The 28 Most Useful Beginner Guitar Chords to Learn First
If you know 3 or more beginner chords on the guitar, plug them into this Search Engine. You'll find loads of easy songs.
But if you don't know any guitar chords yet - start with the sequence below by clicking the:
- First diagram for 1-chord songs with G.
- Second diagram for 2-chord tunes with G & D.
- Third diagram for 3-chord guitar songs with G & D & C.
Click Any Beginner Chord
Diagram to See Songs
Why These 28 Chords (and Why This Order)?
The Chord Genome Project is a search engine of songs - organized by the chords they use. For example, here’s a list of 3-chord songs with G, C, D.
There are 500,000+ songs in the database. And to play all this music, you need to learn over 2,000 guitar chords. But to play roughly half the database (i.e. 250,000+ songs), you only need the 28 beginner chords above. These guitar chords let you play the most music (with the least effort). So start with them first.
But…
You can also map out your own chord path. To learn how, keep reading.
Find Songs Using Your Own Guitar Chords?
You don’t have to start with G major. Many beginners on the guitar learn A, E, D first - or D, G, A. With this site’s Song Search Engine, you can quickly find easy tunes using whatever beginner chords you want. Then use the Next Best Chord tool to see what new chord to add to your practice.
If you’re still not sure where to begin, the resources below cover some other great starting places:
Looking for Other Guitar Chord Diagrams?
The 28 guitar chords above are the most useful ones to learn first. But if you’d like to see even more chord diagrams for beginners, check out the resources below:
- Major Guitar Chords (e.g. G)
- Minor Guitar Chords (e.g. Gm)
- Dominant 7th Guitar Chords (e.g. G7)
- Minor 7th Guitar Chords (e.g. Gm7)
You can also find alternate guitar chord fingerings here.
Already know a few chords?
Do a search to find songs that use your chords.
Search Songs by Chord
Add 3 or more chords to the search bar below.
Search the Web for songs w/ those exact chords.
Type chords here or import from My Library
Thanks for Reading
I hope you found this chord guide helpful. If you did, please share it with other beginner guitarists.
Thank you so much for reading. And happy strumming.
-Austin