Easy Beginner All guitar chords Body Chord Shape to Rule Them All
C major is the granddaddy of all guitar chords, so we might as well start playing it right away.
I often don’t turn to C major right from the start with my total beginner students because it does involve stretching the fingers a little, and it also requires that the fretting fingers come down very vertically about the fingertips lest the nonvertical fingers accidentally mute other strings.
But let’s live dangerously-C major it’s for us.
To make C major, just in case you’ve forgotten: place your index finger about the 1st fret of the 2nd string. Then, place your middle finger about the 2nd fret of the 4th string. Finally, place your ring finger about the 3rd fret from the 5th string. Strum all the strings on the guitar except for the 6th string. Ta da! C major!
Now, if you can make C major with what we call “1st position,” which is the section of the guitar fretboard nearest the head of the guitar where the strings tie off in the tuning pegs, then you’re more than halfway there. It’s actually easier to play that same chord shape anywhere else on the guitar. And that is exactly what we’re going to do.
Without engaging in a bunch of inevitably confusing music theory stuff, I will not be able to tell you exactly what chords you’re about to play using just that C major shape. I’ll be referring to the chords we play instead as “some kind of” whatever lettered chord we’re making. Just roll with me on this and you’ll be making sweet music very quickly.
So here’s what we’re going to do. Start with your C chord. Listen to it normally, and be sure to enjoy it. Then, slide your three fretted fingers up two frets toward the soundhole from the guitar. This makes some type of a D chord. Go on and strum the chord together with your fingers now two frets up each. This puts the index finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string, your middle finger on the 4th fret from the 4th string and the ring finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string.
Once you have grown a little bored playing that D chord, slide your fingers up which means that your ring finger is about the 10th fret from the 5th string. Another fingers remain in exactly the same relationship to one another so that they all still resemble the original C major chord fingering that we began with.
Play this G chord thingie-enjoy the new and unusual combination of high notes with open strings.
Then, slide your fingers back down now two frets toward the head of the guitar. This puts your ring finger on the 8th fret of the 5th string using the other fingers once again maintaining the C shape orientation.
This can be a sort of F chord.
So right there, you have four different positions that you can play the basic C major chord contour around get pretty cool results that immediately enable you to get 1) playing different sounds and 2) learning how to slide down and up the neck of the guitar.
I wrote a song a few years back using exactly this sequence of chord changes, also it sounds way harder of computer actually is. Let’s just say non-guitar players will totally buy your parlor trick should you play this sliding C-shape chord sequence at your next backyard BBQ or campfire shindig.
Article you may be interested in reading : acoustic guitar chords and learning guitar chords.
