The 80/20 Beginner Guitar Course

explore the anatomy of a guitar and focus on the essential 20 percent: tuning pegs, strings, and frets, while recognizing headstock, nut, bridge, neck, body, and sound hole.

Master a comfortable guitar-holding posture by resting your elbow along the guitar’s body curve while sitting, with a strap when standing, and learn to use a pick and Kaypro.

Choose a light, medium, or heavy pick to shape tone and string response. Place the capo to move the nut and play the same four chords for different songs.

Tune your guitar by matching each string to its letter (e, a, d, g, b, e) with a tuner, then adjust pegs clockwise or counterclockwise to correct pitch.

Learn to read a chord chart and translate it to fretting for chords, using G major as an example; open strings, and buzzing and muting are addressed next.

Learn to diagnose buzzing and muting in guitar playing by identifying horizontal and vertical issues, fretting behind the fret, and applying targeted practice to clean chords like G major.

Learn strumming by holding the pick correctly and using down and upstrokes with a metronome, then practice a single string at a time before switching between G, C, and D.

Learn G major: place middle finger on third fret of high e string and index on second fret of a string, monitor muting and buzzing for a clean sound.

Explore easy G major chord variations that preserve quality, including lifting the ring finger, muting the a string, and practicing G major seven shapes.

Learn the D major chord in this beginner guitar lesson, place index on g string 2nd fret, middle on e 2nd fret, ring on b 3rd fret, and avoid buzzing.

Explore d major chord variations, including d major seven by barring the bottom strings, and d seven with a three-finger fingering, plus lifting the middle finger.

Master the e minor chord, using two fingers on the second fret and practice one string at a time to build muscle memory for smooth chord switching toward C major.

Explore E minor variations, from the two-finger open-position chord across all six strings to the E minor seven shapes, including a pinky-on-B string third-fret option.

Learn the c major chord with precise finger placement on a, d, and g strings and open high e string. Build finger strength and avoid muting with proper thumb position.

Explore easy C major chord variations, including C major seven and C-7, using pinky placements on the B, G, or E strings to shape jazzy or subtle voicings.

Master four core chords through one-string-at-a-time practice, building muscle memory and smooth changes with deliberate slow drills, muting techniques, and a 4-2-4-2 strumming pattern.

Explore the A major chord from the chord chart, with middle, ring, and pinky finger placement for easier changes, and tips to prevent buzzing and muting on six strings.

Explore A major chord variations on the six-string guitar, including lifting the pinky to fret the B string and forming an A major seventh used in jazz.

Master the B major chord by fretting the fourth fret, fretting the second fret with the pointer finger, and muting the low and high E strings, focusing on the stretch.

Explore B major chord variations, including major shape shifts up the fretboard, B major seven, jazzy major seventh, and an easier five-string version.

Learn the E major chord from the core E minor, master finger placement and barre options, and explore variations to move freely across the fretboard.

Learn easy E major chord variations: E7 by lifting the ring finger, a pinky on G string second fret, and a major-shape moved up a string, a D minor variation.

Learn two ways to play F major: an easy three-string version on D, G, and B strings. A semi-barre form frets two strings at the first fret, building barre chords.

Learn common f major chord variations, including f major seven, f sus2, and f sus4, plus a c-style fingering that mutes to resemble the c major shape.

Recap the major chords and the seven notes A through G, and preview introducing the minor chords in the next video.

Explore difference between major and minor chords, compare E major with E minor, and review major chords (G, C, D) alongside minor chords (A, B, C, D, F, G minor).

Play the a minor by moving the e major shape down one string. Position middle finger on d2, ring on g2, index on b1; keep a and high e open.

Explore variations of A minor chord, including minor seven and sus two, to ease chord changes and finger positions; apply Adele's someone like you bridge in the 80/20 beginner course.

Form the B minor by sliding the A minor shape. Place the index on the second fret of the A string and mute the E.

Explore the C minor chord by moving the B minor shape up one fret and muting the low and high E strings; then explore D-minor open and movable variations.

Learn C minor chord variations and the basics of barre chords, including using your finger as the nut to play C minor 7 and move shapes up the fretboard.

Master the d minor chord by fretting g string 2nd fret, b string 3rd fret, and high e string 1st fret, strumming bottom four strings and listening for muting.

Explore D minor chord variations, including a D minor 7 and a no-bar version, by adjusting pinky and fingering on the B, high E, and G strings.

master the f minor chord by barring three strings at the first fret across g, b, and e, then add the third-fret d string with your ring finger.

Explore F minor variations by placing your pinky on the third fret of the B string, tackling challenging shapes as you prepare to borrow in the next class.

Master the G minor barre shape and compare it to F minor, focusing on thumb placement and why barre chords farther from the nut are easier. Start with G minor.

Explore the G minor chord and its variations, including pinky placements on the fifth fret of B and high E strings, and how the same shape moves across the neck.

Recap covers all minor chords from A minor through G minor, compares with major chords, and notes barre chord practice; includes exercises to reinforce muting and finger strength.

Master strumming basics, downstrokes and upstrokes, and keep time with simple patterns. Use a five-step method to isolate hands, mute strings, slow tempo, and build chord changes in rhythm.

Master the four down clean sound exercise to eliminate buzzing and muting, and practice chord changes and E major to A major switches at 60 bpm with four downs.

Master the pick me up and down exercise to coordinate down and up strokes across alternating strings, using E major, to improve pick control for folk and blues songs.

Apply the 80/20 approach with four core chords—g, c, d, and e minor—plus brief a minor and b minor in the bridge, using Adele's Someone Like You as a guide.

This lesson demonstrates how to play Let It Be with core chords C major, G major, A minor, and F, covering verse and chorus progressions and simple downstroke strumming.

Learn the reggae rhythm and a simple three-chord progression—D, B minor, and G—for just the way you are by Bruno Mars, with tips on rhythm breakdown and chord changes.

Learn how the song I'm Yours uses four core chords and a fixed rhythm, enabling thousands of tunes with the same progression; apply capo and minor variations.

Recap the course's core 80/20 focus and key guitar skills, including guitar anatomy, major and minor chords, buzzing and muting, chord switching, rhythm exercises, and real-song practice.

I invite you to leave comments to help improve future 80:20 guitar courses, and next course unlocks 20 percent content with more chords, barre chords, and music theory for songwriting.