Chord chart
Guitar chord chart for beginners
Each box is the guitar neck seen from the front. Dots are where to press. The number in a dot is the finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. A circle means play the string open, a cross means skip it. Tap any chord for its own page: fingers, notes, sound, and the songs that use it.
Start here
The first eight
Two or three fingers each. Learn them in this order.
E minor
2 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →A minor
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →C major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →G major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →D major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →E major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →D minor
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →A major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →
Group 2
The next six
Seventh chords add colour, and F is the first barre: your index finger presses all six strings at once. Take it last.
Group 3
Sevenths and colour chords
Small changes to shapes you know. Each one adds a note that makes the chord softer, jazzier or more open.
C seven
4 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →A minor seven
2 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →E minor seven
1 finger
Fingers, notes, sound →D minor seven
barre, 2 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →C major seven
2 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →F major seven
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →C add nine
4 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →
Group 4
Sus chords
Suspended chords leave out the note that makes a chord major or minor. They sound open and unresolved, and they are easy.
Group 5
Barre chords
One finger presses several strings at once. Hard for a week, then every key on the neck opens up.
Group 6
Power chords
Two or three strings, no major or minor. The rock sound. Move the shape anywhere on the neck.
How to practise a chord
- 1
Place the fingers one at a time
Then play each string on its own. Fix any that buzz before you strum.
- 2
Lift the whole hand off, then put the shape back
Repeat ten times. This is what makes chord changes fast later.
- 3
Open a song in Chords mode at 60 percent
Play along, even if your changes are late. Speed up a little each day.
Questions people ask
- What are the easiest guitar chords?
- E minor and A minor are the easiest: two or three fingers, all six strings ring. Then E, D and A with three fingers, then C and G, which need a bigger stretch.
- How do I read a chord chart?
- The chart is the neck seen from the front with the thick low E string on the left and the nut at the top. Dots show where to press. The number in a dot is the finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. A circle above a string means play it open. A cross means skip it.
- Why does my chord buzz?
- Usually a finger is too far from the fret or touching a neighbouring string. Move each finger closer to the fret, arch it so only the tip touches, and play the strings one at a time to find the one that buzzes.