Learn to play guitar chords

Learning to play the guitar is so much fun, but playing chords can seem a bit scary at first glance. Don't be afraid; it's not much different from playing single notes: you just need to strum those notes at the same time! This article will present the steps for strumming and teach you how to play common chords. Grab your gear and start rocking!

Part 1 Understanding Chords

1 Understand the strings. It’s best to first familiarize yourself with the guitar strings and how they interact with your fingers. For convenience, we will number the strings. The strings on the guitar should be numbered as shown in the diagram:

• Vertically from 1 to 6, from the highest pitch to the lowest pitch.

• Horizontally, sorted from high to low according to the fret positions.

• Note that if the instructions say "place your first finger on the third fret," it means you should place your finger "between" the second fret and the third fret. This allows the string to contact the third fret.

If you understand English, you might use this mnemonic to remember the pitch of each string, from the lowest (top string) to the highest (bottom string):

Eat All Day, Get Big Easy.

2 Number your fingers. Look at your left hand and imagine labels on your fingers. The index finger is 1, the middle finger is 2, the ring finger is 3, and the little finger is 4. The thumb is “T,” but in this article, we won’t need to use “T” to play chords.

3 Learn the C chord. The first chord to master is the C chord—one of the simplest chords in music. Before learning, let’s clarify what it means. A normal chord, whether on piano, guitar, or a well-trained vocal mouse, is a sound made up of three or more notes (two notes are called a “dyad,” which is common in music, but it is not a chord). A chord contains more than just three notes, but that is beyond the scope of this article. The C chord on the guitar looks like this:

• The lowest note is on the third fret of the fifth string: 1 (do)

• A higher note is on the second fret of the fourth string: 3 (mi)

• Be careful not to place your fingers on the sixth string. When playing the C chord, this string should always remain "open."

• The highest note is on the first fret of the second string: 1 (do)

• The C major chord does not require the highest and lowest strings to sound.

4 Try these notes. Play the notes in the chord from low to high, one at a time. Take your time and be careful: press the strings firmly against the frets, then pluck the string with your right hand. Try to make the sound last as long as possible, then move to the next note:

• Press your middle finger on the third fret of the fifth string as shown, pluck the string until the sound fades away. This is the 1 (do) note.

• Place your index finger on the second fret of the fourth string, pluck the string as before, and play 3 (mi).

• Take a break! Simply pluck the open G string without pressing any fingers.

• Place your index finger on the first fret of the second string, then play 1 (do) loudly!

• Play it a few more times. When you’re ready, quickly strum the middle four strings with your fingers or pick. You’ve played the C chord!

• At first, you might feel pain, but if you have developed calluses, this pain will disappear.

Part 2 Learning More Chords

1 Expand your music library. Being able to play the C chord is already impressive; it is definitely a gateway to more interesting areas of music, but there is more to music than just the C chord! When playing in C major, you will often use two other chords, F and G. The basic F chord fingering is as follows:

• The notes of the F chord are 4 (fa), 6 (la), and 1 (do). Note that the same finger is used to play 4 (fa) and 1 (do): the index finger must press down on the first and second strings at the first fret simultaneously.

• Generally, the lowest note of a chord is its root, but in the F chord, the sound of 4 (fa) is on the first fret of the first string, which is also called "string inversion."

2 Expand the F chord. You can also play 4 (fa) on the fourth string: place your middle finger on the third fret. You may notice that the chord sounds no different, just more "full."

3 Play the G chord. Just like the C chord and F chord, the G chord is one of the three giants of C major. There are many ways to play the G chord; here are two. The first is very simple: it is exactly the same fingering as the extended F chord, you just need to move up two frets.

4 Play the G chord in the simplest way. There is also a method to play the G chord using just one finger.

5 Combine the three chords. Now that you know the three basic chords of C major, combine them; you can uncover countless popular songs from this. Play the C chord four times, the F chord twice, the G chord twice, and then return to the C chord:

• Note that each chord is represented by Roman numerals. This means that regardless of the fingering, the basic note positions of the chords are fixed. Once you master the basic notes of the chords, it is much easier to look at the fingering chart than to memorize the chords.

• Practice until your fingers are tired, take a break, and come back: we will teach you the basic chords in E and A major!

6 Learn E major. Much rock and blues music is in E major. Here, you will learn three chords: E Maj (I), A Maj (IV), and B Maj (V). Here is E major:

• When your fingers are calloused, E major becomes easy to play. You can strum all the strings at once. Get ready with a Marshall 11 amplifier, and a rock hero is born!

7 Play the A chord. This is a "big chord" in music. There are several ways to play it. Use one finger to press down on the second fret of the second, third, and fourth strings (playing 1 (do) #, 6 (la), and 3 (mi) respectively), or you can combine other fingers. For example, place your ring finger on the second string, your middle finger on the third string, and your index finger on the fourth string.

• As you become more skilled at playing, you will understand that quick transitions from one chord to another sometimes bring strange fingerings and correct sounds. The key is to make full use of your fingers; once you start practicing, don’t be afraid to try.

8 Play the B chord. You can play it using an easy method or a difficult method. The simple method is as shown above, with the fingering indicated by black numbers. You can also add consonants, which are indicated by gray numbers.

9 Give it a try. Here is another simple fingering for playing in E major:

• Create different chord fingerings; don’t be confined to the lines on the paper.

10 Learn A major. You are two-thirds of the way there! A major includes the 6 (la) (I) of the first degree, the 2 (re) (IV) of the fourth degree, and our powerful old friend, the dominant 3 (mi) (V). Here’s how to play the D chord:

• Note that the index finger should press down on the first three strings: this is the start of the "barre chord." A complete barre chord is when one finger presses down on all the strings, based on the basic form shown in this article.

11 Learn an inverted A chord. This inverted A chord is very useful when played simultaneously with D and E chords:

12 Give it a try. The above is another little piece to practice the new chords.

• Now, get ready to try Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Down on the Corner," and then practice it again!

Part 3 Using Video Chord Charts

1 Learn the G major chord. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the top string. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the fifth string, and your little finger on the third fret of the first string. Strum all the strings to play the chord. If you want, you can also press down on the third fret of the second string—this is not necessary, but it can enrich the tone of the chord.

• --3--

• --0--

• --2--

• --3--

2 Learn the C major chord. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the fifth string, then place your middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string. At the same time, place your middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string—note that this is the same as the beginning of the G chord, just moved down one string. Finally, place your index finger on the first fret of the second string. Use all the strings except the top string.

• --0--

• --1--

• --0--

• --2--

• --3--

• --X--

3 Learn the D major chord. This chord will only use the bottom four strings. Place your index finger on the second fret of the third string. Then place your ring finger on the third fret of the second string and your middle finger on the second fret of the first string. This forms a small triangle. You can play the chord using just these three strings and the fourth string—this is the open D chord.

• --2--

• --3--

• --2--

• --0--

• --X--

4 Learn E minor and major chords. This chord will use all six strings. Place your middle finger and ring finger on the second fret of the fourth and fifth strings, then place your index finger on the first fret of the third string. Then place your index finger on the first fret of the third string. Strum all six strings.

• --0--

• --1--

• --2--

• --0--

• Just lift your index finger to let the third string ring open, and you can play the E minor chord.[4]

Figure 21

5 Learn A major and minor chords. The A major chord is one of the simplest chords—you can play it using just your index finger, ring finger, and middle finger on the second fret of the second, third, and fourth strings. All strings except the low E string should be used.

• --0--

• --2--

• --0--

• --X--

• Play the first fret on the B string instead of the second fret to play the A minor chord. The hand shape is the same as the E major chord.

6 Learn the F major chord. The F major chord is similar to the C major chord, just compressed. Don’t worry about the top two strings. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the fourth string. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third string. Finally, place your index finger on the first fret of the second string. Only the bottom four strings will be used.

• --0--

• --1--

• --2--

• --3--

• --X--

Tip

• Once you understand the basic chords, it becomes easier to think about chords from the perspective of their tonal mechanics. For example, when playing in E major, 3 (mi) (I) is called the tonic. The tonic is the note that other chords gravitate towards—this gives Western music its dynamism. In E major, 6 (la) (IV) serves to support the tonic—it is like a passive note floating in the middle, wanting to move forward happily while also wanting to return to the tonic for rest. The dominant function, as its name suggests, leads you to where you want to go. In E major, this role is occupied by 7 (xi) (V), which makes your brain want to return to the tonic! As you become more familiar with chords and want to write melodies yourself, you can try writing I-IV-V (or other types) instead of 3-6-7. If you find that the singer cannot hit the original key, this will make it easier for her to transition.

Warning

• As Ringo Starr said during busy studio work, "My fingers are blistered!" You will also get blisters, and your fingers will hurt. And guitarist George Harrison said, "Everything will pass." Calluses will eventually replace blisters. With regular practice, soon you will no longer be troubled by finger pain.

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