Your guitar has six strings, each tuned to a different note. Before you press any of them down, those open strings already give you six playable notes to work with.
Knowing the strings by name and sound is the foundation everything else builds on. Players who skip this step spend months reaching for the wrong string in chord transitions.
The Open Strings
From the thickest string to the thinnest, top to bottom when the guitar is in playing position:
- E - thickest string, lowest pitch. Also called the "low E" or "sixth string".
- A - fifth string.
- D - fourth string.
- G - third string.
- B - second string.
- e - thinnest string, highest pitch. Also called the "high e" or "first string".
A common way to memorize the order from low to high: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie - E, A, D, G, B, e.
You will hear strings referred to by name (E string, A string) or by number (sixth string, first string). Both are common in chord charts, tab, and lessons. Get comfortable with both ways of referring to them.
How to Pick a Single String
Hold your pick between your thumb and the side of your index finger. Use a light grip - the pick should flex slightly on contact, not plunge straight through.
Strike the string with a downward motion using mainly your wrist, not your elbow. A common mistake is to strum all six strings when you only want one. Aim carefully.
- Strike angle. Hit the string at a slight angle rather than perfectly straight. A perpendicular strike can cause the pick to catch and drag.
- Pick position. Pick at or near the soundhole for the fullest tone. Near the bridge sounds thin and biting; near the fretboard sounds dark and loose.
- Wrist tension. A tight picking wrist produces an uneven, clipped tone. Keep it loose.
Playing Each String
Go through all six strings, low to high, one at a time. Let each note ring completely before moving on:
- Low E. Deep and full.
- A string.
- D string.
- G string - middle of the range.
- B string.
- High e. Notice it shares a note name with the low E, but sounds two octaves higher.
Then reverse: e, B, G, D, A, E. Then skip around: D, A, e, G, E, B. This builds real string recognition rather than pattern memory.
Practice Exercise
- Pick each string four times with a clean downstroke, letting each note ring fully.
- Say the string name as you play: "E... E... E... E..."
- Move through all six strings, low to high, then high to low.
- After a few passes, place your pick on a string without looking and name it before you pluck it. Check whether you are right.
Common Questions
- What are the names of the six guitar strings in standard tuning?
- From thickest to thinnest, the open strings in standard tuning are: E (low), A, D, G, B, and e (high). The low E is the sixth string and the high e is the first string. This tuning is also written as EADGBE.
- Why do the thickest and thinnest guitar strings have the same note name?
- The low E string and the high e string are both tuned to the note E, but two octaves apart. The low E vibrates at around 82 Hz; the high e vibrates at around 330 Hz. Same note name, very different pitch.
Next up: Notes, Rhythm, and Basic Music Concepts
