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Learn Guitar Chords

Read chord diagrams, get every note ringing, and change on the beat.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Guitar chords come in a few families that cover nearly every song: open chords near the nut, movable barre chords, power chords for rock, and colorful extras like sus and seventh shapes. A chord diagram shows the six strings as vertical lines, the frets as horizontal ones, an O for an open string and an X for one you skip. The real skill is not knowing shapes but switching between them in time without stopping the strum. Learnr builds a personalized guitar chords course from one prompt, sequencing shapes by the songs you care about in short, interactive lessons.

How to learn Guitar Chords, step by step

Learn to read a chord diagram. The thickest string is on the left, numbers on dots are fingers (1 index to 4 pinky), O means play the string open and X means do not play it. Read E minor first: two fingers, all six strings ringing.
Start with E minor, A minor, C, G and D. These shapes appear in thousands of songs. Fret each note just behind the metal fret wire with the fingertip, keep the knuckles arched, and pick string by string to find any note that buzzes or is muted by a neighboring finger.
Practice one-minute changes between pairs. Choose two chords, such as G and C, and switch back and forth for a minute while counting clean changes. Look for a finger that can stay in place or slide along one string, and lift all moving fingers together as one unit.
Add sevenths, sus chords and power chords. Dominant sevenths like E7 and A7 give a bluesy pull, Dsus2 and Dsus4 add motion, and two- or three-string power chords on the low strings power rock riffs. Each is one small change from a shape you already know.
Build barre chords from the E and A shapes. Play an F major by barring the first fret with the index finger and making an E shape with the others. Roll the index slightly onto its side, keep the thumb low behind the neck, and move the same shape up to play any major chord.
Apply chords to songs with a capo. Clip a capo on the second fret and the G shape now sounds as A, which lets you match a singer without new fingerings. Learnr lessons can sequence songs so each one adds a single new chord to the set you know.

What you'll learn

Read chord diagrams and chord charts with confidence
Play the open chords C, A, G, E, D and their minor forms cleanly
Change between common chords on the beat without stopping the strum
Play E-shape and A-shape barre chords anywhere on the neck
Use a capo and power chords to play songs in any key

What's inside your Guitar Chords course

A sample path Learnr builds for Guitar Chords. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Reading chord diagrams and finger numbers
2. Open major and minor chords
3. Clean changes and strumming in time
4. Seventh, sus and power chords
5. Barre chords and the CAGED shapes
6. Using a capo and transposing songs

How long does it take to learn Guitar Chords?

Most beginners can play the main open chords within 2 to 4 weeks of daily 15 to 20 minute sessions, and change between them in time within 1 to 3 months. Clean barre chords usually take 3 to 6 months of regular practice, because hand strength and accuracy build slowly.

What you need before you start

A guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E), a tuner, and comfortable string height. If you are new to the instrument, start with the general guitar course to learn posture and holding the pick.

Common mistakes to avoid

Placing fingers in the middle of the fret space or on top of the fret wire, which causes buzzing. Press just behind the fret for a clean note with less effort.
Letting the underside of a finger touch the next string and mute it. Arch the knuckles so each fingertip comes down vertically.
Avoiding the F barre chord for months. Practice a partial barre on the top two strings first, then build toward the full six-string shape.

How Learnr builds your course

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Guitar Chords questions, answered

What are the first guitar chords to learn?

E minor, A minor, C, G and D are the usual starting set, because they are open chords and together they cover many songs in the keys of G and C.

Why do my guitar chords sound buzzy or muted?

Usually a fingertip is too far from the fret, not pressing firmly enough, or leaning onto the next string. Pick each string separately to find the culprit, then adjust that finger.

What is the CAGED system?

It is a way of seeing the fretboard through five open chord shapes, C, A, G, E and D, which can be moved up the neck as barre shapes to play the same chord in five places.