First 3 Guitar Chords All Beginners Must Learn
Most of us begin to learn guitar because we want to learn to play our favorite songs. In order to learn songs we’ve got to learn chords. Today I’ve got a beginner lesson for you that will introduce you to your first 3 chords. We’re going to keep it simple so these first chords will only be 3 string chords rather then focussing on all 6 strings.
After reading this article you’ll be able to grab your guitar and practice these chords on your own. Below I’ll outline the three chords and then provide you with some tips on practicing them. The three chords are G, C and D7.
To explain how to make these chords I’ve used tablature and also I’ll tell you which fingers to place where on the guitar neck
3 String G Chord
E — 3 —
B — 0 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —
This is an easy three string beginner guitar chord. You place your third finger (ring finger) on the third fret of the high E string (also known as first string) and strum the first three strings, G, B and e.
Three String C Chord
E — 0 —
B — 1 —
G — 0 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —
Similar to the above chord this G chord is easy to play and only requires you to use a single finger on the fret board. Put your index finger (1st finger) on the 1st fret of the B string and then strum the first three strings from the G string down.
3 String G7 Chord
E — 1 —
B — 2 —
G — 1 —
D — X —
A — X —
E — X —
This is the hardest of these beginner chords because you’re going to use three fingers on three different frets at once. This chord might take a couple of tries to get it right, it’s requiring your fingers to go in directions that won’t feel normal at first but take your time you’ll get it.
Take your first finger and place it on the first fret of the G string, next place your second finger on the first fret of the high e string, finally place your third finger on the second fret of the B string. Take a couple of moments to let your fingers feel comfortable there and go ahead an strum.
The first time you strum this G7 chord you may not hear a clean ring on all three strings. If this is happening don’t get frustrated rather focus on using just the tips of your fingers rather then the fleshy part. This can me accomplished by ensuring your thumb is straight and parallel with the back of the guitar neck and keep your fingers pointed straight at the strings.
These 3 string chords aren’t always taught with private lessons or on learn guitar dvds, how ever they are great chords to get you warmed up for 6 string open chords. I’d urge you to first practice making the chord shapes and playing by removing your fingers then placing them back on before trying to switch chords.
Taking this slow and steady is the key to becoming a well rounded guitar player. Trying to go to fast only results in frustration most times. If you’d like more detailed instruction I would suggest trying a guitar lesson dvd. Home study courses like DVDs are becoming the first choice of adults wanting to learn guitar but don’t have the time in their schedule to take private lessons.
