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Beginning guitar players know that learning chords can be a bit frustrating. The strings rattle or muffle and, man, those fingers hurt! If you really want to learn guitar chords, you must be aware that it takes time and practice. Here are some basic tips and guidelines.
Tips on learning chords
- It’s helpful to have someone show you how to play chords, but you can learn on your own. Check out the online courses and articles, and download the basic chord charts. Or buy a guitar chord book.
- Know upfront that the first time you strum a chord it will sound bad. The strings will buzz or not play at all. That’s normal.
- Start with an easy chord like E minor. F and B7 chords were the hardest for me to master.
- When the strings rattle, muffle, or don’t make a sound, make sure the fingers you’re using are in the middle of the fret and are touching only the strings they’re supposed to touch. Also make sure no other fingers are touching any string.
- Apply as much pressure as you’re able to the strings. Realistically, the chord will probably never sound right the first lesson, because you’ll need some time to strengthen your fingers and develop calluses. But it will be easier even the second day.
- When learning a chord, don’t just strum it. Play each string separately; that helps to target any problems.
- Try learning three chords at a time and do your best to memorize them. Then learn three more.
- After you’ve learned a couple of chords, try changing from one chord to another. Fast chord changes are one of the hardest things to master for beginners, but don’t give up. Keep practicing and it’ll become easy.
Harmony
There are four basic kinds of chords: major, minor, diminished, and augmented. For purposes of this article, I’ll talk about major and minor chords, the ones that beginning guitarists usually learn first.
A chord is a combination of notes that harmonize with each other, and it’s important to have some understanding of harmony. Major chords consist of the root (or tonic) note, the third, and the fifth. That’s called a triad.
Here’s a simple explanation of that terminology.
The rote note is the note that the chord is built upon. For example, C is the root of a C chord, A is the root of an A chord, etc. It’s usually the lowest note played.
When you play a C major scale, the notes are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. The low C is the root note, D the second, E the third, F the fourth, G the fifth, A the sixth, B the seventh, and the high C is the root played an octave higher.
So a C major chord would contain the low C (the root), E (the third) and G (the fifth). On a guitar, the C chord contains more than three notes, but every note being played is C, E or G played low or an octave above. That’s true with every major chord.
To make a major chord a minor chord, the third is flatted. That means that, instead of playing the third, play the note directly below it. In a C chord, that would be an Eb. Therefore, a C minor chord is C (the root), Eb (the flatted third) and G (the fifth).
Extra notes can be added to any chord. For example, if you add a B (the seventh) to a C major chord (C-E-G) it becomes a C7 chord.
Last word
Way too many beginning guitarists get discouraged and quit too early. Practice and keep at it! Chording gets much easier with time. You’ll see!
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