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Guitar Learning Basics: Walking Up the Fretboard

For right handed player, the fingers of the left hand are used to press the strings down on the fretboard while the right is used to strum or pick the strings. The left hand fingers are very simply numbered: first finger is 1; second finger is two, third is three and fourth is four.

For the first position the first finger plays the first fret which is the space between the first fret and the nut, the second finger plays the second fret which is the space between the first and second fret; then the third finger on the third fret and finally the fourth finger on the fourth fret.

Now that the first position is done, strike the first string with the thumb of the right hand. This is called the OPEN E string. Then place the left first finger on the string behind the first fret and press down while striking the string with the right hand. Move along until the fourth fret is reached, then move to the second string. Keep repeating the sequence and practice for each string. This is called the Walk-Up exercise also known as the CHROMATIC SCALE or doing Half-steps.

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