TuneHaven Beginner guitar chords, the first eight to learn
Em, C, G, D, Am, E, A and Dm cover a huge number of songs. Fret charts for each, the order to learn them in, and the chord changes worth practising first.
Eight open chords carry most beginner songs. Start with the first four, which are the most common chords in popular music, then add the other four as your hands loosen up.
Before you start, tune the guitar. Nothing makes a correct chord sound wrong like a guitar that is slightly out.
Reading the charts
Each chord is written as six fret numbers, from the sixth string (thickest) to the first (thinnest). 0 means play the string open, x means do not play it, and a number is the fret to press. Finger numbers are 1 for the index finger through 4 for the little finger.
The first four
| Chord | Frets (6 to 1) | Fingers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| E minor (Em) | 0 2 2 0 0 0 | 2 on the 5th string, 3 on the 4th | E B E G B E |
| C major (C) | x 3 2 0 1 0 | 3, 2, 1 | C E G C E |
| G major (G) | 3 2 0 0 0 3 | 2, 1, 3 | G B D G B G |
| D major (D) | x x 0 2 3 2 | 1, 3, 2 | D A D F♯ |
E minor first: two fingers, all six strings. C is the first real stretch; let the fifth string ring and skip the sixth. G has a common alternative, 3 2 0 0 3 3, which adds a D on the second string for a fuller sound; it needs all four fingers, so learn the first version first. D uses only the top four strings, so start your strum on the open fourth.
The next four
| Chord | Frets (6 to 1) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A minor (Am) | x 0 2 2 1 0 | A E A C E |
| E major (E) | 0 2 2 1 0 0 | E B E G♯ B E |
| A major (A) | x 0 2 2 2 0 | A E A C♯ E |
| D minor (Dm) | x x 0 2 3 1 | D A D F |
Notice that A minor is the E major shape moved over one string, and that E minor and E major differ by a single finger. Spotting those relationships is how a chord vocabulary grows.
The changes to practise
Shapes are learned in a day or two. Changing between them in time is the real skill, and it comes from repeating one pair at a time:
- Em to C and Em to G: Em is the easiest shape to land on, so each change only has one hard chord in it.
- C to G and G to D: the moves most songs need.
- Am to E: the same shape, shifted one string.
- C to Am: two fingers stay where they are; only the third moves.
Set a slow, steady count and change on the beat, even if the chord is not perfect yet. Speed comes from changing on time, not from waiting until every chord rings.
After the open chords
The next steps are the F major chord (the first barre most players meet), power chords, and seventh chords. If a song sits too high or too low for your voice, a capo moves all of these shapes up the neck without learning new ones.