Chord Diagrams
Chords are written on a chord diagram. This chord diagram shows you exactly where to place your left hand fingers in order to play a particular chord. A chord diagram is a grid of horizontal and vertical lines representing the strings and frets of the guitar. The following chord diagram illustrates an open E major chord.
Left Hand Fingering
- Index Finger
- Middle Finger
- Ring Finger
- Little Finger
The black dots show you where to place your left hand fingers. The white number tells you which finger to place on the string just before the fret. If there is no dot on a string, you play it as an open (not fretted) string.
Chords: A Major, D Major
A
D
Position each chord carefully, placing the first finger down, then the second, finally the third. Each finger must be placed directly behind the fret, and on its tip (this usually means that the last finger joint is bent). Check with the photographs to ensure that the correct fingering is being used.
* This is a shorthand method of writing A major. It applies to all major chords.
