We’ll now play the scale of C, The major scale of C has no sharp or flat notes, it has plain notes. The notes in scale of C are C, D, E, F, G, A, B

In any scale the 3rd and 4th note are separate by half note and same goes with the 7th and 8th note.
So when incrementing the frets, whiel playing the 4th note, just increment the 3rd note by 1 fret.

Let us play them in this fashion.

e||----------------------|----------------------|-------0----1----3----|
B||----------------------|------------0----1----|--3-------------------|
G||----------------------|--0----2--------------|----------------------|
D||-------0----2----3----|----------------------|----------------------|
A||--3-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
E||----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|

--5----7----8----8----|--7----5----3----1----|--0-------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|-------3----1----0----|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|

----------------------|------------||
----------------------|------------||
--2----0--------------|------------||
------------3----2----|--0---------||
----------------------|-------3----||
----------------------|------------||

All the notes have to be played in a down strokes. Play very slowly and at regular interval.

Let every note ring

Practice this 20-30 times till you can play the whole thing easily.

Alternate Picking
Now, that you can play the Note of C easily, let us start with a new way of picking strings… “Alternate Picking”
For alternate picking, every note you play, you pick in the opposite way to which you played the initial note.
ie. Start the C note by playing a down-stroke, the next note is the open String d, this you pick in up-stroke, then the E note you pick it in down-stroke, and so on…

You must grab this picking … So to start with… you do it very slowly, see every note that you pick, and register that note in your mind, and while playing that note try to find out the next note position and the type of stroke that has to be played.

Chords in Scale of C

[Tonic / Root / Key Note]    [Sub-Dominant]    [Dominant]    [Dominant 7th]
C                                  F                 G             G7
|                                  |                 |
Am                                 Dm                Em

Here is how to play each chord. Here the notations are each no. indicates finger no. 1 is the index finger, 3 is the ring finger, etc. The 0 at the begining denotes play open string. and x means do not play the string, or mute it. Each horizontal line is a fret.
C

0---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|
|---|---|-4-|---|

Am

0---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
|---|-3-|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|

F

|-1-|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|
|---|---|-4-|---|
x---|---|---|---|

You see 2 notes are to be played by the index or 1st finger, this means you need to bar the first finger, ie fret the e and B strings with 1st finger.
Dm

|-1-|---|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|

G

|---|---|-4-|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
|---|-1-|---|---|
|---|---|-2-|---|

Em

0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
|---|-3-|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|

G7

|-1-|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
0---|---|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|

An acoustic guitar has 6 strings, hence the “6 string” 🙂
It starts from the E string (this is the string with the lowest pitch, or lowest frequency note), then the A string, followed by the D, G, B strings. And the last one is the e string. This one is the string with the highest pitch. This e sting produces the “E” note of the next octave begining from the base E string.

We’ll denote it as.., This is the plan view (top view) of the guitar, facing the strings.

e +---------------+
B +---------------+
G +---------------+
D +---------------+
A +---------------+
E +---------------+

Now hold the guitar as you generally hold it, the body of it on the lap, and your base of your right hand (considering your are right-handed) on the bridge. Bridge is the point from where the guitar strings start, it is NOT the end where you tune the string with the knobs.

Hold your thumb and index finger as you hold a pen, withing that grip hold the plectrum (pick). The blade of the pick should be at an angle to the strings, and not directly flat to the strings.

Now practice picking the strings, begining from the base E string to the high e string. All the picking should be down strokes. Go in an easy manner, till you get a feel of distances between the strings, etc…

Once you are comfortable with the simple picking start picking alternate strings. i.e. pick E, D, then A, G, then D, B, and G, e. and then back up again. This will help you in getting a hold of picking alternate, different strings.

I’ll explain you a notation that you will follow all over, It is not my notation, probably you must have seen it somewhere.
When I say you play C note, I’ll specify a fret. A fret is marking on which you play a note, to play a note you press your finger just before the nth fret (the fret that is mentioned to produce the note).
So…

e +---------------+
B +---------------+
G +---------------+
D +----0----------+
A +--3------------+
E +---------------+

..means play the 3rd fret on the A string to produce the C note, then the play open D string (i.e do not fret the string anywhere) to play the D note.

This is my guitar class diary, you may consider it to be as your tutorial, guide or whatever, my purpose to publish this one is to keep the contents of my guitar class on the web.
thats it.

I start from my first class where I knew only 1 thing about guitar and that is “6 string” guitar or something… 🙂 quite an information to begin with.

Lets start now…