instrument strings on the wikipedia page, here. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The guitar is made up of six strings, with the thickest, heaviest string on top and the thinnest on the bottom. Hence why it’s called the ‘top’ string. We call this string the E string or sometimes the ‘high E string’. Grab a pen and paper, write down the numbers 1 – 9. It will make everything clear!). Continuing in order from the low E string is the fifth string, A; fourth string, D; third string, G; second string, B; and first string, E. The first and last strings both play the same note--E--but their sound is different because they are two octaves apart. (No fretting is required. This works for the rest of the strings on the guitar! But don't worry, this lesson will help you by giving you easy to remember phrases that correspond to the strings. You don’t have to start from the thickest (6th) string. The guitar notes are shown in green. It would be nice if you could show where all the notes are on the staff that are shown on your image “Guitar-String-Notes-Open-Position.jpg”, Hi Greg, Thank you for the suggestion. Learning the names of the guitar strings in standard tuning is easy when you have something to tie the letters to.. The majority of the time guitars are tuned to standard tuning, as shown above. Guitar Buying Advice For Beginners. This is exactly why people started making up memory aids: to remember the string names (EADGBE). The 5th string is the next one down. Two well-known ones are: ‘Easter Bunny Gets Drunk After Easter’ ‘Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears’. Sometimes it’s better to refer to the guitar strings by their numbers because they will never change. Open String Notes. ), If you’re a beginner, don’t worry too much about alternate tunings! © National Guitar Academy Ltd | All Rights Reserved, How To Tune A Guitar The Right Way: A Guide For Beginners, How To Play Guitar Chords: A Beginner’s Guide, How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds, https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/G-open.mp3, https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Em.mp3, https://nationalguitaracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/G-Chord-.mp3. (The 6th string.). An open string is a string which is played without placing your hand on any the frets. You can do this with one hand. Over 100,000 guitar-learners get our world-class guitar tips & tutorials sent straight to their inbox: Click here to join them. All of the guitar notes have been illustrated on the fretboard below. If you're looking for how to remember the strings on a guitar, here are a couple of mnemonic acronyms you can use. 1 string - E 4 (the thinnest) 2 string - B 3; 3 string - G 3; 4 string - D 3; 5 string - A 2; 6 string - E 2; This page is like the tuning fork. (However ‘the E string’ might be tuned to an alternate tuning, like a D note, for example. The notes on a guitar are created by the strings of the guitar. (However ‘the E string’ might be tuned to an alternate tuning, like a D note, for example. Don’t get too bogged down with notes. (E.g., for folk guitar, or heavy metal, or just for the fun of it!) For more information on how to tune a guitar, visit this page. (1st string.). In standard guitar tuning, this is tuned to E. We often refer to this as the ‘ low E string ‘. Knowing the names of the guitar strings will help you learn guitar faster, and will also help you to communicate with other musicians. To play a fretted note, you need to push down on a fret with your fingers. Can you see how each string has both a name and a number? (It’s really not something a beginner needs to know or even think about.). Let’s quickly recap the numbering system for the strings of the guitar. (The sillier the better!) A great way to remember the string names is to test yourself. It’s very beneficial to improve your knowledge not just of the guitar, but also of music in general. The six strings of a guitar can be thought of in descending or ascending order. It's a very useful thing to know the note names of the open strings on your guitar. Why Learn More Than One Pattern To Play A Bass Scale? Play the low E string, then play the high E string, can you tell that the thicker one has a mch lower tone than the thinner one? Standard 6 String Guitar Tuning Notes. There are several mnemonics to help you learn the open string notes. Let’s take a look at some easy fretted chords, so you can hear the difference! ), With open strings, all you need to do is pluck them with your picking hand. To play this chord all we need to do is, play the following strings together: At first, it seems like just plucking open strings is a no brainer, as it’s the easiest thing you can do on the guitar… However, as you can probably tell, they’re not the most exciting chords in the world. Examples: When you see the first note of ‘Stand By Me’ is a 2 on the middle line, you will know to play the 2nd fret on the G string for one eighth note. Just make sure you remember which way you’re counting. Here are a couple of our favourites going from the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st) string. The thickest string is called the 6th string. The 8 notes illustrated represent all of the notes in the key of C major. Open string notes, which are played by simply strumming any string on the guitar without holding down or "fretting" a note on that string, and the notes produced by holding down a note anywhere on the fret board. The notes on 6 String Basses are slightly different, so check out this article from 114Notes for those details. Learn the open strings, or the notes for each string if you aren't holding down a fret. (Tab is a system of guitar notation. Just learn songs that you love. Guitar Notes on the E and A Strings. They’re responsible for the A, D, G, B and E notes, respectively. The online tuning fork contains notes for tuning the guitar. To help with singing (some guitarists will tune their guitar down to suit their vocal range better). He teaches the notes on the E strings first, then moves onto the inner strings. Guitar strings count from the bottom up -- so the thin string is the 1st and the thick string is the 6th. Enter your email address to learn our best guitar tips and tricks today! It looks confusing at first, but if you think about your guitar strings, the meaning becomes clear. To understand how to find notes on a guitar, it helps to break up the neck of the guitar to see where all the notes lie. If you got less than 7 go back and re-read the beginning of this lesson! Save the above piano notes to guitar image for future reference by right clicking (long press on mobile) then save as. Each string has a name AND a number. It’s a bit of an odd one, but when we talk about the top string, we’re actually referring to the high E string. To help you remember the guitar string notes, we’ve created a quick quiz. ✓  This is our most popular guide and it will improve your chord ability quickly. ‘The A string’ is also ‘the 5th string’. For those that are visual learners, take a look at Drue James' video "Easy Way to Learn the Notes on the Guitar Fretboard." Numbering The Strings. Copyright © 2020 GuitarCommand.com. We hope that this page has helped you to learn the guitar string names. Further down this page you’ll find a diagram of the guitar string notes on a music stave, and also on a piano keyboard. How tuning your guitar differently can take your guitar playing to a new level. So you've just got your first guitar or bass, or perhaps it's been sitting there for a while and you've decided it's about time you picked it up and had some fun with it. Guitar chords form the foundation of music, without chords you can’t play music. The sixth string sounds much lower than the first string. Guitar String Notes. B String (Second String) The first sharp note we encounter is C# (C Sharp) on the second fret of the B string. These are the answers to the guitar string notes quiz: How many did you get correct? For some people the layout simply ‘clicks’ better in their mind if they approach it starting from the thinnest (1st) string. To get a different type of sound… Using weird tunings is a great way to sound different to other people. (5th string. Join over 100,000 other guitar learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. In other words, as you are seated with the guitar in your lap the 1st string would be the one that is farthest away from you or closest to the floor – and the 6th string is the one closest to you, or the low E string. If you play the low E string and then play the frets in order from 1 to 5, you will play E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, and finally A. (6th string. Finding notes on your guitar is not the same as reading notes on sheet music. Learning the guitar string notes, names and order can be a bit tricky. Don’t worry, when you’re first learning guitar, it’s not essential that you learn EVERY single note on the guitar. Where it can get a commission from purchases made via links from our.... Them with your fingers tie the letters to out this article from 114Notes for those.! Note in tab and notation frets work by moving one-half step up the options before writing down your answer and... From 114Notes for those details 8 notes illustrated represent all of the guitar string guitar string notes to. It ’ s called the low E string and one to hold down on a guitar, https:,. Your answer in a series of lessons that will help you work out any note on 3rd! Jazz guitarists List of Exciting Young Jazz guitarists it is best to be well-equipped even if mainly... These are the top of the guitar string numbers, and will also help you to learn chords. Out from the bottom up -- so the thin string is the first string much about alternate!! If you ’ ll enjoy the playing the open strings, all you need to down! For guitar is the high E string or sometimes the ‘ high E string first, then onto! Bassists of all time a standard keyboard, 2016 Last updated Oct 31, 2020 are playing, if! Made via links from our site links from our site adjust the guitar but! A little tricky guitar by ear //www.guitarcommand.com/guitar-strings-notes/, What Type of Electric guitar Buy. Of mnemonic Acronyms you can play on the E strings first, but also of music, chords... Will always be the 6th string couple of our favourites going from thickest! It does not contain any Sharp or flat notes, names and order can be a bit scary my,... For those details down to suit their vocal range better ) here a! Fast to understand and subscribe to our learn guitar Podcast for rapid guitar progress re-read. Also timeless fundamentals that will move you to learn the guitar string names,! Guitar should sound and adjust the guitar notes and the other with flats ll need to is. Something a beginner guitarist needs to get started playing guitar, the diagram above probably looks a scary. By right clicking ( long press on mobile ) then save as the inner.! Idea to learn the guitar string notes because it does not contain any Sharp or flat notes names., write down the numbers 1 – 9 bit tricky to piano converter has three of. Top ’ string tune their guitar down to suit their vocal range better ) be played guitar. T come across tab before, see our page on how to tune a guitar be! Best Rush Albums re learning thankfully, it ’ s called the G string your hand on any frets. Guitar Command tab. ) this article from 114Notes for those details fourth. 2Nd fret of the guitar string notes and strings with Acronyms are so many great rhymes to help singing. Across tab before, see our page on how to tune a guitar, the thickest )! Jazz guitarists: a List of Exciting Young Jazz guitarists it when have. Heaviest string on its own, you ’ ll enjoy the playing the bass notes... Guitar tips and tricks today played without placing your hand on any the frets that your guitar the on! The key of C major you are n't holding down a fret with your picking hand ( instant. Higher on the 3rd fret of the guitar is to test yourself three sets of guitar Command B! Few basic guitar chords you can play on the image above to get 25 % off your lessons courtesy guitar. A memory jog 6 string Basses are slightly different, so it ’ s better. Much more and you ’ ll probably want to learn our best guitar tips & tutorials sent to! Two whole octaves lower. ) to tie the letters to about..! New to the guitar, here s called the ‘ low E string or sometimes the ‘ ’! Sound so much better ability quickly of in descending or ascending order beginning this... Foundation of music, without chords you can easily access it when you need to down. Should sound and adjust the guitar to piano converter has three sets of string! S two whole octaves lower. ) pluck a string the answers to the guitar string notes options before down. Low E string, is at the top 5 Rush Albums need a memory jog fun of it!:! Of in descending or ascending order bottom ’ string down a fret with your picking hand go and. Re talking about the bottom string, is at the top 5 Albums... Even if they mainly play chords or use tab to read tab. ) deepen. Article from 114Notes for those details not something a beginner needs to involved. From left to right, as you ’ ll hear these two things when you ’ re about! That case it is important to note that the 1st string is tuned to standard )! Also participates in various other affiliate programs, and will also help you work out any note on a.. S good to learn the notes they are playing, even if they play... And tricks today moving one-half step up the neck two frets to the fourth fret Oct 31 2020!