The 15 Most Common Guitar Chords Every Player Should Know

If you could only learn 15 chords on guitar, these would be the ones. This isn’t just my opinion - these are the chords that statistically appear most often in popular music across every genre. Master these 15 and you have the harmonic vocabulary to play thousands of songs.

I’ve organized them from easiest to hardest, so you can work through the list progressively. Each chord includes the shape, which strings to strum, and real songs that use it prominently.

The Top 15 Chords

1. Em (E Minor)

Shape: 0-2-2-0-0-0 Strum: All 6 strings Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

The easiest chord on guitar. Two fingers, all six strings, and an instantly recognizable moody sound. Em appears in rock, folk, pop, and classical guitar constantly.

Songs: “Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd), “Nothing Else Matters” (Metallica)

2. G Major

Shape: 3-2-0-0-0-3 Strum: All 6 strings Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

A big, full chord that uses all six strings. The wide finger spread between the 6th and 1st strings can challenge beginners, but it becomes second nature quickly.

Songs: “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan), “Sweet Home Alabama” (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

3. C Major

Shape: x-3-2-0-1-0 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

The foundational chord of Western music. The reach to the 3rd fret on the 5th string stretches new players, but after a week it feels natural.

Songs: “Let It Be” (Beatles), “No Woman, No Cry” (Bob Marley)

4. D Major

Shape: x-x-0-2-3-2 Strum: Strings 4-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

A bright, chimey chord that only uses four strings. Be careful about your strum range - hitting the 5th or 6th string muddies the sound.

Songs: “Free Fallin’” (Tom Petty), “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison)

5. Am (A Minor)

Shape: x-0-2-2-1-0 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

The most popular minor chord in all of music. It pairs perfectly with C, G, F, and E, making it essential for every key.

Songs: “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin), “House of the Rising Sun” (The Animals)

6. E Major

Shape: 0-2-2-1-0-0 Strum: All 6 strings Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Powerful, full, and open. E major is the basis for the most common barre chord shape, so learning it well now pays dividends later.

Songs: “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne), every blues shuffle in E

7. A Major

Shape: x-0-2-2-2-0 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Three fingers packed on the 2nd fret. The challenge is fitting all three fingers without muting the open 1st string. Keep your fingers arched.

Songs: “Horse With No Name” (America - uses Asus2, very close), “I’m Yours” (Jason Mraz)

8. Dm (D Minor)

Shape: x-x-0-2-3-1 Strum: Strings 4-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

A dark, expressive chord that appears constantly in Latin music, ballads, and songwriter material. The transition from D major to D minor (just move one finger) is great for emotional contrast.

Songs: “Californication” (RHCP), “Dust in the Wind” (Kansas)

9. F Major

Shape: 1-3-3-2-1-1 (barre) or x-x-3-2-1-1 (partial) Strum: All 6 (barre) or strings 4-1 (partial) Difficulty: ★★★★☆

The dreaded F chord. It’s the first barre chord most players encounter. The partial version (x-x-3-2-1-1) is a legitimate alternative - many pros use it.

Quick alternative: Fmaj7 (x-x-3-2-1-0) sounds nearly identical in most contexts and requires no barre.

Songs: “Hey Jude” (Beatles), “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Elvis)

10. B7

Shape: x-2-1-2-0-2 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

This four-finger chord is the dominant 7th in the key of E - which means you’ll need it for almost any blues or rock song in E. The shape feels strange at first but locks in with practice.

Songs: Every 12-bar blues in E, “Norwegian Wood” (Beatles)

11. E7

Shape: 0-2-0-1-0-0 Strum: All 6 strings Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Like E major with one finger lifted. The bluesy quality of the dominant 7th makes this essential for blues, rock, and jazz.

Songs: “Purple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix - modified version), “Red House” (Hendrix)

12. Am7

Shape: x-0-2-0-1-0 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

A mellow, smooth version of Am with a jazz/soul flavor. It’s actually easier than Am - you use fewer fingers.

Songs: Common in R&B, neo-soul, and coffeehouse acoustic

13. D7

Shape: x-x-0-2-1-2 Strum: Strings 4-1 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

The dominant 7th in the key of G. Essential for blues and folk. The shape is compact and comfortable.

Songs: “Midnight Special” (traditional), blues turnarounds

14. Cmaj7

Shape: x-3-2-0-0-0 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

One of the prettiest and easiest chords on guitar. It’s C major with one finger removed. Instant class.

Songs: “Don’t Know Why” (Norah Jones), many bossa nova and jazz standards

15. Bm (B Minor - Barre)

Shape: x-2-4-4-3-2 Strum: Strings 5-1 Difficulty: ★★★★☆

A barre chord that trips up many players. Bm is essential in the key of D (as the vi chord) and appears in countless pop songs.

Songs: “Zombie” (Cranberries - uses Bm extensively), “Someone Like You” (Adele)

How to Practice These 15 Chords

Week 1: Tier 1 (Em, G, C, D, Am)

Practice the one-minute change drill with these pairs: Em↔Am, G↔C, C↔D, D↔Am. Play G→D→Em→C at 60 BPM.

Week 2: Tier 2 (E, A, Dm, E7)

Add these to your rotation. Practice E↔A, A↔D, Em↔E, Dm↔Am.

Week 3: Tier 3 (F, Am7, D7, Cmaj7, B7)

Introduce the 7th chords and F. Focus on F→C and Am7→D7→G.

Week 4: Tier 4 (Bm)

The barre chord. Practice Bm↔D, Bm↔G, and full songs that use it.

Try This in Guitar Wiz

All 15 chords are in the Chord Library with clear, interactive diagrams showing exact finger placement. You can browse multiple voicings for each chord, hear how they should sound, and filter by difficulty. Pair with the Chord Progressions feature to see how these chords connect in real songs and practice common sequences.

Download Guitar Wiz on the App Store · Explore the Chord Library →

FAQ

Do I need to learn all 15 to play songs?

No. With just 5 chords (G, C, D, Em, Am), you can play hundreds of songs. The full 15 give you the vocabulary.

What about chords like F#m, Bb, and C#m?

These are barre chord versions of shapes you’ve already learned. Once you master the barre technique with F and Bm, every other barre chord is just a slide to a different fret.

Should I learn these in open or barre position?

Start with open positions. They’re easier and sound fuller. Learn the barre versions once the open shapes are solid.