Core · Beginner
Zero to Hero
Five open chords, real changes, and a song you'll recognize. Finished First Notes? Your Em carries over.
What you'll know at the end
- Five open chords: Em, Am, E, A, D
- The Em–Am switch and the A–E–D rock cycle
- Down-strums that hold a full bar
- Three Little Birds, end to end
Skips · Barre chords · Fingerstyle · Rhythm scoring · Theory
First Sounds
Open strings, first frets, first chord.
Open String Call-Out
A string is named — find it and pick it open. Six calls, no fretting hand.
Name That String
Hear a tone, find the string. Two misses and the answer lights up.
One Finger Per Fret
One finger per fret, 1 through 4 — the hand position guitarists drill forever.
Hello, Em
Six strings ringing together — your first chord. Strum, then prove it string by string.
The Em Arpeggio Check
Hold Em and pluck each string alone. A dead string stops the check until it rings.
By the end · Open strings named, Em ringing.
Two Chords, First Music
A second chord and your first minute of music.
Hello, Am
Your second chord. Three fingers — two of them you already know from Em.
The Slow Switch
Em to Am and back, no clock. Ten clean switches.
The Em-Am Vamp
Em and Am, four strums each, one minute, no stopping.
All Down Quarters
Hold Em, one down-strum per click. The foundation of all strumming.
By the end · Two chords, a clean switch, a minute of music.
The Rock Three
E, A, D — then a song everyone knows.
Hello, E
Em plus one finger — the easiest major chord on the guitar.
Hello, A
Three fingers in a row at fret 2. A powers more songs than almost any chord.
Hello, D
A triangle of fingers on the thin strings. Only four strings play — aim is half the game.
The D Ringing Check
Hold D and pluck its four strings alone. A dead string stops the check until it rings.
The Fret-2 Pivot
A to D and back, no clock. Your fingers rearrange; your hand stays put.
The Rock Cycle
A, E, D, repeat — one minute. Half the songs you know run on these three.
Three Little Birds
The Bob Marley classic — A, D and E, around and around. One real song.
By the end · Five chords and Three Little Birds. You're playing songs.
More coming: C and G, the pop progression, more songs, your first scale.