Big news today! Renowned YouTube guitar teacher Marty Schwartz gave Card Chords a thumbs up, and it means the world to us.
In the video you can check out below, Marty described Card Chords as a really cool product he thinks will “really help beginner guitar players learn their beginner chords.”
In the clip, Marty said about Card Chords:
“It’s a deck of cards with the shapes of all the basic chords, and you can slide it like a template or a guide behind your strings. They will show you the shape of the basic chords.”
Mr. Schwartz then proceeded to demonstrate how to learn the Bob Dylan classic “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” using Card Chords. Before we dive into the lesson, let’s discuss the Cards for a minute, shall we?
What Are Card Chords & How to Use Them
As we already pointed out in our blog, Card Chords aren’t just some cue cards. This tool is designed so aspiring guitarists can not only read the tabs from them but actually fit the Card Chords into their guitars and strum away while they’re on.
The cards are placed directly below the strings. They have slots for guitar frets so you can play over the cards without muting or distorting the sound.
In essence, you get guitar tabs for the chord of your choice directly at your fingertips. If you ask a veteran guitarist about their early guitar-slinging days, they probably remember the nightmare of having to remember where to put their fingers, then hold the position firmly and on top of that, strum the chords properly.
What makes the Card Chords stand out is the ability to play over them, strum away like they’re not even there.
Card Chords are available in two versions: the Stratocaster Edition for Fender Stratocasters and Strat copies, plus Ibanez Guitars, Guild Guitars, and Yamaha Guitars, as well as in the Les Paul Edition for Les Paul, Epiphone, and Gretsch instruments.
Back to Marty now!
Marty Schwartz “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Lesson Using Card Chords
As Marty said in the video, Card Chords show you where to put your fingers. The three chords Schwartz showcases are the G Major chord, D Major, and C Major.
G Major Chord
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” kicks off with the G Major Chord. As Marty demonstrated using Card Chords, to play G Major, you will need to follow these steps:
- Put your pinky finger on the third fret of the thinnest string, the first string from the bottom, the high-E string.
- Put your ring finger in the same position on the string above. So place it on the third fret of the second string from below, the B string – the second thinnest string.
- Don’t touch the third and the fourth strings, leave them open.
- Put your index finger on the second fret of the fifth string, the second thickest string, the A string.
- Put your middle finger on the third fret of the sixth string, the thickest string, the low E string.
- Strum!
D Major Chord
Up next is the D Major chord. Just like G Major, we are looking at an open chord, meaning that one or more strings are played in open positions, without pressing any of the frets.
To play the D Major chord, follow these steps:
- Put your middle finger on the second fret of the first string – the thinnest string, the high-E string.
- Put your ring finger on the third fret of the second string – the second thinnest string, the B string.
- Put your index finger on the second fret of the third string, the G string.
- Leave the fourth string open.
- Strum the four thinnest strings!
C Major Chord
And finally, the third chord used in “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is C Major. It is pretty similar to G Major. Keep your pinky and ring fingers in the same position; the middle and index fingers also remain the same, except they go one string below.
To play C Major, just follow these steps:
- Put your pinky finger on the third fret of the thinnest string, the first string from the bottom, the high-E string.
- Put your ring finger in the same position on the string above. So place it on the third fret of the second string from below, the B string – the second thinnest string.
- Don’t touch the third string, leave it open.
- Put your index finger on the second fret of the fourth string, the third thickest string, the D string.
- Put your middle finger on the third fret of the fifth string, the second thickest string, the A string.
- With the tip of your middle finger, touch the thickest string, the E string, so that you mute it.
- Strum!
If you’re a visual type, that’s just fine, make sure to watch the embedded clip below and you’re all set!
Marty Schwartz is one of the leading authorities of the YouTube guitar domain. With over 3.1 million subscribers, Mr. Schwartz is closing in on 2,000 videos, amassing close to 550 million views on the platform. For more info, visit Marty’s official site.
If you’re ready to learn how to play guitar in minutes, check out Card Chords for Stratocaster, Yamaha, and Guild guitars here or the Les Paul and Epiphone version here. You can find more info on using Card Chords in the video below. You can find more info right here on the official site or hit us up via cardchords@gmail.com. Stay safe!
