Major guitar chords
A major chord is a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. It is the plain, bright chord that a letter on its own stands for: “G” means G major.
How major chords are built
The formula is 1–3–5: the root, the major third and the perfect fifth, counted from the root’s major scale. In C that gives C · E · G.
All 12 major chords on guitar
Fingerings read from the low E string to the high E string. x = not played, 0 = open. 5 of the twelve main shapes are easy, 2 medium and 5 hard.
| Chord | Notes | Fingering | Position | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | x32010 | open position | Easy |
| C# | C♯ E♯ G♯ | x43121 | 1st fret | Hard |
| D | D F♯ A | xx0232 | open position | Easy |
| Eb | E♭ G B♭ | xx1343 | 1st fret | Medium |
| E | E G♯ B | 022100 | open position | Easy |
| F | F A C | 133211 | barre chord, 1st fret | Hard |
| Gb | G♭ B♭ D♭ | 244322 | barre chord, 2nd fret | Hard |
| G | G B D | 320003 | open position | Easy |
| Ab | A♭ C E♭ | 43111x | 1st fret | Medium |
| A | A C♯ E | x02220 | open position | Easy |
| Bb | B♭ D F | x13331 | barre chord, 1st fret | Hard |
| B | B D♯ F♯ | 224442 | barre chord, 2nd fret | Hard |
Major chord diagrams
- Cx320104 fingerings · easy
- C#x431214 fingerings · hard
- Dxx02324 fingerings · easy
- Ebxx13434 fingerings · medium
- E0221004 fingerings · easy
- F1332114 fingerings · hard
- Gb2443224 fingerings · hard
- G3200034 fingerings · easy
- Ab43111x4 fingerings · medium
- Ax022204 fingerings · easy
- Bbx133314 fingerings · hard
- B2244424 fingerings · hard
Where major chords appear in a key
In a major key, a major chord fits on the I, V and IV degrees of the scale. For example, C is the I chord in C major, V chord in F major and IV chord in G major.