Tip: One Finger Chord Primer (cont’d)

Welcome back to the One Finger chord method. We’re going to learn the one foundation chord shape that will get us making music as fast as possible. That one shape will make it easier to learn more complex shapes later on.

To make this lesson as easy to read as it is to do, I think we’ll try to avoid tablature or other notation, and go right to pictures and sound. So let’s get to it: this is the one shape that you can start making music with almost immediately:

Place your first finger flat onto fret two, so that it’s pressing down strings 2, 3, and 4. (We number strings as follows: string 1 is closest to the ground, and 6 is closest to the ceiling.) Here’s a photo of what you need to do.

It’s okay if your finger covers more strings, but it must cover 2, 3, and 4. Now, how do we get sound? Time to look at the right hand. We’re not going to use a pick right now, but go “all natural,” or all fingers. And we’re going to pluck the strings. Again, it’s easier to see it than read it, so have a look.

Now, put the two together: press down with the first finger of your left hand on fret 2, while plucking with the fingers of your right hand. If you’re not getting sound, you may not be pressing hard enough, or your finger might be sitting atop the steel bar that separates the frets. Look for those things. If you’re still not getting sound, send an email here: [email protected] without the no-spam piece.

Now, what to do if you are getting sound? First, congratulations. And let’s save the goodies for next time.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright © 2008 Darrin Koltow

This first appeared in the Guitar Noise News – December 3, 2007 newsletter. Reprinted with permission.