Playing Basic Chords on Acoustic Guitar: C, G, D Introduction The guitar is a simple six stringed musical instrument that generates sounds of different pitches when the strings are plucked or strummed. In music, certain pitches are called notes. Each guitar string is tightened to a particular tension so that it vibrates at a certain frequency and produces a certain pitch and/or note. When a guitar string is pressed against a fret along the neck of the instrument, that string is essentially shortened and the note it generates when plucked is higher. Playing multiple notes at the same time forms a chord. This instruction set will teach you how to properly hold an acoustic guitar and a guitar pick and walk you through how to play three different chords: C, G, D. Before learning how to play these chords you must first learn how the frets and strings are numbered for reference during the lesson. Refer to Figure 1 for clarity: Frets. The frets are the narrow medal strips the lie along the neck of the guitar. The 1st fret lies closest to the head of the guitar, and all other frets are numbered in sequence down the neck towards the body of the guitar (The body is the large curved hollow section of the guitar that is found opposite the head.) Strings. The strings are numbered 1 through 6. The 1st string is the thinnest string and will run along the bottom of the fret board when you hold the guitar properly. (Holding the guitar will be discussed later in the instructions.) The strings are ordered numerically so that the 2nd string lies just next to the 1 st and so on until you reach the thickest string which is number 6. Head 1 st fret 6 th string Neck 1 st string Figure 1: Basic Parts of the Guitar You are now ready to begin the instructions. To successfully play the basic guitar chords outlined here, you will need an acoustic guitar, a chair, and a guitar pick, and two free hands.
Holding the Guitar 1. Sit in a chair with your feet planted flat on the ground. 2. Hold the guitar in front of you with the guitar neck in your left hand and the guitar body in your right hand and with the strings facing away from you. 3. Lower the guitar toward your legs so that the curve in the guitar body rests on the upper portion your right thigh. 4. Place your left hand under the neck of the guitar and your right hand over the guitar body. See Figure 2 to make sure you are holding the guitar correctly. Figure 2: Correctly Holding the Guitar Holding the Pick 1. Hold the pick in your right hand between your thumb and index finger. 2. Allow one side of the wide end of the pick to rest on the third knuckle of your index finger. 3. Place your thumb on top of the pick. Figure 3 illustrates how to hold a pick properly. Figure 3: Properly Holding a Pick Playing a C Chord 1. Holding the guitar properly, press your left index finger down on the 2 nd string to the left of the first fret and keep that finger in place.
2. Press your left middle finger down on the 4th string to the left of the second fret and hold that finger in place. 5 th string to the left of the third fret 4. Be sure to keep your wrist bent so that only the tips of those fingers touch the desired strings. Figure 4 shows proper C chord finger position. Figure 4: C Chord Finger Positions the 5 th, 4 th, 3 rd, and 2 nd strings in that order. Note: If you notice buzzing or if the chord does not ring out due to damping, reposition your fingers and curl your wrist more. Apply solid pressure to the strings with the fingers forming the chord. This solution can be applied all chords that you will learn in this lesson and in the future. 6. Practice strumming the strings up and down and try to take your left hand off the strings and properly place them again so that you get used to the finger positioning for a C chord. Playing a G Chord 1. Holding the guitar properly, press your left index finger down on the 5 th string to the left of the 2 nd fret and keep that finger in place. 2. Press your left middle finger down on the 6 th string to the left of the 3 rd fret 2 nd string to the left of the 3 rd fret Figure 5: G Chord Finger Positions
4. As with the C chord, be sure to keep your wrist bent so that only the tips of those fingers touching the desired strings. Figure 5 shows proper G chord finger positions. the 6 th, 5 th, 4 th, 3 rd, and 2 nd strings in that order. 6. Try removing your left hand from the strings and positioning your fingers properly again. Practice strumming the string cleanly. Playing a D Chord 1. Holding the guitar properly, press your left index finger down on the 3 rd string to the left of the 2 nd fret and keep that finger in place. 2. Press your left middle finger down on the 1 st string to the left of the 2 nd fret and hold that finger in place. 2 nd string to the left of the 3 rd fret 4. As with the chord, be sure to keep Figure 6: D Chord Finger Positions your wrist bent so that only the tips of those fingers touching the desired strings. Figure 6 shows proper D chord finger positions. the 4 th, 3 rd, 2 nd, and 1 st strings in that order. 6. Try removing your left hand from the strings and positioning your fingers properly again. Practice strumming the string cleanly.
Keep Practicing You have now reached the end of this instruction set. You should now know how to hold a guitar and guitar pick properly, as well as play three chords: C, G, and D. If you were unable to play the chords cleanly the first time, do not be discouraged. Playing the guitar well takes a lot of practice. Work through these instructions several times, and you will start to see improvement. As you get more comfortable playing the chords described here, practice transitioning from one chord to another. Once you have master transitioning between these chords you will be ready to learn how to play songs that utilize these chords. To start, try playing Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan. There are a number of videos on You Tube of this song that will show you when to play each chord. Play along with the song so that you get used to the timing. Be patient, as learning songs, just like learning chords, takes some time. Consistent practice and patience is the key to learning how to playing the guitar like a professional.