Your First Song! (Guitar Lesson)

One of the many beautiful things about guitar and popular music is how much you can do with so little. As you learn more and more you'll find that many, many songs share the same chords and patterns...so every song you learn actually sets you up to learn ten more. In this lesson we'll look at two essential chords that you might use every time you pick up a guitar, the E minor and A7. Best of all, we only need to use two fingers and one simple motion! Add in the strumming hand and we've got everything we need to play a song. Let's take a look.

We refer to the fret hand fingers by number: the index finger is finger 1, middle is finger 2, and so on. Unlike piano fingering, we don't count the thumb. We're going to use fingers 2 and 3, middle and ring, to play the E minor and A7 chords. This is not the only way to play either one, you'll find that different players might use different fingerings – but I like the middle-ring combination because it gives us the most leverage with the least effort. Hold your paired index and middle fingers against your thumb, then do the same with middle and ring: you'll probably feel a difference. This is an example of the ergonomic principle at work: applying the mechanics of the hand to how we play the guitar. Since everyone's hands might be proportioned a little differently, though, there's no absolute....the goal is to find the combination that feels the most natural and relaxed.

To play the E minor chord, we use the two fingers side by side, holding down the fourth and fifth strings at the second fret. Remember, we count the strings from thinnest to thickest, high pitch to low pitch, so the heaviest string is the one you'd probably call the “top” string. It's actually the lowest note on the guitar, or what we would call a bass string. The bass strings are the three lowest in pitch – six, five, and four – while the remaining three are the treble strings, three, two, and one. To strum, we'll swing the arm to bring the pick (or bare finger) across the strings, from bass to treble. Make the movement of the strumming hand large enough that your hand swings past the treble strings: don't stop at the 1st string, but continue a little past it to make the treble strings ring out.

The E minor (or Em) chord is introduced in our first chord diagram at 1:40. The diagram is essentially a grid formed by six vertical lines (representing the strings) with three or more horizontal lines (representing the frets). Dots representing the fingers sit on the vertical lines (showing which string to play) and between the horizontal lines (showing which fret to touch). Note that while we use the expression “on” the fret, the fingers actually go against the fret – inside the box, but as close to the fret wire as the fingering allows. This is a nearly universal way to indicate how chords are played, and something you will become very familiar with.

The A7 chord diagram appears at 13:30, and you'll notice that the “shape” is different: the fingers have an open string between them this time, and we've moved to the second and fourth strings. To practice the transition, think of the two fingers in the same direction as a unit, either coming together to play the Em or slightly apart to play A7. Practice the change slowly and freely to start with, but we also need to practice in rhythm – so first strum each chord once and count to four as it rings out. When you can feel the beat, it's time to go to our track, “Which One's Pink”.

If you find it challenging to follow the beat at first, listen to the drums and simply tap along. You'll feel it as much as hear it, making it easier to keep time. The video will walk you through a series of simple rhythms you can try, and feel free to invent your own. Congratulations, you just joined the band!

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