Reference
Look it up, any time.
Everything here works without the curriculum. Nothing is locked, and nothing depends on your progress.
C major 1 3 5 · C E G
Mute the low E string with the tip of your ring finger or just avoid it.
A major 1 3 5 · A C♯ E
Three fingers fit side by side on fret 2; keep them arched.
G major 1 3 5 · G B D
Fingers 2-1-3 keeps the move to C and D short.
E major 1 3 5 · E G♯ B
D major 1 3 5 · D F♯ A
Strum only the top four strings.
A minor 1 ♭3 5 · A C E
E minor 1 ♭3 5 · E G B
Two fingers only: a good chord for practising clean ringing.
D minor 1 ♭3 5 · D F A
A dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · A C♯ E G
D dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · D F♯ A C
E dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · E G♯ B D
G dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · G B D F
C dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · C E G B♭
B dominant 7 1 3 5 ♭7 · B D♯ F♯ A
A minor 7 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 · A C E G
E minor 7 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 · E G B D
D minor 7 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 · D F A C
C major 7 1 3 5 7 · C E G B
F major 7 1 3 5 7 · F A C E
An easy way to play an F-flavoured chord with no barre.
G major 7 1 3 5 7 · G B D F♯
D major 7 1 3 5 7 · D F♯ A C♯
A major 7 1 3 5 7 · A C♯ E G♯
G7, second inversion (D in bass) 1 3 5 ♭7 (5 in bass) · G B D F
Top four strings only: D, G and B are open.
G7, third inversion (F in bass) 1 3 5 ♭7 (♭7 in bass) · G B D F
G7, root position (top four strings) 1 3 5 ♭7 · G B D F
G7, first inversion (B in bass) 1 3 5 ♭7 (3 in bass) · G B D F
A suspended 2 1 2 5 · A B E
A suspended 4 1 4 5 · A D E
D suspended 2 1 2 5 · D E A
D suspended 4 1 4 5 · D G A
E suspended 4 1 4 5 · E A B
C add 9 1 3 5 9 · C E G D
C major 6 1 3 5 6 · C E G A
C with the A added on the G string. There is no G in this voicing; the ear does not miss it.
C major 9 1 3 5 7 9 · C E G B D
The 5th is left out, which is normal for a 9th chord on guitar.
C dominant 9 1 3 5 ♭7 9 · C E G B♭ D
The ring finger flattens across the top three strings. Move the shape anywhere: the root is on the A string.
E dominant 9 1 3 5 ♭7 9 · E G♯ B D F♯
E minor 9 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 · E G B D F♯
A 7 suspended 4 (A11 sound) 1 4 5 ♭7 · A D E G
Guitarists use 7sus4 as a playable 11th chord: the 11 is the same note as the 4.
G dominant 13 1 3 ♭7 13 · G B F E
Root, ♭7, 3 and 13: the four notes that define the sound. The 5th, 9th and 11th are left out.
C over E 1 3 5 (3 in bass) · C E G
Let the open low E ring: C with its third in the bass.
C over G 1 3 5 (5 in bass) · C E G
G over B 1 3 5 (3 in bass) · G B D
Mute the low E with the tip of the index finger.
D over F♯ 1 3 5 (3 in bass) · D F♯ A
Many players fret the low F♯ with the thumb over the top of the neck. Either way, the A string stays muted.
A minor over G 1 ♭3 5 (♭7 in bass) · A C E G
A minor over F♯ 1 ♭3 5 (6 in bass) · A C E F♯
F major (small barre) 1 3 5 · F A C
A stepping stone: only two strings under the index finger.
F major (E-shape barre) 1 3 5 · F A C
The open E major shape, moved up one fret, with the index finger replacing the nut.
F minor (E-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 · F A♭ C
F♯ minor (E-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 · F♯ A C♯
G major (E-shape barre) 1 3 5 · G B D
G minor (E-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 · G B♭ D
B major (A-shape barre) 1 3 5 · B D♯ F♯
Lay the ring finger flat across strings 4-2 at fret 4.
B minor (A-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 · B D F♯
C major (A-shape barre) 1 3 5 · C E G
G dominant 7 (E-shape barre) 1 3 5 ♭7 · G B D F
The E-shape barre with the pinky lifted: the barre itself supplies the ♭7 on the D string.
G minor 7 (E-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 · G B♭ D F
Only two fingers: the barre and the ring finger on the A string.
G major 7 (root on 6th string) 1 3 5 7 · G B D F♯
Not a full barre. The middle finger's underside mutes the A string and the index finger's tip touches the high e to mute it.
C dominant 7 (A-shape barre) 1 3 5 ♭7 · C E G B♭
C minor 7 (A-shape barre) 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 · C E♭ G B♭
C major 7 (A-shape barre) 1 3 5 7 · C E G B
E5 power chord 1 5 · E B
Open low E with fret 2 on the A and D strings. Index finger flattened across both, or fingers 1 and 2.
F5 power chord (root on 6th string) 1 5 · F C
The index finger's underside lies lightly across the higher strings to keep them silent.
G5 power chord (root on 6th string) 1 5 · G D
A5 power chord (root on 6th string) 1 5 · A E
A5 power chord 1 5 · A E
B5 power chord (root on 5th string) 1 5 · B F♯
C5 power chord (root on 5th string) 1 5 · C G
D5 power chord (root on 5th string) 1 5 · D A