Most beginner songs need only a handful of open chords. “Open” means some strings ring without any finger pressing them. That sounds full and is easier to play than barre chords.
Major chords
Major chords sound bright and happy. The five key open-position ones are C, G, D, A and E.
CGDAEMinor chords
Minor chords sound softer and often a little thoughtful. Am, Em and Dm are plenty to start with. Compare A and Am: just one note is different. How to hear the difference is explained in major and minor.
AmEmDmSeventh chords
A seventh chord (written with a 7, like G7) has an extra note that sounds like “keep going!”. It often leads back home, for example G7 to C. Common ones are E7, A7, D7, G7 and C7.
G7D7E7A7Which chords go together?
Within a key, the same chords turn up again and again. Once you know these groups, you can play lots of songs almost at first sight:
- C major: C, F, G (G7), Am, Dm, Em
- G major: G, C, D (D7), Em, Am
- D major: D, G, A (A7), Em
- A major: A, D, E (E7)
- A minor: Am, Dm, E (E7), C, G
What the symbols after the letter mean is explained in reading chord symbols. You’ll find the F chord under barre chords.
All chords