Guitar Anatomy
Objectives
- Learn the two types of guitars.
- Learn the names of the various parts of the guitar.
- Learn what the parts of the guitar do.
Two Types of Guitars
Generally speaking, there are two types of guitars: acoustic and electric. Luthiers, or guitar makers, build acoustic guitars so they can be played without amplification. Electric guitars require an amplifier to produce a sound loud enough to hear well.
Several guitar parts are common to both acoustics and electrics, others are specific.
| Common Parts | Electric Only | Acoustic Only |
| Headstock | Pickup | Sound Hole |
| Tuning Machines |
Pickup Selector | Bridge Pin |
| Frets |
Output Jack |
End Pin |
| Nut | Volume Knob |
Sounding Board (Guitar Top) |
| Neck |
Tone Knob | |
| Fretboard (Fingerboard) |
Bar (Whammy Bar) |
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| Position Markers (typically dots) |
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| Body |
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| Bridge |
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| Saddle |
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| Strings |
String Naming and Standard Tuning
Strings are numbered from the thinnest string (1st string) to the thickest string (6th string). The tuning is given from the 6th string to the 1st string: E-A-D-G-B-E. This tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) is called standard tuning.
String Numbering and Tuning
Fret Numbering
Frets are numbered from the headstock toward the body starting with 1. Sometimes the number 0 or letter O is used to denote an open string, or one that is played without fretting a note.
Fret Numbering
Fretboard Movement
Guitarists can move horizontally up or down the fretboard, or vertically across the fretboard. These are common terms used to communicate how to shift your hands when playing the guitar.
Fretboard Movement
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