Yes, you need a tuner and you need additional picks and spare strings. But, the market also offers affordable, easy-to-use tools that will significantly cut your learning curve as a beginner.

If you want to start playing your favorite songs in minutes even though you’re a newbie, check this stuff out!

Card Chords

Card Chords are specially designed cards that you can insert below your strings and play over. Card Chords come with three slots specifically crafted to fit the first three frets of your instrument.

Once in position, Card Chords still leave enough room for you to play over them. Your strings will not get muted, nor distorted, and you will have a piece of tablature at your fingertips, showing you where to place your fingers to strum the correct chord.

As a beginner, you’ll agree that having to press and hold the strings so they actually produce full notes is hard enough. Having to remember where to place your fingers on top of that struggle can be too much.

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.

Chord Buddy

Chord Buddy is another tool to help new guitarists learn their chords. Chord Buddy is more robust and more intricate to place on the instrument but covers all chords once in position.

The Buddy features a set of four buttons – green, blue, red, and yellow – and comes with a guide included in the package. All chords require players to press specific buttons or leave some strings ringing empty, or not strum them at all.

The good thing about Chord Buddy is that once placed, you don’t have to remove it to play other chords. The downside is that you don’t actually press your strings but the buttons, making you less connected with the instrument.

Before using the device, you must check that the neck width is between 1.5 and 1.875 inches. This means the Buddy will fit most full-sized, 3/4, standard Dreadnaught, full-size, and 5/8-sized electric and acoustic guitars with low to standard string height.

Chord Buddy won’t work on half-size guitars. It is available for right- and left-handed guitars. A guitar tuner is also included in the package.

Check price on Amazon

Qudodo Guitar Trainer

Another cool option is the Qudodo Guitar Trainer. A slightly more complex device, Qudodo is similar to Chord Buddy in terms that you need to install and position it on your guitar’s neck.

The installation is simple, though, all you have to do is clamp the device onto the neck as instructed. The device comes with a training feature and could greatly help you switch between your chords efficiently and with ease. Qudodo can also be used with a capo.

The device sports a rainbow sequence that corresponds to six basic chords, each with its own level. The color patterns are aimed at visual learners, helping new guitarists remember the chords more easily, without forcing them to remember numbers.

It also strengthens your fingertips and prepares you to one day venture into the six-string domain on your own. Qudodo is crafted for 36-to-41-inch folk guitars.

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Pocket Guitar Chord Practice Tool

Here’s a little something for the traveling folks! The Pocket Guitar Chord Practice Tool is basically a portable guitar neck with a screen on top showing you chord chards of your choice. Even if you’re a seasoned player looking to keep up with your chord chops while traveling, this is a good purchase.

The device features six strings and six frets. It’s 10 inches long when closed and weighs 10 ounces. It sports a set of steel strings to prevent rust, and also comes with an onboard metronome.

The Pocket Tool makes no sound when strumming, allowing you to perfect your chords in all environments. You can use the device in public transport, in school, and much more.

The database is loaded with over 400 chords, and the screen can be rotated. This pocket guitar also comes with a built-in metronome. It works on battery power, with a single battery included in the package. Great for keeping your fingertips hard and ready to roll!

Check price on Amazon

The post 4 Unique Guitar Accessories to Help Beginners Learn to Play. Here’s What Makes Them Great appeared first on Card Chords.

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!

The post YouTube Guitar Wizard Marty Schwartz Endorses Card Chords! Here’s What He Wants to Show You appeared first on Card Chords.