Guitar chord difficulty index
A difficulty score from 0 to 100 for 204 guitar chord shapes (97 chords) and all 87 songs in our free library. Instead of an opinion, each score is measured from the shape itself: how far the fingers stretch in millimetres at the real fret positions, how many fingers it takes, whether there is a barre, and which strings you have to mute or skip. The method and the data are published below.
204chord shapes
97chords
87songs
0.996rank stability (see method)
Find the easiest way to play a chord
Easiest
#2
#3
The 10 easiest chords
The easiest shape of each chord, lowest score first.
How hard are the chords beginners meet?
The easiest shape of 22 common chords, hardest first. Barre chords sit at the top even in their easiest form.
Every shape, scored
Click a column heading to sort. Type a chord name to filter.
| Chord | Frets (low E → high e) | Shape | Index | Band | Fingers | Barre | Span (mm) | Strings to mute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Em7 | 0 2 0 0 0 0 | one finger | 6 | Very easy | 1 | – | 0 | – |
| Em | 0 2 2 0 0 0 | Open shape | 11 | Very easy | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| Em | 0 2 2 0 0 0 | index and middle | 11 | Very easy | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| A7 | x 0 2 0 2 0 | Open shape | 14 | Very easy | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| Asus2 | x 0 2 2 0 0 | Open shape | 14 | Very easy | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| E7 | 0 2 0 1 0 0 | Open shape | 15 | Easy | 2 | – | 35 | – |
| Cmaj7 | x 3 2 0 0 0 | Open shape | 16 | Easy | 2 | – | 33 | – |
| Dsus2 | x x 0 2 3 0 | Open shape | 17 | Easy | 2 | – | 33 | – |
| Am7 | x 0 2 0 1 0 | Open shape | 18 | Easy | 2 | – | 35 | – |
| Em7 | 0 2 2 0 3 0 | Open shape | 19 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| G | 3 2 0 0 0 3 | Open shape | 19 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| Gmaj7 | 3 2 0 0 0 2 | Open shape | 19 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| E | 0 2 2 1 0 0 | Open shape | 21 | Easy | 3 | – | 35 | – |
| Emaj7 | 0 2 1 1 0 0 | Open shape | 21 | Easy | 3 | – | 35 | – |
| Asus4 | x 0 2 2 3 0 | Open shape | 22 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| D5 | x x 0 2 3 x | Open shape | 23 | Easy | 2 | – | 33 | 1 |
| G7 | 3 2 0 0 0 1 | Open shape | 23 | Easy | 3 | – | 68 | – |
| Am | x 0 2 2 1 0 | Open shape | 24 | Easy | 3 | – | 35 | – |
| Amaj7 | x 0 2 1 2 0 | Open shape | 24 | Easy | 3 | – | 35 | – |
| A | x 0 2 2 2 0 | Open shape | 25 | Easy | 3 | – | 0 | – |
| D | x x 0 2 3 2 | Open shape | 25 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| G | 3 2 0 0 0 3 | ring, middle and little finger | 25 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| C | x 3 2 0 1 0 | Open shape | 26 | Easy | 3 | – | 68 | – |
| D7 | x x 0 2 1 2 | Open shape | 26 | Easy | 3 | – | 35 | – |
| Cadd9 | x 3 2 0 3 0 | without the high e note | 28 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| Dmaj7 | x x 0 2 2 2 | Open shape | 28 | Easy | 3 | – | 0 | – |
| Dsus4 | x x 0 2 3 3 | Open shape | 28 | Easy | 3 | – | 33 | – |
| Esus4 | 0 2 2 2 0 0 | Open shape | 28 | Easy | 3 | – | 0 | – |
| Dm | x x 0 2 3 1 | Open shape | 29 | Easy | 3 | – | 68 | – |
| Fmaj7 | x x 3 2 1 0 | Open shape | 29 | Easy | 3 | – | 68 | – |
| A5 | x 0 2 2 x x | Open shape | 30 | Moderate | 1 | Partial | 0 | 2 |
| E5 | 0 2 2 x x x | Open shape | 31 | Moderate | 1 | Partial | 0 | 3 |
| Ab5 | x 11 13 13 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 38 | 2 |
| C#5 | x 4 6 6 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 57 | 2 |
| C5 | x 3 5 5 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 61 | 2 |
| D5 | x 5 7 7 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 54 | 2 |
| E5 | x 7 9 9 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 48 | 2 |
| Eb5 | x 6 8 8 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 51 | 2 |
| F#5 | x 9 11 11 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 43 | 2 |
| F5 | x 8 10 10 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 45 | 2 |
| G5 | x 10 12 12 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 33 | Moderate | 3 | – | 40 | 2 |
| A5 | 5 7 7 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 54 | 3 |
| Ab5 | 4 6 6 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 57 | 3 |
| B5 | 7 9 9 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 48 | 3 |
| Bb5 | 6 8 8 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 51 | 3 |
| C#5 | 9 11 11 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 43 | 3 |
| C5 | 8 10 10 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 45 | 3 |
| D5 | 10 12 12 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 40 | 3 |
| Eb5 | 11 13 13 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 38 | 3 |
| G5 | 3 5 5 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 34 | Moderate | 3 | – | 61 | 3 |
| Dm7 | x x 0 2 1 1 | Open shape | 35 | Moderate | 2 | Partial | 35 | – |
| B5 | x 2 4 4 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 36 | Moderate | 3 | – | 64 | 2 |
| G | 3 2 0 0 3 3 | with the 3rd fret on the B string | 36 | Moderate | 4 | – | 33 | – |
| C7 | x 3 2 3 1 0 | Open shape | 37 | Moderate | 4 | – | 68 | – |
| F#5 | 2 4 4 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 37 | Moderate | 3 | – | 64 | 3 |
| Abm7 | 4 6 4 4 4 4 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 57 | – |
| Am7 | 5 7 5 5 5 5 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 54 | – |
| Bb5 | x 1 3 3 x x | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 39 | Moderate | 3 | – | 68 | 2 |
| Bbm7 | 6 8 6 6 6 6 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 51 | – |
| Bm7 | 7 9 7 7 7 7 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 48 | – |
| C#m7 | 9 11 9 9 9 9 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 43 | – |
| Cadd9 | x 3 2 0 3 3 | Open shape | 39 | Moderate | 4 | – | 33 | – |
| Cm7 | 8 10 8 8 8 8 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 45 | – |
| Dm7 | 10 12 10 10 10 10 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 40 | – |
| Ebm7 | 11 13 11 11 11 11 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 38 | – |
| Gm7 | 3 5 3 3 3 3 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 39 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 61 | – |
| Abmaj7 | 4 x 5 5 4 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 29 | 2 |
| Amaj7 | 5 x 6 6 5 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 28 | 2 |
| B7 | x 2 1 2 0 2 | Open shape | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 35 | – |
| Bbmaj7 | 6 x 7 7 6 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 26 | 2 |
| Bmaj7 | 7 x 8 8 7 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 25 | 2 |
| C#maj7 | 9 x 10 10 9 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 22 | 2 |
| Cmaj7 | 8 x 9 9 8 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 23 | 2 |
| Dmaj7 | 10 x 11 11 10 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 21 | 2 |
| Ebmaj7 | 11 x 12 12 11 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 40 | Moderate | 4 | – | 20 | 2 |
| F5 | 1 3 3 x x x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 40 | Moderate | 3 | – | 68 | 3 |
| Gmaj7 | 3 x 4 4 3 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 41 | Moderate | 4 | – | 31 | 2 |
| F#m7 | 2 4 2 2 2 2 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 42 | Moderate | 2 | Full | 64 | – |
| F | x x 3 2 1 1 | small F, top four strings | 43 | Moderate | 3 | Partial | 68 | – |
| F#maj7 | 2 x 3 3 2 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 43 | Moderate | 4 | – | 33 | 2 |
| A7 | 5 7 5 6 5 5 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 54 | – |
| Ab7 | 4 6 4 5 4 4 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 57 | – |
| B7 | 7 9 7 8 7 7 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 48 | – |
| Bb7 | 6 8 6 7 6 6 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 51 | – |
| C#7 | 9 11 9 10 9 9 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 43 | – |
| C7 | 8 10 8 9 8 8 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 45 | – |
| D7 | 10 12 10 11 10 10 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 40 | – |
| Eb7 | 11 13 11 12 11 11 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 44 | Moderate | 3 | Full | 38 | – |
| Fmaj7 | 1 x 2 2 1 x | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 44 | Moderate | 4 | – | 35 | 2 |
| Csus4 | x 3 3 0 1 1 | Open shape | 45 | Hard | 3 | Partial | 68 | – |
| Fm7 | 1 3 1 1 1 1 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 45 | Hard | 2 | Full | 68 | – |
| G7 | 3 5 3 4 3 3 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 45 | Hard | 3 | Full | 61 | – |
| Abm7 | x 11 13 11 12 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 38 | – |
| C#m7 | x 4 6 4 5 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 57 | – |
| Dm7 | x 5 7 5 6 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 54 | – |
| Ebm7 | x 6 8 6 7 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 51 | – |
| Em7 | x 7 9 7 8 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 48 | – |
| F#m7 | x 9 11 9 10 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 43 | – |
| Fm7 | x 8 10 8 9 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 45 | – |
| Gm7 | x 10 12 10 11 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 47 | Hard | 3 | Full | 40 | – |
| Cm7 | x 3 5 3 4 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 48 | Hard | 3 | Full | 61 | – |
| F#7 | 2 4 2 3 2 2 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 48 | Hard | 3 | Full | 64 | – |
| Abm | 4 6 6 4 4 4 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 57 | – |
| Am | 5 7 7 5 5 5 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 54 | – |
| Bbm | 6 8 8 6 6 6 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 51 | – |
| Bm | 7 9 9 7 7 7 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 48 | – |
| C#m | 9 11 11 9 9 9 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 43 | – |
| Cm | 8 10 10 8 8 8 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 45 | – |
| Dm | 10 12 12 10 10 10 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 40 | – |
| Ebm | 11 13 13 11 11 11 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 38 | – |
| Gm | 3 5 5 3 3 3 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 50 | Hard | 3 | Full | 61 | – |
| Bm7 | x 2 4 2 3 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 51 | Hard | 3 | Full | 64 | – |
| F7 | 1 3 1 2 1 1 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 51 | Hard | 3 | Full | 68 | – |
| Ab7 | x 11 13 11 13 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 38 | – |
| Absus2 | x 11 13 13 11 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 38 | – |
| C#7 | x 4 6 4 6 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 57 | – |
| C#sus2 | x 4 6 6 4 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 57 | – |
| C7 | x 3 5 3 5 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 61 | – |
| Csus2 | x 3 5 5 3 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 61 | – |
| D7 | x 5 7 5 7 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 54 | – |
| Dsus2 | x 5 7 7 5 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 54 | – |
| E7 | x 7 9 7 9 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 48 | – |
| Eb7 | x 6 8 6 8 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 51 | – |
| Ebsus2 | x 6 8 8 6 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 51 | – |
| Esus2 | x 7 9 9 7 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 48 | – |
| F#7 | x 9 11 9 11 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 43 | – |
| F#m | 2 4 4 2 2 2 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 64 | – |
| F#sus2 | x 9 11 11 9 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 43 | – |
| F7 | x 8 10 8 10 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 45 | – |
| Fsus2 | x 8 10 10 8 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 45 | – |
| G7 | x 10 12 10 12 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 40 | – |
| Gsus2 | x 10 12 12 10 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 53 | Hard | 3 | Full | 40 | – |
| Bbm7 | x 1 3 1 2 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 54 | Hard | 3 | Full | 68 | – |
| A | 5 7 7 6 5 5 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 54 | – |
| Ab | 4 6 6 5 4 4 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 57 | – |
| B | 7 9 9 8 7 7 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 48 | – |
| B7 | x 2 4 2 4 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 56 | Hard | 3 | Full | 64 | – |
| Bb | 6 8 8 7 6 6 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 51 | – |
| Bsus2 | x 2 4 4 2 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 56 | Hard | 3 | Full | 64 | – |
| C | 8 10 10 9 8 8 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 45 | – |
| C# | 9 11 11 10 9 9 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 43 | – |
| D | 10 12 12 11 10 10 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 40 | – |
| Eb | 11 13 13 12 11 11 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 38 | – |
| G | 3 5 5 4 3 3 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 56 | Hard | 4 | Full | 61 | – |
| Fm | 1 3 3 1 1 1 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 57 | Hard | 3 | Full | 68 | – |
| Abm | x 11 13 13 12 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 38 | – |
| Abmaj7 | x 11 13 12 13 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 38 | – |
| C#m | x 4 6 6 5 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 57 | – |
| C#maj7 | x 4 6 5 6 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 57 | – |
| Dm | x 5 7 7 6 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 54 | – |
| Dmaj7 | x 5 7 6 7 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 54 | – |
| Ebm | x 6 8 8 7 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 51 | – |
| Ebmaj7 | x 6 8 7 8 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 51 | – |
| Em | x 7 9 9 8 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 48 | – |
| Emaj7 | x 7 9 8 9 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 48 | – |
| F#m | x 9 11 11 10 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 43 | – |
| F#maj7 | x 9 11 10 11 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 43 | – |
| Fm | x 8 10 10 9 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 45 | – |
| Fmaj7 | x 8 10 9 10 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 45 | – |
| Gm | x 10 12 12 11 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 40 | – |
| Gmaj7 | x 10 12 11 12 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 58 | Hard | 4 | Full | 40 | – |
| Bb7 | x 1 3 1 3 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 59 | Hard | 3 | Full | 68 | – |
| Bbsus2 | x 1 3 3 1 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 59 | Hard | 3 | Full | 68 | – |
| Cm | x 3 5 5 4 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 59 | Hard | 4 | Full | 61 | – |
| Cmaj7 | x 3 5 4 5 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 59 | Hard | 4 | Full | 61 | – |
| F# | 2 4 4 3 2 2 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 59 | Hard | 4 | Full | 64 | – |
| Bm | x 2 4 4 3 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 62 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 64 | – |
| Bmaj7 | x 2 4 3 4 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 62 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 64 | – |
| F | 1 3 3 2 1 1 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 62 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 68 | – |
| Absus4 | x 11 13 13 14 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 65 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 56 | – |
| Bbm | x 1 3 3 2 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 65 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 68 | – |
| Bbmaj7 | x 1 3 2 3 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 65 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 68 | – |
| Gsus4 | x 10 12 12 13 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 67 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 59 | – |
| Ebsus4 | 11 13 13 13 11 11 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 11th fret | 68 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 38 | – |
| F#sus4 | x 9 11 11 12 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 69 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 62 | – |
| Dsus4 | 10 12 12 12 10 10 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 10th fret | 70 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 40 | – |
| Ab | x 11 13 13 13 11 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 11th fret | 71 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 38 | – |
| Fsus4 | x 8 10 10 11 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 71 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 66 | – |
| C#sus4 | 9 11 11 11 9 9 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 9th fret | 72 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 43 | – |
| Esus4 | x 7 9 9 10 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 73 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 70 | – |
| G | x 10 12 12 12 10 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 10th fret | 73 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 40 | – |
| Csus4 | 8 10 10 10 8 8 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 8th fret | 74 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 45 | – |
| F# | x 9 11 11 11 9 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 9th fret | 75 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 43 | – |
| Bsus4 | 7 9 9 9 7 7 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 7th fret | 76 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 48 | – |
| Ebsus4 | x 6 8 8 9 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 76 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 74 | – |
| F | x 8 10 10 10 8 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 8th fret | 77 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 45 | – |
| Dsus4 | x 5 7 7 8 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 78 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 79 | – |
| Bbsus4 | 6 8 8 8 6 6 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 6th fret | 79 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 51 | – |
| E | x 7 9 9 9 7 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 7th fret | 79 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 48 | – |
| Asus4 | 5 7 7 7 5 5 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 5th fret | 81 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 54 | – |
| C#sus4 | x 4 6 6 7 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 81 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 83 | – |
| Eb | x 6 8 8 8 6 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 6th fret | 81 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 51 | – |
| Absus4 | 4 6 6 6 4 4 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 4th fret | 84 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 57 | – |
| Csus4 | x 3 5 5 6 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 84 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 88 | – |
| D | x 5 7 7 7 5 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 5th fret | 84 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 54 | – |
| C# | x 4 6 6 6 4 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 4th fret | 86 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 57 | – |
| Bsus4 | x 2 4 4 5 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 87 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 94 | – |
| Gsus4 | 3 5 5 5 3 3 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 3rd fret | 87 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 61 | – |
| C | x 3 5 5 5 3 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 3rd fret | 89 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 61 | – |
| Bbsus4 | x 1 3 3 4 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 90 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 99 | – |
| F#sus4 | 2 4 4 4 2 2 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 2nd fret | 90 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 64 | – |
| B | x 2 4 4 4 2 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 2nd fret | 92 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 64 | – |
| Fsus4 | 1 3 3 3 1 1 | E-shape barre, root on the 6th string, 1st fret | 93 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 68 | – |
| Bb | x 1 3 3 3 1 | A-shape barre, root on the 5th string, 1st fret | 95 | Very hard | 4 | Full | 68 | – |
Song difficulty: all 87 songs
Every song in our free library, easiest first, assuming you use the easiest shape of each chord. Click a song to learn it with a play-along.
| # | Song | Index | Band | Hardest chord | Typical chord | Changes / min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Gals | 23 | Easy | D (25) | 21 | 6.3 |
| 2 | Row, Row, Row Your Boat | 23 | Easy | C (26) | 25 | 4.2 |
| 3 | Tom Dooley | 23 | Easy | D (25) | 20 | 6.3 |
| 4 | Hush, Little Baby | 24 | Easy | C (26) | 23 | 6.3 |
| 5 | Skip to My Lou | 24 | Easy | C (26) | 24 | 6.3 |
| 6 | Blow the Man Down | 25 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Down in the Valley | 25 | Easy | D (25) | 22 | 8 |
| 8 | Careless Love | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 9.4 |
| 9 | Down by the Riverside | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 10 | Give Me That Old Time Religion | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 11 | He's Got the Whole World in His Hands | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 9.4 |
| 12 | Pay Me My Money Down | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 13 | Polly Wolly Doodle | 26 | Easy | D (25) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 14 | She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 15 | Worried Man Blues | 26 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 9.4 |
| 16 | Drunken Sailor | 28 | Easy | Am (24) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 17 | Oh My Darling, Clementine | 28 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 12 |
| 18 | Wade in the Water | 28 | Easy | Dm (29) | 24 | 9.4 |
| 19 | Cotton-Eyed Joe | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 20 | Jingle Bells | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 12.5 |
| 21 | John Henry | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 22 | Little Brown Jug | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 23 | Midnight Special | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 24 | Old MacDonald Had a Farm | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 21 | 12.5 |
| 25 | On Top of Old Smoky | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.8 |
| 26 | St. Louis Blues | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 27 | Stagger Lee | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 28 | When the Saints Go Marching In | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 13 |
| 29 | Will the Circle Be Unbroken | 29 | Easy | C (26) | 22 | 12.5 |
| 30 | Amazing Grace | 30 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 14 |
| 31 | Mary Had a Little Lamb | 30 | Moderate | C (26) | 24 | 12.5 |
| 32 | Oh! Susanna | 30 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 14 |
| 33 | Steal Away | 30 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 14.1 |
| 34 | Swing Low, Sweet Chariot | 30 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 14.1 |
| 35 | Auld Lang Syne | 31 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 15.6 |
| 36 | Deck the Halls | 31 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 15.6 |
| 37 | Good King Wenceslas | 31 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 15.6 |
| 38 | The Wellerman | 31 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 15.6 |
| 39 | Whiskey in the Jar | 31 | Moderate | C (26) | 19 | 15.6 |
| 40 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | 32 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 17.2 |
| 41 | Haul Away Joe | 32 | Moderate | C (26) | 23 | 15.6 |
| 42 | Shady Grove | 32 | Moderate | C (26) | 23 | 15.6 |
| 43 | St James Infirmary | 32 | Moderate | Dm (29) | 24 | 13.8 |
| 44 | Angels We Have Heard on High | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 17.2 |
| 45 | Aura Lee | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 17.2 |
| 46 | Hesitation Blues | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 17.2 |
| 47 | Home on the Range | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 18 |
| 48 | Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 17.2 |
| 49 | Red River Valley | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 22 | 16.7 |
| 50 | Yankee Doodle | 33 | Moderate | C (26) | 22 | 17.2 |
| 51 | Danny Boy | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 18.8 |
| 52 | Erie Canal (Low Bridge) | 34 | Moderate | Dm (29) | 24 | 15.6 |
| 53 | Joy to the World | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 18.8 |
| 54 | Make Me a Pallet on the Floor | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 18.8 |
| 55 | Man of Constant Sorrow | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 18.8 |
| 56 | O Come, All Ye Faithful | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 18.8 |
| 57 | Shenandoah | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 18.8 |
| 58 | The Water Is Wide | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 18.8 |
| 59 | Were You There | 34 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 18.8 |
| 60 | When Johnny Comes Marching Home | 34 | Moderate | Dm (29) | 24 | 15.6 |
| 61 | Away in a Manger | 35 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 20 |
| 62 | Frankie and Johnny | 35 | Moderate | F (43) | 27 | 7.8 |
| 63 | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | 35 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 20.3 |
| 64 | O Little Town of Bethlehem | 35 | Moderate | C (26) | 20 | 20.3 |
| 65 | Keep on the Sunny Side | 36 | Moderate | F (43) | 26 | 9.4 |
| 66 | Wildwood Flower | 37 | Moderate | F (43) | 28 | 9.8 |
| 67 | Streets of Laredo | 38 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 24 |
| 68 | Corrina, Corrina | 39 | Moderate | F (43) | 29 | 12.5 |
| 69 | Scarborough Fair | 39 | Moderate | C (26) | 22 | 24 |
| 70 | Trouble in Mind | 39 | Moderate | F (43) | 26 | 12.5 |
| 71 | Sitting on Top of the World | 40 | Moderate | F (43) | 28 | 14.1 |
| 72 | Wayfaring Stranger | 40 | Moderate | F (43) | 26 | 14.3 |
| 73 | This Old Man | 41 | Moderate | F (43) | 25 | 15.6 |
| 74 | We Wish You a Merry Christmas | 41 | Moderate | C (26) | 23 | 26 |
| 75 | The First Noel | 42 | Moderate | C (26) | 21 | 28 |
| 76 | Kumbaya | 43 | Moderate | F (43) | 27 | 17.2 |
| 77 | Molly Malone | 43 | Moderate | D (25) | 20 | 30 |
| 78 | Greensleeves | 44 | Moderate | C (26) | 22 | 33.3 |
| 79 | God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen | 45 | Hard | B7 (40) | 22 | 23.4 |
| 80 | Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out | 45 | Hard | F (43) | 25 | 20.3 |
| 81 | Silent Night | 45 | Hard | F (43) | 25 | 20 |
| 82 | Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star | 45 | Hard | F (43) | 27 | 20.3 |
| 83 | House of the Rising Sun | 47 | Hard | F (43) | 26 | 22.2 |
| 84 | Michael, Row the Boat Ashore | 47 | Hard | F (43) | 28 | 21.9 |
| 85 | The Parting Glass | 47 | Hard | F (43) | 23 | 23.4 |
| 86 | Barbara Allen | 50 | Hard | F (43) | 25 | 26 |
| 87 | What Child Is This | 50 | Hard | B7 (40) | 20 | 30 |
Method
1. The neck. Fret n sits at d(n) = L × (1 − 2−n/12) from the nut, with scale length L = 648 mm (25.5 inches). A fingertip presses 30% of the fret space behind the fret wire. The strings fan out from 35.5 mm apart (low E to high e) at the nut to 52.5 mm at the bridge. So every shape gets real coordinates: a stretch over the first three frets is about 68 mm, while the same two-fret stretch from the 7th fret is 48 mm.
2. The shape. Each shape lists the fret and the finger for every string, the way you would learn it. Every shape was checked in code: its notes must make the named chord with the root as the lowest note. One shape that failed (the four-string Bm, whose lowest note is F♯) was left out.
3. The points. Each feature adds points. The index is the total divided by 18 and capped at 100.
| Feature | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Each fretting finger | 1 point | More fingers to place at once. |
| Little finger used | 1 point | The weakest, shortest finger. |
| Reach | 0.15 point per mm | How far any two fingers are spread along the neck beyond 30 mm per finger gap (one finger per fret at the 5th fret). Measured at the real fret positions, so the same shape is harder at the 1st fret than at the 7th. |
| Full barre (5–6 strings) | 5 points | One finger pressing five or six strings flat. |
| Partial barre (2–4 strings) | 2.5 points | One finger pressing two to four strings. |
| Crowding | 1 point each | Each finger beyond two squeezed into the same fret space (as in the open A chord). |
| Muted string inside the shape | 1.5 points each | A string between sounding strings that a finger must touch to silence. |
| High string to damp | 0.7 points each | Strings above the shape that must be silenced while strumming (as in power chords). |
| Low string to skip | 0.5 points each | Bass strings the strumming hand has to avoid (as in D, which starts on the 4th string). |
Worked example: the F barre chord (1 3 3 2 1 1). 4 fingers (4 points), little finger (1), full barre (5), reach 7.9 mm beyond comfortable (1.2), 0 crowding (0). Total 11.2 points ÷ 18 = 62.
4. Bands. Under 15 very easy, 15–29 easy, 30–44 moderate, 45–59 hard, 60 and over very hard.
5. Songs. 50% the easiest-shape score of the song’s hardest chord, 25% the average chord score weighted by bars, 25% chord changes per minute at the song’s tempo (30 a minute = 100).
6. *How much do the weights matter? The weights are our judgement, so we tested them: in 1,000 runs, every weight was moved at random by up to ±30%. The ranking of the 204 shapes barely changed: the median rank correlation (Spearman) with the published ranking was 0.996, and 0.982 in the worst 5% of runs. The order of easy and hard chords does not hinge on the exact numbers.
7. What it does not measure. Hand size, finger strength and flexibility; wider classical necks (about 52 mm at the nut), which make stretches across the strings harder; string height and gauge; and how far the fingers move between chords (for that, see our chord change pages). It scores the shape, not your experience with it: a chord you have played a thousand times will feel easier than its score.
Related research. Vélez Vásquez, Baelemans, Driedger, Zuidema and Burgoyne, “Quantifying the Ease of Playing Song Chords on the Guitar” (ISMIR 2023), rate how playable a whole song is with a seven-part rubric applied by annotators to 200 songs. This index instead scores each chord shape from measured geometry, and publishes every number.
Download and cite
Free to use with credit and a link. Suggested citation: Fretwork Chord Difficulty Index, version 1.0 (October 2026). guitarfretwork.com/chord-difficulty/
Questions
What is the easiest guitar chord?
By this index, Em7 played as 0 2 0 0 0 0 (6/100), with one finger on one string. The easiest full-sounding beginner chord is E minor (022000, 11/100): two fingers on the same fret, next to each other, and all six strings ring.
What is the hardest guitar chord?
Of the 204 shapes measured, Bb as an A-shape barre (x 1 3 3 3 1) scores highest, 95/100: a five-string barre at the 1st fret with three fingers squeezed into the 3rd fret, where the frets are widest. Of the open chords, Csus4 (x 3 3 0 1 1) scores highest at 45/100.
Is the F chord really that hard?
The full F barre (1 3 3 2 1 1) scores 62/100 (Very hard), against 26 for C and 19 for G. The small F on the top four strings (x x 3 2 1 1) scores 43, so it is the easiest way to play F.
Why is the A-shape barre harder than the E-shape barre?
In the A shape, three fingers have to fit into one fret space two frets above the barre. Across major and minor chords, A-shape barres average 71/100 and E-shape barres 54/100 in this index.
How is song difficulty worked out?
Each song uses the easiest shape of each of its chords. The score is 50% the hardest chord, 25% the typical chord (weighted by how many bars it is held) and 25% how often the chord changes at the song's tempo (30 changes a minute counts as 100).
Can I use this data?
Yes. Download the CSV or JSON below and cite “Fretwork Chord Difficulty Index, version 1.0 (2026-10), guitarfretwork.com/chord-difficulty/” with a link.
Learn chords from easiest to hardest
Fretwork’s lessons start with the easiest shapes and add one chord at a time, with a ring test for each. The first two stages are free.