Building Chords and Left-Hand Positioning 

Although you should be used to applying pressure with your fingers on the fretboard and playing single notes on the guitar from our work in chapter 2, building chords can be quite difficult at first. Applying pressure on multiple notes at the same time will take time to acclimate your fingers as well as the pressure from your thumb on the back of the neck. Here are some important tips when playing open chords. 

1. When forming chords, it is strongly recommended to place your fingers on the lowest strings first and then move to the higher strings. This means placing the lowest fretted note on the lowest numbered string first and then building the chord from there. 

2. Keep your Thumb on the back of the neck. You need pressure from your thumb to press against the back of the neck to apply the correct amount of pressure on the strings to produce good sounding chords. Make sure your thumb is not on top of the neck or off to the side, but directly behind your fingers as seen in the picture below. 

3. Make sure that your fingers are not touching other strings: If a finger blocks another string, you will not hear that note in the chord. It is important to keep a high arch in your fingers. 

4. Press down hard on each note of the chord: Applying more pressure with your fingers will result in a better sounding chord.

5. Check your surrounding strings: After you apply a finger on the guitar, check the surrounding strings to the fretted note to make sure they are still clearly heard and not blocked. This will help you develop the proper fingering portion.