C
C Major💡 Looks like an upside-down staircase: 3-2-0-1-0
Ring finger on 5th string 3rd fret is the anchor; other fingers build around it.
D
D Major💡 Triangle shape: index low, middle + ring on top
Strum only the top 4 strings—avoid the 5th and 6th.
E
E Major💡 Like Am shifted down one string; index on the 3rd string
A core shape—F major barre is the E shape moved up.
G
G Major💡 High on both ends, low in the middle—like a smile
Two common fingerings: index+middle+pinky or ring+middle+pinky.
A
A Major💡 Three fingers in a row on the 2nd fret
Try a one-finger mini-barre on the 2nd fret to prep for B major.
Am
A Minor💡 E chord shifted up one string
Same shape as E major, just moved up one string set.
Em
E Minor💡 The simplest chord—only two fingers
A great first chord for beginners to build hand shape.
Dm
D Minor💡 D chord with the 1st string lowered by one fret
Only one note different from D major—pay attention to that.
F
F Major (Barre)💡 E-shape barre moved to the 1st fret
Bar close to the fret using the side of your index finger.
Bm
B Minor (Barre)💡 Am-shape barre moved to the 2nd fret
A-shape barre—index only needs to fret the 5th and 1st strings.
C7
C Dominant 7th💡 C chord + pinky on 3rd string 3rd fret
Dominant 7 wants to resolve to F.
G7
G Dominant 7th💡 G chord with pinky moved to 1st string 1st fret
Strongly wants to resolve to C.
A7
A Dominant 7th💡 A chord with the 3rd string open
Only two fingers—very easy.
E7
E Dominant 7th💡 E chord with the 3rd string open
Signature blues chord.
Dsus4
D Suspended 4th💡 D chord + pinky on 1st string 3rd fret
Suspended feel that resolves back to D.
Asus4
A Suspended 4th💡 A chord + pinky on 2nd string 3rd fret
Alternate with A for movement.
Asus2
A Suspended 2nd💡 A chord with the 2nd string open
Airy, open tone.
Cadd9
C Add 9💡 C chord + pinky on 2nd string 3rd fret
More colorful than plain C—often used as a substitute.
Gadd9
G Add 9💡 G chord + middle finger on 4th string 2nd fret
A beautiful replacement for G.
E5
E Power Chord💡 Only root and fifth—no third
Rock/metal foundation, especially with distortion.
A5
A Power Chord💡 Open 5th string is the root
Easy to move around the fretboard.
Fmaj7
F Major 7th💡 Easy F—no barre needed
Beginner-friendly F substitute with a softer tone.
Cmaj7
C Major 7th💡 C chord with the 1st string open
Dreamy, warm tone.
Am7
A Minor 7th💡 Am with the 3rd string open
Very common—more color than Am.
Dm7
D Minor 7th💡 Dm with the 1st string also fretted at 1st
The ii chord in ii–V–I.
Bm7 (Jazz)
B Minor 7th (Jazz Voicing)💡 Fret every other string
Bm7 without a barre—common in jazz.
Em9
E Minor 9th💡 Em plus 1st string 2nd fret
A beautiful jazz chord.
🧠 Memory Tips
Shape memory
Group chords by shape: E, A, C, G, D (CAGED system)
Example: F is an E-shape barre, B is an A-shape barre
Relative memory
Major and minor chords differ by one note
Example: E vs Em differ by one note on the 3rd string; same with A vs Am
Anchor memory
Find a stable finger as an anchor point
Example: C’s anchor is the ring finger (5th string 3rd fret)
Transition memory
Memorize common chord-change pathways
Example: G to C: keep the ring finger planted, move the others
🎯 Practice Routines
One-minute changes
Set a one-minute timer and switch between two chords, count reps
🎯 Goal: 60+ changes per minute
Spider walk
Fret 1-2-3-4 with four fingers, then move to the next string
🎯 Build finger independence
Progression practice
Practice common progressions: G-D-Em-C, Am-F-C-G
🎯 Make chord changes muscle memory
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