Theory / The First Guitar Chords to Learn

The First Guitar Chords to Learn

Eight open chords cover an enormous number of songs. Here they are with clear finger-by-finger diagrams, the order to learn them in, and the first progressions to play.

Start with these eight open chords

Almost every beginner song is built from a small set of open chords — chords played near the top of the neck that let some strings ring open. Learn the eight below and you can strum along with a huge chunk of pop, rock, folk and country. Each diagram is captured straight from the interactive tool, so the numbers on the dots are the exact fingers to use.

How to read these diagrams

The grid is your fretboard: the vertical lines are strings (low E A D G B e high, labelled on the left), the numbers along the top are frets. Each coloured dot is a finger to press:

The big number on a dot is which finger — 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
The small letter under it is the note that finger plays.
○ (O) means play that string open — let it ring, don't press it.
A string with no dot and no O isn't part of the chord — don't strum it. (For C and A, skip the low E; for D, skip the low E and A.)

The eight chords, easiest first

E minor guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — E minorThe easiest chord on guitar — two fingers, and every other string rings open. Start here.

A minor guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — A minorThree fingers bunched in the first two frets. The low E stays quiet — strum from the A string down.

E major guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — E majorE minor plus one finger. Huge, ringing, and all six strings sound — a great strumming chord.

A major guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — A majorThree fingers stacked in fret 2. Skip the low E and strum from the A string.

D major guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — D majorA neat triangle on the top four strings. Only strum from the D string down.

D minor guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — D minorThe moody version of D — same top-string idea, one note lower. Play from the D string.

C major guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — C majorYour first big stretch: a diagonal three-finger shape. Skip the low E and strum down.

G major guitar chord diagram showing which fingers press which frets — G majorBright and full — reach a finger to the low E and high E. Every string is played.

The order to learn them

Don't try to learn all eight at once. Work down the difficulty ladder:

E minor & A minor — only two or three fingers, most strings open. Confidence builders.
E major & A major — full, ringing majors that share shapes with the minors above.
D major & D minor — compact top-string shapes; practise not hitting the low strings.
C major & G major — the widest stretches, so they come last. Take them slowly.

Get each chord ringing cleanly — pluck every string it uses one at a time and make sure none buzz — before moving on. If some strings buzz or go dead, read why chords sound bad for the seven quick fixes.

Your first progressions

Chords come alive in progressions. Two to start with:

G – C – D — the three-chord workhorse behind thousands of songs.
Em – C – G – D — four beginner-friendly chords that sound instantly musical.

The real skill is switchingcleanly in time. Practise changing between just two chords over a steady beat, then add the third. The tool's Chord mode lets you see and hear every one of these shapes, and its chord-progression tools show how they fit together in a key.

// See it, hear it

Reading only gets you so far — open the interactive fretboard and watch these ideas light up on guitar and piano.

Enter the tool

Frequently asked

What are the first guitar chords I should learn?

Start with E minor and A minor — they use just two or three fingers and most strings ring open. Then learn E, A and D, and finally C and G, which need bigger stretches. Those eight open chords let you play a huge number of songs.

How do I read a guitar chord diagram?

Each dot is a finger: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky, and the small letter is the note it plays. A circle marked ○ (O) means play that string open — don't press it. A string with no dot and no O isn't part of the chord, so don't strum it (for C and A skip the low E; for D skip the low E and A).

In what order should I learn open chords?

By how hard they are to fret: E minor and A minor first (2–3 fingers), then E and A, then D and D minor, then C and G, which involve the widest stretches. Learn one, get it ringing cleanly, then add the next.

What's a good first chord progression to practise?

G – C – D is the classic three-chord workhorse behind thousands of songs. Em – C – G – D is another that sounds great and is beginner-friendly. Practise switching between two chords in time before adding a third.

Why do my chords sound buzzy or muted?

Usually your fingers aren't arched enough (so they mute the next string), you're not pressing just behind the fret, or you're strumming a string the chord doesn't use. See our guide on why chords sound bad for the seven common fixes.