Guitar Chords
Browse every common guitar chord with fingering diagrams, notes, and theory. Free reference for beginners and advanced players.
Start with these 8 essential open chords — they unlock hundreds of songs.
What Are Guitar Chords?
A guitar chord is a group of notes played simultaneously on the guitar fretboard. Each chord is defined by its root note and quality — major chords sound bright and resolved, minor chords sound darker and more introspective, and extended chords like dominant 7ths and major 7ths add colour and complexity. Most songs are built from a small set of chords drawn from a single musical key. Learning the 8 essential open chords below — G, C, D, Em, Am, A, E, and F — gives you enough to play thousands of songs immediately.
Major Chords
Root, major third, perfect fifth. Bright, resolved, and foundational.
Minor Chords
Root, minor third, perfect fifth. Darker and more expressive.
Diminished Chords
Root, minor third, diminished fifth. Tense — diatonic vii° in every major key.
Augmented Chords
Root, major third, augmented fifth. Dreamy and unresolved.
Dominant 7th Chords
Major triad + minor seventh. Creates tension that resolves to the next chord.
Major 7th Chords
Major triad + major seventh. Smooth, sophisticated quality.
Minor 7th Chords
Minor triad + minor seventh. Nuanced and jazzy.
Diminished 7th Chords
Root, minor third, diminished fifth, diminished seventh. Fully symmetrical tension.
Dominant 9th Chords
Major triad + minor seventh + major ninth. Full and bluesy.
Major 9th Chords
Major triad + major seventh + major ninth. Expansive and luminous.
Minor 9th Chords
Minor triad + minor seventh + major ninth. Lush and soulful.
Suspended 4th Chords
Root, perfect fourth, perfect fifth. Tense — resolves to major.
Suspended 2nd Chords
Root, major second, perfect fifth. Open and floating — no third.
Dominant 7th Sus4 Chords
Root, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh. Funky and suspended.
Add 9th Chords
Root, major third, perfect fifth, major ninth. Open and ringing — no seventh.
Minor Add 9th Chords
Root, minor third, perfect fifth, major ninth. Bittersweet and full.
Major 6th Chords
Root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth. Warm and nostalgic.
Minor 6th Chords
Root, minor third, perfect fifth, major sixth. Bittersweet and jazzy.
Power Chords
Root and perfect fifth only. No third — neutral, powerful, fundamental to rock.
How to Read a Guitar Chord Diagram
A chord diagram shows the guitar fretboard from the front, with vertical lines representing the six strings (low E on the left, high e on the right) and horizontal lines representing frets. Filled dots show where to place your fingers; numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky). An “O” above a string means play it open; an “X” means mute that string. A curved bar across multiple strings indicates a barre — press your index finger flat across all those strings at once. Each chord page in this library includes a fingering diagram, the notes in the chord, and the keys where that chord naturally appears.
Build chord sheets for any song in Chordly — click any chord to add it to your lyrics, then share or print.
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