Guitar chords demand much of your mental effort, as even minor mistakes could lead to muted strings that should remain open or unexpected noises from them.
Training your fingers to produce beautiful chords takes time, but once they have it down pat, speed and dexterity will come naturally.
1. C Major
C Major is one of the most commonly played keys on guitar, due to its lack of sharps or flats; therefore, it provides forgiving guidance for newcomers to start chording their guitar.
We will use this key as the basis of an 8 bar doo-wop chord progression template, making it easy to remember and adaptable for many other songs! Your 5th finger will need to play the bottom note; while D, E, F, and G notes should be played using other fingers.
2. D Major
D major is one of the most frequent chords used in jazz music, providing plenty of opportunities to add colorful notes with suspended chords and sixths.
Simone will teach you all of the iconic add9 chord riff from Sting’s hit Every Breath You Take, featuring big shapes which require some extended finger stretches.
Another variation on this chord is D sus2, which works wonderfully when played alternately with its major version.
3. E Major
For guitarists who prefer an emotional, soothing or chilled sound this chord shape may be just right. Additionally, this open chord shape serves as an excellent introduction to bar chords as it prepares your fingers to play them more proficiently.
Add this movable chord to a minor progression for an infectious jazz-blues sound similar to Bruce Hornsby’s Message in a Bottle or play it over an epic rock riff such as Wonderwall!
4. G Major
Every Breath You Take by the Police (with Sting as its lead singer prior to becoming a solo artist) features an easy chord progression built upon a 1-6-4-5 pattern that’s ideal for learning G Major guitar chords.
G Major is an ideal scale for beginners to explore due to its few sharps and accessible fret positions. Practice both hands separately before trying it together.
5. A Major
This week’s guitar exercise focuses on adding ninths to minor chords to produce emotive soundscapes, such as Example 1’s Old Man Dm9. To get started, start by learning “Old Man” Dm9 in Example 1.
These voicings produce a slightly tense sound, perfect for playing acoustic guitar. In this lesson, an Aadd9 shape with moving fingers provides a finger stretch worthy of learning and can make playing cluster chords much simpler.
6. B Major
B Major is an energetic chord that works beautifully across genres and subgenres, such as Simon & Garfunkel’s America with its non-diatonic bVIImaj7 bridge.
However, this shape requires strong fingers and wrists – particularly on an acoustic guitar – so we will also present two other variations which are easier to play but sound full enough.
7. F Major
F major chord is one of the more familiar chords, yet can pose challenges when beginning to play. It requires full barre across all strings using your first finger to play it successfully.
Doing the bar chord can be tricky for some, but with practice you can learn an easier method using your second finger to mute its thickest string.
8. G Minor
G Minor chords have long been used in classic songs to convey emotional extremes ranging from melancholic introspection to pulsating euphoria. From classic rock tunes like The Beach Boys’ “California Girls” to modern melodies such as Cherry Glazerr’s “Had Ten Dollaz,” G minor chords add tension and urgency that enhance listening experiences.
Play with both hands or use music software; explore various inversions and progressions to discover your own distinct sound.
9. C Minor
This chord requires more finger stretching than its counterparts and may prove harder to play during key modulation (when a song shifts from its tonic key, using chords from relative major and minor keys)
If guitarists refer to “I, IV, V” chord progressions as being played using C minor first inversion triads, this type of chord would be appropriate.
10. D Minor
D Minor is an ideal chord to use when trying to convey melancholy; in Every Breath You Take this chord can be found throughout its first eight bars.
One approach to remember the D Minor shape is by drawing analogies between it and an existing D major chord you already recognize and an added C note, creating the D Minor seven chord.