Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced player looking for a quick reference, this guitar chords chart covers every chord you’ll need. We’ve organized them from the most common open chords to advanced jazz voicings.
Open Chords (Beginner Guitar Chords)
These are the first chords every guitarist should learn. They use open strings and are played in the first few frets.
Major Open Chords
C Major (C)
Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string, 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the A string. Strum from the A string down.
D Major (D)
Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, and 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string. Strum from the D string down.
E Major (E)
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and 1st finger on the 1st fret of the G string. Strum all six strings.
G Major (G)
Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string, 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, and 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string. Strum all six strings.
A Major (A)
Place your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers on the 2nd fret of the D, G, and B strings. Strum from the A string down.
F Major (F)
The F chord requires a small barre. Press your 1st finger across the 1st fret of the B and high E strings, 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, and 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the D string.
Minor Open Chords
Am (A Minor)
Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string, 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string.
Dm (D Minor)
Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the high E string, 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, and 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string.
Em (E Minor)
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string. This is one of the easiest chords on guitar.
How Many Guitar Chords Are There?
In theory, there are hundreds of possible chord voicings on guitar. But in practice, you only need about 15-20 chords to play thousands of songs:
The Essential 8: G, C, D, Em, Am, E, A, Dm
Add These Next: F, Bm, B7, A7, D7, E7, Cadd9
Power Player Additions: F#m, C#m, Bb, Eb
With just the Essential 8, you can play over 90% of popular songs.
Barre Chords
Barre chords are moveable chord shapes where your index finger presses across all strings. The two most important barre chord shapes are:
E-Shape Barre Chords
Based on the open E major shape, moved up the neck. At the 1st fret = F, 3rd fret = G, 5th fret = A, 7th fret = B.
A-Shape Barre Chords
Based on the open A major shape, moved up the neck. At the 1st fret = Bb, 3rd fret = C, 5th fret = D, 7th fret = E.
Power Chords
Power chords (also called “5” chords) use just two or three notes and are essential for rock and punk music. They consist of the root note and the fifth.
E5: Play the open low E string and 2nd fret of the A string.
A5: Play the open A string and 2nd fret of the D string.
Moveable Power Chord: Root note on any fret of the E or A string, plus the note two frets higher on the next string.
7th Chords
Seventh chords add color and are essential for blues, jazz, and many pop songs:
A7: Like A major but lift your 3rd finger off.
B7: 2nd finger on 2nd fret of A string, 1st finger on 1st fret of D string, 3rd finger on 2nd fret of G string, 4th finger on 2nd fret of high E string.
D7: Like D major but move your 3rd finger to the 1st fret of the B string.
E7: Like E major but lift your 3rd finger off.
G7: Like G major but place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the high E string.
Chords by Key
Chords in the Key of C
C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am – Bdim
Chords in the Key of G
G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#dim
Chords in the Key of D
D – Em – F#m – G – A – Bm – C#dim
Chords in the Key of A
A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m – G#dim
Chords in the Key of E
E – F#m – G#m – A – B – C#m – D#dim
Types of Chords
Major chords sound happy and bright (C, D, G, etc.)
Minor chords sound sad or moody (Am, Em, Dm, etc.)
7th chords add a bluesy or jazzy feel (A7, E7, G7, etc.)
Suspended chords create tension (Dsus2, Asus4, etc.)
Diminished chords sound tense and unstable (Bdim, C#dim, etc.)
Augmented chords sound bright and unsettled (Caug, Eaug, etc.)
Tips for Learning Guitar Chords
1. Start with G, C, D, and Em – These four chords unlock hundreds of songs.
2. Practice chord transitions – Switching smoothly between chords matters more than the chords themselves.
3. Use a metronome – Start slow (60 BPM) and gradually increase speed.
4. Press close to the fret – Place your fingers just behind the fret wire for clean sound.
5. Check each string – Strum each string individually to make sure every note rings clearly.
6. Learn songs you love – Motivation comes from playing music you enjoy.
Browse our easy chord songs for beginners to start putting these chords to use right away!