the c and a minor chords
 
 
 

For these two, we'll simply follow the same logic we used to play G and D in Lesson Two.  Place your fingers where the dots are in the diagram below, paying close attention to the numbers above the diagram, as they tell you which finger belongs to which dot. REMEMBER: 0 MEANS PLAY THE STRING OPEN, AND X MEANS DO NOT PLAY THE STRING AT ALL!!
 

Start with the C chord. Place your fingers on it and check to see that everything looks correct. Then pick one string at a time (skipping the 6th string!) and make sure everything is coming through loud and clear. Sometimes your fretting hand fingers will touch up against strings that they shouldn't. Prevent this from happening to you by STAYING ON YOUR FINGERTIPS! Sometimes it may not seem like it, but there is always a position you can get your hand in that will make the chord work! I've had students who were big guys whose pinkies were bigger around than my thumb. They didn't think they would be able to do this in a million years, but now they can. They just had to dial in the right combination. Sometimes you need to move your thumb around. You'll get it! If you've already gotten G and D down, these will be easier. If you don't, you shouldn't be here yet.

Do you know what a MINOR CHORD is? I plan to delve further into the theory behind this at a later time, for now just know that MAJOR=BRIGHT AND HAPPY, MINOR=DARK AND MOODY. Any chord that doesn't have an abbreviation after it is MAJOR. That includes the G, D, and C chords that we've already worked on. A minor chord will be written with the abbreviation mi or min. I will use mi for all of these lessons.

Once you're happy with Mr. C chord, getting to the A minor chord is a piece of cake. Keep your hand on the C chord, and simply move your third finger to the 2nd fret of the G string. EVERYTHING ELSE STAYS IN PLACE!! Isn't that simple?

Once you've got these two down, apply what you learned from  Lesson Four.  Practice strumming the C four times and changing to the Ami without slowing down. WHERE'S YOUR METRONOME? Try practicing at 60 bpm this time. Once you're comfortable with that, practice going from G to C to Ami to D, strumming each one four times. I can tell you right now, that G to C will probably pose the most difficulty, so spend some time just working on that transition. Always isolate the hard parts! Have fun and good luck.
 
 

"i'm a simple man with simple needs"-mike barry