How to read the chords below
Each chord is written as six symbols, from the 6th string (the thickest) to the 1st string (the thinnest):
- 0
- Play the string open, without pressing it.
- 1, 2, 3…
- Press the string at that fret.
- x
- Do not play this string.
Fingers are numbered 1 for the index, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger. Tune your guitar first: how to tune a guitar.
The 8 chords
In the order the Guitar Tuner Pro lessons teach them: first Em, A, E and Am, then C, Dm, D and G.
Em
0 2 2 0 0 0
Middle finger on the 5th string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Play all six strings.
A
x 0 2 2 2 0
Index, middle and ring fingers on the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings, all at the 2nd fret. Skip the 6th string.
E
0 2 2 1 0 0
Like Em, plus the index on the 3rd string, 1st fret. Play all six strings.
Am
x 0 2 2 1 0
Middle finger on the 4th string and ring finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Index on the 2nd string, 1st fret. Skip the 6th string.
C
x 3 2 0 1 0
Ring finger on the 5th string, 3rd fret. Middle finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Index on the 2nd string, 1st fret. Skip the 6th string.
Dm
x x 0 2 3 1
Middle finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Index on the 1st string, 1st fret. Play strings 4 through 1.
D
x x 0 2 3 2
Index on the 3rd string, 2nd fret. Ring finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret. Middle finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret. Play strings 4 through 1.
G
3 2 0 0 0 3
Middle finger on the 6th string, 3rd fret. Index on the 5th string, 2nd fret. Little finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret. Play all six strings.
Make every note ring
- Press just behind the fret
- Yamaha advises pressing slightly next to the fret, on the side of the headstock, rather than on top of it: a finger right on the fret makes the note sound muffled.
- Check string by string
- Hold the chord and play each string one at a time. If one sounds dull or buzzes, adjust the finger that touches it.
- Mind the x strings
- For A, Am and C, start your strum on the 5th string. For D and Dm, start on the 4th string.
- Practice the changes
- Switching from one chord to the next is the hard part. Pick two chords, such as Em and Am, and go back and forth slowly.
Practice with lessons that listen
In Guitar Tuner Pro, the lessons show each chord on the neck, play its sound and listen through the microphone to check that you play it right. Then the Rhythm Challenge asks you to change chords in time.
Discover the guitar lessonsQuestions & answers
Which chord should I learn first?
Em is the first chord of the Guitar Tuner Pro lessons: two fingers at the 2nd fret, and you strum all six strings.
Why does my chord sound muffled?
A finger may be touching a string that should ring, or pressing on top of the fret instead of just behind it. Play the strings one by one to find which note is muffled.
How many chords do I need to play a song?
It depends on the song. Some need very few: Happy Birthday, in the Guitar Tuner Pro lessons, uses only G, D and C.