Guitar Chord Diagrams

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#

The root positions of all the chords are played with the left hand near the head of the guitar. Once the root positions are mastered, inversions of these chords with different fingering can be played anywhere on the neck, but first things first.

Try to keep your fingers, and your hand, and your whole left arm as relaxed as possible. It's not easy at first - you have to force your fingers into position - but once they're in place, try to slowly relax them. Exert just enough pressure on each string to get a nice clear sound when you pluck it with your other hand. Test each string individually with a pick to make sure you are doing it right.

Each green numbered circle on the chord diagram corresponds to a finger on your left hand.

Below is a chord diagram of the "D" chord. Strings in the diagram with no markings are played as open strings. A yellow "X" means the open string is part of the chord triad, and may be played, but because of the relative position of the string's note within the chord, the chord usually sounds better without it. A red "X" means the open string is not part of the triad, and should not be played.

Try to get your fingers as close as possible to the exact positions indicated in the diagrams, close to the lower fret. After a while your fingers will hurt, especially the tips, and that's normal. It means you're doing well, and it's time to take a break. As your fingers learn to relax, and the tips toughen up, they hurt less, and ultimately you will be able to play all day long without them hurting at all.

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Guitar Chord Diagrams