How to Play the A Chord | Guitar for Beginners

I really wanted to start playing guitar but now at my 30's i guess im just not capable of doing even an A chord well im the one realy not build for guitar. But it's all good i've already come to terms with that im not gonna be a rock star ;p

Excellent tutorial!

Why they don’t just make the neck wider

I just got done trying to go through someone else's video and ended up being frustrated, feeling like guitar is impossible, and I was thinking i should take up piano keyboard.

And here you are, addressing the feeling that guitar is impossible and making it feel ok.

I watched your first vid on the D chord where you explicitly addressed the issues i was having with the D. Again easing the frustration.

You are a God send. Thank you for teaching guitar in a way that really benefits those of us picking one up for the first time. You've put most of my frustration at ease and i feel like it really is possible to learn.

I played guitar for a month basically, 5 years ago. Now I'm trying to actively learn it and this channel is a blessing. Also I'm fingers are really hurting lol. Thanks so much for this.

Hey Justin....thanks so much for your videos...I taught myself basic guitar back in the day when you had only a book or a good friend to learn from...so thoroughly enjoying all. I have a question...re a daily practice...how would you structure a daily practice?...
Merry Christmas from OZ and thanks again🙏🧑‍🎄

Noob question. I thought that the numeral on the string means, finger on that string on the corresponding fret. So why is all 3 fingers on the same fret?

Really the best position is 3-2-1, that way there is much less finger movement involved when changing to the following chords since the fingers are all facing the same way:

Am E Em F Fmaj7 C Cmaj7 Cadd9 G Gmaj7

Do it with fingers 2, 3, 4. Finger 4 is way smaller than 1 so you got more room to make the chord.

I’m self taught and use 2-3-4 (middle, ring, pinky). Super easy to change to other chords

Wow I always struggled with the open A major chord (I have bigger hand and I was unable to play the A chord "properly" - the traditional way - there were lots of buzzing and actually there wasn't enough space for my fingers) so I had to figure out a different finger position to play basic songs and I figured out the same finger position that I saw here... and always felt bad that I cannot play the basic A chord in the proper way so today I checked this video for maybe a good advice that help me with that... It actually helped, I don't feel bad anymore about this finger positioning! Thank you!

MY FINGERS!!! THE PAAAAAAIN!!!!

You make explaining and instructions so clear that I was able to get it in the matter of 30 seconds, thanks!

Thank you very much man, I felt like it was impossible.

damn my fingers hurt... but that ok

I'm a beginner. I've also seen it done with fingers 2, 3, and 4, which seems an easier fit, to me. 🤷‍♂️

I just love how easily he teaches... Am learning soo fast

There are many many many disadvantages to playing an A chord like this!

Oh this is how to play the A chord lol I thought this was how to play a chord lol I'll be back

Day six, & you are a godsend, mister. Correcting the orientation of my digits and I am playing an A chord, thank you so much!!
🦓💚

how do you sneak the 1 finger between the second and third? Like i just cant do it my fingers feel like they are gonna snap of if i try to bend them that way. Edit: Its much better now i really prefer this finger placement i need to practice more but you dont have to press down so hard with justings finger technice.

This is gonna be the one to take out my fingers

Just a tip for everyone, practice playing A chord on 9th fret, then when you move to second fret again it will be like cheating, this trick finally helped me get the A chord down

i need 5 minutes with the person who invented the A Chord! :/

"The fingering i teach"

I've been trying for 4 weeks now to get it down but one note is always off. If I get the 1st string to sound good the 3rd doesn't sound anymore. If the 3rd one sounds good the 5th sounds buzzy. If I get the 5th and 3rd the 1st sounds off again I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Love you justin so solved my problem

Justin help! I’ve revisited the A chord after a year and I still struggle with the high e string ringing out, because I’m trying to mute the low e string with my thumb! I can play loads of other chords really well but still dread the Simple a chord, if I want the muted low e string. Please help!!

Learning Floyd’s “brain damage” lotsa fun .hell,I’m a 58 yr old carpenter.

At 54, I am finally committing to learn guitar. And I have you to thank. I’ve spent three hours over the last two days just because your instruction is so clear. Thank you thank you thank you 🙏

I've struggling to get my 3rd finger in there and even when I do the 1st finger doesn't ring out correctly. Any tips?

I have fat fingers. The only way I can do the Open A is with fingers 2,3,4. He has long thin fingers, having short fat fingers myself, I have to find other ways which he doesn't think about

Wait, what strings should I be strumming? The four after the thickest one or only the strings the fingers are touching?

Thanks. Enjoying your tutorials. I was hoping you would talking about the one-finger A chord where the index lies across D, G and B. I'm wondering if you recommend this and whether I could ever get my finger to flex/bend that far to accomplish it if I cannot do it now.

I now play the A chord using only my index finger, I find this much easier especially when moving between chords 🤔 I wonder why this alternate fingering isn't taught more often.

idk if i missed a part but I dont understand exactly what the D chord is yet, was I suppsoed to strum the 1-4 chords at once(thinnest to thicker) or just 1-3? other than that im enjoying the videos so far just a little confused here

I was struggling with the A chord and the way you showed it helped so much! I guess I’m going to keep going!

Yes! 2 1 3

The great thing about learning the guitar, which lets face it ain’t easy, is the huge amount of support there is out there. It’s a labour of love but so worth it.

I'm not sure if I am doing it wrong or I didn't find this as difficult as the D chord, first finger in the middle, and in the middle of the fret and the other two fingers at the far end of the fret,

Ouch

D chord: "I got this easy"
A chord: ( Looking wistfully back at my piano; keys perfectly spaced to fit fingers ) "Who tf designed the strings like this?"

I am a learner, and I found the A chord a struggle so I came up with my own solution. I am able to bar-chord it with my first finger, l have quite a flexible finger.

The A chord has A, C# and E notes ( as on piano ).
So can anyone please tell me why the low E is crossed out?

Do these lessons work for acoustic guitar?

Very clear. Thank you!

It does seem impossible, but those encouraging words help