Here’s a strange truth about learning guitar: chords get all the attention, but strumming is what makes you sound like you can actually play. A student with five chords and solid strumming sounds like a guitarist. A student with twenty chords and shaky strumming sounds like a beginner. The rhythm … Read more
If you’ve ever wondered how rock and punk guitarists seem to play entire songs with what looks like one hand shape sliding around the neck, that’s power chords. They’re the workhorse of rock, punk, metal, grunge, and a huge amount of pop, and they have a wonderful secret: they’re physically … Read more
Early in learning guitar, you’ll hear two terms thrown around constantly: open chords and barre chords. Most beginners start with open chords, hit a wall when they first attempt barre chords, and wonder whether they’re doing something wrong. They’re not — barre chords are genuinely harder, for specific physical reasons, … Read more
Forming a single chord cleanly is one thing. Switching between two chords smoothly, in time, without a long stumbling pause is a completely different skill — and it’s the one that separates beginners who can technically play chords from beginners who can actually play songs. It’s also the single most … Read more