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10 Quick Tips for Learning Chords
Despite the numerous chord shapes you’ll find, developing your chord vocabulary
needn’t be overwhelming. It happens naturally as you encounter new music and extend
yourself creatively. Once you understand broader concepts like what chords are, how
they’re structured, and why they comprise different shapes, the specifics will fall into
place. Here’s a reminder of the key ideas from Chapter 1. It’s helpful to keep a copy of
these handy when practicing.
1 | Make It Easy: Remember, chord shapes are movable. Regardless of the actual chord
you want to play, it’s easier to practice difficult grips higher on the guitar neck, where the
frets are closer together. This is particularly true with shapes that involve larger left-hand
stretches.
2 | Play It Cleanly: In fretting multiple strings, it’s easy to deaden notes or produce
unwanted string noise. When learning unfamiliar shapes, practice picking each note
individually to ensure the chord sustains clearly. Training your fingers to recognize good
technique helps to neutralize bad playing habits from the start.
3 | Break It Down: A chord progression involves individual notes moving together. When
switching between difficult chords, try dissecting the maneuver finger by finger. Look for
common fingerings to minimize movement where possible. Analyzing each finger’s job
separately, makes it easier to coordinate them together.
4 | Focus on Rhythm: Learning chords is only the first step; the next part is keeping
them in time! There’s little point in developing left-hand accuracy if your right hand
struggles to maintain a steady beat. Using a metronome, practicing with backing tracks,
and playing with other musicians are all great ways to cultivate solid rhythm.
5 | Play in Context: Even though guitar chords are outlined as isolated shapes, they’re
never used that way. A key part of learning about chords comes from learning songs.
Seeing how other musicians use this information creatively provides a real-world
reference for building your own chord vocabulary.
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6 | Look for Similarities: You may be surprised at how little variation there is between
popular chord progressions. The keys, tempos, and chord voicings will change, but the
underlying movements are often very similar. Learning to recognize common chord
progressions provides a useful framework for playing (or writing) new music.
7 | Don’t Ignore Theory: Music theory isn’t just for the academics; it’s the basis of
everything we do on guitar. Understanding the essentials of how chords and scales relate
to one another will shape and expand your musicality. Ultimately, theory empowers
creativity; it’s difficult to use what you don’t know!
8 | It’s All CAGED: All barre chords (even the complex ones) stem from just a handful of
basic shapes. As we’ll discover, these patterns (often called CAGED shapes) provide a
central blueprint for understanding how any chord relates to the fretboard. Using these
core templates makes understanding chords easier and more intuitive.
9 | Intervals Are Key: Keep in mind that chord shapes are just groups of intervals. When
shifting a shape to different keys, the notes change but the intervals do not. Learning to
recognize the intervals within common shapes provides an important reference for
building chords in any position on the fretboard.
10 | Get Creative: Why stick to the same old shapes you’ve used for years? Chord
extensions and embellishments are like musical condiments; they add spice and flavor to
something that might otherwise sound bland. Experimenting with unfamiliar chords
ensures that you’ll discover something new and interesting.
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