First Guitar Chords To Learn In Order [START HERE]

If you’re just starting out on guitar, the last thing you want is to waste time learning chords that are easy but never show up in real songs.

So instead, I’m going to walk you through the first 10 chords you should learn – chords you’ll use in 1000’s of popular songs.

Most beginners give up because they’re taught to run before they can walk. But by the end of this guide, you’ll know how to play these essential chords the easy way, setting yourself up to progress to the full versions as your fingers get stronger and more flexible.

Download The PDF

Here’s a printable pdf you can grab that contains the chord graphics for each of the chords taught in this lesson:

G Chord

Most beginners can’t play the full G chord, as the stretch is too great for their fingers:

So instead of playing all those strings, you can just fret the 3rd fret of the 1st string with your index finger and then don’t strum the 5th and 6th strings like this:

And then when you’re ready, you can try using your ring finger to fret that 3rd fret. 

A Chord

The A chord is more difficult because it uses 3 fingers. But, they’re all placed on the same fret. And your fingers are placed on strings right next to each other. Here’s how you do it:

Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. Then place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string and your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 2nd string. And then you play all of the strings, except the 6th string, like this.

Now, you might notice that your index finger naturally moves further away from the fret as you fit your other fingers onto the same area. This is normal and nothing to worry about as long as each note rings out clearly.

D Chord

Unfortunately there isn’t an easier version of this one, and it can be tricky. But it doesn’t require much stretching of your fingers so I’m sure you’ll be fine after a bit of practice.

You need to place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string. Next place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string. And then place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.

And strum all the strings except the 5th and 6th strings like this:

You will get it, it’s just a bit awkward at first.

And let me tell you something else, with just those 3 chords we’ve just looked at, you’re already able to play loads of popular songs!

But let’s not celebrate yet. We’ve got more to learn.

C Chord

The C chord is played like this

And this is another one most beginners can’t play because they can’t stretch their fingers that far.

But we can make it so much easier by not using our ring finger.

So let’s just place our index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string and our middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. 

Then we’ll strum all strings except for the 5th and 6th like this

Sounds great right? And again, this variation sets you up perfectly for playing the full C chord once your ring finger is ready.

F Chord

This is how you play the F chord

That’s called a barre chord, and it’s almost impossible for beginners to play.

So, let’s learn it the playable way. And you’ll notice it’s very similar to the C chord we just looked at.

Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string. Then put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string. And your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string.

Then you only strum the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings like this:

The hard part here is pick accuracy. So you might want to check out some of my other lessons if you’re having a hard time missing the 1st string.

E Chord

We’ve got a nice easy one now. The E chord. Here’s how you play it.

Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 3rd string. Then place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Then place your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. And then strum all 6 strings like this:

Once you’ve mastered the chords we’ve covered so far, you’ll have an impressive chord repertoire for a beginner, and you’ll be able to play loads of songs with them. So keep going, even if it feels tough – you’re making outstanding progress!

E Minor

E minor, as the name suggests, is very similar to the E chord we just looked at.

Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Then place your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string.

And then strum all the strings like this

If you’re wondering why we’re using our middle and ring fingers to fret this chord instead of our index and middle fingers, it’s because that means we can quickly switch to the E chord, which happens quite often. Plus it makes the next chord easier too.

A Minor

This is an easy chord to learn once you’ve mastered the E minor chord the way I just showed because all you need to do is move the E minor chord over from the 5th and 4th strings to the 4th and 3rd strings, still on the 2nd fret.

The only other thing you need to do from there is place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string. 

So, to recap, your index finger should be on the 1st fret of the 2nd string. Your middle finger should be on the 2nd fret of the 4th string. And your ring finger should be on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string

Then strum all of the strings, except for the 6th string like this:

B Chord

The B chord is played like this

And that’s again way too hard for beginners. So let’s learn an easier way.

Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string. Then place your ring finger on the 4th fret of the 3rd string. And your pinky finger on the 4th fret of the 2nd string.

And then strum the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings only. Like this:

I know that’s not easy, as it’s a wide stretch for your fingers. But it’s a lot more achievable than the barre chord. Plus it’s another one that sets you up for playing the full barre chord once your fingers are ready.

So it’s a great use of your practice time. But if you’re really struggling with it, I’ve got another alternative.

B7 Chord

You’ll hear the B7 chord in a lot of country, blues and jazz songs. And it can also be used as a replacement for the B chord if you’re really struggling to make that stretch.

Here’s how you play it: Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 4th string. Then place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string. And your pinky finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string.

Then you strum all the strings, except the 6th string like this:

You’re using more fingers, but there’s less stretch. And it sounds more bluesy too.

Now, I know we just looked at a lot of chords and there’s a lot to take in, so make sure you grab the downloadable pdf at the top of the page!