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Beginner • Lesson 4
Your First Chords
20 min read
Time to Make Music! 🎵
You're about to learn your first chords. With just these three chords, you can already play hundreds of songs. Let's start with the easiest ones.
E Minor (Em)
The easiest chord on guitar - only 2 fingers!
String: E A D G B e
Fret: 0 2 2 0 0 0
Finger: - 2 3 - - -
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
- Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
- Strum all 6 strings
A Minor (Am)
Similar to Em, but moved to a different position.
String: E A D G B e
Fret: x 0 2 2 1 0
Finger: x - 2 3 1 -
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
- Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
- Don't play the low E string (marked x)
D Major (D)
A bright, happy sounding chord.
String: E A D G B e
Fret: x x 0 2 3 2
Finger: x x - 1 3 2
- Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the G string
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string
- Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
- Only strum the top 4 strings
Practice Tips
- Press firmly but not too hard - just enough for a clean sound
- Fingers curved - use the tips, not the pads
- Check each string - play them one by one to find buzzes
- Don't rush - accuracy first, speed comes later
Practice Exercise: 1-Minute Changes
Set a timer and practice changing between chords:
- Em to Am - 1 minute (count successful changes)
- Am to D - 1 minute
- D to Em - 1 minute
Track your numbers and try to beat them each practice session!
Lesson Complete!
Congratulations! You can now play Em, Am, and D. These chords appear in countless songs. Next: basic strumming patterns!