One of the best strategies for beginner pianists is focusing on chords that are accessible. These five chords are ideal for this purpose.
Vertical lines symbolize strings while horizontal ones indicate frets. A string should be muted when marked with an “X”, while “Os” represent open strings.
Get into the habit of placing your fingers in exactly the same position on each chord – this will assist with changing chords later on.
E Major
E major is one of the first chords new guitarists learn. Comprised of E, G# and B notes, it can be played in various positions across the fretboard; each position offers unique voicing and finger placement considerations.
An E major chord can be created using index finger on string 4, fret 2. A barre E major chord requires all six strings.
G Major
G Major chord is one of the most frequently used in songs, as an open chord. This allows musicians to experiment with playing it in many shapes on their fretboard.
Beginners may find this chord challenging as they must stretch their fingers across the whole width of their neck in order to hold down strings one and six simultaneously – although this can be avoided if fingers are bent flexibly.
C Major
C major is an ideal chord for newcomers to start with when learning how to play guitar, since it requires only one finger shift from string 2 to string 5. If your left-hand thumb muting string 4, lowering it slightly to give other fingers more leverage may help prevent buzzing noises when you play this chord.
C major is known as a diatonic scale because it creates its chords using only its notes (diatonic harmony). This provides for greater chord progression possibilities as you advance in your playing ability.
D Major
D Major is an accessible chord for beginning musicians to learn, yet can present challenges when trying to play cleanly. Be sure to mute low E and A strings when strumming this chord to avoid having their sounds echo back when strumming it.
Check out this guitar chord diagram to understand where your fingers should be positioned on the fretboard, along with their names for D major: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant and leading note/tone.
A Major
These are the first chords I recommend that beginners learn. These triads consist of three notes: the root note forms the foundation; major third adds either happy or sad notes; while perfect fifth provides stability.
Chord charts contain black dots numbered 1 through 4, each corresponding to which finger should place it on that fret.
There are many songs which incorporate these chords, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising.
B Major
B Major is an arresting chord found in many songs. Its distinctive sound signifies strong emotions like anger, rage and jealousy.
Playing this chord requires greater finger strength. If your fingertips are sore, try learning one of the simpler stepping stone versions – these have all of the same chord shapes but leave out fretting on one or more high E or A strings so as not to add too much strain to playing this chord.
C Minor
C minor chord is an excellent choice to add depth and emotion to your music, due to its mellow sound. While you might not hear it often in popular songs due to not belonging to any of the five most common key signatures, C minor remains an invaluable addition.
Popular artists employ this chord to convey softness, serenity and passion in their performances. Playing it correctly doesn’t take much practice – just ensure your finger placement is correct!
D Minor
D Minor is one of the easiest guitar chords for beginning players to pick up, providing a richly melodic tone to many musicians’ music and adding an underlying sense of sadness to their songs.
This basic form involves placing your thumb over the fingerboard to press down on the E string. Alternatively, try hammering fingers two, three and four onto the fifth fret of A string to form a barre chord.
E Minor
E minor is an excellent key for creating an air of melancholy and introspection, making it suitable for many kinds of songs including ballads and slow-paced compositions.
Practice playing simple chord progressions in the key of E minor. Experiment with different strumming patterns and phrasing techniques to add texture and emotion to your music, and switch back and forth between using an E minor chord and other chords frequently used, maintaining a steady rhythm without pauses or hesitations.