In this video
In this acoustic guitar lesson series we’re going to learn to play TEN songs with the three easiest chords to play on guitar; E major, A major and D major. This is the next step after learning a few songs from the ‘Ten songs with two chords’ series.
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A to D change (most frequent in songs at this level)
Same principal should be used as in Level 1 for the E & A change. Keep your first finger down and just lift off fingers 2 & 3 to change chord!
If the D chord isn’t ringing out when you change
Don’t keep your 1st finger totally still. Instead, slide it from the middle of the fret on the A to the ‘good’ side of the fret on the D! This is the most common cause of the D chord not sounding good during a song- make sure you slide the 1st finger over!
Remember these top tips to keep your chords sounding great!
Press down strings with the tips of your fingers only
Use a pick! Picks give a clearer sound. Use a medium one (.73mm) to begin with!
Don't play any strings with an X
Don't touch the underside of your guitar with the palm your chord hand- this will mute the thinnest E string!
Changing between E, A and D
The anchor finger is crucial here. Any chord change you struggle with should be practiced for a minute each practice session. With 3 chord, we also have 3 possible chord changes. They are;
E to A (as in Level 1)
A to D (new for this level)
E to D (the hardest change, but also the least used)
Detailed song tutorial videos
Check out any of the 10 songs you can play with just these three easy chords!
Lean On Me - Bill Withers (Full video lesson)
Have A Nice Day - Stereophonics
Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed
Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
I've Got A Feelin' - The Beatles
If you need more help or want to make paster progress as a beginner, you may wish to checkout the more detailed lessons at Level 1 of Andy's complete Beginners Course, where the chords, changes, strumming etc are broken down into separate videos.
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D Chord & Rhythm Basics
Learn the D major chord, learn 8th strumming and much more.