A Few Other Useful Chords

Both the chords you've learnt so far are minor chords. Another kind of chord with a different sort of sound is a major chord. To play E Major make the same shape as if you were playing Am, but move your fingers one string along so that this time it's the two thinnest strings that are open, like this ...

Here is another chord called A Major. Don't be put off if you can't make this shape straight away, it's difficult to squash all your fingers on to one fret like this, but just like the other chords if you stick at it for a few days it should get much easier.

Another of the most commonly used chords is called D Major. In this chord you only play the four thinner strings and don't play the two bass strings (5 & 6) at all. In the diagram this is shown by an x at the end of each of the two strings.

Once you've learned to make the shape, you might need to take a bit of time to get your right hand used to missing out those two bass strings, but like the left hand, it shouldn't take long if you aren't put off by how difficult it feels at first.

Just like with the two minor chords that you learned at the beginning, don't be surprised if you can't make the shape at all and it sounds horrible at first. If you practise a few times a day it shouldn't be more than a day or two before you can at least get your fingers into the right places, and not much more than that before you can get it sounding more or less ok.

Remember that the fastest way to being able to play these chords easily, like any chords, is by making the shape really carefully and taking all your fingers off before you try again. Practise for a few minutes at a time and take long breaks in between for what you've learned to sink in. Once you can get your fingers into the right place it's also useful to pick through all the notes one at a time so that you can check they all sound OK and fix them if you need to.

Obviously the more you practise the faster you'll learn, but as long as you practise carefully, every day even if it's only for a couple of minutes, it won't be more than a week or two before you're much more comfortable making the chord shapes you're practising.