The most simple beginner guitar chords are the triads. These are three note chords that all the other chords are built on.-200x250.gif)
Read that last sentence again, I said “all guitar chords” are built from these basic three note chords.
Once you understand these basics you will be able make chords anywhere on the guitar if you know the notes on the Guitar Fretboard.
There are four types of basic chords.
Diminished Chords
Augmented Chords
Chord Inversions
Each of these chords have three notes. They also have three different ways the notes can be arranged, these are called inversions. Let me show you.
Below is a C chord, the notes in a C chord are C E G.
C – E – G = Root Position
E – G – C = 1st Inversion
G – C – E = 2nd Inversion
What we need to do is divide the guitar strings up into 4 three string sets.
This is how we are going learn our beginner guitar chords. One set at a time.
Major Guitar Triads Root Position
Root – 3 – 5
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Major Triads 1st Inversion
3 – 5 – Root
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Major Triads 2nd Inversion
5 – Root -3
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
You may recognize some of these shapes they are in chords with more notes added. These are the beginner guitar chords building blocks.
Minor Guitar Chords Root Position
The minor chords below only differ from the major by one note. The 3rd is flatted.
Root – 3♭ – 5
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Minor Triads 1st Inversion
3♭ – 5 -Root
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Minor Triads 2nd Inversion
5 – Root -3♭
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Diminished Guitar Triads Root Position
The diminished chord differs from the minor chord by one note. The 5th is flatted.
These chords don’t get used as much as major or minor but they are important in improving, also there is a diminished triad in every dominant 7th chord starting on the 3rd note.
Root – 3♭ – 5♭
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Diminished Triads 1st Inversion
3♭ – 5♭ – Root
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Diminished Triads 2nd Inversion
5♭ – Root – 3♭
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Augmented Guitar Triads Root Position
In the augmented triads below you will see the chord patterns repeated. This is because the augmented triad is actually 3 chords in one.
The C augmented chord is also an E and a G♯ chord. There are other chords which have two or more names you will run across in the future.
Root – 3 – 5♯
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 String set
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Augmented Triads 1st Inversion
3 – 5♯ – Root
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
Augmented Triads 2nd Inversion
5♯ – Root – 3
6 5 4 Strings 
5 4 3 Strings
4 3 2 Strings 
3 2 1 Strings
All of these 3 note beginner guitar chords shapes need to be memorized. It’s not too hard if you pay attention to the root.
In the root position the root is the bass note.
In the 1st inversion the root is highest pitched note.
In the 2nd inversion the root is in the middle of the other two notes.
I hope you found this page useful.
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