Why Chords Work: Beginner's Crash Course to Guitar Chord Theory
Why Chords Work: Beginner's Crash Course to Guitar Chord Theory
Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on what chords actually are, where they come from, and the first three simple chords I start beginners on.
Chords are the building blocks of pretty much every popular song — Hey Jude, Wonderwall, Everlong, Sweet Home Alabama, doesn't matter.
Most guitar players only think of chords as finger shapes. A G is "this shape." Yes, that's a G. Why is it a G? Because of the notes.
What Is a Chord?
Anytime you play any three notes together, that's technically a chord. We go for groupings that have structure and sound good. Combine them with rhythm and you get music.
Notes on the Low E String
Your strings are tuned to specific notes. On the low E:
- Open = E
- 1 = F
- 2 = F-sharp
- 3 = G (we'll need that)
- 4 = G-sharp
- 5 = A
- 6 = A-sharp / B-flat
- 7 = B
- 8 = C
- 9 = C-sharp / D-flat
- 10 = D
- then D-sharp / E-flat, then E again
Between open and the 12th fret you have all 12 musical notes. Chords are special groupings of those notes. Different types have different colors / vibes.
A G Chord Is G, B, and D
Anytime you play G, B, and D, you're playing a G chord. Doesn't have to be the full open shape.
On one string that's awkward: G on 3, B on 7, D on 10 of the low E. So we find those notes nearby.
- G: third fret, sixth string
- B: next string is A; second fret is B
- D: fifth fret of that A string, or just the open fourth string
That's your three notes. Then the other strings: third string is another G, second string another B, first string third fret another G. The shape we memorize just happens to grab those notes.
A C Chord Is C, E, and G
Same idea. C on the fifth string third fret; E is the seventh fret of that string; G is the 10th fret.
Same pattern as G: G was 3, 7, and 10. C is 3, 7, and 10 starting from C. Same distances = same type of chord.
Nearby: fourth string is D, second fret is E. Next open string is G. Or play G on the sixth string third fret plus C plus E — still a C.
Anytime you run into C, E, and G, you have a C chord. Doesn't matter where.
The guitar is goofy — the same note exists in different places — so we can stack intervals in a way a one-note-at-a-time instrument can't.
First Three Chords I Start Beginners On
You're not stuck with these forever. Get going, have fun, play songs. You can cover the main part of something like Can't Stop the Feeling with G, C, and E minor.
Simple G: third fret of the first string, open second, open third, and if you want, open fourth.
Strum 1 2 3 4.
Simple E minor: first, second, and third strings open. A little more advanced: add second fret of the fourth string.
Change G to Em on beat 1. Play the new chord on one.
Simple C (three-string): open first string, first fret of the B string with your first finger, open third string. If you're playing the Em with the second fret on the fourth string, add that same note for a four-string C.
Change between them in time. Even if you're only strumming on beat one, if it's in time, it starts to sound like music.
What to Practice
- Memorize: a chord is three notes with a relationship, not just a shape
- G = G B D. C = C E G
- Simple G, simple Em, simple C — changes on beat 1
There's a link in the video description for the basic open chords I think you need. And if chord diagrams still look like alien maps, watch the follow-up on how to read them. If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.
And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.
About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.
