First chord you play? (Officially the dumbest question ever.)

[zmf]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

For me it's four-fingered open G. My fingers just seem to go to that position.

I can relate to that. Whether it's a guitar put into my hands at a shop or picking up one in the morning, it's a full G.

And I know a few songs that use only that G chord, so I can stay there for 15 minutes. Feels like home.

IMHO, the G chord is as close as you can get to opening tuning while in standard tuning. Throw in an Em and D, and you can play half the songs ever sung in Ireland.

[MHC]

Same as you. Four finger G and then quickly to a simple D chord. Repeat a few times. That combo just grounds me and I feel ready to go.

[YamahaGuy]

Dsus2, then D, then Dsus4

[ctvolfan]

Usually a G or Em. It is easy to tell how in or out of tune a guitar is when you strum a G chord. If it is in tune then it sounds nice and clean and bright and happy!

[Steel and wood]

Three finger open G chord (that's how I always play it) but sometimes I will start with an open D chord.

I also warm up with some tremolo picking just to get my hand moving.

[BrunoBlack]

B7add13(No5)

[menhir]

Actually, it's and interesting and entertaining question.

So I thought about it. I guessed the simplest chord would be the first, so maybe it would have been an Em, but I wanted to come up with a more "official" answer.

My first formal training was watching and following along with Laura Weber's folk guitar lessons (I think first shown in the mid 60's) on public TV. I ordered the book that accompanied the lessons, too.

The first chord diagrams are the usual suspects, but the first song that me and my TV tutor played together was "Skip to my Lou*" starting with a D chord.

That's my final answer for the win. D.

*I've learned a few more chords since then, but I still don't what a Lou is.


EDIT: I read the OP as What is the first chord you (ever) playED. D'oh!
Well, now you know.

The first chord I play is likely...still...a D.
Now you know that, too.

[lowrider]

Open G, it's also what I want to hear when I try out guitars at the store. And I like to hear E string runs.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

For me it's four-fingered open G.

Same. It's a quick and easy way for me to know whether or not I need to tune the guitar. And I just love the chord.

[bls82261]

Open E every time. E-A-B7-E. Then G-D-C-G. I don't plan it this way it just happens. Then gotta finger pick a little. That tells most of the story to me.

[PTony]

First chord(a) taught...E. My Father said I needed to learn it and memorize the tones/notes so that I could tune it myself. Tuners weren’t as prevalent so we used a pitch pipe @ 440 for quite some time.

Once I learned E he taught me A and B in both open and barre chords. The rest came a little at a time.

When trying new/different guitars I tend to use the open G, D/F#, Em, C. I use G and D(/F#) to gauge intonation.

[FrankHudson]

I think it's often that first position 4 finger G for me too. Funny how many of us seem to do the same thing.

Followed with E or Em which lets me hear the low note of the open E string. Then a cowboy D and Dsus2 (open high E string) to hear that balance there. I'll then play the D form up the neck at the 7th fret which with the open D string forms a Gmaj and back down to the cowboy D which gives me a quick read about how it sounds in different registers.

[rstaight]

Sometimes a G. Sometimes a Cadd9. Then are times I just give an open strum.

[M19]

All open strings. I never know what tuning I've left them in, and a quick strum open tells me that. Especially my Taylor which I use for some of the more unusual tunings.

[Rpt50]

1st position E, and tune from there.