Not A Subscriber?

Join hundreds of guitar players getting inspired every Saturday morning reading The Hi Guitar Letter (bringing 1 beginner/intermediate video lesson including tabs to your inbox). For free!

August 3, 2024

Florian Kockott

HG22: The 19 Ways to Manipulate the E Chord (Beginner-Friendly)

This is so powerful…

I mean, we take a single open chord every guitarist on the planet can play and get endless sounds out of it (which then inspires idea after idea).

You got to try this! Enjoy!

This beginner lesson features…

… 19 manipulations to the E chord.

… 10 mini applications.

… Fingerpicking & strumming.

You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for ‘HG22 – The 19 Ways to Manipulate the E Chord (Beginner-Friendly)’).

Download it. Print it. Use it.

In this video, you can listen to the exercise, you can watch me play it, and I’ll teach you through it:

And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!

📈 Difficulty

3/10 (This gives you a rough idea of how difficult it is. If you feel it’s actually easier, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)

⏰ Time Estimation

1 Week (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)

💪 Action Steps

  1. Spend a while on each manipulation so you gain the most out of it.

  2. Play each application provided so you get an idea of what’s possible.

  3. Create your own music manipulating the E chord.

✏️ Extra Tips

  • Tune up your guitar accurately. It’s the only chance these sounds can come out as they should (and it doesn’t just sound weird).

  • When creating your own music, you can quickly get stuck in the usual. Think of all the things you can change up to get unstuck: fingerpicking patterns, strumming patterns, fingers vs guitar pick, tempo, loud vs quiet, where you play strings (fretboard vs bridge), hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, vibrato, rhythm, …

  • You can do the same manipulations to all 8 open cowboy chords (E A D G C Em Am Dm). Have fun with it!

🎯 Encouragement

This concept of manipulating something you already know how to play on the guitar is so powerful, so obvious, and yet not done often enough. Take the time to fully explore the E chord. It’s worth it! Enjoy!

Talk soon,

Florian from Hi Guitar

Book One-On-One Guitar Lessons

Who Is This Guy?

Just an earthling obsessed with guitar since 2004, with a bag full of teaching experience since 2007, and 2 degrees in music & music education in my pocket.

I’m the guy they come to when they…

… Want to get from beginner to intermediate, but they don’t know how.

… Watch tutorial after tutorial, try course after course, buy guitar after guitar, but they don’t get better.

… Feel they’ve wasted enough time trying to figure it out by themselves.

Since 2007, I’ve guided guitarists from beginner to intermediate giving them just the right know-how without burying their creativity.

Still loving it!

Here is how I can help (if you let me):

the spark logo

From Beginner To Creative Intermediate Guitarist

Do you plan to hop around guitar tutorials forever? How about we get you from stuck at the beginning to having all skills needed to play guitar freely and creatively.