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Lesson 3
Learn Some Chords
3.1 Introduction
There is more to fingerpicking guitar than just playing chords and plucking the strings with your fingers. However, chords do play a crucial role, because they give you a good reference for whatever you play. Many fingerpicking guitar tunes can often be decomposed into a series of chords, and several standard 'rolls' for the finger of the right hand. (A 'roll' is a basic pattern of right hand finger motions.)
3.2 Tuning your Guitar
On this web site, we will first use the standard guitar tuning: EADGBE. I will not go into details about tuning your guitar, if you don't know how to tune it, just browse the web, ask a friend, or buy one of the many introductory books about guitar playing. Basically, the game is to turn the tuners of your guitar so that the strings sound as indicated here (click on the strings):
        E A D G B E'
Click the strings to hear the correct tuning
You need a Media Player to play the MP3 files.
I would advise you to purchase an electronic guitar tuner. Even professionals with a perfect ear use these, as it's always good to have a solid reference. They don't need to be expensive. When you tune your guitar, always turn the tuners with prudence. Usually, when a string is pulled too tight, you get this uncomfortable feeling just before it breaks. So stop a little earlier, and make sure you're going the right way, and you're plucking the right string.
3.3 Fretting the strings
By 'fretting' the strings, you shorten their effective length, which produces a higher note. You fret the strings with the fingers of your left hand. For example, playing the high E on the third fret means that you put your finger on the high E string, between the second and the third fret (not on the third fret!). Then push down and pluck the string with your right hand. Make sure that the tone is smooth.
 High E string played at third fret (= G note)
Note that I place my finger close to the third fret - not in the middle between the second and third fret. This improves intonation, and requires less force.
3.4 The First Chords
The first chord we'll play is the D-chord. You play the D-chord by placing
 your index finger at the second fret of the G string;your ring finger at the third fret of the B string;your middle finger at the second fret of the high E string. Now strum all strings, except for the low E string, which is not part of the D chord. All strings should sound smooth and clear. Make sure each finger only touches one string! If you find that certain strings are 'muted', it probably means that you're lightly touching them with a finger that is pressing down an adjacent string. Reposition your fingers and try again. Click on the play button below the photograph to listen.
 D chord. Click play button to listen. Don't strum the low E string!
Note that I keep my thumb way back, so that the palm of my hand does not touch the neck. Holding the neck 'tight', as seen in the photograph below, is considered by some to be a bad habit. I personally don't care about that, and do whatever pleases me whenever I need it.
 D chord, with 'bad' grip.
If you have major trouble playing this chord, make sure you got the right strings and checked the action of the guitar (see Lesson 2). After a few days, you will probably be able to play this chord smoothly. Below is a diagram of the D chord.
 D major chord in a diagram. Don't play the low E-string (indicated by the red cross).
Below are the diagrams of two more chords: G and C. Sometimes these chords are also called "G major" and "C major", which is the same. Learn the names of these chords by heart. It is crucial when you play with others. In stead of saying: "Play that chord with your index finger at the second fret of the fourth string and your ring finger at the third fret of the fifth string and your middle finger at the second fret of the sixth string...", you just say: "Play D". That's why they invented these names.
  G major (left) and C major (right).
There are many books available with literally thousands of chord diagrams, and you may want to buy one of these in the future. For the time being, we'll stick to the G, C and D chords.
Most chord diagrams only indicate which strings are pressed at what position - they do not indicate which finger goes where. That is a personal thing, and the best way is simply to try and see what you like best. The main thing is that all the strings are pressed down at the indicated positions. Sometimes there is only one reasonable way to do it, but sometimes there are several possibilities. For example, I prefer to play the D chord pressing the G, B and E strings all together at the second fret, using my index finger, and then press the B string at the third fret with my ring finger. See below.
 D chord, alternative finger setting.
The C chord is usually played with
ring finger on the low E string,little finger on the A string,middle finger on the D string, andindex finger on the B string. The G chord is usually played with
middle finger on the low E,index finger on the A,ring finger on the B, andlittle finger on the high E. Most guitarists play the G chord without the ring finger, i.e., with an open B string. That is possible too. However, I prefer the sound of the chord when I add a D note by fretting the B string at the third fret.
At this point, you should learn to play the G, C and D chords, and also learn their names. Mind you: this won't happen overnight. It will take time, practice, and perhaps some frustration (or even some pain). By the time you get so frustrated you feel like throwing your guitar out of the window, simply stop, and try again later. After a week or so, you will probably be able to play these three chords quickly without too many mistakes. It may even take you two weeks, or more. That does not matter. But at the end, you should be able to smoothly jump from the G chord, to the C chord, to the D, and back to the C or the G and so on. Each time you play a new chord, strum the strings twice. By the time you can change chords each second, come back to this web site and go to the next section.
Here is what your playing should sound like when you are ready to come back here:
G - D - C - G - C - G - D - G
Good luck!
3.5 Holding your Guitar
Welcome back, and congratulations with your first steps in your guitar career! Before we proceed, let's briefly discuss how exactly you should hold your guitar when you play. So far, I have not told you, although this is usually the first thing that a guitar teacher discusses. The reason for this is, that I wanted you to try out for yourself first. Although there are very precise guidelines about holding your guitar (particularly when you learn to play classical guitar), my opinion is that every person is different and has a different body anatomy, while also guitars are all different, and in my opinion it is quite silly to prescribe one single standard way of holding a guitar.
I know that many won't agree with me here. Some may raise the issue that holding your guitar the wrong way may cause you all sorts of nasty problems in your muscles and ligaments. Which is true, although not very common. Main reason for these sorts of problems is that you 're too cramped when you hold the guitar. Rule number one in holding your guitar, is that all muscles in your body should always be relaxed, except for the muscles in your left hand and under arm, as they do the work.
Others may say that if you start learning the basics wrong, it will be almost impossible to do it well by the time you get better. They will tell you that "NOW it is easier for you if you hold the guitar like this, but by the time you will be ready for the more advanced techniques, it will be impossible to play them." My answer here is simple: by that time, if you encounter these sorts of problems, you'll simply hold your guitar differently. You should always continue to do some experiments, and see what works out best for you. Let me repeat though, that this is just my personal opinion and experience, and that my point of view is considered rather unorthodox by many. If you want to stick to the more traditional guidelines, fine. Decide for yourself.
So try it out: place the guitar on your left knee (the way classical guitar players are taught to do it), or on your right knee (the way most fingerpickers do it) and see what you prefer. Get yourself a guitar strap, and try to play while you're standing. Try a different seat (higher or lower). I like to place my right foot on a little stool, so that the guitar is slightly higher. Rest your body weight on the guitar, lean back in a comfortable chair, whatever. BE RELAXED, that is the main thing.
Nevertheless, I do believe in one important rule for the fingers of your right hand: don't curl them up too much, as some fingerpickers do. Keep them almost straight when you play. But we will come back to that in the next lesson. First we'll learn some new chords.
3.6 Four More Chords
 A
 A minor (Am)
 E minor (Em)
 F
The A chord can be played in several ways: with your index-, middle- and ring finger from left to right, or your middle-, ring finger and little finger. I usually press all three strings with my index finger. A minor is usually played with the index finger on the B string, middle finger on the D string, and ring finger on the G string. E minor is usually played with the middle finger on the A string, and ring finger on the D string. The last chord, F major, I guess will be the hardest for you to play. It uses a barré, which means that your index finger presses down all six strings at the first fret. Alternatively, you may press just the B and high E string, but in that case you shouldn't touch the low E string when you play. Then put your middle finger on the A string, ring finger on the D string and index finger on the G string. During the next week(s), you should add these four new chords to your repertoire. You should be able to play them as smoothly as the G, D and C chords. Together, they make a fine set, and once you master these seven chords, the next fifty or so will be relatively easy. In the meantime, feel free to go to lesson four, where we will start working on the right hand. We will do this based on the C chord at first, which you should already know by now. But don't forget to work on the A, Am, Em and F chords too. They're crucial!
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