Play Guitar NOW Using Cheat Chords

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Going from chord to chord on a guitar can be a real challenge. Applying the right amount of pressure at the right point on your fingers and then picking them up, stopping the vibration of the strings and moving your fingers to a new location to create the next chord without touching the strings that are meant to be played open. It’s easy to get frustrated quickly or think that guitar isn’t for you.

That’s where Cheat Chords come in. Move your hand as little as possible, move as few fingers as possible, allow certain strings to never stop vibrating and make a good sound on your new instrument.

So, What are Cheat Chords? 

Cheat Chords is a system of chords that are already widely used, but not typically shown to beginners as a way to start playing immediately. They allow you to leave 2 fingers in place and only move the other 2 fingers, while maintaining the same hand position. As a worship leader, I learned to be efficient with my transitions between chords so that I wouldn’t have to look at my hands or just to make it easier. As a teacher, I began to see how this was easier for beginners too and they could learn faster and accomplish more in a short amount of time just by using simpler chord combinations/ transitions.

Hand Position 

With your forearm perpendicular to the neck of the guitar, rest the palm of your chording hand on the bottom of the neck. Let your fingers reach around to the fretboard and keep your thumb on the back of the guitar neck. Your pinky and ring finger will play the closest 2 strings, E & B and these are the 2 fingers that won’t move during this exercise. 

2 Notes that Don’t Move 

We hold notes in vocal harmonies, while playing piano, etc. and don’t really think about why it sounds good or how much we use it. After playing through these awhile, you might begin to notice songs or bands that use this principle. 

Sound Good and Keep It Simple 

It sounds good and even while you’re changing the other 2 notes, you still have 2 notes that are resonating. So, if you’re struggling to change chords, don’t stress over it. Allow the other 2 notes to carry you through the transition. 

Strumming

I’ll go further into strumming in another article, but to start with, just strum down 4 times for each chord (1 strum per second). When you transition to a new chord, lift your top 2 fingers up immediately after the 4th strum and have them in the next spot before strumming the 1 of that next chord. Be careful not to slow down during the transition. If you need to go slower, go slower for all strumming. It can be a difficult habit to break if you’re slowing down at every chord transition. 

Cheat Sheets

Here are the Cheat Sheets to help you through the video and begin playing guitar immediately. Start with the key of G and use those chords. Once you can transition between the G chords (G, C, D, Em, Am), move on to Strumming Patterns. You can always refer back to this article at anytime.

Is That All?

No, definitely not. There are more chord combinations than you would ever have time to count. These are just a way to get started. However, the more you play, you’ll find yourself coming back to them because they fit well together and sound good, especially in modern worship songs.

Have questions? Let us know how we can help!

by Lance Maddox