Another Chord Sheet for Beginners

David Raleigh Arnold

Four String Chords

The first four chords are all played on the 1st 4 strings only, as shown in the diagrams.[1] Stop immediately at the first sign of numbness until there is none, but no pain, no gain. To make the G7 chord, the LH 1st finger is pressed on the string between the 1st fret and the nut 3/16 inch from the 1st fret. The LH finger is then described as being on the first string 1st fret. You must use the ends of your fingers, so the LH nails must be short. The 1st string, if metal, should be 0.010" in diameter. Practice changing C and G7 back and forth, playing each chord twice. Then G and D7. Whenever you have duplicates next to each other in chart they are alternatives, otherwise, they are not.

Do not neglect to learn your notes and learn to keep time. There will never be a better time to work on basic musicianship, and if you don’t, you will surely come to regret it.

   G7/d     C/e     D7      G/d   name of chord.
    ooo      o o    o	    ooo   open strings played.
  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  nut
  │││││/  ││││/│  ││││/│  ││││││  strings ││││││ = (6)(5)(4)...
  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  fret 1
  ││││││  ││2│││  │││2│3  ││││││  LH: 1234 from thumb (not incl.)
  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  fret 2
  ││││││  ││││││  ││││││  │││││4  4th finger on 3rd fret of 1st string.
  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  fret 3
    \__/    \__/    \__/    \__/  Thumb downward fast and light.

Five More Very Easy Chords, and Two More

For D7 and all chords remaining on this page, the lowest note of the chord, the bass note, is the root, the note from which the chord get its name. Assume for now that in any RH finger work with these chord the thumb will play the root, index plays ➂, middle plays ➁, ring (annular) plays ➀. Don't stick with this too long. ☺

             RH fingers = t i m a q  

     Em      E       Am      E7      A7    	 D	Fmaj7
      ooo  o   oo   o   o  o o oo   o o o        o          o
   ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕      ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕
   ││││││  │││/││  ││││/│  │││/││  ││││││      ││││││  ││││/│
   ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
   ││2│││  │23│││  ││23││  │2││││  ││/│2│      │││/│2  │││2││
   ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
   ││││││  ││││││  ││││││  ││││││  ││││││      ││││3│  ││3│││
   ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
     \__/  \____/   \___/  \____/   \___/  	 \__/	 \__/

Starting Root Position Chords

Use the Fmaj7 chord to help practice the root position C and G7 chords. If you can't manage them at first it should be no surprise, ust keep working on them. Try bringing your left elbow closer to the guitar body. If t moves upward, you need not get all the notes. Never fret what you never play.

  	C	G7	G	G	    A	    A	    
  	 o o	ooo	ooo	ooo	   o   o   o   o
      ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕	  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕
      ││││/│  │││││/  ││││││  ││││││	  ││││││  ││││││
      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥	  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
      ││2│││  │2││││  │/││││  │/││││	  ││/23│  ││//2│
      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥	  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
      │3││││  3│││││  2││││3  2││││4	  ││││││  ││││││
      ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥	  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥

Chords Using All Four Fingers, and Light Barring

The A major chord is played in many ways, not merely the two shown above. Try 123 first. If your fretboard is too narrow use the 112 fingering. To do that, place your 2nd finger as indicated and then place your first finger obliquely on the 3rd and 4th strings. Some hyperextension of the end joint of the 1st finger is necessary to make it work. For the Dm chord, do *not* use the 3rd finger. These E7 and A7 forms will usually sound better than the forms you have already learned. The A 234 usually works better in the key of E.

            B7      Dm      C7       A      E7      A7      F     
              o     o          o   o   o  o    o   o            
          ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕  ╒╤╤╤╤╕
          ││/│││  │││││/  ││││/│  ││││││  │││/││  ││││││  ││││//
          ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
          │2│3│4  │││2││  ││2│││  ││234│  │23│││  ││///│  │││2││
          ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥
          ││││││  ││││4│  │3│4││  ││││││  ││││4│  │││││2  ││3│││ 
          ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥  ┝┿┿┿┿┥

Move On

While there certainly are more easy chords you could learn, if you know all of these it's time for bar chords–chords with a barre like F.

End Notes:

§1 “Guitar” originally meant “four strings”. Ketar is thought to be the Indo-European original, so it is one of the oldest Indo-European words we have.

[Home] [Up]