Some tunes need two chords, but most music needs at least three. This lesson adds four essential chords to your vocabulary — F, Am, Dm, and E7 — and explains the important difference between major and minor chords.
The F Chord is important because it is a step towards more advanced guitar playing. For this chord, the 1st finger must press two strings flat at the same time — a technique called a partial barre.
The F chord is challenging at first. Practise it a little every session — clarity comes with repetition.
When changing from C to F: keep fingers 2 and 3 in their shape, relax the hand, then twist slightly so finger 1 lies flat across strings 1 and 2. To return to C, relax and twist back. The 2nd and 3rd fingers barely move — only the 1st finger changes its angle.
Bright, open, happy sound. Written with just the letter: C, F, G. Most pop and folk songs use mostly major chords.
Darker, sadder, more emotional sound. Written with a small m: Am, Dm, Em. Mixed with major chords to add depth and feeling.
Here are all three new chords side by side. Study the diagrams, then try forming each one before reading the notes below.
Am and E7 are very closely related — E7 is essentially Am with the 3rd finger lifted off. When you can play Am, you can play E7 immediately. The 1st and 2nd fingers shift one string each toward the thicker strings:
When you can play all six chords smoothly — C, F, G7, Am, Dm, E7 — you can play the chord backing for hundreds of songs. Try these sequences: C / F / | C / G7 / | G7 / C / and with minors: C / Am / | Dm / G7 / | C / Dm / | G7 / C /
Everything guitarists ask about this topic
Major chords tend to sound bright, happy, or resolved. Minor chords tend to sound darker, sadder, or more emotionally complex. The difference comes from one note — the third note of the chord. Lowering the third by one semitone changes a major chord to a minor chord. On guitar, this usually means just moving one finger slightly.
The F chord requires the 1st finger to press flat across two strings simultaneously at the 1st fret, while the 2nd and 3rd fingers form the rest of the shape. The 1st fret has the highest string tension on the guitar, making it physically harder to press. Most beginners find F difficult at first but master it within a few weeks of daily practice.
Hundreds of folk, pop, and rock songs use the Am, Dm, E7 combination — sometimes called the Am cycle or Spanish progression. These chords appear in songs like The House of the Rising Sun (Am C D F), Scarborough Fair, and many Spanish-style guitar pieces. The progression Am / Dm / E7 / Am is one of the most recognised sequences in music.
The key to a smooth C to F change is keeping the 2nd and 3rd fingers in the same relative shape while the 1st finger flattens across strings 1 and 2. Practise the change very slowly, moving all fingers simultaneously. The 2nd finger moves from string 4 to string 3, and the 3rd finger moves from string 5 to string 4.
The essential beginner chords are: C, G, G7, F, Am, Dm, and E7. These seven open chords allow you to play the chord backing for a huge number of songs in the keys of C, F, G, Am, and related keys. Master these before moving on to barre chords or more advanced shapes.