Guitar training: Moving your fingers

Learn how to move your fingers on the guitar fretboard.

Basics required for this lesson : How to read an online guitar tab,
Practice this lesson : None

Need some help ?

Songs that are easy to play

In this section, I have included some easy songs for you to play. These songs will help you practice choosing which fingers to use. It doesn't matter which fingers you use, as long as you are comfortable with your choice. Just don't use your thumb to press a fret.

The first song is very easy : Smoke on the water

e|--------------------------------------------||
B|--------------------------------------------||
G|--------------------------------------------||
D|--------------------------------------------||
A|--------------------------------------------||
E|----0--3--5---0--3--6-5---0--3--5--5--3--0--||

Second song : The Mexican hat dance

e|--------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|--0-5--0-5--0-5---0-5-7-5-4--5-7----0-4--0-4--0-4---0-4-5-4-2--4-5--||
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------||
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------||
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------||
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------||

As you play these songs, try paying attention to the fingers you are using. It will help you know what you are comfortable with, and how you instinctively move your fingers. This can turn out to be very useful when playing the guitar.

Third song (a little bit harder but still very easy): this will make you move your fingers

e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
B|----------0----0------------ --0----------------------0-1-0---------------------||
G|--0-0-2---0----2---0-0-2-----0----------0-0-2---------2-0-----------------0--0--||
D|---------------------------------------4-----------------------------4--0--2--4-||
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------||

By Luke Daniels.