If you’re having a hard time coming up with your own sentence, you might want to use “Eat All Day Get Big Easy. " Hold your guitar in front of you so that it’s facing you and look at the strings. The thickest string on the far left is low E. The A string is next to it. The third string from the left is D, followed by the G string and the B string. Finally you have the high E string to the far right, which will be the thinnest string on your instrument. One thing to keep in mind is that as you’re looking down at a guitar from a playing position, the lowest strings will be on the top of the instrument (if you’re playing right-handed). However, when you’re told to play the “top” strings, you’re actually playing the thinner strings that correspond to higher notes. The “bottom” strings are the thicker strings that correspond to lower notes.
The first fret will be about an inch down from the nut or top of the guitar neck. The second fret is about an inch below that, the third fret about an inch below that, and so on. Basic open chords typically only use the first three frets, so when you’re just starting out that’s all you need to be worried about.
The fingerboard diagram reads from left to right. If you hold up your guitar in front of you as you did to learn the strings, the line to the far left of the diagram is low E. The vertical lines on the diagram are the strings, while the horizontal lines are the frets. There will be circles on the diagram to show where your fingers should be placed. You’ll see a number in the circle that corresponds to the finger that should be placed there. Memorize the finger numbers. Your index finger is your first finger, your middle finger is your second finger, your ring finger is your third finger, and your pinky is your fourth finger. Some more complex chords also require you to use your thumb, which is represented by a “T” on most fingerboard diagrams.
If this finger position feels uncomfortable, you can also make a G major using your first, second, and third fingers instead of your second, third, and fourth. However, keep in mind that as you progress this finger positioning may make it more difficult for you to transition quickly from G major to other chords. When you first place your fingers, strum each string individually. For G major, you’re going to strum all six strings, even the unfretted ones. This is what makes it an open chord. With an open chord, each chord you strum should sound clearly. If a string sounds flat or muted, check your finger positioning. You should put the tip of your finger on the string to press it down, but your finger shouldn’t touch any other strings.
Notice that the finger numbers correspond to the fret numbers. That makes C major a pretty easy chord to remember. When you strum a C major, you want to stick to the top five strings – don’t strum the low E. Since you’re used to strumming all six strings with G major, this might take some practice to get right. Now that you know two chords, you might want to practice transitioning back and forth between them. This will help you memorize the chord shape and your hand positioning so that you can find the chords without needing to look at a fingerboard diagram.
To strum D major, you only want to strum the top four strings. In addition to the low E string that you left out when you strummed C major, you’re also leaving out the A string. You might want to practice transitioning back and forth between G major and D major, so you can get a better feel of which strings should be strummed.
Some examples of popular songs that you can play once you know G, C, and D include Already Gone by the Eagles, Small Town and Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp, and Thunder on the Mountain by Bob Dylan. You can find lists of songs that use those three chords online. If you can’t read music, look for tablatures (or just “tabs”) that simply give you the names of the chords played. You’ll want to start slow. Eventually, you can pull up the audio recording of the song and play your guitar along with the recording. If you can find a live video of the musicians performing, this can help you nail the strumming pattern. It may be tough to get the hang of at first, but this will help you get your strumming and chord transitions up to speed.
The first finger joint often has the most tendency to flatten out, and can muffle or mute the string next to the one you’re fretting. To help get your fingers in the right position, think of holding an apple or a tennis ball in your hand with your fingers curled around it. This is how you want your fingers to be on the neck of the guitar – not flat. C major and G major are good chords to use to check your finger positioning. Since your fingers are further extended, it can be easier for the knuckles to flatten out.
Generally, you want to try to keep your fingers as close to the fret as possible – but not on the fret. In your mind, visualize the space between the frets as divided into quarters. Your finger should be in the lower quarter of this space, and no higher. For example, if you’re playing a chord that requires your third finger to the on the second fret, your finger should be about three-quarters down from the first fret, just above the second fret.
When you make a chord, you should be applying even pressure on each of the strings that you’re fretting. If you’re applying too much (or too little) pressure to one of the strings, it can cause the chord to sound off.
If you tend to kink your wrist forward in front of the guitar neck, you’ll probably experience pain after playing for awhile, and your fingers will have less mobility. You also may have the tendency to kink your wrist behind the guitar neck. This may inhibit your ability to get a clean sound from your chords, as well as causing your fingers to flatten. Keep in mind that kinking your wrist not only affects your guitar’s sound and your ability to position your fingers correctly, it also can damage your wrist and lead to more serious issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome over time. If you plan to play guitar often, find some good wrist strengthening exercises and stretches to help take care of your wrists and prevent such problems.
If you’re hunched over or crunching your shoulders, you probably also have the tendency to kink your wrist. Check your elbows as well. The elbow of your fretting arm should be close to your side, not jutting out away from you. If you have the tendency to jut your elbow out, this may be causing you to hunch over or to kind your wrist. At least when you’re first learning to play, it’s typically a good idea to practice while sitting rather than trying to stand. That way you can balance the bulk of the guitar’s weight on your lap rather than hanging from a strap, which can cause you to hunch if you’re unaccustomed to the weight.
From E major, if you lift your first or index finger off the string and strum, you have an E minor chord. Practice strumming these two chords together by lifting your index finger on every other strum.
When you strum A minor, leave the low E string out and only strum the top five strings. You’ll strum the same strings for A major as you do for A minor.
You’ll find that your first and second fingers can’t really be as close to the fret as would be ideal. You’ll get more comfortable with practice and be able to stretch your fingers closer to the fret. Practicing switching from A major to E major is a good way to practice both chord shapes together. Remember that with E major you’re strumming all six strings, while with A major you’re only strumming the top five strings.
To make an F major chord, put your first finger on the first fret of the B string, your second finger on the second fret of the G string, and your third finger on the third fret of the D string. You probably recognize this configuration as the same you used for C major, just on different strings. When you strum F major, you only want to strum the three strings that you’ve fretted. Don’t strum the low E, A, or high E strings.
For example, since you know G, F, and C, you can learn Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones, which uses those three chords. There also are a wealth of popular songs that use four chords. In fact, C, A minor, F, and G make up the most popular chord progression for country, rock, and popular music. Note that if you find the F major chord difficult, you can transpose the chords and play G, E minor, C, and D instead.
