Chords and Tuning

Here are some of the starter chords you will need. Below is a simple method for learning guitar chords called tabs. The tabs below are a basic starter pack that will allow you to play quite a few beginner to intermediate songs. With tabs, the six horizontal lines are the guitar strings, while the horizontal lines represent the frets. These tabs are all snapshots of the first four frets of the guitar.

Let’s look closer at the E chord to learn a bit more. For the E chord, we can see the three large circles with numbers next to them. These represent where your fingers will go. “1” corresponds to your index finger, “2” for your middle finger, etc.

These are a few starter chords I have drawn up on Goodnotes. Note that there are minor versions of the chords indicated by the “m,” as well as the alternate (easier) G chord shape.

Before we do any rocking out, we have to make sure we are in tune. If the guitar you are using is even the littlest bit out of tune, nothing will sound right. You can buy a physical tuner that attaches to your guitar, which generally will be more accurate but more expensive. For a cheaper option, you can download tuner apps such as “Guitar Tuna” free of charge or sign up. The quickest but least accurate option for those who are less experienced would be an online tuner that plays a note, then you tune by ear to said note. Fenders Website offers a decent for guitar, as well as for Electric guitar, Bass, and Ukulele. For an experienced player, this may even be preferred to a budget tuner, but it can be a little challenging for those just starting.