How to make a Nintendo Labo guitar from scratch and get playing all the best tunes

There's no doubt that you can make some amazing things with the Nintendo Labo Variety kit. From a piano to a fishing rod and a motorbike, initially you'll feel like the cardboard possibilities are endless. But soon, the novelty will wear off and you'll be wondering what to make next. I know I was. 

Well, the future of your cardboard adventures lies in the Labo Garage where you can code your very own games or other creations. In one of the early Nintendo Labo trailers, Ninty showed off how to make a basic guitar using a couple of inputs and outputs, so we decided to take making a Nintendo Labo guitar one step further and make a whole guitar, complete with four chords mapped to the directional buttons on the left Joy-Con. 

Guitars not your thing?

Fishing with Nintendo Labo

Learn how to fish in Nintendo Labo with our angling guide

It's fairly simple to do once you've got the hang of the coding software that makes up the Labo Garage portion of the game, so as long as you've got a little patience and check out our How To Video above, you'll be rocking out in no time.

What you'll need is:

  • A copy of the Nintendo Labo software
  • Your Switch
  • One Joy-Con
  • Six elastic bands
  • Some cardboard large enough to make a 'life-size' guitar
  • Scissors
  • The Switch holder from the motorbike
  • The cardboard Joy-Con holder
  • Our instructional video above
  • A little bit of patience

And once you've made your Nintendo Labo guitar, it's worth checking out this handy article that explains how to play a whopping 229 songs with just four chords, and you'll be a cardboard guitar hero in no time at all. And if you're waiting to buy it, here are the best Nintendo Labo deals right now.

If you've made anything amazing with Nintendo Labo - or a better guitar than us - drop us a line in the comments below or spam us with photos and videos on Twitter @GamesRadar

Sam Loveridge
Global Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar, and joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.