Chapter 4 – Playing Guitar Notes And Chords

I think you must be eager now to start playing the guitar. Practice makes perfect. The same goes for guitar learning.

Start first with plucking the 6th string. Do not use your fretting hand. By playing without the fret, the note is an open E note.

Next play all the strings using open notes, ie without fretting. You will hear the A, B, D, E and G notes.

After you have done this, return to the 6th string and place your index finger on the first fret. The first fret is the space between the nut and the first fret. Now press down the note with the tip of your index finger instead of the joint. As you hold the index finger down on the initial fret, use the hand with the pick and pluck the 6th string. The sound you hear now should be of a higher note than when you first plucked the string without holding down the fret, on an open note.

Next move the index finger up to the second fret. This is the space between the first and second frets. Pluck the 6th string again. You should hear a higher sound than the previous one.

Repeat all these steps with each of the 6 strings. Play the string open, place your finger on the first fret, and then place your finger on the next fret. Continue to practice until you are comfortable with each note.

Move on to playing chords after the notes. A chord is basically when 2 or more notes are played simultaneously. Chords create a richer sound than what you would hear if you played each note by itself. Majority of chords are in fact 3 notes that are played together. Some chords include more than 3 notes. Strumming is when you play multiple notes in a chord.

Common chords are also called the “Major” chords and these are the chords that beginning guitarists learn first. The major chords are C Major, A Major, G Major, E Major, and D Major. These chords are a combination of different sets of notes. When theses notes are played together they create a sound that is unique. Many of the most popular songs are played by using 3 or more chords.

Let’s discuss fingering positions, exact notes and patterns of strumming that are used in “Major” chords.

When playing the C Major chord:
• Put the index finger on the 1st fret and 2nd string.
• Put the middle finger on the 2nd fret and 4th string.
• Put the ring finger on the 3rd fret and 5th string.
• Now, beginning with the 5th string, strum the 3 strings quickly. Don’t play the 6th string.

Initially, you may feel uncomfortable with the fingering but the more you practice chords, you will not have a problem forming chord structures with your hands.

When playing the A Major chord:
• Put the index finger on the 2nd fret and 4th string.
• Put the middle finger on the 2nd fret and 3rd string.
• Put the ring finger on the 2nd fret and 2nd string.
• Now, beginning with the 5th string, strum the strings quickly. Don’t play the 6th string.

The A Major chord is harder to play than the C Major chord because your 3 fingers will be crunched together on the 2nd fret. Play the chord several times so you can see how it sounds and feels. If you continue to have problems or your fingers are big and cannot fit together on the 2nd fret, you may want to try other fingerings. One solution is to use the middle finger instead of the ring finger to press down the 2nd and 3rd strings together.

When playing the G Major Chord:
• Put the middle finger on the 3rd fret, 6th string
• Put the index finger on the 2nd fret, and 5th string
• Put the finger on the 3rd fret and 1st string.
• Now strum the strings quickly.

To play the G Major chord you can use a number of different fingerings, though the one described above is simplest for beginning guitar players.

To play the E Major Chord:
• Put the middle finger on the 2nd fret and 5th string
• Put the ring finger on the 2nd fret and 4th string
• Put the index finger on the 1st fret and 3rd string.
• Now strum the strings quickly.

E Major is the best known of the chords because it is found in the most memorable blues and rock songs. If you practice, you will be able to press down the right notes on the right strings.

When playing the D Major chord:
• Put the index finger on the 2nd fret and 3rd string
• Put the ring finger on 3rd fret and 2nd string.
• Put the middle finger on the 2nd fret and 1st string.
• Begin with the fourth string and play the notes quickly. You will not play the 5th or 6th strings.

The D chord is arguably the hardest for beginning guitarists.

Next, Chapter 5 – Understanding Scales

5-Part Beginner Guitar Course

Chapter 1 – Basic Guitar Tips

Chapter 2 – Beginner Guitar Basics

Chapter 3 – How To Position And Tune A Guitar

Chapter 4 – Playing Guitar Notes And Chords

Chapter 5 – Understanding Scales