A lot of people learning how to play guitar ask me why chords are important to the guitar. Chords are one of the main reasons that the guitar has become such a popular instrument. Almost anyone can learn 2 or three guitar chords and be able to accompany a simple song. A couple of chords was all Bob Dylan needed to sing his songs that effected a generation.
Chuck Berry built an entire career on 3 chords. (ok to be fair he used a lot more than that on many songs but on the whole 3 chords is more that enough thank you.)
It is most important for you to master the basic chords in order to become a good guitar player. If you manage to pick up how the basic chords work on a guitar, you ll be able to quickly start playing songs. A lot of music books have chord diagrams that can show you how to play any guitar chord you want to play.
You really should know how a guitar is designed before fully understanding chord diagrams. Your guitar s neck region will have a sequence of horizontal lines known as frets, along with the strings that symbolize the six vertical lines on that diagram.
On a chord diagram, you ll see black dots on a picture of a guitar neck, showing you where your fingers go.
For instance, to form a C major you d take your first finger and press it against the 2nd string in the 1st fret, then your second finger against the 3rd string in the 2nd fret, and your third finger against the 5th string in the 3rd fret.
On top of the chord diagram, you will see the letter x which means don t strum that string, or o meaning play it open.
The foundation of most guitar music is found in the five cornerstone chords. Most of today s songs are based on the CAGED acronym. If you can manage getting to grips with these basic chords, emulating variations on them will become a lot easier in the future. You will know if you re not holding the string down hard enough if you hear a buzzing sound, so listen to yourself strumming. When you start, you still have to develop calluses, so anticipate finger pain.
You ll have an easier time learning how to play guitar by pressing down on the strings if you have clipped fingernails, so be sure to do that. To hold the strings down correctly, you need to press the tips of your fingers against them and not just laying the tips of your fingers across the strings. Try to practice everyday for at least five minutes and when playing chords, all the notes have to held down at the same time while strumming. Aside from getting in ample practice, you should take time to learn more about the major chords and memorize all of them. The Guitar Superstars system can show you everything that you need to know. You ll find it well worth your time.
Author Resource:
Keith Douglas is the Green Guitar Guy and posts articles about learning how to play guitar at http://www.GreenGuitarGuy.com
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