Chords are groups of notes combined into one musical sound. Guitars offer greater versatility compared to woodwinds and brass instruments by being capable of simultaneously playing multiple notes at the same time.
Thick black lines such as this represent bars on a chord diagram. When there is a dot or circle above one string, that indicates you should play that string openly.
E Minor Sus 2
The E minor sus 2 chord is another straightforward technique to build; similar to an Asus4 but with two fingers added under the fourth fret. This versatile chord adds tension-filled progressions, and should become part of your repertoire of chords.
These chords are sometimes known as ‘passing’ or ‘leading’ chords because they act like bridges between other chords – just listen for Gnarls Barkley using one in their classic song Crazy to spot one!
Sus chords can add great tension to a song and work great as passing chords due to their lack of thirds, creating dissonant sounds which resolve into either major or minor chords very pleasingly when passing them around – this makes them great building blocks for riffs as well as having similar characteristics as add9 chords without needing barred fingers and making them much simpler to remember.
Open E Major
Open E Major is one of the most ubiquitous chords you will encounter in music, featuring prominently in blues and slide guitar – it was even one of Duane Allman’s preferred tunings with his Allman Brothers Band in Statesboro Blues!
This chord shape resembles that of an A minor chord you already know, except instead of using your third finger at fret 5 on string two you’ll use your first finger to fret it at fret 5. This changes its sound slightly but shouldn’t prove too difficult to produce.
As newer players may struggle with this shape, as it places your fingers close together in a small area, it may cause your fingers to accidentally mutes adjacent strings if not careful! To avoid this scenario it is wise to maintain good hand posture. Also it would be beneficial if your truss rod was adjusted when playing for extended periods in open tuning mode.
F Major 7
FM7 (or F Major 7 for short) is one of the essential guitar chords you should know, providing another dimension by shifting its shape up and down the fretboard. Furthermore, this variation allows you to practice playing chords of varying octaves; remember, an octave contains 12 semitones which changes its sound drastically when moved up or down in either direction.
There are various variations of this major seven guitar chord, each using the same moveable shape. Each chord may produce slightly different tones due to changes in number and order of notes.
First is an open version which utilizes a partial barre with your left hand, placing index fingers at the second fret of high E string and middle fingers on fourth fret of B string respectively.
A Minor
The A minor chord is a standard open major shape with no fourth string present; this makes it simpler than other minor shapes that require you to play all five strings simultaneously. Minor chords tend to sound sadder and convey emotions more effectively in songs than others do.
You’ll come across this chord in various genres of music, particularly blues and rock music. Additionally, its use can create an atmospheric, dreamlike ambience when used with an acoustic guitar.
As a beginner guitarist, focus on practicing this shape to put your fingers into their correct places to avoid muted strings. Don’t move forward until all open strings ring out cleanly when playing this chord cleanly – use our chord finder if that helps! Additionally, practice finger placement frequently to develop dexterity and accuracy so that faster you’ll be at creating these shapes.