Guitar Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Guitar facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. The Fender Telecaster, originally called the Broadcaster, was the first commercially successful guitar of what type? → Solid-body electric
2. True/False: Coronada is a sound that is unpleasant to the ear and produces tension in music. → A) False
3. How should an Guitar professional handle a situation outside their scope of competency? → Recognize limitations and refer to or consult with appropriate specialists
4. What is the primary competency framework for Guitar professionals? → Structured competency standards defined by the certifying body
5. Which guitarist co-founded the band Led Zeppelin and is famous for his use of a bow on the electric guitar? → Jimmy Page
6. Is it true that a capo changes the key you're in? → B) Yes
7. On the guitar, what is an interval? → The distance between two pitches.
8. Which right-hand technique involves striking the strings with a downstroke followed immediately by an upstroke? → Alternate picking
9. Which guitarist is credited with pioneering the solid-body electric guitar and revolutionizing the music industry? → Les Paul
10. What is the primary tonal characteristic associated with mahogany as a guitar body wood? → Warm, full midrange tones with good sustain and a slightly dark character
11. What does string gauge refer to when purchasing guitar strings? → The thickness/diameter of the strings measured in thousandths of an inch
12. What does guitar 'action' refer to? → The height of the strings above the fretboard
13. Your guitar has six strings with a typical string gauge of ten. When it comes to strings, what does gauge mean? → Thickness of the string
14. What two-hand technique, popularized by Eddie Van Halen, involves using picking hand fingers to fret notes on the neck? → Two-hand tapping
15. What is the purpose of a capo? → To clamp across all strings at a given fret, raising the pitch of all open strings
16. What is a 'dominant seventh chord' built from? → Root + major third + perfect fifth + minor seventh
17. Stevie Ray Vaughan is primarily associated with which American guitar style? → Texas blues
18. What material is traditionally preferred for guitar nuts due to its tonal properties and durability? → Bone
19. How does continuous improvement apply to Guitar quality management? → It involves ongoing incremental enhancements to processes based on data and feedback
20. Carlos Santana is best known for blending rock guitar with which other musical tradition? → Latin/Afro-Cuban rhythms
21. What is C's minor relative? → Am
22. Which Delta Blues guitarist was said to have made a 'deal with the devil' at the crossroads in Mississippi? → Robert Johnson
23. What is the first step in risk assessment for Guitar professionals? → Identifying potential hazards and vulnerabilities in the specific context
24. The open chord in A Major contains how many notes? → 5
25. Lutenists and vihuelists in the Renaissance employed a pictorial representation of the frets and strings of the instrument called → tablature
26. How do Guitar professionals evaluate research quality? → By assessing methodology, sample size, peer review status, and relevance to practice
27. What fret-hand technique involves releasing a fretted note by pulling the finger off the string to sound a lower note? → Pull-off
28. How should an Guitar professional present complex information to non-experts? → Translate into accessible language, use visuals, and check for understanding
29. What is the most effective communication approach for Guitar professionals? → Adapting communication style to the audience while maintaining accuracy and clarity
30. On a standard-tuned guitar, what are the pitches of the six open strings from lowest to highest? → E A D G B E