Fourth String Notes
on the Guitar

There are three notes on the fourth string (D string) of the guitar in first position - D, E and F. Here is a diagram of how to play these notes on the guitar:

Left Hand Fingering

• Play the D without placing any fingers on the 4th string.
• Play the E by placing your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string
• Play the G by placing your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string

Right Hand Fingering

In general, use the p finger to play notes on the fourth string. You can use either rest stroke or free stroke

Occasionally, you may use the i finger, m finger, a finger, or any combination of these three fingers to play the fourth string. This is less common though.

Fourth String Notes in Music Notation

The diagram below shows the fourth string notes of the guitar written in guitar sheet music notation and in guitar tablature notation.

In sheet music notation,

• D is written on the space below the 5th line (bottom line) of the music staff
• E is written directly on the 5th line
• F is written on the space between the 4th and the 5th line

In guitar tablature,

• D is written as a 0 (open) on the 4th line (4th string)
• E is written as a 2 (2nd fret) on the 4th line
• F is written as a 3 (3rd fret) on the 4th line

Return to Music Notation

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