There are many different kinds of chords in music and all are important since they are used so frequently. Open chords mean that none of the notes are sharps or flats. They are usually played as the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of a scale. There are also many different kinds of 7th Chords; G7, D7 and C7 are just three of them.

To play the G7 chord: -
· Find the third fret of the sixth string with your third finger.
· Next you find the 2nd fret of the fifth string with your 2nd finger.
· And then the first fret of first string with first finger.
· The other strings are played in open position

If your fingers are nicely curled, you won't find it too hard to keep them on these notes. Strum the chord. G 7 chord has only one note different to G major chord.

The C7 chord has only one note different to the C major chord. To play C7 you need to first form the C major chord thus: -
· Third finger, third fret, fifth string.
· Second finger, second fret, fourth string.
· First finger, first fret, second string.

Then you add: -
· Fourth finger, third fret, third string. Strum the five bottom strings.

To play a D7 Chord (similar to D major): -
· Second finger, second fret, third string.
· First finger, firs fret, second string.
· Third finger, second fret, first string.
· Strum bottom four strings.

In the chord charts for these chords, those strings that are not played (strummed) will be shown with an x above them. You should play each note separately first to check for accurate sound. Practice playing these chords, moving from chord to chord. As you do so, say the name of each chord so you'll get used to its pattern and name.

9th Chords are exactly like 7th chords but with a 9th added to it, that is, a 9th is an octave higher than the tonic (starting note), then you add a second (2frets).

The ninth chord formula is: 1-3-5-b7-9.
The major 7th minor 9th chord formula is: 1-3-5-7-9
The minor 7th minor 9th chord formula is: 1-b3-5-b7-9

The major 9th chords are: -

· A = A-C#-E-G#-B
· B = B-D#-F#-A#-C#
· C = C-E-G-B-D
· D = D-F#-A-C#-E
· E = E-G#-B-D#-F#
· F = F-A-C-E-G
· G = G-B-D-F#-A

Barre Chords are notoriously difficult, but you'll find it easier as the strength of your hand increases.  Barre chords - or as some call them, bar chords - are called that because the index finger is held across all the strings, hence they are ?barred'. Just to make it even more confusing, the name of the chord changes as you move your fret and string positions.

When practicing Barre chord positions you will need to strengthen your first or index finger considerably. The side of the index finger that is closest to the thumb is the part that should lie across all six strings in a Barre chord position. To practice, place your index finger across all six strings at the 2nd fret and strum. Use your thumb to hold that index finger down. It can take up to six months to build up enough strength to do this successfully, so be patient. Once you succeed, then go on to learning Barre chords.

When starting Barre chords, rest the guitar on your left knee and hold the neck at an angle of 45%. This position will help you to get your hand in the correct position for getting that index finger strongly across all six strings. Don't wrap your thumb around the neck, but rather push it across the back. Imagine that you are pinching the neck between your finger and thumb, while still keeping your index finger flat on those strings.
 
Don't forget to use the large knuckle at the base of the index finger when using it to Barre with. There is strength in that knuckle and it can be used to fret the first and second strings. This will make it all a great deal easier. It's minor adjustments like this that make the difference between success and failure, pain and pleasure.

For a Major Root 6 Barre Chord, bar all the strings with your index or first finger, 2nd finger on G-string, third and fourth fingers should be on D and A strings. All the strings should ring clear but until your hand strength builds up they may not. Simply remove your finger from the G-string to get a Minor Root Barre 6 Chord.

When you get into it, Barre chords are really simple and easy to remember. You need only learn three forms to be able to work out many others because you simply move frets. Downloading a free diagram of the chords is the best way to learn them properly as you can then see at a glance where your fingers need to be.

Once you have purchased your new guitar you'll want to keep it in tip-top order and part of this is cleaning. Playing a guitar will get it dirty with sweat and dust. The best way to clean it is with a soft cotton cloth. You can buy a special cleaning cloth from the music store, or you can use an old t-shirt that is 100% cotton. Just be sure you don't wipe it with any logo that is on t-shirt as that can scratch the surface.

Some paper towels can also scratch it, especially if the surface is French polished or lacquered. If you must use a paper towel, get the non-woven shop towels that come on a roll. They cost more than the others, but they don't scratch.

Wipe over the whole of your guitar, paying particular attention to the area under the strings. Don't be afraid to push the cloth up there and give it a good rub, because this is where the dust accumulates. The life of your strings will be extended if you give them a good wipe over after each jam session, too. Holding them firmly through the cloth and scrub the cloth up and down their length. This will remove any build-up of perspiration and skin cells.

If finger marks don't seem to come off, puff on them gently like you do to spectacles, to add a bit of moisture, then rub vigorously. It is possible to use a cloth just slightly moistened with warm water and a mild detergent, but don't overdo it. You need to avoid getting any moisture into those tiny spaces on the surface of the guitar. Rub well with a dry cloth afterwards. Changing to a clean cloth regularly will help, then you won't be rubbing the dirt on the cloth back in.

You can also purchase commercial guitar cleaners of various kinds and most of them are very good products. Be sure to follow the directions on the bottle carefully, and use a water-based one for water-soluble dirt. The creamy polishes are slightly abrasive, so if your guitar has a matte finish they should not be used.

If your guitar has a sticky residue on it from tape or stickers, you'll need to remove it with mineral spirits, or you can use lighter fluid (naphtha). Neither of these will damage the finish, but you'll need to clean the solvent off with a damp cloth, so buff it with a clean cloth afterwards. Try not to smear it around the rest of the guitar when wiping. You don't want sticky stuff over the whole thing.

If the dirt builds up on the fingerboard, it won't hurt to take the strings right off and scrub it with extra fine grade steel wool. Rub parallel to the frets and mind you don't catch the ends of them with the steel wool. There's no need to wet it first. You can oil it sparingly once a year making sure to wipe it all off afterwards, but if the surface is cracked or damaged, don't use oil on it.

The first time you try to play chords and notes you may find it frustrating. This is because your hands and fingers are not used to being used in this way and it may take a while to build up the right muscles and increase suppleness. And if you do a long first practice, your wrists and fingers may feel a little stiff the next time. Don't let this stop you. It won't be too long before your fingers are strong and agile enough to tackle the most difficult riffs and licks.

Notes differ from chords in that only one single tone is produced from one string. If you are playing chords, then you usually use three or more notes to produces the tone. When playing a note on a piano, you press one key; when playing a note on a guitar, you push down one string onto the fret. If you pick the low E-string without fretting, you would play the E note - assuming your guitar is properly tuned.

When you use the first fret with the E-string you will produce an F note. The second fret will give you an F# (# =sharp). The third fret on the E-string gives you the G note; the fourth fret G# and so on up to the B note. Note that there is no B# or E#.

There are many ways in which to produce each specific note on the guitar, so it's a good idea to learn to read the tablature format, or guitar tab. This is a way of writing guitar music that is easy to read, as it resembles the strings of the guitar. The guitar tab shows which fingers to use on frets.

To hold your fretting hand in the correct position for playing notes, you need to start with your thumb. The ball of the thumb should be positioned flat on the back of the guitar neck, like you were trying to make a really good thumbprint on it. Curl your other four fingers around and up over the strings, touching the topmost (thickest) string lightly. Get them to feel comfortable without allowing them to brush against the bottom (thinnest) string. You can change your thumb position now to make it the most comfortable.

When fretting, don't place your fingers directly on the fret. Use your fingertip to push the string against the fret, but keep your finger slightly to the topside of the fret. Practice this by holding all four fingers just on the topside and above the first four frets on the top (sixth) string. Pick the sixth string, then lower your index finger onto the fret (just above it, remember) and pick the string again, noting the difference in the sound. Use the other fingers in a similar manner. Remember, it gets easier with practice.

One thing that is played a great deal by many musicians and all guitarists are chords. When several notes are played together, that is a chord. Open, or folk, chords are what many beginners start with not because they are easy, but because they are one of the most popular types of chords.  If you think of playing chords on a piano, you will realize that several keys are pressed at the same time so that they all play together and produce a harmonious sound. When playing chords on a guitar, you have to hold down several strings and strum across them all in a fluid movement to get the same effect. Open chords have one or more strings that are not fretted or pressed down. They are played a lot in country and folk music.

When fingering chords on the guitar, it is important not to touch the adjacent strings, otherwise you will not get the true sound. Chords can be in a minor key, and dominant key or a major key. The letter ?m' after a chord will tell you it is in a minor key, while the letter 7 tell you it is dominant. If there is no letter ?m' or 7 then the chord is in a major key.

The hardest chord for a beginner is the F chord because only one finger is used to fret the two top notes. However, with plenty of practice, you'll soon get the hang of it. You can get free downloadable chord charts from the Internet with pictures to show you the finger positions.

A guitar chord diagram will look a bit like a grid with dots in it. The letter on the top right of the grid represents the name of the chord. If it's a C then that will be a C chord. The white dots somewhere near the letter represent those strings that are played open, (not fretted). The black dots in the grid show you where to place your fingers. The six horizontal lines are the frets on your guitar, with the topmost line being the nut of your guitar. The nut is like the very first fret, only it's a lot thicker than all the others and you don't use it as a fret. It just holds the strings up off the wood.

The six vertical lines are the strings. The line on the left is your low E string (the thickest). If there is no dot on a string and no white dot above it, then it is not played at all. To play a C chord you will play A-string on the third fret, D-sting at the second fret, G-string open and B-string on the first fret. High E-string is open, so you play all but the low E-string.

If you see a number 5 at the left of the grid, it means that fret played is the fifth fret. When learning which fingers to use, it is helpful to know that the thumb is P and the fingers are numbered 1 through to 4 starting with the index finger.

When you go to buy a guitar, you may have some idea of the kind you want, but whether you do or not, you'll need to take a good look at all those that are in the store. You start off by choosing one you like the look of. Then if it feels comfortable to hold, you need to hear how it sounds.

Playing a guitar in a shop may make you feel a bit intimidated, but you really do need to actually play the thing before you decide to buy it. Not only do you need to listen to the tone, but also you need to know how it feels whilst playing to make sure it suits you physically. If you are buying an electric guitar, make sure it's plugged into the same kind of amp that you plan to use; otherwise the sound will be different.

When you are playing it, strum the open strings hard so you can hear the sustain, and listen for any problem like buzzing strings. Play each fret on the neck to make sure there are no fret buzzes. Don't be afraid to ask if you can play it in a quieter room if there is too much surrounding noise for you to hear properly. If the salespeople glare at your noise, take your business elsewhere because it is impossible to choose a guitar without listening to it first. If you don't know anything about how to play a guitar, take along someone who does.

It's a good idea to write down all the details of each guitar you try, or you are likely to get them mixed up. If you write down the make, model, price and what it looks like, you'll remember when you get home. To make a good decision, spend as much time as you need in the store and thinking about each guitar afterwards. Never allow the salesperson - or anyone else - to rush you into a decision on what guitar to buy.

Once you've narrowed down your choice to two or three, start an online search for those makes and models. While the brand name websites will be pushing their own brands, you'll be able to find out more details than the shop assistant would know. Then you can go to a site that allows you to post in a forum and ask questions of other players about the model you are interested in. This way you can get vital feedback from other experienced players.

There are many kinds of guitars and they all differ in various ways. The two most significantly different guitars are the acoustic and the electric, but within these two types there are many others.

Acoustic guitars are made from wood and depend solely on their body shape and strings to produce their sound. They don't need power to run them, though it may be used - for acoustic electric guitars. They don't need effects boxes of any kind, as does the electric guitar. They have a hollow body and usually have nylon strings. Of the many acoustic guitars there are: -

· Classical - the choice for most beginners. Usually played in a sitting position.
· Flamenco - similar to classical but thinner with a crisper sound.
· Steel-top - has a larger body than the classical and it is reinforced for durability. Has warmer tone.
· 12-string - each of the normal 6 strings has another one, set an octave higher. The semi-chorus effect is very melodious.
· Resonator - similar to the steel-top but has steel in the center of the soundboard that resonates. Variations of the resonator can be played on the lap like organ or piano. Frequently used for playing blues.
· Arch-top - often preferred by jazz players, but can be extremely expensive. Has f-hole design.
· Acoustic bass - usually 4-stringed but can have 5 or 6. Is played without electronic pick-ups.

Electric guitars depend on being played through an amplifier for their sound. If they are not plugged into an amplifier you can hardly hear them. They are also used in conjunction with various types of sound boxes that make different sound effects. Control knobs are used to change the tone or volume and are used to shift from treble intensive to bass intensive. Whammy bars are used to create a ?crying' sound, but are not advised for use on cheaper models as it can make the guitar go out of tune.

Electric guitars have thin, steel strings that are closer to the neck, thus needing less effort to push them down. The amplifier is a very important part of the whole set-up. Electric guitars have solid wood bodies that are smaller in size, but heavier than the acoustic. They can be shaped in a variety of ways; in fact some have been carved to look like hands. They come in both 6-string and 12-string versions.

While some acoustic guitars are also electric, the reverse is not true; viz, electric guitars are never acoustic.

Changing chords is something you'll need to do a great deal as you learn to play the guitar. Beginners may think that they will never become proficient at changing chords, especially when they find that it seems really hard to change over even when using ?simple' chords. Don't be dismayed. So-called simple chords are not called that because they are simple to play. Most simple chords require quite complex finger movements.

While changing chords smoothly requires a great deal of practice, there are some things you can do to facilitate the movement considerably. One of the most important things is to relax. Many guitarists tense their shoulder and arm muscles when playing chords with the effort of finding the right notes in a hurry. The tension in the shoulder and arm translates down into the fingers and causes them to grip so tightly that it is almost impossible to change at all, let alone do it with speed.

Tension causes the fingers to press against each other instead of having space between them. This makes it difficult for each finger to move and find its string independently of the others. Tension also causes the hand to grip too tightly so that there is no space between the hand and the guitar. You cannot move your hand up and down the neck of the guitar swiftly and smoothly if you are grasping it for dear life. Worse still, a tight hand is a sweaty hand, which also hinders that smooth slide you need.

So be aware of tension in your left hand particularly and try a to keep it as relaxed as possible when bringing it to the neck of the guitar. The fingers should be held in a relaxed curl, separate from each other and a space kept between hand and guitar especially as it turns from a G to a C chord, which is one of the most difficult movements.

Another good idea is not to lead with your strong index finger. For the C chord, place your 2nd finger on the fourth string first. Keeping your hand out, place the 3rd finger next and finally the index finger on the 2nd string, first fret. Keep enough space between the index finger and guitar to stick a pencil through.

When practicing chords, start off slowly and work up to speed gradually. The world won't come to an end if you are not perfect in two days. Learning to relax for chord changes is the most important thing to do.

There will come a time when you need to change your guitar strings. Sometimes they wear out; sometimes they break and need replacing.

To change a string, first undo it at the adjusting end until it is completely slack. Then uncoil it from the tuning peg. Now you need to go to the other end and remove the wire by removing the bridge peg. Bridge pegs are usually tight so you may need a pair of pliers to ease it out. Once the string is out is a good time to clean and polish those areas that are hard to get at when it is in. Use guitar polish and give it a good old rub.

Get out your new string - you do have one, don't you? When you undo it, you'll see that there is a little ball on one end. That's the end that goes to the bridge. Tuck the end of the string and the ball down into the peg hole. Replace the bridge pin being careful to align the carved notch in the pin with the string. As you slide the pin in, gently pull on the string, but don't bend it. You should feel the ball slip into its place. If the pin comes out while you are pulling gently on the string, it's not in right and you must do it again.

Once you are satisfied that it is securely fastened, take the string up to the head of the guitar. Hold it firmly so that there is no slack that you can see. Pull the string a good inch (2 cm) past the tuning peg, then crimp it to 90 degrees with your fingers, so that it pokes out in the direction of the tuning peg. Turn the tuner so that the crimped wire will slide straight through the hole in it. Slide the wire through the hole up to the bend and put another crimp in the end that is poking out of the hole. This will stop it from sliding out again, until you get it tightened.

If you have a string winder, use it now to tighten the string. They only cost a few dollars and are very handy. If you don't have one, tighten the tuning peg slowly and evenly in a counter-clockwise direction. Use your other hand to keep tension on the string being tightened to stop it from curling or otherwise misbehaving itself. To do this, press it down on the fretboard with one finger while pulling it up with the others.

Make sure the wrapped string passes over the crimped part of the string to stop it from slipping out. This should happen on the first wraparound. On each subsequent wrap, the string should pass under the end, with each wrap sitting below the previous one. When you go to tune the new string, you'll need to stretch it up a bit first. Stretch and tune several times until the tune is true.

Don't worry if the bridge pin pops up a bit while tightening the string. This is normal and all you need do is push it down again. Finally, cut off the excess string, leaving about ¼ of an inch excess.

There is practice and there is fooling around. Which do you do? You may think you practice the guitar for a certain number of hours a day, but what are you really doing?  It's easy to strum that familiar tune and then gaze out the window as you think about being on stage or playing like Jimmy Hendricks or whichever star is your hero. Then you play a few more notes and a riff here or there and decide to break for a coffee. My friend, that is noodling, not practice.

Get serious! Set up that metronome and play the latest addition to your repertoire with it tapping out the right beat. In fact set it onto extra slow and play the tune through. See how it's actually harder to play at a slow speed? Keep it up until that sucker is perfect, then start to speed it up a bit. If you get most of it right, but seem to have trouble with a certain part, don't play the whole tune over and over, but isolate that troublesome part and play it alone very slowly, over and over until you get it right.

Remember your attention span. We are told that the human brain can only pay attention for from two to five minutes. Pretty short, hey? Well give yourself a time limit of about fifteen minutes, set a timer and don't stop playing until you hear the beep. Take a few minutes break to ease your fingers and brain, and then get right back into it again.

Breathe! Some people actually hold their breath when learning to play a difficult piece. This increases your tension and makes it harder to get those fingers in the right position. It will also make you tired more quickly. When you've finished practicing that new, harder piece, reward yourself by playing a tune you really like. Save doing that until the very last so that it can also be a reward for all those scales and arpeggios you practiced so diligently.

Take a break in the middle of your practice to read up on the theory. This will rest your fingers while still exercising your brain. While you are playing, try and visualize what you are doing. Doing this is a well-known and useful tool for learning music. When you first start, warm up with scales and such before you attempt a new piece. If you do two and a quarter hours with fifteen minutes for each section, leave the new piece for the second last fifteen-minute section.