First Guitar Chords Every Beginner Should Learn

Thousands of songs use the same handful of chords. Learn these eight in this order and you can play along with most of what is on the radio and in the hymnal within a couple of months. This is the order most teachers use, and the reasons for it.

The order

1. E minor. Two fingers, all six strings ring. The first chord that sounds like music.
2. A minor. Same shape as E minor moved over with one more finger. Teaches you to skip the low E string.
3. E major. A minor shape moved up a string. Now you have a bright chord and a sad one.
4. D major. The first one that hurts. Three fingers close together on the top strings.
5. A major. Three fingers in a row. Many players use two fingers and a bar once they get going.
6. C major. The first stretch. Keep the thumb behind the neck and take it slow.
7. G major. The big stretch. Everyone struggles for a week. Then it clicks.
8. D minor. Small and useful, and it rounds out the set.

With G, C, D and E minor alone you can play hundreds of songs. Add A minor and you have most of country and folk.

Why your fingers hurt

Because the skin is soft. Calluses form in two to three weeks of daily practice and the pain goes away. Two things make it worse than it needs to be. A guitar with high action, which a setup fixes, and heavy strings. Every guitar we ship has been set up so the strings sit low. If you bought elsewhere and it hurts after a month, read what a guitar setup is.

Switching between chords

Practice the switch, not the chord. Pick two chords, play one, move to the other, back again, slowly, with a metronome at 50 beats per minute. Look for a finger that stays in the same place between the two shapes and leave it there. Ten minutes a day on switches does more than an hour of strumming. Our metronome guide has the exercise.

Strumming

Start with all downstrokes on the beat. Add upstrokes between beats once the chords are clean. A medium pick, around 0.70 mm, is the easiest to start with. See how to choose picks.

The capo trick

A song in a hard key like F or B flat becomes easy chords with a capo. Clamp it on the first or third fret and play the shapes you know. Singers use it to match their voice. Read how to use a capo.

On an electric

Same chords, lighter strings, easier on the fingers. Many beginners who struggle on an acoustic get going faster on an electric. If you are still choosing, read acoustic vs electric which to learn first.

Every instrument we ship is set up by hand on our bench in Athens, Tennessee first. Read what a guitar setup is to see what that covers. Browse acoustic guitars and accessories. Questions? Call the shop at (423) 462-1894 and a real person will help you choose.