Essential guitar chords for beginners

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Just starting out playing guitar?

One of the first things you should master are the essential guitar chords. With just eight chords under your belt, you’ll be able to play many different songs! 

You can use these chord charts to learn – or use the Fret Zealot app to get the chords at your fingertips with colors that coordinate with each finger! 

There are many different variations on how to play each chord – including barre chords. You can focus on these open positions (the easiest ones to play) first. 

To read chord diagrams: 

The far left vertical line represents the low E string, and the far right vertical line represents the high E string. Each vertical line in the middle represents each string from the bottom up. 

An X over a string means not to play that string. The O means leave the string unfretted, but play it. Each dot represents a fret which you should hold down with a finger. Some diagrams include numbers at the bottom of the diagram, which represent which finger should be on which string (1 for index, 2 for middle, etc.) 

Here are some other essential chords:

 

C 

 

D 

E 

G

 

Am

Dm

Em

 

How to build an effective guitar practice routine

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Whatever your level of experience with guitar is, practice is crucial to level up your skills, or just to stay in shape. Just like having a fitness routine, having a guitar practice routine is a good habit, and will ensure that your guitar skills stick around. 

Here’s how to build an effective practice routine: 

 

Define your goals 

 Do you want to master the guitar solo for “Thunderstruck”? Are you trying to learn a setlist of songs you can perform at an open mic or gig? Having concrete goals can help give you a reason to practice. 

Try writing down a list of short-term five goals you’d like to achieve in guitar, like playing an entire song fingerstyle or learning how to read tabs, and long term goals, like playing in public and starting a band. Put it somewhere you can see it to help motivate you to practice. 

 

Break it down 

An easy way to make a practice routine feel less daunting is to break it down into small sections. You can set a timer on your phone for each section if you’d like to. 

 

Here’s a sample practice breakdown:

 

Warm-up (five to ten minutes) 

Start with some basic scales or chord changes to warm up your fingers. 

 

Technical Exercises (15-20 minutes):

Play through scales, arpeggios and riffs. You can use a metronome to help with your timing. 

 

Repertoire Practice (15-20 minutes):
Practice learning new songs. If you have an issue with a part of the song, break them into smaller parts and play through them slowly, gradually bringing them back up to speed. 

 

Creative or Improvisation Time (five to ten minutes):
Let your brain be creative and work on riffs or songs of your own. 

 

Review (five minutes): 

Review what you’ve practiced and make a note of what you’d like to improve on or try next time. 

 

Tips: 

 

Be consistent 

Even if you only have 20 to 30 minutes a day for practice, it can really add up. Check out these methods of making time to practice. 

 

Work on what needs improvement

Overcoming a challenging portion of a song or finally nailing that tough riff will give you confidence in your guitar ability. 

 

Incorporate Fret Zealot courses

Fret Zealot has hundreds of guitar courses – everything from song lessons, to strumming patterns, to player studies. Learning something new is a great way to practice. 

 

Record yourself 

You can use the record app on your phone to record your session and hear how you’re sounding. Hearing improvement in your playing is the best feeling! 

 

Keep it fun 

Learn what you’re interested in playing, whether it’s classical pieces or the latest trending song on TikTok. 

Learn these songs on guitar to take you to a warmer place

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Learn these songs on guitar to take you to a warmer place 

It’s February, you probably haven’t seen the sun in months, and it’s still cold out. What do you do?

Learn these warm-weather inspired songs to transport you to a warmer place – at least until spring shows up! 

 

Havana

This salsa-inspired 2017 hit will transport you to its Cuban city namesake – at least mentally. 

 

Island in the Sun

This 2001 hit from Weezer is like a 3:20 long trip to sunny Southern California. 

 

Hotel California

You may not be able to leave the mythical hotel this Eagles’ track is about, but at least you won’t need a parka. 

 

 

Californication 

“Californication” is the title track of the RHCP’s 1999 album. Its lyrics are full of SoCal imagery. 

 

Santeria

“Santeria” is also full of SoCal imagery, and will take you to Long Beach wherever you play it! 

 

 

Top songs for Galentine’s Day to learn on guitar with Fret Zealot

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Are you celebrating Galentine’s Day this year? If your girl gang is into making music, check out these songs made for jamming out to – that you can learn with Fret Zealot. 

 

“Dancing Queen” – ABBA

 

“What’s Up?” – 4 Non Blondes

 

“Love Story” – Taylor Swift

 

“Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper

 

“These Boots Are Made For Walking” – Nancy Sinatra

 

“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” – Shania Twain

 

“Juice” – Lizzo

 

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson

Learn these AC/DC songs with Fret Zealot

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Australian rock band AC/DC formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, as well as Colin Burgess (drums), Larry Van Kriedt (bass guitar) and Dave Evans (lead vocals). The band went through several line-up changes before releasing their debut album, High Voltage (1975). After the release of Let There Be Rock (1977), the lineup was set with the Young brothers, Phil Rudd on drums, Cliff Williams on bass guitar and Bon Scott on lead vocals. Scott died of alcohol poisoning only seven months after the release of Highway to Hell in 1979. The band tapped English singer Brian Johnson as their new frontman for 1980’s Back in Black – dedicated to Scott’s memory, and the second best-selling record of all time!

Check out these AC/DC songs you can learn with Fret Zealot. 

 

You Shook Me All Night Long

You don’t have to be a guitar pro to master “You Shook Me All Night Long” – the main verse and riff follow a simple G-C-D chord progression.

 

Highway to Hell

“Highway to Hell” is about the exhausting nature of constant touring, which Angus Young referred to as the “Highway to Hell”. Australia’s Canning Highway also was part of the song’s namesake.

 

Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be

This song was included on AC/DC’s fourth album, 1977’s Let There Be Rock. “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place to Be” also shares its name with a 2012 biography of the band.

 

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

This song contains a commonly misunderstood line – often heard as “Dirty deeds and the thunder chief” (the correct lyrics are in the title!)

 

Thunderstruck

One of AC/DC’s most recognizable songs gets its name from a childhood toy of the Young brothers. In the liner notes of The Razor’s Edge 2003 re-release, Young said that they were searching for a name for the song when they came up with the “thunder” motif, based on their childhood toy Thunderstreak. “It seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC = Power. That’s the basic idea,” he wrote.

 

Back in Black

With an unmistakable opening riff, “Back in Black” was written in honor of AC/DC’s former singer Bon Scott who died in 1980.

 

Hells Bells

This song begins with the tolling of a bell – an actual, 2,000 lb. bronze bell made by John Taylor & Co. Bellfounders in England. The bell sound was recorded in a mobile studio inside of the bell foundry after the tracking sessions for “Back in Black” were complete.

 

All Screwed Up

“All Screwed Up” was featured on AC/DC’s 2000 album Stiff Upper Lip. This album was the last one produced by Malcolm and Angus Young’s older brother George Young, who died in 2017.

 

Whole Lotta Rosie

One of AC/DC’s most popular songs, “Whole Lotta Rosie’ started off as another song entirely. The main riff was featured on an earlier recording called “Dirty Eyes”, which had a different chorus chord progression and a slower tempo. It was recorded in 1976 for an EP that got scrapped and later recrafted into “Whole Lotta Rosie”. 

 

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

You might not associate AC/DC with classical literature, but Angus Young said that one of the inspirations for the lyrics of this 1981 track was gleaned from a story by poet and novelist Robert Graves. Young explained that the story was about gladiators in Ancient Rome preparing to fight in the Coliseum, who used the salute “Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant” (“Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute you”).

 

The Jack

“The Jack” (Australian slang for a venereal disease) was created when Malcolm Young, jamming out with Bon Scott, received a note from a woman who said she contracted it from Malcolm. Bon Scott began teasing Young with a blues riff with the phrase – and “The Jack” was born.  

 

Beating Around the Bush

Did you know that “Beatin’ Around the Bush” off of AC/DC’s 1979 album Highway to Hell is a cover? The song was originally recorded by Australian blues, rock and R&B band Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons. It was released in July 1976 and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1976 film Oz. 

 

Five signs that it’s time to change your guitar strings 

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Be honest – what’s the last time you changed the strings on your guitar? String mileage varies – some guitar players change them religiously every month, while others allow their strings to get “seasoned” a bit more. Whatever your preference is, here are five signs that it’s definitely time to change your strings:  

 

They look bad 

Strings that need to be changed may look dull, tarnished, or pitted. They might also look or feel dirty. 

 

They don’t sound as good as they should 

Strings may start to buzz or rattle near the end of their lifetime, and their tone might sound dull or flat. 

 

It hurts to play 

Old strings don’t bend as easily as fresh ones, so you might find yourself exerting extra strength to play. 

 

They won’t stay in tune 

If you find yourself reaching for a tuner more frequently than usual, it might be time to change your strings. Bear in mind that new strings may take a few days to stretch, so aim to do it a couple of days before any performances if possible. 

 

You have a broken string 

Breaks are a sign that it’s time for new strings – so if you have time, restring the entire guitar. 

Top songs you can learn with Fret Zealot to add to your setlist

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Is your setlist feeling a little stale? Freshen it up with these songs – that you can learn with Fret Zealot! 

 

Moves Like Jagger

A high-energy, crowd-pleasing 2010 hit from pop band Maroon 5, “Moves Like Jagger” will get your audience moving. 

 

Sultans Of Swing

With an instantly-recognizable riff, this 1978 Dire Straits hit should strike it out of the park with any crowd. 

 

What’s Up 

With only three chords and a simple strum pattern, this 1993z song by 4 Non Blondes should be a quick learn – but it’s guaranteed to get the crowd singing along. 

 

Fluorescent Adolescent

English band The Arctic Monkeys are one of the most successful rock bands of the past few decades. Try this upbeat 2007 song in your setlist! 

 

Radioactive 

This well-known 2012 arena rock hit by Imagine Dragons is a great pick to shake up your setlist! 

 

Learn these songs by Queen with Fret Zealot

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British rock band Queen is one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 300 million albums around the world. They formed in 1970 and had multiple huge hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, and “Don’t Stop Me Now”. 

Check out these Queen songs you can learn with Fret Zealot! 

 

Crazy Little Thing Called Love 

A song written by Freddie Mercury as a tribute to his musical inspirations, Elvis Presley and Sir Cliff Richard, Mercury said he wrote “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” in five to ten minutes. “I did that on the guitar, which I can’t play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords,” he told Melody Maker magazine in 1981. “It’s a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I couldn’t work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think.”

 

We Will Rock You

A favorite song for sporting events, “We Will Rock You” is usually followed by “We Are the Champions”. They were the last two songs Queen performed at Live Aid in 1985. The song is nearly completely a cappella except for a 30 second solo by May toward the end. The “stamping” effects were made by the band. 

 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen’s 1975 six-minute “mock opera” dominated the charts in England and took the number one spot in a dozen other countries when it was released – but in the U.S., it never made it past #9. When Wayne’s World came out in 1992, the car scene featuring “Bohemian Rhapsody” helped shoot the track to #2 on the Billboard chart. 

 

Don’t Stop Me Now 

Don’t Stop Me Now didn’t chart very high when it was released as a single in 1979, but time has been very kind to it. The song has become more popular over the years thanks to consistent airplay, use in TV shows, ads, and movies, and through cover versions.

 

Another One Bites the Dust (for bass) 

Featuring a simple but insanely catchy bassline, “Another One Bites the Dust” was written by Queen bassist John Deacon. Deacon had been hanging out in the studio with disco band Chic, which inspired him to write the funky line. 

 

MORE: 

Want to play guitar like Brian May of Queen?

Five little-known facts about Queen

 

The history and origins of popular guitar scales

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Have you ever wondered where various musical scales come from? Here are the origins of some of the most popular guitar scales. 

Major 

G Major Scale on Musical Keyboard.svg

The major scale, based on a specific pattern of whole and half steps, traces its origins back to Ancient Greece. Philosophers including Pythagoras examined the mathematical relationships between pitches and developed diatonic scale systems, including Lydian and Phrygian. 

 

Minor 

A melodic minor scale ascending

Minor scales are made up of seven stepwise pitches that form an octave arranged in one of three possible sequences which all have a half-step in common. Like the major scales, the minor scales developed from the ancient Greek modes. Ancient mathematician Ptolemy described the seven Greek modes as Dorian, Hypodorian, Phrygian, Hypophrygian, Lydian, Hypolydian, and Mixolydian. More modes were described in the 16th century. 

 

Pentatonic 

Minor pentatonic blues scale on A.

The five-note scale that’s so essential to rock and blues music is one of the oldest scales in the world, and seems to have been developed independently by ancient cultures all around the world, including China, West Africa, India, South America, and Indigenous Americans. Archaeologists have found flutes in Germany made of vulture bones that are 30 to 40 thousand years old and are tuned to the pentatonic scale.  

 

Chromatic 

Chromatic scale.

The chromatic scale utilizes 12 half notes in a scale, which can add tension and resolution into a piece of music. The word “chromatic” comes from the Greek word “khrōmatikos” (relating to color). The ancient Chinese also created a 12-note scale called Shí-èr-lǜ, a set of 12 fundamental notes from which other scales can be derived. 

 

Arabic 

Arabic music is based on maqams – groups of notes that are used together with the rules determining the relationships between them and their melodic pattern. Arabic scales are tuned differently than Western classical music –  5th notes are tuned based on the 3rd harmonic and the rest of the notes are tuned depending on which maqam you are in. The Arabian scale has its origins in the 9th century CE, by scholars including  al-Mawsili and al-Kindi. 

 

You can find every scale in the Fret Zealot app!

Fret Zealot’s Top Courses of 2024

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We’re looking back at the most popular Fret Zealot courses of 2024! Here are the top hits: 

 

 

30 Day Beginner Challenge

In this complete beginner’s course, you get one lesson to follow per day for 30 days. If you’re new to guitar this is the ultimate crash course to get you started!

 

Electric Guitar Beginners – Level 1 

This course focuses specifically on chord and rhythm playing for electric guitar players. This series of courses (levels 1 – 3) is absolutely essential for beginners who love the electric guitar as they will give you the necessary foundations to build upon as you progress.

 

Acoustic Beginners – Level 1

This course will take you through your first chords, how to strum, how to play full songs, how to master basic theory and everything else you need as a beginner guitar student that loves acoustic guitar.

 

The Total Beginner’s Guitar Course – Level 1

This introductory course is geared towards people who have either never played or haven’t picked it up in a long time. So even if you’ve struggled before, you will learn everything you need to know to start playing!

 

Complete Guitar Theory Lab

Complete Guitar Theory Lab Fret Zealot

This course puts the “fun” into “music theory fundamentals”! These lessons cover everything you need to know about music theory, from knowing and naming all 12 notes to understanding keys and triads.