Table of Contents Learn Guitar the the Easy Way Way Introduction Introduc tion Types of of Guitars Parts of the the Guitar Buying th thee perfec perfectt guitar guitar How to Tune a Guitar Guitar Accessories How to play to play your your guit guitar ar How to read ch c hord boxes The 12 Keys The Four Four Chord Special Transposing Transpo sing with a Capo The 12 Major Chords Open Chords Chords Bar Chords Chords The Movable Movable Bar Cho Chords The 12 Major Chords Chord Chord Chart Chord Variations Parts of the the Movable Chords Movable Chords Bb Shape Chord Variations Variations F Shape Chord Variations Open Chord Variations The 18 most popular chords Chord Ch ord Progressions Strumming Patterns Fingerpicking Bar Chord Tips Software Soft ware and Resources Final Words
LEARN GUITAR THE EASY WAY by Paolo Ocampo Ocampo © 2017 Paolo Ocampo. All rights reserved. All rights r ights reserved. res erved. No No portio por tion n of this t his book may be be reproduced re produced in any any form without permission permiss ion from fro m the pub publisher, lisher, except as permit permitted ted by U.S. U.S. copyright copyright law. law.
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to play the guitar but didn't know where to start? I know, with so many guitar websites and blogs out there, it's so easy to get overwhelmed. I created this book, Learn Guitar the Easy Way to teach everyday people how to play the guitar. No, I won't be teaching you how to play the Flamenco, or shred the guitar like Carlos Santana - that would take years, even decades to master. What you'll learn is a simpler but equally fun way of playing the guitar - using
simplified guitar chords !
What are guitar chords, you say? Go to the Youtubes and search for [any song you like] + acoustic cover. See those guys playing the guitar and singing? Yep, they're using guitar chords . So if you want to be able to jam with your kids, or your friends, or become the next Youtube sensation - this book is for you. Guitar Chords are really super easy to learn - all you need to do is memorize the 12 Major Chords , that's it. It's actually even easier, because it's really just seven chords - two of them are movable and can be used to generate the other chords (more on that later at the Movable Chords section).
From those 12 Major Chords , you can derive many Chord Variations . These Chord Variations are derived using simple and easy to understand formulas. With these major chords and its common variations, you can play most of the songs that you hear on the radio today. What's more, I'll teach you how to use The Circle of Fifths and Chord Progressions to predict what chords will be used on any given song. This is the foundation of learning how to play the guitar by ear. In this book you'll learn:
How to tune your guitar How to play the 18 most commonly played chords What are the 12 Major Keys How to play the 12 Major Chords using Open and Bar Chords How to use Movable Chords How to Transpose Chords How to spice up Major Chords with Chord Variations Learn about Chord Progressions Learn about the Circle of Fifths Practice with sample songs and video playlists Guitar playing tips
Software, Apps and Resources for Learning Guitar Are you excited yet? Go ahead and dig into this book, spend a few hours practicing, and impress your girlfriend or boyfriend already !
Types of Guitars So you may wondering, "What kind of guitar should I get? ". (If you already have one, you can skip to the next section) For those still thinking, you basically have Four Types of Guitars : Nylon String Guitars Steel String Guitars Electric Guitars Acoustic Electric Guitars
In general, Nylon Guitars are great for kids because they have softer strings. Steel String Guitars are great for adults, it sounds better, is easier to play, but not as easy on your fingers as nylon strings . You can get an Electric Guitar is you want to play with a band. Acoustic Electric Guitars are great if you want to play a Steel String Guitar, but want to hook it up on your computer or iPhone/iPad (using an iRig) for recording and processing. Below are more details of the pros and cons of each type. (An "action", by the ay, is the distance of the strings from the fretboard. A high action makes the strings harder to press . A low action is ideal, but not too low to make the strings prone to a buzzing sound)
Nylon String Guitar (aka Classical Guitar)
Steel String Guitar (aka Acoustic Guitar)
Electric Guitar
Acoustic Electric Guitar
Parts of the Guitar Now that you have your guitar, let's identify its parts.
The Headstock
The Headstock of a guitar is located in top of the guitar and holds your Tuning Keys. The Tuning Keys adjust the pitch of each individual string.
To tune a string, rotate the tuning key: Clockwise - to lower the pitch Counterclockwise - to increase the pitch
At the bottom of the headstock is the Nut. The Nut is a thin white plastic strip that has grooves to hold the strings in place.
The Fretboard
The Fretboard contains individual Frets. Each Fret have less space between them the farther you go down towards the body of the guitar. The Frets are numbered 1 thru 12, starting from the headstock . There are Marker Dots on Frets 3, 7, 9 and 12 to make it easy to find the Frets. Two dots indicate the 12th Fret.
The Body
The Body of the guitar contains the Sound Hole and the Bridge . The Sound Hole projects the sound from the guitar, and the Bridge is where the strings are connected to. Inside the Bridge is the Saddle - a white plastic strip similar to the Nut. The Saddle holds the strings in place. On some guitars, there will be a Pick Guard which protects the guitar body from getting scratched by the guitar pick.
Buying the perfect guitar
Finding the Right Guitar Size
One of the key things you need to decide on when buying a guitar is its size. The guitar has to be comfortable to play with. There are no hard and fast rules for selecting a guitar Some people peopl e like li ke guitar size siz e . Some smaller guitars, for example Ed Sheeran uses 3/4 size guitars which are designed for 8-12 year olds. But he's a tiny man, so that works for him. The only tip I can give you is to go to a music store and actually try playing the guitars there. If it feels comfy, go for it . Or you can get it cheaper online, but make sure that they have a good return policy. Having said that, here's a quick guide for guitar sizes: 1/4 Size = 2 to 5 year olds 1/2 Size = 5 to 8 year olds 3/4 Size = 8 to 12 year olds Full Size = 12 and older
Guitar Body Types
Another thing to look for in a guitar is its Body Type . The sound sound proje projecte cted d by the guitar depends on its body type . A bigger body
produces a deeper sound, a bigger bottom produces a deeper base , etc. Although the exact dimensions for each guitar differs from one manufacturer to another, another, in i n general general,, they fall fall under under these these General Body Types : Concert Guitars are small body guitars that produce a br bright ight soun so und d and a punchy mid range . The smaller size is comfortable, and makes these guitars very playable for smaller musicians. Grand Concert Concert Guitars are a bit larger, but still produces the same bright br ight soun so und d and a punchy mid range , only louder. Auditorium Guitars are mid-sized acoustic guitars. They produce a well balanced sound. Grand Audito Auditoriu rium m Guitars Guita rs are slightly bigger, almost as big a large guitar, but with a smaller waist. This also creates a well balanced sound, only louder. wi th 14 fret necks. Dreadnoughts Dreadnoughts are large guitars , often with create a very powerful, driving sound. Jumbo Guitars are even bigger, and produce a loud, deep, resonating sound.
How to Tune a Guitar
The Standard Tuning
There are different types of guitar tunings, but the most commonly used in the Western world is called the Standard Tuning.
The Standard Tuning tunes the six strings of the guitar as E, A, D, G, B, E (from the thickest string, to the thinnest). Why everybody uses this tuning is a verryyy loong story ...but if you must, you can read it here... bit.ly/standard-tuning To make things easier, just remember : Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually ( yes, this would be you, after you practice what you learn from this book )
Using a Guitar Tuner
Now it's time to tune your guitar. The easiest way to tune the guitar is using a Guitar Tuner.
You can get one at Amazon for around $10. The best one is called the Snark Tuner ( bit.ly/snark-guitar-tuner ) To tune your guitar, clip the Snark Tuner on the Headstock . Then adjust the tuning key for each string until the bar turns green for E, A , D, G, B, E respectively.
Tuning from a Piano
Don't have 10 bucks , but you have a piano or keyboard lying around?
You're in luck, because you can tune your guitar using the keyboard! Your keyboard is actually made up of these repeating set of "octaves" (2 black keys, 3 black keys, and a bunch of white keys around them). The image above show the names of each of these keys.
Using the same principle, just press the corresponding white key for each guitar string and adjust til they match. This method is a bit more labor intensive, but you get to save $10.
Online Tuners and Apps
So you say, Paolo, I don't have 10 bucks AND you don't have a piano. We'll there's good news, you can tune your guitar online! Yep, just go to:
http://www.jamplay.com/tools/online-guitar-tuner/ Select the Standard Tuning, and tune away! No computer? No problem. You can download the following tuners for free: 1. Guitar Tuna for IOS ( bit.ly/guitar-tuna) 2. Guitar Tuner Free for Android ( bit.ly/guitar-tuna2) *** Sorry Windows phone users
Guitar Accessories Sometimes, buying gadgets for your guitar will inspire you to work harder. I'm kind of like that, so that's the excuse I tell my wife when I buy me some gadgets... Here are some guitar goodies that you might enjoy...(at the minimum, you need to get some guitar picks, and a capo)
Guitar Picks
The easiest and most natural way to strum a guitar is using your thumb. However, if you practice a lot , you will eventually hurt your thumb. My advice is to get started using Guitar Picks .
Using guitar picks will feel awkward at first, but it will pay off and save your thumb in the long run. Hey, if T-Swizzle does it, so must you.
Guitar Pick Holder
A Guitar Pick Holder holds a bunch of guitar picks , and sticks to your guitar. If you don't want to keep losing your picks, buy this.
The Capo
The Capo (pronounced as K-Po by fancy pants guys, and Kahpo by regular guys, or vice versa) allows you to adjust the key of a chord easily by realigning the Guitar Nut to a specific fret . This allows you to play easy open chords on higher frets (higher keys). More on that in later chapters. Buy this one, you will thank yourself later.
iRig 2
The iRig 2 ( bit.ly/irig-2) allows you to record your guitar to your Garageband Software or App ( works for IOS and Apple devices only ). With iRig 2, you can rock on and apply effects to your guitar using the free Amplitube App. You can also download guitarless songs from from karaoke-version, load it on Garageband, and play along! Once you learn how to play chords using this book - buy this gadget. It's a LOT of fun.
Guitar Practice Tool
Need to practice on the go? Get a Guitar Practice Tool. This tool allows you to create muscle memory, and also hardens your fingertips. Not as good as practicing on a real guitar, but this one fits in your pocket.
Finger Gloves
Sometimes you get in a groove , feel like your in the zone , but your fingertips are really hurting... Well, it's Finger Gloves to the rescue! It's like the finger version of the Snuggie.. Aren't those just latex gloves that have been cutout you say? Well, they kinda are, but they have a textured grip at the ends, so there...
Guitar iPhone Holders
Yep, this one is a bit dorky. But it really is quite cool and handy, once you get used to it. Great gadget when you have a hard time remembering song lyrics and chords.
How to play your guitar Playing the guitar isn't really rocket science . And the truth is, everybody has their own style of playing. Some of the greatest basketball players have poor posture and technique . Bruce Lee became a legend, not because he followed existing martial arts techniques. But because his style was "no style". He just used whatever technique he sees fit for him. That, and also he's as fast as a cat. So I say, play your guitar however you like. Whatever feels comfortable is the best way to play. If it feels comfortable , it feels fun. And that's the entire idea of playing the guitar. Here, however are a few tips that you might consider:
How to hold the Guitar
When playing the guitar, don't hunch your back . This will help you sing better. Position your guitar so that the groove of the guitar body is on the leg of your strumming side . You can also cross you legs and to the same, if that feels comfy.
Make sure that your non-strumming hand is not supporting the fretboard. To test this, let go of the fretboard. If it falls down, then you are not holding the
guitar correctly. the fretboar Angle the f retboard d slightly towards you. This makes it easier for you to see se e the chords you are playing, and lessens the pressure on your wrist wrist too.
How to hold the pick
If you are using a guitar pick , this is how you hold it. Don't hold it too tight . There should be a little give .
When strumming the guitar, try not to get too tense. Imagine that you a flicking a booger with wi th your your strumming hand.
How to read chord boxes Chord Boxes Boxe s used in this book . So here's a little primer on how to read the Chord
Fingers, Frets, and Strings
The Box Layout is like this: this: The The Lowest Line is the thickest string ( Low E ), the Top Line is the thinnest string ( High E ) X - means don't strum the string i t's an open string stri ng (chord fingers fingers not touching touching,, but you still strum it) O - means it's
Th Black Bar on the left is the Nut Nut. The Number at the bottom is the Fret Number. Your chord fingers (left hand if your strum on the right) is numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 starting from the pointing pointing fin f inge gerr.
Actual Hand Position
So the Chord Box above should should be played like this.
The 12 Keys Before you start learning to play t he guitar, it is important to understand the concept of keys. When singing, your comfortable vocal range is normally indicated by your key . Basically, there are 12 Keys in music:. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
C C# (C Sharp) D Eb (E Flat) E F F# (F Sharp) G Ab (A Flat) A Bb (B Flat) B
To understand how keys are named, you need to take a look at piano keys.
The Piano Octave
All piano keyboards are composed of a repeating set of Octaves (2 black keys, 3 black keys, surrounded by white keys). The white keys in an octave are called - C, D, E, F, G, A,and B respectively. The names the black keys are based on the white keys adjacent to it. If the black key is on the left, it will be a flat key (indicated by a lowercase b) If the black key is on the right, it will be a sharp key (indicated by a hashtag #) So this means that every black key will have two names - a flat (b) and a sharp (#). The names of the black keys are interchangeable . Although you can switch between the two names of the black keys, more often than not ,you will find that C#, Eb, F#, Ab, and Bb are used for naming the black keys.
The 12 Keys
So, if we combine the black and white keys , there will be a total of 12 keys - C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb and B. Important: You will need to memorize the names of these 12 keys by heart, because this is the foundation of playing guitar chords.
The Four Chord Special Did you know that you can literally play hundreds of songs by learning only four chords? ( Chords are named like the 12 keys - C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb and B ) Yep, for most people these four chords are - G, D, Em, and C. Note: A small letter "m" after a chord indicates that its a minor chord - for example Em is called E Minor. We will discuss more about minor chords in later chapters.
Here's a Youtube Playlist of songs that you can play with these four chords: bit.ly/four-chord-songs So why do so many songs use G, D, Em, and C? It's because of the concept of chord progressions . Basically, chord progressions are simple formulas that songwriters use to find chords that sound well together. We will discuss more about chord progressions in a later chapter.
Chord Diagram ( G, D, Em, C )
Print the Four Chord Special Chord Chart: ebspicer.com/guitar/four-chord-special.pdf
Practice Song
The chords G, D, Em, and C are the only four chords used by the song "Superman" by Five for Fighting. Now play the corresponding chord at the top of the lyric, as you sing the song. You can view the complete chord and lyrics here: bit.ly/superman-chord
Transposing with a Capo For singers who like to sing on a higher key, they can use a capo. The process of moving the key up or down is call transposition. For example, the chords G, D, Em, and C is actually a chord progression from the Key of G. If you want to sing "Superman" by Five for Fighting on the next higher key, hich is Ab (A Flat), you'll need to play these chords - Ab, Eb, Fm, and C#. These chords are very hard to play for beginners. To make things easier, you can use a capo. By placing a capo on the first fret, we are essentially moving the guitar nut closer to the body of the guitar. This increases the key of the guitar to the next higher key. So instead of playing Ab, Eb, Fm, and C# to sing in the Ab key, just put a capo on the first fret and play G, D, Em, and C. It will sound like you are playing Ab, Eb, Fm, and C# . You can put the capo closer to the body of the guitar to sing even higher.
The Capo
Capo Example
Here's a Youtube video of a guy using the G, D, Em, C pattern with the Capo on the first fret. bit.ly/four-chords-capo This means he's actually playing the chords Ab, Eb, Fm, and C# which are hard chords to play without a capo.
The 12 Major Chords Like mentioned in the earlier chapter, guitar chords are named after the 12 keys. So this means we have 12 Major Chords: . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
C C# (C Sharp) D Eb (E Flat) E F F# (F Sharp) G Ab (A Flat) A Bb (B Flat) B
Of these 12 Major Chords , 5 are Open Chords, and 7 are Bar Chords.
Open Chords
An Open Chord is a chord where your chord fingers press only one string a time . An example of an Open Chord is the E Chord (above). This is the type of chord that beginners first learn because they are easy to play.
Bar Chords
A Bar Chord is a chord that uses your pointing finger as a bar that holds several strings . An example of an Bar Chord is the B Chord (above).
Playing a bar chord will take a bit of practice , because these chords are prone to getting a buzzing sound when you don't do it right.
Open Chords Let's know learn how to play the 5 open chords.
The 5 Open Chords
The 5 Open Chords are C, A, G, E, D.
Hand Position for the Open Chords
Practice the following songs to learn how to play these open chords.
Practice Song for E, A, D Chords
Practice Song for D, A, G Chords
Practice Song for G, D, C Chords
Bar Chords There are two initial Bar Chords - Bb and F. And they are based on a A and E Chords. By moving the A Chord one fret up, we get a Bb Chord (the next higher chord). Then we just use your index finger to replace the nut . The same with the E Chord. If we move it one fret up we get an F Chord (the next higher chord). Again, we just use your index finger to replace the nut . The diagram below show this concept:
The Bb and F Bar Chords
Practice Song for C and F Chords
Practice Song for C, F, Bb Chords
The Movable Bar Chords The Bb and F Bar Chords are said to be movable chords . This is because moving it on the next fret - gives you the next higher chord. Remember how a capo increases the key of the guitar? Well, when playing chords, your index finger can actually act as a capo and also do the same thing. In the diagram below, you'll see that moving your index finger one fret higher also increases the chord to the next higher chord. So for example, the Bb chord is on the first fret. If you move one fret higher, it will become a B chord. Another fret higher, and it becomes a C chord. And so on... The same for the F chord, which is on the first fret. Moving up one fret will play the F# chord. Moving up another fret plays a G chord. And so on..
The Bb and F Movable Chords
In the diagram above, you'll see that we can actually derive the rest of the 12 Major Chords from the Bb and F Chords . The rest of the bar chords are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
B C# Eb F# Ab
Note:
Notice how the C, D, G , and A Chords can be played as an Open Chord, or a Bar Chord. Also notice how the Bb Chord can be played as a Bar Chord on the 1st and 6th Fret .
The 12 Major Chords Chord Chart Let's now look at the summary of how to play the 12 Major Chords .
Major Chord Diagram
Print The 12 Major Chords Diagram here: ebspicer.com/guitar/12-major-chords.pdf
Chord Variations All songs can be played using the 12 Major Chords as the foundation. Although some songs can be played just using these 12 Major Chords , most songs use these Major Chords PLUS its Chord Variations .
What are Chord Variations?
Chord Variations are Major Chords with additional notes to add mood to the chord.
A chord variation can make a Major Chord sound gloomy, tense, cool, azzy, and so on. There are 6 common chord variations for each Major Chord : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Minor Chords Minor 7th Chords Major 7th Chords 7th Chords 9th Chords Suspended Chords
Many aspiring guitar players get overwhelmed with memorizing these complex set of chord variations . But instead of memorizing each chord variation, in this chapter you will learn how to derive chord variations based on the 12 Major Chords .
There is no need to memorize all the chords variations , just memorize the 12 Major Chords, and the formulas of its Chord Variations . With this knowledge, you can easily play along any song that you like Actually, most pop and rock songs will only use the Major Chords plus Minor Chords, Minor 7th and 7th Chords. So if you're just planning to jam ith these types of music, you can survive by memorizing the formula of those3 chord variations. The rest of the chord variations are usually used by Power Ballads, Jazz and R&B.
Parts of the Movable Chords In order to play chord variations , you must first understand the Parts of the Major Chords.
The Scale of the Key
When you play a Major Chord, you are actually playing the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the key's scale (let's use the piano keyboard for easier reference). Every key has a different scale . A scale sounds like Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do. To see all the scales for all the Major Chords, click here : ebspicer.com/piano/major-scales.pdf Tip: The guitar scales are very confusing to learn and memorize. If you are a visual learner, try the Fret Not sticker on Amazon. bit.ly/fret-not
So in the Bb Major Chord, we need to play keys - Bb, D, and F. Let's call it Low (Bb), Middle (D), and High (F). Don't worry if this sounds confusing, you don't have to memorize the scales . All you need to understand is that a Major Chord is composed of a Low, Middle and High notes. And to play chord variations , you only need to identify which finger plays the Low, Middle , and High notes of the 2 Initial Bar Chord Shapes - Bb and F.
Bb Shape Parts
On the Bb Shape : 1. The Middle Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High Note is played MiddleFinger (2)
F Shape Parts
On the F Shape : 1. The Middle Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) 2. The Low Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 3. The High Note is played Ring Finger (3)
Bb Shape Chord Variations The Bb Shape can have the following Chord Variations : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Bbm (B Flat Minor) Bb7 (B Flat 7th) Bbm7 (B Flat Minor 7th) BbM7 (B Flat Major 7th) Bbsus (B Flat Suspended)
The Chord Variation Formulas (Bb Shape)
The Bb Shape Parts
On the Bb Shape : 1. The Middle Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High note is played by the Middle Finger (2)
Bb Minor Chord (m)
Formula: m (Minor) = Middle - 1
Bb 7th Chord (7)
Formula: 7 (7th) = Low - 2
Bb Minor 7th Chord (m7)
Formula: m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2
Bb Major 7th Chord (M7)
Formula: M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1
Bb Suspended Chord (sus)
Formula: sus (Suspended) = Middle + 1
Moving the Chord Variations (Bb Shape)
For the rest of the chords derived from the Bb Shape , you can just do the same. Just move to the corresponding fret , and apply the finger changes . In the above example, above, we can play the Bm, Cm, etc. based on the Bbm chord.
F Shape Chord Variations The F Shape can have the following Chord Variations : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Fm (F Minor) F7 (F 7th) Fm7 (F Minor 7th) FM7 (F Major 7th) Fsus (F Suspended)
The Chord Variation Formulas (F Shape)
The F Shape Parts
On the F Shape : 1. The Middle Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) 2. The Low Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 3. The High Note is played Ring Finger (3)
F Minor Chord (m)
Formula: m (Minor) = Middle + 1
F 7th Chord (7)
Formula: 7 (7th) = Low - 2
F Minor 7th Chord (m7)
Formula: m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2
F Major 7th Chord (M7)
Formula: M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1
F Suspended Chord (sus)
Formula: sus (Suspended) = Middle + 1
Moving the Chord Variations (F Shape)
For the rest of the chords derived from the F Shape , you can just do the same. Just move to the corresponding fret , and apply the finger changes . In the above example, above, we can play the F#m, Gm, etc. based on the Fm chord.
Open Chord Variations Let's now identify the parts of the Open Chords in order to play its Chord Variations . Remember, our Open Chords are C, A, G, E, D. Here are the Chord Variations that we can do for the Open Chords: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) m7 (Minor 7th) 7 (7th) M7 (Major 7th) 9 (9th) sus (Suspended)
The Chord Variation Formulas (Open Chords)
The C Chord Parts
The C Chord can be played as an Open Chord (1st Fret), or a Bar Chord (3rd Fret, based on the Bb Shape). On the C Chord ( 1st Fret ): 1. The Low Note is played by both the Index Finger(1) and the Ring Finger (3) 2. The Middle Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) On the C Chord ( 3rd Fret, Bar Chord based on the Bb Shape ): 1. The Middle Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High note is played by the Middle Finger (2) Note: For most of the C Chord Variations , we will be using the Bb Shape Chord Variation Formulas. For the C9 Chord, we will be using th Open Chord as the basis.
This is because is is very difficult to apply the formulas for the C Open Chord.
The C Chord Variations
Formula:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) = Middle + 1 m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2 7 (7th) = Low - 2 M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1 9 (9th) = Low + 2 sus (Suspended) = Mid + 1
The A Chord Parts
On the A Chord: 1. The Middle Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High note is played by the Middle Finger (2)
The A Chord Variations
Formula:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) = Middle + 1 m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2 7 (7th) = Low - 2 M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1 9 (9th) = Low + 2 sus (Suspended) = Mid + 1
The G Chord Parts
Like the C Chord, the G Chord can be played as an Open Chord (2nd Fret), or a Bar Chord (3rd Fret, based on the F Shape).. On the G Chord ( 2nd Fret, Open Chord): 1. The Low Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) and Pinkie Finger (4) 2. The Middle Note is played by the IndexFinger (1)
On the G Chord ( 3rd Fret, Bar Chord based on the F Shape): 1. The Middle Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) 2. The Low Note is played by the Pinkie Finger (4) 3. The High note is played by the Ring Finger (3) We will use the Bar Chord version of the G Chord to derive its chord variations.
The G Chord Variations
Formula:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) = Middle + 1 m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2 7 (7th) = Low - 2 M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1 9 (9th) = Low + 2 sus (Suspended) = Mid + 1
The E Chord Parts
On the E Chord: 1. The Middle Note is played by the Index Finger (1) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High note is played by the Middle Finger (2)
The E Chord Variations
Formula:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) = Middle + 1 m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2 7 (7th) = Low - 2 M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1 9 (9th) = Low + 2 sus (Suspended) = Mid + 1
The D Chord Parts
On the D Chord: 1. The Middle Note is played by the Middle Finger (2) 2. The Low Note is played by the Ring Finger (3) 3. The High note is played by the Index Finger (1)
The D Chord Variations
Formula:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
m (Minor) = Middle + 1 m7 (Minor 7th) = Middle - 1, Low - 2 7 (7th) = Low - 2 M7 (Major 7th) = Low - 1 9 (9th) = Low + 2 sus (Suspended) = Mid + 1
The 18 most popular chords Of the many chord variations, the Minor Chord (m) is the most often used. There is a concept called Pareto's Principle (named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto) that specifies an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs. He says that 20% of the invested input is responsible for 80% of the results obtained. This is also called the 80/20 rule . This is great for lazy people (like me), because in order to be effective at anything, you only need to know 20% (the most used parts) of any subject. The same is true for learning the guitar. In all of music, a vast majority are using the same 18 chords (out of 2341 playable chords). Here are The 18 Most Popular Chords : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
C C#m (C Sharp Minor) D Dm (D Minor) Ebm (E Flat Minor) E Em (E Minor) F F# F#m (F Sharp Minor) G Gm Abm (A Flat Minor) A Am (A Minor)
16. Bb 17. B 18. Bm (B Minor) Learn these 18 chords, and you will be able to play hundreds of songs . If you encounter complex variations like Em7, Em9 and so on... just simplify it to the closest one, in this case Em. If you encounter inverted variations like D/F# (this means play the D Chord, but press the F# note at the same time - which is quite hard to play), just play the first chord, this case the D Chord. For example, if your see C/F, just play the C Chord. Unless you are fingerpicking each note, these complex variations can simplified without the casual listener noticing the change.
Popular Chords Diagram
You can print this out here: ebspicer.com/guitar/18chords.pdf
Practice Songs
I've created a playlist of songs that you practice with (the guy is not me, it's from a channel called MunsonCovers - he's a fun guy to watch, very laid back): bit.ly/easy-chords
Four Chords App
There is a wonderful app called Four Chords available on the Apple and Google Play Store. It's like a Karaoke for Guitars, and it only uses the simplified chords, so it's super easy to play along with. My daughter and I always have a blast using this app. bit.ly/four-chords-app
Chord Progressions
What are Chord Progessions?
We already know that we only have 12 chords to play around with - C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B. Although we can mix and match all 12 chords to compose a song, most songwriters do not randomly use these 12 chords . They follow a logical flow called a Chord Progression. A Chord Progession is a formula for getting which chords sound well with other chords. Chord Progressions are based on the Key's Major Scale .
A Major Scale sounds like Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do . Each key has a different major scale . For example: C Major Scale = C, D, E, F, G, A, B D Major Scale = D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D E Major Scale = E, F#, Ab, A, B, C#, Eb
and so on... Click here to see the Major Scale of each key: ebspicer.com/guitar/major-scales.pdf
Learning about Chord Progessions is the first step to learning how to play songs by ear. Remember the Four Chord Special? That's actually a Chord Progression called I-V-vi-IV (one, five, six, four) on the G Major Scale .
How Chord Progressions are written
Chord Progressions use a Roman Numeral Chord Notation:
Capital Roman Numerals = Major Chord Small Roman Numerals = Minor Chord
The Roman Number corresponds to the number of the note in the Key's Major Scale . For example, to get the I-V-vi-IV on the C Major Scale , we need to get the 1st, 5th, 6th, and 4th note (C, G, A, F). But because the 6th (A) is a small Roman Number (vi), we need to make it a Minor Chord (Am). So the I-V-vi-IV progression of the C Major Scale is - C, G, Am, F. Note: Chord Progressions are normally played in a normal sequence. But they can also be played in a different sequence - for example vi-IV-I-V ( Am, F, C, G).
Transposing Chords
Some singers can sing high notes, and some singers can sing low notes. If you are having a hard time singing songs in the C Major Scale , you can transpose the song to fit your vocal range . For example, let's transpose the I-V-vi-IV progression in the key of G . To Transpose Chords: 1. Get the Major Scale of the key (G Major Scale). 2. Then simply follow the same formula - I-V-vi-IV = G, D, Em, C Remember these Four Chords (G, D, Em, C)? Yep, its the Four Chord Special. Using the Chord Progression I-V-vi-IV, we can now transpose the Four Chord Special in all 12 keys without using a Capo. Download and Print: The 4 Chord Special in all 12 Keys
ebspicer.com/guitar/four-chords.pdf Now try to sing the following songs on different keys to find your vocal range. ebspicer.com/guitar/four-chord-songs.pdf Note: You can also use this online tool to transpose chords - http://tabtuner.com/.
The Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths is a handy tool for finding chords that go well with other chords. It is also known as the Circle of Fourths, or the Circle of Keys . Basically, you pick any chord in the circle, and the chords adjacent to it will
harmonize well with that chord.
For example, if we pick: C - then F and G chords will harmonize with it Bb - then Eb and F chords will harmonize with it D - then A and G chords will harmonize with it.
This is because for any given key, the V and IV notes in its Major Scale blends really well with the Base Key. And if you look at the circle, you'll find that the key on the right of the key is the 5th note of the key's major scale. And on the left is the 4th note of the key's major scale. Note: So in any given chord progression, the 4th and 5th chords are the most likely to appear together with the Base Chord.
Download and Print: The Circle of Fifths ebspicer.com/guitar/circle-of-fifths.pdf
Finding Minor Chords in the Circle
You can also find Minor Chords in the Circle of Fifths . Minor Chords that will blend well with the Base Chord can be found at the Inner Circle of the Circle of Fifths . It will be the three Minor Chords adjacent to the Base Chord.
For example, if we pick: C - we get Dm, Am and Em Bb - we get Cm, Gm and Dm D - we get Em, Bm and F#m
The reason these minor chords blend well with the base key is because they are the 2nd, 3rd, 6th chords on that key's Major Scale . Note: So after the 4th and 5th chords, the most likely chords to appear in a chord progression are the 2nd, 3rd and 6th Minor Chords .
The 7th chord is very rarely used in a Chord Progression.
Why use Minor Chords?
The reason that we are using minor keys is that in order to harmonize a key, all the notes used in a chord should come from the key's Major Scale . For example, the C Major Scale has all white keys . We can press the C, F, and G chords (1st, 4th and 5th chords) using all white keys. However we cannot create the D, E, and A chords (2nd, 3rd and 6th chords) because they require black keys . But if we change these chords to Minor Chords like Dm, Em and Am, then they ill be using all white keys. For reference:
1. The Scales of the Major Chords - webspicer.com/guitar/major-scales.pdf 2. The Major Chords Diagram - webspicer.com/guitar/major-chords.pdf So basically, the idea is that all chord notes played on a chord progression should belong to the key's major scale . Sorry to use a piano reference on a guitar book, but its so much easier to explain it this way. What about the 7th note?
The 7th note is very rarely used in a chord progression. But if it comes up, it ill be in the form of a Diminished Chord. In the Key of C, the 7th note is a B. Remember that all notes of a Chord should come from the Key's Major Scale (The C Major Scale has all White Keys). The B Chord (B, Eb, F#) contains two Black Keys - Eb and F# . By making it a Diminished Chord (Mid - 1, High - 1), we can make it use all white keys. So, Bdim = B, E, and F (all white keys). So in short, the harmonizing chords for any given key is this: I - ii - iii - IV - V - vi - VIIdim Note: Notice that the 2nd, 3rd and 6th chords are minor chords , and the 7th is a diminished chord.
Download and Print: The Chords of the Major Scales ebspicer.com/guitar/major-scale-chords.pdf Confused? Don't worry, you don't have to understand this section completely...
The key take away is that most chord progressions are built using the chords from The Chords of the Major Scales.
The Most Popular Chord Progressions are created by mixing and matching these chords.
Popular Chord Progressions
Now that you understand how to use the Circle of Fifths , and how Chord Progressions are derived, you can try out these 7 popular chord progressions : Note: Remember that chords progressions are usually played in sequence , but sometimes the chords used by the progression can mixed and matched throughout the song.
The following songs use the Chord Progression in either their Verses, or Chorus.
Instruction: To hear the songs, go to : https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab and search by song name. Then select Piano on the Radio Button, the Key of C on the Circle of Fifths , then click Play. 1. I - V - vi - IV (C, G, Am, F)
Time After Time - Cindi Lauper Complicated - Avril Lavigne Grenade - Bruno Mars Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri 21 Guns - Green Day Im’ Yours - Jason Mraz Paparazzi - Lady Gaga She will be loved - Maroon 5 Let her go - Passenger I knew your were trouble - Taylor Swift
2. I-IV-V (C, F, G)
Good Riddance - Green Day Sugar Sugar - The Archies Here Comes the Sun - Beatles Once Upon a Time in Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues Leaving on a Jetplane - John Denver
3. I - vi - ii - V (C, Am, Dm, G)
Last Christmas - Wham Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland This Love - Maroon 5 Uptown Girl - Billy Joel I will - The Beatles
4. I - V - vi - iii (C, G, Am, Em)
Canon in D Major - Johann Pachelbel Cryin - Aerosmith Basketcase - Green Day Firework - Katy Perry Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers 5. Vi - V - IV - V (Am, G, F, G)
Rolling in the Deep - Adele Just Can’t get enough - Black Eyed Peas My heart will go on - Celine Dion
6. I - vi - IV - V (C, Am, F, G)
I saw the sign - Ace of Base Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys Complicated - Avril Lavigne Stand by Me - Ben E. King Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley Baby - Justin Bieber Unwell - Matchbox 20 Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston Eternal Flame - The Bangles
7. I-IV (C,F)
I love it - Icona Pop I melt with you - Modern English Mama Mia - Abba Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler Everybody Hurts - REM
Need more chord progressions? Go here : https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/common-chord-progressions Play the songs based on your skill level: https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/difficulties
The Twelve Bar Blues
There is another kind of progression called The 12 Bar Blues . It's an elongated variation of the I - IV - V Chord Progression. You play blues like this:
I - Four Counts IV - Two Counts I - Two Counts V - One Count IV - One Count I - Two Counts Songs Using the 12 Bar Blues
Instruction: To hear the songs, go to : https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab and search by song name. Then select Piano on the Radio Button, the Key of C on the Circle of Fifths , then click Play.
Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets Tutti Frutti - Little Richard Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry Hound Dog - Elvis Presley Shake rattle and Roll - Joe Turner Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
Strumming Patterns Strumming Patterns or Rhythm Patterns create a rhythmic groove when playing guitar chords.
You can change the mood of a song simply by changing the rhythmic pattern
Strumming Patterns for Beginners
Here's a really good strumming tutorial from Howcast channel: bit.ly/strumming-patterns
Fingerpicking Fingerpicking allows you to play the individual notes (aka Arpeggio) of a guitar chord.
This creates a softer backdrop when singing mellow songs.
Fingerpicking Tutorials
Here's a playlist of cool fingerpicking tutorials: bit.ly/fingerpicking-tutorials
Bar Chord Tips Bar Chords are notoriously difficult to play, especially for beginners.
The easiest tip I can give you is not to press the strings too hard. And also place your index finger closer to the edge of the fret, instead of in the middle of the fret. Below are other good tips and tricks to help you play Bar Chords better.
Bar Chord Tips and Tricks
Here's a "Bar Chord Tips and Tricks " Yout Youtube ube Playlist Pla ylist I crea c reated ted for you: you: bit.ly/bar-chord-tips
Software and Resources
Chords and Lyrics Websites
You can find a lot of websites that will give you the Chords and Lyrics of many popular songs. Here are ar e the the Top 6 chord and lyrics websites: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
E-Chords E-Chords - www.e-chords.com Chordie Chordie - www.chordie.com Ultimate Guitar Guitar - www.ultimate-guitar.com AZ Chords - www.azchords.com 911 Tabs - www.911tabs.com
6. Guitar Guitar Tabs Tabs - www.guitartabs.cc Note: Sometimes the chords on these websites are not 100% accurate . If you feel that that the chord doesn't does n't sound righ ri ght, t, use the the Circle of Fifths to find out which chords will wi ll blend with wi th the the song chords. chords.
And here's a couple of lesser known Chords and Lyrics sites: Classic Country Lyrics - www.classic-country-song-lyrics.com PJ's Guitar Guitar Chords - www.guitarsongs.info
Using Fakebooks
Fakebooks or Chord Books are books that contain Lyrics and Chords .
Instead of transcribing chords on your own, you can just buy ready made fakebooks as save yourself some time. And unlike getting the chords and lyrics online, getting a fakebook assures you that the chords and lyrics would be 100% accurate . Here are my Top 5 Fakebooks : The Easy Fakebook - webspicer.com/guitar/fakebook1 The Ultimate Fakebook - webspicer.com/guitar/fakebook2 The Ultimate Ultimate Pop Rock Fakebook - webspicer.com/guitar/fakebook3 The Classic Rock Fakebook - webspicer.com/guitar/fakebook4 The Ultimate Country Fakebook - webspicer.com/guitar/fakebook5
Smartphone and Tablet Apps
There are also a lot of Mobile Apps that you can use to practice playing chords. My favorite app so far is called Four Chords . I like it because it only displays songs that can be played using the Chords in the Major Scale . Apps that play chords and Lyrics in real time: Four Chords - webspicer.com/piano/four-chords Riffstation - webspicer.com/piano/riffstation Jamn - webspicer.com/piano/jamn Apps that find the chords and lyrics for you: Jellynote Guitar Chords - webspicer.com/piano/jellynote Achording - webspicer.com/piano/achording
Ultimate Guitar - webspicer.com/piano/ultimate Apps that you can use to save your own lyrics and chords: OnSong - webspicer.com/piano/onsong
Online Tools
Here are a couple of cool online tools that will extract the chords for you. Just find the videos on Youtube and paste it in the web app.
Chordify - chordify.net Riffstation Online - play.riffstation.com
Chord Extraction Software
Riffstation is a software that automatically extracts the chords from an MP3 file. What's nice about this software is that you can transpose the song to any key, and even slow it down so you can learn how to play it.
You can download Riffstation here: https://riffstation.com/
Final Words
Congratulations! You have just learned the secrets of playing the guitar the easy way.
I hope that you enjoyed reading and learning from this book as much as I enjoyed writing it . I put a lot of effort to make the book easy to read and be very informative at the same time. If you found this book helpful, please leave me a review: bit.ly/review-learn-guitar The most important thing you need to do now is to take action. Go get your guitar and try the exercises that you found in this book. Information is useless if it is not applied. Good luck and have fun playing the guitar!
Paolo Ocampo
