Guitar Notes on the 5th string and the 6th String
So by now you are playing and reading notes on strings one and two, and strings three and four. Adding the last two strings will complete reading the basic notes when reading beginning guitar music.
You should be warming up playing all the notes starting on the lowest note to the highest note, and back down. Repeat this process a few times to get your fingers to use all the notes. Once again, this helps you learn the distance between the strings with both the picking hand and fingering hand. Your muscles will learn the muscle memory needed and over time you will make fewer and fewer mistakes with either hand.
The last six notes we will learn will be, starting on the 6th string, E open. Then onto fret one, F. And last third fret, G. Continuing with the fifth string notes open A, second fret B, and third fret C.
Practice these six notes going up and down. When you are comfortable with that, add these six notes to the rest of your string sets, going up and down.
The Sixth String
The lower lines below the staff are called ledger lines. Open E is the lowest note for standard tuning. Practice the sixth string notes reading before going onto the fifth string.
The Fifth String
Onto the last string with more ledger lines, which will be the fifth string, starting with open A. Then to B on the second fret. And lastly C, on the third fret.
Practice this example using only the fifth string notes, A, B, and C.
Combining the Fifth and Sixth Strings
Now combine the fifth and sixth strings for the last six notes.
Combining It All
Now that you have made it through all six strings, time to combine everything. If you have been steadily practicing as you go, the only tough notes will be the last two strings until you have had some time on them. Here is all six strings. Good Luck! Remember, practice slowly with a steady pace.
Hopefully, this has helped you review reading the basic open position guitar notes, or getting a start on beginning to read the guitar notes. What lies ahead? Learn to read different rhythms using quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and eighth notes along with their rests equivalents. After this, buy some reading books with some of your favorite songs to practice. Holiday, Disney, and Broadway music books are available. Also, check out some of my other future blogs which I plan to cover more things to learn about note reading for the guitar. Thank you and have fun challenging yourself on the guitar.
Below are some examples of various songbooks you can buy to start reading your favorite songs. The links are affiliate links in which I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. The prices listed may change.