Understanding frets is vital for playing chords up the neck. A fret is a small metallic bar that changes notes on string when pressed against.
Many new guitarists mistakenly believe that barre chords require great force to play clearly. This is not always true: precision always beats force when fingering these shapes.
A Major
A major is an extremely common chord and often poses difficulties for beginners. They either attempt the full barre version with its numerous buzzing notes, or they settle for playing it using only mini open shapes that sound weedy and thin.
An effective approach to chords is by employing open versions. This enables quick movement up and down the fretboard.
B Major
B Major is an extremely common chord found in songs. Additionally, CAGED system can assist beginners in learning the fretboard.
Shift the A Chord shape you just learned two frets up, and you’ll discover a B Major chord! Although it sounds odd at first, this sound creates a truly unique tone.
Beginners may find this shape challenging due to the finger positioning needed. With practice however, this shape will quickly become second nature.
C Major
C major is one of the first chords beginners learn, making it ideal for beginner-friendly songs as well as upbeat anthems.
Always ensure your fingers are placed correctly and press down hard enough on the frets for a secure seal, or else your strings could sound less clear and create a loud whining noise.
D Major
D Major is a common chord shape, often heard in feel-good rock songs as well as Ed Sheeran ballads. While easy to finger, strumming without hitting low strings can be challenging – you can always mute those lower strings using your thumb!
Start by fretting the A string’s 7th fret using your first finger, before moving your second to G string’s 11th fret and third finger onto A string 12th fret respectively.
E Major
The E Major chord is an easily adaptable variation on the C Chord structure, making it suitable for many genres and easy to mute.
As it falls within box 1 of the major scale, it makes an ideal chord to use for lead lines based on that scale. Furthermore, its barre is relatively straightforward since only your index finger needs to press down three strings at the same time.
F Major
F Major chord is often one of the first chords beginners struggle with, yet there’s an easy way to play this chord without making your strings buzz or sound awkward!
Start by learning all of the natural notes on one string from top to bottom; this will enable you to visualize all of the chord shapes on the fretboard! Furthermore, this will make transitioning between different chords when improvising or playing leads simpler.
G Major
Beginner guitarists typically begin learning G Major as one of their first chords. This particular G chord requires only two fingers for easy playing – making it ideal for newcomers.
To create this chord, finger the low E string with your index finger and the high E string with your ring finger. Many guitarists also barre this chord with their 1st finger for added vibrato.
G Minor
G Minor chords are among the most frequently used open chords in music. Once you master their simple open G shape, rearranging your fingers can produce some interesting variations that add variety.
G minor chords can be played using either a full barre chord (index finger spanning all strings at the third fret) or as simplified open chords; both shapes may then be moved up the neck to form other major and minor chords.
A Minor
Once you learn to move up the neck, this chord becomes one of your go-to chords for songs requiring three fingers.
To play this chord, place your first finger at the third fret of the low E string and arrange your fingers around it as in the diagram below – this will create a unique open A minor chord!
B Minor
B minor chords can open up many new songs and chord progressions for you. Simply take the familiar C Chord shape, move it up two frets on your neck to discover this cool sounding chord.
When playing B Minor barre chords, make sure your first finger follows a straight path rather than having any curves in order to avoid muddling the strings and creating an off-key sound. This requires practice and building your finger strength.