Guitar Chords: The Essentials to Know

Do you want to play the guitar like a pro? Mastering basic guitar chord charts, especially chords for beginners, is essential for becoming a skilled guitarist. Learning major chords is a crucial step towards improving your skills and taking your playing to the next level.

What is a guitar chord?

A guitar chord is a shape, model, or pattern that you can use to create sheet music. There are 10 common chords that you can use to learn to play the guitar or create songs. If you’re looking to learn how to play guitar and master those chords, WIMA Music Academy offers top-quality guitar lessons in Montreal. Our experienced instructors will help you improve your technique and take your playing to the next level.

The guitar chord is like a language

As you may have understood, these major guitar chords are the foundation on which sheet music is built. They create the melodies and rhythms that make up most pieces of music. Good note reading is therefore essential for proper technical progression. These 10 easy guitar chords are as follows:

C major chord,
D major,
E major,
G major,
A major,
E minor,
D minor,
A minor,
E7,
D7.

How is a classical guitar chord produced?

To form a base chord on a guitar, there are generally three notes that are played together. Each root note has a specific note name. The chord positions are essential to know for proper note reading. Knowing chord progressions is important for guitar players, as it enhances their musical creativity and ability to create harmonies.

In the major chord, the first note is the root note, the second note is the third note of the major scale, and the third note is the fifth note of the major scale.

Creating a minor guitar chord

In the minor chord chart, the first note is the root note, the second note is the third note of the minor scale, and the third note is the fifth note of the minor scale. If the third note is flattened, it is a minor chord; otherwise, it is a major chord.

Musical applications of the easy guitar chords

Now that we know the 10 essential chord shapes, let’s take a closer look at how the two basic chords sound!

The musical applications of the major and minor chords

Major: The major chord is a form of chord with a very cheerful sound. It is used in music to create feelings of happiness and joy. Proper tuning is crucial for your guitar to sound its best. These are very commonly used chords in Western music.
Minor: The minor chord has a much more sombre sound than the major chord. It is commonly used in acoustic music to create feelings of sadness. These are chord types played in hundreds of jazz pieces to create a darker, moodier sound.

In short, mastering this mixture of guitar chords not only opens the door to a world of musical possibilities, but also allows you to explore and play modern music, including popular Québécois songs!

However, distinguishing the forms of chords isn’t enough to become a pro. It’s also essential to learn how to play guitar correctly, which requires studying and understanding chord diagrams. Make sure your guitar strings are in tune and use proper finger placement to get the best sound out of the two basic chords.

Thanks to this summary of chord structure, you now have the basics to read sheet music properly and play various forms of music.

Attending a guitar class at WIMA in Montreal can help you develop the right habits for practising guitar chords in a way that will help you retain the information. With a focus on music theory and structured learning, you can take your skills to the next level and play your favourite songs with ease. Don’t wait any longer to improve your guitar playing! Sign up for WIMA’s guitar class in Montreal now and start developing the right habits for practicing chords.