What Should a Guitar Beginner Learn First?

Starting guitar lessons is incredibly exciting — but also filled with questions! One of the most common is: "What should I learn first?"

At Kingwood Arts Academy in Kingwood, TX, we guide each beginner step by step, building skills that lead to early wins and long-term success.

🎵 Start with the basics: Open chords

Learning open chords is usually the first significant milestone for beginners. These chords (like C, G, D, E minor, and A minor) are:

• Relatively easy to play.

• Used in countless popular songs.

• Great for building finger strength and coordination.

🎸 Strumming patterns and rhythm

Strumming might seem simple, but it's the heartbeat of guitar playing. Beginners start with: 

• Downstrokes and upstrokes.

• Simple patterns to help keep time.

• Learning to stay steady rather than fast at first.

💡 Tuning your guitar

Learning to tune your guitar properly is a crucial skill. We teach beginners:

• How to use a tuner or tuning app.

• Basic ear-training exercises to recognize when notes are in tune.

Proper tuning means your chords sound great — and your ear develops faster.

🎵 Easy songs early

Nothing boosts motivation like playing a song you love! We introduce simple songs early on, often using only two or three chords. This helps students:

• Gain confidence quickly.   

• See immediate progress.

• Enjoy the process and look forward to practice.

🎯 Posture and hand positioning

Good posture and hand technique help prevent injury and make playing feel natural. Beginners

learn:

• How to hold the guitar comfortably.

• Proper thumb and wrist positions.

• How to relax shoulders and avoid tension.

  
  

📈 Building a strong foundation

These early skills pave the way for more advanced techniques later, like: 

• Barre chords and power chords.

• Fingerstyle picking.

• Improvisation and soloing.

• Understanding scales and music theory.

🏆 Go at your own pace

Every student learns differently. Some might master their first chords in a week, while others

take a few weeks — and that's okay!

At Kingwood Arts Academy, we tailor each beginner lesson plan to your pace, goals, and favorite styles.

🌟 Start your guitar journey with confidence

With the proper guidance, you'll be amazed how quickly you can go from your first chord to your

first full song — and beyond.

👉 Ready to start? Click HERE to request information.