Reading Guitar Chord Charts

Here are some guitar chord charts to help you get familiarize with the basic chords. Observe the fingering positions and where the guitar notes are placed.

First download the following 2 pdf files:

1. Chord Charts - Part I

2. Chord Charts - Part II

Refer to the Guitar Chord Charts - Part I and play through it.

Some pointers to look at:

* in the position of Cmaj, use = C E G C E

* in the position of Dmi, use = D A D F

* in the position of Emi, use = E B E G B E

* in the position of Fmaj, use = F C F A C F

* in the position of Gmaj, use = G B D G D G

* in the 3rd position of Cmaj, use = C G C E G

* in the position of Amaj, use = A E A C# E

* in the position of Dmaj, use = D A D F#

* in the position of Bmi, use = B F# B D F#

* in the position of Emi, 3rd fret, use = G B E G

To view the above mentioned guitar chords, refer to chord charts I and II, the 2 pdf files which you can download from the links above.

View the guitar notes and chord diagrams and try these guitar chords: D, E, A, G, Ami, Dmi, G7, E7, A7, D7.

Apply these chords to some easy guitar songs and have a blast with them.

Some of the basic guitar chords may be a little adventurous at first, but as you develop finger strength, you'll be sailing through these changes with confidence.

Practice fingering the guitar chords in different keys. Basic guitar chords like Ami, D, E, Dmi, Emi, G, A and C are frequently used in a lot of popular guitar song chords.

Using a Capo: (refer to chord chart I for diagram of Cmajor chord shape)

A capo, which acts as a clamp across the strings is a useful devise to use in guitar music. It helps guitar players get that open position sound. We will use the C, F and G type chord shapes for this illustration. Play the C, F and G type chord shapes, get the feel of the fingers and observe the shapes.

Fix a capo on the guitar at the first position (1st fret) and play the same C, F and G type chord shapes. You will notice that the pitch is raised a half-step up. We are now in the key of C# but still playing the C, F and G chord shapes. The capo raised the pitch and caused the tuning to be raised a half-step up to form a C# chord.

The Cmajor shape type chord can be used to play in various keys. By moving the capo chromatically along the fingerboard, we are able to play different keys. Shapes like the D, A, E and G chord positions in the Guitar Chord Charts - Part I are also used a lot in guitar music. I have found by using a capo, a lot of interesting sounds and positions can be explored. Experiment! Use a capo; move it along the fretboard and find something that interests you.

All guitar chords in Guitar Chord Charts - Part I and Guitar Chord Charts - Part II can be applied to any guitar song chords. Many of the popular songs written require only three chords like C, F and G. Commit these guitar chords and shapes to memory and you will find that you can play them since these songs require only a few chords.

From here you can progress to the next guitar lesson to learn how to read Chord Chart Notation and recognize Chord Diagrams and Symbols.


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