Learn 48 Chords in 9 Minutes

I have a 4 string bass guitar. When I found your website it said I would learn how to pay bass. Where is the lessons on bass?

Um….what if I can’t bar? What do I do then? Just learn all the open chords there are and deal with it?

This video would have been well worth the time if Jonathan were to be sitting down and having the camera focus in on the finger positions (being placed on the strings) instead of us watching the back of his hand

I agree with Donna about not being able to see your hand that well. Perhaps you could put the camera at a more elevated position or something? Or maybe you could sit as she suggested. Good chord teaching though.

By the way Donna, if you are trying to do full bars on a steel string acoustic, that can be much more difficult than playing full bars on an electric. If you get light or “Slinky” strings you can bar really easily. Certain guitars can make it easier too if the strings are closer to the frets. I have noticed that Telecaster’s are really really easy to play in this sense. You should go to guitar center and test playing a Fender Telecaster. See how you like that.

Thanks for the video! I’m really digging it. My fingers aren’t quite strong enough yet either to play bar chords, but I imagine they’ll work their way to it.

hi my name is Alicia and i just got my guitar for Christmas.I’ve watched videos on you-tube about how to play the guitar but all that i have seen is people that play with there right hands, but i am a lefty. what should i do so i wont have to play backwards or upside down?

I got 100 percent satisfaction from this lesson! I have been working on this off and on for a long time. You have made this very clear for me. The toughest part was making sense of the actual chords up and down the neck, I was struggling to figure that out, it just did not click. So, this was real easy, and I am very pleased…Now, if I can make heads or tails of I IV V, I will be playing like a pro, but it is not as straight forward, and I am stuck trying to figure out the EF and BC T and ST part.
Bue, for now, I love this, well presented!
Maggie

I am getting a glimmer of hope in one area, but a bit of a block when it comes to ‘building a major scale’.
When I am trying learn the TTSTTTTST, I cannot get my mind around why the B turns into a C#, and the E turns into an F#. I know this is important to understand, and I am confused, because now I am going to E#…? right?
Thanks for your help.
Maggie

I am still struggling with this, I will watch and review ONEFOURFIVE again tomorrow, and see if that clarifies where I am struggling. I am determined to get this, it is only the ST part that is ‘tripping’
me up. I am thinking that it should only go up a semi-tone, but it goes up a full tone, or two semi-tones. I see that ST, and I figure that B should go to C, a semi tone. ST. Am I mistaking how I am interpreting this?
Thankyou for your patience.
Maggie

I think “I have got it”, I have interpreted it incorrectly….I have all my charts lined up on my desk…and I am seeing-the light. I will play with that for awhile until it gets comfortable, I thank you for your help. This is going to be very valuable information and obviously a useful and door opening tool.
Yippee.
Again, how you presented that bar chord lesson, just perfect for me. I am so happy with that, and if that was all I got from this whole tutorial, then I would still be ecstatic.
Thanks.
Maggie

Hey !! I am beginner…whenever I try to play the C chord, I find it difficult to place my fingers on the strings, particularly the ring finger and the small finger. I had to really stress my fingers to hold in that position. [:(]
Any tips of finger placing or any exercise on the same.

Thanks
Pratikash

Hi, Just bought 1 4 5 I knew some of it , but I have a much better understanding now, I will watch the video a few more times. Question… You started talking about the 7th, and then said it wasn’t part of what you were showing on the video. What’s so special about it and where do 7th chords come into the 1 4 5 scheme? Are they just accent chords for the major chords?

As for the beginners on this site, being someone who has been playing for a while and not having a clue what I was doing, the best advise I can give is KEEP AT IT!!! My goal is a better understanding of why I am doing what I am doing on the fretboard. But anything you do is better than not doing anything. Take small bites, and after a few years of study and work, you will get there…

Hi Jonathan and Maggie. Interesting though it is perhaps the simplest way to think of Tone Seperation is too for get t’s and S’s for the moment and think of a specific number as follows :-2212221 the intervals between tones. ie. between C & D there are two(2) frets or tones, and it works oll the way. I guess woever restrung our guitars way back when really did know what he was doing, although I somtimes wonder;).
all the best Patrick

In regard to the Whole-tone / Semi-tone issue. Suggestion:

Some people may be confused by using “T” and “ST” as the symbols. (too many “T’s”.) This is especially true on the White Board, where the letters are spaced more irregularly.

Visually it is easier to use “W” for “Whole” tone and “H ” for “Half” tone.

Then you see W W H W W H W et cetera.

Do you teach rag time, I’m very interested in learning this style especially for the banjitar I just purchased.
Yours, Billy G.

I am A beginger, thanks for your time. I know I can learn from you site

I’m really probably to old to start learning something, but after finding you, it looks so easy, thanks a million !!!!!!!! sandra johnson

learned alot of chords in the first lesson, you forgot to mention how ez and fun
i’m strumin’ and making up songs for my grand kids, stupid lyrics, but they like em’
thanks wasted

That was kool, I know I’ll need to watch it again to catch some of chords, but this was nice. I have to work on all of my bar chords but it will be fun going through them all.

so why do you use the bar?
if the 4 chords don’t show the bar, it shows open string so do you need the bar? or can u use these 4 chords down the neck with out the bar?

I have started you dvd lessons. I have already been helped. Could answer a question? Where do I place the capo when I want to change
Eb to C, and Eb to F and F to Eb. I want to be sure that I am placing it in the right place until I can throw the capo away.

Thanks,
Don Calton

Hi Jonathan,

What

Hi Jonathan,

Honestly I don’t understand the above diagram that I see. What I want to know is, that i can play my guitar without looking at the note all the time even the song that I know. Your I,IV,V. GROUP CHORD was helpful. How can I improve from here. Please help! Thanks.

The stream lining is quite bad in some of these videos and others are really good. This video is really bad. What is causing this? It is irritating.lol

have attempted barring, does not work so good. example A chord, after several attempts, the small e string stays muffled. i think it is the bony finger. i have been playing a while without using barr. is it possible to make much more progress without the bars?

Umm, Jonathan, I have an electric, and there’s no way I’m gonna barre. It’s just too hard to learn that type of fingering,(especially for beginners). I’m still trying to learn the basics of open chords. I’m also thinking others would have the same problem as well. However, the video was nicely done. A quick way to get all of the chords played on the fretboard. [Only too hard to perform:)]
Later

How come, in the keys of Gb and F#, there are are Cb and E# notes respectively? I was led to understand that there was no Cb or E# notes as the distance from B to C and E to F is a natural semitone.
I am referring to the major scale worksheet that I have downloaded from your members area on the I-IV-V website.

I am new and I don’t understand the barre. I have never seen anyone barre like you do and I can’t do it. Why is it necessary (again, please) to barre in the first place? My fingers don’t want to stretch.

Dear Jonathan, I understand the tones and semitones so that is under my belt. I listened to your I IV V DVD and realized that I need to learn how to barre chord so I went back and listened to that video. I am somewhat lost in your explanation of major chord patterns from the DVD. I am hoping that once I learn the barre chords and listen to the DVD again several times that I will pick up information on what you are talking about. Right now I am overwhelmed I think. Putting the dots on the fretboard has me dazzled as well and finding the same notes on different strings blows my mind. I don’t think I know my fretboard like I should so I will work on that, too. It is like a puzzle right now.

Marsha

Hi Jonathan,
I’m relatively new to the six string, having played bass in a school band for a couple of years . . . well over 45 years ago! I’ve been doing loads and loads of finger stretching, hand exercises, playing/learning scales, etc. for the past six months of so and have achieved a little more flexibility and dexterity than I had. However, due to the fact that I have very small hands/small, stubby fingers, I find it almost impossible to form chord shapes and when I manage a simple two-string chord then I have difficulty in getting clean and clear notes without muting the other strings. Very, very difficult . . . Usual advice is just to keep on trying. Any other advice you could please give.
Regards, John.

Hi Jonathon,
Great lesson, clear explanation. Haven’t quite got the hang of ‘barring’ yet, but I’m still looking forward to being able to master these chords!

i was originally lead to your site thru something called Learn Rhythm Guitar. i really am only interested in the Strumming portion on your courses. how can we deal with this.

Hi,
7-31-2011

I have learnt more in the past two days,then in the last
three years.This has been the best and most commonsense
layout teaching material that I have ever seen.You have helped and made many people happy.People now know they can learn to play the guitar in a short time,thanks to you.

Thank you very much.

Hi, Jonathan.
When ever i play guitar its breaking, i mean there is no swift flowing sound, when i change the chords. Can you pls help me out.
Thanks.

I find it is easier to make the barre-chord if you place the bar fingerright up against or slightly on (but not over enough to mute ttone)the metal fret. This works for me if the guitar has heavy guaged strings or strings high above fretboard.

You’re a good teacher.  I am glad to have bar chords explained; thank you!

As a saxophonist turned guitarist, this was great enforced training for me in that I had already learned the bar chords; however, the different positions explained in this video was helpful. Thanks

Ed

Is it normal for beginners to play all six strings?

This is the best explaination on the bar patterns that I have seen- Better than Marty’s and Justin.

Jonathan, great lesson. And I’d like to add that I’m amazed at the time you not only take in your videos, but the time you give to the members of your site individually. It blows my mind. You are the best. Cheers!
Mickey,

I will admit doing bar chords are tuff.I guess I have very weak fingers.but,I will get it

you showed your strings, 1-6 start on the bottom and work up to the thickest string. why are you starting from the 6th cord and working down or it seems like that to me>>>

thanks

yes it does ty Jonathan

Jonathan,nice beginner cource but I would prefer that you use an electric guitar hecause with the thickness of the hollowbody,it’s very hard to see where your fingers are.I’m familiar with the basics and for me ,I would prefer to see your finger tips on the neck!Your guitar is turned up and towards you and hard to see! P.S. I’m not a fan of acoustic guitar played too high on the body!

I am a beginner I did not find this helpful at all