Glossary

Guitar Glossary

The terms that pop up while you learn, all explained in plain words — 100 entries, sorted by category. Come back anytime you hit one you don't know.

Instrument Anatomy18 terms

FretFret · Fret position: One of the cells on the fretboard marked off by two metal fret wires — each cell is one fret. Counting from the headstock toward the body, the 1st fret is closest to the headstock. Press a string down at a fret and pluck, and the pitch rises above the open string by that many semitones (1st fret = a semitone higher, 2nd fret = a whole tone higher, and so on).; Related: Fret Wire Fretboard Open String Semitone
Fret WireFret wire: The thin metal strips set into the fretboard that divide one fret from the next. When you fret a note you're really pressing the string down against a fret wire, which stops the vibration right there and sets the pitch. Press close to the fret wire (just behind it) for less effort and no buzz.; Related: Fret Fret Buzz Fretboard
NutNut · Top nut: A small strip (usually plastic, bone, or a synthetic material) where the headstock meets the fretboard. It has 6 slots that hold the strings, setting where the open strings begin, their spacing, and their height above the fretboard. Together with the saddle, it determines the action and feel of the whole guitar.; Related: Saddle Action Open String
SaddleSaddle · Bridge bone: The support strip set into the bridge that holds the strings at the body end — the starting point of the string's vibration on the body side. Its height directly affects the action (how high the strings sit above the fretboard), so it has a lot to do with how hard or easy the guitar is to play.; Related: Bridge Nut Action
BridgeBridge: A piece of wood glued to the top that anchors the tail end of the strings (on a steel-string, bridge pins usually hold them in place). It transfers the strings' vibration to the top, making it key to volume and tone. The saddle sits right on the bridge.; Related: Saddle Top (Soundboard)Bridge Pins
Bridge PinsBridge pin · Bridge peg: The 6 little pegs on a steel-string's bridge that lock the ball ends of the strings into the bridge holes. When changing strings you pull the pins out, fit the new string, then push them back — pull gently so you don't crack the bridge.; Related: Bridge Changing Strings
PickguardPickguard · Scratch plate: The thin plastic sheet below the soundhole that protects the top from being scratched by the pick and fingernails. Fingerstyle players sometimes find it in the way, but for strumming it shields the guitar's face from wear.; Related: Top (Soundboard)Pick
BracingBracing · Braces: The skeleton of wooden bars glued to the inside of the top (an X pattern is common). It both supports the top against the strings' tension and shapes how it vibrates, deeply affecting tone and volume. It's hidden but crucial — the bracing work on a good guitar is especially carefully done.; Related: Top (Soundboard)Soundhole
Top (Soundboard)Top · Soundboard · Solid top: The wooden plate on the front of the guitar — the single most important part for tone. The strings' vibration passes through the bridge to the top, which drives the air in the body to make sound. A “solid top” means the top is made of one piece of solid wood (rather than laminate), which usually sounds better and opens up the more you play it.; Related: Bridge Soundhole Bracing
SoundholeSound hole · Sound hole: The round hole in the center of the top that connects the vibrating air inside the body to the outside, letting the sound out. Soundhole accessories like clip-on/soundhole pickups and feedback-busting soundhole covers all mount here.; Related: Top (Soundboard)Bracing
NeckNeck: The long section running from the headstock to the body that you hold in your left hand — the fretboard is on its front, the back is where your left thumb rests. The curve and thickness of the back determine the feel; inside the neck there's usually an adjustable steel rod (truss rod) to resist string tension and control neck bow.; Related: Fretboard Headstock
FretboardFretboard · Fingerboard: The wooden surface on the front of the neck, set with fret wires, where your left hand presses the strings (often rosewood, ebony, etc.). All fretting, scales, and chords happen on the fretboard, so getting to know where the notes live on it is an important step toward intermediate playing.; Related: Neck Fret Scale
HeadstockHeadstock: The very top of the neck, holding the tuning pegs, where the strings wind onto the posts. Tuning is just turning the pegs on the headstock to change how tight or loose the strings are.; Related: Tuning Pegs Neck
Tuning PegsTuners · Machine heads · Tuning peg: The 6 knobs on the headstock; turning one tightens or loosens its string, raising or lowering the pitch — that's tuning. Note the difference from the hand-crank “string winder” tool used when changing strings.; Related: Headstock Tuning String Winder (Tool)
ActionAction · String height: How high the strings sit above the fretboard. Too high and fretting is hard work — sore fingers, chords that won't ring; too low and you get buzz and noise. When beginners' fingers hurt or F won't sound, high action is often the culprit, and a shop can lower it a bit.; Related: Saddle Fret Buzz Barre Chord
Fret MarkersPosition dots · Position marker · Inlay: The small dots (or shell inlays) at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th frets and so on that let you find a position fast without counting. The 12th fret usually has a double dot, marking where the notes are one octave above the open strings.; Related: Fret Position Octave
Fret BuzzFret buzz · Buzzing · String buzz: A “buzzing” or “rattling” noise made when a plucked string touches the fret wire in front of it. Common causes are not fretting firmly enough, not pressing close to the fret wire, action that's too low, or a neck out of shape. Check your fretting first, then consider whether the guitar needs a setup.; Related: Fret Wire Action Neck
PositionPosition: The “zone” your left hand sits in on the fretboard, usually named by the fret your index finger covers (index around the 5th fret = 5th position). The same chord or scale can be played in different positions, and learning to shift makes your playing smoother and your tone richer.; Related: Fretboard Fret Barre Chord Fret Markers

Technique21 terms

Open StringOpen string: A string played without fretting it at all — it sounds its own natural pitch (in standard tuning, strings 6 to 1 are E A D G B E). In a chord diagram, an “O” above a string means play it open, an “×” means don't play it.; Related: Chord Diagram Open String Notes EADGBE Muting
Barre ChordBarre chord · Full barre · Closed position: Using one finger (usually the index) to press several strings at the same fret, with the other fingers forming the rest of the chord. F, B, and others are barre chords — the big hurdle for beginners. The payoff: slide one shape to different frets and you get different chords.; Related: Action Position Power Chord
MutingMute · Muting · Damping: Deliberately keeping one or more strings from sounding, or stopping them quickly. You can rest your left hand lightly on the strings (without fretting) for a muffled thud, or press your right palm near the bridge for a dull “chunk.” It's often used while strumming to avoid hitting bass strings that shouldn't ring.; Related: Strumming Chop / Choke Technique Markings (× h p s b ~)
StrummingStrumming · Strum: Sweeping the right hand (pick or fingers) across several strings — the most common way to accompany singing. A downward sweep is a downstroke, upward is an upstroke, and combining downs and ups in a set pattern makes a strumming pattern. A relaxed wrist swinging evenly, like a pendulum, is the key.; Related: Strumming Pattern Muting Chop / Choke
Arpeggio / FingerstyleArpeggio · Fingerstyle · Fingerpicking: Instead of sweeping all at once, plucking the notes of a chord one at a time for a flowing, beaded texture. Narrowly, an “arpeggio” means picking string by string in a fixed order (like 5-3-2-3-1-3-2-3); broadly, “fingerstyle” is the whole solo approach of playing melody, accompaniment, and bass with independent fingers.; Related: PIMA (Right-Hand Fingering)Alternating Bass / Travis Picking Chord
Chop / ChokeChoke · Chop · String stop: Right after a strum, instantly cutting the sound off with the right palm or by relaxing the left-hand chord, making a short, punchy “chk.” It's often alternated with normal strums in a pattern to give the groove more drive.; Related: Strumming Muting
Hammer-onHammer-on · h: After plucking a note, a left-hand finger “hammers” down onto a higher fret to sound that note — without picking again. The two notes connect very smoothly. It's marked “h” in tab and is one of the foundations of legato.; Related: Pull-off Slide Tablature (TAB)
Pull-offPull-off · p: The reverse of a hammer-on: the finger on the higher fret “pulls” off the string sideways, letting the lower note (an open string or another fretted note) ring out on its own — again with no extra pick. Marked “p” in tab, often paired with hammer-ons for a trill-like legato.; Related: Hammer-on Slide Tablature (TAB)
SlideSlide · s: After plucking a note, keeping the finger pressed and sliding it to another fret so the pitch glides smoothly across. Shown with “s” or a slash in tab. Slides make a phrase smoother and more vocal.; Related: Hammer-on Pull-off Vibrato
BendBend · b: Pushing (or pulling) a fretted string sideways toward the next string, increasing its tension and raising the pitch — usually by a semitone or a whole tone. It's the guitar's signature expressive move, imitating the way a voice “bends” around a note; in folk it's mostly used as an ornament.; Related: Vibrato Slide
VibratoVibrato · ~: After fretting a note, the finger makes small, fast repeated pushes or wobbles on the string so the pitch fluctuates slightly, sounding more “expressive” and sustaining longer. Often marked with a wavy line “~” in tab.; Related: Bend Slide
HarmonicsHarmonics: Plucking while making the string vibrate only in segments (such as directly over the 12th, 7th, or 5th fret), producing a clear, bell-like high tone. Lightly touching right over a fret wire and then plucking gives a “natural harmonic”; there are also “artificial harmonics” that need the right hand to help.; Related: Fret Wire Fingerstyle Techniques
PercussionPercussion · Body tap · Slap: While playing, tapping the body of the guitar with fingers or palm, or slapping the strings, to mimic drum rhythms — making one guitar sound like it has “built-in percussion.” It's a signature technique of modern fingerstyle (e.g. Kotaro Oshio).; Related: Fingerstyle Techniques Arpeggio / Fingerstyle
TappingTapping · Two-hand tapping: Using right-hand fingers to “tap” notes directly onto the fretboard (essentially moving hammer-ons/pull-offs to the right hand), often together with the left hand, to play wide-interval legato lines quickly. More common in modern fingerstyle and rock solos; an advanced technique.; Related: Hammer-on Pull-off Fingerstyle Techniques
PIMA (Right-Hand Fingering)PIMA · Right-hand fingering: The letters classical/fingerstyle players use for the right-hand fingers: P = thumb (handles bass strings 6/5/4), I = index (3rd string), M = middle (2nd string), A = ring (1st string). Marking PIMA in a score tells you which finger to pluck each note with — fixed assignments are what make picking steady and accurate.; Related: Arpeggio / Fingerstyle Alternating Bass / Travis Picking
Alternating Bass / Travis PickingTravis picking · Alternating bass · Bass alternation: The right-hand thumb rocks steadily between two (sometimes three) bass strings, laying down a steady “boom-chick-boom-chick” bass while the fingers above pick the melody. It's the most common backbone of folk fingerstyle, named after country guitarist Merle Travis.; Related: PIMA (Right-Hand Fingering)Arpeggio / Fingerstyle Root
TremoloTremolo · Rasgueado: Plucking the same string in quick succession with the a, m, i fingers in turn, turning a single note into a dense, continuous “shimmer” for a flowing, water-like effect (as in “Recuerdos de la Alhambra”). It takes long, slow practice to get even.; Related: PIMA (Right-Hand Fingering)Fingerstyle Techniques
Power ChordPower chord · Fifth chord · 5 chord: A chord made of just the root and the perfect fifth above it (sometimes plus the octave root) — two or three notes. With no third, it has no major/minor color, so it sounds “hard.” The shape is simple and fully movable, and it's used constantly in rock with distortion, written like E5 or A5.; Related: Barre Chord Perfect Fifth Root
Double StopDouble stop · Third / sixth double stops: Plucking two notes at once (often a third or sixth apart), sitting between a single-note melody and a full chord, giving the line more body and a touch of harmony. Fingerstyle often uses third and sixth double stops to thicken the main melody.; Related: Arpeggio / Fingerstyle Interval
Fingerstyle TechniquesFingerstyle techniques · Fingerstyle moves: An umbrella term for the set of right-hand / two-hand techniques in modern acoustic solo playing that combine melody, accompaniment, bass, and percussion on one guitar — including body percussion, harmonics, tapping, tremolo, alternating bass, and more. Players like Kotaro Oshio and Tommy Emmanuel are masters of these combined techniques.; Related: Arpeggio / Fingerstyle Percussion Harmonics Tapping Tremolo Alternating Bass / Travis Picking
Simplified BarreSimplified barre · Easy barre: When a full barre is too tiring, you can keep just the chord's most essential notes and drop the strings you can't reach or barely hear, fretting 3–4 strings is enough. For a major triad with its root on the 6th string, for instance, keeping “root + 3rd + 5th” will do — no need to force all six to ring. The harmonic color stays basically the same and it's much easier to play; just mute or avoid the unwanted strings when strumming.; Related: Barre Chord Movable Chord Muting Power Chord

Theory39 terms

IntervalInterval: The pitch distance between two notes, described by a number plus a quality, such as a major 2nd, perfect 5th, or major 3rd. Intervals are the “bricks” that build scales and chords — a major triad, for instance, is root + major 3rd + perfect 5th.; Related: Semitone Whole Tone Perfect Fifth Chord
SemitoneSemitone · Half step: The smallest common pitch distance in Western music. On the guitar, two adjacent frets on the same string are a semitone apart — fret one fret higher and the pitch rises by a semitone. Twelve semitones stacked up make exactly one octave.; Related: Whole Tone Fret Octave Interval
Whole ToneWhole tone · Whole step: A pitch distance equal to two semitones. On the guitar, skipping one fret is a whole tone (e.g. open string to the 2nd fret). The major scale is laid out in the whole/half pattern “W-W-H-W-W-W-H.”; Related: Semitone Major Scale Scale
OctaveOctave: The distance between two notes with the same name, one high and one low — the higher one's frequency is exactly double the lower, so they sound “like the same note.” On the guitar, the note at the 12th fret is one octave above the open string on that same string.; Related: Semitone Note Name / Pitch
Note Name / PitchPitch · Note · Solfège: Naming notes with C D E F G A B (i.e. do re mi fa sol la si), corresponding to the white keys on a piano; a sharp ♯ or flat ♭ marks the black keys. “Pitch” refers to how high or low it sounds — the E, A, etc. shown on a tuner are note names.; Related: Tuning Open String Notes EADGBE Key / Tonality
Perfect FifthPerfect fifth · P5: A very stable, open-sounding interval spanning 7 semitones (such as C to G). It's the whole of a power chord and the skeleton of major and minor triads; in guitar tuning adjacent strings are mostly perfect fourths, but fifths turn up everywhere in harmonics and position relationships.; Related: Interval Power Chord Circle of Fifths
Key / TonalityKey · Key signature: When a piece treats one note as “home” (the tonic) and organizes a set of notes and chords around it, we say it's in that key, such as C major or A minor. Once the key is set you know which chords to use and how high it sits to sing; a capo can shift the whole thing up or down when needed.; Related: Major Scale Minor Scale Diatonic Chords Capo Transposition
Major ScaleMajor scale · Major: A seven-note scale laid out as “W-W-H-W-W-W-H” (e.g. C major = C D E F G A B), bright and upbeat in sound. The vast majority of “cheerful” pop and folk songs are built on some major key.; Related: Minor Scale Whole Tone Scale Relative Major / Minor
Minor ScaleMinor scale · Minor: The natural minor is laid out as “W-H-W-W-H-W-W” (e.g. A minor = A B C D E F G), sounding more melancholy and deep. It uses exactly the same notes as some major scale — only “home” (the tonic) is different.; Related: Major Scale Relative Major / Minor Scale
ModeMode · Church modes: The several distinct-flavored scales you get by treating the same set of notes as “home” from different starting notes, such as Dorian and Mixolydian. They explain why some songs sound neither like a standard major nor a minor yet have their own flavor — an intermediate tool for improvising and arranging.; Related: Major Scale Minor Scale Scale
ScaleScale: A string of notes arranged in pitch order — the raw material for melody and improvisation. The most practiced are the major scale and the pentatonic; once you know a scale's shapes on the fretboard, you have “available notes” to choose from when soloing.; Related: Major Scale Minor Scale Pentatonic Scale Fretboard
Pentatonic ScalePentatonic · Pentatonic scale: A scale with only five notes (it drops the two most “trap-prone” notes of the major/minor scale), so it's hard to make sound bad no matter how you play it — the first choice for beginning improvisation and soloing. Chinese-flavored melodies also use the pentatonic heavily.; Related: Scale Major Scale Minor Scale
Song FormSong form · Song structure: How a song's sections are organized — once you can spot which section is which, you can break a song apart and practice it section by section. The most common in folk and pop is the two-part verse-chorus; old jazz and many classic standards often use AABA. Counting the sections when you hear a new song is the first step in learning it by ear.; Related: Verse / Chorus AABA Form Cadence
AABA FormAABA · 32-bar form · Bridge: The standard sentence structure of classic standards: theme A is sung twice, then a contrasting B (the “bridge,” often shifting harmonic color and building tension for the return), then back to A to close — typically 8 bars × 4 = 32 bars. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “I Got Rhythm” are textbook examples — in jazz, “playing a chorus” usually means going once through these 32 bars.; Related: Song Form Verse / Chorus Cadence
Verse / ChorusVerse · Chorus · Pre-Chorus: The most common two-part structure in modern pop: the verse handles the setup and storytelling (lower range, sung more densely), the chorus carries the hook (higher range, often fuller harmony), with a pre-chorus sometimes laid in between to lift the energy. Arrangements often go “plain verse, colorful chorus” — fewer chords and lighter playing in the verse, the full set and open strumming in the chorus.; Related: Song Form AABA Form Scale Degrees (Roman Numerals)
Scale Degrees (Roman Numerals)Degree chords · Roman numerals · Nashville numbers: Using Roman numerals like I ii iii IV V vi to show where a chord sits in a key, rather than writing a specific chord name. That way a “1-6-4-5” progression carries over to any key, making learning by ear and transposing easy (in C, 1-6-4-5 is C-Am-F-G).; Related: Diatonic Chords Chord Function (T/S/D)Key / Tonality
Diatonic ChordsDiatonic chords · In-key chords: The set of chords built by stacking thirds on each of the seven notes of a key, using only those notes. For example, the diatonic chords of C major are C Dm Em F G Am Bdim — an in-key song basically stays among these.; Related: Scale Degrees (Roman Numerals)Chord Function (T/S/D)Major Scale
ChordChord: Three or more notes sounded together (or broken up) — the basic unit of accompaniment. The most common is the triad of root + third + fifth, split into major triads (bright, like C) and minor triads (melancholy, like Am).; Related: Root Interval Chord Function (T/S/D)Chord Diagram
RootRoot · Chord root: The foundational note that gives a chord its name — usually the lowest note of the chord and the one it's named after (the root of a C chord is C). When strumming or playing alternating bass, you generally start from the bass string where the root lives.; Related: Chord Alternating Bass / Travis Picking Inversion / Slash Chord
Chord Function (T/S/D)Harmonic function · Tonic/Subdominant/Dominant: Sorting chords into three roles by their “job”: tonic (T, stable, home, like I), subdominant (S, leaving home, like IV), and dominant (D, tense and strongly pulling home, like V). A song's progression is mostly a cycle of “leave home — tension — return home,” and understanding it lets you predict and write progressions.; Related: Scale Degrees (Roman Numerals)Diatonic Chords Cadence Dominant 7th Chord
CadenceCadence · Resolution: The set way one or two chords close off a phrase, deciding whether it sounds “finished” or “not yet.” The strongest is the dominant-to-tonic (V→I, like G→C) “perfect cadence,” giving a settled, conclusive feeling of arrival.; Related: Chord Function (T/S/D)Dominant 7th Chord
Inversion / Slash ChordInversion · Slash chord: Instead of leaving the root at the bottom, putting another note of the chord lowest makes an inversion; written as “chord/bass” like C/E or G/B, the note after the slash is the lowest one to play. It lets the bass line move smoothly step by step and is a common tool in nice-sounding arrangements.; Related: Root Chord Bass Line
Bass LineBass line · Walking bass: The “low-voice melody” formed by stringing together the lowest note of each chord in an accompaniment. Letting it rise or fall smoothly step by step (often with the help of inversions / slash chords) sounds far more flowing than jumping from root to root each time — a common little trick in folk arranging.; Related: Inversion / Slash Chord Root Alternating Bass / Travis Picking
Dominant 7th ChordDominant 7th · Dom7 · X7: A four-note chord made by stacking a minor seventh on a major triad (like G7 or B7), carrying an “unresolved, wanting to move forward” tension — it often appears just before a return to the tonic chord. Written with a 7 after the note name, like G7.; Related: Chord Function (T/S/D)Cadence Major 7th Chord Minor 7th Chord
Major 7th ChordMajor 7th · maj7: A major triad with a major seventh stacked on top (like Cmaj7), with a soft, laid-back, artsy color, common in pop, city pop, and bossa nova. Note that it has a completely different character from the dominant 7th (X7): one is gentle, the other tense.; Related: Dominant 7th Chord Minor 7th Chord Chord
Minor 7th ChordMinor 7th · m7: A minor triad with a minor seventh stacked on top (like Am7 or Dm7), softer and less “bitter” than a plain minor triad, sounding smoother with an urban feel. Written with an m7 after the note name.; Related: Dominant 7th Chord Major 7th Chord Chord
Circle of FifthsCircle of fifths: A chart arranging the 12 keys in a ring by perfect-fifth relationships; each clockwise step adds a sharp and makes the key “brighter.” It lets you see at a glance how many sharps/flats a key has, what its relative major/minor is, and the common directions chord progressions move — the “map” of music theory.; Related: Key / Tonality Perfect Fifth Relative Major / Minor
Relative Major / MinorRelative major/minor · Relative keys: A major and a minor key that share the same set of notes (the same sharps/flats), called each other's relative major / minor; the minor's tonic sits a minor third below the major's (C major ↔ A minor). So the very same chords can be played either cheerful or melancholy.; Related: Major Scale Minor Scale Circle of Fifths
Capo TranspositionCapo transpose · Capo up · Transpose: Clamping a capo at a fret effectively raises all the open strings by that many semitones, so you still use familiar chord shapes but actually play in a higher key. Capo at the 2nd fret playing a C progression sounds in D — very handy for matching your vocal range.; Related: Capo Key / Tonality Semitone
Interval ShapeInterval shape: Memorizing the “degree relationship” between two notes directly as a fixed shape on the fretboard. Because most adjacent strings on the guitar are a perfect fourth apart — except the 3rd and 2nd strings, which are a major third — the same interval (say a major third) has a few different shapes depending on whether it's “on one string / across to an adjacent string / across to the 2nd string.” Learn intervals as shapes and you won't have to count fret by fret to build chords, find notes, or work out double stops.; Related: Interval Perfect Fifth Whole Tone The G-B String Shift Double Stop
The G-B String ShiftG-B compensation · 2nd-string shift: A lifelong “quirk” of guitar tuning to remember: the gaps 6→5, 5→4, 4→3, and 2→1 are all perfect fourths, but the 3rd to 2nd string is a major third (a whole tone smaller). The result is that any shape, scale, or chord that crosses onto the 2nd string (and the 1st) has to shift one fret toward the headstock to compensate. When a barre, a scale run, or finding an octave suddenly “feels wrong,” it's usually because you forgot this one-fret shift.; Related: Interval Shape Open String Notes EADGBE Barre Chord
Movable ChordMovable chord · Shifting shapes: As long as a chord has no open strings, the whole shape can slide along the neck like a “stamp”: push one fret toward the body to go up a semitone, two frets for a whole tone. The most common origin is turning open chords into fully-fretted versions — slide the Am shape up and you get Bm, Cm…; slide the E shape up and you get F, G… This is the essence of barre chords and the underlying logic of “one shape across all twelve keys.”; Related: Barre Chord Root Chord CAGED System Power Chord
Suspended Chordsus · sus2 · sus4: Taking out the chord's 3rd and replacing it with the 2nd (sus2) or 4th (sus4). With no 3rd you can't tell major from minor, so it sounds “suspended in mid-air, wanting to move on” — often used to build anticipation before returning to the original chord, as in Dsus4→D. Notes: sus2 is 1·2·5, sus4 is 1·4·5.; Related: Chord Interval Added-Tone Chord
Added-Tone Chordadd9 · Cadd9 · Added 9th chord: Adding one extra note to a plain triad without stacking all the way up to the seventh, most commonly add9 (adding the 9th, i.e. the 2nd an octave up). It's steadier than a suspended chord (the 3rd is still there, so major/minor is unchanged), just with a touch more clarity — Cadd9 and Gadd9 are practically standard in folk strumming. Notes: 1·3·5·9.; Related: Suspended Chord Chord Extended Chord Interval
Extended Chord6 chord · 9 chord · Extended chords: On top of a triad or seventh chord, continuing to stack “skip a note, add a note” to reach the 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th, giving richer, jazzier harmony — like the major sixth C6 (1·3·5·6), dominant ninth C9 (1·3·5·♭7·9), or major ninth Cmaj9. When six strings can't fit every note, you usually drop the 5th or even the root and keep the 3rd, 7th, and that “color note” that most defines the flavor.; Related: Added-Tone Chord Dominant 7th Chord Major 7th Chord Minor 7th Chord Half-Diminished 7th Chord
Half-Diminished 7th Chordm7♭5 · m7-5 · Leading-tone 7th: Notes 1·♭3·♭5·♭7: a minor seventh chord with its 5th lowered a semitone. It's exactly the diatonic chord on the 7th degree of the major scale (like Bm7♭5 in C), sounding tense and unstable and naturally wanting to resolve to the tonic — a regular as the “ii” in a minor ii–V–i.; Related: Minor 7th Chord Diatonic Chords Dominant 7th Chord Cadence
Secondary DominantSecondary dominant · Applied dominant: Temporarily “borrowing” a dominant 7th chord from outside the key to strengthen a chord within it — the trick is to take the note a perfect fifth above the target chord and make a dominant 7th of it. For example, in C, to emphasize Dm, play A7 (D's dominant) first, then go to Dm. String them all together and you get the nice “descending fifths” drive of E7–A7–D7–G7–C. It deliberately uses out-of-key notes — exactly where that “brighten up and then curve back” flavor comes from.; Related: Dominant 7th Chord Chord Function (T/S/D)Cadence Circle of Fifths Scale Degrees (Roman Numerals)
CAGED SystemCAGED: A method of “tiling” the whole fretboard using the shapes of the five open chords C, A, G, E, and D: the same chord has these 5 fingerings in different positions, with adjacent shapes joining end to end to cover the entire neck; those same 5 frames also correspond to 5 scale positions. Learn it well and you have a map for finding the same chord in another position or arranging anywhere.; Related: Position Movable Chord Scale Root
Closely Related Key ChangeClosely related keys · Near keys: The most natural places to modulate are the keys “right next door” on the circle of fifths and their relative minors — for C major, that's G, F and Am, Em, Dm. Because they share so many notes and chords with the original key, the shift sounds smooth and unjarring, making them the go-to landing spots for a pop chorus key change or a section color shift.; Related: Circle of Fifths Relative Major / Minor Key / Tonality

Notation9 terms

Tablature (TAB)TAB · Tablature · Guitar tab: Guitar's own simplified notation: six lines stand for the six strings (the top line is the 1st/thinnest string, the bottom is the 6th/thickest), and a number on a line tells you which fret to press, with 0 for open. Just read the numbers and press — no standard notation needed, which is why it's the most common way to write guitar music.; Related: Fret Numbers Chord Diagram Open String Technique Markings (× h p s b ~)
Fret NumbersFret number: The numbers written on the string lines in tab, telling you which fret to press on that string; 0 means open, unfretted. For example, a “2” on the 3rd-string line means press the 3rd string at the 2nd fret. Several numbers stacked in one column mean press and pluck them together (i.e. a chord).; Related: Tablature (TAB)Fret Open String
Chord DiagramChord diagram · Chord chart · Fingering diagram: A little picture showing how to fret a chord: vertical lines are strings, horizontal lines are frets, dots mark which finger presses which string and fret, an “O” above a string means play it open and an “×” means don't play it, and a curve or bar means one finger barring. Just place your fingers on the dots.; Related: Chord Barre Chord Open String Tablature (TAB)
Strumming PatternStrumming pattern · Strum chart · Right-hand pattern: Arrows or symbols recording how the right hand should strum: a down arrow is a downstroke, up is an upstroke, arranged with the beat into a fixed one-bar routine (like “D DU UDU”). Pick the right strumming pattern for a song and the “feel” of the accompaniment is more than half right.; Related: Strumming Time Signature Chop / Choke
Time SignatureTime signature · Meter: The two numbers at the start of a score, like 4/4 or 3/4: the bottom number says which note value gets one beat, the top says how many beats are in each bar. 4/4, “four beats per bar,” is the most common in pop; 3/4 is the waltz-like “oom-pah-pah” three-beat feel.; Related: Bar Line Strumming Pattern Metronome
Anacrusis (Pickup)Anacrusis · Pickup · Upbeat · Incomplete bar: When a song doesn't begin on the first beat of a bar but “sneaks in” a note or two before the barline before landing on the downbeat — that's a pickup (the score opens with an incomplete bar). Many folk songs do this: the first word of “Oh! Susanna,” “Auld Lang Syne,” and “Amazing Grace” all come before the downbeat. The trick for counting: keep the beat steady, let your voice come in before your hand, and land the first strum right on the downbeat.; Related: Time Signature Song Form
Bar LineBar line · Measure · Bar: The vertical lines that group notes by the time signature; the space between two of them is one “bar” (measure). They help you see the rhythmic cycle; a thick double line at the end marks the end of the piece. Chord changes often happen right at a bar line.; Related: Time Signature Tablature (TAB)
Tie / SlurTie · Slur: A curved line connecting two note heads. Connecting notes of the same pitch makes a tie, meaning fold the second note's duration into the first without re-picking, letting the sound carry; connecting different pitches usually cues a legato technique like a hammer-on, pull-off, or slide.; Related: Hammer-on Pull-off Slide
Technique Markings (× h p s b ~)Technique markings · × ○ h p s b ~: A set of little symbols common in tab: × means a muted note (a pitchless “dead” click), h is a hammer-on, p a pull-off, s a slide, b a bend, ~ vibrato, and ‹n› or a diamond marks a harmonic. Learn all these markings before reading a score so you don't miss the techniques.; Related: Tablature (TAB)Hammer-on Pull-off Harmonics Muting

Gear & Care13 terms

PickPick · Plectrum: The small piece held between thumb and index to pluck the strings, commonly nylon or celluloid, ranging from thin (about 0.5mm, soft and springy for strumming, easy to sound) to thick (1mm+, solid for single-note solos). Beginners can start with a thin to medium thickness for strumming.; Related: Strumming Pickguard
CapoCapo: A little tool that clamps at a fret and “barres” all the strings for you, effectively raising the open strings as a whole. That way you can use just simple chords like C, G, Am to accompany a higher key or match your vocal range — almost every folk singer-strummer owns one.; Related: Capo Transposition Barre Chord Key / Tonality
Partial CapoPartial capo: A special capo that clamps only some strings (like the middle 3 of 6), creating open-tuning-like open-string harmonies without actually retuning. Mostly seen in fingerstyle and songwriting, used to get unusual open-string resonances.; Related: Capo Alternate / Open Tuning
String GaugeString gauge · Gauge · .011 / .012: The thickness of a string set, labeled by the diameter (in inches) of the thinnest string, such as .011 (custom light) or .012 (light). Smaller numbers mean thinner strings — easier to press, with a thinner tone; thicker strings are louder but harder work. Beginners with sore fingers can start with a light set like .011.; Related: Action Changing Strings Acoustic / Classical / Travel Guitar
Acoustic / Classical / Travel GuitarAcoustic / Classical / Travel · Steel-string / Nylon-string: Three common acoustic guitars: the steel-string (folk) guitar has steel strings, a bright sound, and suits strumming and singing (this site's default); the classical guitar has nylon strings, a wider fretboard, and a soft feel, suited to classical fingerstyle; the travel guitar has a small body, is portable, and suits taking out and players with small hands.; Related: String Gauge Top (Soundboard)Action
Changing StringsString change · Restringing: The maintenance task of taking off old strings and putting on new ones. Strings dull, drift out of tune, rust, and start to feel rough over time, so depending on how often you play, change them every few weeks to few months. Usually change them one at a time and use a string winder to speed up the winding.; Related: Bridge Pins Tuning Pegs String Winder (Tool)String Gauge
String Winder (Tool)String winder · Peg winder: A small hand-crank tool that fits over a tuning peg to quickly tighten or loosen a string, saving lots of turns when changing strings; many also have a notch for prying out bridge pins. Note it's an accessory tool — not the same thing as the fixed “tuning pegs” on the headstock.; Related: Changing Strings Tuning Pegs Bridge Pins
Humidity CareHumidity · Crack / damp protection: Acoustic guitars dislike being too dry or too damp: too dry and the top can crack and fret ends stick out and cut your hand; too damp and it molds and the neck warps. The ideal relative humidity is about 45%–55% — in dry areas or winter you can put a humidifier in the case, and when not playing for a while, store it in the case and keep an eye on humidity.; Related: Top (Soundboard)Neck Fret Wire
TuningTuning: The process of turning the six open strings to standard pitch (thick to thin, E A D G B E), checking against a tuner or this site's online tuner. You should tune before every session — out of tune, even great playing sounds off.; Related: Tuning Pegs Open String Notes EADGBE Tuner Note Name / Pitch
Open String Notes EADGBEStandard tuning · Standard tuning · Open-string notes: The note names of the six open strings from thick to thin (strings 6→1) in standard tuning: E A D G B E. Memorize it — you'll use it for reading chord diagrams, working out fretted notes, and tuning. Rearranging the pitches gives an “alternate tuning.”; Related: Tuning Open String Alternate / Open Tuning
Alternate / Open TuningAlternate tuning · Open tuning · Drop D / DADGAD: Tuning some strings to pitches different from standard EADGBE. Drop D (the 6th string down to D) makes power chords easy; open tunings (like Open D / G) make the open strings form a chord, so strumming open already sounds — slide and fingerstyle players love them; DADGAD has an airy Celtic flavor.; Related: Open String Notes EADGBE Tuning Partial Capo Power Chord
TunerTuner: A device or app that tells you whether each string is in tune: pluck a string and it shows the current note name and whether it's sharp or flat, so you can turn the peg to center it. This site's tools page has a built-in online tuner that works with your phone's mic.; Related: Tuning Metronome Tuning Pegs
MetronomeMetronome: A tool that ticks at a set tempo (BPM, beats per minute), helping you lock in steady rhythm and speed up gradually. Keep it on for practicing chord changes, strumming, and scales — a steady sense of time matters far more than playing fast. This site's tools page has a built-in online metronome.; Related: Time Signature Tuner Strumming Pattern

Got the terms down? Now go play them out, one by one, in the lessons.

Browse all lessons →Beginner First Aid · FAQ