One of the most important parts of playing the guitar is to be able to play chords.
Let's represent each finger with a number. So in the
following diagrams of chords, place each number on the appropriate strings as
shown below. Once you place your fingers in the spots as shown, brush down on
the strings near the sound hole or the body.
Can you hear every string? Are they ringing clearly
or are they are muffled mess? If it sounds jumbled, adjust your fingers so they
press down correctly. A good tip is to press down firmly with your thumb on the
back of the guitar neck. Make sure your fingers are pressing the strings very
close to the fret without actually being on the fret. The closer it is, the
clearer it sounds and the less you need to push down. Also, your fingernails
should be as short as possible too. It prevents them from interfering with the
vibrations of the strings. Your other hand should just brush up and down gently
on the strings. We will get more into strumming later on, however lightly brush
your other hand up and down the strings to get a sound coming out for
now.
When it comes to guitar playing - don't be afraid to dress the chords up a little.
By that, I mean try playing around with them a little. There is a million different combinations
you can have with one single chord! A chord played by itself is good - but when
you start to put more into it - that's what makes it really
interesting.
Try doing a few pull off's and hammer on's. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking
about- a 'Pull off' is when you strike the guitar string allowing it to ring out
slightly before you twist your finger off it again.
A hammer on is when you strike the string and hammer your next finger on while the string is
vibrating. That adds tremendous interest into the sound.
Remember - a guitarist with a good grasp of rhythm and strumming patterns is often the key to
a group's overall sound. Here is what I'm talking about - remember the two
simple chords I showed you earlier...Well here is what those two simple chords
sound like now with a little creativity!...
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