All You Wanted To Know About The Guitar Chord Chart

We can define a guitar chord chart as a list of chord diagrams that guides the guitarist in terms of where to place the fingers when he/she wants to play a particular chord. Chord diagrams are visual depictions of the guitar chord. With a Guitar Chord Chart, that the guitarist gets the insight for a chord, which he or she might require for a show or concert. These charts are quite easy to read when the guitarist has a good grip on the basics.

The Chord

Let us understand the meaning of chord. Even experienced guitar payers can have a hassle with perfecting the core group of basic guitar chords. However, it is absolutely necessary to do so because chords are the backbone of most rock and pop songs.

That said, a chord on the guitar chord chart is a group of three or more different notes played together. Each chord is a specific pattern related to the major scale after which it is named. With most guitars, at least three strings are strummed simultaneously to get the sound of three or more notes. A guitar has six strings, so the maximum number of notes in a guitar is six. Therefore, we have the Major, Minor and Seventh groups within which all chords can be placed, based on their musical structure.

Every chord has its own unique sound. While major chords sound stable and complete, minor chords tend to be more pensive. The seventh chords are the jazzy ones that do not quite sound complete.

Reading The Guitar Chord Chart

What the guitarist really needs to do is to figure out the kinds of notes he or she is playing in a given chord. This is where the role of guitar chord chart comes in. The guitar chord chart shows six vertical lines representing the guitar strings. The horizontal lines show the guitar frets. The circular markings indicate finger placement – with the finger always between the frets. You find the note at the top of each chord denoted by A, Am, Csus, and x’s or o’s at the top of some of the strings. The x indicates that the string is not to be played while the o meansthat you should play it or leave the string open. Another thing you will see on the left or right of the particular chord is a number that tells you the fret in which this chord will begin on. Lets say there is an 8; this means that you start on the 8th fret counting down from your guitar’s headstock.

The “standard” list of basic guitar chords is a matter of opinion, but there definitely is a list somewhere between 8 and 18 open chords that a guitarist must be thorough with. This is simply because they are essential for all styles of music from rock and pop to country, jazz and classical. Many websites provide readily available free online guitar chord charts. They also let you compose your own chord chart as per your requirements.

Download the free Guitar Chord Chart