Guitar chords
Choose a root and chord type to see up to four playable shapes in standard tuning, from open position up the neck. Tap a diagram to hear it.
Notes: C – E – G
Tap a diagram to hear it strummed. The first shape is the most common; others move up the neck. Gold dots mark the root; × = don’t play that string, ○ = open string.
Guitar chord chart
Fret numbers from the lowest string to the highest (x = muted).
| Root | major | minor | dominant 7th | minor 7th | major 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Cx 3 2 0 1 0 | Cmx 3 1 0 4 3 | C7x 3 2 3 1 0 | Cm7x 3 1 3 1 3 | Cmaj7x 3 2 0 0 0 |
| C♯/D♭ | D♭x 4 3 1 2 1 | D♭mx 4 2 1 2 0 | D♭7x 4 3 4 0 4 | D♭m7x 4 2 4 0 0 | D♭maj7x 4 3 1 1 1 |
| D | Dx x 0 2 3 2 | Dmx x 0 2 3 1 | D7x x 0 2 1 2 | Dm7x x 0 2 1 1 | Dmaj7x x 0 2 2 2 |
| E♭ | E♭x 6 5 3 4 3 | E♭mx x 1 3 4 2 | E♭7x x 1 0 2 3 | E♭m7x 6 4 6 4 6 | E♭maj7x x 1 0 3 3 |
| E | E0 2 2 1 0 0 | Em0 2 2 0 0 0 | E70 2 0 1 0 0 | Em70 2 0 0 0 0 | Emaj70 2 1 1 4 0 |
| F | F1 3 3 2 1 1 | Fm1 3 3 1 1 1 | F71 3 1 2 1 1 | Fm71 3 1 1 1 1 | Fmaj71 3 2 2 1 0 |
| F♯/G♭ | G♭2 4 4 3 2 2 | G♭m2 4 4 2 2 2 | G♭72 4 2 3 2 0 | G♭m72 4 2 2 2 0 | G♭maj72 4 3 3 2 2 |
| G | G3 2 0 0 0 3 | Gm3 1 0 0 3 3 | G73 2 0 0 0 1 | Gm73 5 3 3 3 3 | Gmaj73 2 4 0 0 3 |
| A♭ | A♭4 3 1 1 1 4 | A♭m4 6 6 4 4 4 | A♭74 3 1 1 1 2 | A♭m74 6 4 4 4 4 | A♭maj74 3 1 1 1 3 |
| A | Ax 0 2 2 2 0 | Amx 0 2 2 1 0 | A7x 0 2 2 2 3 | Am7x 0 2 0 1 0 | Amaj7x 0 2 1 2 0 |
| B♭ | B♭x 1 3 3 3 1 | B♭mx 1 3 3 2 1 | B♭7x 1 3 1 3 1 | B♭m7x 1 3 1 2 1 | B♭maj7x 1 3 2 3 1 |
| B | Bx 2 1 4 0 2 | Bmx 2 4 4 3 2 | B7x 2 1 2 0 2 | Bm7x 2 4 2 3 2 | Bmaj7x 2 1 3 0 2 |
Open chords vs. barre chords
Open chords use unfretted strings and sit in the first three frets. They ring out and are easiest to learn. Barre chords have no open strings, so the same shape works anywhere: the E-shape with its root on the 6th string, the A-shape with its root on the 5th. Once you know those two shapes for major, minor and 7th, you can play almost any chord in a song.
Stuck on a song in an awkward key? Put a capo on and use easier shapes; the chord transposer works out which shapes to play. Or practise changes on the virtual guitar.
Questions
How do I read a guitar chord diagram?
Vertical lines are the strings, low E on the left and high E on the right. Horizontal lines are frets. Dots show where to press; an × above a string means don’t play it and ○ means play it open. A number to the left gives the starting fret.
What are the first guitar chords to learn?
The open chords E minor, A minor, C, D, G, E and A. With G, C, D and Em alone you can strum a large share of pop, folk and country songs.
What is a barre chord?
A shape where one finger (usually the index) presses several strings at the same fret, acting like a movable nut. The E-shape and A-shape barre chords let you play any major or minor chord by sliding along the neck.
How are these chord shapes generated?
MelodyMake calculates playable shapes from the notes of each chord in standard tuning (E A D G B E), keeping every essential note, a span of at most four frets and no more than four fingers, then ranks them by how common and comfortable they are.