At Chordify we like to help you out when it comes to kicking out the jams – musically that is. That’s why we dedicate this article to all the basic things you need to know about guitar chords. We hope it will help you get started, and create a better understanding of your instrument.
This article offers a buffet of knowledge for newcomers. We present the basic skills for the novice guitarist like reading a chord diagram and using Chordify to your benefit. All with one goal in mind: Learning to play along with your favorite songs. You can read this blog post from beginning to end or you can just look up specific info that will help you improve your skills and knowledge.
How many chords are there?
You may ask yourself: How many chords are there? And that’s a good question! First tune your guitar. After that start thinking about this: The answer is nuanced and depends on what you want to learn in the first place. If your goal is to play along with your favorite pop songs, you’ll get pretty far with the basic triads. These are the open chords played at the top of the neck.
But if you want to play jazz, flamenco or classical music on your axe, things become a bit more complicated. To play these more advanced styles you’ll have to understand the basics of barre chords, some advanced music theory, and you’ll have to know how to implement both. So, if you want to jam and relax while sitting around a campfire on the beach, nine basic chords will do the trick – most of the time.
If you want to know more you need some extra understanding about music theory, chord construction and you’ll have to master the barre chords. So, that all sounds like a mouthful and it may feel discouraging, but don’t worry! Here at Chordify we have the best of both worlds. By the way, check out the basic guitar chords and more in our chord diagram finder.
What are the basic guitar chords?
One of the things we focus on in the Academy section of Chordify is explaining how chords work, starting off with all the basic triads at the top of the guitar neck. We have tutorials focusing on how to play an E chord, or an Am chord for example. Or how about some music theory behind the A chord, the C chord, the D chord, the Dm chord, the Em chord, the F chord, or the G chord.
What are barre chords?
If you are a more experienced guitar player and you have already mastered the basic guitar chords, then it’s probably a good idea to start exploring. It doesn’t end with basic chords you know. It kind of begins there.
Fear not dear friend, we will take you on a journey through the universe of basic barre chords. If you are interested in how to play barre chords with only one fingering figure, you have come to the right place. We have different tutorials on barre chords which will help you with the basics
How to use Chordify to learn guitar chords?
We have different ways in which we can help you with your jamming. Since chords are our core business, we mainly focus on them. You can use our services to find the chords to any song, but if you want to be challenged, surprised or inspired, just check out our Chordify channels.
Chordify Channels
In the Chordify Channels you’ll find our hand-picked tracks, selected in different playlists. Every song in every channel has been double-checked by our skilled editors – because an algorithm is just an algorithm and sometimes you need a human touch to perfect things.
As you can see every channel has a subject of interest. So if you’re looking for a track to serenade your Valentine, just check out the Valentine Channel. The same goes for Britpop, the Christmas season, easy tracks for a beginning guitar player and many, many more.
Chordify blog
Want to know a bit more about the theory behind basic chord construction, alternative tunings, chord tutorials, fun facts and artist interviews? Look around on the Chordify blog. We have categorized it into four sections: Play Along, Entertainment, Academy, and Chordify News.
Chordify Academy section
When you’re taking a look at our blog, it’s good to know what each category stands for. In the Academy section you can find everything you need to know about music theory, chord tutorials and instrument information. This is the category you click on when you want to learn something.
Play Along section
Once you’ve started jamming and learning new chords, progressions and tackled some technical challenges like learning the basic chords, you’ll have to keep on playing. The Play Along section is filled with articles in which we explain how to play songs. So if you’re looking for tracks to add to your setlist, this is the place to be.
From covert covers to four chord songs, you want it, we’ve got it. Just browse through the blog posts and cherry pick anything you need. It will broaden the way you listen, practice and play music. That’s a promise.
Where to find basic terminology
We have different ways of presenting information. If you have trouble understanding the jargon, check out our Music Dictionary. This is where you can find most of the terminology used in the world of music. From guitar amp, and axe, to capo, power chord and transposition. So if you don’t understand a certain word, just take a look at the Chordify Music Dictionary.
Entertainment section
What if you want to just sit back and relax? No worries, check out the articles in our Entertainment section. Here you’ll find interviews with musicians like The Slackers, the Detroit Cobras or Anvil frontman LIPS. But also reports of events like Eurosonic festival, a closer look at the movie soundtrack from “Blinded by the Light”, and other fun stuff about everything the music industry provides.
Photo by Jasper Bolderdijk
Chordify News
Wondering what we’ve been up to and what kind of cool stuff we are about to release for guitar and guitar chords? Keep updated and check out the Chordify News section. Here’s where we let you know what’s happening. Enjoy and happy jamming!
