Intro to Major Chords E major and G Major Chord Lesson

Learning chords is the most exciting part of learning guitar I think. After all it’s the reason you first picked up a guitar right? So you could play chords to learn songs.

Today I’m going to teach you two major chords, the E and G chords. The G chord can be one of the more challenging chords to play as a beginner, so if you are having trouble with it off the start don’t be discouraged just give it some time and practice you’ll get it.

Note about Guitar Tab and Fingers

Tab is a kind of guitar notation. It consists of 6 lines which each correspond to a string on the guitar. Numbers are used to show which frets are supposed to be played and on which strings. A zero over a string means you play that string open and an X over the string means you don’t strum that string at all.

Also in case this is your first introduction to guitar chords when we talk about finger numbers we’re counting from the thumb to the pinky. So your first finger is your index and your fourth finger is your pinky.

E Chord

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

To play the E chord you use your first 3 fingers. Your second finger is placed on the 2nd fret of the A string. Your third finger is placed on the 2nd fret of the D string and your third first finger is used on the 1st fret of the G string. Strum all six strings at once.

The video below gives more explanation on the shape, fingering etc.

G Chord

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

To play the G chord you place your second finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string. Your first finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and your third finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Again you strum all six strings for the G chord. This chord can be a tough one to make when first starting out and your fingers aren’t used to stretching this way.

A few Practice Tips

Focus on playing the chords well on their own first before you trying changing between them while strumming. Practice making the shape with your fingers then releasing and making it again this will build some muscle memory in your fingers. Always practice slow and then add speed, technique comes first then comes speed.

Watch the video below for more insight into these two major chords as well as some practice exercises for you to try.

Interested in learning more beginner guitar chords and techniques? Consider using a beginner guitar dvd to learn from home on your own terms and time. DVD and online lessons are less expensive then private lessons and let you learn as much or as little as you want.