Guitar chords may seem intimidating at first, but once you understand their shapes they become much simpler. The diagrams on the right display which strings and frets are being utilized and which fingers should be in which positions; those marked as X indicate which strings shouldn’t be played while open strings (O) should remain unplayed.
Basic chords
Beginners starting out learning guitar chords should start off by familiarizing themselves with open chords before progressing to barre chords and barre-bar chords as soon as they feel comfortable with these. Once these are learned, more complex suspended and seventh chords can be explored – once these have been learned they will no longer require chord charts for playback purposes.
Open chords require less fingers and focus on specific frets, making them an excellent starting point for beginner guitarists. Furthermore, open chords are frequently found in pop and rock music genres and easily adaptable between songs.
Power chords require additional fingers to play and can be challenging for beginners. Used frequently in rock and punk music, power chords can also be distorted to add heavier sounds to songs.
Major chords
Major chords can be found in virtually every genre of music and act as building blocks for many songs, creating progressions and tension. Because of this, mastering major chords should be one of your first goals as an aspiring musician.
Note that chords are written using single letters with the exception of 7 chords which are designated with either M7 or Maj7 notation. A flat 9 indicates a diminished chord (sometimes written dim or with a small circle O).
To master these chords, it requires some basic theory knowledge. Understanding interval counting will make the structure of these chords much simpler to comprehend – you can practice this concept on Rocksmith+ for added guitar playing skill!
Minor chords
No matter if you are strumming a soulful ballad or rocking out to an upbeat anthem, mastery of Major and Minor chords will elevate your guitar-playing skills and help make you an accomplished musician.
Minor chords are constructed similarly to major chords with one key distinction – their third intervals are reduced by half a semitone (e.g. a C major chord becomes A minor). They’re commonly used to add tension to a progression and may often be followed up with regular chords for an easier finished sounding effect. They also allow musicians to learn about musical intervals and their relationships on the fretboard; which helps develop muscle memory as they transition between chords on the fretboard.
Power chords
Power chords are an integral component of many rock riffs, such as Black Sabbath’s Iron Man or Pat Benatar’s Hit Me with Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar or Wheezer’s Island in the Sun or Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. When using these chords it’s essential that the thickest string remains muted; you can do this by placing finger 1 on any string below it so as to stop its vibration from sounding off – this also keeps all other strings from sounding off.
Power chords feature only root and fifth notes, so they’re often played with distortion to produce an intense and louder sound – particularly in hard rock music.
Barre chords
Barre chords present many guitarists with difficulty because they require considerable pressure in order to produce a crisp sound. While this requires considerable strength in your fretting hand, with practice it is possible – the key lies in spreading pressure evenly across all strings so as to prevent wrist strain and finger fatigue.
Keep your thumb positioned correctly behind the neck to distribute pressure more evenly and reduce chances of buzzing notes. In order to create an effective connection with strings, aim for having a strong fulcrum (index finger). Remembering Conor McGregor’s principle “precision beats power” will help when practicing barre chords.