Human: I'm a beginner at playing the guitar and want to know what are the basic things that I should know? Assistant: 

1.  The basics of playing the guitar include learning how to tune your instrument, understanding chords, reading notes on the fretboard, and mastering different strumming patterns.
2.  You'll also need to learn how to read tablature, understand music theory, and practice regularly in order to become proficient at playing the guitar.