Learning to Read Chord Charts (Beginner Guitar Lesson)
Hello 🎸
Welcome back to a new guitar lesson.
In this article, we’re going to learn how to read chord charts on the acoustic guitar.
Chords are one of the most important parts of playing guitar.
Almost every song you want to play is built using chords.
Before playing them, you need to understand how chord charts work.
Don’t worry, it’s much easier than it looks.
When reading a chord chart, remember just three things:
Which finger to use
Which string to play
Which fret to press
Your fingers are numbered like this:
1 is your index finger
2 is your middle finger
3 is your ring finger
4 is your pinky finger
You’ll see these numbers written on the chord chart.
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| Readable-Chord |
If you see O, it means play the string open, without pressing any fret.
The black dots on the chart show where to place your fingers.
The number inside each dot tells you which finger to use.
The vertical lines represent the strings of the guitar.
The line on the far left is the thickest string, the low E string.
The horizontal lines are the frets.
Fret numbers are usually written on the side of the chart.
When pressing a fret, place your finger just behind the fret wire, not directly on top of it.
For example, if the chart says second fret, count up two frets and press just behind the second one.
This helps you get a clean and clear sound.
Now let’s understand the D chord.
Start reading the chord chart from left to right, just like reading a book.
First find finger 1, then finger 3, and then finger 2.
Finger 1 is your index finger.
Look at which string it belongs to.
Count the strings from left to right until you reach it.
In this case, it’s the fourth string from the left.
Now count the frets.
Fret one… fret two.
Place your index finger on the fourth string at the second fret.
Repeat the same steps for the other fingers.
Once all fingers are placed correctly, strum the chord.
Congratulations, you’re now playing the D chord 🎶
Tip: Try to stay relaxed while practicing.
Relaxed hands make your guitar sound much better.
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Thank you for reading, and see you in the next lesson.
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| Readable Chord |
