8 Guitar Chords You Must Know - Beginner Guitar Lessons
Eight Guitar Chords You Must Know
In this lesson, Nate Savage teaches eight guitar chords that are essential for every guitar player. He also provides tips on making the chords sound great and clean, and how to transition smoothly between them.
G Major Chord
- Place your third finger on the third fret of the low E string.
- Use either the first, second, and third fingers or use the second, third, and fourth fingers.
- Come right down on the very tip of your finger.
- Strum all six strings.
C Major Chord
- Put your third finger on the third fret of the fifth string right behind the fret.
- Second finger on second fret of D string.
- First finger on first fret of B string.
- Strum top five strings.
D Major Chord
- Place your first finger on the second fret of G string.
- Second finger on high E string at 2nd fret
- Third Finger On B String At 3rd Fret
- Strum all six strings.
F Major Chord
- Barre across all strings with your first finger at first fret
- Second Finger On G String At 2nd Fret
- Third Finger On A String At 3rd Fret
- Fourth Finger On D String At 3rd Fret
E Major Chord
- Place Your First Finger On The Third String At The First Fret
- Second Finger On Fifth String At The Second Fret
- Third Finger On Fourth String At The Second Fret
- Strum All Six Strings
A Major Chord
- Place Your First Finger On The Fourth String At The Second Fret
- Second Finger On Third String At The Second Fret
- Third Finger On Second String At The Second Fret
- Strum All Six Strings
E Minor Chord
- Place Your First Finger On The Fifth String At The Second Fret
- Second Finger On Fourth String At The Second Fret
- Strum All Six Strings
A Minor Chord
- Place Your First Finger On The Second String At The First Fret
- Second Finger On Fourth String At The Second Fret
- Third Finger On Third String At the second fret.
- Strum all six strings.
Learning Guitar Chords
In this section, the instructor teaches how to play D, F major and E major chords. He also provides tips for memorizing chord shapes and transitioning between chords.
D Chord
- Place your first finger on the second fret of the G string, third finger on the third fret of the B string, and your second finger on the second fret of the high E string.
- Leave out the E and A strings and strum only the top four strings.
- Angle your fingers slightly to fit them in a tight space.
Memorizing Chord Shapes
- Look at the chord shape and memorize what it looks like.
- Visualize it like that but actually looking at it helps you remember better.
- Put that chord on without looking at it and try to memorize how it feels.
F Major Chord
- Place your third finger on the third fret of the D string, second finger on the second fret of G string, and first finger on first fret of B string.
- Strum only D, G, and B strings.
E Major Chord
- Place your second finger on second fret of A string, third finger on second fret of D string, and first finger's going to come grab first fret of G string.
- Strum all six strings.
Transitioning Between Chords
- Make sure you have a chord learned really well before you try to transition between that chord and another chord.
- Put a chord on for 30 seconds or longer before taking it off. Repeat this process until you can get to that chord right away.
- Once you have mastered one chord transition between that chord with another one.
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