- 1). Tune every string with the help of a guitar tuner (see Resources). Turn the peg of each string slowly, plucking and making adjustments so the pitch matches the correct tone on the tuner.
- 2). Choose a famous song you'd like play and find the sheet music. You can find the written music for most popular songs in published songbooks or on the Internet.
- 3). Write down the names of all the chords in the song. Chords are simply a series of notes played together. Most likely, the song will have an established chord progression. For example, C, Em, F, G is a popular chord progression in rock music.
- 4). Consult a book or chart that shows where to put your fingers on the guitar neck to play individual chords. Learn the fingering of each chord, making certain you're getting a clear tone from each string when you strum the strings.
- 5). Practice the chords until you can move between them smoothly, and play the whole song through.
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