Chords on the Guitar

On the guitar you play a with a grip (also called a chord shape): the shape your fretting hand makes on the neck, with each finger pressing a string at a . This page shows the most important grips and how they connect.

Reading a chord diagram

Each grip is drawn as a chord diagram, a small picture of the neck:

  • The strings run left to right, the lowest string at the bottom, like on the fretboard.
  • The numbers below the diagram are the fret numbers.
  • The numbers on the notes are finger numbers: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = little finger.
  • The same finger number on several strings means one finger lies flat across them (a barre).
  • A filled note is the chord's . A light note at the far left is an .
  • Roots on open strings show as open notes (light), not filled.
  • × means "don't play this string".

Open chords

The first chords most guitarists learn are open chords: grips at the end of the neck that let some strings ring open. They're easy to hold and ring out nicely. Press play to strum each one.

E
O
1
2
3
4
A
O
1
2
3
4
D
O
1
2
3
4
G
O
1
2
3
4
C
O
1
2
3
4
Em
O
1
2
3
4
Am
O
1
2
3
4
Dm
O
1
2
3
4

Barre chords

Open chords only exist for a few chords. A barre chord moves an open shape up the neck: your index finger lies flat across the strings and takes the place of the nut, the white strip at the end of the neck where the open strings stop.

To free your index finger, play the E shape with fingers 2, 3 and 4 instead of 1, 2 and 3. Then slide it up: each fret is a , so the E shape becomes F at the 1st fret, F♯ at the 2nd and so on. The A shape works the same way with its root on the A string. Its barre covers five strings, and the low E string isn't played.

F: E-shape barre
O
1
2
3
4
B♭: A-shape barre
O
1
2
3
4

The CAGED shapes

The open C, A, G, E and D chords can all be moved up the neck as barre shapes. That's where the name CAGED comes from. Played for the same chord, the five shapes join up along the neck like puzzle pieces, so you can play any major chord in five places.

Going up the neck from the open C chord: A shape at fret 3, G shape at fret 5, E shape at fret 8, D shape at fret 10, and the C shape again at fret 12. Here is C major in all five, in that order:

C: A shape
O
1
2
3
4
5
C: G shape
O
5
6
7
8
C: E shape
O
8
9
10
11
C: D shape
O
10
11
12
13
C: C shape
O
12
13
14
15

The fretboard tool shows the open and CAGED grips for any major or minor chord (Chords → Fingering), and how the CAGED shapes connect.

Which grip should I use?

  • Open grips ring and sound full; use them when you can.
  • Barre grips sound tighter and work for every chord.
  • When you play chords one after another (progressions, coming up), pick grips close to each other, so your hand barely moves.
Next: Chords in a Key