Beginner Major Guitar Chord Lesson – The E and G Chord

Chords are probably why you picked up a guitar in the first place. You wanted to be able to play some of your favorite songs and sure enough those songs are made up of chords.

Today I’m going to introduce you to the E and G major chords. There is a video at the end of this article so if you’d prefer to watch the lesson by all means it might be easier for you to understand.

A few notes before we begin

Below I use guitar tablature to explain the frets and fingerings for each chord. Tab is nothing more then the notes of the guitar with the high E at the top and low E at the bottom. The number represent which fret you play on that string and if there is a zero you just strum that string open.

Also in the chord descriptions I mention the numbers of fingers. Fingers are numbered when we’re talking about guitar, the numbers are given from 1 through to 4 starting with your index and going across to your pinky finger.

E Chord

E – 0 –
B – 0 –
G – 1 –
D – 2 –
A – 2 –
E – 0 –

The E chord uses your first three fingers. You place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string and your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the G string. The other strings have zero’s on them as you can see from the tab so they are played open. All six strings are strummed when playing the E major chord.

G Chord

E – 3 –
B – 0 –
G – 0 –
D – 0 –
A – 2 –
E – 3 –

Like the E chord, the G chord also uses three fingers. Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string, your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Again play all six strings together.

Notes on Practicing these Chords

Be patient when learning chords for the first time, especially the G chord. Your fingers aren’t used to making these shapes so by making the shape, pressing hard with your fingers on the strings then releasing and making the shape again you will help build muscle memory for your fingers.

Don’t be in a rush, take your time and get the chords right and then add speed and more advanced exercises like switching back and fourth between chords.

Take a few moments now to watch the video on E and G chords.

Interested in learning some more chords? Why not consider trying a beginner guitar dvd to learn from home? Self study courses are becoming the most popular way to learn guitar.