Basic Playing Instruction For Classical Guitar

In classical guitar you play a melody and finger single notes instead of chords on the fret board. The thickest string is 6, low E. That’s the note that sounds on the open string. The next string, 5, is A; 4, D; 3, G; 2, B; and 1, the thinnest, high E. Fingering any string at the first fret raises its pitch by a half-step, and each successive fret by another half-step. If you press the A string at the first fret, its note changes to A/Bflat; on the second fret, B-natural; on the third, C; the fourth, C. At the fifth fret the A string plays D, the same note as the next open string.

A good exercise for learning this is the chromatic half-step scale. Start with the open 6th string, then play it with your first (index) finger on the first fret, then second (middle) finger on the second fret, third (ring) finger on the third fret, and fourth (small) finger on the fourth fret. Then repeat with each successive string.

Once you’ve mastered that and can play simple melodies, then you can progress to more complex pieces and play two or more notes together. Have fun!