Everyone is short on time these days and needs all the help they can get to save time and get things done. If your next pursuit is learning how to play a Fender Stratocaster guitar, you’re in luck!
We present you Stratocaster Card Chords, an exciting new tool that will save you many hours and cut that learning curve in half, if not more.
It’s simple and affordable, let’s dive in!
What Are Card Chords & How They Help You Learn to Play Fender Stratocaster
Fender Strat Card Chords are similar to those cue cards with chord tabs you might have seen before, but with one critical difference – they fit between your guitar’s neck and strings and you can play over them!
Wait, how?
Well, Card Chords are optimized to slide and stay in position, covering the first three frets of your guitar.
They have fret slots specially designed for Fender Stratocaster guitars. The Cards also fit all Strat copies, Ibanez models, and Guild Guitars.
Here’s how it works:
The way it works is:
1) Take the Card Chords deck and swipe out the chord you wish to master.
2) Slide the Card between the strings and the neck of your Strat guitar. Place the card so the fret slots slide into position, covering the first three steps.
3) Again, check that the fret slots are in position. It’s crucial because a properly-placed Card Chord allows you to play over it without distorting the sound or muting the tones.
4) Place your fingers in the proper position as indicated on the Card Chords.
5) Strum!
Check out the Stratocaster version of Card Chords here.
Michael Grande, the creator of Card Chords and a guitar teacher of 30 years, explained:
“I’ve come across lots of these playing card-type things where these playing cards would show you a picture of the chord, which was great, and then you’d have to line it up to the guitar and then pull it away, and then put your fingers there and just hope that you remembered where those fingers and those strings were supposed to be played.
“And that never worked.
“And then you’d put the card between the strings and the fretboard and then nothing would ring out because the card prohibits the strings from ringing so what I decided to do was create a die-cut where it actually cuts out the frets so I can slip this card between the strings and the fretboard.
“It sits perfectly, my fingers are able to play the chord, and the chord rings out perfectly. And then, when I get comfortable enough, I simply pull the tab out and it works perfectly.”
OK, I Fit the Card Chords on My Guitar, But What Do Those Symbols Mean?
Card Chords were designed to be intuitive and easy to understand. As you can see in the image below, each Card has a slot where the chord name is written, and up to three symbols. Three symbols, that’s it. Here’s how they work.
- The blue circles with numbers are the frets to press. You should literally place your fingers over these circles. But which fingers should you place? Well, the black numbers inside the circles indicate which finger to use. 1 means the index finger, 2 is the middle finger, 3 means the ring finger, and 4 indicates the pinky.
- The white 0 sign is an open string sign. An open string means you should strum that string but without pressing any fret. It might sound easy, but it can be tricky to get the string to ring out without accidentally muting it with other fingers.
- The red X sign means mute it. If there is a red X, use your fretting-hand thumb, other fingers, or your strumming hand to mute the string.
YouTube Guitar Wizard Marty Schwartz Has Approved the Card Chords
YouTube guitar master Marty Schwartz – you know him, you love him! – has publicly endorsed Card Chords.
Saying that this tool will really help beginner guitar players learn their beginner chords,” Schwartz pointed out:
“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.”
In his video, Marty explained how Card Chords work using the classic Bob Dylan song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” as an example. The song uses the G Major chord, D Major, and C Major.
If you’re ready to learn how to play guitar in minutes, check out Card Chords for Stratocaster, Yamaha, and Guild guitars here. You can find more info right here on the official site or hit us up via cardchords@gmail.com. Stay safe and rock steady!
