Basic chord practice

[Greegzoid]

Trying to learn the basics instead of dicking around with riffs yet when I try to play chords I get incredibly bored as ....!

What's a good general way to keep things fresh and help me progress further? Also any good song recommendations that would help me get to grips with chord changes? Feel like teh nubz here

 

[murph71]

I think the problem with song recommendations from other people is that you may not particularly like the piece you are trying to learn and you'll still be bored.

When I started learning, I loved listening to The Police and The Beatles and my mum bought me guitar books which taught you "how to play" their songs with all the relevant chord diagrams at the front of the books. The Police one was actually awesome as it was every song from their 5 albums and had the actual correct music written for the guitar and it wasn't long before I was doing some quite mad stretches to learn, for example, Message In A Bottle or some nice fancy exotic sounding chords. The Beatles stuff was mainly alot simpler to play in comparison and they have a plethora of music that you can strum along to using basic chord shapes.

So, basically, I was trying to learn what I liked listening to which held my interest and I guess pushed me along too. I would suggest you get either books or look up the chords for the songs you may want to learn online and try and learn stuff you actually like and also that's not too complex to begin with and just play along with the music on and be persistent in trying to keep up with the chord changes.

Also, for a beginner, I personally feel that "dicking around" with riffs is doing no harm really as you're getting a better feel for the instrument and becoming more familiar and comfortable with it.

 

[acrcmb]

I agree I think it's great to learn songs you are really familair with aswell as the timing and how it should sound are already ingrained into you're brain from all the times you've listened to the song, when you don't have to worry about that stuff you can really focus on how your fingering the chord, I love Deftones so I just played alot of that when I very first started and I think it was a good way to ease into it the songs covered a bit off everything in a none daunting way, just make sure your having fun, a couple of times in school they tried to teach us and started throwing music theory at us and it become overwhelming and not fun and it put me off, it was a few years later when a got my own guitar and just took my time getting the feel and having fun that I actually made the breakthrough.

 

[nicktao]

Not too basic but haunted shores, extol, deftones, and periphery have some fantastic chord changes that I use constantly.

 

[JustMac]

I wouldn't spend too long on em'. Look at a chord chart and play them. "Hear" the difference between the major and minor ones. Once you've figured major=happy
minor=not so happy,
Play stuff that you dig, you can figure out theory as you go along. Dick around some more! Play stuff that when you listen you go "that's what i want to do", you'll find that your influences will begin to come through in your playing. You can ask about the nitty-gritty theory on here, everyone is very helpful and friendly (fun; ask a question here and then on Harmony Central/UG, look at the number of troll-responses! ) . Murph said it already but what you want to do is really get to know your instrument: figure out it's quirks, strong points, and flaws, you'll feel united with it and will make you much better with technique and control-its a natural progression. As your music grows you'll find yourself coming across common progressions and how major/minor chords are related and used to compliment each other and all other crazy ideas. Just keep at it man you'll see progress in no time

 

[Eric7strings]

Learning chords from chord charts is pointless. Takes too long and is a waste of time. You can learn how to play every chord possible in much less time. Chord theory is one of the more fun parts of theory.. first just learn your intervals and then learn the chord formulas. Then just practice inverting and voicing the chords in different ways.

 

[JustMac]

Learning chords from chord charts is pointless. Takes too long and is a waste of time. You can learn how to play every chord possible in much less time. Chord theory is one of the more fun parts of theory.. first just learn your intervals and then learn the chord formulas. Then just practice inverting and voicing the chords in different ways.

Absolutely agree, learn the basic 'campfire' ones I guess and bar chords, they're great starting points. Do it down the line though, and when you feel YOU need it, trust me, you'll wake up one day and think "why does that chord sound like that" and that's when it's time, and the info is right here on teh netz.

I think it's so important to make sure you're not put off by heaps of tedious learning you think you "must" do, time is on your side, and I think perhaps not having that initial knowledge will make you more creative and not some scale-running machine.

Everyone has a no-clue phase, learning the kinks is something that you'll naturally want to do at a later stage. Make sure you're having fun first and foremost, unless you're aiming to study music or something and need tuition. The moment it becomes a chore is the moment you stop wanting to play. The moment hit me when I suddenly wanted to write my own stuff rather than learn songs note for note, and all the theory fell into place neatly when i read up on it.

Now enough of my hippy bullsh*t, pick that axe up soldier!

 

[tyler_faith_08]

Learn chord theory. If you want, send me a PM. I'll actually start a thread on chord theory now.

As far as chords go, look at some of Dream Theater's work. A Change of Seasons is individually picked chords on a 7 string. It's not too hard and gives you a really good idea on switching just 1 or 2 notes to change the entire feeling of a piece while keeping it familiar.

Also look at The Count of Tuscany. If you can deal with the nightmare of playing it (the first half isn't bad), Metrpoplis by Dream Theater gives you a really good perspective on subtle changes to achieve a new chord altogether.

 

[SamRussell]

If you want to progress, find a good local teacher.

As for the chords, like a few others said, you could goto a music shop and ask for a book of beginner chord songs and just mash your way through them, you'll probably learn quite a lot doing that.

Why do you get bored when you play chords, is it because they're too easy or because you struggle?

 

[chassless]

try playing Opeth's Harvest. it has open and bar chords, with some slight variations here and there, and the chords progressions at times is somewhat chromatic, which makes it good practice for your ears. it's not a complex and intricate song, but when you break it down it includes many of the basics. and it is fun to play !

 

[Solodini]

Write something for yourself!

Learn a little chord theory to know what chords might go well together. Choose a couple and work at them. If one of the chords doesn't work, try another one from your learning of possibilities.

You might stumble across something sounding like something else you recognise. If you do, that's fine! If it's something you like then congratulations, you've just worked out how to play that song you know.

If you're coming up with your own stuff, you don't need to worry about it being too difficult and frustrating you beyond your desire to learn.