Learning guitar chords is often one of the first steps new guitarists take toward mastering their favorite songs. Guitar chords are made up of groups of notes played simultaneously on two or more strings that can be strung together to form rhythm parts of songs.
There are many different chords to learn, but we recommend beginning with G, C and D chords – these major chords of G key can be found in numerous songs!
How to Read a Guitar Chord Chart
Once you understand the basic structure of a guitar chord chart, deciphering its representations of chords will quickly become second nature.
Chord charts are visual tools designed to aid guitarists in memorizing different chords on the fretboard of their guitar. Usually consisting of six lines representing individual strings and fret line lines representing where your fingers should be placed for specific chords, chord charts can help you quickly memorize different chords on the fretboard of your instrument.
Sometimes chord charts include an X or O above the thicker line that represents your guitar nut; an X signifies muting (or only muted one string) while an O instructs strummed an open string (without pressing any frets). Other times, chord charts simply list their names and their layout – an interactive chord library such as Yousician is an ideal way to practice reading these charts and familiarizing yourself with them.
What Do the Numbers and Dots Mean?
When viewing a chord diagram, there will often be various numbers and dots present. The numbers typically represent which fret on the guitar string your fingers should rest at; depending on your fingering this could mean index, middle, ring and pinky.
Sometimes there are also X’s and O’s marked above strings on a chart; these indicate when to avoid playing that string when strumming the chord while O’s indicate when to open (without placing your fingers on any frets) play that string.
On a guitar chord chart, other symbols that may be found include black dots that represent frets on the guitar and letters corresponding to those frets. Most commonly seen is “6fr”, or sixth fret; this indicates where chords start on strings; other times just numbers like VI are used as markers to indicate this beginning position of chords.
What do the “X’s and “O’s” Above the Strings Mean?
An “X” represents muted or non-played strings; an “O” indicates open strings.
These symbols serve as shorthand reminders to help you quickly recall which strings you should mute and which ones should be played openly. Furthermore, the thick black line at the top represents your guitar nut.
Of course, numbers will also help guide your fretting. They indicate which finger should be used to fret each note on each string – typically, the index finger counts for 1, middle finger counts 2, ring finger 3, and pinky 4. Additionally, additional symbols provide extra information – for instance if a chord requires an extension note, this is indicated with a + sign; playing it requires your thumb on top of the fretboard instead of other fingers.
What Do the Vertical and Horizontal Lines on a Guitar Chord Chart Mean?
Beginners might find chord diagrams disorienting at first, but learning their meaning can be fundamental in mastering guitar playing. Vertical lines represent strings while horizontal ones represent frets – this should help get started!
The numbers inside each dot correspond with which finger of your hand should be used to play on each string and fret. For instance, when seeing a 3 on any fret string it signifies placing the index finger over it.
On a chord chart, you will often encounter symbols with an “X” or an “O”. An X indicates that certain strings should not be played or muted while an O indicates to play them open – this can be extremely beneficial as some chords require strumming sound for proper chord development.