Master your first guitar chords with our easy step-by-step tutorial. Perfect for absolute beginners!
Learning guitar chords is the foundation of playing guitar. If you're a complete beginner, you've come to the right place! In this comprehensive guitar lesson, we'll teach you how to play your first two essential guitar chords: D Major and E Minor.
These beginner guitar chords are perfect for new players because they're relatively easy to learn and appear in thousands of popular songs. By mastering these basic guitar chords, you'll be able to play your first songs within minutes!
Why start with D Major and E Minor chords? These chords use simple finger positions and help build finger strength and dexterity. They're also commonly used together in many song progressions, making them ideal for beginners.
The D Major chord is one of the most important beginner guitar chords you'll learn. It's used in countless songs across all genres of music.
Place your index finger (1st finger) on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string). This is the string closest to the low E string.
Place your middle finger (2nd finger) on the 2nd fret of the high E string (1st string). This is the thinnest, highest-pitched string.
Place your ring finger (3rd finger) on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd string). This is the second-highest-pitched string.
Keep your thumb positioned behind the neck, roughly behind your middle finger. Arch your fingers so only your fingertips touch the strings. Important: Only strum from the D string down - don't play the low E and A strings for this chord!
The E Minor chord is often called the easiest guitar chord for beginners. It only uses two fingers and sounds great with the D Major chord we just learned.
Place your index finger (1st finger) on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string). This is the second-thickest string.
Place your middle finger (2nd finger) on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string). This is the fourth string from the bottom.
The E Minor chord allows you to strum all six strings! Pick each string individually from the low E string to the high E string to ensure each note rings clearly. Keep your thumb in the center of the neck for best results.
Learning to switch between chords smoothly is crucial for playing guitar songs. The transition from E Minor to D Major is perfect for beginners to practice.
Start slowly: Begin with one strum per chord. Focus on clean chord changes rather than speed.
Practice the movement: Switch between E Minor and D Major without strumming. Focus on finger placement and muscle memory.
Gradually increase tempo: Once you can make clean changes, slowly increase your speed while maintaining clarity.
Practice changing chords for 10-15 minutes daily. Use a metronome or play along with simple songs. Remember: clean chord changes are more important than fast chord changes!
Pressing too hard: You don't need to press extremely hard. Just enough pressure to get clean notes.
Touching other strings: Make sure your fingers are arched and not accidentally muting adjacent strings.
Incorrect thumb position: Keep your thumb behind the neck, not wrapped around it like a baseball bat grip.