The Young Composer

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Cover of Guitar Chords
Wall Chart

Guitar Chords

Sixteen essential guitar chord shapes for the first year of playing, plus chord families showing which chords stay in key together.

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What's inside

  • How to read a chord box — nut, frets, strings, open/muted string marks and barre bars
  • Ten chords to learn first: C, A, G, E, D majors; Am, Em, Dm minors; F major; Bm barre chord
  • Six dominant seventh chords: G7, C7, D7, A7, E7, B7
  • Chord families for six keys, showing the I–IV–V–vi chords that stay in that key
  • A strumming and chord-change tip for practising the progression
guitarchordschord-shapesbeginnerwall-chart

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Looking for step-by-step lessons instead? Head to Music Theory. Want composing ideas? Try Composing.