what are guitar frets

getting started part 3    

If you are the one making the guitar the fret is the thin metal strips placed into the neck of the guitar.

But you are the one playing the guitar, the frets are the spaces between the metal strips. The first fret is the first space at the top of the neck below what is called the nut        
to play a note you must use the tip of a left hand finger (long fingernails are not going to work) press down on a string in the middle of a space use your thumb on the back of the neck to help you squeeze and pluck that string with your right pick hand.  If it doesn't sound out or ring out clearly  you may have to move your finger around in the space or push down a little harder. If this is your first time it may hurt a little but it is so going to be worth it. The more you play guitar the less your finger tips will hurt. Over time the tips of your fingers will become harder but before this happens some people give up.
Just play until you are not enjoying it because it hurts to much, when you come back it gets easer and each time after that.

The type of strings on your guitar can make a difference. There are heavy gage strings for guitars that are harder to push down but sound different than light gage strings. You will learn eventually what gage of string you use is determined by what style of music you are going to play and how you want that sound to be.
 I use extra light gage strings on most of my guitars because they are easier to play and easer to (bend)  I'll talk about latter. 


Ok lets start with the (6th) low E string and pluck or pick it (open) no left hand fingers on a fret,  count up 12 fret spaces on that string and press down on the string in the middle of the 12th fret and pluck it. The sound is the same note just at a higher pitch called an octave higher. Try it on each string,  you will find that every string does the same thing, that is if your guitar is playable.

All musical notes are in between the open string and the 12th fret on that string, The open string is your first note and the (11th) fret on that same string is the last note before starting over with the first note one octave higher.
A total of 12 notes