Open chords for first position, power chords for distortion and simplicity, and two movable barre shapes that let you play any major or minor chord anywhere on the neck.
Circles mark where to press, numbers show which finger, O is an open string, X is a string to mute.
Just the root and the 5th (sometimes with an octave doubled on top) — neither major nor minor, which is why they work over anything and dominate rock and punk rhythm playing. The shape is movable: slide it up the neck and the letter name changes with the root.
Take an open E or A shape, remove the finger that was making it "open," and press a finger flat across the strings (the barre) to replace the nut. Slide the whole shape up the neck to change key — the barre fret becomes the new root.
Shown here at fret 1 (F) and fret 3 (G). The root note is always on the 6th string, under your index finger.
Shown here at fret 1 (B♭) and fret 3 (C). The root note is always on the 5th string; the 6th string is muted.
Roman numerals describe a chord's position in a key, so the same progression transposes to any key by relabeling.
| Progression | In C major | In G major | Common in |
|---|---|---|---|
| I – IV – V | C – F – G | G – C – D | blues, folk, rock |
| I – V – vi – IV | C – G – Am – F | G – D – Em – C | pop (the "four chord song") |
| ii – V – I | Dm – G – C | Am – D – G | jazz |
| I – vi – IV – V | C – Am – F – G | G – Em – C – D | 50s doo‑wop |
| vi – IV – I – V | Am – F – C – G | Em – C – G – D | ballads, pop‑punk |
The 12‑bar blues in E: E E E E / A A E E / B7 A E B7 — one bar per chord, four beats each.