Learning Guitar: Should You Start with Normal Chords or Bar Chords?

When starting your guitar journey, the choice between learning normal open chords and bar chords can significantly impact your overall progress and enjoyment. Many beginner guitarists are advised to start with open chords due to their simplicity and practicality. However, some take a more unconventional approach.

Foundation of Chord Knowledge

Open Chords: These chords, characterized by the use of open strings and fretted notes, are easier to play and offer a quick method to learn popular songs. Common open chords include C, G, D, E, and A. They serve as a solid foundation, allowing beginners to familiarize themselves with basic chord shapes and progress to more complex structures.

Finger Strength and Technique

Starting with open chords is beneficial for developing finger strength and dexterity. Building these skills without the added complexity of bar chords ensures a smoother transition when you eventually tackle bar chords.

As your skills improve, you'll find that your fingers naturally strengthen, making it easier to handle the more demanding bar chords. This progression not only enhances your technical abilities but also boosts your confidence as a guitarist.

Learning Progression

Once you're comfortable with open chords, you can more easily grasp the concept of moving chord shapes up the fretboard, a crucial skill for understanding bar chords. Bar chords are seen as more advanced techniques, but with a solid foundation, transitioning to them becomes much smoother.

A Different Approach: Starting with Bar Chords

While many recommend starting with open chords, one guitarist had a unique experience. Initially trained on piano and bass, they decided to start with a barre chord based on the E form. Here's why this unconventional approach worked for them:

Efficiency and Simplicity

By beginning with a complex barre chord, they could play the C chord on the 8th fret using the E form barre. Moving to the F and G chords involved sliding the same finger pattern to the 1st and 3rd frets. This method was efficient because it required fewer chord changes, but it was also inefficient due to the need to constantly adjust the position along the neck.

Psychological Barrier

The guitarist highlights the psychological barriers that can arise when starting with simple open chords. Many beginners might hear about the difficulty of bar chords and develop a fear of them before attempting them. This fear can be a deterrent to progress, leading some to abandon the guitar altogether.

Efficiency and Versatility

Starting with bar chords can make life easier for guitarists, especially when it comes to efficiency and versatility. With the E form barre, lifting the second finger yields a minor chord, and different finger placements can produce various chord qualities like 6th, 7th, 9th, or sus4 versions. This is much more efficient than memorizing multiple open chord shapes.

Conclusion

Starting with normal chords is a common and recommended strategy, but beginners who feel daunted by bar chords might benefit from an unconventional approach. Whether you start with open chords or bar chords, the key is to build a solid foundation and gradually progress to more complex techniques.

By breaking down the difficulty and fostering a positive learning attitude, guitarists can enhance their overall experience and enjoyment of the instrument. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, the choice between normal and bar chords should be based on what works best for your learning style and goals.