How to read a chord diagram
Picture the guitar standing upright, facing you. The vertical lines are the strings, the thickest (low E) on the left. The thick line at the top is the nut, and the horizontal lines below it are the frets. A dot shows where a finger presses, just behind the fret. A circle above a string means play it open, and a cross means leave it silent. A long bar across several strings is a barre: one finger, usually the index, presses them all at once.
Under each diagram are the notes the chord contains. A shape may repeat some of them on different strings, and a few seventh chords leave the fifth out; that is normal.
Which chords to learn first
E minor and A minor need only two fingers and are a gentle start. Then E, A and D, and then G and C, which ask the hand to stretch. With those eight you can play a very large number of songs. The seventh chords come next, and F and B minor, the first barre chords, last: they need more strength and a guitar with a good setup.
Changing chords smoothly
- Practise changes in pairs, such as G to C or A minor to E, rather than whole songs.
- Look for an anchor: a finger that stays on the same string, or slides along it, between two shapes.
- Move all the fingers together as one shape instead of placing them one by one.
- Count how many clean changes you make in a minute, and try to beat it tomorrow.
- Slow and clean beats fast and messy. The metronome helps.
Questions
Why do my chords buzz?
Usually a finger is too far from the fret or not pressing quite hard enough, or a finger is leaning on a neighbouring string. If buzzing persists with good technique, the strings may be set too low or too high; see guitar setup.
Why is the F chord so hard?
It is a full barre: one finger holds down all six strings at the first fret, where the strings are stiffest. Roll the index finger slightly onto its bony edge and keep the thumb low behind the neck. Many players use the four-string F major seventh shape above as a stepping stone.
What is the difference between a major, a minor and a seventh chord?
A major chord sounds bright and settled, a minor one darker. A seventh chord (dominant seventh) adds a fourth note that sounds restless and wants to move on, which is why it so often comes just before the home chord, and why it is everywhere in the blues.
