How to Read Guitar Chord Diagrams
If you’re learning guitar, one of the first things you will need to know is how to read guitar chord diagrams. Whether it’s browsing lessons online or learning songs from a book, you are eventually going to need to learn a new chord. Often times these new chords will be presented in a chord diagram, so knowing how to read guitar chord diagrams is going to help you progress on your musical journey.
First, let’s take a look at a blank guitar chord diagram and get familiar with it. We will review why chord diagrams are drawn the way they are and how the diagram relates to a real world guitar.
Parts of a Chord Diagram
The Grid
If you look at a blank chord diagram, you’ll notice that it is set up in a grid pattern. This grid represents the fretboard of your guitar. There are 6 vertical lines and 6 horizontal lines. For now, we are going to focus on the horizontal lines. If you look at the image below, the top most horizontal line is bold, and this bold line represents the nut of the guitar. The first horizontal line below the nut represents our 1st fret. The second horizontal line represents the 2nd fret, and so on.
Next let’s talk about the vertical lines. If you haven’t guessed it already, the vertical lines represent the strings of the guitar. Starting on the left side of the chord diagram, the first vertical line represents your low E string. Moving to the right, the next vertical line is the A-string, the one after that is the D-string and so on.
Assigning a Number to Each Finger
You might be thinking, “Awesome! I’m ready to rock right now! But what about those dots on the grid?” The dots on the grid represent the notes that need to be fretted on each string of your guitar to form the chord. The numbers below the grid represent which finger frets each dot or note. This might sound confusing, so let’s take a look at some pictures and diagrams so you can get an idea of what we’re talking about.
First let’s look at your hand. Each finger is assigned a number. Your index finger is Number 1. Moving to the right, your middle finger is Number 2, the ring finger is Number 3, and your pinky finger is Number 4.
The chord diagram tells you where to put each finger. Below each vertical line, or guitar string, there will be a number. This number represents the finger you should use to fret the note on each string. See the chord diagram below for a D chord. To play the D chord you will fret the G string on the 2nd fret using your 1st finger, you will fret the B string on the 3rd fret using your 3rd finger, and you will fret the high e string on the 2nd fret with your 2nd finger. Then, strum the chord, playing the open D string first.
What About the X’s and O’s?
Great! Now that you know how to read the dots, let’s review what the X’s and O’s above the diagram mean. For this part, we are going to use the same D chord diagram.
Looking at the top of the diagram, above the bold line you will see some X’s and O’s. An X represents a string that is not played. So when playing a D chord, you will not strum the E or the A strings on your guitar. A circle represents a note that is played open (not fretted). Since a D chord’s root note is D, we will play the open D string when strumming a D chord.
Chords Not Fretted Near the Nut
Sweet! But what about when there’s a number next to the horizontal line, and the bold horizontal at the top disappears? What do you do now?
The good news is it’s not complicated and it builds on what you’ve just learned. Let’s look at an A bar chord diagram as an example. In the diagram below on the right hand side you’ll see a note that says “4 fr.” This is telling you that this line represents the 4th fret of the guitar, and you should not be playing this chord down near the nut. Instead the diagram is giving you a reference point of the 4th fret so you can decipher where the chord should be played.
Also, the referenced fret could change depending on the author of the chord diagram. For example, the same A bar chord could have a reference that says “3 fr” or “5 fr” and the chord would be played exactly the same. None of your fingering changes on the chord diagram, and the chord is played in the exact same place on the guitar.
You’re Ready to Rock!
And that’s it! You can now read a chord diagram! Start searching for your favorite songs and learning how to play them! Right now! People struggle when starting out on guitar because they’re worried about learning scales, or they think there is a “right way” to progressively learn the instrument.
The truth is, you are the only person who can determine the right way to learn the guitar. Your “right way” is to listen to the songs you like, learn the songs you like, and play the songs you like! These are your influences, and learning what you already enjoy listening to will be rewarding and encouraging. No scales or chords can get you more excited than the ones in your favorite music.
Need a guitar to start learning on? If you’re looking for an acoustic, check out the Yamaha APX 500. Or if you’re more into electrics, read our review of the Epiphone Dot Deluxe VS.
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Is this too advanced for you, send me an email and let me know! I’d love to hear what you are struggling with, and I’d be happy to help you! Other players like you struggled with the same thing, so don’t be afraid to ask! I’m happy to set up a one on one video lesson with you to review how to read guitar chord diagrams.
