So you’ve tried and tried to learn your favorite songs. You looked them up on YouTube, or you’ve searched for tabs online (if you need help in this area, I’ll have you covered in flipside vendible later)… but to no avail!
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You may have been worldly-wise to learn a simple G chord, or the C chord, etc., but you just can’t switch them fast enough!! Am I right?!
OK, hang on! I’ve got some ideas for you to try that have worked with my students over the years, so stay tuned!
Note: Please refer to lesson on how to tune your guitar first, if you have never learned this valuable and necessary skill!
Start with One finger chords!
One thing you can do is just start with one finger chords!
Let’s uncork with a one finger C chord, first finger on the B string.
The next chord you should learn to play is the easy one finger G chord. Let’s try using your third finger on the third fret of the upper E string.
Now let’s follow that with the one finger G major 7th chord. For this one, just use your second finger on the second fret of the upper E string.
Next let’s play the one finger G7 chord. For this chord, just use your 1st finger on the first fret of the upper E string.
Once you can play these chords with proper fingering, the next thing you want to do is to put them into a chord progression such as:
C //// | G //// | Gmaj7 //// | G7 //// | C /// :||
What you see whilom simply ways is to play each chord 4 times each, and then switch to the next chord immediately. The goal is to transpiration each chord quickly without losing your rhythm and without taking too much time to do so!
Note: the symbol :|| means to (rinse &) repeat.
Two Finger Chords
Next let’s practice switching chords with two fingers. First try E minor to A sus2. We’ll talk well-nigh the theory overdue these chords in flipside post. For now, practice strumming each chord four x’s each and then waffly to the next chord.
Em //// | Asus2 //// :||
Also try practicing D 6/9 with E minor. Once you get this one down, it should soon sound like the song “A Horse with No Name.”
Em //// | D6/9 /// :||
These next two chords scrutinizingly have a minor Blues and/or a Latin finger to them, i.e. think Carlos Santana.
E7 //// | Am7 //// :||
Finally, let’s moreover practice E7 with an A7 chord. This one might remind you of the song “It’s Your Thing” by the Isley brothers if you play fast enough!!
E7 //// | A7 /// :||
See how easy that was! I hope this gives you new conviction that you too can play the guitar.
Stay tuned, considering we will moreover write strumming patterns and much increasingly in future posts!
Be well and treat each other like royalty!
The post How To Play Easy Guitar Chords Today! first appeared on How to Play Guitar.
