12 Guitar Chords Every Guitarist MUST Know!! (AND WHY!)

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12 Guitar Chords Every Guitarist MUST Know!! (AND WHY!)

Posted by Andrew Wasson Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Guitar Chords are definitely one of the most popular ideas that get practiced by anyone who is studying how to play the guitar. The problem is, there are plenty of differences between the types of chords to study, and not knowing those differences can change how quickly you are able to apply chords as a rhythm guitar player...

In this lesson, I'll show you 12 chords that are extremely important (to both practice and memorize) on guitar. I'll break down each chords shape, how to finger them and how they function through harmonic resolution.

Additionally, I'll explain the benefits of learning chord form on the guitar - so that you can decide which chord pattern is right for your particular training along with your own individual stylistic and playing /performance goals.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

OPEN CHORDS ON GUITAR:

Everybody knows how important it is to learn chords on guitar! But, it is rarely covered as to what the most important chords are that we should be learning.

Even more important is learning why we are playing certain chords, along with - what order they will most commonly follow through - in songs.

You should also know how chords can move across the neck, and along with what the different chord qualities do (when they get used in all of the different songs and styles).

In this lesson, we’re going to run through most of these ideas. And, be sure to work through the entire lesson till the end because I’m going to explain something about chord use that very few guitar players understand.

So, let’s get started with our first FOUR Must-Know chords…

FIRST FOUR CHORDS:

C, Am, Dm, G (in order)

These first four chords are a part of one of the most popular series of chord movements that are found in the music of the last 80 years, the "I - VI - II - V" progression.

In the key of "C Major," the chords are as follows...

The location of these chords in Open Position is important to understand because all these chords can be later be learned and performed as both fretted movable and as Barre-Chord types.

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I wanted to take a minute to let you know, that if you want to learn even more about scales and theory I have a great offer for you.

With any donation over $5, or any merchandise purchase from my Tee-Spring store, I’ll send you free copies of THREE of my most popular digital handouts.

One is called, “Harmonized Arpeggio Drills” (it’ll train you on developing your diatonic arpeggios).

Another one is my “Barre Chord” Handout which includes a page showing all the key signatures along with a chord progression that applies barre chords.

Plus, you’ll get my Notation Pack! It has 8 pages of important guitar worksheets for notating anything related to; music charts, guitar chord diagrams, and TAB.

As a BONUS, (from my "Over 40 and Still Can't Play a Scale" video), I'll also throw in a breakdown of all of the chords that are diatonic to the "F Major" scale.

As an EXTRA BONUS for my Phrygian Dominant video, I'll also throw in a breakdown featuring all of the chords that are diatonic to the Phrygian Dominant scale.

Just send me an email off of the contact page of CreativeGuitarStudio.com to let me know about either your donation or your Merchandise purchase and I’ll email you those digital handouts within 24 hrs.

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NEXT TWO CHORDS:

These next pair of chords are chords that can offer us the impression of creating distance alongside of the chords that we have just covered. They can also swap out (as exchange replacements), for the chord progression shown above.

The next two chords are;

NOTE: The "E Minor" chord can act as a replacement for the "G Major." And, the "F Major" chord can act as a replacement for the "D Minor."

From here out, we’ll deal with Dom. 7 chords. If you’ll recall, earlier I said I was going to go over something that very few guitar players know, and this idea has to do with treating the Dom. 7 as a“V-Chord” resolving to “I,” at any given time.

THE FIRST TWO DOMINANT CHORDS:

Our initial dominant 7th chords will be;

E7 Chord produces resolution into any "A" chord, such as, "Am" or "A Major." The example below shows a resolution into "A Minor."

G7 Chord produces resolution into any "C" chord, such as, "Cm" or "C Major." The example below shows a resolution into "C Major."

THE REMAINING DOMINANT CHORDS:

A7, C7, D7, B7 (in no particular order)…

The final four chords are chords that can offer us the opportunity of creating more internal resolutions from within the group of all of the chords that we have just studied.

FINAL FOUR CHORDS:

- The "A Dominant 7th"