The guitar string names are EADGBE, but that’s not always easy to remember. In fact, most guitarists have a hard time connecting the right letters to the right strings.

Never fear! There are tons of ways to memorize the string names, and this post will give you 9 great ones. Use any method you like, or feel free to mix and match approaches.
 

Acronyms are one of the best memory tools out there. In our case, it’s fairly easy to come up with acronyms for the guitar string names: EADGBE. You can either use an established one or create one of your own.

Established acronyms are great because they’re likely to ‘click’ with you in the same way they click with others. My personal favorite? Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.

That one is nice because it’s catchy and humorous. And if you’re a fan of Ed, Ed, and Eddie, then the acronym will be especially memorable. Another helpful thing is that Eddie being repeated twice is just another reminder that the guitar’s top and bottom strings are both “E.”

Here are some other possible acronyms you may like:
 

• Eat All Day, Get Big Easy (another silly one)

• Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually (simple and true enough)

• Eat A Dog Get Big Ears (probably not the choice for dog lovers)

• Every Artist Discovers Great Beats Eventually (you just have to be patient ??)

• Embrace All Different Genres, Be Experimental (this one has my stamp of approval)

• Eat All Donuts, Get Belly Enlarged (similar to above, so take your pick)

• Excited Alligators Do Goofy Belly Exercises (absurd enough to be memorable)

• Elephants Always Drink Gatorade Before Eating (everyone knows that!)

Be sure to choose an acronym that resonates with you and stick with it! This is probably the easiest way to memorize the guitar strings. Be sure to share any acronyms you like in the comments!
 

Another memory trick you might like is to associate each string with a specific concept. This is very similar to using an acronym, but it’s less focused on the whole message and more focused on connecting each string to a specific thing.

I recommend you associate each string with something that starts with the same letter and somehow reminds you of the string.

For instance, you can imagine the 2nd string as a bee because its sound reminds you of buzzing. Or you might think of the D string as barking like a dog. Be as goofy as you want! In fact, the sillier the connections are, the better you’ll remember them.

This strategy works best if you take the time to bolster these associations with mental images. For instance, you might imagine the open second string buzzing in harmony with a group of bees nearby, as pictured above. 

Childish as this may seem, you’d be surprised at the power of such images. So let your imagination run wild! (This will probably help your music-making as well).
 

Nothing reads as crazy quite like repeating things to yourself in public. That’s why if you decide to use verbal repetition to learn the guitar string names, you should do it at home.

This method works well because your voice, your ear, and your mind are intimately connected. Hearing yourself say “EADGBE” can go a lot further than you might think. As usual, this practice works best if you do it frequently and space out your sessions.

If you like this concept, you should know that simply reciting the musical alphabet—ABCDEFG—is another valuable form of practice. Good musicians are able to count letters better than most of us can count numbers. Be sure to go both forward and backwards!
 

Let’s go back to second grade and pretend you threw a hot dog at your enemy during lunch period. You get caught and are sentenced to write “I will not throw hot dogs at people” 200 times on the chalkboard after school.

Well, it so happens we can use that outdated (and ridiculous) punishment to memorize the guitar string names. And I think you’ll find that when you’re not forced to do it, writing the same thing repeatedly can be fun.

Use any scrap of paper you have lying around and write “EADGBE” as many times as possible. You’ll find that you’ll have that string of letters memorized before long. But once you have it down, be sure to wait a few hours or a day and then try again. This repetition will further solidify your memory.

You can also be more descriptive, writing something like “6th string=E, 5th string=A,” and so forth. There’s no need to write until your hand hurts either. Even writing the guitar string names out 10-20 times per session should be plenty.
 

Sometimes you need to challenge yourself, get out of that comfort zone. Quizzing can be a great way to do that. Whenever you have a quiet moment, ask yourself the names of the strings or force yourself to recall them in a certain order.

Of course, this works best with a friend. Have them point to random strings and make you answer as fast as possible. If they’re smart, they might find your weakness and get you to work on it.

Once you get the hang of the guitar string names, be sure to double-check how you know them. For instance, you don’t necessarily want to always be thinking, “EADGB…” in order to find the name of the 2nd string. Instead, work on getting there instantly!
 

Ear training is an excellent way to learn the guitar string names. I realize that ear training can be intimidating, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be completely neglected. Rather, see if you can make it some small part of your practice routine.

The easiest way to start is to play the open strings one by one and listen closely. To the untrained ear, these sounds are almost like words in a foreign language. You hear them, they sound nice enough, but you don’t quite catch their meaning.

With enough practice, these foreign notes will sound closer and closer to home. You’ll start to have stronger opinions about them and tune accordingly. This sound-language will become increasingly like a second tongue. See if you can’t enjoy the process!

Again, I know all of this may feel abstract and far-off for now, and that’s OK. Just try to put in a little time every day and you’ll get there, no problem.
 

Some guitarists might prefer a lesser-known memory trick known as color association. As the name suggests, this method has you identify each guitar string with a color. There are several ways to go about this, but the trick is to assign colors in a way that’s meaningful to you.

For me, I think of colors from a physical perspective. The acronym ROYGBIV indicates the sequence of visible light going from low-to-high frequency waves. My temptation is to correlate the low-frequency light waves with the low-frequency sound waves.

In that case, we want to associate the low E string with red, the A string with orange, the D string with yellow, the G string with green (easy enough), the B string with blue, and the high E string with indigo and/or violet.

The graphic above should help you visualize what I’m talking about. But remember that you can always adjust the color scheme to make it more meaningful to you! 
 

Many guitar players shy away from learning music theory. However, theory can be a valuable aid to learning the string names. When you know more about the structure of music, the letters “E,” “A,” “D,” etc., will resonate more strongly with you.

Here’s an example of where a little bit of theory comes in handy. You’ve probably noticed that two of the six guitar strings share “E” as a common name. But have you wondered why two differently pitched sounds share a name in the first place?

You might be aware that the notes repeat across different octaves. Specifically, the open E’s are two octaves apart. But what exact quality do these E’s have in common such that they should share a name?

It’s kind of a headscratcher, to be honest. One simple answer is that octaves represent 2 to 1 ratios between given pitch frequencies. That means the open E’s that are two octaves apart are at a 4 to 1 ratio.

Historical reasons also play a role. Our system is the result of how music began to be formalized in the Western world in the Middle Ages. You can probably imagine various other ways that music could be written or conceptualized. In fact, many other systems still exist!

All of this is to say, learning music theory can bring life to the letters you’re memorizing. The more you understand theory, the more the ABCs of music will feel meaningful to you, greatly accelerating your progress.

If you want to get started learning theory, here are some great resources for guitarists!
 

If you were a good student, then you probably remember using flashcards at one point or another. Simply put, they’re among the best memory tools available. So if you’re serious about learning the guitar string names, you should really consider making some flashcards.

I would keep it straightforward. Just write the string number on one side (e.g., 5th string) and the name on the other (A). You might also want to distinguish between the E’s on the first and sixth string, writing “low E” or “high E.” Also bear in mind that “low” and “high” always relate to pitch, not vertical position.

The key here is to actually make the flashcards. This idea works perfectly in theory, but you need to put in a little bit of effort. Once the cards are made, just spend a few minutes with them a couple times a day, and you’ll have the guitar string names by heart in no time!

If you’re interested in optimizing your flashcard studying, you might want to check out the concept of the Forgetting Curve. Exploring that idea will give you more direction on how to study to ensure good results.
 

The guitar string names will take some work to memorize, but you’ll feel good about yourself once you do. Bear in mind, especially when you feel discouraged, that nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Which of these 9 methods do you prefer? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Are you looking to upgrade your gear or browse some awesome guitar learning materials? Check out my recommendations page to see all my favorite stuff. 

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