10 steps to Play Better Chords!
I started playing guitar a long time ago, but I’ll never forget the struggle to get my fingers to cooperate and play better chords. Remembering where to put your fingers is job 1, and you can look to my Guitar Basics lesson to help there, but that’s just the start! As soon as you start playing it is very likely that you’ll be hitting bad notes, finding strings not ringing nice and clean, feeling uncomfortable, getting buzzes and pops here and there – you might feel like you’re never going to get there.
But don’t despair! With determination, repetition and practice your chords will get better and better, and you’ll be playing chords confidently in no time. It isn’t just a matter of banging away at it though – it is important to be mindful during your practice, pay attention to what you’re doing and make adjustments to gradually improve. We’ve all heard of muscle memory, but it is just as easy to teach your fingers to do things wrong! So, take the time to get things right, it will pay off enormously in the future!
To travel the path from playing scruffy chords like a newbie to playing them cleanly and confidently like an intermediate player as quickly as possible, make sure you’re paying attention to the ten ways to play better chords on guitar below, your practice will be much more efficient, and you’ll see results in no time!
1. Keep your fingers bent
The only time any of your fingers should be straight when playing chords is when barring, which is a Grade 3 level set of skills. For open chords, make sure to keep all your fingers bent. Straight fingers impair mobility, which is important for movement between chords, and make it harder to make small adjustments to get a better sound. A nice arch in your fingers makes it easier to get the strings ringing cleanly, free of obstructions and resulting in a better sounding chord.
2. Sort out that thumb
The thumb of your fretting hand should be roughly in the middle of the neck, behind your middle finger… or thereabouts. It should be vertical. You might see players using their thumb over the top of the neck to help play chords or mute strings, and there is a time and a place for that… but whilst finding your feet on the guitar is not that time or place!
Good thumb position will help enormously with keeping your fingers nicely bent and in correct position.
3. Fingertips as close to the fret as possible.
Your fingertips should be as close to the fret toward the body of the guitar as possible to get a good sounding chord. Not actually on the fret as you’ll get either buzz or a muffled note. Some chord shapes make it difficult to get all fingers close to the frets, but the closer you can get the cleaner the notes you’ll play.
4. Use those Fingertips
To get each string ringing nice and clear, use the very tips of your fingers to press down on the strings to play better chords. You should only flatten out your fingers and use the pads when bring more than one string – like your index finger across the B and high E strings for an F major chord, for example.
5. Trim your fingernails
Good advice in general, but keeping the nails of your fretting hand short means they don’t get in the way of a good contact from your fingertip on the string. Make sure to check them regularly and trim them well – not too short either, because that can hurt. As manly as it is, personally I use a file!
6. Use enough pressure
Press your fingers firmly down on the strings. Apply enough pressure that you can hear the sound of the string clearly, but not to the point where you’re feeling any pain in your hand. You need to find the right balance – a good indicator is being able to hear the note you are playing means you’re using enough pressure, and seeing your fingertips turn white means you’re using too much!
7. Keep clear of the neighbours
Related to the first item in this list on keeping fingers bent – a lot of the time you will find a string is being muted or a buzz created by the underside of another finger touching it. Good thumb position leads to good finger position. If you find a string being touched by a finger not responsible for the note played on it, make adjustments to correct it.
8. Arpeggiate
Arpeggiating a chord is flashy muso-lingo for playing it one string at a time. It can sound great musically, but it also give you the chance to check your chords are being played strong and true. Play each string in turn, and if you get anything other than a nice clean note, examine your hand position – what is causing the buzz or mute? Probably another finger getting in the way. Are your fingers arched? Is your thumb in the right place? Are you up on your fingertips and close to the fret?
Adjust your fingers as necessary until your chord sounds clean and clear.
9. Guitar setup
A lot of guitars, especially beginner guitars, are poorly set up and suffer from a high action – the distance from strings to fretboard. That can make it really hard for you to make your chords sound clean and clear. Most experienced guitar players have some knowledge of basic adjustment, so seek help from friends if you can. You could also take a look on Google or YouTube. If you are at all unsure, do nothing or take your guitar to a reputable tech.
10. Practice every day
Getting chords to sound good is all about proper placement of your fingers and thumb, and building muscle memory through repetition. Daily practice will help this process, but be sure to practice with proper form using the tips above. Stop practicing when your technique begins to slip, or you risk training your fingers to play badly!
Be patient and consistent, and you’ll make progress day by day. 5 minutes every day is a way better practice schedule than a full hour once a week – little and often is the way to go.
And that, my friends, is my 10-step plan to play better chords. Play often, play clean and be really conscious of all aspects of your playing. You can find more articles on scales and guitar technique to help you develop as a player here. If you’ve got any questions please get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.
