All about the guitar – tips for learning

First steps

Guitar for Kids: Which Size Fits? – Learning guitar as a kid: which guitar size suits which age? From 1/4 to 4/4, nylon or steel strings – how to find an instrument that fits.
How to Hold a Guitar – Posture for Beginners – How to hold a guitar: sitting posture, footstool, thumb behind the neck and relaxed shoulders. Play comfortably and without aches from day one.
Guitar String Names and How to Remember Them – The six guitar strings E A D G B E – with memory sentences, how they are numbered and which one is thickest. Learn the string names fast.
How to Tune a Guitar – Easy Guide for Beginners – Tune your guitar step by step: with a tuner or by ear using the 5th-fret method. Plus tips for strings that keep slipping out of tune.
Learn Guitar: Your First Chords as a Beginner – Learn guitar as a beginner or kid: Em, Am, C, G and D – with chord diagrams, easy one-finger versions and your very first chord change.
Easy songs for beginners – with one, two or three chords – Easy songs for beginners and kids, sorted by number of chords: from one-chord songs up to four chords. All in the public domain and ready to play.

Changing strings and caring for your instrument – When to change strings, what to watch out for on ukulele, guitar and banjo, and how to store and look after your instrument so it keeps sounding great.

Guitar Barre Chords – and an Easier F Chord – Learn guitar barre chords: simplify the F chord with a mini F and Fmaj7, practise the barre step by step and sort out common problems.
Guitar Capo Explained Simply – How a guitar capo works, when it helps and how to work out which chord actually sounds. With a handy table for frets 1 to 5.
Guitar Fingerpicking for Beginners – Learn guitar fingerpicking: the p, i, m, a fingers, a first picking pattern over chords and tips for an even, lovely sound.
Sore fingertips? How calluses grow when you start playing – Sore fingertips are normal when you start. Find out how long calluses take to form and how to keep practising a little every day without pain.
Faster chord changes – 6 tricks for beginners – Chord changes still feel slow? Anchor fingers, looking ahead and short change drills make them smoother step by step – on any stringed instrument.
String buzzing or sounding dead? How to fret cleanly – A buzzing or muted string usually comes down to finger position or pressure. Here’s how to find the cause and make every chord ring out clearly.

Guitar Chords: The Most Important Shapes – The most important guitar chords with diagrams: major, minor and seventh chords in open position – and which chords belong together in a key.
How to Read Chord Symbols: C, Am, G7 and Fmaj7 Explained – Chord symbols made simple: what C, Am, G7, Fmaj7 or Bb mean and how to read them above the lyrics – for kids and beginners on any instrument.

Time Signatures for Beginners: 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 and 6/8 – What is a bar, and how do you count 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 or 6/8? A kid-friendly guide with song examples and tips for clapping and counting along.
Easy Strumming Patterns for Beginners – Strumming patterns for ukulele and guitar, step by step: from simple down strums to the island strum, with tips on counting and steady hand motion.
How to Practise with a Metronome – Why a metronome is your best practice partner, and how to start slowly and get faster step by step without tensing up. Tips for kids and beginners.

Major and Minor Chords: Hear the Difference – Major sounds bright, minor softer or sadder. A kid-friendly guide to hearing the difference and the single note that makes it.
Note Names for Beginners: C D E F G A B and Sharps and Flats – The seven note names, sharps and flats, and why German speakers call B “H” – explained for kids, with tips for finding notes on your instrument.
How to Transpose a Song into Another Key – What a key is and how to transpose a song so it’s easier to play or more comfortable to sing – with a simple note-ladder trick and an example.
How to Read Tabs: Tablature Explained for Beginners – Read tabs without sheet music: what the lines and numbers mean and how to play melodies string by string. For ukulele, guitar and banjo.
12-Bar Blues for Beginners: The Basic Pattern – The 12-bar blues with just three chords: the pattern, how to count it, first notes to improvise with and how to jam with a backing band. Great for kids.

Practising with kids – keeping the joy of music alive – How parents can support a child learning an instrument: short, regular practice, no pressure, and praise for effort. Practical tips for everyday life.
Instrument class at school – tips for teachers and parents – Ukulele or guitar class: how to manage group tuning, a shared tempo and focused homework, and how the free app can support lessons without accounts.
Learning app with no account: privacy, microphone and no ads – No account, no ads, no tracking: everything stays on the device, and the microphone is only analysed locally. Here is how the free learning app works.