Chords play an integral part in creating rhythm, feel and texture within music; therefore, it is crucial that guitarists learn basic chord theory as early as possible.
Chords are composed of one or more notes played simultaneously and typically include numbers. These indicate which fret the fretting hand should play.
1. Know the notes
In order to memorize a guitar chord, first it’s necessary to understand its components – this may sound tedious but once this knowledge is acquired it will make life much simpler!
Notes are organized alphabetically from A – G and each note that comes before is lower; so an E is higher than an F and C higher than D.
An effective mnemonic method to remember notes is by employing a mnemonic. There are numerous variations available online; what works for me personally is breaking up chords into their component parts: for instance, D is open string; 2nd fret = E and 3rd fret = F.
Only exceptions exist with regards to B and C since there are no sharps or flats between them; therefore B counts as C while B# indicates D.
2. Know the string names
Understanding what each string on your guitar stands for can help you easily remember chords and ease the process of playing them more quickly and effortlessly. By understanding which part makes up each chord, playing will become simpler as each component will become clear.
Although it might seem counter-intuitive, the best way to remember string names is to learn them alphabetically – starting from the thickest (the sixth string) down to thinnest (first string).
Once you know the names of each string, you can start associating it with frets on a guitar fingerboard. So the low E string would correspond with fret 1, while A string might correspond with fret 2. Using mnemonics can also help with remembering string names; just make sure that it will be easy for you to pronounce; an acronym might work best, though feel free to come up with something more suitable if that suits you better.
3. Know the shapes
Most chords utilize finger combinations that create an indented line or pattern with your fingertips, often creating an odd-shaped chord. While initially these shapes may be difficult to remember, over time they will begin associating themselves with the chord name itself and eventually you won’t need to think so much about their finger positions but simply recognize their shapes.
G major is an arched triangular shape and hearing its name will bring back images of that form in your mind immediately. This process, known as muscle memory, occurs because repeating tasks helps form patterns in your brain that require less conscious thought to complete them.
Imagine yourself playing each chord to help your brain memorize its shapes more quickly. Start small with just a few chords at first and increase them as your skill improves at playing each one.
4. Know the progressions
Chord progressions are essential building blocks of songs, so memorizing them is a fantastic way to develop your ear and become more musical. Doing this will also help when listening to other peoples songs as well as writing your own.
Triads are chords composed of three notes separated by an interval of a third, known as sus chords. There are various kinds of triads; sus chords tend to be popular. Sus chords work particularly well before or after major or minor chords that they are overlaid on.
Repetition is key when it comes to remembering chord shapes; muscle memory develops through repetitive tasks that strengthen and develop our chord shapes. Research has also indicated that adding subtle changes to repetitive tasks may speed up this process of muscle commitment and help develop skills like playing guitar more quickly.