Beginner guitar chords set the precedent for later techniques and tricks. You must always learn the fundamentals first, so stick with beginner guitar chords to get a firm grasp of the guitar and what it’s capable of doing.Once you learn beginner guitar chords like the seven below, you’ll be able to play some basic songs and progress into more difficult chords. But don’t just learn each chord and grow satisfied. Focus on shifting between each beginner guitar chord to increase speed and accuracy.

Keep in mind that while a lot of these beginner guitar chords are “minors,” there is nothing minor about them and their importance. The fingers on your left hand are referred to as the first, second, third, and forth fingers. The first finger is your index, followed by the middle (second), ring (third), and ends with the pinkie (forth).

The Seven Easiest Beginner Guitar Chords to Learn

1. Em (E Minor): Place the second finger at the 2nd fret on the fifth string. Place the third finger on the 2nd fret of the forth string. The remaining four strings will remain open. Strum all six strings as even as possible.

2. Am (A Minor): This beginner guitar chord has some similarities to the Em guitar chord. Place the second and third finger both on the second fret, but this time place the fingers on the third and forth strings. Add the first finger on the first fret at the second string. Strum five strings, ignoring the sixth string.

3. Dm (D Minor): Place the first finger on the first fret at the first string and the third finger on the third fret at the second string. Last but not least place the second finger on the second fret at the third string.

4. A (Power Chord): Place your second finger on the second fret at the forth string. Play the fifth string open along with the forth string. Ignore the other four strings.

5. D (Power Chord): Place the second finger on the second fret of the third string. Keep the forth string open. Strike the third and forth strings together, ignoring the other four strings. This power chord is similar to the A Power chord and is great to switch to after playing that chord.

6. E (Power Chord): Place the second finger on the second fret at the fifth string. Play the sixth string open. As with the other two power chords, ignore the other four strings, striking only the fifth and sixth strings.

7. B (Power Chord): The B Power chord is essentially the A power chord only moved up two frets. Place the first finger on the second fret at the fifth string and the third finger on the forth fret at the forth string.