G chord
Keep your fingertips curved so the open strings ring freely. Strum all six strings.
Learn G →Start with Em and Am, then add C, G and D. When you are ready, explore full barre shapes and new chord colours. X means do not play; O means open. Fingers 1–4 run from index to little finger. A thick line joining dots means use one finger as a barre.
Showing 52 chord diagrams.
In vertical view, high e is on the left and the nut is at the top. In horizontal view, high e is at the top and the nut is on the right. Both views are left-handed. Difficulty describes this particular fingering; a seventh chord can be easier to hold than a major barre chord.
Open chords and first extensions
Am chord
Begin on the A string and leave low E silent. Keep the first finger clear of high E.
Learn Am →C chord
Start your strum on A. Arch the second finger so the G string stays open.
Learn C →Em chord
Strum all six strings. Listen for each of the four open strings.
Learn Em →D chord
Begin at D and keep the two bass strings silent. The B string needs room to ring.
Learn D →A chord
Strum from A. Place your fingers close to the fret wire without touching it.
Learn A →E chord
Strum all strings and keep the first finger curved away from the open B string.
Learn E →Dm chord
Start at D. Use the tip of your first finger on high E at fret 1.
Learn Dm →A7 chord
Start at A. Keep the G string open between your two fretted notes.
Learn A7 →E7 chord
Let the open D string ring and strum all six strings.
Learn E7 →Am7 chord
Strum from A and keep the open G clear of both fingers.
Learn Am7 →Em7 chord
One fretted note is enough for this full Em7 voicing. Let all five open strings ring.
Learn Em7 →Barre shapes and everyday chord colours
F chord
Barre fret 1 with your index finger. Add an E-shaped grip above it and check each string without squeezing harder than needed.
Learn F →B chord
Barre from A to high e at fret 2. Place fingers 2, 3 and 4 on D, G and B at fret 4.
Learn B →Bb chord
Barre the upper five strings at fret 1. Leave low E silent and keep each finger close to its fret.
Learn Bb →C# chord
Use the A-shaped major grip at fret 4. Begin the strum at the A-string root.
Learn C# →Eb chord
The first fret shown is fret 6. Barre from A to high e, then add the three notes at fret 8.
Learn Eb →F# chord
Move the full F shape up one fret. Your index barre now sits at fret 2.
Learn F# →Ab chord
Use an E-shaped major grip with the index barre at fret 4. Check the high strings separately.
Learn Ab →Bm chord
Barre from A to high e at fret 2. Keep your middle finger on B at fret 3.
Learn Bm →Bbm chord
Begin at A and barre fret 1. Keep the B-string note at fret 2 clear of the barre.
Learn Bbm →Cm chord
Use the A-minor-shaped barre at fret 3. Your A-string root is C.
Learn Cm →C#m chord
Barre at fret 4, then add the minor shape at frets 5 and 6. Keep low E silent.
Learn C#m →Ebm chord
Start from the A-string Eb at fret 6. Keep your hand relaxed as the frets become closer together.
Learn Ebm →Fm chord
Barre all six strings at fret 1. Add ring and little fingers to A and D at fret 3.
Learn Fm →F#m chord
Move the E-minor grip to a barre at fret 2. Pick the three upper strings to check the barre.
Learn F#m →Gm chord
Use an E-minor-shaped barre at fret 3. Add the A- and D-string notes at fret 5.
Learn Gm →G#m chord
Barre at fret 4 and keep the upper three strings clear. Strum all six strings once the shape rings.
Learn G#m →D7 chord
Start at open D. Keep the first finger on B at fret 1 clear of the two notes at fret 2.
Learn D7 →C7 chord
Begin with C, then add your little finger to G at fret 3. Start the strum at A.
Learn C7 →G7 chord
Reach to high e at fret 1 with your index finger while the ring finger holds low E at fret 3.
Learn G7 →B7 chord
Start at A. Keep the B string open between the G- and high-e notes at fret 2.
Learn B7 →Cmaj7 chord
Start with a C shape and lift the index finger from B. Leave all three upper strings open.
Learn Cmaj7 →Asus2 chord
Start at A and leave B and high e open. Keep both fingers curved away from B.
Learn Asus2 →Asus4 chord
Keep the A-shaped notes on D and G, then put the ring finger on B at fret 3.
Learn Asus4 →Dsus4 chord
Begin at D. Add the little finger to high e at fret 3 and keep the bass strings silent.
Learn Dsus4 →Dm7 chord
Use a small index barre over B and high e at fret 1. Keep G at fret 2 and D open.
Learn Dm7 →Dmaj7 chord
Lay a small index barre across G, B and high e at fret 2. Begin at open D.
Learn Dmaj7 →Amaj7 chord
Start at A. The G-string note is at fret 1, between the two notes at fret 2.
Learn Amaj7 →Fmaj7 chord
Start on D at fret 3 and let high e ring open. This four-string shape does not need a barre.
Learn Fmaj7 →Cadd9 chord
Start at A. Keep ring and little fingers on B and high e at fret 3 and let G ring open.
Learn Cadd9 →Dsus2 chord
Start at D and leave high e open. Keep your ring finger clear of the open top string.
Learn Dsus2 →Bm7 chord
Barre the upper five strings at fret 2. Add D at fret 4 and B at fret 3, leaving low E silent.
Learn Bm7 →F#m7 chord
Barre fret 2 across all strings. Add the ring finger on A at fret 4.
Learn F#m7 →Cm7 chord
Use an A-minor-seventh shape with an index barre at fret 3. Add D at fret 5 and B at fret 4.
Learn Cm7 →Gmaj7 chord
Pick low E, D, G and B separately. Lightly mute A and high e; a broad six-string strum will add unwanted notes.
Learn Gmaj7 →Extended and altered harmony
C9 chord
Begin on A. Use a small ring-finger barre across G, B and high e at fret 3 while the index holds D at fret 2.
Learn C9 →G13 chord
Pick low E and the upper four strings, leaving A silent. Use a small little-finger barre at fret 5 on B and high e.
Learn G13 →Bm7b5 chord
Sound only A, D, G and B. Use separate fingers for the two fret-2 notes, keeping low E and high e silent.
Learn Bm7b5 →Bdim7 chord
Keep the index on G at fret 1 while the middle finger holds A at fret 2. Pick the four inner strings only.
Learn Bdim7 →Aaug chord
Start at open A. The D-string note at fret 3 is E#, the raised fifth. Keep all four fretted notes clear.
Learn Aaug →Dm(maj7) chord
Start on open D. Keep high e at fret 1 and G and B at fret 2. The B-string C# is the major seventh.
Learn Dm(maj7) →No chords match those choices. Try another name or choose all levels and types.
Give each new shape a musical job
Begin with Em → Am, then C → G → Am → Em. For barre practice, try Am → Bm → C. For a seventh-chord change, try Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7. Ready for a minor-key jazz sound? Try Bm7b5 → E7 → Am.
Pick each sounding string once, then play four slow beats per chord. Release and rest between attempts. Stop if you feel pain.
Read the first-chords guide or work through the barre-chord guide.
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