


An “O” above a string means that the string should be played in the open position (without a finger on any of the frets aligned with that string) in a given chord. Rather, it’s shorthand for which strings you should strum and which strings you should mute when playing a given chord.Īn “X” above a string indicates that the string should be muted when strumming a chord.

When looking at a chord chart, you may see “X’s and “O”s above the thick black line that represents the nut of your guitar.
All chords guitar chart series#
Whenever you see a number inside a dot on a given correspondence point on a chord chart, it’s an indicator of what finger you should use to place on a given fret or across a series of frets in order to sound the correct note.Įach of the given numbers inside a dot on a given fret line correspond, as follows: Now that you know what the vertical and horizontal lines mean on a chord chart, it’s time to get down to what the numbers inside each of the dots on the corresponding strings and frets mean. Each horizontal line is an indicator of which fret of each string you should place your finger on in order to play a given chord. While each vertical line of a chord chart represents each of the six strings, the horizontal lines of a chord chart represent the frets of a guitar. The vertical lines of a chord chart represent each of the six strings of a guitar. The vertical and horizontal lines of a chord chart correspond to specific notes that make up the formulas to create individual chords.īe the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. While a guitar chord chart can help you visualize where you should place your fingers on the proper frets and strings to strum any given guitar chord, there’s more to learning to play a chord than just where to place your fingers. What are the parts of the guitar chord chart? The thicker black bar at the top of the diagram represents the guitar’s nut, giving you a visual starting point to discern the appropriate frets where you should place your fingers.

This diagram is displayed as a grid, consisting of vertical lines that represent the six strings of a guitar and horizontal lines that represent the frets on your guitar’s fretboard. What is a guitar chord chart?Ī guitar chord chart is a shorthand way of understanding which frets of which strings you should place your fingers on in order to play a specific chord.
All chords guitar chart how to#
In this article, you’ll learn how to read chord charts to help you more easily learn how to properly play a variety of chords. This can help you easily learn shorthand to play a variety of chords in different positions along the fretboard. One of the first steps amassing an extensive guitar chord vocabulary is learning how to read guitar chords. Additionally, ambitious players can strum chords and learn to sing over them or accompany other vocalists while playing the rhythm parts of a song. Guitar chords are made up of at least three notes played on two or more strings, strummed together to create a full-bodied sound that helps to provide the melody of a song.Įven if you aren’t ripping through a solo, complete with a flurry of fast fingerwork along the fretboards incorporating a variety of techniques, learning to play chords can help you to strum along with the rhythm parts of a song. While learning to play guitar is a lifelong journey, guitar chords are one of the first and most important steps new players can take to starting to play some of their favorite songs.
