More open chords: C, G, Dm, F

With C, G and D you can play thousands of songs. F is the one chord that asks your index finger to hold two strings at once.

C major

C spreads your fingers across three frets in a diagonal line. Ring finger on the A string at the 3rd fret, middle finger on the D string at the 2nd fret, index finger on the B string at the 1st fret. The G and high E strings ring open, and the low E is left out. Read the shape as a staircase coming down toward the floor: 3, 2, open, 1. The lowest note is C on the A string, which is what gives the chord its name and its solid sound. If the open G string is muffled, your middle finger is leaning on it; lift the wrist a little so the fingers come down from above.

G major

G uses both outer strings. Middle finger on the low E at the 3rd fret, index finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, ring finger on the high E at the 3rd fret. The D, G and B strings ring open. All six strings are played, so G sounds full and wide. Some players use fingers 3, 2 and 4 instead, which frees the index finger and makes the change to C quicker later. Both fingerings are correct; pick one and stay with it while you learn.

D minor

Dm is D major with one note lowered. The triangle turns around: middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret, ring finger on the B string at the 3rd fret, index finger on the high E at the 1st fret. The high E string moved down one fret, from F sharp to F, and that is the whole difference between D and D minor. Strum from the open D string, as with D.

F, the first barre

There is no open F chord that uses all six strings, because F is not one of the open-string notes. The full F lays the index finger flat across all six strings at the 1st fret, then adds the E major shape on top: ring finger on the A string at the 3rd fret, little finger on the D string at the 3rd fret, middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret. Pressing six strings with one finger is called a barre. It takes most beginners several weeks. Roll the index finger slightly onto its bony side, keep it close to the fret, and let the weight of your arm pull back rather than squeezing with the thumb.

While the full barre is still hard, there is a smaller F that skips the two low strings: × × 3 2 1 1. The index finger only covers the B and high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger takes the G string at the 2nd fret and the ring finger the D string at the 3rd. It contains the same three notes, F, A and C, with a lighter sound. The chord box below shows the full version.

Try it

Tap each box, then press Play for the progression C, G, Am, F. It is one of the most common four-chord patterns in popular music, and all four shapes are in this unit or the last one.