What is the criteria for abstracting the first letter

[Micron]

Well we will try to not wind you up.

That makes me think you read "armature".

honestly I don't understand what everyone had suggested.

You didn't understand that the cause of the issue you first posted about is that your code contained one too many ending parentheses as well as dots/periods inside of [brackets.] ?

[Minty]

If the field and table names were correct in your original post, then one of the codes I produces should work.
Perhaps you can post a picture of the query in the query designer, and we can possibly see what the issue is?

And despite the forum name - I prefer the He pronoun

[djclinton15]

Here's the SQL which has Minty's first suggestion: FirstLetter: Left$([Artists_Names],1)

SQL:
SELECT Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.ASA_ID, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.DUP, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.DyEvn, Left$([Artists_Names],1) AS FirstLetter, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.Artist_Names, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[SAID/DUP], Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.SimilarArtistsID , Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[DUP (S/A)], Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[S/A\ArtistID], Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[#S/AID]FROM Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl;

Will also provide dbs.

[Welshgasman]

You cannot even supply the correct table?

SELECT Left([SimilarArtistsID],1) AS Expr1, ArtistsID_Similar_Artists_tbl.SimilarArtistsID
FROM ArtistsID_Similar_Artists_tbl;

Your code

SELECT Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.ASA_ID AS Expr1, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.DUP AS Expr2, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.DyEvn AS Expr3, Left([Artists_Names],1) AS FirstLetter, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.Artist_Names AS Expr4, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[SAID/DUP] AS Expr5, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.SimilarArtistsID AS Expr6, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[DUP (S/A)] AS Expr7, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[S/A\ArtistID] AS Expr8, Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl.[#S/AID] AS Expr9
FROM Artists_Names_Similar_Artists_tbl;