Guitar stuff

OK, thanks. Getting more comfortable slowly, but trying to switch chords feels very awkward, like trying to play sports left-handed.

 

What kind of exercises do you do to practice? And how many chords are you already comfortable with?

 

I still remember a few riffs I learned during my aborted first attempt to learn guitar, so I end up fiddling around with those just so I'm doing something comfortable every day. What would you suggest? I could use some tried-and-true exercises.

I can play E and G pretty easily, but I can't change between any two chords with any semblance of speed and/or coordination.

 

Given enough practice, I can get down a lot of stuff that's just notes. The whole chord thing, though, intimidates me.

 

That's interesting ... riffs have always been trickier for me to get.

The best way to learn chord changes is to practice them. Open chords (without barring) are trickier, but just practice switching between, say, G, D and C. Or E, A and B. Those are some common three-chord combinations.

 

I would just make up a progression of the I IV V chords of any key. Obviously, the key of G is the easiest, so your just do some switching around with the G, C and D chords. Then you add in the Em and the Am and you can goof around for hours.

C, F, G
A, D, E
E, A, B
D, G, A
Just practice some progressions with those sets of chords, start throwing in some of the minors and 7th chords, and you're on your way.

Then learn the 7 chords and the major chords that they resolve to. For example, A7 is very easy to play and resolves to D; G7 resolves to C; E7 resolves to A; C7 resolves to F. Just do some switching between your 7s and the chords they resolve to.

 

Explain that first part. I'very been playing a week. My knowledge of keys is a tad limited.

 

Sunshine, try to concentrate on where your index finger goes, and get that down. Then swing the other fingers around. Thinking about it like that helped me a tremendous amount. Otherwise, you're thinking about too many things at once.

 

The first one is also the key (I), the other two major chords in that key are the IV and V. In every key, the major chords are the I, IV and V (1, 4 and 5). In the key of G, for example, do just as the alphabet would run so 1 (I) would be G, 2 (ii) would be A, 3 (iii) would be B, 4 (IV) would be C, 5 (V) would be D, 6 (vi) would be E and 7 (vii) would be F.

So in the key of G, your seven basic chords would generally be G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F#7
In the key of C, it's C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B7
In what is called the Circle of fifths, the keys are C, G, D, A, E, B, F#. The key of C has no sharps or flats, G has one sharp (F), D has two sharps (F and C), A has three sharps (F, C and G). there's more, of course, but enough theory for now.

To simplify, the first major chord in a key is the name of the key. So in G, 1 is G. And the three major chords in every key are the 1, 4 and 5.

 

In first position you should be familiar with an F chord, which is often barred, as well as F# minor, B flat, B major and B minor.
As you move up the neck, you can play chords in multiple positions with bar chords.

For example, F major is barred across the first fret and the fifth, fourth and third strings are fretted in the same position as the first position E major.

If you slide that whole hand position up so that you are barring at the third fret - it is now G major. To the fifth fret? A major. Seventh fret = B major.

 

I'd focus on three keys to get comfortable = C, G and E.

G and E are the keys for so many folk, country and rock songs.
E will help you learn bars and open chords. First-position B major is a bar, and F# minor is a common chord in that key, and it's also a bar chord. G major works because it becomes that bluesy third, and it can be played open or barred there.
C is very common and includes that F major, which forces you to transition between open and barred. Takes a little practice to make it sound right.

You don't have to play the F major as a full bar, but it is good practice when you are starting out.

 

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