Guitar Tricks Online Guitar Lessons

Adding One More Chord

 
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Now it's time to throw in one more chord. We'll still start with two bars of E minor and then go to A minor for one bar then straight to C major for 1 bar.

So we have two bars of E minor, one bar of A minor, and then one bar of C. After that the whole thing repeats. Let's apply the strumming pattern.

We've already practiced the open string transition going from E minor to A minor. But what do we do now with our easy transition from A minor to C, where we only move one finger? You don't have to do this open string trick if it's more comfortable the other way. Personally I prefer to still do the open strum, but only with the finger I'm going to move.

Or you can do the full strum of the open strings and just keep your fingers right above the same fret ready to land again. Try out the different options and see what feels best to you.

Finally we'll end on an E minor chord that we let ring.

Let's try this together. I'll do the one-bar count-in and then we'll start. As always you're more than welcome to just watch and listen a few times before playing along yourself.

Instructor Anders Mouridsen
Tutorial:
Strumming Patterns
Styles:
Any Style
Difficulty:
print notation download lesson open guitar tuner
Adding One More Chord song notation

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Questions & Answers

3 months ago
I'm really struggling with the C major transition from E or A minor. Are there specific drills I can do? I've been practicing these transitions for a month and I'm only getting marginally better.
Mike Olekshy 2 months ago

Thanks so much for your question! The transition to the open C is often difficult because of the larger finger stretching needed. To improve, focus on pivot fingers and incremental speed drills: 1) Start with Am or Em, and work out which fingers must move from the first shape to the open C shape. For example - Am, there only needs to be one finger moving (your ring finger from the 2nd fret of the G string to the 3rd fret of the A string) while the other 2 fingers stay planted in the same position. Switch back and forth, as slowly as you need to, 20 times while focusing on not moving your index or middle fingers. Don't worry about strumming - this is just a finger exercise. Same thing goes for Em to C. 2) Set a timer for 60 seconds. Switch between two chords (e.g., Am to C) as many times as possible while keeping the notes clean. Record your score daily to track progress. 3) Fret the C chord, then lift your fingers just 1-2 millimeters off the strings, keeping the "claw" shape. Hover for a second, then press back down simultaneously. This builds the muscle memory to "grab" the shape all at once rather than finger-by-finger. 4) Fret a C chord, strum once, then move your hand to your thigh. Immediately bring it back and try to hit the C shape perfectly. Repeat this to force your brain to memorize the "stretch" of the C chord. Go as slow as you need to when practicing these exercises. Be sure all the notes of the C chord are ringing out clearly with no buzzing, so make sure your fretting fingers are curled enough to clear the adjacent strings. If you find it difficult to reach the C note with your ring finger, try pushing your wrist forward a little bit. Hope this helps!

5 months ago
Why does my tuner say I’m playing E when I’m trying to play C
Mike Olekshy 5 months ago

Hi there - thanks so much for your question! It could be any number of things. I'd have to have a little more info to make an assessment on what is going on. Perhaps you are playing a chord while trying to read the tuner- which does not work. The tuner is meant for single notes only. If this does not answer your question, please ask again in more detail - thanks!

6 months ago
the music score on the right of the video does it reflect the notes on the top bar and the string pattern on the lower bar? I try to practice as Anders is showing us but would like to come back and practice solo after the video ends.
Mike Olekshy 6 months ago

Hello - thanks for your question! The top bar is the musical notation (notes on the staff and rhythm), while the lower bar is the tablature. Tablature is a notation for guitarists. The 6 lines represent the 6 strings of the guitar, and the numbers on the strings tell you which frets to pick or strum. I recommend checking out our page on how to read tab: https://www.guitartricks.com/how-to-read-guitar-tabs Hope this helps!

6 months ago
Hello, Am I supposed to be also learning the written notes of music while following along with video
Mike Olekshy 6 months ago

Hey there - thanks so much for your question! Learning the written notes on the notation is not necessary. Focus on learning the chords and strums from the video, and refer to the tablature part of the notation for the correct fingerings. Hope this helps!!

1 year ago
what if my fingers dont reach all 3 frets on the c chord. i cant get my index finger behind the third fret bar
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thanks so much for your question! The C chord is indeed challenging at first. It's okay if you can't quite get your index finger onto the note right now, just do the best you can. Keep trying, and eventually your fingers and muscles will loosen up enough to be able to do this. Keep at it and it will come!

1 year ago
Hi Mike, thank you for your answers Sorry my English may not be fully correct :) What I meant is that if I play the A minor chord and then I only lift my ring finger and strum, like Anders does, then the sound is almost identical I almost cannot hear any real difference between having or not the ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, when I strum all the strings Therefore, I am lifting all the fingers instead in between so that at least it sounds different I believe that it may be due to the fact that the classical guitar does not sound as bright as the acoustic one does Hope it makes sense what I'm trying to say :) Thank you for everything :)
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thank you for the clarification! Yes I understand what you mean now. There is a difference, but since only 1 note has changed out of the 5 notes being strummed, the overall sound will be very similar. You are correct that the classical is a bit darker sounding so that will be a factor. Try this experiment - hold the A minor, but only strum the D, G, and B strings. Now strum remove your finger from the G string and strum those 3 strings. You should be able to hear more of a difference here. Now add in the open A and high E strings, and notice how that difference is minimized further since there are now a total of 5 notes ringing out. It's okay if you have trouble hearing the difference right now. As your guitar skills improve, so will your ear, so that hearing the difference will become easier and easier. Hope this helps!

1 year ago
H, my name is Alessandro and I just have a couple of questions. I believe that Anders uses an acoustic guitar, whereas I am using a classical one. Does it make much difference learning with one or the other? The second question is: Is it normal that the A minor chord with all 3 fingers down, and the bridging strum before the C chord sound virtually identical in the classical guitar? Am I doing something wrong? I am actually lifting all the fingers now before Am and C, strum 5 open strings and then put them down for the C Chord Thank you :) Ps: Anders is the best :)
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thank you for the questions and kind words! First off, yes you can use your classical guitar to learn these examples and techniques. It does not make that much difference as far as learning the material. It's just that the classical guitar is slightly different in size and sound to the steel string acoustic. I'm not sure I completely understand your second question: Are you saying that the A minor chord sounds the same as the open strings that are strummed once before the C chord? If that's the case, the answer is that no - it should not sound the same. The A minor has a distinctive sound, while the open string strum does indeed sound different. You say you are lifting all your fingers in between the Am and C chord, and that is the correct way to play the example . Hope this helps!

2 years ago
In the sheet music - the last chord in the "C bar" isn't a C - why is that?
Josh Workman 2 years ago

If you mean the open strings that is also at the end of the Em and Am bars, this is because your hands need a moment to switch chord shapes. As the tempo increases, its very common for guitarists to do this, in order to keep in-time.

2 years ago
Is it normal that i have difficulty with switching cords? specifically wit the C chord. Should i continue with the lessons when i can perfectly switch between these chords?
Josh Workman 2 years ago

Hi and thanks for your question. This is completely normal at first. Be patient with yourself and practice moving between the chords slowly. Observe any tips that Anders and other instructors give about how to place your fingers. You can always move to the next lesson to see how comfortable you feel and go back to previous ones at any time, if you want to strengthen what you've already learned.