Simple Guitar Chords
Standard tuning E A D G B E · ordered easiest first · the number of fingers is shown on each
How to play
- Tap a chord to see its shape and hear it. The chords are sorted from fewest fingers to most, so work left to right.
- Reading the diagram — the thick bar on top is the nut. Dots are where to press (number = finger); ◯ = open string, × = don’t play.
- Em is the easiest — just two fingers. E and Am reuse the same shape moved over one string.
- Strum re‑plays it (tap the diagram too). Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab + Enter/Space.
- Tip — keep your fingers curled and press with the tips so the open strings still ring.
You can play around with some simple guitar chords on computer with this widget. Click on buttons (or use your keyboard if you prefer) to learn them. It also displays where your fingers should be placed and plays sound so you can hear how the chord shapes ring out.
On this page you will see a grid of frequently used open chords which have been arranged in order of difficulty based off how many fingers you need to press. If you press one of the buttons it will highlight the chord name and number of finger required, then simply touch another button to change chosen chord which will automatically update diagram on the right hand side of screen.
How to Use the Guitar Widget
As you can see in diagram above, the horizontal lines are frets, and the vertical lines is the strings. The numbers and dots shows where to place your fingers on the neck (with an open circle meaning you play that string without pressing down, a cross mark meaning you don’t pluck that string). The thick line across the top is called the nut of the guitar, and this show you precisely where to put your fingers on the neck.
To play any of these chords just click on diagram and the note will be triggered, or use the strum button underneath the diagram to activate the notes in the chord. The sound uses a realistic plucking model that simulates a real guitar string. This let you play while keeping your eyes fixed on where you place your fingers.
To adjust the volume (which will apply for any chord you play via the widget), slide the volume slider on the top right to right to turn up or left to turn down. It’s good for when you need something louder so that you can hear better or maybe even for when you need to keep things quiet while you practice.
To see a brief tutorial on how to read the diagrams and place your fingers correctly, try pressing How to play button at the top of this page. If you’re not used to reading chord charts then this panel serves as a useful reference to hide again once you’ve tried it by pressing the same button.
When clicked, the Fullscreen button takes up your whole screen making it easier to view the diagram and the chord grid without clutter. Click it again to get out of full screen mode. This can be handy when you want a focused practice environment, or if you’re on a smaller screen. It also speeds up picking out chords since they’re presented as buttons on a grid.
You can just tap your keyboard’s Tab key to jump between chords, then press Space or Enter to perform the highlighted one. This lets you continue your typing or performance without taking your hands away from keys (or mouse).
First of all, start with Em (it only uses two fingers) and take a look at diagram so you know which fingers to place on what string. Hit the Strum button and listen to it sound; then try E and Am next, using slightly different but similar shapes. This practice will reinforce the movement required to play these common finger patterns, which helps your fingers develop there own muscle memory.
As you press the strings down keep your finger curled too and try to play near the tip of your finger not with the pad of your finger. You don’t want to be accidently muting the next string along which needs to ring open. Good posture therefore mean fewer errors and a more clean sound as you move between chords.
The numbers in the diagram show which finger to use for each chord. If you’re right handed then these numbers refer to your left hand. If you can find a common finger pattern between chords it makes moving from one to another easier and more smooth. Practice in the widget above with varying shapes until it’s comfortabley under your fingers.