When you first begin to play the guitar, there are a few fundamentals that any guitar teacher will show you, and among them are the three of the most common chords: G, C and D. These are the easy guitar chords for beginners to learn. There are too many songs to name that just use these three simple chords; having these three basic chord grips firmly under your fingers is the first step on your guitar journey.
Let’s start with the G chord. Most guitar teachers will begin with this simple chord. On the chord chart, the root note, G in this case, is red. You’ll notice that there are two red dots, and that’s because there are two G notes in this chord.
Begin learning this chord grip by placing your second finger on the third fret of the sixth string. Then, place your second finger on the second fret of the fifth string. Finally, place your third and fourth fingers on the third fret of the second and first string respectively. Strum down on every string.
Make sure that every string rings our clearly. If you hear a buzzing sound, it’s caused by not pressing your fingers down hard enough, so adjust your grip accordingly.
Once you have a good grip on your G chord and feel comfortable with it, move on to the C chord.
Some new guitar players will find the C chord to be a little more difficult than the G chord. Playing the C chord requires your fingers to stretch a little further than you might be used to; you have to stretch them across three frets, and they are the three widest frets on the neck of the guitar. Like the G chord chart, you’ll notice that the C chord chart has two red dots, indicating the location of the root note.
Begin learning this chord grip by placing your third finger on the third fret of the fifth string. Then, place your second finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Finally, place your first finger on the first fret of the second string. Strum down from the fifth string.
Once you feel comfortable with the C chord grip, practice moving back and forth from the G chord grip to the C. Move as quickly as you can. It will feel awkward at first, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.
Finally, try your hand at the D chord grip. Begin by placing your first finger on the second fret of the third string, your third finger on the third fret of the second string and your second finger on the second fret of the first string. Strum down from the fourth string.
Some people find this grip relatively easy, but a lot of other people find it really difficult, so don’t worry if it’s hard for you at first.
Take your time when learning this chord grips and memorize where the root notes are. Your time and patience in learning these grips will be extremely helpful to you for as long as you play the guitar. Learning these easy guitar chords for beginners is really the first step to becoming a true guitar hero!
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