Open Chords: E Minor (Em)

Every good guitarist must know how to play some basic open chords! Open chords are played at the nut position on the guitar and have at least one open string ringing throughout. The eight open chords you will learn on this page are presented in a specific order for easy learning.

The first chord you'll learn is E minor (Em). The notes in an Em chord are E (root), B (5th) and G (minor 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For E Minor (Em):

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#1 TIP for chord playing: Always keep your fingers curved when playing guitar chords!

Open Chords: E Major (E)

E minor (Em) was easy, right? Well, to play E major (E) all we have to do is hold the Em chord and add our index (1st) finger to the first fret of the G string.

The notes that make up an E major chord are E (root), B (5th) and G# (major 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For E Major (E):

Open Chords: A Minor (Am)

Once you are used to holding the E major shape, you are ready to play A minor (Am). Just move every finger of the E major shape down one string, and play the chord starting with the open A string (don't play low open E)!

An A minor chord is made up of the notes A (root), E (5th) and C (minor 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For A Minor (Am):

Open Chords: C Major (C)

To play C major (C), take the Am chord shape and simply move the ring (3rd) finger from the second fret of the G string to the third fret of the A string. Start playing at the A string (don't play low open E).

The notes that make up a C major chord are C (root), G (5th) and E (major 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For C Major (C):

Open Chords: G Major (G)

The open G major (G) chord has a great bright sound due to the 3 open strings (D, G, B) that ring out when it is played. There are two ways to play an open G major chord which are included in this lesson, try them both.

A G major chord is made up of the notes G (root), D (5th) and B (major 3rd).

Chord Diagrams (3 Common Fingerings) & TAB For G Major (G):

Open Chords: D Major (D)

On to D major (D) -this bright sounding chord is played using your index (1st), middle (2nd), and ring (3rd) fingers on the G, B and e strings. Remember to start with the open D string (don't play the E and A strings).

A D Major chord is made up of the notes D (root), A (5th) and F# (major 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For D Major (D):

Open Chords: D Minor (Dm)

Some say that the open D minor (Dm) chord is the saddest sounding chord on the guitar! Switching between D major and D minor chords requires a finger shift to reach the first fret of the e string instead of the second.

A D minor chord is made up of the notes D (root), A (5th) and F (minor 3rd).

Chord Diagram & TAB For D Minor (Dm):

Open Chords: A Major (A)

An A major (A) chord is played by fretting along the second frets of the B, G and D strings. You could use all three fingers to play this chord, or just your index finger! Start at the open A string and play down to the open e.

An A major chord is made up of the notes A (root), E (5th) and C# (major 3rd).

Chord Diagrams (3 Common Fingerings) & TAB For A Major (A):

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