Which guitar chords should I learn first?
Start with E minor, A minor, E, A and D: they use two or three fingers, and the shapes are related, so learning one helps with the next. Then add G and C. With G, C and D you can play 25 of the 87 songs in our free song library, and most folk and pop songs.
Updated · Written by the Fretwork team
The first seven chords
| Chord | Fingers | Difficulty (0–100) | Songs in our library that use it (of 87) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em | 2 | 11 | 35 |
| Am | 3 | 24 | 41 |
| E | 3 | 21 | 6 |
| A | 3 | 25 | 0 |
| D | 3 | 25 | 61 |
| G | 3 | 19 | 82 |
| C | 3 | 26 | 81 |
Difficulty is from the Fretwork chord difficulty index, which scores each shape from finger stretch in millimetres, number of fingers, barres and muted strings. F, the next chord most songs need, scores 43 in its easiest (small) form and 62 as a full barre.
Why this order
- Em → Am → E → A: Em and Am are the same two-finger shape moved over one string; E is Am moved back; A packs three fingers into one fret. Each new chord reuses what your fingers already know.
- D is the first chord that starts on the 4th string, which trains your strumming hand to skip the low strings.
- G and C are not hard (difficulty 19 and 26), but they need the biggest finger movements, so they come once changes between the first five feel easy.
How to practice them
- Play each chord and pick the strings one at a time. Fix any string that buzzes.
- Practice changes in pairs, for one minute: Em to Am, then A to D. Count the clean changes.
- Add a slow down-strum on every beat with a metronome at 60 BPM.
- Play a two-chord song as soon as you can change between its chords.
Our chord change trainer times one-minute changes and keeps your best score, and the chord change pages show which fingers stay down for each pair.
Questions
What is the easiest guitar chord?
E minor (022000) is the easiest full chord: two fingers next to each other on the 2nd fret, and all six strings ring. It scores 11/100 on our difficulty index.
Should I learn F early?
Not as a full barre. Use the small F on the top four strings (difficulty 43) or Fmaj7 until barre chords come up, usually after a few months.
How many chords do I need to play songs?
Three or four. G, C and D (and often Em) cover a large share of folk, country and pop songs.
More questions about learning guitar
Follow the roadmap, one step a day
Fretwork turns these stages into short daily lessons, each with a check at the end. The first two stages are free, with no card.