Open Chords

Like the piano, the guitar is a chordal instrument. Chords are a 1-3-5 of a major or minor scale, or simply put, a combination of notes that together create a harmonic sound. I have put together a collection beginner open chords that, as a guitarist, you will use over and over in various genres.

I have put 8 open chords in a format called a chord chart. To understand these chord diagrams you need to be looking at it as if you were looking directly at your guitar. The horizontal lines represent the frets and the vertical lines represent the strings. The strings are ordered from left to right as 6-5-4-3-2-1.  The alphabetical letter represents the chord name and the numbers represent the left hand fingers to be used. The circles show the strings that are to be strummed and the location of the corresponding fingers. Note that where no circle is show that string should not be strummed.

It is best to look at this chart as a graph. Find the string and then go up and find the fret. You can go in any order of the fingers but you might find it easiest to start with the first finger and go up from there. As you practice these chords, make sure you get a good sound from each note in the chord. To do this make sure you are playing on the tips of your fingers and that you have a good arch in your fingers. This will keep each note from buzzing. When you strum the chord, first play one note or string at a time to check to make sure you are getting the best possible sound.

Most of the chords are pretty simple and easy to play however a few seem to always give my students trouble. The chords to look out for are C and both D and Dm. The C chord is challenging because you have three fingers that have to be arched enough to clear the adjacent strings. Make sure to check that each finger isn’t running into the string underneath. Both of the D chords are difficult for the same reason. Make sure that your 3 finger clears, and isn’t touching, the first string.

Because these chords are so commonly used through out all genres you want to memorize each one. That includes the name, shape, and strings that you strum. This will enable you to play it quickly and cleanly.