1. Play one string
String 6 is the thickest string. To play fret 3, count three metal strips from the tuning pegs and press the string just behind the third strip. For fret 0, play the open string.
Chord Flow
Guitar Scale Degrees for Beginners
Practice four scale degrees
Play the same position four times, then press Next.
Practice settings
Choose a note (scale degree)
See the notes on this string
0 means play the open string without pressing a fret.
Play Do, Re, Mi
Choose a key to set the note you call Do, then play 1 through 8. Degree 8 is the higher Do.
Fret number →
Numbers on the fretboard show the scale degrees. Fret 0 means play the open string.
Beginner’s Guitar Manual
2. Play by number
A scale degree is a note’s number in the scale. Count the first note of the major scale, Do, as 1. In C major, C is 1.
Open the Do, Re, Mi fretboard ↑3. Add the next string
Use the note you found as your root (the starting note). Play it with the note two frets higher on the next thinner string. These two notes form a power chord.
See the finger positions ↓How do I count in a minor key?
Chord Flow always uses major-scale numbers. For a minor key, count from Do in its relative major, which shares the same notes as the natural minor scale.
A minor uses C major as its reference. C is 1 and A, the root of Am, is 6. To practice, select C major and play A when you see a 6.
Power Chords on Strings 6, 5, and 4
Play the green and yellow notes together. For a three-note shape, add the blue note.
Root
Perfect fifth (7 semitones up)
Octave (the higher note with the same name)
String 6 root · G
String 5 root · C
String 4 root · F
The two-note shape is the same on all three root strings. To add the octave, use the same fret as the yellow note for roots on string 6 or 5. For a root on string 4, put the blue note one fret higher because strings 3 and 2 are tuned closer together.
When should I use a capo?
A capo clamps across the strings to raise their pitch. “Capo 2” means place it at the second fret.
Start practicing scale degrees without a capo. The numbers stay the same when you change keys. To play along with a recording, choose the key you hear.
When you start playing chord shapes, follow the chart’s capo setting. A C shape with a capo at fret 2 sounds as D.