Understanding the basics of guitar, such as its chords, can be essential to your learning process. Those who jump right into learning their favourite songs can certainly practice and improve, but their journey will generally be far quicker and more efficient after getting to grips with the basics.

How many chords are there in total?

There are many different chords and even different groups of them; like power chords, and barre chords. Having a general understanding of these can be important as you learn. Still, as a beginner, you should focus on a specific set before progressing to ensure the best possible chances of success.

How many should I learn?

Since these are the building blocks of songs and harmonies, chords can often be one of the most important things to learn for someone new to guitar. Usually, you don’t need to know all of them to start creating your own riffs – in fact, if you know 8 of the basic ones, you could be well on your way to making music. 

These chords are C – A – G – E – D – Am – Dm – Em. Once you know these, you’ll be able to play a wide variety of songs. In fact, many tunes just use the G – D – Em – C chord progression, so it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge at all for you to start exploring your musical side once you have an understanding of even just these.

Once you feel familiar with the first few, knowing the open chords will allow you to expand and learn more advanced ones too – although you don’t need to stress yourself about those just yet.

Things you should keep in mind when learning:

• It might be worth beginning with just G – C – D when trying to play songs and then working up from there.
• Practice your chords daily – it’ll help you to remember them to the point where you can play them instinctively.
• Press the stings with the tips of your fingers, and make sure that you apply enough pressure
• Before playing, check each string and try to determine whether or not they sound right – your instrument may need tuning otherwise.
• Keep your thumb behind the guitar neck, and your fingers as close to the fret as possible. 

Why not use Fender Play?

If you’re looking for an excellent way to get started on your musical journey, Fender Play could be ideal for you. Countless other aspiring artists have used this learning program to further their education and give them a solid foundation to work from. This offers them a chance to become the best guitarist they could be with time and dedication. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program, we’d suggest that you take a look at our professional Fender Play review. As experts, we know what to look for in a good guitar learning resource, so you can rest assured that our opinion will be a trustworthy one.