Guitar Chords for Beginners
Pick up a guitar and play real songs. Learn the parts of the guitar, tune it, read chord diagrams, play six chords that cover thousands of songs, strum in time and switch chords without stopping. Every chord and rhythm plays right on this page.
Know your guitar and how to hold it
Acoustic and electric guitars have the same layout, and every chord on this page works on both. Here are the parts you'll hear about:
- Headstock and tuning pegs: at the top. Turning a peg tightens or loosens a string, which raises or lowers its pitch.
- Nut: the small grooved strip where the headstock meets the neck. Strings ring from here when you play them "open" (no fingers).
- Neck and fretboard: the long part you press the strings against.
- Frets: the thin metal bars across the fretboard. "Fret 1" is the space between the nut and the first bar, "fret 2" is the next space, and so on. Each fret raises the note by one half step.
- Body, sound hole and bridge: the big part you strum over. The bridge anchors the strings at the bottom. Electrics have pickups instead of a sound hole.
The six strings have numbers
Strings are numbered from the thinnest (1) to the thickest (6). That surprises people, because when you hold the guitar the thick 6th string is on top, nearest your face. "Low" and "high" mean pitch, not position: the thick string is the low one.
Holding it
- Sit up straight with the guitar's waist on your right leg (if you're right-handed). The neck points left, angled slightly up.
- Fretting hand (left): thumb on the back of the neck, roughly behind your middle finger. Keep your palm off the neck so your fingers can arch.
- Strumming hand (right): rest your forearm on the top edge of the body, so your hand hangs over the sound hole.
- Use a pick if you like: hold it between the side of your index finger and the pad of your thumb, with just the tip showing. A thin or medium pick is easiest for strumming.
Left-handed? Most lefties play a left-handed guitar, which is a mirror image. Everything here still applies, just flip left and right. Some left-handed players learn on a regular guitar and do fine, so try both if you can.
Tune to EADGBE
Standard tuning, from the thick 6th string to the thin 1st string, is E A D G B E. A popular memory trick: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie. The two E strings are two octaves apart.
| String | Note | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | E (low E) | Thickest, top when holding |
| 5 | A | |
| 4 | D | |
| 3 | G | |
| 2 | B | |
| 1 | E (high E) | Thinnest, bottom when holding |
The easy way: use a tuner
A clip-on tuner, a free tuner app, or an online tuner that listens through your microphone will show the note you're playing. Pluck one string, turn its peg slowly, and stop when the tuner shows the right letter with the needle centered. If the needle is left (flat), tighten. If it's right (sharp), loosen a little, then come back up to the note. Tuning up to a note helps it stay in tune.
Tap a string to hear its correct pitch, then match your guitar to it. Tap the same button again to stop.
No sound? Turn your volume up. On iPhone, check the silent switch.
The 5th-fret method (no tuner)
If only one string is right, you can tune the rest to it. Starting from a correct low E: press the 6th string at the 5th fret. That note is A, so tune the open 5th string to match it. Repeat up the neck: 5th string, 5th fret matches the open 4th string, and 4th string, 5th fret matches the open 3rd. One exception: on the 3rd (G) string, use the 4th fret to tune the open B string. Then go back to the 5th fret on the B string to tune the high E.
Go slowly near the top. Turn pegs a little at a time and pluck as you turn. Cranking a string far past its note is the usual way strings snap. If you're unsure which way to turn, loosen first, then bring it up.
Read a chord diagram
A chord diagram is a picture of the fretboard as if the guitar were standing up facing you. Once you can read one, you can learn any chord from a songbook or website.
- Vertical lines are strings. The thick low E (6) is on the left, high E (1) on the right.
- Horizontal lines are frets. The thick line at the top is the nut. If a chord starts higher up the neck, you'll see a number like "5fr" beside it instead.
- Dots show where to press. The number in or under a dot tells you which finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. The thumb is "T".
- O above a string means play it open. X means don't play that string (skip it or mute it).
E minor
- X X O above strings 6, 5, 4: skip the two thick strings, play the 4th string open.
- Finger 1 on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
- Finger 3 on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Finger 2 on the 1st string, 2nd fret.
- Strum only the four thin strings: a D major chord.
Your first six chords
These six open chords use the open strings to ring out, which makes them the easiest starting point. With them you can play a huge number of pop, folk, rock and country songs. Learn them roughly in this order. Each one is in the chord viewer above.
| Chord | Strings 6→1 | Fingers | Strum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em | 0 2 2 0 0 0 | 2 on A string, 3 on D string (both fret 2) | All 6 |
| E | 0 2 2 1 0 0 | Like Em, plus 1 on G string, fret 1 | All 6 |
| Am | X 0 2 2 1 0 | The E shape moved over one string | Top 5 |
| D | X X 0 2 3 2 | 1 on G2, 3 on B3, 2 on high E2 | Top 4 |
| C | X 3 2 0 1 0 | 3 on A3, 2 on D2, 1 on B1 | Top 5 |
| G | 3 2 0 0 0 3 | 2 on low E3, 1 on A2, 3 on high E3 | All 6 |
In the "Strings" column, numbers are frets, 0 is open and X is not played. "Top 5" means start from the 5th string and strum down.
Make every note ring
- Use your fingertips, coming down on the string from above, with your knuckles arched. Flat fingers touch the strings next to them and mute them.
- Press just behind the fret (on the side nearer the body), not in the middle of the space. You'll need much less pressure.
- Check each string. Hold the chord and pick the strings one at a time, thick to thin. If one buzzes or thuds, adjust the finger near it. The "Pick each string" button above shows what it should sound like.
- Relax. Squeezing harder rarely fixes a buzz. Moving closer to the fret usually does.
Sore fingertips are normal for the first couple of weeks while calluses form. Practice in short sessions (10 to 15 minutes, a few times a day) instead of one long one. If you feel sharp pain or pain in your wrist, stop and rest, and check that your thumb isn't clamping the neck.
Other G shapes. You'll also see G played as 3 2 0 0 3 3, with the ring finger on the B string, 3rd fret, and the pinky on the high E. Both are correct. Use the one that's easier to reach for now.
Strum in time
Strumming is a steady pendulum. Your hand moves down on the beats (1, 2, 3, 4) and up on the "ands" in between, all the time, whether or not you hit the strings. Different patterns just choose which of those movements actually touch the strings. That's how you keep in time.
- Down strums (D) start from the lowest string the chord uses and brush toward the floor.
- Up strums (U) are lighter and usually catch just the top three or four thin strings.
- Strum from the wrist, loosely, like shaking water off your hand. Hold the pick lightly enough that it can flex.
| Pattern | Count it | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter notes | D · D · D · D | Your first songs, learning changes |
| Eighth notes | D U D U D U D U | Building a steady up-down motion |
| "Old faithful" | D · D U · U D U | Countless pop, folk and rock songs |
| Waltz (3/4) | D · D U D U | Songs in three, like waltzes |
Watch the boxes: move your hand down on every number and up on every "&". Only touch the strings where you see D or U.
Start slow. 60 to 70 BPM is plenty at first. Being steady at a slow tempo beats being fast and uneven, and speed comes on its own.
Change chords without stopping
Changing chords smoothly is the skill that turns "I know some chords" into "I can play songs." These tricks help:
- Move all fingers together, as one shape, instead of placing them one at a time. Practice lifting the shape just off the strings and landing it.
- Look for anchor fingers that don't move. Am to C keeps fingers 1 and 2 exactly where they are. Only the ring finger moves, from the G string to the A string.
- Look for shared shapes. Em to E just adds finger 1. E to Am keeps the same shape and moves it over one string.
- Look ahead. Start moving on the last beat (or last "and") of the old chord. It's fine if the last strum before a change catches open strings. Most players do this, and it keeps the rhythm going.
- Keep strumming. Your strumming hand should never wait for your fretting hand. A late chord sounds better than a stopped rhythm.
One-minute changes
A well-known practice drill, popularized by guitar teacher Justin Sandercoe: pick two chords and switch back and forth for one minute, counting each clean change. Don't strum; just form the chord properly each time. Write down your score and try to beat it tomorrow. A few minutes a day of this improves changes faster than almost anything else.
Press Start, then tap "+1 change" (or press the space bar) each time you land a clean chord.
- Strum G, C, D, G with four down strums each (the quarter-note pattern).
- Then try Em, C, G, D, a progression used in countless songs.
- When that feels steady, switch to the "old faithful" pattern.
- You're playing the backbone of real songs.
FAQCommon questions
Should I start on acoustic or electric?
Either works. Electric guitars usually have lighter strings and a thinner neck, so chords are easier to press. Acoustic guitars need nothing else to play. Nylon-string classical guitars are the gentlest on fingertips but have wide necks. Pick the one that makes you want to play.
Why does my chord buzz?
Usually a finger is too far from the fret, not pressing on its tip, or touching a neighboring string. Pick each string one at a time to find the culprit, then move that finger closer to the fret and arch it more. If open strings buzz with no fingers down, the guitar may need a setup at a music store.
How often should I tune?
Every time you pick up the guitar. Temperature, humidity and new strings all make the pitch drift. It takes under a minute with a tuner.
Do I need to read music?
No. Most guitar songs are shared as chord charts (chord names above the lyrics) or tab, which shows strings and fret numbers. Chord diagrams are all you need for this page.
The sounds on this page don't play.
Browsers only allow sound after you tap or click the page. Tap a button once, turn your volume up, and on iPhone make sure the ring/silent switch isn't on silent.
How long until I can play a song?
With short daily practice, many beginners can strum a simple three- or four-chord song within a few weeks. Smooth, quick changes take longer, which is exactly what one-minute changes are for.