Free Course Image Beginner Guitar Lessons: Chords, Strumming and Playing Songs

Free online courseBeginner Guitar Lessons: Chords, Strumming and Playing Songs

Duration of the online course: 2 hours and 41 minutes

New

Play your first songs with confident chords and strumming in this free guitar course—learn tuning, rhythm, and clean changes fast. Certificate-ready.

In this free course, learn about

  • Course goals and what to expect as a beginner guitarist
  • How to choose a suitable beginner guitar (type and basic considerations)
  • Names and functions of major guitar parts (e.g., frets change pitch by string length)
  • Proper beginner posture and how to hold the guitar comfortably
  • String names in standard tuning (E A D G B E) and left-hand finger numbers
  • How to tune your guitar and understand what tuning targets are
  • How to change strings and how much slack to leave for correct wraps on the pegs
  • How to read chord diagrams (including what an X above a string means) and play first chords
  • Common chord sets in keys: G, D, A, C, and E (including smooth transitions like G-C-Em)
  • Time signatures and counting (4/4 quarter notes per bar; counting in 6/8)
  • Basic strumming patterns in 4/4 and 6/8 and where strums land in the count
  • Why and when downstrokes matter in 4/4 strumming for groove and emphasis

Course Description

Pick up a guitar and go from uncertain first steps to real music you can play. This free online beginner course is built for anyone who wants a clear path into guitar, especially in a classical guitar context, without getting lost in theory or overwhelmed by jargon. From the start, you will understand what to expect, how to choose a suitable instrument, and how to set yourself up for steady progress, even if you have never played a note before.

You will get comfortable with the basics that make everything else easier: the parts of the guitar and what they do, how pitch changes along the fretboard, and how to hold the instrument with a posture that helps your hands relax and move efficiently. You will also learn string names and finger numbering so instructions make sense immediately, plus practical skills like tuning accurately and changing strings when it is time, so you are not dependent on someone else to keep your guitar playable.

Once your setup is solid, the focus shifts to making music. You will learn how to form your first chord and how to read simple chord diagrams, which removes a major beginner barrier and makes songs feel accessible. Then you will practice groups of widely used chords across common keys, training your fingers to change shapes smoothly and developing the coordination needed to keep time while switching chords. This approach gives you a flexible foundation to follow along with many popular songs and progressions.

Rhythm ties everything together, so you will also work with counting and time signatures, building a strong internal pulse. With beginner-friendly strumming patterns in both 4/4 and 6/8, you will learn where the strums land in the count, why certain strokes matter, and how consistent down strums can strengthen your groove. By the end, you will have the practical tools to accompany yourself or others with steady rhythm, clean chord changes, and a musical feel that sounds like a song, not an exercise.

Course content

  • Video class: Beginner Guitar Lesson Course - Lesson 1: Introduction and what to expect 05m
  • Exercise: What is the main goal of this beginner guitar course?
  • Video class: What guitar should I use or buy? Lesson 2 - Beginner Guitar Course 06m
  • Exercise: Which type of guitar is recommended for this beginner guitar course?
  • Video class: The parts of the guitar - Lesson 3: Beginner Guitar Course 08m
  • Exercise: Which guitar part changes the pitch by lengthening or shortening the string?
  • Video class: How to hold the guitar - Lesson 4: Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 06m
  • Exercise: Which posture is recommended when sitting to play guitar as a beginner?
  • Video class: String Names and Finger Numbers - Lesson 5: Beginner Guitar Course 05m
  • Exercise: In standard guitar tuning from the thickest string (closest to you) to the thinnest string, what are the string names?
  • Video class: How To Tune Your Guitar - Lesson 6: Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 14m
  • Video class: How To Change Guitar Strings - Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 24m
  • Exercise: When restringing an acoustic guitar, what amount of slack should you leave before winding the string on the tuning peg to get about the right number of wraps?
  • Video class: How to play your first chord - Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 10m
  • Exercise: In a chord diagram, what does an X above a string mean?
  • Video class: How to play chords in the key of G - Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 11m
  • Exercise: Which chord shape is recommended because two fingers can stay in the same place when moving between G, C, and E minor?
  • Video class: How to play chords in the key of D - Beginner Guitar Lesson Course Lesson 10 - Worship Tutorials 09m
  • Exercise: Which four chords are taught as the most commonly used chords in the key of D?
  • Video class: How to play chords in the key of A - Beginner Guitar Lesson Course Lesson 11 - Worship Tutorials 09m
  • Exercise: Which four chords are taught as the major chords in the key of A in this lesson?
  • Video class: Guitar Lesson - How to play chords in the key of C - Beginner Guitar Course Lesson #12 07m
  • Exercise: Which four chords are taught as the main chords to use in the key of C?
  • Video class: How to play chords in the key of E - Lesson 13: Beginner Guitar Course 08m
  • Exercise: Which set of four chords is taught as the major chords to use in the key of E in this lesson?
  • Video class: Time Signatures and Counting - Lesson 14: Beginner Guitar Course 08m
  • Exercise: In 4/4 time, how many quarter notes are in one measure?
  • Video class: Basic 4/4 Strumming Pattern - Lesson 15: Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 07m
  • Exercise: In the first basic 4/4 strumming pattern, where do the strums land when counting the measure?
  • Video class: Basic 6/8 Strumming Pattern - Lesson 16: Beginner Guitar Lesson Course 05m
  • Exercise: When counting in 6/8 time for this strumming lesson, how many counts are in each measure?
  • Video class: More 4/4 Strumming Patterns - Lesson 17: Beginner Guitar Course 09m
  • Exercise: In 4/4 time, what is a key reason to use down strums in your playing?

This free course includes:

2 hours and 41 minutes of online video course

Digital certificate of course completion (Free)

Exercises to train your knowledge

100% free, from content to certificate

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