Check out a 3-part guide to rigging in Maya by 3dEx.
This video shows, step by step, instructions on how to create a simple character rig. This video shows how to start the rigging process by creating joints (or a skeleton) for our model and set the correct joint orientations for them. Rigging is a crucial step to getting your characters ready to be animated. This video teaches the basics and clear, easy to follow, steps that any 3D enthusiast can follow. This video has been made specifically for beginners, but can be followed by any knowledge level.