Mastering chords diagrams is an indispensable skill for any guitarist. Each box in a chord chart represents one string and each dot represents a fret; circled numbers on particular frets indicate where your index finger should go when placing chords.
Bar chords can be identified by their thick black lines across multiple strings. An X indicates whether you should muted or open that string.
Symbols
Although most aspects of music notation adhere to well-established engraving standards, chord diagrams tend to vary widely in their usage. Thankfully, there are some basic rules which can help decipher what all those X’s and O’s mean on a guitar chords diagram.
A chord chart depicting zero fret represents its nut, while horizontal lines running vertically represent strings; dots or circles on these horizontal lines indicate which fingers should be placed at which frets.
Bars span multiple strings – anything from two to six in number – and may contain anything from one note, multiple notes or even whole chords. A Cadd9 indicates a C major triad with an additional D voicing above it but not suggesting its placement as a seventh beneath; other extensions are notated as simply “sus” and will only appear for specific recordings where those extensions originated from. It’s up to you whether or not to honor those voicings, but they can often provide useful guides that allow you to hear more subtleties within chords!
Dots
Beginners might find chord charts to be an incomprehensible puzzle of lines, dots and numbers. Each dot represents one fret on a guitar fretboard while its thick line at the top is called the nut; each vertical string represents one string on an instrument; black dots indicate where you should place your fingers when playing chords while their numbers show which fingers to press for which fret – index finger 1, middle finger 2, ring finger 3 and pinky 4.
You may also see either an “X” or an “O” written above a dot; these indicate which string should not be played within a chord and an open string respectively.
Bar chords are another common symbol on chord charts, and require holding down multiple strings at once – from two to six at any one time. Text at the top of a chord chart indicates their name.
Bars
Bars in a chord chart are thick black lines that span multiple strings and indicate barre chords, which require you to place one or more fingers on one or more frets and not play any further strings in that row. An X above each bar indicates you should mute that string rather than leave it open for playing.
You may notice a bar with numbers to the left that indicate which fret you should play – this is an invaluable feature that makes learning chords much simpler!
Finally, the text at the top of a chord chart provides you with information about which chord it represents; usually either C for major chords or m for minor ones. By using this tool you’ll learn all of the basic chords needed to start playing songs on guitar.
X’s and O’s
On a guitar chords diagram, black dots represent your fretting hand’s fingers; these numbers correspond with the chord’s numbering system; index finger 1, middle finger 2, ring finger 3, and pinky finger 4 are assigned respective numbers to represent their respective fingers in your fretting hand. Each finger number corresponds with one string number in the chord; on top of these there may also be either an “X” or an “O”, whereby an X indicates you should mute or not play that string while an O indicates open playing (without pressing down on any fretted fretted fretted fretted fretted fretted fret).
The thick line at the top of a chord box represents the guitar nut while horizontal lines represent each metal fret. Dots indicate where to place your fingers on frets while Xs and Os indicate which string to strum and whether it should be played muted or open – in this example the X above G and high E strings indicates open strumming.