Learn Guitar Chords Easy and Fast

The trick to Learn Guitar Chords Easy and Fast is simple. With these simple tips, along with you putting in some serious practice for the first few days, you will easily reach your first plateau. That’s the trick. Because if you practice every single day for the first few days, the journey will be simple. On the other hand, if you only practice a few minutes each day – your journey will be a looooong one 😉

[Before you start with this lesson you may want to look at my guide on choosing your first guitar: acoustic or electric. As well as the lessons on learning the basics on guitar Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.]

GETTING STARTED
We’ll start with one of the easiest guitar chords to learn for a beginner. We are starting with this one so you can have some fun and experiment before learning more challenging ones.

Secret: You can easily learn to play A,C,D,E and G chords in one week if you follow along with part 1 and 2 of this lessons and practice everyday for at least 1/2 hour. To Learn Guitar Chords Easy and Fast is just a matter of putting in some solid study time the first week, then it will be much easier after that. I promise.

 

Break out the Bosco, it’s time to rock!

First Chord to Learn is E major. Below is what the E shape looks like

 

TIPS 1: Make sure your thumb is behind the fingers that are making the chord. That way you have more leverage to press them against the neck, without straining them.

 

Play through every string from top-to-bottom of the chord to discover any notes that may sound muted or are buzzing.

 

TIP 2: If any of the notes or strings sound muted, one of your other fingers may be touching it: Try readjusting your fingers.

If any of the notes or strings are buzzing: you need to press down a little harder (just on the problem note – relax your other fingers as much as possible). You should to be able learn guitar chords easy and fast without pain. 😉

 

Chord Progressions

A chord progression is a series of chords, one after the other. In this part of the lesson the chord progression you will learn is basically taking the E shape and moving it to different places on the neck to form a kind of song.

 

BIG NOTE: What we are doing here is completely unconventional, because I want you to be able to have some fun before learning more chords. It’s unconventional because I don’t want you to concern yourself with the names of these other chords you will be playing (yet). Just know it is the E shape, and have some fun with it. Here’s how.

When you strum the open E chord you learned above (technically known as an open E Major). You can see in the diagram, and hear with your ears that the Low E, the B and the High E string are all open.
Strumming Patterns
The most basic strumming pattern, and the one we are using in this lesson consists of down strokes (or down picking). A down stroke is when you run the pick in a downward motion across some, or all of the strings, from the high E to the low e. (Also see How to Hold a Pick)

In the following chord progression the low E, the high E and the B strings will remain open. All you are doing differently is moving the shape around, up and down the neck.

 

1. In the diagram above your first finger is on the 1st fret of the G string.
Strum this 4 times.
Example 1

2. Move the E Shape you learned so that now your first finger is on the 3rd fret of the G string. Strum this 4 times.
Example 2

3. Move the E Shape you learned so that now your first finger is on the 4th fret of the G string. Strum this 4 times.
Example 3

4. Move the E Shape you learned so that now your first finger is on the 3rd fret of the G string. Strum this 4 times.
Example 2

5. End on the Open chord E. Same place you started.

* If you want you can play the whole thing over again.

Have some fun and experiment with this E shape. It’s how I first taught myself guitar. One of the first things I figured out on my own.

 

You can create all types of songs with this E Chord shape that you have learned. Move it to different places on the neck and experiment. Some frets on the neck will sound GREAT, while others will sound HORRIBLE 🙂 That’s okay. It has to do with the notes that make up the E chord and their variations. You don’t need to understand any of that yet. Just have fun with it.

 

FINAL NOTE
It can be a challenge learning your first guitar chords, and sometimes your fingers will hurt. BUT, keep practicing, it WILL get easier each time.

Every student I’ve ever worked with (when I was teaching guitar lessons in person) all struggled at first. Learning your first chords can feel like climbing up a steep hill where you can’t see the top. But once you get there, you will look back and realize the journey wasn’t that hard, and it was all worth the effort 🙂

 

After you Learn Guitar Chords Easy and Fast,  It’s time to learn more chords.