Here are a few valuable tips for anyone who plays, or wants to learn to play, the guitar. These should be implemented as soon as possible. Getting into the following habits will make things much easier for you in the long term.
Chordination 1: Start as you mean to continue.
Despite what most books or tutorials display in their chord diagrams for the basic chords it is a good idea to practise not using the first finger (F1 for short) where possible.
The reason for this is because as you progress later on into playing bar chords you'll need the forefinger to make the bar.
I know it may seem difficult at first but using the fourth finger (F4) will encourage more dexterity when flitting around the fret-board.
Chordination 2: The lazy player.
Another good reason for using the above method is that it makes things easier in some cases for chord changes. For example: try A major without F1 and then change to E (major or minor) and you'll see. Much more effortless!
Chordination 3: "Fingle-tangers".
A play on tangled fingers is an expression I dreamt up for those difficult digit arrangements. Whilst on the subject of A major, try another version; F3- 2nd string, F1-3rd string and F2-4th string. Quite tricky, this little triangle, all occurring on the second fret but well worth it in the long run. Fingle-tangers incidentally, really come into their own with jazz and Latin styles.
I remember one fingle-tanger in particular: the D major shape, another tricky triangle for most beginners, and without using F1. It took weeks before I could get that little finger of mine to obey my wishes but again, well rewarded in the end. Trust me; you'll thank me later for all this.
Chordination 4: Err on a G thing.
Here's another case in point; the G major shape, if formed using F.4, 3 and 2 leaves F1 free to do all manner of interesting things, as well as easing the frequently used transition to C major or E minor or whatever.
Chordination 5: Sausages.
You'll hate me for this, especially if you've been blessed with small fingers. Economy is the key word here folks. When there are two adjacent strings on the same fret that need to be held down (E minor for instance), try covering these with only one finger. If you can achieve this amazing feat, you'll be able to form chords such as an A (major or minor) using just two fingers and imagine the possibilities when it comes to bar chords! Note: You don't necessarily need fingers like your local butcher's best snags to perform this (see conclusion).
Chordination 6: Full coverage.
The previous point leads me to another issue that I have with certain beginners' tutorials. In the case of C and F major, they will tell you to form these two chords using only the first three fingers but not to "play" the open bass notes ( E and A respectively). This, I feel, is a pain, when you're in full strum and it can sound a bit discordant, if these bass notes are struck by accident (it should, however, be mentioned that these notes are an absolute necessity in certain pieces of music and can change the dynamics of the chord to great effect). I will always include an A-major with a bass note C sharp (good for little finger stuff on certain songs), e.g. "Your Song" by Elton John, done I think in D major, which, having been composed on the piano, makes it something of a challenge transposing it to the humble guitar- it is possible though.
As a rule though, it is better to use all six strings wherever possible e.g. in the case of C major use all four fingers to include the G bass note and in the F major shape, to use the same structure to include the bass C instead of an open A jangling around like a loose cannon. Some controversy now as I suggest holding the low F down with your thumb (ooh-er!) on the first fret/ sixth string. The same thing with D major and D7 but up one fret, a must for Blues guitarists of course. (Classical players will frown at this suggestion but this just because the extra wide fret boards on classical guitars makes this virtually impossible. Sour grapes, I'd say!) Purists would suggest the bar chord F and why not? I'm merely putting forward some alternatives. If you've mastered the one finger/two strings method mentioned earlier, it is obvious where this technique comes in useful with these two chords.
Conclusion: Persistence plays off.
When I started seriously playing the guitar at the age of twelve my first instrument was something called a Martin Coletti; a steel-strung pig with an action on it that was best described as "a walk from the strings to the fret board". Nevertheless, I was not to be put off and within a few weeks I was able to perform about three or four 3-chord wonders, ignoring sore finger-tips and aching hand muscles. I was also lucky enough at that time to be inspired by the music of the newly emerging Beatles, among others.
Try not to be defeated by things like, say, the size of your hands; one of the best fiddle/guitar players I know personally has fingers like sausages and don't forget the immortal Django Reinhardt who only had the use of two fingers on his left hand!
About the author; Kim van Hoorn started out as a graphic designer back in the seventies designing, among other things, record sleeves for the music industry in London before setting up on his own in the provinces. At this time he also produced work for a company of chartered surveyors which is how he became more interested in drawing buildings. He now lives in SW France where he continues to draw and write (and strum). For more details about his work please visit his website at: http://www.penandinkdrawings.org/
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