We absolutely love the BOSS DS-1 for its simple control scheme and massive tone, and we highly recommend that beginner guitarists give this pedal a whirl in front of their favourite amp. It’s also a good idea to practice shifting between different types of chords, especially between the E Shape and the A Shape, as this will give your playing more flexibility. You can do the same with the various major and minor scale patterns as well. This movability makes learning the guitar significantly easier than other instruments like the piano where there is a different combination of notes and fingers for each of the twelve major, minor, and pentatonic scales. Work on Specific Techniques No matter what genre you are interested in, it is imperative you learn at least the basic open position and barre chord shapes and basic major, minor, and pentatonic scale patterns.

Make sure you understand what all the different knobs and switches do, so that you understand how to create different tones with your electric guitar. Both shapes add variety and depth to a guitarist’s repertoire, enabling them to choose the most fitting power chord shape for every musical scenario. D ShapeWe’re going to start this article by discussing open chords, which are sometimes referred to as “cowboy chords”. Open chords are called “open” chords because they use open strings. An open string is a string you play without fingering any of the frets on that string. The fingering of open chords and their versatility makes them the ideal set of chords to learn first. In this section of this article, we will be looking at both Major and Minor open chords. What’s the Difference Between a Major and Minor Chord?

If you see a 5 on the lowest horizontal line, that means you play the fifth fret on the low E string: So, do not get discouraged when you meet tough bits while practicing power chords, as they are stepping stones towards becoming a better guitarist. Learning by yourself and making consistent progress requires a certain degree of self-motivation and discipline. For these reasons, it is extremely useful to set reasonable and accomplishable short and long term goals for yourself. The CAGED system repeats some of the chords you might already know. What you should do is visualize the root note in each of the strings and build the chord shape that corresponds to that. However, the power chords are just the beginning—there’s much more to explore when it comes to playing electric guitar chords.

Electric Guitar: Power Chords

The numbers in the circles illustrate comfortable fingering for the fretting hand, remember that the numbering begins from the index finger (1) to the pinky (4). Lastly, the D shape’s tonal difference adds unique flavor to guitar riffs or progressions when integrated with normal power chords, making it a desired skill among many guitarists. This means that if you slide your fingers up to the third fret, keeping the E shape, you are now playing a G power chord. The other common way to play the C major barre chord is with the root on the A string. This time you bar only 5 strings and leave the low E string out of the chord. Practicing the correct positioning of fingers individually before adding in the strumming can help to speed up the process of learning and ensure the production of a clear sound.