Finger And Fret Numbers
Learn How To Number Your Fingers And The Frets On The Guitar!
Before you can dive in to playing the guitar you should understand how your fingers and the frets on the guitar are numbered. These may seem like simple topics but it is important for you to know which finger to put on which fret. Let’s get started.
When I talk about finger numbers I am talking about the fingers on your left hand if you are right handed and the fingers on your right hand if you are left handed. Your index finger will be called your 1st finger, your middle finger will be called your 2nd finger, your ring finger will be called your 3rd finger and your pinky will be called your 4th finger.
Frets are the metal strips that are mounted on the fretboard of the guitar. The fret closest to the headstock of the guitar is the 1st fret. If you put your finger right behind this fret you would be playing on the 1st fret of the guitar. Move a finger up one fret to play the 2nd fret and so on.
Make sure you know how to number your fingers and frets before moving on to the next guitar lesson in the Beginner Guitar Quick-Start Series. Get ready to learn the parts of the guitar!
Hello my name is Bianca and I am 9 and turning 10 this year I have always wanted to learn to play guitar and just today I am looking online for guitar lessons and I stumbel across your website and think that this could be my chance to learn how to play the guitar,so I find a guitar and start.I am on BEGINNER GUITAR QUICK-START SERIES NAMES OF THE GUITAR STRINGS and I am dieing to see the next part so thanks so much for making this website.
hi, that’s a nice post. i hope you will continue to do this
I am 12 turning 13 in 3 months and i am actually a desent drummer but i saw the guitar lesson up in the right corner and thought.. I want to see if i can learn something and now i now much more than i knew when i didn’t watch those videos
Hi, I’ve just bought my first electric guitar having played accoustic many years ago. Your lessons are great for refreshing the basics & I’m pleased to find I haven’t forgotten everything. A problem I am having though is that the steel strings are killing my fingers & am only able to play for 30-40 mins at the moment – is there any way to toughen the ends of my fingers up?
Hey Emma,
The only way to toughen up your fingers is to practice consistently. 30 minutes per day at least 4-5 times per week.
It will get better after a while if you stick with it!
Hope that helps!
u can try lighter strings. if ur strings r to heavy they r hard 2 hold down. U can also try thimbles, but i better take option 1
my fingers hurtin alot…plx help
Bro i fail at guitar playing i dont even know where to put my fingers!!! anyways im 12 and i dont know if i will learn fast.
Hey, I’m eleven, and I got my guitar at ten, kinda a late start, anyways, your site has been a TON of help, thanks a ton!
If you think you are too late to learn play guitar…. I’m 37 and about to start learning how to play guitar. This weekend I will go buy a guitar at music shop. I started drumming a year ago and next I want to learn play piano as well
Cheers!
Hi, do you just put your finger on the place above the fret or do you push down on it?
yes you’re supposed to press down on the strings
You guys are doing a great job,what I’ve found today is a dream come true
hey..!!! i got my guitar at the age of 13… Is it too late for me play a guitar..????
its never late …. im gonna have a guitar after a week and i dont feel like i late (learn thunderstruck-it will rise your self-confidence )
its not too late im 14 and im starting now
hi, i am starting it at the age of 24 do u think i can learn it?
it’s never to late to learn an instrument
hi….
i have an spanish guitar bt im nt using it frm last 4-5 months and nw 1 and 6 strings are vaibrating little bit while playing… please tell me what should i do?
Hi, I am very glad i got your site i am not quite shore how to play the guitar cause i only got this like a month ago and my lessons are finished
I had been practicing guitar about ten years back. Now I’m 40 can I start learning guitar?
hey this website is amazing i went to guitar lessons like 3 years ago but the guy didnt really teach us much so this is a great help
THANX
thats awesome >?>
Put some surgical spirit on your fingers to toughen them up
Hi I want to thank you for these instructions they are great
hi, i’m wondering how hard you have to press down on the strings. do you press it all the way down on the fret board or just a little bit of pressure and not all the way down? please reply.
Thanks
i am a beginner i havent really learned how to use the guitar but i am learnin i am 13 years old n dont hav a clue a bout the guitar im so lost but i need help on understannding what is the fretboard but most importantly what is a fret
I am starting to see real improvement in my playing. Thank you Nate
I have been reading the comments and am thinking that I’ve just delayed my music education…..never too late to start. I’m 61, and don’t feel bad about the sore fingers….just wish they were the size they were when I was 15.
Hi! I’m 15 and I’ve always wanted to learn how to play a guitar. Thank you so much for making this website, it helps a lot! Hopefully I’d be able to play good music by Christmas!
Nate your lessons are better than other guitar lessons one thing I noticed before I started playing guitar this guitar player always uses his thumb on every song he plays but I remember you said your thumb is not involved while playing the Guitar
Now i am 27 i had a small exposure to guitar when i was a kid now i dont remember anything is it ok that i can start as a beginner now
hi i’ve ben playing first acts all of my 11 years alive and figured out that they aren’t real. so i made my dad buy me a real electric guitar. it’s realy big and white. this is my first year in mittle school and i dropped uot of band to foccus on the guitar. these videos have been a huge help to me and the people at my school
hi nate my name is chris and im 12 years old.can you teach me (with the website)how to play lost higway by bon jovi?
hey im 12 two!!!
your lessons are really helpful i bought my guitar month ago and from the time i started hearing your lessons im getting better and better thanks ….
Though a beginner, I will master in three months time.
I am 48 and started learning for the first time – THANK YOU for these lessons!
a video has been removed that nate said were going to learn a song were is it ??
I’m 37, I just bought my first guitar and started the lesson today. Merry X’mas!
its jst amazing!!!!!!!
I’m 20 years old, all my life I dreamed of playing guitar because of my grandfather! And my new boyfriend is my inspiration to playing guitar now. So I want to go from being amateur to pro! I’m really excited about my lesson, looking forward to this and I hope I can make my grandfather proud.
I am 35 and bought a guitar for christmas for the kids 17,13,12,6. But I want to learn. This lesson is ver helpful.
Hi Nate,
I’m mew to your guitar lessons ever since I got my acoustic guitar for Christmas, so here’s my question do you mean by left or right handed guitar playing do you mean either strumming the strings or holding them down by the frets?
I am 65 and just starting to learn guitar, I guess it is never too late. I was very apprehensive about learning until I found your site. Thanks guys!
Roger