Guitar Chords
Fingering diagrams for open and common barre chords. Strings shown left-to-right (low E to high E). × = muted, ○ = open.
About this tool
Guitar Chords
Guitar Chords is a diagram browser for open and barre chord fingerings. Filter by root and chord type and read the fingering straight off the grid, including which strings to mute and which to play open.
How to use it
- Pick a root, or leave it on All Roots to browse everything.
- Pick a chord type, or leave it on All Types.
- Read the diagram: numbers are fingers, O is an open string, X is a string you do not play.
How to read a chord diagram
The six vertical lines are the strings, low E on the left through high E on the right. The horizontal lines are frets, with the top line being the nut unless a fret number is marked beside the grid.
A barre chord shows one finger covering several strings at the same fret. Because it uses no open strings, the whole shape can slide up the neck: the same shape two frets higher is the same chord type a whole tone higher.
When it helps
- Looking up a chord you have never played in the middle of a song.
- Finding an easier voicing when a barre chord is out of reach.
- Learning the four movable shapes that cover most of the neck.
- Checking which strings should be muted so the chord sounds clean.
Common mistakes
- Strumming muted strings. An X means that string must not ring, and letting it sound changes the chord.
- Pressing behind the fret instead of just behind the fret wire, which is the usual cause of buzzing.
- Learning only open chords. Barre shapes are harder at first but give you every key from four shapes.
