sorry I just don\'t get it

So I go to the chords and try and play some. Everytime I do it sounds like crap. My guitar is in tune so it isn\'t that. I don\'t really understand, what I can be doing wrong. I don\'t really understand why there are markings that are not on the fret board and what\'s the deal with the little r\'s? I dunno I\'m getting kinda frustrated

The littles Rs mean it's the root note... the root note of a C chord will be C, for example.

Make sure you know how to read chord diagrams properly, and you know know which string is which in relation to the diagram.

I think that may be the issue I don't really know how to read them cuz like some of them have more than five markings and I like everyone else am only able to use four fingers to form chords. So now do I press where the r is or no?

Well, if there are over four markings it's likely you have to barre the chord. The markings will probably be on the same fret as one of the other notes (or else it'd be impossible), and it's also likely that there are more than one note on the same fret (different string) of the root (r) note.

You need to press the R note, yes.


Give me an example of a chord that you cant figure out the fingering for and I'll look at it and try explain.

Goto this site it will teach you how to read TAB.
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/tab-notation.txt

Good luck it helped me ALOT.

What book are you learing from? I would suggest the book Progressive Rhythm Guitar. It is put out by 'progressive' In my opinion, it is a great book for self-instruction. If you are learning out of a chord book, you are probably not picking out the correct chords for a beginner. Good luck, and don't give up. That is what makes the guitar so much fun. It is that it is sooo difficult, but then if you keep at it, it gets easier and easier, then you move on to the next level and it gets more difficult again. I figure, "gee, at least it can never get boring."