Topic: May sound dumb but need help
Hello I am new to playing guitar currently i am learning acoustic and I want to know how to read or use a chord? I can read tabs but i don't understand chords
Re: May sound dumb but need help
Hi and Welcome to Chordie and guitar as a lifelong avocation!
I'm sure that there will be someone with a simple answer to your question coming along shortly.... I'd take a crack at it, but some of my mine tend to get a bit wordy, and it would be better not to confuse you so early in the game.
Chord charts are like tabs as a way of graphically depicting how to play a chord, but not why it is, or everywhere on the fretboard you can play the same chord.
There are lots of resources on the net, but one tool that I have found most helpful is a little piece of freeware (or shareware) available at www.guitaralchemist.com
Have a look at it and perhaps it will shed some light on your quest.
Again Welcome to Chordie! and
Take Care;
Doug
"what is this quintessence of dust?" - Shakespeare
3 2010-01-20 08:13:18 (edited by Zurf 2010-01-20 08:22:55)
- Zurf
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Re: May sound dumb but need help
There are books available called "finger chords" or some such. They show not only the chord chart but also include a picture of someone's hand making the chord on the fretboard of a guitar. I've got one and it's extremely useful. I think it cost around $12 or $15.
The easiest way for me to describe it, and hope that I don't get things backwards of the way they ought to be, is this. Take the chord chart, which is depicted straight up and down and pretend that you are looking straight at your fretboard of your guitar.
- The left most vertical line on the chord chart is the low E (assuming you have a standard right-handed guitar).
- The right most vertical line on the chord chart is the high E.
- The horizontal lines on the chord chart represent frets.
- If you see a number to the left of the chord chart at the top "fret", that's telling you which fret number the top line on the chord chart represents. For instance, if you are looking at a chord chart for C9 (as I am as I write this) and it says "8" to the left of the chart, that means that the top line of the chord chart represents the eighth fret of your guitar.
- If there is a circle above a vertical line of the chord chart, that means that string is played open in the chord.
- If there is an X above a vertical line of the chord chart, that means that string is not played in the chord and you either have to miss it with your pick or mute it with one of your fingers.
- The solid dots on the vertical lines within the chord chart represent where a finger presses a string.
- You may need to use a 'barre' to play some chords. A 'barre' is when you outstretch a finger across two or more strings (sometimes the whole fretboard as you would for an "F" or "B" barre). For instance, if you are looking at a chord chart for G#m7 (as I am while I type this) and see four dots right next to each other on the 3, 4, 5, and 6 strings (D, G, B, e), that means to outstretch a finger across those four strings and press down.
I hope that helps. But to me a picture is worth more than eight bullets in a message, and so recommend getting yourself one of the picture chord charts at your local retailer or an on-line resource if your local music store doesn't carry one. I've actually recently purchased a poster that I'm going to frame and put in my practice area so that I don't have to keep flipping pages.
- Zurf
p.s. Edit to add: By the way, it did not sound dumb. To figure that out requires a spatial relations perspective that does not come easily to everyone, so I'm sure there are a number of people who have had the same difficulty as you. My mother was a brilliant woman who performed amazing feats of geometry in her quilting art, but figuring out how a flat vertical chord chart facing her related to a 3D horizontal fretboard facing away from her would have proposed a great challenge to her. So, I'm glad you asked.
p.p.s. I couldn't read tab if my life depended on it. One man's ceiling is another man's floor.
Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
4 2010-01-20 10:57:38 (edited by mekidsmom 2010-01-20 11:01:08)
- mekidsmom
- The Chick Moderator
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Re: May sound dumb but need help
hmmm... I guess when you're reading and not seeing a chord chart in front of you, things can get confusing. BUT... I just learned something... I did NOT know about the little number Zurf! Of course, I also haven't played anything more than some basic open chords too.
Sooo... from a newbie perspective. Here's the link to the chord chart here on chordie: http://www.chordie.com/chords.php You can get to it at any time by clicking the "resources" tab at the top of any page on Chordie and then clicking on Chord Chart. Once you're in this chart, you can click on any chord to bring you to alternate ways of playing that particular chord. That is one start. Another good start is www.justinguitar.com - In his beginner lessons he goes through chords and shows you the chord chart and the fingering. I found it very useful to watch this and learn by his video teaching.
Now, just to reiterate what Zurf is saying with an actual picture included... Here is a D chord (a very common beginner chord):
So in this picture (as Zurf said) the vertical line on the far left is your Low E (the 6th string and the thickest string)... the vertical line on the far right is your High E (the 1st string and the thinnest string). The upper most horizontal line represents the nut (apparently if there's a number next to the chord as Zurf was describing, then this line represents that fret instead of representing the nut) and each line below represents a fret. SO... In the D chord: There are XX above the 6th and 5th strings ... so you will not play these. There is a O above the 4th string so you will play this string open. The 3rd string shows a dot on the second fret, the 2nd string has a dot on the 3rd fret, and the 1st string has a dot on the 2nd fret. In tab, this would look like XX0232
Hope this helps a bit... and again... check out www.justinguitar.com and go thru his beginner videos... for people that need to SEE things in action and not just read it (I AM one of those people)... his FREE tutorial is PRICELESS (and if you so desire you can donate to him... but there's not requirement or signing up necessary... it's free). Good luck!
OH... and it's not a dumb question at all. I just started playing at the end of this past summer... before that time, I had no clue that the high string was tuned to E, I would have never guessed it was considered the 1st string... and I didn't know that guitars had nuts (I thought they were all girls! hmmmph). Everyone has to start somewhere, you aren't born knowing how to read a chord chart.
Art and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder.
What constitutes excellent music is in the ears of the listener.
What constitutes excellent music is in the ears of the listener.
5 2010-01-20 19:34:48 (edited by tonynulty 2010-01-21 11:02:37)
Re: May sound dumb but need help
As Zurf said, thinest string is your 1st string, thickest string is your 6th string, the fret nearest the top is the 1st fret. Chords played individualy just sound like a chord, but played in a group sound like a tune. Learn this:-
C chord.
1st finger, 2nd string,1st fret
2nd finger,4th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger,5th string, 3rd fret
Am chord.
1st finger, 2nd string, 1st fret
2nd finger, 4th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, 3rd string, 2nd fret
F chord.
1st finger, 1st & 2nd string, 1st fret,
2nd finger, 3rd string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, 4th string, 3rd fret
G7 chord.
1st finger, 1st string,1st fret
2nd finger,5th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, 6th string, 3rd fret
Put your 1st,2nd, and 3rd fingers on the frets as indicated, learn C, then Am, then F,
then G7, once learned, play C then Am, then F, then G7, this group of chords fits loads
of songs and tunes, best of luck, let me know how you go on. Tony.