Guitar

To play the guitar you use the

fingers on your left hand to
hold down the strings at
different points along the
guitar neck, whilst your right
hand strums the strings.
E A D G B E
Thickest
Thinnest
String
String
Low pitch

High pitch

X
1
2

Frets
(metal strips
on the guitar)

The X above a
string means
dont strum that
string.

The numbers in
the circles tell
you which finger
to hold the
string with.
Unlike in piano
playing the
thumb does not
have a number.

Guitar players use tablature

(or tab) to tell them how to
play a chord.
The chord symbols tell you
which strings to hold down and
in between which frets.

The circles
above the lines
tell you to play
those strings
open (dont
press your
finger on them)

Holsworthy Community College Music Department

Guitar 3 String Chords

Chord Structure:
C major
Count:

G major
4

A minor
4

F major
4

To start with play the chords using the top three strings
only:
C major

X X X
1

G major

XX X

A minor

F major

X X X

X X X

1&2&3&4&

Extension Tasks:

1. Start by playing the 3-string chords on beat 1

2. Play on beat 1 & 3 with down-strums
3. Play on each beat
4. Add up-strums on the off-beat of beats 3 & 4
5. Vary your accompaniment pattern

or

6. Try and play the full chords (see other sheet)

Holsworthy Community College Music Department

Guitar Full Chords

Chord Structure:
C major
Count:

C major

G major
4

A minor
4

X
1

F major
4

F major

1
2

G major

A minor

2
3

Extension Tasks:

1. Start by playing the 3-string chords on beat 1

2. Play on beat 1 & 3 with down-strums
3. Play on each beat
4. Add up-strums on the off-beat of beats 3 &or
4
5. Vary your accompaniment pattern

6. Try Finger picking a pattern using the chords

Holsworthy Community College Music Department