We’ve covered tuning your instrument, and reading tabulature. I would suggest getting a simple chord book and learning some of your open chords. The ones that I teach in my classes are.......G.....C.....D.....E.....A.....F......Em (minor)...Am....Dm....Bm.....G7...A7...B7...C7...D7...

E7....The rest of the basic chords you will learn will come from Barre chord forms.

Definitions. Open chord.....chord usually played within the first 3 frets that utilizes both fretted and open strings.

Barre chord.....moveable chord form with no open strings.

We will work with 4 of the above chords for now. G Em C and D

The idea is to be able to play and change from chord to chord...in time. In order to do this, you must make your left hand...the one that forms the chords...to keep up with your right hand or strumming hand.....not vice versa. To start. Tap your left foot in an even tempo, and have your right hand follow the foot motion. Foot is up, hand is up, foot goes down hand goes down. Strum each chord 4 times then change to the next. Below are 3 strum patterns that are very important to master. Remember on an upstroke, you need only to hit one or two of the highest strings, do not strum all of the strings on an up stroke.

                 1       2        3        4

                 1        2 +        3        4 +

                 1        2 +        3         + 4 +

Note in pattern 3 on the 3rd beat you do not strum, however move your hand down past the strings without striking them so you are ready for the upstroke just before beat 4. This will keep the integrity of the foot hand relationship dealing with pick direction. Until next time. Happy strumming. Robert Browning