Your First Guitar Chords: A Complete Beginner Guide

First Guitar Chords Guide Contents

Learning your first guitar chords is an exciting milestone in your guitar journey. These 8 essential open chords - A, E, G, D, C, Em, Am, and Dm - will unlock hundreds of songs and give you a solid foundation for more advanced playing.

In this guide, we'll learn these chords in pairs, focusing on smooth transitions between related shapes. This approach will help you develop muscle memory and make chord changes feel natural and effortless.

The 8 Essential Chords

A

E

G

D

C

Em

Am

Dm

Learning in Pairs: Smart Chord Transitions

Instead of learning chords in isolation, we'll group them by similar fingerings and transition patterns. This approach will help you develop smooth chord changes from the very beginning.

Pair 1: A and E Major Chords

Why start here? A and E are two of the easiest chords to learn and they share a logical finger movement pattern.

A Major Chord

A

Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the B string
Strum from the A string down

E Major Chord

E

Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the G string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
Strum all six strings

Transition Tip: A to E

Notice how your 2nd and 3rd fingers just move up one string each from A to E? Your 1st finger simply moves under to the G string. This creates a smooth, logical transition pattern.

Pair 2: G and D Major Chords

Why this pair? G and D share a common finger position that makes transitioning between them feel natural.

G Major Chord (4-finger version)

G

Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the E string
Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
Place your 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string
Strum all six strings

D Major Chord

D

Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string
Strum from the D string down (4 strings)
Note: If you accidentally hit the open A string, it won't necessarily sound bad, but the chord has a clearer sound without it

Transition Tip: G to D

Your 3rd finger stays on the 3rd fret of the B string for both chords! This anchor finger makes the transition much easier. Just move your other fingers to their new positions while keeping that 3rd finger in place.

Pair 3: C and Em Chords

Why this pair? C is often the trickiest shape for beginners, but pairing it with Em makes it easier to learn and practice.

C Major Chord

C

Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the A string
Strum from the A string down (5 strings)
Important: Keep your fingers arched to avoid muting open strings

Em Minor Chord

Em

Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
Strum all six strings

Transition Tip: C to Em

Your 2nd finger stays on the 2nd fret of the D string for both chords! This common finger position creates a natural pivot point for smooth transitions between C and Em.

Pair 4: Am and Dm Minor Chords

Why this pair? Am and Dm share similar shapes and finger movements, making them perfect practice partners.

Am Minor Chord

Am

Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
Strum from the A string down (5 strings)

Dm Minor Chord

Dm

Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the high E string
Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
Strum from the D string down (4 strings)
Note: If you accidentally hit the open A string, it won't necessarily sound bad, but the chord has a clearer sound without it

Transition Tip: Am to Dm

Am and Dm share a similar shape! Your 1st and 2nd fingers move to the string above or below, while your 3rd finger just moves one fret higher. Most of the movement is just shifting to adjacent strings.

Practice Songs with These Chords

The best way to practice these chords is by playing actual songs! In my Complete Beginner's Guide to Guitar, I've included three songs that progressively introduce these chords with interactive strumming patterns:

Progressive Song Learning

Achy Breaky Heart - Uses A and E chords with simple strumming
Bad Moon Rising - Adds G and D chords with more complex patterns
Brown Eyed Girl - Incorporates C and Em for four-chord progressions

Ready to Start?

These 8 chords will open up hundreds of songs for you to play. Remember, consistency is key - practice these chords daily, even if just for 10-15 minutes.

Want to explore more chords? Check out our Open Chord Library for a comprehensive collection of open chord shapes and variations.

If you're in the Wellington area and would like personalized guidance, I offer guitar lessons in Pukerua Bay and can travel to surrounding areas. Contact me to start your guitar journey!