Acquire the chords necessary for playing many popular songs, then practice jamming along. Don’t forget your riffs and melodies either – like any athlete, having a broad set of skills is important!
Major chords, composed of three notes, form the basis of numerous songs and musical genres. Their three components consist of a root note, major third note and perfect fifth.
Basic chords
As a beginner guitar player, your initial aim should be to master major chords. They form the basis of most songs and will help you understand music theory more thoroughly. Once these have become second nature to you, more complex chord progressions and arpeggios may follow.
Major chords are triads, meaning they consist of three notes. Most commonly these chords consist of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes from any major scale and give your songs an upbeat and exciting sound. Sometimes referred to as happy chords due to their bright sound.
To play these chords, you’ll need to bar your index finger across the first fret and place your other fingers on the second and third strings. However, there may be exceptions; some chords written as numbers such as X32010 can represent how to place your fingers across different strings; for instance X32010 would indicate playing third string with first finger while fifth finger plays second string – see our guide on playing these numbers for more info.
Major scales
Beginner guitarists typically start out learning major scale chords as one of their first chords. Comprised of triads made up of notes 1-3-5 in a specific key, major scales have an upbeat and lively sound which makes music come to life. A common example is G chord used in popular songs from over the past 100 years.
Chord diagrams on guitar charts display which frets and strings to press with your fingertips in order to produce specific sounds. The numbers on the left-hand side indicate which string should be played while black dots represent different frets; “0” signifies muted notes while an “X” denotes open tunings.
There are ten major scale finger patterns on a fretboard that you can use to play any major chord in any key. Root strings group them together, and certain chords use similar scale patterns. You’ll also find patterns for minor scales and blues scale.
Major chord progressions
Chord progressions form the backbone of many songs. Beginning guitarists typically discover them first when learning music; they provide a great place to begin learning new pieces. Chord progressions also serve as an essential concept in scale theory: when writing chord progressions you must begin by beginning with any major scale’s first, third, and fifth notes to form chords; adding minor notes may make this type of chord an alternative way of creating harmony.
Another popular chord progression is the ii-V-i. This progression can be found across many genres of music, and can be particularly powerful when coupled with melodic guitar leads. Furthermore, it serves as an excellent way to learn composition and improvisation skills.
This progression is built around a basic major chord, and has an engaging feel. You can use it to create various sounds – especially jazz or blues improvisation!
Minor scales
Minor scales of chords are an indispensable tool for any guitar player, providing the basis of songs and chord progressions. When combined with major scales they create an interesting sound. Although more difficult than their major scale counterparts they may prove worthwhile.
Minor chords consist of three notes – a root note and two additional tones (depending on its type), one being flattened out or having other notes added as secondary tones. This root note serves as the foundation of any given minor chord while its secondary tones provide stability to it.
These chords, known as maj7 or maj9 chords, can be found on any guitar fretboard. Beginners will likely find these easy to form and can use them to build songs or chord progressions; others are more challenging and may require barre chords and capo positions for optimal playback.