Beginner guitar chords: the 8 open chords to learn first (and in what order)

The first guitar chords to learn are eight open chords: Em, E, Am, A, D, Dm, G and C. Together they let you play hundreds of songs in the keys of G, C, D, A minor and E minor, and they teach your fretting hand everything a barre chord will later ask of it. The order matters more than most lessons admit: learn them in the right sequence and every new chord reuses a shape you already know.

In short: learn Em, E, Am, A, D, Dm, G and C in that order: it goes from the easiest grip to the widest stretch and pairs each major chord with its minor twin, which differs by a single note. Practise "one-minute changes" between pairs of chords every day, play G-D-Em-C at 60 BPM by week 3, and start barre chords once you can switch between all eight in time without stopping.

How to read the chord shapes in this guide

Each shape is written as six symbols, from the thickest string (low E, string 6) to the thinnest (high E, string 1), in standard tuning (E A D G B E).

• A number is the fret to press.
• 0 means the string rings open.
• x means the string is not played (muted or skipped).
• Fingers: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = little finger.

So C written x32010 means: low E not played, A string at the 3rd fret, D string at the 2nd fret, G open, B string at the 1st fret, high E open.

Why these 8 open chords first

An open chord mixes fretted notes with open strings, so it sounds full even with a light grip, and it sits in the first three frets where the strings are easiest to press.

These eight also build the most common keys. In G major the diatonic chords you can play open are G, Am, C, D and Em; in C major, C, Dm, Em, G and Am. E and A add the key of A minor (Am, Dm, E).

There is a second reason: four of them come in major/minor pairs (E/Em, A/Am, D/Dm). In each pair only one note changes, the third of the chord. A major chord has a major third; lower that note by one fret and you get a minor chord.

The 8 chords, string by string

Order	Chord	Shape (6 to 1)	Fingers	Strings to strum	Notes
1	Em	022000	2 on A, 3 on D	all 6	E B E G B E
2	E	022100	2 on A, 3 on D, 1 on G	all 6	E B E G# B E
3	Am	x02210	2 on D, 3 on G, 1 on B	5 (from A)	A E A C E
4	A	x02220	1 on D, 2 on G, 3 on B	5 (from A)	A E A C# E
5	D	xx0232	1 on G, 3 on B, 2 on high E	4 (from D)	D A D F#
6	Dm	xx0231	2 on G, 3 on B, 1 on high E	4 (from D)	D A D F
7	G	320003	2 on low E, 1 on A, 3 on high E	all 6	G B D G B G
8	C	x32010	3 on A, 2 on D, 1 on B	5 (from A)	C E G C E

1. Em: two fingers, six strings

Middle finger on the A string, 2nd fret; ring finger on the D string, 2nd fret. Everything else rings open. Use this easy chord to fix your posture: thumb behind the neck opposite the middle finger, fingertips arched, wrist relaxed.

2. E: add one finger

Keep Em and put your index on the G string, 1st fret. That one note (G#) turns minor into major. Strum Em, then E, and listen: the brighter sound is the major third. If the G string is muted, your index is lying flat; curl it so the tip lands just behind the fret wire.

3. Am: the E shape, one string over

Take the exact E fingering and move all three fingers one string toward the floor: middle on D 2nd fret, ring on G 2nd fret, index on B 1st fret. Do not strum the low E string; start your strum on the open A, which is the root of the chord.

4. A: three fingers in a row

Index on D, middle on G, ring on B, all at the 2nd fret, with the high E open. The fingers are crowded, so stagger them slightly. If the high E is muted, tilt the ring finger up or try fingering 2-3-4.

5. D: the triangle

Index on G 2nd fret, ring on B 3rd fret, middle on high E 2nd fret. Strum only the top four strings, starting from the open D. Hitting the low E under a D chord is the most common reason it sounds muddy.

6. Dm: move one finger

From D, move the note on the high E string from the 2nd fret to the 1st fret, played by the index. Refinger it: index on high E 1st fret, middle on G 2nd fret, ring on B 3rd fret. Only one note changes (F# becomes F).

7. G: the wide one

Middle finger on low E 3rd fret, index on A 2nd fret, ring on high E 3rd fret. G is a stretch, which is why it comes late. A popular variant (320033) adds the little finger on the B string, 3rd fret; it sounds fuller and makes the change to D easier because the ring finger can stay on the B string.

8. C: the one that needs patience

Ring on A 3rd fret, middle on D 2nd fret, index on B 1st fret. The difficulty is keeping the open G and high E ringing: your fingers must come from above the strings, not from the side.

The most common beginner chord mistakes

1. Pressing in the middle of the fret. Put the fingertip just behind the fret wire. You need half the pressure and the buzz disappears.
2. Flat fingers muting the next string. Arch every finger so only the tip touches its string. Check by plucking each string of the chord one by one.
3. Squeezing too hard. If your hand hurts after two minutes, you are pressing three times harder than needed. Press until the note is clean, then release a little.
4. Strumming every string on every chord. D uses four strings; A, Am and C use five. Aim your pick at the right starting string.
5. Stopping the strum to change chords. Your strumming hand must keep going. Strumming a few open strings during the change is fine; stopping the rhythm is not.

The chord changes that matter: one-minute changes

A one-minute change: pick two chords, set a timer for one minute, and switch between them as many times as you can, strumming once per chord. Write down the score. Three or four pairs a day show you exactly which change is holding you back.

Look for anchor fingers, fingers that stay in place or slide along the same string between two chords:

• Am to C: middle finger stays on D 2nd fret, index stays on B 1st fret; only the ring finger moves (G 2nd fret to A 3rd fret).
• Em to Am: the two-finger Em shape moves one string set over and the index joins on B 1st fret.
• E to Am: the whole three-finger shape moves one string toward the floor.
• D to G (with the 320033 variant): the ring finger stays on B 3rd fret.
• C to G (fingered 3-2-4): ring and middle fingers keep their shape and move one string toward the ceiling, the little finger takes the high E.
• D to Dm, A to Am, E to Em: one finger changes, so these should reach 40+ changes quickly.

Targets: 30 changes per minute is usable in songs; 60 is automatic.

A 4-week practice plan (15 minutes a day)

Week	New chords	Daily one-minute changes	Strumming and tempo
1	Em, E, Am, A	Em-E, E-Am, Am-A, Em-Am	4 down-strums per chord at 60 BPM
2	D, Dm	D-A, D-Dm, Am-Dm, Em-D	Am-Dm-E-Am, 4 strums per chord at 60 BPM
3	G, C	Am-C, C-G, G-D, G-Em	G-D-Em-C, 4 strums per chord at 60 BPM
4	none	your two lowest scores, plus C-G and G-D	D D U U D U pattern, 70 to 80 BPM

Each session follows the same shape:

1. 3 minutes: form each chord, pluck every string, fix any dead note.
2. 5 minutes: one-minute changes on 3 or 4 pairs.
3. 5 minutes: a progression with a metronome at 60 BPM.
4. 2 minutes: play freely.

Once you can play four strums per chord without stopping, move to two strums per chord at the same tempo. In week 4, introduce a real strumming pattern: down, down-up, up-down-up (D D U U D U). The metronome in the guitar toolbox is enough for all of this, and you can print blank chord boxes there to write the shapes down.

Your first progressions: I-V-vi-IV in G and C

The most useful progression in pop is the I-V-vi-IV progression: chords built on the 1st, 5th, 6th and 4th notes of the major scale.

Key	I	V	vi	IV	What you need
G major	G	D	Em	C	four of your eight chords
C major	C	G	Am	F	F, a harder chord (see below)

In G, everything is open: G-D-Em-C, two bars each to start, then one bar each. Same chords, different order: G-Em-C-D (I-vi-IV-V, the 1950s doo-wop sound) and Em-C-G-D (vi-IV-I-V, the same loop started on the minor chord).

In C, the IV chord is F, usually played as a barre chord. Use one of these beginner versions until you are ready:

• Fmaj7 xx3210: ring on D 3rd fret, middle on G 2nd fret, index on B 1st fret, high E open. From C, keep the index on B 1st fret and move the other two fingers one string toward the floor.
• Small F xx3211: the same, with the index flattened across the B and high E strings at the 1st fret.

Or put a capo at the 5th fret and play the G shapes: G-D-Em-C then sounds C-G-Am-F. In A minor, try Am-Dm-E-Am (i-iv-V-i), which uses the darker side of your eight chords. Why these numbers work in every key is explained in our guide to the circle of fifths.

When to start barre chords

A barre chord is an open shape moved up the neck, with the index finger replacing the nut. The full F at the 1st fret (133211) is your E shape played with fingers 2-3-4 while the index presses all six strings; Bm at the 2nd fret (x24432) is your Am shape moved up two frets with a barre.

Start barre chords when these three boxes are ticked, usually after 6 to 10 weeks:

1. All eight open chords ring clean, every string, without checking your hand.
2. Your one-minute changes are above 30 for C-G, G-D, Am-C and Em-D.
3. You can play G-D-Em-C at 80 BPM with two strums per chord without stopping.

Begin with the small F, then the full F, and only then Bm. Five minutes a day is enough.

Practise these chords with real progressions

Once your eight chords ring clean, the fastest way to make them musical is to play them in context. Open the chord progressions library to browse pop, rock and folk progressions with their Roman numerals in any key, and use the chord identifier whenever you meet a shape you cannot name. Both are free with a GuitarHarmony account.