Just a little bit more technical talk before we get into playing more chords
and songs. Don't worry, this shouldn't take you more than a couple of minutes
to memorize!
Every note on the guitar has a name, represented by a letter. The names
of each of these notes is important; guitarists need to know where to
find these notes on their instrument, in order to read music.
The image to the left illustrates the names of the six open strings on
the guitar.
The strings, from sixth to first (thickest to thinnest) are named E, A,
D, G, B and E again.
In order to help you memorize this, try using the accompanying phrase
"
Every
Adult
Dog
Growls,
Barks,
Eats" to keep the order straight.
Try saying the string names out loud, one by one, as you play that string.
Then, test yourself by pointing to a random string on your guitar, then
trying to name that string as quickly as possible. In following lessons,
we'll be learning the names of the notes on various frets on the guitar,
but for now, we'll just stick with the open strings.
Learning an E Minor Chord
Last week, we learned three types of chords: Gmajor, Cmajor, and Dmajor.
In this second lesson, we'll explore a new type of chord... a "minor" chord.
The terms "major" and "minor" are terms used to describe the sound of the
chord. In very basic terms, a major chord sounds happy, while a minor chord
sounds sad (listen to the difference
between major and minor chords). Most songs will contain a combination
of both major and minor chords.
Playing
an E minor chord
Easiest chord first... playing an Eminor chord only involves using two
fingers in your fretting hand. Start by placing your second finger on
the second fret of the fifth string. Now, place your third finger on the
second fret of the fourth string. Strum all six strings, and, there you
have it, an Eminor chord!
Now, like last lesson, test yourself to make sure you're playing the chord
properly. Starting on the sixth string, strike each string one at a time,
making sure each note in the chord is ringing clearly. If not, study your
fingers, and identify what the problem is. Then, try to adjust your fingering
so the problem goes away.
Learning an A Minor Chord
Here is another chord that gets used all the time in music, the Aminor
chord. Playing this shape shouldn't be too hard: start by placing your
second finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Now, place your
third finger on the second fret of the third string. Lastly, place your
first finger on the first fret of the second string. Strum the bottom
five strings (being careful to avoid the sixth), and you'll be playing
an Aminor chord.
As with all previous chords, be sure to check each string to make sure
all the notes in the chord are ringing clearly.
Learning a D Minor Chord
Last week, we learned how to play a Dmajor chord. In lesson two, we'll
examine how to play a Dminor chord. For an inexplicable reason, newer
guitarists have a hard time remembering how to play this chord, perhaps
because it doesn't get used as often as some others. For this reason,
you should make an extra effort to memorize a Dminor chord.
Start by placing your first finger on the first fret of the first string.
Now, put your second finger on the second fret of the third string. Lastly,
add your third finger to the third fret of the second string. Now, strum
only the bottom four strings.
Check to see if your chord is ringing clearly. Watch the Dminor chord...
be sure you are only strumming the bottom four strings... otherwise, the
chord might not sound so nice!
