“How many guitar chords are there?” is one of the most common questions beginners ask. The answer depends on how you count them — and the good news is, you only need a handful to play most songs.
The Short Answer
There are thousands of possible chord voicings on guitar, but you only need about 8-15 chords to play the vast majority of popular songs. Here’s the breakdown:
Counting by Chord Names
There are 12 notes in Western music (C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B). For each note, there are common chord types:
– 12 major chords (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, plus sharps/flats)
– 12 minor chords
– 12 dominant 7th chords
– 12 major 7th chords
– 12 minor 7th chords
– 12 diminished chords
– 12 augmented chords
– 12 suspended chords (sus2, sus4)
– Plus 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, add9, 6ths, and altered chords…
That’s roughly 100-150 unique chord names in common use.
Counting by Voicings
Each chord name can be played in multiple positions on the guitar neck. For example, C major alone has at least 10 playable voicings. Multiply that by all chord types, and you get into the thousands.
A commonly cited number is around 2,000-4,000 practical chord voicings on a standard guitar.
How Many Do You Actually Need?
Beginner (8 chords): Play hundreds of songs
G, C, D, Em, Am, E, A, Dm. These eight open chords cover an enormous percentage of popular music.
Intermediate (15 chords): Play almost anything
Add: F, Bm, B7, D7, A7, E7, Cadd9. With barre chord shapes for F and Bm, you can play in any key.
Advanced (2 moveable shapes): Play everything
Learn the E-shape and A-shape barre chords, and you can play any major or minor chord anywhere on the neck. That’s really just 4 shapes (major and minor versions of each) that cover all 24 basic chords.
The 80/20 Rule of Guitar Chords
About 80% of popular songs use the same 20% of chords. The most common chords in popular music are:
1. G major — appears in the most songs
2. C major
3. D major
4. E minor
5. A minor
6. E major
7. A major
8. F major
How to Approach Learning Chords
Phase 1: Open chords (week 1-4)
Learn G, C, D, Em, Am. Practice switching between them. You can already play hundreds of songs.
Phase 2: Add more open chords (month 2-3)
Add E, A, Dm, and the B7 and A7. Learn your first barre chord (F).
Phase 3: Barre chords (month 3-6)
Learn E-shape and A-shape barre chords. Now you can play any major or minor chord.
Phase 4: Extended chords (month 6+)
Add 7th chords, sus chords, add9 chords as songs require them. Learn them as needed rather than all at once.
Don’t Try to Learn Them All
No guitarist knows every chord voicing. Even professional musicians learn new voicings throughout their career. Focus on playing songs, and you’ll naturally accumulate the chords you need. The best way to learn chords is through songs, not through memorizing a chord encyclopedia.