Understanding Chord Diagrams

You must be able to read a chord diagram before we can begin to play any chords. A chord diagram shows six vertical lines that stand in for the guitar’s strings. The line on the far left represents the low E string, and the line on the far right represents the high E string.

The chord diagrams in this lesson have a rectangle at the top, and the horizontal lines on the chart stand in for the frets. The rectangle or box represents the guitar’s nut to help you maintain track of where you are.

Using the dots on the chord diagram, you can place your fingers where they belong. The root note of the chord you are playing is indicated by a drop that has been colored in. If the dot has a number, that shows which finger should be used to form the chord.

A circle with a “1” inside it can be seen on the chord diagram for the A minor seven chords, for instance, at the first fret of the B string. This means that the first fret of the B string must be played with your first finger.

Whether or whether ‘X’ appears above the nut is another aspect of chord diagrams to comprehend. If a string has an “X” above it, you shouldn’t play that string at all. You won’t strum the E string for the A minor seven chords.

Tips for chord technique

Start by holding your fretting hand out in front of you as if it were an apple or a baseball. This is the position you want to be in when practicing the fretting hand technique. The best beginning posture for learning chords is to place your thumb on the guitar’s back neck.

Many guitarists kink their wrists too far in front of or behind the guitar. It can be excruciating for your hand if your wrist is too far forward. You won’t be able to reach around to make chords if your wrist is too far back. Instead, maintain a relatively straight wrist, as I demonstrate in the video.

The chord A Minor 7

I want to start by discussing two more methods. They are finger posture and fret positioning. Put your first finger on the B string’s first fret. It would be best to position your finger directly behind the unrest while placing it. You can see in the video that the note buzzes more the farther my finger is from the fret.

Come down directly on the tip of your finger for proper finger posture. I will accidentally muffle the high E string if I don’t come down on the end of my finger. Making sure you don’t mute any nearby strings requires staying at your fingertips.

Put your second finger on the second fret of the D string to play the second note of the A minor seven chords. The second note you must fret to play this chord is this one. Ensure that you are directly behind the fret and at the tip of your finger. Once both notes are in position, strum the top five strings while keeping the low E string out of the chord.

As you play the A minor seven chord, please pay attention to whether it is loud and clear or muffled and buzzy. Your chords will sound clear if you remember to stay on the tips of your fingers and approach the frets directly. It could take some time for you to develop the necessary coordination and muscle, but it will be worth it.

Guitar Tip

Make the shape of the chord you’re learning and hold it there for roughly 30 seconds. Then take your hand away, shake it, and form the chord formation. You may need some practice to recreate the chord shape, but that’s alright because you’re developing your muscle memory. This method can be repeated several times to help you remember your chords.