Guitar for Beginners from Coursera

Grasp the essentials needed to begin playing acoustic or electric guitar. You'll learn an easy approach to get you playing quickly, through a combination of exploring the instrument, performance technique, and basic music theory.

For students who have long thought about picking up the acoustic or electric guitar, this course will provide an easy-access foundation that will get you playing. When first learning guitar, it is important to have the material presented in stages, in an enjoyable way that allows you to grasp the basics of the instrument and music. The course begins simply with the parts of the guitar, the names of the strings, tuning, and technique—whether finger-style or pick. It then explores the basics of music theory with such topics as scales, triads, power chords, and fingering and shapes.

At the end of this course, students will understand the structure, parts, and accessories of the instrument, in addition to an understanding of its basic maintenance. Electric guitar players will learn the operation of their instrument along with basic options for amplification, effect pedals, and sounds. Students will also learn to develop correct technique and apply theory concepts to their playing. They will have the foundational knowledge necessary to pursue most intermediate guitar courses.

What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome to Introduction to Guitar

Welcome to Guitar for Beginners! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your Berklee massive online course.

Acoustic / Electric Guitar and the Basics

In this first lesson, we will take things slow. We will focus on how to choose the right guitar for you and what accessories are essential for any guitar player. We'll also learn the parts of the guitar and get you comfortable with your instrument.

Getting Started: Fundamental Guitar Skills

In this lesson, you will learn how to tune and you will start playing your instrument from the ground up! Be patient and remember: focus on being accurate and play in consistent time with your metronome. These things are far more important than playing with speed.

The Twelve Half Steps and Basic Notation

While you don’t need to be an expert on music theory to play guitar, it is important to know the basic building blocks of music. With this understanding, music will no longer be shrouded in mystery or complexity. This lesson presents fundamental musical ideas in a fun, non-intimidating way.

Scales: Construction and Fingerings

In this lesson, you will dig into scales. Don’t be intimidated. Some of you may have heard of, or practiced, scales. It might have been during piano lessons. Most likely it wasn’t very exciting for you. Hopefully you'll find the approach to scales in lesson 4 much easier and even fun.

Chords: Building Easy Triads and Power Chords

In this lesson, you will use all of the skills you’ve gained from the previous lessons to build the foundation of harmony. You will play certain scale notes at the same time to create chords. Let's look at why chords sound like they do, how to build them, how to easily play chords in open position, and how to play chords that you can move all around the neck.

Putting it All Together: The Pentatonic Scale and Songs

Now that you have the "science" of the guitar in your fingers, you will learn a couple of songs. You will do this by using melody (from the scales) and harmony (from the chords) we have learned. You will also learn an essential scale for playing melodies and soloing.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides fundamentals for beginners who have never played guitar as well as learners who want to build a foundation

Covers music theory topics like scales, triads, power chords, fingering, and shapes

Designed for students with varying musical backgrounds

Covers the structure, parts, and accessories of the instrument

Suitable for both acoustic and electric guitar learners

Builds strong foundation for learners who wish to pursue intermediate guitar courses

Reviews summary

Excellent beginner guitar

According to students, this guitar course for beginners is well received. Students say that the course is thought out and well presented, thoroughly explaining each part of playing guitar. The course is a good introduction to the basics of guitar playing and includes a discussion forum for help. However, some students found the last part of the course to be difficult, especially for beginners.

Good introduction to the basics of guitar playing.

"Good basic intro to guitar for someone who has barely held the instrument."

The instructor is dull and uninspiring.

"The teacher is dull and uninspiring. Not a tone (no pun intended) of excitement."

Later portion of course is difficult for beginners.

"That sudden excessive workload is why I give 4 stars."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Guitar for Beginners with these activities:

Review the parts of a guitar

Show steps

Reviewing the parts of a guitar will help you learn the instrument more quickly.

Show steps

Find a diagram of a guitar online or in a book.
Label the different parts of the guitar.
Practice identifying the different parts of the guitar.

Review basic guitar chords

Show steps

Reviewing basic guitar chords will help you learn to play songs more quickly.

Browse courses on Guitar Chords

Show steps

Find a chart of basic guitar chords online or in a book.
Practice playing the different chords.
Try to identify the chords used in simple songs.

Practice tuning your guitar using a tuner

Show steps

Knowing how to tune your guitar is essential for playing in tune. This will improve your playing performance.

Show steps

Get a guitar tuner.
Attach the tuner to the headstock of your guitar.
Pluck the string and adjust the tuning peg until the tuner reads the correct pitch.
Repeat for all six strings.

Six other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all nine activities

Practice using a metronome

Show steps

Using a metronome will help you stay in time, which is important for playing with others.

Show steps

Get a metronome.
Set the metronome to a slow tempo.
Play along with the metronome, trying to stay in time.
Gradually increase the tempo as you get more comfortable.

Read a book about guitar playing

Show steps

Reading a book about guitar playing can help you learn new techniques and improve your playing.

View Classical Guitar For Dummies on Amazon

Show steps

Find a book about guitar playing that interests you.
Read the book and take notes on the techniques you learn.
Practice the techniques you learned.

Create a playlist of your favorite guitar songs

Show steps

Creating a playlist of your favorite guitar songs can help you learn new songs and improve your playing.

Show steps

Find your favorite guitar songs on YouTube or other online platforms.
Create a playlist of the songs.
Listen to the playlist and take notes on the techniques used in the songs.

Watch video tutorials on different guitar techniques

Show steps

Watching video tutorials can help you learn new techniques and improve your playing.

Show steps

Find video tutorials on YouTube or other online platforms.
Watch the tutorials and take notes on the techniques.
Practice the techniques you learned.

Jam with other guitarists

Show steps

Jamming with other guitarists can help you learn new songs and improve your playing skills.

Show steps

Find other guitarists to jam with.
Choose a song to play.
Play along with the other guitarists.

Write a song

Show steps

Writing a song will help you develop your creativity and songwriting skills.

Show steps

Brainstorm ideas for a song.
Write the lyrics.
Compose the music.
Record your song.

Career center

Learners who complete Guitar for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Musician

Musicians of all types learn the fundamentals of playing guitar through this Beginner's Guitar course. Whether you are interested in picking up the electric or the acoustic, this course teaches you everything you need to know to get started. Learn about scales, chords, strumming, picking, and more. This course is a great way to begin your musical career.

See salaries and explore the career path for Musician

Guitar Teacher

Guitar teachers of all levels can use this Beginner's Guitar course to pick up new techniques to engage with their students in fresh ways. No matter how experienced you are, you can learn new ways to teach the fundamentals of guitar with this course. Additionally, new guitar teachers can get a grasp on the basics of teaching through this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Guitar Teacher

Music Producer

Those interested in becoming music producers may find this Beginner's Guitar course helpful in the studio. While the course does not cover music production, it teaches you the basics of guitar playing and understanding music theory. This knowledge is invaluable to music producers who wish to produce guitar-based tracks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Producer

Audio Engineer

In a similar fashion to those interested in becoming music producers, audio engineers who wish to work with guitar-based recordings may find this Beginner's Guitar course helpful. Gaining a better understanding of how the guitar works and how to play it can help audio engineers get the most out of a guitar recording.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer

Singer-Songwriter

Beginner guitar is an excellent course for aspiring singer-songwriters who want to accompany themselves on guitar. This course teaches you strumming, picking, and fingerpicking techniques on either the acoustic or electric guitar. Additionally, learning guitar will help you in your songwriting as you will be able to create your own guitar melodies and chord progressions for your songs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Singer-Songwriter

Music Therapist

Music therapists may find this Beginner's Guitar course useful to expand their playing repertoire. Music therapists who can play guitar can help lead group classes and engage with their clients on a new level. Additionally, teaching guitar to those in therapy could be a new avenue for music therapists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Therapist

Music Director

Music directors who play the guitar will find this beginner guitar course useful for expanding their skills on the instrument. They will also be able to use the course to understand how to effectively teach guitar to others.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Director

Composer

Composers who wish to compose for guitar or who wish to expand their instrumental repertoire will find this beginner guitar course useful. Learning the basics of the guitar will give composers a greater understanding of the instrument's capabilities, which will help them write more effective music for guitar.

See salaries and explore the career path for Composer

Bandleader

Bandleaders who play the guitar can use this beginner guitar course to expand their skills on the instrument. Additionally, the course can help bandleaders develop their guitar teaching skills, which is useful for helping other members of the band learn new material.

See salaries and explore the career path for Bandleader

Music Arranger

Music arrangers who wish to improve their ability to write for the guitar will find this Beginner's Guitar course useful. Learning the basics of the guitar will give music arrangers a greater understanding of the instrument's capabilities, which will help them write more effective arrangements for guitar.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Arranger

Instrumentalist

Instrumentalists of all types may find this Beginner's Guitar course useful for learning a new instrument or developing a secondary instrument. Regardless of whether they play the guitar or not, learning guitar will give instrumentalists a better understanding of music theory and help them improve their overall musicianship.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instrumentalist

Music Educator

Music educators who teach guitar may find this Beginner's Guitar course useful for expanding their skills on the instrument. They will also be able to use the course to understand how to effectively teach guitar to others.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Educator

Music Journalist

Music journalists who specialize in guitar may find this beginner's guitar course useful for developing their playing skills and understanding of the instrument. Although not strictly necessary, being able to play guitar can give music journalists a deeper understanding of the music they are writing about.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Journalist

Music Critic

Music critics who specialize in guitar may find this beginner's guitar course useful for developing their playing skills and understanding of the instrument. Although not strictly necessary, being able to play guitar can give music critics a deeper understanding of the music they are critiquing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Critic

Music Librarian

Music librarians who specialize in guitar will find this Beginner's Guitar course useful for developing their playing skills and understanding of the instrument. Although not strictly necessary, being able to play guitar can give music librarians a deeper understanding of the music in their collection.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Librarian