benefit to learning basic chords?

[snoopdoug1]

How much of a benefit will I have if I learn all the basic chords? I'm just talking like the majors and the minors. I found some lessons on guitar.about.com that look ok. I can already play crash decently, but that's it. I can only play intros to other songs. I would like to lear 41 or crush next, but I'm curiuos if it would be better if I worked on the chords instead.

Any suggestions/advice would help.

Btw, I really don't care about guitar theory I just want to play songs

[mav41]

I would tell you to learn the basic chords. Knowing these will help you to learn songs faster and to be able to move about the fret board somewhat quicker. There are many people that just learn songs from tabs, if that is what you want I say go for it, but knowing basic chords would help.

[jsgksu]

I really think you shouldnt just jump into guitar playing and try to learn songs right off the bat. I think learning the 7 basic open chords, barre chords, and power chords should be the first thing you do when you pick up the guitar. They are the basics and when learning something new you start with the basics. Whenever someone asks me to teach them guitar I always start out with those 7 chords and being able to play barre/power chords all over the entire fret board. Anyone agree/disagree?

[mav41]

Great points jsgksu. I agree with you! I think if you want to learn you must start from the very basic starting point.

[hd28v]

You have to learn how to walk before you can run. Chessy ass statement but true.

[jsgksu]

You have to learn how to walk before you can run. Chessy ass statement but true.

Ahh, thats what I was looking for, that quote sumes up my entire statement.

[snoopdoug1]

So I printed out some basic chords... I think:

Are these a good group to start with?

C,A,G,E,D - all major, and A,E,D minor

I guess that's a good starting point right? Should I just practice those and then once I feel like I can move between them pretty well, move on to barre chords... or maybe I'll look into doing anotehr song then. I guess the reason I wanted to start with a song was because I felt that I would keep playing if I was doing something fun... don't know if I'd call learning chords fun

Thanks for the tips! Seems like the basic consensus is to learn chords..

[scopeboy]

Definitely a good idea to learn the basic chords, but I don't think its a bad idea to start off playing songs too though, even if they are a little above your ability level. If I had started out just learning chords I would have been bored off my ass. Trying to learn those tough dave songs has always given me extra motivation. Different things work for different people.

[DmbFanJason]

I started off learning crash...then tripping billies, etc....learning chords just kinda came along...dave also uses some standard chords...so i pretty much owe all I know on the guitar to Dave...If you really "truly" love DMB and the guitar....you will inevitably become good...

[jsgksu]

Here's something to start off with:

Code: Select all

e:--0---x---0---2---0---0---3		e:--3--3--		    e:-----5--
b:--2---3---1---3---0---1---0		b:--3--4--		    b:--5--5--
g:--2---4---0---2---1---2---0		g:--4--5--		    g:--5--5--
d:--2---4---2---0---2---3---0		d:--5--5--		    d:--5--5--
a:--0---2---3---0---2---3---2		a:--5--3--		    a:--5--3--
e:------------------0-------3		e:--3-----		    e:--3-----

    A   B   C   D   E   F   G		Barre Chords		 Power Chords

Barre Chords and Power Chords can be played anywhere on the fretboard as long as you keep the finger spacing the same. Hope that helps, if you need help with the fingerings let me know.

[billywestom]

are those power chords right? i learned in a guitar class that power chords either only have a third or a fifth (two notes or three notes, tops) the others are just not full barre chords...am i wrong?

[billywestom]

Here's something to start off with:

Code: Select all

e:--0---x---0---2---0---0---3		e:--3--3--		    e:-----5--
b:--2---3---1---3---0---1---0		b:--3--4--		    b:--5--5--
g:--2---4---0---2---1---2---0		g:--4--5--		    g:--5--5--
d:--2---4---2---0---2---3---0		d:--5--5--		    d:--5--5--
a:--0---2---3---0---2---3---2		a:--5--3--		    a:--5--3--
e:------------------0-------3		e:--3-----		    e:--3-----

    A   B   C   D   E   F   G		Barre Chords		 Power Chords

Barre Chords and Power Chords can be played anywhere on the fretboard as long as you keep the finger spacing the same. Hope that helps, if you need help with the fingerings let me know.

your d and f chords are wrong too (make sure the root note is a d or f)

[jsgksu]

Alright fine with the power chords, just lop off the bottom two notes, as far as the d and f chords, what the hell are you talking about. Unless I just put in a 0 where there shoulda been a - or something I dont know what youre talking about. Show me please.

[snoopdoug1]

So is it more useful to forget about the minor chords and just do the major chords?

Wow Jason, I'm amazed that you never learned the chords! You just learned dave songs? How did you get the strumming patterns down? I'm impressed. I had to have some major help w/ crash(at least to figure out the strumming patten... but now that I know it, it's an easy pattern)

[snoopdoug1]

So know that I have crash down... I guess what song should I work on next? I still wanna learn some of the basic chords, it motivates me to learn songs too... any suggestions?

I wanna do crush or 41, those decent choices?