Being a beginner on the guitar can feel like looking upwards at the tallest mountain. Before you’ve had the chance to strum your first tune, you might find it near impossible to envision yourself even holding the correct hand motions to create something that sounds musical. Fear not, though – everyone starts from somewhere, and even picking up a guitar beats the millions of people who never decide to give it a go!
To begin with, it helps to learn where to place your fingers for the most basic chords. Getting your hands used to the patterns and how to move the muscles can be really helpful when you eventually try playing a tune. That being said, here are the five basic guitar chords that even beginners can learn within a day. Keep in mind these are all open chords, which are the easiest to grasp.
1. A Major
Let’s start with A major, which involves using three fingers very close to each other, making it relatively simple. It’s best to use your pinkie, ring finger, and middle finger for this one. The place you need to hit is the 2nd fret of the B string, G string, and D string. When strumming, you play from the high e string down to the A string – you don’t play the low E string. If you need a little help with visualization, using a guitar tab can be useful. That is especially true when you want to start using the chords to play an entire song.
2. G Major
This is another one that uses three fingers. You’ll need one finger on the high E string at the 3rd fret, another on the A string at the 2nd fret, and the last finger on the lower E string at the 3rd fret. Then, you play the entire open chord. It produces a satisfying chord sound and is especially good for upbeat dance and rock music.
3. E Major
Now, onto E major, another chord you’ll be playing a lot even after you pass the beginner lessons! To play E major, you’ll need one finger on the G string on the 1st fret, another on the D string 2nd fret, and another on the A string on the 2nd fret. Then, you play all the strings, with the high E, B string, and low E strings played open. It’s that easy!
4. D Major
For D major, you’ll need one finger on the high E string’s 2nd fret, another on the 3rd fret of the B string, and the last finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. You only play high E, B, G, and D – A and low E do not get played for this one. D major is a good place to start as it’s an easy chord to learn, as well as a very common one – it’s used frequently in songs of all genres from a variety of decades.
5. C Major
Last but not least, you’ll need to learn the C major as a beginner. To play this one, place your first finger on the 1st fret of the B string, your second finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and your last finger on the 3rd fret of the A string. Then, play all strings other than the low E. It’s pretty simple but might take a little while to get used to playing it perfectly, just like any chord. The more you practice, the easier it will become, as your muscle memory will develop.
