>> Learn Guitar Chords

Learn Guitar Chords

Melody, harmony, and rhythm are the three building blocks of what we call music. Here, we will deal with harmony, or the basics of how to learn guitar chords.

When learning the play the guitar, many students and teachers elect to start with chords. This is for the simple reason that almost no music reading is required. To truly excel at chord playing, however, a basic knowledge of rhythm and the principles of harmony are required. Before the beginning student gets into all that, some basic shapes must be learned.

Chords are written using a chord diagram. A chord diagram is a pictographic representation of the first few frets of the fingerboard. It consists of six vertical lines representing the six strings of the guitar (the lowest pitched string is on the left), and four or more horizontal lines representing the nut and the firs few frets of the guitar. On this diagram, dots are placed to show the finger placement for that particular chord. Once the beginning student understands this, learning guitar chords becomes simply a matter of glancing at the diagram.

Many students find it difficult to learn guitar chords mainly due to the fact that you have to learn how to move up to four fingers at the same time, often in different directions. You must do this quickly and accurately to effectively play a chord progression. When learning how to switch chords, start simple, perhaps choose only two chords that are similar in shape. For example, the G7 chord and the C chord are similar in shape, with the only difference between them being that the G7 covers six strings instead of the five that the C chord takes.

Another helpful trick that you can use to make it easier to learn guitar chords is guide fingers. A guide finger is a finger that doesn't move from its position or stays close to it when the chord is switched. An example of a guide finger can be found when switching from D7 to G. The third finger stays on the first string, and only moves up one fret, so you can use this finger as a guide to anchor your left hand, allowing you to more easily switch the chords.

As with anything worth learning on the guitar, it takes time to learn guitar chords. Determination and a strong will to work through the tough spots will help you to do your best when you are learning guitar chords.