lesson
Chord Basics
Anyone who hopes to become an accomplished guitarist must have a good knowledge of chords. The bulk of guitar playing is accompaniment (not solos), which usually involves playing chords.
Chord Symbols And Diagrams
Chords are the combination of three or more notes played simultaneously. Each chord has a unique name and an abbreviation of its name called a “Chord Symbol.” Guitar chords are also written on “Chord Diagrams”, which are also called “Chord Frames” or “Chord Blocks.” Chord diagrams represent the fretboard of the guitar in a vertical (upright) position. Below is a chord diagram for the D Major chord.
The numbers on the dots are the numbers of the finger you will use to play the notes of the chord. In the example above, you would place your 1st finger at the 2nd fret on the 3rd string, your 2nd finger at the 2nd fret on the 1st string, and your 3rd finger at the 3rd fret on the 2nd string. You would play the 4th and 5th strings open (no fingers), and not play the 6th string.
Your First Chord
C Major Chord
Let’s begin with the C Major chord Your goal for this lesson is to memorize the fingerings of the chord, and to play the chord cleanly — so that all the strings can be heard without any buzzes or muted strings. This will be challenging at first, but with a little time and effort you will be able to do it.
Start by placing your 3rd finger on the 5th string at the 3rd fret. Next, place your 2nd finger on the 4th string at the 2nd fret. Finally, place your 1st finger on the 2nd string at the 1st fret.
Now strum (brush across rapidly) all six strings. Did the chord sound clean, with no buzzes or muted strings? If not try picking each string one at a time, starting with the 6th string. As you hear problems, adjust your fingers to compensate. Try to use only the tips of your fingers. You may need to move some fingers closer to the frets and others farther away. Keep working at it until all the strings can be heard cleanly.
links
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Rhythm Guitar 2
- Strumming Chords
- This lesson was adapted from my book: Better Guitar Method Book 1, which is available at:
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