Beginner Electric Guitar Worksheet for 13-Year-Olds — Chords, Strumming & Tabs

Instructions

Welcome, future rock star! This worksheet will help you get familiar with the basics of your new electric guitar. Read each section carefully and answer the questions. Try your best not to peek at the answer key at the end until you're finished!

Part 1: Know Your Axe!

An electric guitar has many parts. Match the descriptions below with the correct part from the Word Bank. Write your answer on the line provided.

Word Bank:

Body     Headstock     Fretboard     Pickups     Bridge     Tuning Pegs     Frets     Volume Knob     Output Jack     Neck

1. The main part of the guitar that rests on your leg. ____________________
2. These are the "magnetic ears" that hear the strings vibrate and turn it into an electric signal. ____________________
3. You turn these to tighten or loosen the strings to tune them. ____________________
4. The metal strips that go across the neck. You press the string down just behind them. ____________________
5. The long part of the guitar you hold with your fretting hand. ____________________
6. This is where you plug in the cable that connects to your amplifier. ____________________
7. The part at the very top of the guitar that holds the tuning pegs. ____________________
8. The flat, wooden surface on the front of the neck where you press the strings. ____________________
9. This piece holds the strings in place on the body of the guitar. ____________________
10. This dial controls how loud or quiet your guitar's signal is. ____________________

Part 2: Name That String!

The guitar has six strings. We count them from the thinnest (1st string) to the thickest (6th string). A great way to remember their names (from thickest to thinnest) is the phrase: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie. Fill in the note name for each string below.

• 6th String (Thickest): _____
• 5th String: _____
• 4th String: _____
• 3rd String: _____
• 2nd String: _____
• 1st String (Thinnest): _____

Part 3: Cracking the Code - Reading Guitar TAB

Guitar Tablature, or "TAB," is a simple way to read music. The six lines represent the six strings. The top line is the thinnest string (high E) and the bottom line is the thickest (low E). The numbers on the lines tell you which fret to play. A '0' means play the string open (don't press any fret).

Look at the simple riff in the TAB below and answer the questions.

e|-------------------------|  <-- 1st string (thinnest)
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-----------5---3---------|
A|---3---6-----------6-----|
E|-------------------------|  <-- 6th string (thickest)

1. What is the very first note you play? (Hint: Look at the string and the fret number).
   ________________________________________________________________
2. On which string is the 5th fret played?
   ________________________________________________________________
3. How many notes are played on the A string in total?
   ________________________________________________________________

Part 4: Write Your Own Riff!

Time to get creative! Using only the three thickest strings (E, A, and D) and only the first four frets (0, 1, 2, 3), write a simple 4-note riff on the blank TAB below. There's no wrong answer, just have fun!

e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|

Answer Key

Part 1: Know Your Axe!

1. Body
2. Pickups
3. Tuning Pegs
4. Frets
5. Neck
6. Output Jack
7. Headstock
8. Fretboard
9. Bridge
10. Volume Knob

Part 2: Name That String!

• 6th String (Thickest): E
• 5th String: A
• 4th String: D
• 3rd String: G
• 2nd String: B
• 1st String (Thinnest): E

Part 3: Cracking the Code - Reading Guitar TAB

1. 3rd fret on the A string.
2. The D string.
3. Three notes (3rd fret, 6th fret, and 6th fret again).

Part 4: Write Your Own Riff!

This is a creative exercise. Answers will vary! Show it to your teacher or a friend and see how it sounds!