Here are some basic open form guitar chords to get you started. Make sure you curl your fingers to stay on the fingertips (except for chords that use a bar such as the F chord-when using the 1st finger to make a bar, turn the finger slightly to the side where the finger is flatter). Try to keep your thumb straight in the back of the guitar neck perpendicular to the neck.
Strum all strings used. Also, try playing one note at a time to see if everything sounds clean. Keep fingers out of the way of strings they are not supposed to touch by staying on the fingertips and making whatever slight adjustments are needed. Once all the notes sound good separately, play the full strummed chord again.
You will probably find you put down one finger at a time while you learn how to make chords. Eventually, you want to be able to think of making the whole chord as a "unit" in one complete move. But, this will come with time and practice.
Here are more basic guitar chords to work on.
All of the "Basic Guitar Chords" and "more Basic Guitar Chords" I've presented here are written in certain keys. The KEY is the same as the letter name of the first chord in each row going across. For instance, chords often used in the KEY of C are C, F, and G7. Another example, the chords used in the KEY of A minor are Ami, Dmi, and E7. These should all be practiced for each row going across and repeating the first chord in the row. In other words, if you are playing the chords for the KEY of C, try 4 strums each (with a downward pick motion) - ex. C C C C / F F F F / G7 G7 G7 G7 / C C C C. Play slowly and evenly to a 1 2 3 4 count. You will find you pause between different chords at first. Try the following method to help change chords in time (without the pause in the count). Play to a count of 4 (for each measure), but only strum the first chord (beat 1) and count 3 rests while you find the next chord. (strum, rest, rest, rest). Count slower if needed to make it to the next chord during the rests. Then, work your way up to 2 strums and 2 rests and so on until you can strum all 4 beats and switch to the next chord quickly.
Here are the basic Bar Chords based on the 6th and 5th strings. Included in this diagram are the natural notes on the 6th and 5th strings you should memorize.
The 6th string based bar chords shown have their letter name and root on the 6th string. You would position the bar (the 1st finger) based on this for the correct letter name of the chord. Then, you would make the correct form shown. If for example you are barring the 1st finger on the 1st fret it is an F chord of some type. Then you make the forms such as F (which would be called F Major), or Fmi (which would be called F minor), or the the F7 (which would be called F7 or F dominant 7), or Fmi7 (which would be called F minor 7).
You would do similar for the 5th string bar chords, but use the 5th string to find the letter name.
Here are the basic Bar Chords based on the 6th and 5th strings. Included in this diagram are the natural notes on the 6th and 5th strings you should memorize.
The 6th string based bar chords shown have their letter name and root on the 6th string. You would position the bar (the 1st finger) based on this for the correct letter name of the chord. Then, you would make the correct form shown. If for example you are barring the 1st finger on the 1st fret it is an F chord of some type. Then you make the forms such as F (which would be called F Major), or Fmi (which would be called F minor), or the the F7 (which would be called F7 or F dominant 7), or Fmi7 (which would be called F minor 7).
You would do similar for the 5th string bar chords, but use the 5th string to find the letter name.
