How to Play Basic Chords on Guitar: Part 3

Introduction

In the previous two parts of this “How to Play Basic Chords on Guitar” series (Pt 1, Pt. 2), you’ve learned how to play the basic chords of C, D, G, A, and E. In this third and final part, we’ll be adding three more chords to our repertoire: Am, Em, and F. With these chords, we’ll be able to play a variety of songs that use the chords we’ve learned so far.

The Am Chord

The Am chord is a minor chord and is played with three fingers on the guitar fretboard. Here are the steps to play the Am chord:

1. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string.
2. Place your ring finger on the second fret of the third string.
3. Place your index finger on the first fret of the second string.
4. Strum all six strings. See Figure 1.

The Em Chord

The Em chord is also a minor chord and is played with two fingers on the guitar fretboard. Here are the steps to play the Em chord:

1. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the fifth string.
2. Place your ring finger on the second fret of the fourth string.
3. Strum all six strings. See Figure 2.

The F Chord

The F chord is a bit more challenging than some of the other basic chords, but with practice, you can master it. There are two ways to play the F chord:

F Chord Fingering 1 (Half Chord Fingering):

1. Place your index finger flat across the first and second strings on the first fret. See Figure 3.
2. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third string.
3. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the fourth string.
4. Strum only the top four strings, avoiding the fifth and sixth strings.

F Chord Fingering 2 (Barre Chord):

1. To play this F barre chord, use your index finger to press down across all six strings on the first fret. Concentrate your pressure on the 6th, 2nd, and 1st strings, as there is no need to apply force to the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings. This is due to the fact that your other three fingers will be fretting notes that are higher up on the fretboard. See Figure 4.
2. Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third string.
3. Place your ring finger on the third fret of the fifth string.
4. Place your pinky on the third fret of the fourth string.
5. Strum all six strings.

Try both F chord fingerings and see which one feels more comfortable for you. Remember to practice regularly and take breaks when needed to avoid frustration.

Practice Time!

Now that you’ve learned the Am, Em, and F chords, practice playing them together with the chords you’ve learned in Parts 1 and 2. Here are two chord progressions you can practice:

• Am – F – C – G
• Em-D-Am-C

To practice a chord progression, play each group of four chords once by strumming each chord four times and smoothly switching to the next chord until you reach the last chord. Then, play the progression twice, followed by three times, increasing the repetition until you can confidently strum the chord progression eight times in a row without any mistakes.

From this three-part series guitar lesson on “How to Play Basic Chords on Guitar”, you’ve learned the eight basic chords: C, D, E, Em, F, G, A, and Am. Now, you can play a variety of songs that use more than three chords. Here are some popular songs:

Four Chord Songs

1. “Let it Be” by The Beatles (C, G, Am,F)
2. “Hey Soul Sister” by Train (C, G, Am, F)
3. “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran (G, C, D, Em)
4. “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley (C, G, Am, F)
5. “In The End” by Linkin Park (Am, G, F, C)

Five Chord Songs

1. Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver (G, Em, D, C, F)
2. “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals (Am, C, D, F, E)
3. “Snow (Hey Oh)” by Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Em, C, G, D, Am)
4. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri (G, Em, C, D, Am)
5. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley (C, Am, F, G, E)

Conclusion

Learning these basic chords is a great starting point for anyone who wants to play the guitar. With these chords, you’ll be able to play a variety of songs and build a solid foundation for further learning. Remember to practice regularly and have fun with it!