If you’re new to guitar, just started playing, or are wondering how to learn guitar, you might now know the order of guitar strings by heart yet. Don’t worry—there are helpful mnemonic tricks and other tips that will burn the guitar string order into your brain for life.
That’s what this guide is all about: covering everything you need to know about guitar string order, how to memorize each guitar string name, how to change strings, and how to keep each acoustic or electric guitar string strong song after song.
Let’s dive into the ultimate beginner’s primer on guitar strings.
Standard String Order Explained
In the first verse of your guitar career, you only need to know one standard string order. From lowest to highest note (or thickest to thinnest string), that order is EADGBE.
This is a highly versatile, simple guitar tuning and string order that suits players new and seasoned. It makes for easy guitar chord formation, straightforward scales, and simple tuning. And since the highest and lowest strings in this tuning are the same (both the high-E string and low-E string, separated by two octaves), it’s easy to create nuanced chords and get a feel for note placement across the fretboard in this configuration.
But after more practice sessions than you can count and hundreds of songs under your belt, you might consider experimenting with alternative tunings. There are nearly countless variations to play with, but here are some guitarist-favorite alternate tunings:
- Drop D – DADGBE
- DADGAD – Exactly what it says on the package
- Open A – EAEAC#E
- Open C6 – CACGCE
- Open G – DGDGBD
This is definitely a non-exhaustive list, but don’t let the jumble of letters make your head spin—all you’ll need to remember as a beginner is the standard order.
Tips for Memorizing String Names
While you could take a page out of the violinist’s book and label your fretboard with tape to remember the names of the strings, there has to be a better way. People usually memorize the order of guitar strings in one of two ways:
- Mnemonic tricks – Assign a word to each letter in EADGBE to make a guitar string name phrase you’ll remember. A tried-and-true (though macabre) favorite is “Eddie Ate Dynamite, GoodBye Eddie.” This is an opportunity to really get creative—instead of following the crowd, you can make up your own nonsensical mnemonic.
- Brute force – Simply put, you’re going to tune your guitar thousands of times during your life. Even if you have to Google the right order the first twenty times, it’ll eventually become second nature. You’re going to encounter the pattern every time you play, so it’s sure to stick.
Changing Your Strings
While changing strings might seem intimidating for newcomers, it’s an important part of the electric or acoustic guitar maintenance process that you’ll get accustomed to the more often you do it. Changing strings is actually pretty simple on both acoustic guitars and electric machines:
- Gather materials – You’ll need a fresh set of strings and wire clippers at minimum. But a specialty tool called a string winder can make the process of changing electric or acoustic guitar strings even smoother. You can score both a string winder and a wire clipper in Gibson’s String Change Kit. If you don’t have a string winder, you might also need a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove an acoustic guitar’s bridge pins.
- Remove old strings & Install new strings – Removing and Installing new strings is dependent on the type of guitar you are restringing. You can learn how to change electric guitar strings and how to restring an acoustic guitar with help from the experts at Gibson.
Once you’ve repeated these steps for all of your strings, it’s time to tune your axe and get to work on your scales.
Maintaining String Health
There are two main tactics you can use to extend the life of your strings:
- Tuning gently – When you’re turning your tuning pegs, take it slow—loosening or tightening your strings too quickly during guitar tuning could cause them to snap prematurely.
- Prevent nicks – Keep your strings safe from impact and damage by safely storing your guitar while it’s not in use, using flexible picks, and wiping them down with a dry cloth or duster every now and then.
At the end of the day, strings are consumable. While you can extend their life, they won’t last forever. Whether you play an acoustic or electric guitar, replacing your strings is part and parcel of the guitarist experience.
Gibson Guitars: The Home of Master Craftsmanship
Memorizing the order of guitar strings is relatively simple—especially with the help of mnemonics and repeated practice sessions.
Whether you’re learning scales for the first time or you’re a seasoned pro, turn to Gibson Guitars for all of your needs. There’s a reason we’re a household name in guitar making: we’ve been producing the highest-quality instruments for 130 years.
Browse our entire selection of guitars, accessories, and tools now.
Sources:
- Guitar World. 11 Alternate and Open Tunings Every Guitarist Should Know. https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/11-alternate-tunings-every-guitarist-should-know
