Once you understand how guitar chords charts work, they become easy to read. For instance, the thick line at the top symbolizes the nut while vertical lines symbolize strings and frets.
The chart displays strings that should be muted as indicated by an “X”, while strings with “Os” indicate open strings to strum openly.
Basics
Chords are at the core of any song’s structure and provide its foundation. By placing chords strategically, they can impact its mood or emotion – beginner musicians should learn them first!
A guitar chords chart is a graph that displays how to position your fingers on the fretboard to play specific chords. The thick line at the top represents your guitar nut while black circles indicate where fretting fingers should press when fretting strings and frets with fretting fingers. Most often there are numbers within these circles which correspond with index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger so you know which fingers need pressing when fretting strings and frets.
Sometimes you will see X’s and O’s above black lines, which indicate which strings do not form part of a chord and therefore should be ignored when playing them. This way you don’t need to fret the open strings with fretting fingers but can strum them along with the pressed ones instead.
Variations
Other than standard CAGED chord shapes, there are various other methods of creating guitar chords. An open chord (one with several strings open) may allow less fingers to be used at once and is highly recommended for beginning players.
Minor 7th chords can add a haunting sound to songs and are frequently found in the works of Sting, The Doobie Brothers and B.B. King – just to name a few examples.
Another essential variation are bar chords, which require you to hold down multiple strings at the same time with just your index finger, creating a fuller sound and providing more texture in your songs. Here are a few common variations shown below.
Symbols
If an ‘X’ appears next to a thick black line in a chord chart that represents the nut of your guitar (i.e. the string you play before fretting it), that indicates not fretting that string. Conversely, when an “O” appears above one or more strings it means playing that one openly instead.
Sometimes chord symbols include an indicator to help differentiate whether the chord is major, minor, augmented, or diminished. This typically takes the form of either a circle with an inset slash through it (to indicate its quality) or letters denoting the type of chord being represented.
Other symbols used in chord charts include slashes, asterisks and brackets. Slashes and asterisks denote which strings should be played using a barre (holding multiple strings down at once), brackets indicate which finger should play the chord – this could either be left or right index finger depending on its placement in relation to other fingers, and right angle brackets indicate to move them up one position from where you would typically place them.
Combinations
As long as you choose intervals that work for you, chords of any variety can be formed. To further your knowledge of this subject matter, try assembling different C shapes on the fretboard (see this tutorial for help).
Chord progressions, which consist of chords that go together, are essential in playing songs. Even when soloing, chord progressions provide context for melodies and rhythms.
To change fingering on a chord, look for green circles and blank circle or crosses that indicate which frets to press with your fingers. Also look for solid or curved lines running between top frets of strings to show which you will play, while any number on top frets indicates where your fingers should land for playing barre chords. When starting out it may help not to worry too much about changing fingers – over time this should become second nature and easier!