Open Chords

Open chords are the first real chords most guitarists learn, and with a handful of them you can play thousands of songs. This chapter teaches the essential open chords for beginners and, just as important, how to change between them without stopping.

You start with E minor and A minor, the easiest full chords on the guitar, which share the same finger shape. Then you add A, D and E major, the three main chords in the key of A, followed by C and G to complete the classic set. Along the way you learn to check every string for buzz, arch your fingers and strum only the strings each chord needs. The final lesson is about fast chord changes: the one-minute drill, anchor fingers, and a G-Em-C-D loop heard in countless pop songs.

Every exercise plays in your browser with a click, so you can strum along and work up the tempo ladder. Pass the checkpoint at the end of each lesson and you'll switch between easy guitar chords in time, ready to start playing songs.