When you first pick up the electric guitar and are unsure exactly what to do with it, one of the first things you will generally learn are some simple chords.
So, just what is a chord, anyway?
Technically, a chord is a set of harmonically related notes, played simultaneously. To be less academic about it, a chord is what happens when you strum several strings together to create a pleasing sound.
The first chords you will learn here are known as Open Chords. These chords take advantage of the open strings.
There is another type of chord known as a Barre Chord. These chords involve pressing one or more fingers down across several strings. Because barre chords involve no open strings, the same shapes can be moved up and down the neck to create a chord in any key. In theory they are not any more complex to play than an open chord. However, they do require more strength in the fingering hand, which can make them frustrating for very new guitarists. This is only a problem for beginner guitarists, after a brief time learning electric guitar you will quickly have enough strength not to be bothered by having to barre a chord.
Chords are named after their root note. The root note is just what musicians the note around which the chord is built. They come in two basic varieties, major and minor. A major chord can be said to have a “strong”, “bright” and “happy” sound, while a minor chord has a comparitively “darker” or more “melancholy” sound.
To start with here, for your first chords, we will play 3 different major open chords. For help reading the chord charts, see my post on how to read chord charts. And now, without any further ado, here are the chords:
Open E
To play an Open E, place your index finger on the G string at the first fret, place your middle finger on the A string at the second fret, and place your ring finger on the D string at the second fret. Then play every string and let the chord ring out. You’ve just played an open E!
Open A
To play an Open A, place your middle finger on the D string at the second fret, place your ring finger on the G string at the second fret, and place your pinky on B string at the second fret. Then play every string except for the low E.
Open D
To play an Open D, place your index finger on the G string at the second fret, place your middle finger on the high E string at the second fret, and place your ring finger on the B string at the third fret. Then sound the 4 high strings, leaving the low E and the A strings unplayed.
That’s it, you now know three chords on the electric guitar! If they feel a bit awkward at first, that’s okay. Keep playing through them so that they feel a bit more natural, and stay tuned for more posts on how to use these three chords to play a song.
