How to read a chord diagram

The neck, seen head-on

Picture your guitar standing up in front of you, headstock at the top. That's exactly what the diagram shows.

• The six vertical lines are the strings. On the left, the 6th string, low E. On the right, the 1st string, high E. In between, in order: A, D, G, B.
• The horizontal lines are the frets. The space between two frets is where you press.
• The thick line at the very top is the nut, the piece that separates the headstock from the neck. When it's drawn, the diagram starts at the first fret.

The one habit that prevents half of all mistakes: the leftmost string in the drawing is the thickest, the one on top when you hold the guitar.

The dots: where to press

Each dot marks a string to press down at a given fret. A dot in the second fret space of the 5th string means: press the 5th string between the 1st and 2nd frets. In practice, put your finger just behind the lower fret wire of that space, on the body side. The string rings clean with less effort.

Finger numbers

Many diagrams write a number inside the dot, or just below it. It tells you which finger of your fretting hand to use:

• 1: index
• 2: middle
• 3: ring
• 4: pinky
• T (sometimes): thumb, wrapped over the top of the neck for the 6th string

These numbers are a suggestion, not a law. They show the most common fingering, usually the one that makes chord changes easier. Don't confuse the finger number with the fret number: a "3" in a dot at the 2nd fret means ring finger, 2nd fret.

The x's and o's above the diagram

Above the nut, each string can carry a symbol:

• o: play the string open, with no finger on it.
• x: don't play the string. Skip it when you strum, or mute it by lightly touching it with a finger.
• Nothing: a finger is on that string, and the note comes from the dot.

Example: the C chord

Let's read C string by string, left to right:

1. 6th string: x, don't play it.
2. 5th string: dot at the 3rd fret, finger 3. Ring finger. The note is C.
3. 4th string: dot at the 2nd fret, finger 2. Middle finger. The note is E.
4. 3rd string: o, open G.
5. 2nd string: dot at the 1st fret, finger 1. Index. The note is C.
6. 1st string: o, open E.

That gives you C, E, G, C, E: the three notes of a C major chord, some of them doubled.

The number version

Chords are often written on one line, one position per string, from lowest to highest. C becomes x32010: 6th string muted, 3rd fret, 2nd fret, open, 1st fret, open. A 0 means "open," an x means "don't play." G is 320003, D is xx0232. Handy for jotting down a progression in a notebook or a text.

Barre chords

When your index finger has to press several strings at once at the same fret, the diagram shows a bar or an arc connecting the dots. That's a barre.

Take F, the first barre chord most guitarists meet: 133211.

• The index lies flat across the 1st fret, all six strings.
• The middle finger takes the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
• The ring finger takes the 5th string, 3rd fret.
• The pinky takes the 4th string, 3rd fret.

Only the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings are held by the index alone; on the others, the fingers further up give the note. A barre can also cover just some of the strings, as in Bm, x24432, where the index bars from the 5th string to the 1st at the 2nd fret.

For index-finger technique and the shapes to know, see the guide on how to play barre chords.

The starting fret

A diagram only shows four or five frets. When the chord sits higher up the neck, the nut isn't drawn: a number next to the first fret tells you where you are, for example "5" or "5fr." The whole drawing is shifted by that much.

Example: A as a barre chord at the 5th fret, 577655. The index bars the 5th fret, the ring finger and pinky take the 7th fret on the 5th and 4th strings, the middle finger takes the 6th fret on the 3rd. On the diagram, this barre shows up on the first row of frets, with a 5 next to it. Miss that number and you'll play the F shape at the 1st fret, which is a completely different chord.

Traps to avoid

• Reading the diagram upside down. Some books draw the neck horizontally, like tab, with the high string on top. Always check where the nut is and which string is marked low E.
• Ignoring the x's. Strumming a string marked x adds a note that doesn't belong, often a bass note that muddies everything.
• Missing the starting fret. It's the most common mistake with chords played high on the neck.
• Playing left-handed from a right-handed diagram. On a lefty guitar, the drawing should be flipped, low E on the right. Fredon has a left-handed mode, by the way.

What about other instruments?

The principle doesn't change, only the number of strings. A ukulele diagram has four vertical lines: G, C, E, A from left to right. The ukulele C chord, for instance, takes just one finger, 3rd fret on the A string. Mandolin, banjo and bass work the same way. To go further, see these easy ukulele chords.

If you want to practice, Fredon's chord library shows every fingering of a chord, from easiest to hardest, on the instrument and tuning of your choice, with note names in C D E or do re mi. And to put your reading into practice right away, start with the 8 beginner guitar chords.

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