Guitar · Chapter 7 of 23

First Chords: Em, Am, E and A

Four chords, two shapes. Move the same fingers across one string and E minor becomes A minor; add one finger and minor turns major.

A chord is three or more notes played together. On the guitar you hold a shape with the left hand and strum across the strings with the right. These four are the gentlest place to start.

E minor and A minor

E minor (Em): fingers 2 and 3 on the 2nd fret of strings 5 and 4. Strum all six strings. A minor (Am) uses the same two fingers moved over one string (strings 4 and 3), plus finger 1 on string 2 at the 1st fret. Don’t strum string 6.

E major and A major

Add finger 1 to E minor, on string 3 at the 1st fret, and you have E major. For A major, line up fingers 1, 2 and 3 side by side on the 2nd fret of strings 4, 3 and 2; strum from string 5.

Listen to the difference: minor chords sound darker or sadder, major chords brighter. The only change from Em to E is one note, G becoming G♯.

Making every string ring

Stay on your fingertips, with the fingers arched, so they don’t lean on the next string.
Keep your thumb low behind the neck; that lets the fingers arch.
Check one string at a time: pluck each string of the chord slowly. If one is dull, find which finger is touching it and adjust.

A first strum

Strum down with the pick (or the side of your thumb) once on every beat, four to a bar. Two bars of each chord:

And with the major chords:

Try it. Switch between Em and Am, strumming four times each, for one minute without stopping. Then do the same with E and A. Slow and steady beats fast and patchy.

Remember

Em 022000, Am x02210, E 022100, A x02220.
Minor sounds darker, major brighter; one note makes the difference.
Arched fingertips, low thumb, and check each string.