Ten Useful Tips in Learning How to Play Guitar Chords
It might be cliche, but the adage that practice makes perfect is true. Giving up after a few months or weeks will not get you anywhere. Playing the guitar demands dedication and effort and as long as you are dedicated in learning how to play the guitar, all your efforts will pay off. Rest assured that it is perfectly normal to make mistakes on your first try. One of the worse times you could give up is when you already know correct finger positions and strumming. Fight the urge to wave the white flag, keep on practicing instead. Soon enough, you will see the results of your dedication to learn.
2. Keep imagining.
It cannot be denied that the mind plays an important role in the failure or success of our endeavors. Visualization is a powerful tool to succeed. Imagine in your mind how to position your fingers in forming the chord. When switching chords, take time to look at where your fingers are currently positioned and imagine what position they should be taking next. Basic chords usually have the same notes so there are times that there is no need to move your fingers’ positions.
3. Learn slowly.
Do not attempt to learn too much at once. If you are having difficulty with the guitar chords you are trying to learn, you may be working on the wrong chord progressions. It is advisable that you start with the simple ones and once you have mastered them, you can move on to more difficult chords. Switching from one chord to another will take time to master so do not pressure yourself, otherwise you will end up discouraged enough to consider quitting. The key in learning to play more sophisticated chord progressions is repetition.
4. Develop the strength of your fingers.
If you truly wish to become not just more adept at learning guitar chords, but guitar playing in general, you need to realize the importance of developing finger strength. The value of this exercise will reveal itself in time. Some of the best ways to do this would be to engage in finger exercises such as finger weights, doing finger press-ups, and even pressing down hard on guitar strings. Get creative and do what you think will help in making your fingers stronger and chord playing easier.
5. Don’t keep looking at your hands.
In the beginning, looking down at your hands as you learn guitar chords might seem second nature to you. However, this is an issue that needs to be corrected as finger positioning should be something that you become accustomed to without the need to look at your hands.
6. Practice playing several chords concurrently.
Some people deemed experts and reliable sources on guitar playing would advise you to learn playing the chords one by one, however, doing such is not the best way to learn. Playing several chords at once during practice is actually a quicker and more effective manner of learning how to play guitar chords. This way, your brain would be able to retain more chords than just to have one chord playing in your mind over and over again. This will be useful in the upcoming days when you begin learning chord progressions.
7. Let your pinkie finger work.
The pinkie finger is the most neglected finger when playing guitar chords. Beginners usually sets aside pinkie finger when it is not in use and this should be avoided. Learning to keep all the fingers close to the fret board is important even when they are not in use. Soon, you will see that using the pinkie finger as a habit will be useful once you begin learning higher-level chords.
8. Get familiar with the root note.
Knowing the root note of a chord is of great value when learning guitar chords. Simply put, the root note refers to the bass note of a chord. It essentially tells you from which string you should start strumming. Take for instance the G major which is formed by the notes G, B, and D. This means that the note G is the root note of G major.
9. Pick the chord that needs to be picked.
As a beginner in guitar playing, you should be able to identify the problem once you start hearing dull flat notes in the chords you are playing. If a certain chord still does not sound right, the pick the chord. Picking the chord will help you accurately identify what the problem is. Solve the problem by applying more pressure on the string that needs it or by adjusting the position of your fingers.
10. Make use of all 5 senses.
No matter how irrelevant it seemed, some of the best guitar players would tell that using your senses when playing is helpful when you learn guitar chords. It is important that you study all the aspects of learning guitar chords on all angles possible. It is helpful if you look at the chord chart, watch someone else play the chords, listen how the chord is played and most importantly, visualize yourself playing the chords. Guitar playing requires a seen sense of touch. Making use of all five senses will be a big help in learning guitar chords.
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