We're going to start at the beginning of the alphabet with the chord A major. The A major chord is a first position chord. The first position chords are C, A, G, E, D. See? They make an anagram: CAGED. There are a few others, but these are the simplest to start with.
In the diagrams on this page, the guitar neck is represented as a box. The vertical lines are the strings & the horizontal lines are frets. Except for the top of the box, which represents the nut. So it's basically a graphic representation of the first 5 frets on your guitar. Get used to this graphic, because we will use it over & over again.
Notice the numbers in the diagrams. They tell you which fingers to use & where to put them. Look at your fret hand - for a right handed guitarist, this is your left hand, obviously. Your fingers are numbered 1, 2, 3 & 4 left to right, which corresponds to your index, middle, ring & pinky finger. If you're a left handed guitarist, then it's just the opposite.
So, for the A chord we're using fingers 1, 2 & 3 behind the 2nd fret. And you strum from the A string down. That's why there's an "X" over the E string, indicating that you don't play it on this chord. Therefore, the A chord is sometimes called a 5 string chord, since you're only using 5 strings to play it.
Strum the A major chord a few times. Don't press down too hard. Just enough so that the strings sound clearly & cleanly. You don't want to hear any buzzing when you strum. Let your fingers relax for a second & then try it again.
Sounds cool doesn't it? There are so many popular songs which start with this chord! "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash & "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles & "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers Band - just to name a few.
It's hard to play a song with only one chord to choose from, however. And it would get pretty boring anyway, banging away on the same five strings & holding down the same three fingers. So let's try another chord to go with A major.
The next diagram is the E major chord. Go ahead & give it a try, paying attention to the indicated finger placement. Notice on this chord, all six strings come into play. So you strum from the top string all the way down, all six strings. E major is therefore a 6 string chord. Strum the E major chord several times, until you can play it cleanly. Simple huh?
E major is another chord that leads off some very popular songs. Think of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by the Eagles or "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash or "Back in Black" by AC/DC. All these start off with an E major chord.
Try strumming A major & then E major & back again. See? You've almost got a song going there. In fact, you could easily write a song with just those two chords. But let's add a third chord into the mix, for some more variety.
The last diagram shows the D major chord. Notice the finger placement. On a D major, you only play the bottom four strings. That's why the E string & A string are crossed out. So D major is a 4 string chord.
George Harrison of the Beatles once said there are probably a million songs that can be written around the D major chord. You'll see what he meant later on, when we get into some variations. Let's just say that it is a very popular chord among guitarists! And it's also one of the first chords you learn.
For now, just strum D major a few times to get used to it. Once you can play it cleanly, try strumming A major, then D major, then A major again & then E major. Sounds like a song, doesn't it? Well it is! You're essentially playing the chord pattern for the intro to "Peggy Sue" by the legendary Buddy Holly. How cool is that?
Congratulations! You've just learned your first 3 chords! Next time, we'll start learning about rhythms & counting. Then you'll be able to keep a beat while you play. And that will open up an entire world of music to you! In the meantime, keep playing A major & E major & D major. If you feel ambitious & your fingers aren't too sore, try some different combinations. You can't really go wrong with A, E & D. Rock on!
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