Now that you have your fingers in the right position, strum the D, G, B and high E strings all at the same time (looking at the chart, the D string has an ‘O’ over it, meaning that it’s played open). Middle finger (2) on the second fret of the high E string.Third finger (3) on the third fret of the B string.Index finger (1) on the second fret of the G string.To play this chord, you’ll place your fingers as follows: Let’s give a quick example using the D chord from the chart above:
GUITAR CHORDS CHART HOW TO
Chart charts are great in that the same format can be used to show you how to play both types. There are essentially two types of chords that you’ll come across: open and barre.
GUITAR CHORDS CHART CODE
On top of having the finger numbers, we also color code our charts for a quick and simple visual reference (check out the image below):
This is typically what you’ll see in just about every chord chart you’ll come across, but in the Yousician app we make knowing (and memorizing) ‘what finger to use where’ incredibly easy.The numbers at the very bottom of the chart tell you which finger you should use by using the following numbering pattern: ‘1’ is your index finger and then each other finger is counted up with ‘4’ being your pinky.If it’s a minor chord, the chart will read ‘Dm’ for instance (with the letter ‘m’ for ‘minor’). In case the chord is a major chord, the chart will simply read the name of the chord, for example D. The text at the top of the chart tells you the name of the chord that is being shown in the chart.On the flip side of that, the O’s are strings that are played open without your fingers on any of the frets. The X’s show the strings that are not part of the chord and therefore you shouldn’t play them when strumming the strings.The thicker line at the top of the grid represents the nut of the guitar, so the first vertical line below that is the first fret. The horizontal lines (going left to right) are meant to show the frets on your guitar neck.The high E string is the line to the far right and the one on the left is meant to depict the low E string. The vertical lines (going up and down) represent each of the six guitar strings.So let’s take a minute to review how they’re laid out and how you’re supposed to read each element of a guitar chord chart.Įvery chord chart that you’ll see is set up the same way: For example, above you see the chord shapes for three major chords: G, C and D.Ī guitar chord chart (also known as a guitar chord diagram) is pretty easy to understand once you know what all of the lines, dots, X’s and O’s mean. These are guitar chord charts and they’re the simplest way you’ll come across showing you how to play a particular chord. Whether you’re trying to learn to play the guitar from a printed book or from resources found online, you most likely have come across little grid-like pictures that look similar to this: The big question is ‘Where do I put my fingers, and what strings am I supposed to play’? And how exactly should I read all these chords and learn to play them? What is an open chord? And what major and minor chords? Learning to play them is typically one of the first things that any beginner guitarist learns to play. In the simplest terms, a chord is simply three or more notes played at the same time. So what exactly are guitar chords, anyway?īefore we dig in, we need to take a look at what a ‘chord’ actually is…
GUITAR CHORDS CHART PROFESSIONAL
From the very beginner all the way to professional players, it’s a valuable skill to know how to read guitar chord diagrams and charts. It can be a challenge, though, and that’s why tools such as guitar chord charts are so helpful for guitar players of all skill levels.
After all, all it does is help to expand your understanding of music theory and enable your overall development as a guitar player. However, there certainly is nothing wrong with taking the time to learn to read music. Some of the most famous guitar heroes from over the years didn’t know how – from Eric Clapton to Eddie Van Halen… with Jimi Hendrix thrown in for good measure. One of the great things about learning to play the guitar is the fact that learning how to read sheet music isn’t an absolute requirement.