Intro (Guitar Chords & Accompaniment)

Playing chords to provide an accompaniment to singing or other instruments is one of the most important and enjoyable roles of the guitarist. In all types of popular music, from folk, blues, rock, jazz, country to Latin, you are most likely to find a guitarist, if any, strumming or picking chords the majority of time he is playing. In fact, many pros will admit that about 90% of what he or she does in a gig, whether performing solo or in a band, consists of playing an accompaniment. So whatever your goal is, whether you want to play as you sing alone, jam with friends or in a band, or perform solo guitar, learning chords and various basic accompaniment styles will give you a foundation and powerful tools to help you accomplish your goals. At the very same time, you will find yourself having lots of fun learning and playing chords and different kinds of accompaniment.

This book was designed to allow a student to gradually learn various basic guitar chords and many basic accompaniment styles used most frequently in popular music today. The greatest emphasis is on how to hold each chord correctly and how to make the transition from one chord to another, an area many beginners struggle with. Also, some fundamentals are briefly given including guitar parts, tuning, basic notation and music theory.

Practicing and playing every day are highly recommended if you want to be able to play an instrument well soon. Try to find at least 10 to 15 minutes a day to review and digest the material. Do not get discouraged even if you cannot see the progress right away or even if you feel you are not getting any better. The progress varies from one individual to another. And it is only natural that it takes time to learn and master things you have never done before. Spend enough time, be patient and persistent, and you will gradually improve at an accelerating rate as you proceed.

One last thing, whenever you learn new material, SLOW EVERYTHING DOWN. Read instructions and follow each diagram or exercise carefully and SLOWLY. Practice each chord and an accompaniment style SLOWLY. This will ensure correct learning and help you avoid acquiring bad habits that would be hard to break later on. After you are comfortable with the new material, then and only then, gradually increase the tempo.

Good luck! I sincerely hope that you will have a great time learning some of the most interesting aspects of guitar playing by working with this book.

(an excerpt from Guitar Chords and Accompaniment )