Guitar Chord Chart
As a guitar teacher I am often asked which guitar chords are essential. The answer to this question is debatable but there are definitely a selection of must know chord forms.
Below is a collection that I have compiled for the beginner guitar student. By no means is this an exhaustive list. But this group of chords should be the foundation of every guitar players chord vocabulary. After these are mastered you’ll be able to move these shapes to other parts of the guitar neck build any chord you need.
How to Use the Chart
These chords are grouped in rows by family (or key). Each row on the chart is a different family (or key) of chords commonly used in a song. You should focus on one row at a time playing through all the chords in a row while listening to how they blend.
- Play through the chords in order from left to right…the right to left.
- Play the major chords only in a given row:
a. I – IV – V – I
b. IV – I – V – IV
c. V – I – IV – V - Play the minor chords only in a given row:
a. vi -ii – iii – vi
b. ii – iii – vi – ii
c. iii -vi – ii – iii - Mix major and minor chords in a given row:
a. vi -ii – V – I
b. I – IV – vi – V
c. ii – V – ii – V – vi - Two neighboring chords can substitute for each other:
a. vi <–> I
b. ii <–> IV
c. iii <–> V
