Learning guitar chords requires keeping in mind that any two notes can join together and it may help to first play them, then sing them out loud as part of your study process.
In this guitar lesson, we will cover the chord progression from Carole King and James Taylor’s timeless song You’ve Got A Friend – an essential addition to any guitarist’s repertoire!
1. A Major Chord
No matter your style of guitar playing – be it soulful ballad or upbeat rocker – chords will play an integral part of your experience. Mastering Major and Minor chords will allow you to express emotion, tell stories, and form meaningful bonds with listeners that go far beyond music alone.
Practice chord shapes to build muscle memory is integral to becoming a musician. Through time and practice, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of how chords come together to form songs.
This chord makes use of a minor interval between its first (root), third, and fifth notes to produce its mournful sound, with major sevenths adding tension and making this more dramatic than a minor triad.
2. B Major Chord
Though not as straightforward to play as an open voicing, the B major chord can still serve as a useful resource for beginners to start learning their guitar. As it’s a bar chord with multiple playing techniques that require barreing across the 7th fret, beginners may still benefit from practicing playing it as part of a practice routine.
To play a B major barre chord, start by positioning your index finger across all six strings at the seventh fret and positioning your middle finger on D string at its eighth fret before placing your ring finger on G string at its ninth fret.
An alternative way of playing a B major chord is by placing your first finger at the second fret on D string and creating an E shape with other fingers. While this method makes strumming easier than its counterparts, keeping all fingers in their proper places may prove challenging.
3. C Major Chord
C Major is often the first chord new guitarists learn, serving as the cornerstone of songs from all genres. By mastering its various shapes, mastering C Major can give your performances more focus while expanding your knowledge to new levels.
When playing C chords in open position, take care to avoid buzzing sounds coming from string 5. This may be caused by too close of fingers being together; if this occurs, try placing finger 3 closer to its fret to prevent it from muzzing the fifth string and prevent muted notes. Furthermore, try moving up your fretboard so as to increase reach and play clean notes – the key being using only your fingertips at an acute angle and playing using all fingers at the tips of their fingers.
4. D Major Chord
D Major chord is one of the most frequently employed chords across genres of music, often consisting of three notes from D, F# and A that form a powerful triad triad known as a perfect 5th (also referred to as Dm5).
Assembling this chord requires barricading three strings: first with your index finger, middle finger and then ring finger. While this requires practice to become effortless and rapid over time.
Practice playing this chord with a metronome to increase muscle memory and transition between it and popular ones such as G major or A major. This will build your skill level while expanding your overall guitar playing capability.
5. E Major Chord
The E Major Chord progression can be found throughout many genres of music, particularly rock and blues. Song like Aerosmith’s “Train Kept A Rollin” and Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” from these artists feature this same E Major Chord progression.
These chords belong to a set that have a very musical relationship among themselves; specifically, when used for playing “one four five” progressions (E Major to A Major and B Major).
Beginner guitarists may find this chord shape to be tricky as it requires three fingers and your first may mute the high E string. To overcome this difficulty, consider switching to an easier version by moving one finger in different positions – this can help ease into playing this chord shape more smoothly.