Guitar Chords For Beginners

Hey Paul here,  and in the next 5 minutes I am going to show you step by step, how to play 3 of my favorite guitar chords for beginners.

The 3 chords that I will be showing you how to play step by step are:

  • The E Chord
  • The A Chord, &
  • The D Chord

Let’s begin with the first chord….

The E Chord

guitar chords for beginnersFor me, the E chord was the very first chord I learned to play when I was getting started with the guitar, and its a great Guitar Chords For Beginners.

I’ve decided to start with this chord first because out of all the different guitar chords for beginners available, I believe the E chord is probably the easiest to master as your fingers will be grouped closely together, it’s easy to remember, and you can strum every string unlike other chords like D, where you can’t play the top 2 stings.

Step 1: Press your 2nd finger on the 5th string, in the 2nd fret

Step 2: Press your 3rd finger on the 4th string (directly below your 2nd finger) in the 2nd fret.

Step 3: Press your 1st finger on the 3rd string in the 1st fret.

Step 4: Strum the guitar from the 6th string to the 1st string.

As I mentioned earlier, the E chord is a great guitar chord for beginners because you’re allowed to strum every single string, even those that aren’t pressed down like the 6th, 2nd & 1st string. This makes it easier as you don’t need to worry about what stings you’re strumming, allowing you to focus on the proper placement of your fingers.

The A Chord

I love the A Chord, and to be perfectly honest, I was debating on whether I should feature this guitar chords for beginners first instead of the E Chord.

guitar chordsThe only reason why I chose the E chord over the A chord, is because when you strum this chord, you need to make sure you don’t play the 6th (low-E) string. We’ll chat about that a little more in a few moments, but let’s learn how to play the A Chord first.

Step 1: Press your 2nd finger on the 4th string in the 2nd fret

Step 2: Press your 3rd finger on the 3rd string in the 2nd fret. (Directly below your 2nd finger)

Step 3: Press your 4th Finger on the 2nd string in the 2nd fret (Directly below your 3rd finger)

Step 4: To strum this guitar chord for beginners, or the A Chord, you begin playing the chord at the 5th string. So make sure you do not play the 6th (Low-E) string otherwise your chord will sound off.

Side Note: Even though the 5th string & 1st string aren’t pressed, ensure you include those strings when you strum. Those 2 strings are played open, meaning not pressed.

Our Last Guitar Chords For Beginners…The D Chord

learn guitar chordsStep 1: Press your 1st finger on the 3rd string in the 2nd fret.

Step 2: Press your 2nd finger on the 1st string in the 2nd fret.

Step 3: Press your 3rd finger on the 2nd string in the 3rd fret.

Step 4: To strum the D Chord, you begin playing the chord at the 4th string. This means the 4th string is played open.

With this chord, you’ll need to pay special attention to ensuring you don’t strum the top 2 strings (ie. 6th & 5th Strings).

When I got started playing this chord I remember I would accidentally strum the top 2 strings without meaning it. This will happen from time to time, and all you can do is take it slow and be careful. With the guitar practice makes perfect, and practice is something you’ll need to do, even if its 5 minutes per day.

So there you have it, 3 guitar chords for beginners. If you just spend 5 minutes per day going through the steps for the 3 chords above, it wont take long until you will have these guitar chords mastered.

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