Beginner guitarists should learn chords by studying music theory. Understanding chord types and how they relate will enable you to write amazing songs more quickly.
The Bb chord should be one of your initial beginner guitar chords to master. It can be heard both in new wave hits from the 1980s as well as heavier metal head bangers.
Barre Chord
The Barre Chord is an effective yet straightforward chord, capable of producing any major or minor chord. To play one, simply use your index finger as a capo and fret multiple strings at once with multiple fingers of your index finger.
Starting your guitar journey off right, this chord provides a great gateway into numerous popular key configurations like C, G and D. Additionally, this chord can be found in many acoustic pop hits by Crowded House like “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, as well as metal hits by RHCP like “Heart of Glass”.
If you’re finding it hard to play an unfamiliar chord, try isolating and practicing it until it becomes comfortable for your fingers. Mute any top or bottom strings for added ease on fingertips; this method will also build strength in your index finger over time and make chord playing much simpler!
Triad
Triads provide an ideal foundation for mastering more intricate chords. Additionally, they’re great tools for improvising solos as they can be played from multiple locations on the fretboard. Each triad consists of three major thirds that can be combined to form chord progressions and arpeggios.
Triadic chords can be constructed from any of the first, third or fifth notes in any scale. For instance, a B minor triad might consist of its root (B), major third (D), and perfect fifth (F).
This triad is composed of the distance between its first and third notes being equal to a major third, making for an enjoyable sound. Alternately, you could construct it from minor, diminished and augmented intervals; for example a C diminished triad can be constructed using root (C), minor third (m3) and diminished fifth (6 half steps). You can play these chords both closed voiced as well as open voiced voicings.
Simple Chord
As in major triads, this chord features both a root note and perfect fifth; with the latter sitting seven frets above its counterpart to create musical consonance and resolution.
Beginning by selecting just two or three shapes and strumming each for about 30 seconds each. At first you may need to move your fingers between shapes slightly; but eventually this will become second nature. Remember to come close behind the frets on the tips of your fingers without applying too much pressure to the chord.
Some guitarists employ an unusual fingering for B minor, which involves placing your index finger on the first fret and your middle finger underneath – this technique may require practice to master, though. A great song to practice this fingering would be Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day; its combination of open chords and power chords provides ample opportunity for practice.
Major Scale
The major scale is a set of notes with an orderly combination of whole steps and half steps; this pattern of whole steps and half steps is known as the key signature. While chord structures may be created without using this scale directly, understanding it will give you more options when playing chords. A whole step equals two frets while half-steps represent one fret.
There are various scales and modes, but the two most widely known are major and minor scales, distinguished by having different root notes at their first scale degree.
Root note will dictate the tone of a song; for instance, C minor can give off an air of seriousness or melancholy. Chords based off this scale are also easy to play on the guitar. A good tip would be learning diminished chords as these can help create natural transitions from chord to chord.