Guitar Chords for Beginners
A chord is three or more notes played at the same time. Here are the chords you will use again and again. Start with the open chords. Save the barre chords for when the open ones feel easy.
Open chords: start here
Open chords use at least one string that rings open, without a finger on it. They are the easiest chords to play. And together they cover a huge part of all popular music. Let’s strike a chord. 🎸
Brand new to chords? A, D and G are the classic first three to learn.
Barre chords: when open chords feel easy
A barre chord takes an open chord shape and moves it up the neck. One finger lies flat across several strings, and does the job of the nut. Move the shape one fret up, and the chord goes up a half step. Move it one fret down, and it goes down a half step. This is the magic of barre chords. One shape gives you the same chord type in every key.
How to read a chord diagram
- Numbers tell you which finger goes where. 1 is the index finger, 2 the middle, 3 the ring finger and 4 the pinky.
- An “x” above a string means you don’t play that string.
- An open circle means you play the string open, with no finger on it.
- A rounded bar across several strings is a barre. One finger lies flat and presses all of them at once.
How to get faster
Repetition is the secret. At some point your hand finds the chord on its own, without thinking. Then your head is free to focus on rhythm and tempo. While you get there, choose songs with few chord changes. And play slower than you think you need to. The speed comes by itself when the shapes sit in your fingers. 💡
Frequently asked questions
How many guitar chords are there?
Somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000, depending on how you count. There are twelve root notes, and each one has major, minor and a long list of variations like sus2, sus4, 7, maj7 and add9. In practice, a few dozen open and barre chords cover most songs.
Which chords sound good together?
Chords from the same key sound good together. C major, for example, works well with F, G, Dm, Am and Em. They all come from the key of C. The circle of fifths is the classic tool to find these for any key.
Should I learn open chords or barre chords first?
Open chords. They are easier on your fingers while you build strength. Learn a handful of them, like A, C, D, E, G and their minor versions, and you can already play thousands of songs.