Peter Bussey has been an avid guitar player for over 10 years. In 2004 he became Editor of The Guitar Players Toolbox, a website dedicated to helping advancing guitar players improve with practical tools, tips, and information. Visit http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com for a variety of free, practical resources such as guitar chords, guitar chord charts, song chords, and much more.
One of the first challenges faced by the advancing guitar player is learning a core group of basic guitar chords. Why is it so important to learn these basic chords? Chords form the backbone of most rock and pop songs, and provide the harmonic accompaniment to the melody and instrumental solos.
Rhythm guitar based on basic chords provides many of the most memorable rock riffs... think AC/DC's "Back in Black" or The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". What's really amazing is that by learning no more than 10 to 15 basic guitar chords, you will be equipped to play thousands of rock and pop songs!
What is a Guitar Chord?
First let's establish the definition of a chord. A chord is three or more different musical notes played together. In the case of the guitar, this means that at least three strings are strummed or plucked simultaneously to sound three or more notes. Since the guitar has six strings, the maximum numbers of notes in a guitar chord is six. All chords can be placed in one of three groups based on the musical structure of the chord: Major, Minor, or Seventh. Each of these chord groups has its own "sound" or "feel". Major chords sound stable and complete. Minor chords can evoke a more somber or pensive mood, and Seventh chords are jazzy and somewhat incomplete sounding.
There is no standard list of "basic guitar chords" that every one agrees to. However, there is general agreement that there is a list of somewhere between 8 and 18 basic guitar chords (open string) that every guitarist must know cold. These chords are used in all musical styles from rock and pop to country, jazz, and classical. No matter where you are on your guitar-playing path, you should take the time to learn and master the basic chords. Getting these right will ensure you have the basic tools and skills to learn many songs and increase your playing enjoyment.
The List of Basic Guitar Chords
So what are the basic guitar chords? Our basic stable includes the major and minor chords from four common musical keys, A,G,C, and D. They are played as "open chords", that is at least one string in the chord is not fretted (pressed down with a finger). Open chords are easier to learn and play than more advanced chords such as Barre chords, or complex chords further up the guitar neck. Our list of basic major and minor chords is:
A Major (or A), A Minor (or Am), C, D, Dm, E, Em, F, G
These chords can be best learned as chord "families" (by key) that can be combined into great-sounding chord sequences that make up lots of popular songs. Using this chord family approach is much more interesting and useful than just memorizing a bunch of chords in random order!
These chords grouped by chord family (key) are as follows:
A Family (Key of A): A, D, E D Family (Key of D): D, Em, G, A G Family (Key of G): G, Am, C, D, Em C Family (Key of C): C, Dm, Em, F, G
Tips for Learning the Basic Chords:
1. Pick a Chord Family and master it. This will give you quick success and let you play great sounding progressions right away.
2. Use a Guitar Chord Chart as a reference tool. A chord chart shows each chord as an easy to read "chord diagram" with exact finger positions. See this example of a chart of basic guitar chords.
3. Find the chords and lyrics for an easy song that is based on the chord family so you can apply your skills. Many great songs are based on only three chords!
4. Ensure each string sounds right. Take care to make sure that each string is sounding clearly, and that only the strings that should be played are played.
5. Practice, practice, practice! Every day, practice continually change from one chord to another until you can do it rapidly. Learn the chord families one at a time.
6. Master all the basic chords first. Only then move on to Barre chords and other more complex chords. First things first!
7. Expand with 7th chords. As a next step you can easily expand on your basic chord knowledge by adding 7th and minor 7th chords based on the nine basic major and minor chords.
8. Have fun using your new skills! Enjoy your musical ability by applying it to learning a small set of 5-10 songs you know really well and can confidently play at any time.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Four Steps to Learn Piano
- 3d Animation and Learning to Read – the Shrek Effect and Other Reasons to be Optimistic
- Obtaining an Education Loan For Distance Learning
- The Three Hidden Functions of Forms Training, Do You Know What You’re Really Learning?
- Learn Massage From Massage Videos
- You May Learn From My Diabetes Story
- Paula's Home Cooking Recipes - Fun Way To Learn Cooking
- Learning How to Dance Salsa




Michael Jackson you will be missed
By: Luis Pezzini | 05/07/2009If you’re like me, after you got over the initial shock and had to pull yourself away from all the overwhelming news stories, you pulled out your Michael Jackson music, the solo stuff and the group stuff, the songs he did with others such as “We Are The World” and “State Of Shock” with Mick Jagger and “Scream” with his sister Janet, and we listened
Supporting your child in their musical education
By: May Smith | 05/07/2009Putting your child in musical education requires your involvement as parents. It does not mean that when you put your children in music schools, you’ll just leave them on their own. Your personal involvement will be a lot of help for your child’s personal development.
Things to consider when having piano lessons
By: May Smith | 05/07/2009If you decide to enroll in piano lessons, you need to find a qualified piano teacher to help you develop and improve your skills. There are some considerations that you need to know for you to find a piano teacher that is right for you.
Broadway Musical Wicked
By: Sara J | 05/07/2009Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End musical Wicked is an excited adaptation of the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and a parallel novel of L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz.
The Greatest Rock Guitarist - Who Is He?
By: Ricky Sharples | 04/07/2009Rock guitarists have been around in their present guise since the sixties, so is there really any one in particular who deserves the title of the greatest rock guitarist? The criteria for the title have changed over the years since loudness and speed were the king and queen of rock guitar.
Playing Lead Guitar - The First Steps
By: Ricky Sharples | 04/07/2009This article will help you start off in playing lead guitar. We discuss some of the ways you can move from playing chords as a rhythm guitarist to playing lead guitar solos.
Learn Guitar Slowly To Speed Things Up
By: Ricky Sharples | 04/07/2009If you want to learn guitar you first need to learn how to learn. That's not just an empty new age phrase, you really do need to understand how your body learns, and how to cooperate with it. This article gives you some tips.
Blues Guitar Lessons Online
By: Ricky Sharples | 04/07/2009Blues guitar lessons are no longer given by amateur guitarists making a little extra money teaching the guitar. These days if you learn to play blues guitar you will also learn how to hold your guitar during long hours of practice, how to read guitar tab and much more.