What do beginners of the guitar practice at the beginning?

1. Basic Hand Positions and Posture: Start with Proper Form

1. Guitar Holding Posture

• Sitting Position:
  • Sit upright, rest the guitar body on your right thigh (or use a footstool), keep the body against your abdomen, and tilt the neck slightly upward.
  • Support the neck naturally with your left hand, placing the thumb near the midline behind the fretboard—avoid excessive squeezing.
• Standing Position: Use a strap, adjusting the guitar height so the neck forms a 45° angle with your abdomen, preventing wrist strain from a too-low body.

2. Basic Hand Shapes for Left and Right Hands

• Right Hand (Picking Hand):
  • Fingerstyle: Thumb (p) for strings 4–6, index (i), middle (m), and ring (a) fingers for strings 3–1. Trim nails round; pluck with finger joints, not wrist sway.
  • Pick (Plectrum): Hold the pick between thumb and index finger at a 45° angle to strings, using small wrist movements for even strumming.
• Left Hand (Fretting Hand):
  • Press strings vertically, as close to the fret as possible without overlapping. Avoid finger pads muting adjacent strings (common for muted tones).
  • Apply just enough pressure for clear notes. Initial finger soreness is normal—calluses form with practice.

2. Core Fundamentals: Scales, Chords, and Rhythm

1. Scale Practice: Build Pitch Awareness

• C Major Scale (Open Position):
  • Start from the 6th string open (E), play E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E (3rd fret on 1st string) to familiarize with pitch positions.
  • Practice Method:
    • Use a metronome starting at 60 BPM, practicing slowly to ensure clarity. Relax wrists when changing fingers.
    • Try "chromatic exercises": 1st finger on 1st fret, 2nd on 2nd, 3rd on 3rd, 4th on 4th, moving horizontally across all strings to build finger independence.
• Pentatonic Scale (Common in Blues/Pop):
  • E.g., C major pentatonic (C-D-E-G-A), practice patterns in low positions (1–5th frets) for improvisation foundations.

2. Chord Transitions: Begin with Basic Chords

• Essential Open Chords (C Position Examples):

  Chord	Fingering	Key Tips
  C	2nd finger on 4th string 2nd fret, 3rd on 5th string 3rd fret, 1st on 2nd string 1st fret	Ensure 1st finger doesn’t mute 1st string open
  G	3rd finger on 6th string 3rd fret, 2nd on 5th string 2nd fret, 1st on 1st string 1st fret	Thumb opposite neck center
  D	1st finger on 1st string 1st fret, 2nd on 3rd string 2nd fret, 3rd on 2nd string 3rd fret	Prevent 3rd finger from muting 1st string
  Em	2nd finger on 5th string 2nd fret, 3rd on 4th string 2nd fret	Fingers close together, press vertically
  Am	2nd finger on 4th string 2nd fret, 3rd on 3rd string 2nd fret, 1st on 2nd string 1st fret	Check 1st string open clarity

• Transition Steps:
  1. First, hold each chord firmly, plucking with the right hand to check for muted notes; adjust finger placement.
  2. Start with simple chord progressions (e.g., C-G-Am-F), practicing transitions slowly with a metronome. Aim for "seamless shifts" (allow 0.5-second gaps initially).
  3. Advanced: Try downstrokes, using wrist to guide the pick evenly across all strings.

3. Rhythm Training: Develop Musicality

• Quarter and Eighth Notes:
  • Use a metronome in 4/4 time: thumb downstrokes on the 6th string (bass) for strong beats, alternating index/middle fingers on strings 3–1 (treble) to practice "strong-weak-strong-weak" rhythm.
• Syncopation and Dotted Rhythms:
  • Start with simple patterns like "down-down-up-down-up" (quarter + eighth notes), combining with chord transitions to avoid rhythm errors.

3. Practical Repertoire: From Single Notes to Singing

1. Single-Note Exercises

• "Ode to Joy": Play the melody with C major scale to familiarize with pitches on strings 1–3, cultivating melody sense.
• "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star": Add 跨度 (range) practice between bass (5–6th strings) and treble, exercising left-right hand coordination.

2. Beginner Sing-Along Songs

• "Childhood" (Luo Dayou): Chord progression C-G-Am-F, strumming pattern "down-down-up-down-up"—ideal for practicing strumming and transitions.
• "Can't Help Falling in Love" (Yu Chengqing): Uses G-D-Em-C chords; add muting (light right-hand touch after strumming) in the chorus to enhance rhythm.
• Practice Tips:
  • Separate chord playing and singing first; sync them once proficient. Start slow, ensuring lyrics align with chord changes.

3. Fingerstyle Miniatures

• "Wings You Are The Hero" (Masaaki Kishibe): Simplified version uses low-position arpeggios, practicing alternating thumb and index plucking (p-i technique).

4. Common Issues and Solutions

5. Progression Plan: From Beginner to Intermediate

1. 3-Month Goal:
   • Master common chords in C/G/D keys, complete 5–10 sing-along songs, and play with backing tracks.
2. 6-Month Goal:
   • Learn F major barre chord, master G/A minor blues scales, and try short improvisations.
3. 1-Year Goal:
   • Explore fingerstyle styles like Y 押尾 / Tommy, learn slapping, harmonics, and understand music theory (e.g., chord progression logic).

6. Practice Tips

• Time Management: 30 minutes of focused daily practice is more effective than 2-hour weekly cramming.
• Record and Review: Film practice sessions to check hand shape and rhythm, improving targetedly.
• Theory Supplement: Study basic theory (e.g., C major scale structure, chord degrees) to avoid "muscle memory-only" practice.
• Tools Recommendation: Metronome app (e.g., "Metronome Beats"), capo (for easy key changes), nail file (maintain picking feel).