Chords Guitar - Google Blog Search

Guitar Chords - GuitarSix.com
Guitar Chords In The Key Of C Major And A Minor - GuitarSix.com
Easy Guitar Songs With 4 Chords - GuitarSix.com
How To Play Guitar Chords For Beginners - GuitarSix.com

Posted: 14 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT

Ultimate guitar chord book

guitar chord book

If you are looking for a free guitar chord book to reference, then look no further. Here you will find a free eBook download in PDF format with over 10,000 guitar chord charts.

How many chords are there?

It's theoretically impossible to list all guitar chords. 10,000 is still a lot of chords! What I did is try to list the chord charts for the most common chord types and their shapes for each of the music notes in alphabetical order (including enharmonic notes). I only list chords that are playable within a span of 4 frets. I also only went up to the guitar's 12th fret too so this book doesn't include the second half of the guitar's fretboard (which is the same as the first half anyway). That's still quite a lot of chords to display on a single page so I made it available as a downloadable PDF file.

Download the Guitar Chords PDF

Again, there are over 10,0000 guitar chords listed which makes the file size over 50MB! There are chord charts for all notes of the guitar. All of the most common chord types are included. For best viewing, set your PDF reader to %100 zoom.

The PDF file above is hosted on Microsoft's Onedrive. After clicking the download link above, click the ellipses ... on the upper right hand side of Onedrive's viewer for the download link. If you have trouble downloading the file use the alternate download link at the very bottom of this article.

List of guitar chords

The list below is all the chord types used for the charts in the PDF. Slash chords like E/C, were purposely left out.

Basic chord types

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Suspended 2
Suspended 4
Major Flat 5
Minor Sharp 5
Minor Double Flat 5
Suspended 4 Sharp 5
Suspended 2 Flat 5
Suspended 2 Sharp 5
Powerchords
Major Add 9
Suspended 2 Suspended 4

6 Chords

6
Minor 6
6 Flat 5
6 Add 9
Minor 6 Add 9

7th Chords

7
Minor 7
Major 7
Minor Major 7
Diminished 7
Augmented 7
Augmented Major 7
7 Flat 5
Major 7 Flat 5
Minor 7 Flat 5
Minor Major 7 Flat 5
Minor Major 7 Double Flat 5
Minor 7 Sharp 5
Minor Major 7 Sharp 5
7 Flat 9

9 Chords

9
Major 9
Minor 9
Minor Major 9
9 Flat 5
Augmented 9
9 Suspended 4
7 Sharp 9
7 Sharp 9 Flat 5
Augmented Major 9

11 chords

11
Minor 11
Major 11
Minor Major 11
Major Sharp 11
Augmented 11

13 chords

13
Minor 13
Major 13
Minor Major 13

7 suspended chords

7 Suspended 2
Major 7 Suspended 2
7 Suspended 4
Major 7 Suspended 4
7 Suspended 2 Sharp 5
7 Suspended 4 Sharp 5
Major 7 Suspended 4 Sharp 5
7 Suspended 2 Suspended 4
Major 7 Suspended 2 Suspended 4

Other guitar chord lessons

You might also be interested in my other free guitar chord lessons and resources:
How To Play Guitar Chords For Beginners - HERE
How To Build Guitar Chords - HERE
All Guitar Chords In Open Position - HERE

Alternate Guitar Chords PDF download link

Please only use this download link If you are having trouble downloading the PDF from link further up.

More free guitar chord charts to come!

I am working on putting together more guitar chord charts that show chords sorted by key. If you would like to know when those will be available be sure to subscribe below.

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Guitar Chords In The Key Of C Major And A Minor - GuitarSix.com

Posted: 22 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT

Have you ever wanted to know what guitar chords you can play on each scale degree in the key of C Major?

Look no further because I have put together a huge list that shows you the chords you can play in the key of C Major / A minor. It's a pretty big list of chord charts with variations so I packaged it up into a downloadable PDF.

Download the chords PDF

How to read the chord charts

My chord charts might be slightly different than what you are used to so I wrote this short guide to help you HERE.

List of guitar chords in the book

Since the keys of C Major and A minor have the same notes (and same chords), you can use the charts for both keys. The list of guitar chords below are all the chord types used in the PDF (not in order).

Major - intervals = 1-3-5
minor - intervals = 1-m3-5
diminished - intervals = 1-m3-d5
sus2 - intervals = 1-2-5
sus2sus4 - intervals = 1-2-4-5
sus4 - intervals = 1-4-5
mbb5 - intervals = 1-m3-4
6 - intervals = 1-3-5-6
6add9 - intervals = 1-3-5-6-9
m6add9 - intervals = 1-m3-5-6-9
minor6 - intervals = 1-m3-5-6
7 - intervals = 1-3-5-m7
7sus2 - intervals = 1-2-5-m7
7sus2sus4 - intervals = 1-2-4-5-m7
7sus4 - intervals = 1-4-5-m7
M7 - intervals = 1-3-5-7
M7sus2 - intervals = 1-2-5-7
M7sus2sus4 - intervals = 1-2-4-5-7
M7sus4 - intervals = 1-4-5-7
m7b5 - intervals = 1-m3-d5-m7
minor7 - intervals = 1-m3-5-m7
9 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-m7-9
9sus4 - intervals = 1-4-(5)-m7-9
9sus4 - intervals = 1-4-5-m7-9
M9 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-7-9
M9 - intervals = 1-3-5-7-9
add9 - intervals = 1-3-5-9
minor9 - intervals = 1-m3-(5)-m7-9
11 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-m7-(9)-11
M11 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-7-(9)-11
minor11 - intervals = 1-m3-(5)-m7-(9)-11
sharp11 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-7-(9)-+11
13 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-m7-(9)-(11)-13
M13 - intervals = 1-3-(5)-7-(9)-(11)-13
minor13 - intervals = 1-m3-(5)-m7-(9)-(11)-13

Want more chords in other keys?

I'll be making more PDFs of the chords in the most common keys so be sure to visit http://guitarsix.com/guitar/category/chords/ and keep an eye out for new keys or subscribe below to be notified by email.

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Easy Guitar Songs With 4 Chords - GuitarSix.com

Posted: 18 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT

Easy guitar songs

It's amazing what you can do with only four guitar chords. So amazing in fact that many artists have made their fortunes with songs using different combinations of just 4 easy guitar chords (see the huge list at bottom of article). There's even an Australian comedy group called Axis Of Awesome that uses the 4 chords to play popular songs in their act. The chords in question are the I, IV, V and vi chords in any key.

Example I, IV, V, vi chord charts in the key of C Major

If you are viewing this page on a supported device, you can click or tap to play the guitar chords below. Also, the sounds might not play correctly the first time you click. Because the sound is loaded dynamically, it may sound more like a slow strum or an arpeggio. The sound should work the second time you click a chord and then should be trouble free from there. If the sound works for you, try playing the chords in different order to see what progressions you can come up with!

I = C chord IV = F chord
V = G chord vi = A Minor chord

All 4 guitar chords in every key

In any key you can make chord progressions using the I, iV, V, iv chords. Here is the list of all guitar chords in every key.

C, F, G, Am
G, C, D, Em
D, G, A, Bm
A, D, E, F#m
E, A, B, C#m
B, E F#, G#m
F, Bb, C, Dm
Bb, Eb, F, Gm
Eb, Ab, Bb, Cm
Ab, Db, Eb, Fm
Db, Gb, Ab, Bbm
Gb, Cb, Db, Ebm

About writing your own songs

When writing your own songs, you'll probably want to change the order in which you play the 4 chord progressions for each part of the song. Experiment with different ordering for verse, chorus, bridge and solo sections. Only you know what sounds good for your song. However don't be afraid to try new things. You don't have to stay with just those four chords either. They are good as a base to springboard new ideas from but don't hesitate to use some other chords if your song needs it. Need help understanding song structure? Check my article on song structure basics - http://guitarsix.com/guitar/lessons/song-structure-basics/150/.

Find chords in other keys

I frequently make new PDFs for tons of guitar chord charts. Try to find new and different shapes for the chords you want to play by exploring HERE.

Chord books

There are quite a few chord books dedicated to 4 chord songs too. Below are links to two of the top rated 4 chord song books at Amazon.com. By learning other people's songs you'll gain valuable experience on how to structure the songs you write. I think a professionally written book by a well known publisher is your best bet too because so many Internet song/chord tabs are full of errors or incomplete. Anyway, below is couple books to get you started. (disclosure: these are affiliate links that help keep this site free)

List of popular songs that use the 4 chords

To give you some inspiration, I compiled a list of popular songs that use 4 chords.

"Let It Be" The Beatles I-V-vi-IV
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" John Denver I-V-vi-IV
"Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd I-V-vi-IV
"No Woman, No Cry" Bob Marley I-V-vi-IV
"'39" Queen I-V-vi-IV
"Peace of Mind" Boston vi-IV-I-V
"So Lonely" The Police I-V-vi-IV
"Don't Stop Believin'" Journey I-V-vi-IV
"Down Under" Men at Work I-V-vi-IV
"Skulls" Misfits I-V-vi-IV
"Africa" Toto vi-IV-I-V
"Forever Young" Alphaville I-V-vi-IV
"Sleepwalking" Canton I-V-vi-IV
"Still Loving You" Scorpions vi-IV-I-V
"Take On Me" A-ha I-V-vi-IV
"Tonight She Comes" The Cars I-V-vi-IV
"Higher Love" Steve Winwood IV-I-V-vi
"Hearts of Olden Glory" Runrig 1987 vi-IV-I-V
"With or Without You" U2 1987 I-V-vi-IV
"Like a Prayer" Madonna 1989 IV-I-V-vi
"Right Here Waiting" Richard Marx 1989 I-V-vi-IV
"Fall at Your Feet" Crowded House I-V-vi-IV
"Once in a Lifetime" Gregorian I-V-vi-IV
"Little Baby Nothing" Manic Street Preachers I-V-vi-IV
"Please Play This Song on the Radio" NOFX I-V-vi-IV
"Under the Bridge" Red Hot Chili Peppers I-V-vi-IV
"Butterfly" The Pale I-V-vi-IV
"Cryin'" Aerosmith I-V-vi-IV
"When I Come Around" Green Day I-V-vi-IV
"Soul To Squeeze" Red Hot Chili Peppers vi-IV-I-V
"Today" The Smashing Pumpkins I-V-vi-IV
"Tears of the Dragon" Bruce Dickinson vi-IV-I-V
"Glycerine" Bush I-V-vi-IV
"Silverflame" Dizzy Mizz Lizzy vi-IV-I-V
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Elton John I-V-vi-IV
"Farmhouse" Phish IV-I-V-vi
"Zombie" The Cranberries vi-IV-I-V
"Self Esteem" The Offspring vi-IV-I-V
"Con te partir" Andrea Bocelli I-V-vi-IV
"Good" Better Than Ezra I-V-vi-IV
"Baby Baby" Corona vi-IV-I-V
"Freedom" DJ BoBo vi-IV-I-V
"China Roses" Enya I-V-vi-IV
"One of Us" Joan Osborne vi-IV-I-V
"Hurt" Nine Inch Nails V-vi-IV-I
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" The Smashing Pumpkins vi-IV-I-V
"Head over Feet" Alanis Morissette I-V-vi-IV
"Roses Are Red" Aqua vi-IV-I-V
"Hand in Hand" Dune vi-IV-I-V
"Acha" Khaled vi-IV-I-V
"All I Want" The Offspring vi-IV-I-V
"Dammit" Blink-182 I-V-vi-IV
"Love Is on the Way" Celine Dion I-V-vi-IV
"Save Tonight" Eagle Eye Cherry vi-IV-I-V
"Just Ace" Grinspoon I-V-vi-IV
"High" Lighthouse Family I-V-vi-IV
"Sex and Candy" Marcy Playground I-V-vi-IV
"Torn" Natalie Imbruglia I-V-vi-IV
"That Was a Crazy Game of Poker" O.A.R. vi-I-V-IV
"Building a Mystery" Sarah McLachlan vi-IV-I-V
"Black Widow" Children of Bodom vi-IV-I-V
"Life" Des'ree I-V-vi-IV
"Hands" Jewel vi-IV-I-V
"What's My Age Again?" Blink-182 I-V-vi-IV
"The Kids Aren't Alright" The Offspring vi-IV-I-V
"It's My Life" Bon Jovi vi-IV-I-V
"Two Story Town" Bon Jovi vi-IV-I-V
"I Hope You Dance" Lee Ann Womack vi-IV-I-V
"What About Now" Lonestar I-V-vi-IV
"Otherside" Red Hot Chili Peppers vi-IV-I-V
"The Rock Show" Blink-182 I-V-vi-IV; vi-IV-I-V
"Superman (It's Not Easy)" Five for Fighting vi-IV-I-V
"Crawling" Linkin Park vi-IV-I-V
"Suteki da ne" Rikki I-V-vi-IV
"Whenever, Wherever" Shakira vi-IV-I-V
"Fuck Her Gently" Tenacious D vi-IV-I-V
"Wherever You Will Go" The Calling I-V-vi-IV
"Complicated" Avril Lavigne vi-IV-I-V
"Don't Forget Me" Red Hot Chili Peppers vi-IV-I-V
"Electrical Storm" U2 vi-IV-I-V
"Feeling This" Blink-182 I-V-vi-IV
"What I Go to School For" Busted I-V-vi-IV
"Quelqu'un m'a dit" Carla Bruni I-V-vi-IV
"Numb" Linkin Park vi-IV-I-V
"Dragostea din tei" O-Zone IV-I-V-vi
"So Far Away" Staind vi-IV-I-V
"Where Is the Love?" The Black Eyed Peas I-V-vi-IV
"The Artist in the Ambulance" Thrice vi-I-V-IV
"Whiskey Girl" Toby Keith I-V-vi-IV
"Air Hostess" Busted I-V-vi-IV
"Miracle" Cascada vi-IV-I-V
"Taylor" Jack Johnson I-V-vi-IV
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" Kelly Clarkson vi-IV-I-V
"She Will Be Loved" Maroon 5 I-V-vi-IV
"Scar" Missy Higgins vi-IV-I-V
"Wagon Wheel" Old Crow Medicine Show I-V-vi-IV
"Run" Snow Patrol I-V-vi-IV
"Madre hay una sola Bersuit Vergarabat I-V-vi-IV
"In This River" Black Label Society vi-IV-I-V
"Hide and Seek" Imogen Heap I-V-vi-IV
"You're Beautiful" James Blunt vi-IV-I-V
"When God Made Me" Neil Young I-V-vi-IV
"Love and Memories" O.A.R. V-vi-IV-I
"Ever the Same" Rob Thomas I-V-vi-IV
"Pieces" Sum 41 vi-IV-I-V
"From Yesterday" Thirty Seconds to Mars I-V-vi-IV
"Fantasma" rbol I-V-vi-IV
"Don't Matter" Akon I-V-vi-IV
"Mardy Bum" Arctic Monkeys I-V-vi-IV-V
"Scenic World" Beirut I-V-vi-IV
"Where'd You Go" Fort Minor I-V-vi-IV
"Apologize" OneRepublic vi-IV-I-V
"U + Ur Hand" P!nk vi-IV-I-V
"Snow (Hey Oh)" Red Hot Chili Peppers I-V-vi-IV; vi-IV-I-V
"Gomenasai" t.A.T.u. vi-IV-I-V
"Canvas Bags" Tim Minchin vi-IV-I-V
"No One" Alicia Keys I-V-vi-IV
"Afterlife" Avenged Sevenfold I-V-vi-IV
"The Story" Brandi Carlile I-V-vi-IV
"This Is My Now" Jordin Sparks I-V-vi-IV
"Daybreak's Bell" L'Arc-en-Ciel I-V-vi-IV
"Happy Ending" Mika I-V-vi-IV
"Nobody's Perfect" Miley Cyrus vi-IV-I-V
"Stand" Rascal Flatts vi-IV-I-V
"Umbrella" Rihanna IV-I-V-vi
"Don't Trust Me" 3OH!3 vi-IV-I-V
"All I Ever Wanted" Basshunter vi-V-I-IV
"If I Were a Boy" Beyonc vi-IV-I-V
"This Is Me" Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas vi-IV-I-V
"I'm Yours" Jason Mraz I-V-vi-IV
"Hot n Cold" Katy Perry vi-IV-I-V
"Poker Face" Lady Gaga vi-IV-I-V
"Too Cool" Meaghan Jette Martin vi-IV-I-V
"You're Not Sorry" Taylor Swift vi-IV-I-V
"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" The Offspring vi-IV-I-V
"Breakeven" The Script IV-I-V-vi
"The Man Who Can't Be Moved" The Script vi-IV-I-V
"Pork and Beans" Weezer I-V-vi-IV
"Replay" Iyaz vi-IV-I-V
"In My Head" Jason Derlo vi-IV-I-V
"Down" Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne IV-I-V-vi
"Love Me" Justin Bieber vi-IV-I-V
"Already Gone" Kelly Clarkson I-V-vi-IV
"Paparazzi" Lady Gaga I-V-vi-IV
"Ave Mary A" P!nk I-V-vi-IV
"Nothing is Impossible" Planetshakers I-V-vi-IV
"Hey, Soul Sister" Train I-V-vi-IV
"Grenade" Bruno Mars vi-IV-I-V
"Enter the Ninja" Die Antwoord vi-IV-I-V
"Not Afraid" Eminem vi-IV-I-V
"Love the Way You Lie" Eminem feat. Rihanna vi-IV-I-V
"Don't You Wanna Stay" Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson I-V-vi-IV; vi-IV-I-V
"One Day" Matisyahu I-V-vi-IV
"Just a Dream" Nelly vi-IV-I-V
"Good Life" OneRepublic vi-IV-I-V
"Fuckin' Perfect" P!nk I-V-vi-IV
"The Island" Pendulum vi-IV-I-V
"Favorite Distraction" SuperSpy I-V-vi-IV
"Dynamite" Taio Cruz vi-IV-I-V
"Double Rainbow Song" The Gregory Brothers vi-IV-I-V
"For the First Time" The Script I-V-vi-IV; vi-IV-I-V
"If We Ever Meet Again" Timbaland feat. Katy Perry I-V-vi-IV
"Written in the Stars" Tinie Tempah vi-IV-I-V
"Someone like You" Adele I-V-vi-IV
"Kaze wa Fuiteiru" AKB48 vi-IV-I-V
"I Was Here" Beyonc vi-IV-I-V
"Brighter Than the Sun" Colbie Caillat vi-IV-I-V
"Paradise" Coldplay vi-IV-I-V
"Skyscraper" Demi Lovato vi-IV-I-V
"Lost in Paradise" Evanescence vi-IV-I-IV
"Bullet" Hollywood Undead I-V-vi-IV
"On the Floor" Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull vi-IV-I-V
"Price Tag" Jessie J I-V-vi-IV
"Who You Are" Jessie J vi-IV-I-V
"Hair" Lady Gaga I-V-vi-IV
"The Edge of Glory" Lady Gaga I-V-vi-IV
"Ai Se Eu Te Pego" Michel Tel I-V-vi-IV
"Little Talks" Of Monsters and Men vi-IV-I-V
"Bridge of Light" P!nk I-V-vi-IV; vi-IV-I-V
"International Love" Pitbull feat. Chris Brown vi-IV-I-V
"Give Me Everything" Pitbull feat. Ne-yo, Afrojack, and Nayer vi-IV-I-V
"California King Bed" Rihanna I-V-vi-IV
"We Found Love" Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris vi-IV-I-V
"Sparks Fly" Taylor Swift vi-IV-I-V
"I Just Had Sex" The Lonely Island feat. Akon vi-IV-I-V
"Jack Sparrow" The Lonely Island feat. Michael Bolton vi-IV-I-V
"Science & Faith" The Script vi-IV-I-V
"No Me Toca" Anselmo Ralph vi-IV-I-V
"Ready or Not" Bridgit Mendler vi-IV-I-V
"Raindrops" Cillo I-V-vi-IV
"Whistle" Flo Rida vi-IV-I-V
"Cruise" Florida Georgia Line I-V-vi-IV
"Demons" Imagine Dragons I-V-vi-IV
"Adagio in D Minor " John Murphy vi-IV-I-V
"Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha" Joo Lucas & Marcelo vi-IV-I-V
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" Kelly Clarkson vi-IV-I-V
"Come Over" Kenny Chesney vi-IV-I-V
"Rise" McClain Sisters vi-IV-I-V
"The Light Behind your Eyes" My Chemical Romance vi-I-IV-V
"When Can I See You Again?" Owl City I-V-vi-IV
"Good Time" Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen IV-I-V-vi
"All Too Well" Taylor Swift I-V-vi-IV
"Come Back... Be Here" Taylor Swift I-V-vi-IV
"Six Degrees of Separation" The Script vi-IV-I-V
"Hall of Fame" The Script feat. will.i.am vi-IV-I-V
"Drive By" Train IV-I-V-vi; vi-IV-I-V
"Say Something" A Great Big World vi-IV-I-V
"Uh...a song played with a nipple ring" Andrew Huang I-V-vi-IV
"Contact" Daft Punk vi-IV-I-V
"Heart Attack" Demi Lovato IV-I-V-vi
"Only Teardrops" Emmelie de Forest vi-IV-I-V
"Let It Go" Idina Menzel I-V-vi-IV
"All of Me" John Legend vi-IV-I-V
"Unconditionally" Katy Perry vi-IV-I-V
"Wrecking Ball" Miley Cyrus I-V-vi-IV
"Boomerang" Nicole Scherzinger I-V-vi-IV
"Let Her Go" Passenger IV-I-V-vi
"Song for Zula" Phosphorescent I-V-vi-IV
"Walks Like Rihanna" The Wanted I-V-vi-IV
"Cliche Love Song" Basim I-V-vi-IV
"The Last Goodbye" Billy Boyd vi-IV-I-V
"All of the Stars" Ed Sheeran I-V-vi-IV
"Bailando" Enrique Iglesias vi-IV-I-V
"Forever" Kari Jobe I-V-vi-IV
"Final Masquerade" Linkin Park IV-I-V-vi
"Flashlight" Jessie J I-V-vi-IV
"Are You With Me" Lost Frequencies vi-IV-I-V
"El Perdn (Forgiveness)" Nicky Jam ft Enrique Iglesias vi-IV-I-V
"Coming for You" The Offspring vi-IV-I-V

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How To Play Guitar Chords For Beginners - GuitarSix.com

Posted: 22 Jul 2015 12:00 AM PDT

This lesson is for beginner players learning their first guitar chords. We'll cover enough chord basics to get you prepared for more advanced lessons. After reading this article you should be able to play some basic chords as well as start to think like a true guitarist. Be sure to have read the lesson on how to hold your guitar before you continue.

What is a chord?

A chord is a group of three or more notes played simultaneously. Chords are usually strummed rhythmically in groups called chord progressions. An arpeggio is a chord whose notes are plucked one at a time.

Finger numbers on your fretting hand

To talk about chords we use numbers to refer to the fingers on our fretting hand (the hand that presses down notes).

guitar fingers

Helpful tips on playing chords.

* The more you practice the better you will get.
* Make sure your guitar is in tune.
* Keep fingernails short on your fretting hand.
* When fretting notes use the pads/tips of your fingers.
* Press fingers behind the frets (not on top of the frets).
* If you experience noise/buzzing when pressing a note, move your finger around to find that sweet spot just behind the fret.
* Press notes hard enough so that the fretted note ring.
* Use either a guitar pick (plectrum) or your fingernails on your other hand to strum notes. For this lesson I'll assume you are using a guitar pick.
* Strum the notes of a chord in one fluid downward (or upward) stroke with your strumming hand.
* When learning to strum a chord, make sure each note of the chord is sounding properly. Each note of the chord should ring clean and clear.

Basic guitar chords for beginners

Open chords are great first chords for beginners to learn because they are easier to play. On the guitar, open chords are simple chords that use one or more unfretted (open) strings as notes of the chord. Since some of the notes of the chord involve just playing the open strings, the chord is said to be in "open position". Some people call open chords "Cowboy chords" or Camp fire chords.

Simple Open G chord.

Probably the easiest open chord to play is a G chord that uses just one fretted note on the 3rd fret of the first string played with your 3rd finger and 3 open strings (D,G, and B strings). See the image below.

G chord diagram

Open G chord on the 6th string.

Here is another open G chord that uses more strings and more fingers. This time all the strings are played and all the fingers are used. The open strings for this chord are the D and G strings.

The fingers are placed as follows:
* 2nd finger on 6th string 3rd fret.
* 1st finger on 5th string 2nd fret.
* 3rd finger on 2nd string 3rd fret.
* 4th finger on 1st string 3rd fret.

See the chord diagram below.

G chord

The Open C chord

The open C chord has two open strings the 3rd (G) string and the 1st (high e ) string.

The fingering for the Open C chord are:
* 3rd finger on 5th string 3rd fret.
* 2nd finger on 4th string 2nd fret.
* 1st finger on 2nd string 1st fret.

See the chord diagram below.

Open C chord

Basic chord strumming

Now that you know two chords you can start to practice strumming. To strum is to sound the chords. We will cover how to strum single chords and then switching chords with down and upward strums.

Downward strum

Play the G chord and strum all the notes of the chord by striking the strings all at the same time with the guitar pick using the steps below:

* strike in a downwards motion towards the floor.
* count aloud 1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and. Make sure to say the "and" after each number.
* Strum the chord when you say each number. Let the chord ring through the "ands".

Things to practice while downward strumming

*Play the C chord and strum and count 1 and, 2 and, 3 and 4 and.

* Practice switching chords for each number. For example: Count the same way as before but strum G, C, G, C for numbers 1-4.

Upward strum

Repeat all the steps above for downward strum but strum in an upward motion (from floor to sky).

Down Up strums

* Count 1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and - strum down on the numbers and strum up on the "ands".

* Play a G chord on the numbers using down strokes and a C chord on the upstrokes (on and).

A minor chord

Let's add one more open chord that we can use to practice strumming, the A minor chord. Try adding this chord into your strums and counting.

A minor chord open position

Want more guitar chords?

So far you have learned what a chord is and how to strum in up and downward strokes. You also learned the G and C and A minor open chords. There are many more chords to learn which you can find right my open guitar chords book and guitar chords category. You'll also want to learn easy chords to make songs. Until next time, practice your chords and happy strumming!

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