Chords are groups of notes that sound harmonious when played simultaneously, often following an established scale and each type of chord can elicit different musical emotions.
Major chords consist of the first, third and fifth notes of a scale; minor chords use intervals (skipping between notes). Learn more about chords and their variations here.
1. C Major
C Major is one of the most frequently used chords in music, often serving as the cornerstone for progressions written in G major key. Additionally, its versatility allows you to build off it and add various ‘flavors’ or variations into your chord progressions.
The C major scale is a diatonic scale, meaning that all notes on a guitar fretboard are contained within this scale without any sharps or flats; all chords produced using this scale will sound natural.
The easiest way to play this chord is in open position, with your index finger covering three frets from first three frets through third frets respectively and your middle and ring fingers covering second and third frets respectively. This creates a full barre chord which may be difficult for beginners. If this becomes difficult, try playing this song using a capo on second fret; this should make chords easier to play while helping prevent fret buzz.
2. G Major
G Major chord is one of the easiest for beginning pianists to master due to its smooth shape and gentle motion on wrists. Because of this, it serves as an excellent foundation for learning inversions – changing the order of notes without altering finger placement and moving around strings with other fingers while keeping finger placement unchanged while moving other fingers through various chords more quickly reducing distance between chords.
If you’re feeling confident with G, why not give 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” a try? This easy tune features three chords (G, Am and C). Play and sing along as an uptempo tune on your acoustic guitar! Or try “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison for something slower but melodic to sing along to.
3. E Major
Beginner guitarists typically start learning this chord as their initial step. Although it is relatively straightforward, as only requires pressing your index finger against three strings, playing it for too long may tire your fingers and wrists out quickly. To ease pressure off of your fingers and wrists while learning this chord, consider switching between electric and acoustic guitar to lower pressure on them.
Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” provides an ideal opportunity to practice this chord progression. This acoustic ballad requires only four basic chords; just a few minutes’ worth of back and forth playing between G, C, and Em should have you singing along to this classic tune!
4. D Major
D Major is one of the five essential guitar shapes to learn as a beginner, appearing in popular songs such as U2’s “Desire,” Frozen’s “Let It Go,” and country favorites alike.
As with other chord shapes, this one can be moved up or down the fretboard simply by changing hand positions. Practice is required in order to play these movable shapes without accidentally hitting any lower strings.
Once you’ve mastered this shape, try taking another step to create Dsus2. This chord can be heard both acoustically by singer-songwriters as well as in distorted riffs from emo and djent bands, making it perfect for practicing strumming patterns to enhance fretting accuracy and precision – plus it is quite satisfying to strum! Try playing it through Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud to experience just how fun playing this chord can be.