These Easy Guitar Chords Are a Good Place to Start
If you are brand new to guitar you will soon find that starting with easy guitar chords is a good policy. Begin by working with or towards what is “playable”. Remember keep it simple and make it playable. Playing simple chords and simple melodies to get you going is a good way of familiarising yourself with the demands of basic techniques on the guitar. We will start with the type of chords called Major Chords. The three-fingered and less finger type and the three-fingered and more finger type .
Try the Guitar Pro Video Chord Exercise
If you don't understand chord diagrams click here!
What is a Chord Anyway?
Strictly speaking it could be said that a chord in musical terms is any harmony of two or more notes. From many modern guitarists' perspectives, a two note chord is usually an interval of a perfect fifth often referred to as a power chord. Sometimes it is a two note harmony implying the function of a "triad". In most practical situations the simplest complete chord, being more than just an interval distance between two notes is a triad. A triad is as the name suggests a group of three notes that can be played either together or one at a time.
The simplest way to get used to the triadic structure is to see that it is really just "every other letter" of the alphabet. That's right...ALL chords!
Check out this short crash course video on chord construction. As always don't panic if you don't fully understand it yet. This is more of a preview of chord theory understanding. If you are completely new to studying music you should start with Music Theory for Guitar Players part 1.
The Building Blocks of Chords "Thinking in Thirds"
Two Types of Easy Guitar Chords
The thing about the guitar is that as far as most musical instruments go it is a pretty forgiving one. Saying that however we need to consider a few little trade-offs. A two-year-old child can push on a piano or electric keyboard instrument key and get a pitch, or note. In order to produce a clear pitch on a guitar we need to consider a variety of physical movements and elements that are unique to the job each hand has to do. The links on this page go to two types of simple chord forms. The three or less finger type and the three finger or more type.
The three-fingered and less finger type
When you use these simple type "easy guitar chords" you need to remember that you will have to be more careful and precise with your strumming or picking hand. It is a good skill to develop in any case.
Work on muting and/or avoiding the notes you don't want while "playing with meaning" the sounds you do want. Happy playing! Keep an eye on this site for video lessons on this and many more subjects of interest.
Try the Simple Chords Exercise
If you are a user of the Guitar Pro 6 Tab playing/editing software you can download the GP6 file here. Make sure to check your default download location after clicking. If you don't have Guitar Pro just follow the video below.
Click here for the three-fingered and more finger type .
These are also mostly considered “open” or “first” position type chords depending on whom you are speaking to. One final note here is on theory. Try to find/see the relationship within the simple type three fingered or less type chords page.This is a huge factor in western music. Don't let the chord names confuse you either, when you see C/E that represents C the chord, with the note E as a bass note, the lowest note played. (This is "C over E" when spoken).The open position type chords are merely set out in alphabetical order. Theory is something we can cover in more detail as the site grows and video examples are added to help make it all much clearer. A picture paints a thousand words. Remember if you can count to twelve, say the alphabet from A to G, clap a simple rhythm and recognise Happy Birthday when you hear it then I Can Teach You to Play Guitar! So bookmark and keep your eye on this site!
Here’s one of the Guitarists' Trade-Offs
So as far as these easy guitar chords go you should just try them all but be aware of one big thing. When you try what many may see as the easier option, the three-fingered or less type, you will then also need to consider more carefully the actions of your strumming/picking hand (left or right depending which handed you are playing). Less fingers on the fret board means more “open” or un-fretted strings that you will have to be able to mute out or control in some way. On the other hand if you choose the more conventional more complete shapes of open position chords you may still have to mute a string here and there but you will most certainly be using more than just one or two fingers most of the time. So the easiest chord shapes for one person may not be the easiest guitar chords for another person. In any case you may feel it’s kind of like attempting to teach a child to speak. For the first few years you try and get them talking then for the next…??...years you’re trying to get them to shut up! Well...maybe...
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