The E Chord

For this Stage there is one more chord to get under your fingers. It's not a hard one and it combines with the A and the D real well and once you can play it you will have access to LOADS of songs.

The E Chord

Arrange your fingers as shown on the neck diagram and then strum, check each note individually and then strum again. Check that your 1st finger is not touching on any of the strings that are played open and check that all the strings are nice and clear. This chord is made easier by the fact that all the strings are played.

 

Check your chord sounded like this:

It is very important that you commit all your chords to MEMORY.

It's often around about this time that people get the feeling that their hands are too small or too big, or that their fingers are too short, too long, too weak, too strong etc. It's nothing to worry about. Over the years I've taught young kids with tiny hands that managed amazing stretches, and players with fingers thicker than my arms, and they have all got there in the end! We all have different battles that we have to overcome. Some of us are too busy, some of us have poor quality instruments, some have a short attention span, others lose heart easily. One thing is for sure: none of us are perfect, and part of the fun of learning music (in my humble opinion) is overcoming these setbacks and getting on with it and eventually becoming better people, stronger for the battles we have won.

Neil Finn says that “Everything is good for you, if it doesn't kill you”; when it comes to guitar, I think “Everything is good for you, as long as it doesn't make you give up!”.

So hang in there – it really does get a lot easier after the first month or two!

Moving On...

When you have this chord under your fingers it's time to check out a super cool trick to help you change between A, D and E a lot easier - with Anchor Fingers!