Beginners Guitar Chords

open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)

Black diamonds are root tones.

Grayed tones are optional.
White filled tones behind the nut are open string tones (to be included in chord).
X ed strings at the nut are muted or not played.
Large numbers inside chord dots are fingering numbers:
1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = little finger
T = thumb

E
Major

E
minor

E
Dom 7

E
minor 7

E
Major 7
1 2

2 3

2 3

E
Major 6
1
2 3

1 2

R 5 R 3 5 R

R 5 R 3 5 R

R 5 7 3 7 R

R 5 R 3 7 R

R 5 7 3 5 R

R 5 R 3 6 R

A
Major

A
minor

A
Dom 7

A
minor 7

A
Major 7

A
Major 6

2 1 3

1
2

2 3

1 1 1 1

5 R 5 R 3 5

5 R 5 R 3 5

5 R 5 7 3 5

5 R 5 7 3 5

5 R 5 7 3 5

5 R 5 R 3 6

D
Major

D
minor

D
Dom 7

D
minor 7

D
Major 7

D
Major 6

X
1

1
T

2
3

3 5 R 5 R 3

Basic Guitar Chords

X
1 1

1 1 1

5 R 5 R 3

TheCipher.com

5 R 5 7 3

5 R 5 7 3

5 R 5 7 3

5 R 5 6 3

2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 1

Beginners Guitar Chords (continued)

open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)

G
Major

G
minor

G
Dom 7

G
minor 7

G
Major 7

G
Major 6

X
1

1
see barre chord

1
3

3 4

see barre chord

2
2

3 3 3 3

7 3 5 R

R 3 5 R 3 7

R 3 5 R 3 6

C
Major 7

C
Major 6

R 3 5 R 5 R

R 3 5 R 3 7

C
Major

C
minor

C
Dom 7
X

3 4

see barre chord

2
3

R 3 5 3 5

F
Major

R 3 7 R 3

F
minor

7 3 5

R 3 7 R 3

R 3 6 R 3

F
Major 7

F
Major 6

1 1 1

1 1

1 1

F
minor 7

3 4

3 4

5 R 3 5 R

B
Major

B
Dom 7
X

X X

see barre chord

3 R 3 5 7

3 R 3 6 R

B
minor 7

B
Major 7

B
Major 6

X X

1
1

5 7 3 5 R

see barre chord

see barre chord

5 7 3 5 R

B
minor

X X

see barre chord

5 R 3 5 R

see barre chord

see barre chord

1 1 1 1

2 3

2
3

F
Dom 7

5 R 3 5 R 3

see barre chord

C
minor 7

R 3 5 R 3 R
5

2 3 4

3 4

5 R 3 5

5 R 3 5

Basic Guitar Chords TheCipher.com

1
1

2
3

R 3 7 R 5

R 5 7 3 5

R 5 7 3 5

1 1 1 1

5 R 3 6

2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 2

Beginners Guitar Chords (continued)

Movable Barre chords

Root on String One (low E)

Major
1

minor
1 1

Dom 7

1 1 1

minor 7

1 1

Major 7

1 1 1 1

1 1

2
3 4

3 4

R 5 R 3 5 R

R 5 7 3 5 R

2
3

R 5 7 3 5 R

2 3

R 5 R 3 5 R

Dom 7/6

R 5 7 3 5 R

R 5 7 3 6 R

Major 7

Major 6

* Root on String Two

Major

minor

Dom 7

1 1

minor 7

X
1

1 1

1 1

1 1

2
3 4

3 3 3

5 R 5 R 3 5

5 R 5 R 3 5

X
1

1 1
2

2
3

5 R 5 7 3 5

5 R 5 7 3 5

1 1

3 3 3 3

5 R 5 7 3 5

5 R 5 R 3 6

* Low 5th (grayed tone) is always optional. If used, simply barre across all 6 strings with your index finger.
The roots (lowest black diamonds) of these barre chord voicings can be aligned to any fretline to produce the desired letter named chord.
For example: the Major barre chord shape that looks like the open position E Major chord
(top row, root on string one or low E) can be played at the first fret for an F Major chord, or
at the third fret for a G Major chord. Likewise, the Major barre chord shape that looks like
the open position A Major chord (second row, root on string two or A) can be played on the
second fret for B Major or on the third fret for C Major.
This principle applies to all barre chords, Major, minor, seventh, etc. That's the beauty of
barre chords, they're movable and universal.
Memorize the letter names and locations (fret number) of the notes on strings one and two,
low E and A (first twelve frets). Consult the Guitar Fretboard Note Speller.

Basic Guitar Chords

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2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 3

Guitar Fretboard Spelled

Nut = open strings Fret 0

Nut
D

Fret # 0

F/G

A/B

4
5
6

A/B D/E G/A

G/A C/D F/G

A

10
11
octave
fret 12

Basic Guitar Chords TheCipher.com

A/B D/E G/A C/D

C/D F/G
D

A/B D/E
B

C/D F/G
D

D/E G/A
E

A/B

F/G

G/A C/D
A

D/E G/A C/D F/G A/B D/E

E

2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 4