Before you put your fingers down
The fingers of your fretting hand are numbered: 1 for the index, 2 for the middle, 3 for the ring finger, 4 for the pinky. Strings are counted from the thinnest (1st, high E) to the thickest (6th, low E). If chord charts still look like a mystery, read how to read chord diagrams first.
Three habits that make a chord ring out:
- Press with your fingertips, fingers curved, so you don't touch the neighboring strings.
- Place your finger just behind the fret, not in the middle of the space. It takes far less pressure.
- Keep your thumb behind the neck, roughly across from your middle finger, without squeezing.
And tune your guitar before you start: a perfectly fingered chord on an out-of-tune guitar still sounds wrong. It's all covered in how to tune a guitar.
Start with the two minor chords
E minor (Em)
The easiest of them all. Middle finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Strum all six strings. In number notation: 022000.
A minor (Am)
Index on the 2nd string, 1st fret. Middle finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Strum from the 5th string down, skipping the 6th: x02210.
Notice that your middle and ring fingers make the same little block as in Em, just moved one string toward the floor. That's no accident: you're going to use it.
C and G, the workhorses
C
Ring finger on the 5th string, 3rd fret. Middle finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Index on the 2nd string, 1st fret. Don't play the 6th string: x32010. The usual trap: the index finger muting the 1st string. Keep it nicely arched.
G
Middle finger on the 6th string, 3rd fret. Index on the 5th string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret. All six strings ring: 320003.
There's a four-finger version, 320033: ring finger on the 2nd string at the 3rd fret, pinky on the 1st string at the 3rd fret. It sounds fuller and makes the change to D easier. Learn the first one, switch to the second once your fingers are comfortable.
D, A and E
D
Index on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Middle finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Your fingers make a small triangle. Strum only the four high strings: xx0232.
A
Three fingers side by side at the 2nd fret: index on the 4th string, middle on the 3rd, ring on the 2nd. The 1st string stays open and the 6th isn't played: x02220. It's a tight squeeze; if it jams, shift your index slightly back in the fret space.
E
Middle finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Index on the 3rd string, 1st fret. All six strings: 022100. It's exactly Em with the index added.
D minor, the trickiest one
Index on the 1st string, 1st fret. Middle finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Just four strings: xx0231. The index, right at the edge of the neck, tends to slip off. Keep your wrist a little further forward than for the other chords.
To know whether a chord really rings true, Fredon can listen: when you practice a chord, the app tells you if it's right and, if not, which note is missing and on which strings. Great for catching the muted string you've stopped hearing after a while.
Chord changes to practice
Knowing a chord isn't enough: you need to get from one to the next without breaking the rhythm. These changes go from easiest to hardest. Each time, look for the finger that stays put or moves the least.
- Em → E: add your index finger, that's it.
- Em → Am: the middle-and-ring block moves down one string, the index drops in.
- Am → C: index and middle fingers stay put. Only the ring finger moves, from the 3rd string to the 5th string, 3rd fret.
- E → Am: the same shape slides one string toward the floor, same fingers.
- D → Dm: the ring finger stays on the 2nd string at the 3rd fret, the other two rearrange.
- G → D: with the four-finger G, the ring finger stays on the 2nd string at the 3rd fret and acts as a pivot.
- C → G and D → A: no shared fingers. These take the most repetition.
Progressions for playing real songs
- G – C – D: the ultimate folk and rock progression.
- Em – C – G – D: a pop progression you hear everywhere.
- C – Am – Dm – G: the sound of ballads, in C major.
- Am – Dm – E: a darker, more dramatic minor color.
- A – D – E: blues and rock in A.
Once you've got these down, try to find the chords of a song by ear: lots of songs use exactly these progressions.
How to practice
- The one-minute test. Pick two chords and count how many clean changes you can make in one minute. Write down the number, try again tomorrow. You'll see progress fast.
- Change without strumming. Place the chord, release, place it again. Your fingers learn the shape before they have to make it sound.
- Slow first. Four beats per chord, with a slow metronome. Only speed up when the change lands right on time.
- A little, often. Ten minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Your fingertips toughen up in two or three weeks.
Common mistakes
- Strumming the strings marked x. A D chord with the open 6th string ringing sounds muddy. Aim for the strings you're supposed to play.
- Fingers too flat. They mute the strings next to them. A string that doesn't ring is almost always this.
- Pressing too hard. Too much pressure tires your hand and can push the note sharp. Press just hard enough for a clean sound.
- Staring at your hand the whole time. That's normal at first, but soon try changing chords with your eyes on the chord chart.
What's next?
The chord missing from this list is F. It needs a barre, and deserves its own guide: how to play barre chords. In the meantime, a capo lets you play in other keys with these eight shapes: see the capo guide. And if a shape gives you trouble, Fredon's chord library shows every fingering of a chord, from easiest to hardest.