Learning the names of the guitar strings in standard tuning is one of those things that seems simple until you actually try to remember them.
E-A-D-G-B-E?
Which one was which again?
This is exactly why people started making up memory aids to remember the string names. These are called mnemonic acronyms.
So instead of struggling with seemingly random letters, you can use fun phrases like the classic "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie" to remember the string names.
Here are the best mnemonic tricks I've heard during my 3 decades playing guitar, but if you know more, please leave them in a comment.
What Are Guitar String Names?
Each of a standard guitar's six strings has a specific name derived from the note the string is tuned to.
From thickest to thinnest, the strings are tuned to E-A-D-G-B-E.
Here's how they're numbered and positioned:
6th String (thickest) - Low E
5th String - A
4th String - D
3rd String - G
2nd String - B
1st String (thinnest) - High E
The 6th string is the one closest to your chin when you're holding the guitar normally, and the 1st string is closest to the floor.
Yes, it might seem backwards that the thickest string is called the "6th" and the thinnest is the "1st," but that's just how guitarists count them.
Oh, and the reason we have two E strings is that they're the same note, just in different octaves - the 6th string E is much lower in pitch than the 1st string E.
Knowing these string names and numbers is essential for tuning your guitar, reading chord charts, and following along with lessons.
That's where our memory tricks come in handy 😉
Best Guitar String Mnemonics
Here are the most popular memory tricks guitarists use to remember E-A-D-G-B-E. Pick one that sounds fun or memorable to you - that's the one that will stick!
Classic Favorites
- Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie - The most popular one for good reason
- Eat All Day Get Big Easy - Simple and to the point
Food & Fun
- Every Apple Does Good Being Eaten - For the health-conscious guitarist
- Eat Apples Daily Grow Big Ears - Another fruity option
- Eat A Dog, Get Big Ears - A bit weird, but memorable!
- Eat All Dead Gophers Before Easter - Definitely unforgettable
- Elephants And Dogs Giggle Before Eating - I had no idea
- Eat A Darn Good Breakfast Everyday - Agreed
Musical & Creative
- Every Amp Deserves Guitars/Basses Everyday - Perfect for gear lovers
- Eric And Dave's Guitars Beat Everyone - Name-based and competitive
- Elvis Always Dug Good Banana Eating - The King would approve
Animal Kingdom
- Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears - Easy to visualize
- Even Average Dogs Get Bones Eventually - Dog lovers unite
Edgy Options
- Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually - A bit pessimistic but true
- Every Acid Dealer Gets Busted Eventually - Not family-friendly, but effective
The key is picking one that makes you smile or seems easy to remember 🙂 Don't try to memorize them all, just choose your favorite and stick with it.
3 Ways to Practice With Your Mnemonic
Once you've picked your favorite mnemonic, here are three simple ways to make it stick:
- Say It While Tuning - Every time you tune your guitar, say your mnemonic phrase out loud as you go through each string.
Start with the 6th string and work your way down: "Eddie... Ate... Dynamite... Good... Bye... Eddie." This connects the phrase directly to the physical action of tuning and creates a strong memory link. - Point and Name Drill - Set aside 2-3 minutes for focused string naming, where you point to a string, pluck it, and say its name using your mnemonic. Try this with different strings in random order - don't just go in sequence. Close your eyes and see if you can still identify each string by sound alone.
- Use It When Learning Chords - When you're learning new chords, say the string names as you place your fingers. "This D major chord uses the D G B and E strings." This reinforces both the mnemonic and practical application, making your practice time do double duty.
If you want to learn the names of the notes across the fretboard as well, check out our video guitar lesson on guitar notes, and our written material on guitar notes and string relationships.
And remember to leave your own little memory aids as well 🙂
Watching “The Untold Stories of Your Favorite Musician, Hired Gun” on YouTube, Liberty Devitto was talking at “Little Kids Rock” in New York, and I could see printed on the wall behind him, from bottom to top, “Easter – Bunny – Gets – Depressed – ? – ?” (Couldn’t see the A & E.) And I thought, pretty good but what was the A & E? So I added “And – Eats.” Some people do.
That’s a good one, I have to watch it.
Every Angel Draws God’s Beautiful Eyes….I think this would work well : )
Elephants And Dogs Giggle Before Eating
It seems a bit backwards with the suggested mnemonic acronyms, considering that the strings go from 1-6 and the phrase should thus start with E1 rather than E6…
That’s the way it is on guitar.
elephants always devore green bananas
100% me nothing but me
Those are just 5 strings 🙂
Every
Atom
Decomposed
Great
Bears
Energy
Just made it, I always liked physics lol! Best regards and Happy New Year everyone!!!
mine was
edward buys good donuts at easton but okay
My guitar teacher taught me every angelic daughter gets bedded eventually
Elvis Aaron Dead God Bless Elvis…
Eat A Darn Good Breakfast Everyday
E,B,G,D,A,E
Every Beautiful Guitar Does Attract Everyone
Elephants and dogs (or donkeys) grow big ears
Every army doesn’t go back easily
Exorcising All Demons Grants Better Evangelists
Eggs Are Delicious, God Bless Eggs!
E- every
A- academic
D- dedicated
G- guitarist
B- becomes
E- excellent
Every amateur does get better eventually
my favourite one, for its logic, is Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually. But I think Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears would appeal to the young ones
My best that I found from comment is –
Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears
I like this one, except for “Darn”.
An alternative could be “Delicious” 😋…
Every Art Does Get Better Everyday
every apple does get better everyday
(A Cajun Girl in trying to learn some guitar) Every Alligator Diligently Grabs Blue Egrets
Teaching my granddaughter guitar:
Elena Aways Does Guitar Before Eating
Eddie ate dynamite good bye Eddie
Bottom Up Guitar string names
Ears
Big
Get
Drink,
And
Eat
To teach young beginners, you can divide it up 3 and 3. It has one syllable words and it’s silly.
Every Bass Guitar Deserves Audience Experience.
From strings 1 to 6:
Every Bad Goblin Devours An Evangelist
Eat And Drink Great Beer Everyday
I like eddy ate dynamite good bye eddy.
It’s from bottom to top, isn’t it? 1 the thinnest
6 the thickest
Every Artist Digs Great Big Elephants
I remember from the bottom to top – Easter Bunny Gets Drunk After Easter
Even After Death God Bothers Everyone. (thanks to Joel Oliansky)
a lil crude but helps me:
Every Ass Deserves Good Butt Exercise
Every Apple Does Get Better Everyday
Elephants and donkeys got big ears
Eat
Acid
Daily
Good
Bye
Ego
I make this to remember the strings: Easton Allan Donaldson Good Boy Easton
This just might be the most complicated acronym I’ve ever heard 😀
Every
Beautiful
Girl
Deserves
An
Eye
Eventually all diligent guitarists become experts
Good one! 😉
Thanks
Nice! I’ll be using that from now on
Eddie always does good. Bravo, Eddie!
Every average dog eats after eight
lol this makes no sense. It’s supposed to be EADGBE not EADEAE
How about eats before eight 😀
Every Afternoon Dogs Growl Bark (and) Eat.
I learned it in 2nd grade as Every Bad Girl Does All Evil
The one I used as a kid was
Every Angry Dog Growls Barks Eats
maybe not for little kids, but i was taught “every acid dealer gets busted eventually”.
Brilliant! Easy to remember, and makes the most sense.
I’m here because I was looking for a child friendly mnemonic. For adults, I find ” the BG’s went to the DA’s office” works. Because you have E’s on the top and bottom, and then the BG’s go to the DA’s office is an easy one to remember. But, little kids don’t know who the BeeGee’s are, nor what a DA”s office is.
Eggs Are Delicious Go Buy Em
Every Ass Does Get Beaten Eventually
Every Able Dog Gets Bones Easily
Every Anglican Declares “God Bless England!”
Entire armies don’t get beaten easily.
Every Good Boy Go Down And Eat
Two G’s – don’t think so!
Eat All Day Get Big Enormous!
Every August Dad’s Gas Barbecue Explodes
Eloquent Aardvark Delights Greatly in British Elocution
Enter Arnie, Dennis Goes, Brings Errol
Errol Ate Dorothy’s Gargantuan Brioche Emporium
Etherial Attraction Does Get Brilliant Euphoria
Ernie Argued Down Graham’s Broken Explanation
Every Animal Does Get Big Euphoria
End Another Day, Go Begin Evening
Eruptions After Dark, Gives Bright Evening
Eat a dead goat … but early.
Every
Axe
Dude
Gets
Babes
Easily
Oh that’s gold! Thx
Eat A Dark Green Bean Everyday
Good for your heart health also.
Every
Asian
Dong
Gets
Big
Eventually
@Gaston I use nmeminics to teach advanced theory aswell. Like the order of modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrydgian, Lydian, Myxilidian, Aolian, Locrian. (Forgive my spelling) The nmemonic I like to use for modes is: I Don’t PHight Little Midgets Any Longer
Enjoy
I Drank Pop Last Monday AL=t Lunch
EVERY AFRICAN DOG GETS BANANAS EVERYDAY
Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears.
every ass does good before evesdroping
I’ve always used Eddie Ate Dynamite Good By Eddie, but my guitar teacher is requiring us to create a mnemonic acronym in the correct string order (1,2,3,4,5,6 – E,B,G,D,A,E).
This is what I came up with:
Eddie Begins Going Down Avenue E
or
Eddie Began Going Down Avenue E
Some of these are pretty funny. I’ve always used:
Easter Bunnies Get Drunk At Easter
Although it’s not something I would teach a little kid, it has always worked for me.
easter bunny gets dizzy at easter is a little more kiddy friendly
even a dog gets bitten eventually
I like to use… 6th to 1st string:
every/ ass /does /good/bad/evil…
or from 1st to 6th…
easter/bunny/gets/drunk/at/easter
hope it helps ….rock on my friends!
Good concept! This might be useful to beginner students that are just starting out… I wonder if Mnemonic Acronyms could be useful for more advanced concepts as well?
thanks
eat a darn good braekfast every day.
Really like this one 🙂
It’s spelled breakfast
Everyone Applauds During Garrett’s Backflip Eventually
Everyone Applauds During Garbanzo Beans Equality
Even A Dummy Gets Brains Eventually
So easy, even a dummy could remember it! lol
My favorite so far!
edi
ate
dragon
gud
bay
edi
This is for learning the strings from the 6th string to the 1st string if it’s easier for you.
Easter Bunnies Go Down At Easter
Works for me! =)
What you described is actually from the 1st to the 6th-thinnest to thickest.
I’m a fantasy nerd, so I go with:
Every
Ancient
Dragon
Gets
Bigger
Every (year)
It’s not perfect, but it works for me.
Every Amp Deserves Good Beats Everyday = EADGBE
Every Afternoon Dad Goes Bowling Early
Even A Dull Gig Brings Education
Every Afternoon the Day Gives Birth to Evening.
All mine.