With that definition, you could make thousands. However, the term “ open chord” usually refers to one of only eight basic open chords, which I’ll cover in this article.Īlso called “cowboy chords,” these basic open chords require only three fingers on the fretting hand: index, middle, and ring. Get these chords memorized and under your fingers, and you’ll be well on your way to playing hundreds of new songs.Īnd none of them contain notes past the third fret, so your hand won’t have to move anywhere when switching between them. There are five open major chords: E, A, D, G, C. Below, you’ll find a chord diagram and a photo of each one. To read the chord diagrams, the vertical lines are the strings (labeled E, A, D, G, B, E), and the horizontal lines are the frets (labeled I, II, III). The black dots are the notes in the chord. A “0” inside a black dot means do not fret that string allow it to ring open.Ī “1” inside a black dot means fret that note with your first (index) finger, “2” with second (middle) finger, “3” with third (ring) finger. An “X” above a string means do not play that string at all. There are three open minor chords: Em, Am, Dm. Several of these chords require that you squash your fingers together on the strings you’re fretting without touching any adjacent open strings. This is tough, but you’ll get used to it. Take some alone time with each open chord, deliver some TLC, and make it sound great by itself. Pick through the chord slowly, listening to every note ring out.
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