Guitar Question
 

Hey guys, I am just a beginner at the guitar so I only know basic chords. I like to write songs but they are almost getting to the point where they sound too similar because I dont know many chords that go well together. If anyone can let me know some chords that go well together so that I can possibly extend my knowledge in chords, that would be very helpful, thanks.

I know wexactly what you mean about the similarity.
Instead of telling you good chord progressions, I would say th best thing for me has been to learn songs I like.
That way, you learn chords you like, since you obviously like the song.
And you learn chords you don't know.
Don't learn through tabs. Just by chord pictures, whatever they're called.
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Well yes I have dont that, I have learned tabs/chords for a few songs I like but they are still pretty simple songs guitar wise, and there are a few songs I like but they are difficult for me to play

That's how I learned.
Otherwise, get a chord book.
They have those strictly for guitar and they show you what the chords look like and everything.

There is no real 'chords that sound good' together as it all comes down to personal preference of what YOU think sounds good together - unless you go by the cycle of 5ths in which each 7th chord leads onto the next chord but that just gets way too technical.

Bottom line is, you're a beginner, and it's going to take time and practice before you can be happy with stuff you're producing :) Keep practicing - often great riffs or chord progressions just come about from simply messing around! Also try and learn as many songs as you can, even if you have to start out with basic ones and work you're way up to more difficult ones - learning other songs sometimes can give you a lot of inspiration. And like AwwSugar said, grab a chord book or, even easier, find a website on the internet where you can learn almost every single chord imaginable. Then you can mess around and experiment with new chords.

A good website for this is: Guitar Chords

yeah thanks guys, I have been to Guitar Chords and it helps a lot when I am wanting to play a song I like but I just want to take my guitar skills to the next level, cause I feel like I am not really getting any better, just staying about the same.

You have to practice everyday.
Start learning notes and scales themselves.
I teach guitar and this is the biggest problem.
Also, trying learning you're notes and learning how to read them.
A lot of guitarists don't know these things, and you'll have one up on a good majority of them.

ok I will try to learn how to read music, but what are scales?

Seeing as you seemingly don't know a lot about theory I would invest in a beginner's guide to guitar book or look up some youtube videos for free or something. Once you've learnt basic theory (chords, scales, octaves) then learning songs AND making your own songs will become a lot easier.

Beginning Theory isn't a bad idea, either. There are so many books about it.

ok great, thanks for the help

http://www.binbin.net/photos/music-s...nd-harmony.jpg

If I'm not mistaken, this is a different version of the book I used.
It's so helpful.

Great thanks, I'll look into it

No problem. if you have any theory questions, I can hopefully help.

do you know barre chord theory and understand the concept of chord voicings?

ultimately there aren't that many chords out there. you've got 5 basic major shapes and 3 minor shapes. there are obviously more but those 8 make up the bulk of what you hear.

as for groups of chords that sound good together the proper term is a Triad. there's a technical explanation as to how they work but i don't really get it. the simplest example is the I-IV-V progression used by every other classic rock song / country / folk song you've ever heard, G-C-D.

basically where the chords loop over into octaves, if you start counting with G as 1, then the 4th full tone you'll reach is C, the 5th is D. you can apply that to any chord you want to start with and get the same feel. E-A-B, A-D-E, etc.

another easy trick to change the feel of your chord progressions is to change one of the chords into a minor variant of itself, usually first or last. generally speaking it will make your progression sound like it's either becoming lighter or darker depending on where you use the minor.

like other people have mentionned play covers, but unlike other people, i strongly suggest using tabs. keep in mind online tabs vary greatly in quality but the stuff in magazines is printed along with sheet music. don't necessarily rely on the tab to learn how to play the song but use it to see what chord progressions your favourite musicians use, start recognizing patterns within the music, different voicings and ways to play the same progression of chords in different areas on the neck.

mr dave, I was waiting for you. =P

haha i suppose i'm getting predictable by this point hehehe.

It was more of a "I need him to explain this" than a "here he comes!"
xDD

"it goes like this: the 4th, the 5th, the minor fall, and the major lift!!!!"



learn an array of different songs on your guitar. play metallica, and stevie wonder. play clapton and sublime. The more songs you learn, the more chords you will find.

you can also "make up" chords. your guitars not gonna blow up from a clashing chord. if it doesn't work, play through what does, and move your fingers up or down on what doesn't. i guess that sounds too simple, but if you don't have knowledge of scales, and a fretboard in your mind--this is the best way to go.

my 2 favourite chord shapes ever... in 'A' or something

-5----X---
-5----5---
-5----5---
-X----4---
-7----5---
-5----X---

i found out what they were called once. i call them shape 1 and shape 2. hehehe

oh word, go from

into -x-
-x- -5-
-x- -5-
-5- -4-
-5- -5-
-x- -x-
-5-


i love that chord, and with the 7th added in, it creates a complete jazzy, amelodic feel

woah sloppy computer skills, but it'll do lol

I haven't done theory in a few years, but the second one I believe is a.....Cb5add9(i know there's an easier way to put that, its been too long lol), and the first one i just an Am.

nice hehe. i think to be a proper Aminor the octave on the D string would need to be there. either way i manhandle my guitars a la Hendrix so half the time the G string is muted too hahaha

lol nice, thumbs are pro. I do wonder if there is a name for that chord, I mean it is Am, the redundancy of 3 octave A's isn't necessary. Am with only two octave A's lol. trade marked :finger:

just messin lol

cool thanks guys