B chords are ideal for beginner guitarists as they produce a light, free sound. Additionally, this version of the B Guitar Chord may be suitable for children or those with smaller hands.
An alternative variation of the b chord involves using a barre on your index finger and strumming five strings down from the nut – this version produces less open sounding chords yet remains easy to play.
Barre Chord
Barre chords require more practice to master than open voicings, yet they provide a solid basis for future barred voicings. When practicing, try keeping your fingers in a straight line from shoulder to fingertips as much as possible to reduce finger cramps and stop barred fingers from muzzling the strings they are fretting.
Start by learning an E major barre chord shape, commonly referred to as 6th root bars. Based off an open A chord, this form allows for movement along the fretboard as it changes notes as you ascend it.
As you work, remember to use the fleshy bottom of your index finger to fret each string. Some players prefer curling their thumb over the neck; however, this can introduce unnecessary tension into their hand and fingers. Instead, use your index finger as a barrer and stretch out any necessary fingers in order to position them appropriately.
Open Chord
Open chords are beneficial for beginner musicians as they do not require all strings to be fretted simultaneously, making playing simpler. Open chords also help muting techniques become second nature as your fingers learn how to step back from being the way of sounding the notes and become out of the way of the strings when necessary.
An excellent open chord example is Asus2. This chord boasts an iconic blues sound, making it particularly suitable for use with acoustic guitars.
Open chords are common in folk and country music, though they can also be applied in other genres. When first learning them it’s essential that each note/string resonate and sound its best – this allows you to hear any muffled or non-functioning strings so any necessary adjustments can be made quickly. Furthermore, use your fingertips when fretting any open chord for maximum sound and clarity!
Major Chord
One of the most frequently used chords is a Major Chord, a triad with open strings that produces a distinct sound when strumming. There’s also an offshoot called Maj6th (or sometimes Maj9) which adds another note into its scale for dissonant harmony.
Step one in creating a major chord is barring all but two of its strings with your index finger of your left hand curved and pressed across all six strings at the fifth fret – this “barre chord” requires greater endurance and finger agility than other guitar chords.
Major chords consist of the first, third and fifth notes from any major scale. You may add other notes outside this scale to create various other types of chords; however, the hallmark of a major chord lies within its intervals and root note.
Minor Chord
Minor chords differ from major ones by not consisting of whole tones but instead consist of groups of three chord tones arranged together, giving musicians great versatility when it comes to playing them. To adjust their sound, simply move its triad tones up or down an octave; this process is known as versioning and one key way musicians come up with new chords for songs.
One method by which musicians create minor chords is by adding an extra seventh to an existing triad – this form of minor major seventh chord can often be notated as Cm(maj7) and can help add tension and drama to a song. Cm(maj7) chords can often be found in 20th century suspense music as they add tension and drama that helps bring an element of suspense to any given track.
Minor chords can also be used to subvert expectations in songs by borrowing chords from outside of the minor scale – as heard in Radiohead’s Creep where, at the end of its progression, minor iv chord was played to add brightness into its darkness.