Online Beginner Course Chord Questions

[tcrgemini]

The online instructions for the A Chord says you should not pick the 6th string, but the chord box shows the 6th string as being open.  Is that just a typo?

[justinguitar]

the A chord shown here shows the 6th string as being closed (ie.. don't play)... the X means don't play it...

http://www.justinguitar.com/html/chords_scales_html/Chords1-OpenBasic.html

hope that makes sense - maybe it's wrong somewhere else... i am wrong sometimes... well more than sometimes...

justin

[tcrgemini]

Okay.  Bear with me here for a minute. . .  I've only touched a guitar for the first time on Christmas morning. . .

I thought the *top* string (thickest) was the first string and the *bottom* (skinny) the 6th string.  The directions here say so:


http://www.justinguitar.com/html/beginners_html/BC02-Dchord.html


I'm so confused.  What I am doing sounds right though!




Edited to say "MY FINGERS ARE NUMB!!!!"

[Andy]

The Sisth string is the lowest (sounding) thickest one, the 1st is the thinest one.

Don't play the thickest sting (6th) for the A chord. It's confusing because the open E string (6th) is actually a part of the A chord so it sounds ok even if you strum all the strings.

But the chord is more stable if the lowest note (root) is A, so if you don't play the low E (6th) than the lowest note is the open A string (5th).

That might be a bit hard to follow, if you don't get me just remember you are not supposed to pluck the thickest sting (6th). But it won't sound awful if you do (for this particular chord, don't try it with D :S).


Soon your fingers will become callused and hard as stone.

[tcrgemini]

Thanks Andy.

If you go to the link I posted above and follow the directions. . .  the first thing to do is place your first finger on the 3RD STRING.  If you look at the pic, the first finger is on the 3RD STRING from the BOTTOM which would make the 1ST STRING the bottom one which is the thinnest.  Does anything I am saying make sense. . .

[Andy]

Yeah I think you've got it. I took some photos which I hope will make things clearer (assuming you're right handed).

This is for the D chord.


Start by putting your 2nd finger on the 1st string (thinnest) - 2nd fret.


Then place your 3rd finger on the 2nd string - 3rd fret.


Finally place your 1st finger on the 3rd sting - 2nd fret.

My hand is at a bit of an angle there. That partly because I'm trying to photograph it and partly because that's how I usually play. Try to have your hand more straight on.

Pluck stings 1, 2, 3, and 4 leaving out 5 and 6 (the lowest two). After you understand the concept of the chord diagram for D Major learning the other chords should be much easier.

It'll take some work to get the too all ring out properly often you'll find that your fingers are touching string they are not supposed to and muting the sound.

I actually learned the E Minor and A Major chords first because I personally found them the easiest. If you want you can try learning these first as a little stepping stone to D.

[tcrgemini]

Thanks again Andy.  I was getting confused with the numbers of the strings.  As long as I'm right with the thinnest string (closest to my legs) being called the *first string*, then I know I'm okay.  

You swear to me that my fingers will toughen up, right?  They are freakin numb!

[Andy]

Haha yeah, it only takes a few days for the skin to get really thick if you practice a lot. If you are starting on an acoustic it can be really sore at first.

Also if you don't play for a while your skin will soften up again and you'll have to go through the process all over again. It takes like a month for that to happen though.

[justinguitar]

Hey guys - thanks for getting in there Andy - well explained and nice pix (but mind you don't let your 3rd finger get too straight ))

I think the confusion here is the "Bottom"...

The 1st string is the thinnest and is sometimes called the top string because it has the highest sound, but it is phsically on the bottom...

And the 6th string is the thickest and is called the bottom or bass string but phsically they are the highest...

confusing huh?? for me too... hate that..

Just think of the 1st string as the thinnest and 6th and thickest and you should be cool.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Justin

[tcrgemini]

The whole "bottom string" is what was getting me all mess up.  I knew it was sounding right though!

Thanks.  I'm really glad I found this site.  It has been great for getting me going.  I'm just going to spend some more time getting used to switching between my first three chords before I move on.

Thanks again!