Use your third finger (Ring) to fret the 3rd fret of the D string.Use your second finger (Middle) to play the 2nd fret of the G string.Us your first finger (Index) to barre the 1st fret of the high E and B strings.We can start with “A Major” and then flatten the 3rd, which is C#, by moving it down 1 fret which makes it a C, making an “A Minor” chord.Īn F major involves a partial barre on the High E and B strings. The notes that make an “A Minor” chord, on the other hand, are A, C, and E. So the notes that make up an “A Major” chord are A, C#, and E. There are always 7 notes (or intervals) in a particular key signature.Īn “A Major” chord, for example, the 1st is an A note, the 3rd is a C# note, and the 5th is an E note. Major chords are made up of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a particular key signature, whereas the minor chord is made of the 1st, flattened 3rd, and 5th of the key signature. What’s the Difference Between a Major and Minor Chord? In this section of this article, we will be looking at both Major and Minor open chords. The fingering of open chords and their versatility makes them the ideal set of chords to learn first.

An open string is a string you play without fingering any of the frets on that string. Open chords are called “open” chords because they use open strings. We’re going to start this article by discussing open chords, which are sometimes referred to as “cowboy chords”.

F bar chords guitar