Guitar chord chart

Free guitar chord chart

Look up major, minor, 7th, and suspended guitar chords. Each diagram shows the open shape and the movable barre shapes.

C major

C · E · G

Low E is on the left, high E on the right. × means mute that string. ○ means play it open. The number is your finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. A bar is one finger laid across those strings.

How to use this chord chart

  1. Choose the root note, then the chord type. Major is the plain chord, such as C or G.
  2. Start with the shape labeled Open when it is there. That is the everyday fingering.
  3. E shape and A shape are movable barre chords. The “3fr” mark means the top line of the diagram is the 3rd fret, not the nut.
  4. Press the numbered fingers down just behind the fret wire. Mute any string marked ×.
  5. Strum slowly and listen for a buzz. Roll the finger that is touching a neighbor string until every note rings.

Acoustic and electric guitars use the same shapes. If a chord will not ring, tune first with the free online guitar tuner, then practice the change with the free online metronome at 60 BPM.

Open chords to learn first

These eight chords cover most beginner songs. Fingering is written from the low E string to the high E string. 0 is open. x is muted.

Chord Low E to high E Notes
C x 3 2 0 1 0 C E G
G 3 2 0 0 0 3 G B D
D x x 0 2 3 2 D F# A
A x 0 2 2 2 0 A C# E
E 0 2 2 1 0 0 E G# B
Am x 0 2 2 1 0 A C E
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0 E G B
Dm x x 0 2 3 1 D F A

What the chord types mean

  • Major: the plain chord. C major is usually just called C.
  • Minor: a darker version of the same root. Am is A minor.
  • 7: a dominant seventh. G7 is the chord that pulls back to C in a lot of songs.
  • m7 and maj7: softer sevenths. Am7 and Cmaj7 show up in ballads and jazzier progressions.
  • sus2 and sus4: the middle note moves. Dsus4 usually resolves to D.

The chart includes every root from C through B, including C#, Eb, F#, Ab, and Bb. Each chord shows up to three fingerings.

Questions about guitar chords

What is a guitar chord chart?

A chord chart shows where to put your fingers. Each diagram is the fretboard, with the thick low E string on the left and the thin high E string on the right. Dots are fretted notes. × means do not play that string.

Which chords should a beginner learn first?

Learn Em, G, C, D, Am, and E. Those six open chords are enough for a lot of songs. Add Dm and A next, then the easy F before the full F barre chord.

What is an E-shape barre chord?

Play an open E, then slide that shape up and lay your index finger across the fret where the nut used to be. At the 1st fret that shape is F. At the 3rd fret it is G. The A shape works the same way, starting from an open A.

Do acoustic and electric guitars use different chords?

No. The notes and fingerings are the same. An electric is easier to fret, so barre chords are a good place to practice them before moving the same shape to an acoustic.

Why does a chord buzz?

A finger is either not close enough to the fret or it is touching the next string. Press just behind the fret wire and arch the fingers. Also check that the guitar is in tune, and that you are not strumming a string marked ×.