Guitar Chords
- Notes
- C – E – G
- Formula
- 135
× 3 2 0 1 08 10 10 9 8 8× 3 5 5 5 3Chord finder
Tap keys to build a chord; the name appears here.
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Choose a root and a chord type. Dots show where to press, × means do not play that string, ○ means play it open.
How to read a guitar chord diagram
The diagram is the neck seen from the front: six vertical lines are the strings, low E on the left and high E on the right; horizontal lines are the frets. A number beside the diagram tells you which fret the top row is. A thick bar across several strings is a barre: one finger presses all of them.
Open chords and barre chords
Open chords (C, A, G, E, D and their minors) use open strings and sit in the first three frets. Every other key uses a barre shape: the E shape with the root on the 6th string, or the A shape with the root on the 5th. Learn F (E shape, fret 1) and B♭ (A shape, fret 1) and you can play any major chord by sliding the shape.
Questions
- Which guitar chords should a beginner learn first?
- E minor, A minor, C, G, D and E. They are open chords that cover most beginner songs; F is usually the first barre chord.
- What does the × above a string mean?
- Do not play that string, or mute it with a finger. ○ means play it open.
- Are these chords for standard tuning?
- Yes, E A D G B E from low to high.