How To Play Guitar For Beginners ( Part 2 : Playing Chords )

05.26 Unknown 0 Comments

1. Learn first position chords. A chord is a harmonic group of at least three notes. For beginning guitar, there are two basic chord types: first position chords, and barre chords. First position chords can be played with a combination of open strings and pressed strings in the first three frets of the guitar.
  • Commonly major chords are C Major, A Major, G Major, E Major, D Major.
  • When you've got the shapes down, practice switching between them as quickly as you can. Write out more or less random arrangements of the chords you want to play and switch between them, strumming once.
  • Make sure you play the appropriate notes. In A Major, for example, the low E string is not strummed. They'll be marked on the tablature with an "X". Develop good habits now for success in the long run.
2. Learn finger placement for the chords. The finger placement is as follows (first major, then minor):
  • C-chord: Place your ring finger on the third fret of the second thickest string. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third thickest, and your index finger on the first fret of the second thinnest. Strum. Then, go back and play each string individually, while still playing the chord. Make sure each string rings out clearly.
  • A major: Take your index, middle, and ring finger, and place them on the second frets of the second, third and fourth thinnest strings on the guitar. It is simply one line down these three strings. Play every string but the top one.
  • G chord: Place your middle finger on the third fret of the thickest string. Place your index finger on the second fret of the second thickest string, and your ring finger on the third fret of the thinnest string. Make sure each string rings out clearly.
  • E Major: This is one of the easiest chords there is. Place your middle and ring fingers on the second frets of the second and third thickest strings. Your index finger should go on the first fret of the third thinnest string.
  • D Major: Place your index finger on the second fret of the third thinnest string. Place your middle finger on the third fret of the thinnest. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the second thinnest. Only play the bottom four strings.
  • E minor: This is exactly like E major, except you don't use your index finger. Put your middle and ring fingers on the second frets of the second and third thickest strings.
  • A minor: Place your middle and ring fingers on the second frets of the third and fourth thickest strings, and your index on the first fret of the second thinnest. This is the exact same shape as E major, just moved down one string. Again, ignore the top string.
  • D minor: Again, very similar to D Major. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third thinnest string. Place your index finger on the first fret of the thinnest, and your ring finger on the third fret of the second thinnest. Play only the bottom four strings.
3. Practice getting a clean sound from every string in the chord. After you had placed all your fingers on the fretboard, play through each of the strings of the chords. Make sure that the strings that are supposed to ring are not muffled or muted.
  • If the notes are not ringing out properly, chances are that you are not pressing hard enough or parts of your fingers are touching that string which prevents it from sounding out clearly. Are any unused fingers touching strings?
  • Keep your fretting fingers curled above the fret board when they're touching the strings as if you had your fingers resting over an imaginary glass ball, or a marble in the knuckle of each finger. This leaves space for the open strings to ring out unmuted.
4.  Strum with loose, relaxed motion. Strumming consists of downstrokes and upstrokes in various combinations, striking all the notes of the chord evenly and rhythmically. Use your wrist to practice smooth up and down motions. Keep your elbow in tight towards the guitar and sweep the pick down all the strings. Your elbow should not move very much, as you strum mostly from the wrist.


5. Learn barre chords. Barre chords, or movable chords, are extremely useful for starting to play songs. In a barre chord (sometimes shortened to "bar chord"), the index finger of your fretting hand "bars" all the notes at a single fret. To play an F, which is the barre chord in first position, you bar all the notes on the first fret with your index finger and play what is essentially the shape of the E chord moved one step up the neck, with your middle, index, and pinkie.
  • That same claw-like finger positioning on the second fret is a B chord. On the third fret, a G chord. It's a difficult finger positioning to learn, but you can start playing the chords to any rock or pop song relatively quickly when you learn to strum and play barre chords. The Ramones, for example, used nothing but barre chords to great effect.
Source : wikiHow



You Might Also Like

0 komentar: