Printable Open-Position Guitar Chord Chart

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Printable Open-Position Guitar Chord Chart for Beginners

Beginner’s Guide to Guitar Chords

Essential Open Chords

I recommend starting with the following open chords to build a solid foundation for your guitar playing:

C major (C)

Fingering: place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (5th string), middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string), and index finger on the 1st fret of the B string (2nd string). Strum from the A string down.

Quick tip: practice switching to and from C major to G major to build your transition skills.
A major (A)

Fingering: use your index, middle, and ring fingers to press down the 2nd fret of the D, G, and B strings (4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings, respectively). Strum from the A string down.

Variations: A7 can be played by lifting your ring finger off the G string.
G major (G)

Fingering: place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string (6th string), index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string), and your pinky should be on the 3rd fret of the high E string (1st string). Strum all strings.
E major (E)

Fingering: place your index finger on the 1st fret of the G string (3rd string), middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string), and ring finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string). Strum all strings.

(This chord has a deep bass sound.)
D major (D)

Fingering: place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string), middle finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string (1st string), and ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd string). Strum from the D string down.

Am (A minor)

Fingering: place your index finger on the 1st fret of the B string (2nd string), middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string), and ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string). Strum from the A string down.
Em (E minor)

Fingering: place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string) and your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string). Strum all strings.

(Two-finger chord, making it one of the easiest to play.)
Dm (D minor)

Fingering: place your index finger on the 1st fret of the high E string (1st string), middle finger should be on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string), and your pinky on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd string). Strum from the D string down.

Quick Practice Tips

Use fingertips, arch fingers, and keep the thumb on the back of the neck.
Focus on the clarity of sound that comes from each string.
Try to avoid unnecessary tension in your fretting hand.

Chord Transition Techniques

Mastering chord transitions is key to fluid guitar playing. The goal is to move between chords smoothly and efficiently, minimizing unnecessary hand movements and maintaining a clean, uninterrupted sound.

Economy of Motion

Keep your fingers close to the fretboard and only move the fingers you need to.

Anchor Fingers

Identify fingers that can stay in place between chords (e.g., C → Am shares positions).

Mini-Exercises to Train Transitions

Slow-change drill: Switch between two chords very slowly, then gradually you might increase your speed.
One-finger-change drill: Choose chord pairs that differ by only one finger (e.g., Em ↔ E, Am ↔ C).

Strumming-Hand Coordination

Practice strumming immediately after the chord change. Use a downstroke on beat 1 to keep your timing in check.

Visualizing Shapes and Muscle Memory

As you get more comfortable, try to look at the fretboard less.

Common Beginner Transition Pairs

C ↔ G
G ↔ Em
C ↔ D
D ↔ G
D ↔ A and D ↔ Em combo

Practice Progression Suggestions

If you feel like you need some guidelines for organizing your learning process, here are some structured routines using only open chords to build skill, timing, and repertoire.

Weekly Progression Overview (4-Week Sample)

Week 1: Learn shapes and single-chord strumming (Em, E, Am, A) — 25–40 minutes daily.
Week 2: Add C, D, Dm, G — start basic transitions and simple 3-4-chord loops. Learn a few basic strumming patterns.
Week 3: Practice coordination between hands, use a metronome to support your practice. If you feel up to it, learn a short, simple song using the learned chords.
Week 4: Focus more on songs — learn 2–3 simple songs using the given chords.

Daily Practice Structure (25–40 min)

5 min: Warm-up (finger stretches, open-string strumming).
10 min: Chord clarity (one chord per minute, check each string).
10 min: Transitions + rhythm (timing/rhythm exercises with metronome, chord pair exercises).
Optional 5–10 min: Play a simple song or record yourself.

Progression of Drills

Single-chord stamina → two-chord repeats → three/four chord progressions.

Rhythm and Groove Building

Start with downstrokes.
Add down-up patterns.
Then syncopation.
Use palm muting to create dynamics.