On April 21, The Nighthawks host a “Back Porch Party”!

There are over two thousand guitar chords to choose from, but all are not necessary to learn. Most songs can be transposed to three chords. Guitar chords are grouped harmonically and tonally – sympathetically together – in groups of three. The most difficult guitar songs can then be transposed to a lower or higher key to suit your voice range and playing skills. Instead of playing a technically difficult Guitar song in flats, minor seventh or sharps, you can play it in an easier Three Chord Trick sequence that makes it easier for the Beginner Guitar player. Note: different guitar chords (fingerings on the Guitar fret-board) give a distinctive voicing (sound from your instrument) that gives your music a specific quality. Most beginner Guitar Players in folk, pop, country, blues, electric and rock guitar, rely on basic open chords (called Triads) played in the first four frets, using either one, or a combination of the three chord sequences. The more complex the guitar chordprogressions, the more sophisticated the sound – James Taylor: “You Got A Friend”. Chords such as C sharp 7th and F sharp minor. The beginner Guitar Player has literally thousands of songs to choose from that can be played with the basic open Three Chord Trick guitar sequences. Bar chords are great for acoustic or big box amplified guitars, for most types of songs – of course difficult to master at first, but when you realise that only one three finger pattern – behind your first finger on the bar, repeated up the neck, gives you twelve chords from E to E: E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – It suddenly opens up a whole new range of chords and sounds to you in using only one shape. The same goes for the minor or the seventh of the same chord in the above sequence. i.e. learn three shapes – one of which you should already know as your E open chord, (or Em or E7) move it all the way up the neck and you get all the above related chords taking place. Same applies tothe major or minor or 7th positions in your lower case Triad of the A – Am – A7 positions. It is a matter of progression up the neck: 12 steps from E to E – or A to A – etc. Electric, Lead and Rock Guitarists will want to learn the power chords: for that hard, lean, driving or distorted sound required. Full bar chords or open chords sound a bit “muddied” when played on an electric guitar in a hard rock or metal number – ask any Leo Fender fan! So, learn the Power Chords known as 5th’s. Soft rock uses add 9th chords, and early pop songs used major 6th’s. Have fun! Copyrights: @2010 by Peter Pentelbury