Push Down, Strum, Don't Fret! Trivia Quiz

E minor is composed of the notes E, G and B, so you need to raise the A string by two half tones to a B and the D string to an E. You wind up with E-B-E-G-B-E.

This is probably the easiest basic chord you play on a guitar. You can strum all six strings on this one for a really full sound and you only need to hold down two strings, so this is a great one to try as the first chord you play - it takes a little bit of practice to place your fingers just right to make sure the fret will create the proper pitch without partially muting the string.

The E7 chord is made up of E, G# (G sharp), B and D. The open strings already provide four of these notes (two E, a B and a D), so all you need to do is to raise G to G# and turn the A into a B.

E7 is a useful chord for pieces written in A major or A minor - both very common key signatures - although in the latter case, it's a slight deviation from the key.

Let's put a third finger on the frets. E major is just like E minor, except you'll need a G# instead of a G, so we need that extra finger on the G string.

As you may have noticed, so far everything covered here has been based on E, making use of the fact that it gives us both the base note and the fifth for free in the form of open strings. Let's explore some other base notes now!

G major is just like E minor in that we already have all three notes needed as open strings. However, just strumming the third, fourth and fifth chord would cause a rather thin sound, so we need to put some more strings into action.

The A string can be raised to a B on the second fret, but we'll need to use the third to make those Es into Gs. Still, it's only three fingers and you really want to master this chord as it is the basis of the easiest key to play the guitar in: G major. You'll see why this is the "best" beginner key as we move on. For now, just remember that E minor also plays well with G major - it is the parallel minor, having the same signature with one sharp.

A7 can be played on all six strings if you want as the E fits the needed A - C# - E - G. More commonly however, it's played omitting the lowest string. Whether you strum all six or only five strings, you need to turn the D into an E and the B into a C#, so two fingers on the second fret are required.

While you trade in some volume and bass power in losing the first string, having the lowest played string match the chord's base creates a clearer identification with the A.

Just like we saw with the earlier E7 / E major pair, the one thing you have to do to convert A7 into A major is to raise the seventh (in this case the G) to the octave.

Players with large fingers will need to experiment with placement here since you need three consecutive spots on the same fret to get the chord right. Again, if you forget to omit the lowest string, you won't disrupt your harmony.

If you've ever played a keyboard instrument, you've probably started out with C major. No pesky black keys to get into your way, easy fingerings. On the guitar, C major is still one of the easier chords, but for the first time in this quiz, we don't have the base note ready made. We'll need to raise both the B and the A to C, requiring a first and third fret, as well as a second fret on the D string to make it into an E.

C major is another chord that goes well with the G major key - it is the key's subdominant. And again, you won't mess up your chord if you accidentally hit the first string.

I hope you have mastered strumming just five strings instead of all six, because D minor won't forgive you an accidental hit on the lowest string - the E won't fit here.

For this chord, we'll need to modify the three highest strings in addition to strumming A and D - the G becomes an A via the second fret, the B needs to be raised to D (third fret) and finally, we'll need an F instead of an E on the sixth string, so a first fret here. If you want the D note as your bass note, you'll need to strum just the top four strings. Both versions are viable and, in fact, I used both in the quiz (see the D major one which is pictured as played on just four strings).

Just like the other chords on A, A minor has an optional first string, but most chord charts play it without it to emphasize the A - you already have E twice on the third and sixth string and tripling it dilutes the chord.

You need to finger D and G both on the second fret to create E and A respectively and a first fret on B, creating a C.

If you want to play some sad music, you're now set to go: A minor, D minor and E minor (plus E7 for the occasional hopeful note) will provide all the needed accompaniment you want for a piece written in or transposed to A minor. If you'd rather play happy tunes, we'll need one more chord, however. Read on!

So you finally want to start playing some real songs and not just practice chords? Well, we'll just add this chord and you can go. D major needs to raise the 4th string G to an A, the fifth string B to D and the sixth string E to F#. Strum the top four strings - or if you want, the top five.

With D major, we now have the important chords to start playing the three most common major key signatures on the guitar:

D major signature: D major, G major subdominant and A major / A7 for the dominant. E minor also fits this signature, but it's rarely used in D major.

A major signature: A major, D major subdominant and E major / E7 dominant. You don't have a parallel minor for any of the three.

G major signature: G major, C major subdominant and D major dominant. In addition, you have both E minor and A minor to modulate with, putting five of the six most important chords for this key in your hands.