Guitar chords for songs

Where chord fingerings and shapes are concerned, it's good practice to analyse the chords that are found in the song that you are about to encounter, before you place your fingers on the guitars neck.

If you just use the fingerings advised in any ordinary chord dictionary, the diagrams could easily hold back, not assist your progress and ability to change chords quickly.

Almost all chord dictionaries that you'll encounter when learning guitar chords will demonstrate a chord box and also the suggest the fingers to use.

This sounds as though its a good way to explain things, clear and concise you might think. Think again!

Form a  D major chord for example. Many chord books that I've come across suggest fingering the chord like this, First finger, 3rd string, fret 2. 3rd finger, 2nd string, fret 3, and 2nd finger, 1st string, fret 2. Whats inaccurate with that? you could ask.

Nothing I'd reply, as long as the next chord  isn't  a D7. If it is the case, then it is not only a matter of moving your fingers to establish the chord. It demands an adjustment of hand position. You now need to  get your 2nd finger on to the 2nd string fret 1. Try making this alteration without moving your hand position.

Can not be done. I'd advise a variant fingering of the D chord which I believe would be more advantageous to you over the long-term.

Try using 2nd finger, 3rd string, fret 2, 3rd finger, 1st string, fret 2 and your pinky, or little finger, at fret 3 on the B string. I acknowledge that you might not be altogether that at ease with utilising your pinky at the moment. Trust me it is well worth perservering. Right away you'll notice, the chords of both D7 and D minor involve entirely finger movement, no hand motion, when changing to them from the D major chord. Try it, I am sure that you will discover its more comfortable. To get from the Dmajor chord to the D7 chord in the way that I suggest, is just a matter of taking off your pinky from fret 3 of the B string, and substituting it with your 1st finger, on fret 1, of the B string. How simple is that? no hand movement at all.

To form the D minor chord following a D major chord. Lift your 3rd finger from the top E string fret 2, and replace it with your first finger on the E string fret 1.

I imagine you will concur that if the progression calls for a move from a D major to a D7, that the fingering I am advising is much better to use.

There are a great deal of other chord fingerings that vary from those generally taught, and many of them are much more effective.