If you are just starting out on the guitar from square one, then this is for you.
You may have recently purchased a new guitar, or maybe decided to dust off the one that’s been sitting in the closet, and now you want to figure out what to do with it.
Your first day with a guitar in your hands can be a little daunting. Faced with six strings hovering over all those frets, knowing that you’re supposed to put your fingers somewhere on the fret board to make chords, but without a clue as to which fret and string combinations to press down on to actually start making music!
Today we will clear up some of the mystery by showing you how to play a couple of really easy, two-note guitar chords that you can play right now.
A chord on the guitar is simply a series of notes that are played together simultaneously. They can be comprised of anywhere from two to six notes, and are defined by the “key” signature you are playing in.
There are obviously thousands of chord variations at your disposal that are played in positions all over the guitar neck, but to get started quickly and easily, we will look at learning the E5 chord, and the A5 chord.
Here is a TAB diagram of the E5 chord:
E———–X——–
B———–X——–
G———–X——–
D———–X———
A———–2———-
E———–0———-
This chord involves only the 6th string (low E), and the 5th string (A). You will not play the other four strings.
Start by placing your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Then with a down stroke, play the open 6th string (low E), along with the note you just learned on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Play these two notes together.
Congratulations, you just played your first chord on the guitar (E5).
Now let’s move on to the next chord, the A5. Here’s the TAB diagram:
E——–X——-
B——–X——-
G——–X——-
D———2——-
A———0——-
E———X——-
This chord involves only the 5th string (A), and the 4th string (D). You will not play the other four strings.
Start by placing your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. Then with a down stroke, play the open 5th string (A), along with the note you just learned on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. Play these two notes together.
Notice that the “pattern” of these two chords is identical. The only difference is the position they are played at.
One of the keys to learning guitar quickly is to understand that there are patterns on the guitar that can be used to easily figure out concepts that may at first seem complicated.
Even if you’ve never picked up a guitar before, you should be able to easily get a handle on the E5 and A5 chords, so take a few minutes to work on them until they feel comfortable to you.
