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Guitar Basics and Theory

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Before you pick up the guitar for the first time you should know a few simple yet very important basics (or rules if you will) to the guitar. Like any new hobby, the individual improves over consistent and effective practice. If you pick up bad habits early on they’ll be very hard to break later.

Key point: Learn the right way from the beginning.

Aches and Pains

Your fingers will hurt for awhile. This is inevitable. One of the biggest complaints new guitarists gripe about is pain in the fingers. The truth of the matter is that you’re using new muscles in a different way and they’re going to get sore. Think about the first time you went snowboarding or ice skating. Were you really sore the next day? Same thing goes for learning the guitar. Thankfully it will not last after a good month of playing.

Accuracy is better than Speed

If you’re into the guitar because you want to learn it fast, than you are in it for all the wrongs reasons. Likewise, just because you play fast does not mean that you are in fact a good guitarist. Take time with each lesson (even the most mundane) and follow the instructions slowly in order to ensure that you do not pick up bad habits.

Technique is Important

At times you will come across a technique and might even feel that it’s easier to do this your own way. This is especially true with chords, as sometimes the fingers and positions listed do not appear to make a lot of sense….YET. Keep in mind that many techniques have you position your hands and fingers a certain way because later on this hand and finger is important for transitioning quickly to say, another chord.

Practice is NOT a Chore

The moment it becomes one, the second you should drop playing. Keep in mind that you got into the guitar because it looked like something entertaining to do. Push yourself in practice but always keep it lively.

You Can’t Do it Alone

There are several hobbies that you can learn on your own. The guitar, is not one of those. The cold hard truth is that you need help. Thankfully, the internet is very fertile when it comes to guitar lessons, instructional videos, and other material designed to improve your skills. Not only that, but they are more affordable than ever before.

Click Here! For our outstanding review of some of the greatest online guitar courses on the Web.

Now, to guitar music theory…

Guitar music theory is something you may have heard about before. It’s the idea of applying musical theory to the guitar in order to recognize patterns or styles of music. Understanding this theory will enable you to play any style of music because you will see that music can be broken down into parts. It’s the science of music.

Music theory applies to the guitar through scales, steps, chords, and chord progressions. Each of these aspects contribute to the overall song. If you learn these, than you will learn all of the components of the science of the song.

One online guitar expert likes to compare guitar music theory to a recipe. For example, if I was to say that I’m making supper and I needed the following: tortilla, rice, beans, chicken, salsa, and cheese - you would assume that I’m making a delicious burrito. Which is true.

Furthermore, the scales, steps, chords, and chord progressions are the key ingredients of a great song. The better each of these ingredients are, the more well defined and unique the taste.

To make a song you need to incorporate different terms like: a major scale, a chord progression, and rhythm. A scale is typically a major or minor scale. It represents the relationship that notes have to each other.

The C Major Scale, for example, is defined as: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.
A G Major Scale is defined as: G A B C D E F# G.

Each of these feature what is known as a step sequence. The step sequence utilizes such terms as “whole” or “half steps”.

The C Major for example: C whole step, D whole step, E half step, F whole step, G whole step, A whole step, B half step C.

After you understand the scales and steps, you must progress to the chords. A chord is like a scale as you typically only hear two types - major and minor chords.

A C Major chords looks like this: (C E G), the intervals that define this are: C 2 steps E 1.5 steps G. A major chord is defined as: 2 steps – second note – 1.5 steps – third note and a minor chord is defined as: 1.5 steps – second note – 2 steps – third note.

Time to progress to the progressions – the chord progressions that is. If you can start to add these variations in to the progression: ACE, DFA, CEG, FAC, GBD, EGB, and BEG you will have ultimately achieved a song. You may of course alternate what chords you want to play.

Learn these simple terms and you have in fact unlocked the foundation to the song. If you do the dirty work now, the basics, theory, and terminology of the guitar will ultimately improve your overall intelligence and appreciation for the guitar.

Posted in Chords, Guitar, Scales | 1 Comment »

The CAGED Method

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

I promise you that The CAGED Method is not a name of a band (although that would be pretty sweet). The CAGED Method, is in fact, a simple way to learn the sheer basics of the guitar.

What is The CAGED Method?

It’s a method that is designed to get your fingers use to switching chords quickly and ultimately building up strength and dexterity in your hands. The method is titled as such because it educates the beginner guitarist on the main chords that are in the majority of songs. And what exactly are those chords? The C, A, G, E & D.

To learn more about each chord, click the following links: C, A, G, E, D. Or, keep reading to learn more about the CAGED method below.

The primary purpose of the CAGED system is to learn the fretboard. Guitarists who incorporate this technique will also learn just about any scale.

In order to begin, the guitarist should look at the octave shapes formed by the Root Notes of each of these chords. The Root Notes are the red notes above. It’s important that you learn these so well that you don’t need to think about them. As you get better at finding the notes on the fretboard you will find it easy to find these chords in any position almost instantly.

By removing all of the notes except for the octave shapes, you can see these patterns more clearly. Note that what you are left with are all the possible ways of fingering movable Octave Patterns.

If the guitarist proceeds to arrange the notes so that they form the word “CAGED,” the individual will then be able to chart every note on the entire fretboard.

GuitarSource.com provides one of the best examples of the CAGED technique.

If you practice these chord positions regularly until you know them by heart and make sure you practice them in all twelve keys, you will eventually master the CAGED technique. Practice and working on the twelve keys is incredibly important. If you can’t use them in all keys, then you are never going to see any benefit from using this method.

The other primary use of the CAGED system is to help with guitar solos. The chord shapes and positions learned through the CAGED method is instrumental in the foundation needed to discover chord tones, arpeggios, and scales anywhere on the fretboard. You can discover this wealth of information very quickly if you are indeed familiar with the method.

A great guitar solo isn’t just about choosing the right scale (that’s easy to do for most chord progressions) but is related to the accurate and creative use of chord tones. Scales can be put to good use in a decent guitar lead, however they are often used as the core, the foundation if you like. The best solo’s have character.

They always fit the music perfectly and most of the time this is done by knowing the best notes to use at the best time. Some have the “ear” for a guitar solo while others will learn the proper use of chord tones through practice techniques like The CAGED Method.

Posted in Chords, Courses, Scales | No Comments »

Produce Great Guitar Tabs

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

For those of you who are new to the guitar, you may be wondering what exactly is a “guitar tab”?

Great question.

A guitar tab is a term used by guitarists that derives from the word “tablature,” or “a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches.”

Huh?

Several years back, someone came up with an idea that would help amateur guitarists learn songs quicker. And thus the “guitar tab” was born. Guitar tabs provided an ideal alternative to reading actual sheets of music. We like to call it “Sheet Music for Dummies.” Instead of attempting to read the notes and break down the content that way, some genius (or geniuses) discovered a way that even a ten year old could understand.

The guitar tab has saved or destroyed the industry depending on the person you ask. The purists view it as “an easy way out.” The 21st generation appears to generally accept it as the way of the future.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the term “tablature” originates from the Latin word “tabulatura”? In Latin, tabula is a table or slate. To tabulate something means to put it into a table or chart.

While standard musical notation represents the rhythm and duration of each note and its pitch relative to the scale based on a twelve tone division of the octave; tablature is instead operationally based, indicateing where and when a finger should be placed to generate a note. Thus, the pitch is denoted implicitly rather than explicitly.

The rhythmic symbols of tablature inform the musician when to start a note, but usually do no indicate when to stop sounding it. Consequently, the duration is at the discretion of the performer to a greater extent than is the case in conventional musical notation.

When dealing with guitar tabs, the number of resources available on the web are incredibly diverse. However, while this wealth of knowledge is generously available to anyone – it does not exactly mean that all guitar tabs posted on the web are A) correct, B) correct, and C) correct.

The Guitar Tab

Below is a guitar tab from the Red Hot Chili Peppers that was posted on GuitarTab.com:

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album: By The Way
Song: Zephyr Song

h = hammer
b = bend
x = scratch
r = release

———————————————–

Intro
e|—————————————————————————-|
B|———————————————————————5——|
G|——-12——–10——-4——-5———9——–7——-4——-5——|
D|—-10———9——–5——-7——–10——–9——-5——-7——–|
A|-12———10——–7——-8——-12——–10——-7——-8———-|
E|—————————————————————————-|

Verse
e|—————————————————————————-|
B|—————————————————————————-|
G|——-9—–12–10–9———-7—–10–9–7——–4——7—5—4——|
D|—-10——————–9———————–5————————-|
A|-12——12————10———10————7———7—————–|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|—————————————————————————-|
B|——————————————————————10——–|
G|——–5—7h9–7–5–5b———–9——12–14—9———7—10–9–7–|
D|—-7—————————10————————-9—————-|
A|-8————————–12———12————–10——————-|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|—————————————————————————-|
B|——————–5——————————————————-|
G|——–4——-7——-5—–4–5——4–5————–9——12–10-—9–|
D|—-5————————————————-10——————–|
A|-7———7—————8——–8———8—12———12————-|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|—————————————————————————-|
B|—————————————————————————-|
G|——–7—–10–9–7——–4——7—5—4——–5—7h9–7–5b———-|
D|—–9——————–5——7—————–7————————|
A|-10——-10———–7————————8—————————|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|—————————————————————————-|
B|———————————–10————————5————5-|
G|——–9—–12–14–9——–7—10–9–7——-4—-7–9–5—4-5—4–5-|
D|—-10———————-9——————5—-7———————–|
A|12——–12————10——————7——————8—–8——|
E|—————————————————————————-|

Chorus

e|————5—-5———–5—-5—————————————–|
B|–7———3—-5—–7—–3—-5—————————————–|
G|–7———4—-6—–7—–4—-6—————————————–|
D|–7———5—-7—–7—–5—-7—————————————–|
A|–5———x—-x—–5—–x—-x—————————————–|
E|————3—-5———–3—-5—————————————–|

Interlude:
e|——————————————————————————–|
B|——————————————————————————–|
G|——–9—-12–10–9——-7—-10–9–7——4—-7–5—4——–5—7h9–7–5|
D|—-10——————–9——————5——————–7————-|
A|-12——-12———–10——10———-7——7————8—————-|
E|——————————————————————————–|

Verse 2
e|——————————————————————————–|
B|——————————————————————————–|
G|——-9—–12–10-9——7——10–9–7–9—–4—7-5-4-5—–5-7h9-7-5-7h9-|
D|—-10——————-9———————-5—————7—————|
A|-12——-12———-10——10————–7—–7———8—————–|
E|——————————————————————————–|

e|—————————————————————————–|
B|——————————–10———————5—————-5—-|
G|——–9—–12–14–9——7–10–9–7—–4—-7-9–5—-4–5—–4–5—-|
D|—-10———————9—————5———————————|
A|-12——-12————10—————7—–7———-8——-8———-|
E|—————————————————————————–|

Chorus 2
e|——5—5———–5—5—————————————-5–5–5–5-5-|
B|–7—3—5—–7—–3—5—-7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–3–3–3–3-3-|
G|–7—4—6—–7—–4—6—-7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–4–4–4–4-4-|
D|–7—5—7—–7—–5—7—-7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–5–5–5–5-5-|
A|–5—x—x—–5—–x—x—-5–5-5–5–5–5–5-5–5–5–5–x-x–x–x–x–x-x-|
E|——3—5———–3—5—————————————-3–3–3–3-3-|

e|-5–5–5–5—-5————————————–5–5–5–5-5–5–5–5–5—-5-|
B|-7–7–7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–3–3–3–3-3–7–7–7–7–7-|
G|-6–6–6–6–6–7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–4–4–4–4-4–6–6–6–6–6-|
D|-7–7–7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–7-7–7–7–7–x-x–5–5–5–5-5–7–7–7–7–7-|
A|-x–x–x–x–x–5–5-5–5–5–5–5-5–5–5–5–x-x–x–x–x–x-x–x–x–x–x–x-|
E|-5–5–5–5–5————————————–3–3–3–3-3–5–5–5–5–5-|

Solo
e|-12–10–12–12-|-12–10–12—-8–7-|-5–10–8–10–10–10-8-|-10—12–8—7–5|
B|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
G|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
D|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
A|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
E|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|

e|-12–10–12-12-|-10—-12–8-7-5-|-10–8–10—10–10–8-|-10–12—-8–7–5–0—-|
B|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
G|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
D|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
A|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|
E|—————-|—————–|———————-|——————-|

Bridge
e|–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x–0–0-0–0-0–0-0–0-0–|
B|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x—3–3–3–3–3–3–3–x-x–0–0-0–0-0–0-0–0-0–|
G|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x—4–4–4–4–4–4–4–x-x–0–0-0–0-0–0-0–0-0–|
D|–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x–2–2-2–2-2–2-2——-|
A|——————————————————————————|
E|——————————————————————————|

e|-5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–7—7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x–5–5–5–5–5–5-|
B|-8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8———5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x–3–3–3–3–3–3-|
G|-5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5———5–5–5–5–5–5–5–x-x–4–4–4–4–4–4-|
D|-7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7———7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x–5–5–5–5–5–5-|
A|-8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8–8—————————————————-|
E|——————————————————————————|

e|-5–x-x–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–5———————————–|
B|-3–x-x–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–8———————————–|
G|-4–x-x–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–5———————————–|
D|-5–x-x–2–2–2–2–2–2–2——–7———————————–|
A|————————————8———————————–|
E|————————————————————————|

Bridge 2
e|——5—5——-5—5————————————x-x—–|
B|–7—3—5—7—3—5—7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x—–|
G|–7—4—6—7—4—6—7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x—–|
D|–7—5—7—7—5—7—7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–x-x—–|
A|–5—x—x—5—x—x—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5———-|
E|——3—5——-3—5——————————————–|

e|-3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5–3–5——————————————|
B|-3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5–3–5——————————————|
G|-4–4–4–4–4–4–4—6–4–6——————————————|
D|-5–5–5–5–5–5–5—7–5–7——————————————|
A|-x–x–x–x–x–x–x—x–0–x——————————————|
E|-3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5—–5——————————————|

e|——5—5——-5—5—3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–|
B|–7—3—5—7—3—5—3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–|
G|–7—4—6—7—4—6—4–4–4–4–4–4–4–4—6–6–6–6–6–6–6–6–|
D|–7—5—7—7—5—7—5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5—7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–|
A|–5—x—x—5—x—x—x–x–x–x–x–x–x–x—x–x–x–x–x–x–x–x–|
E|——3—5——-3—5—3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3—5–5–5–5–5—-5–5–5–|

e|–14———-14——–14——-14——–14—————15———15–|
B|——15———15——–15——-15——–15———15——–15——|
G|———-14——–14——–14——-14——–14—16——–16———|
D|—————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————|
E|—————————————————————————|

e|————–17————-14——–14——–14——–14——–14-|
B|—-15—–17————-15——–15——–15——–15——–15—-|
G|-16—–18——–18—14——–14——–14——–14——–14——-|
D|————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————|

e|——-15——–15—————-17—-15–17———-14——–14—-|
B|—-15——–15——–15——17——-15–17——-15——–15——-|
G|-16——–16——–16——18———-16–18—-14——–14———-|
D|————————————————————————-|
A|————————————————————————-|
E|————————————————————————-|

e|——-14——–14——–14——–15——–15—————17——-17-|
B|—-15——–15——–15——–15——–15——–15—–17——-17—-|
G|-14——–14——–14——–16——–16——–16—–18——-18——-|
D|—————————————————————————-|
A|—————————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|————14——–14——–14——–14——–14——–15——–15–|
B|———15——–15——–15——–15——–15——–15——–15—–|
G|-18—14——–14——–14——–14——–14——–16——–16——–|
D|—————————————————————————-|
A|—————————————————————————-|
E|—————————————————————————-|

e|———17———17—————————————————|
B|—-15—17———19—————————————————|
G|-16——18———18—————————————————|
D|————————————————————————-|
A|————————————————————————-|
E|————————————————————————-|

If you have never seen a guitar tab before, the above language may look like something fresh off the Matrix. Fortunately, it’s not nearly as complicated. And the acting is much better…

The guitar tab presents the six strings on the guitar, starting with the high e and working all the way down to the low E. The number on each string is the fret at which you play the note. So, for example, if it reads “6″ on A, the guitarist will locate the A string and slide down six frets from the top of the guitar neck. Boom! That’s your note.

If the numbers are stacked on top of each other (as is the case with a lot of “Zephyr”), the tab is informing you to play a chord. Place all your fingers on the strings (according to the tab) and strum. Boom! That’s your chord. Most guitar tabs will provide a key at the top, just like the one for “Zephyr.” An “o” will generally indicate a string you play with the chord that is open. Other symbols like “h” (hammer on), “b” (bend), and “r” (release) are used to describe advanced guitar techniques.

There are numerous benefits to guitar tabs with the most important being an easy way to learn a song when you cannot read sheet music. However, there are also several disadvantages to guitar tabs. Guitar tabs are easy to pick-up, but as we mentioned previously, they’re not always 100% correct. Most guitar tab web sites do provide a rating system in which users can rate the accuracy of each guitar tab. Use this to your advantage and only consult guitar tabs with a 5 star rating (from four or more individuals).

Also, guitar tabs fail to tell you how long you should play a specific note or chord. If you are very familiar with the song, the length of the note or chord should come fairly natural. The best recommendation is to listen to the actual recording while you attempt to learn the song.

Produce Your Own Guitar Tabs

As you become more proficient with the guitar, you may or may not desire to produce your own guitar tabs. If this is something that you would like to do eventually, please take the task seriously. It’s important to remember that your tab could possibly educate hundreds if not thousands of others on the specific song. You need to treat the tab with care.

1. Be accurate. This is by far the most important rule. If the tablature or chords are not correct then the guitar player will fail to learn. Play along with the song and ensure that every note is 100% accurate. Also, make sure you provide additional details such as if a capo or a different tuning is required.

2. Use correct chord names. Every combination of notes has a name so make sure you find the right one for each chord. Otherwise, if the chord is used in another person’s tab correctly, it will sound wrong and probably upset the guitarist.

3. Be a fan. The reader will trust your tab(s) more if they know it is coming from someone who really enjoys the band song. The first thing in your tab after the song name and artist should be a short sentence about how much you like this song and/or artist.

4. Do not be meticulous. Guitar players do not want to be treated like babies, so do not try to map out every single beat and tell them when to use upstroke/downstroke. The beginner guitarist that is reading your tab has more than likely already heard the song and is familiar with the content.

5. Tab a new song. You will find that a lot of songs are “tabbed” over and over again. This is done for a reason. The song is very popular and a lot of people want to learn how to play it. However, how many people do you think will truly consult your tab when a million other “Hotel California” tabs exist. Tab a new song or one that does not have many tabs on the internet.

Fun Fact: According to Mxtabs.net, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin is by far the most coveted of all guitar tabs.

Posted in Chords, Guitar | No Comments »

Power Chords You Need to Play

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

In the entertainment industry they sometimes say, “power is money.”

In the alternative, modern rock, and metal genres of music – power chords are money. If you have money, you can rule the world. Power chords provide that raw, aggressive edge to your music. They’re brash, bold, and daring. But did you know, that power chords (PC) are technically not ”true chords”? What I mean by this, is that a chord is defined as a musical presence that utilizes three or more notes.

Technically speaking, power chords are not true chords. A chord is made up of three or more notes. ”PC’s” are only made up of two different notes. So, with that being said, it’s now time to look at these “non-technical guitar chords.”

A major chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of its corresponding major scale. For example, take a look at the C Major Scale. The C Major Scale is made up of the following notes:

C	D	E	F	G	A	B	C
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

In order to play a C Major Chord, the guitarist would strum the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the C Scale, or the notes: C, E, & G.

C Major Chord

All Major Scales follow the same progression, which means that regardless of whether it’s the C Major, A Major, or E Major – they all incorporate the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of its corresponding major scale.

So, for example, you need to play a C Power Chord. Which notes do you need to play. All power chords use the 1st and 5th notes on the scale. As you’ll note from above, the 1st note in the C Major is C while the 5th note of the scale G. Thus, to play the C P. Chord, the guitarist would simply strum the guitar with the C and G notes:

Despite popular opinion, power chords are not difficult to play. They may ring off this thunderous, complex sound in your earlobe, but these chords are accessible for both the advanced and beginner guitarist. If you are looking for some of the most popular PC’s, try your hand at a few of these notoriously simple and common chords:

It’s important to keep in mind that while power chords are easy and fun to play, the beginner guitarist too often gets caught up with the sound. Sure, they really pack a nice punch. But as previously stated, they are not “guitar chords.” Learning to play complex three to four note chords will really expand your musical spectrum.

As always, the web provides numerous opportunities to expand your knowledge and learn about guitar chords. If you are an absolute beginner, check out this great “Power Chords for Dummies” explanation. Also, Guitar Allegiance provides a nice lesson for free and as always, Guitar Lessons Critic features a detailed review of some of the best guitar courses available.

Another useful reference is to begin with basic music theory and guitar chords. It is here where you will understand the many, many different chords available at your disposal.

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Intro to Major Chords – E and G Major

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Chords are exciting and difficult for beginners. They’re exciting because it means you’re getting closer to playing a full song, they’re frustrating because you’re going to need your fingers to move in ways they have never had to before.

There’s a lesson video below that fully explains the tab and shapes for these chords. It would be good to read through this brief article and then also watch the video.

Tips Before Starting

When you first learn chords proper technique is important. Remember to use the tips of your fingers and keep your thumb flush on the back of the neck. Also below I talk about finger numbers, your fingers are numbered one to four starting with your index finger (1) to your pinky (4).

Let’s get started…

The E major Chord

E – 0 –
B – 0 –
G – 1 –
D – 2 –
A – 2 –
E – 0 –

To play the E chord you use your first three fingers. Finger two is placed on the 2nd fret of the B string, finger three is placed on the 2nd fret of the G string and your first finger is placed on the first fret of the D string. Play all six strings when you strum.

The G major Chord

E – 3 –
B – 0 –
G – 0 –
D – 0 –
A – 2 –
E – 3 –

To play the G chord you also use the first three fingers on your hand. Place your second finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string, your first finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. All six strings should be strummed when playing the G chord.

Practice Tips

When learning chords proper technique is a must. It takes time for your fingers to feel comfortable making these shapes on the guitar neck. I suggest start by making the shape correctly then squeezing your hand and fingers and then releasing them. Next make the shape again and repeat. This will help create muscle memory in your fingers.

Also learning to play slowly and then adding speed and changing between chords is better then trying to do it right away and getting frustrated. All things worth learning take time!

Interested in learning more beginner guitar chords and techniques? Why not consider trying a beginner guitar dvd? Self study programs such as dvd and online videos are quickly becoming the new private guitar lessons of the 21st century.

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3 String Beginner Guitar Chords C, G and D7

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

When we start to learn guitar the thing on our minds is almost always chords. We want to learn to play songs that we know and we know that learning to play chords is what will get us there.

Today I’m going share with you some beginner guitar chords you can learn quickly. All three of these chords are three string chords, meaning they only require you to strum 3 strings and that’s it. So lets get going.

C Chord

E — 0 —
B — 1 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

A quick note about what the guitar tab means above. The X’s mean you do not strum that string, the 0’s mean to play that string open and a number refers to a particular fret that you press when strumming the 3 strings.

For this three string C chord you are pressing down on the first fret on the B string and playing the G and E strings open.

G Chord

E — 3 —
B — 0 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

To play the three string G chord you play the G and B strings open and the 3rd fret on the high E string.

D7 Chord

You will find the D7 chord a bit more challenging then the G and C chords we covered first. Why? Because you have to press on a fret on the three bottom strings at once.

E — 1 —
B — 2 —
G — 1 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —

For the D7 chord you must place your second finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your third finger on the 2nd fret of the B string and your first finger on the 1st fret of the G string.

This will feel uncomfortable at first but focus on using the tips of your fingers and keeping your thumb on the back of the neck. I give more explanation in the video below.

After watching the video below grab your guitar and give these three chords a try. Don’t get discouraged if at first you find it difficult, also don’t try to immediately switch between them while strumming. Before you trying strumming them and switching between chords ensure you can easily make the shape and strum the chord on it’s own.

To learn more beginner guitar chords fast why not try a learn to play guitar dvd? Self study dvd courses teach you beginner guitar skills at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.

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Intro to the CAGED System – Locating all Major Chords on the Guitar Neck

Monday, December 7th, 2009

As a beginner learning to play the open major chords is a very big accomplishment. It opens a door to learning to play some popular songs and even write some of your own. When you want to stretch your legs a little further you need to enter the realm of barre chords.

Learning the same major chords at different positions can be a little more difficult. After all there are a lot of frets and a lot of note combination’s to choose from.

In this post I want to introduce you to a unique system that is sure to help you find, play and memorize several versions of all seven major chords on the guitar.

The CAGED guitar system is a method of finding 5 different versions of all 7 major chords using familiar chord shapes from the open position. As the name might have given away those shapes are from the C-A-G-E-D major chords.

A quick example: If you barre the 5th fret and play an E chord shape you have an A Major chord.

The system works like this. Using those 5 chord shapes you can find five versions of each major chord at different locations on the neck. You do still need to find those variations and if you want memorize them, but this system makes it a lot easier to locate them.

I’ve created a brief video below that explains the CAGED guitar system and also provides a complete example of finding four different variations of the E chord using the D, C, A and G chord shapes as barre chords. Take a few minutes to watch this video and then grab your own guitar to give it a try.

Interested in learning more guitar tricks and techniques like the CAGED system? Not interested in taking private guitar lessons? Why not try a learn guitar dvd course? Learn at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.

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5 Essential Chords to Learn on Guitar

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

When I first started playing guitar, about 12 years ago, I tried learning songs with individual notes (think “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc.), as opposed to full chords, because it was tough to play the chords.

However, as time went on, I found that chords were the basis for every song I wanted to learn to play, so I couldn’t stay away from learning them for long!

If you want to get a head start learning the chords that will have the highest impact on your song-playing abilities, these are the 5 most popular chords to learn on guitar:

C Major
G Major
D Major
E Major
A Major

While the order of importance of these chords is widely-debated, most anyone would agree that learning these chords (and being able to transition between them quickly) will get on you on track to playing 100’s, maybe 1,000’s, of popular songs.

To learn to play each chord, check out ChordBook’s interactive chord charts. They should help you learn the fingerings, but you’ll have to practice to learn how you prefer to switch between the chords quickly enough to play in a flowing manner.

Enjoy learning the top 5 guitar chords!

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