For a guitarist, learning to play chords is essential in order to be able to play the instrument, at any level.
All the Guitar Chords are organized by family and in Alphabetic Order so that you can find the Chord you are looking for easily! These are the most popular guitar chords that most beginners start with. Click on the family and then the name of the guitar chord to see how they work! You may use the navigation menu available on the left hand side to select the guitar chord you wish to learn about!
Each chord family name denotes its root (for example, Do, expressed as C ) and its quality (such as min7).
Alternative notations of the chord can be found to the right of this name, in brackets. For example, there are several different ways of writing a minor 7th chord: min7, m7 and -7 are three possibilities.
Under the family name you will find a line listing the notes of the chord according to their function (Root = Do (C); maj 3rd = E; and so on).
Diagrams
A chord diagram graphically conveys the section of the neck on which the chord is placed. In a diagram, each note fretted is represented by a dot within which the function of the note in the chord is specified (root, third, fifth, seventh and so on).
The Xs and Os situated at the top of the neck show you if the string beside which the symbol appears should be played (‘open’) or not.
In a diagram, each dot indicates the note to be played as well as the function of that note in the chord:
| R: Root | Dim7 : Diminished seventh |
| 3 - : Minor third | 7 - : Minor seventh |
| M3 : Major third | M7 : Major seventh |
| 4 : Perfect fourth | 9 b : Minor ninth |
| 4 # : Augmented fourth | 9 : Major ninth |
| 5 b : Diminished fifth | 9 # : Augmented ninth |
| 5 : Perfect fifth | 11 : Perfect eleventh |
| 5 # : Augmented fifth | 11 # : Augmented eleventh |
| 6 - : Minor sixth | 13 : Major thirteenth |
| M6 : Major sixth | 13 b : Minor thirteenth |
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