Beginning guitarists should focus on mastering major guitar chords as these can be found in many songs and are simple for beginners to grasp.
Note: With open chords, remember that you can change their shape by lifting up your first finger – creating either a minor or major 7th chord!
A Major
A Major is an ideal starting point to learning open chords as it only requires your index, middle and ring fingers on your left hand – this will come in handy later when transitioning to barre chords.
This chord poses a difficult challenge in fitting three fingers within a relatively limited space, which may make it easier to try other finger positions or combination of index-middle-ring fingers.
This chord also utilizes a minor interval in the form of a perfect fifth, giving it a more melodic sound. Practice this chord regularly since it’s used frequently by popular artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Creedence Clearwater Revival in their songs.
Gaining proficiency with these 8 most frequently-used guitar chords will enable you to play most songs on guitar. Learn more in Ayla Tesler-Mabe’s Fender Play video “The 8 Most Essential Chords for Beginners”. Not a member yet? Join now for a free trial membership!
C Major
C major is an extremely popular chord that you’ll hear in many songs, pairing well with open chords such as G and D. Learning how to transition smoothly between these chords can help beginners develop strong muscle-memory. Playing these chords musically will only strengthen this process further.
For an easier version of this chord, place your index finger on each string’s second fret while using middle and ring fingers on all other strings. However, this method requires four hands and can be challenging due to having to spread their use across so many frets.
An alternative that works well for beginners is placing the index finger at the fourth fret of the third string and using your middle and ring fingers to play all other strings – you may need to mute one sixth string with your ring finger, but this option provides an easier alternative than playing in 5th position.
G Major
G Major chord is one of the first major chords beginners encounter. Though not necessarily difficult to play, G requires stretching your fingers across the width of the guitar neck while simultaneously holding down strings one and six – so it takes practice before becoming second nature.
G Major contains one sharp (F). It serves as the official key of both UK and New Zealand national anthems, as well as popular songs by artists from multiple genres.
This chord can easily be combined with C Major chord to form a major key progression, since both share a tonal center or home note – this means if a song was originally written in C, it can easily be transposed to G without losing its melodic integrity.
E Major
E Major chord is a mainstay in numerous genres and can be found in 44% of songs analyzed by Hook Theory, from fast-paced dance hits to emotive ballads.
Beginners may find this chord challenging, as it requires three fingers. Beginner guitarists may struggle with accuracy and finger dexterity issues at first; but with practice this chord can become an essential foundation of their playing and lead them down different avenues of improvising new variations of it.
This chord is similar to A Major in that you barre across the strings using your index, middle, and ring fingers. If you’re having difficulty creating its shape, try lowering your hand closer to frets to feel tension on strings more accurately as this will enable you to accurately fret each note. Also ensure your ring finger doesn’t touch 5th string as this could muffle it and stop your chord from sounding clearly.