The chords I'm learning about right now are basic because they're open-position chords. These types are played lower on the neck of the guitar and have open strings, meaning not every string has a finger on it (Brewster 14).
"Major chords are those that belong to the major scale; their sound could be described as positive, bright, or happy" (14).
So, diving into the fun part.... playing them! The first major chord I learned was the G chord. In Brewster's book, he included diagrams on which finger goes on which string to play the specific chord, which is really helpful for beginners!
So I looked at the diagram which tells me that you put your first finger on the 5th string of the 2nd fret, your 2nd finger on the 6th string of the 3rd fret, and lastly your 3rd finger on the 1st string of the 3rd fret. I learned all of this from the markings. The black dots represent where you should put your fingers on the strings. The white dots on top tell us that the strings they're over should have no fingers on them. Lastly, the numbers on the bottom show us which finger should be on which string. Once you place your fingers in the correct position according to the diagram, you can strum and end up with the final product: the "G" chord!
I continued with the same steps on the next two chords. Next is the "C" chord.
And lastly, the "D" chord.
To all the people out there that know how/are learning to play the guitar, are the diagrams I showed or tabs more useful for you when playing chords? Let me know how which way is easier for you when learning new chords!
Brewster, David M. Teach Yourself to Play Guitar. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2004. Print.
I think the diagrams are very useful in fact that's what I usually look up when I don't know how to play a chord or something along those lines because you can see where and how your fingers need to be placed when playing the chord.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you Ivan! Since I'm a beginner and don't have all the chords memorized yet, it's very helpful to see exactly where to put your fingers and which finger to use.
DeleteI like to use both tabs and chord diagrams similar to these. When playing with chords I definitely prefer these diagrams. But when playing a song with a finger-style, I like using tabs because it separates the notes from each other and helps with figuring out the rhythm.
ReplyDeleteI like to use both tabs and chord diagrams similar to these. When playing with chords I definitely prefer these diagrams. But when playing a song with a finger-style, I like using tabs because it separates the notes from each other and helps with figuring out the rhythm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight Cathy! I don't particularly like tabs because they're hard for me to read, but I suppose with more practice on learning them I could take your advice.
DeleteI find diagrams very useful, other wise you could be placing your fingers in the wrong spot and only know by the sound.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, chord diagrams show exactly where you should place your fingers which is helpful for people just starting out on learning chords!
DeleteThe diagrams are very useful for those who don't know where to put their fingers when playing specific chords.
ReplyDeleteVery true! Thanks for your feedback!
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