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Guitar Chord Finder
Use this free guitar chord finder to look up any chord in seconds. Pick a root note and a chord type, and you get a fretboard diagram with the finger positions, the chord's notes, and a second voicing to try. It covers all 12 roots and 8 chord types, including the open chords every beginner learns first.
G major
Open position
Notes: G – B – D
320003
G major — barre
Barre, 3rd fret
Notes: G – B – D
355433
Dots show where to press. An open circle (○) above a string means play it open; a cross (×) means do not play that string. The number at the side is the fret where the diagram starts.
How it works
A chord is a group of notes played together, and on the guitar each chord has a fingering: a set of frets to press on the six strings. This finder holds the standard fingering for every combination of the 12 root notes — C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B — and 8 chord types: major, minor, dominant 7, major 7, minor 7, suspended 4, diminished, and augmented. Pick a root and a type, and the diagrams update at once.
Reading a diagram is straightforward. The six vertical lines are the strings, from the thick low E string on the left to the thin high e string on the right. The horizontal lines are the frets. A dot sits on the string and fret you press. A small circle above a string means you play it open, and a cross means you skip that string entirely.
Every chord also lists its notes. A major chord is built from the root, the major third (four semitones above the root), and the perfect fifth (seven semitones above). A minor chord lowers the third by one semitone. Seventh chords add a fourth note: a dominant 7 adds a minor seventh, a major 7 adds a major seventh, and a minor 7 adds a minor seventh to a minor triad. A sus4 replaces the third with a perfect fourth, a diminished chord flattens the third and the fifth, and an augmented chord raises the fifth.
Minor = root + minor 3rd + perfect 5th
Dominant 7 = major triad + minor 7th
The second diagram is a different voicing of the same chord, usually a barre chord. A barre chord presses several strings with one finger laid flat, so the same shape can slide up the neck to make any chord of that type. Learning both voicings of a chord gives you a choice: the open voicing is usually easier and rings more brightly, while the barre voicing is the same shape everywhere, which makes changing keys much simpler.
The ten chords most beginners learn first are all here with their standard fingerings: C major (x32010), G major (320003), D major (xx0232), E major (022100), A major (x02220), A minor (x02210), E minor (022000), D minor (xx0231), F major (xx3211), and B minor (x24432).
Worked example
Select the root G and the type Major. The finder shows the open G major chord with the fingering 320003.
Step 1: Read the fingering string by string, from the low E to the high e. 3 means press the low E string at the third fret. 2 means press the A string at the second fret. 0 means play the D string open. 0 means play the G string open. 0 means play the B string open. 3 means press the high e string at the third fret.
Step 2: Work out the notes. The low E string at fret 3 is G. The A string at fret 2 is B. The D string open is D. The G string open is G. The B string open is B. The high e string at fret 3 is G.
Step 3: Collect the unique notes. G, B, and D appear, and nothing else — exactly the root, major third, and perfect fifth of a G major triad.
Step 4: Try the second voicing. The barre version is 355433 at the third fret: the first finger bars all six strings at fret 3, the second finger presses the A string at fret 5, and the third and fourth fingers press the D and G strings at fret 5. The notes are the same G, B, and D, in a different arrangement.
The tool reports the same result: G major — open position, 320003, notes G – B – D, with the barre voicing 355433 beside it. Use the open version when you want a bright, ringing sound, and the barre version when you need to slide the same shape to another key.
FAQ
What do the numbers in a chord diagram mean?
The six numbers describe the six strings from the thickest (low E) to the thinnest (high e), and each number is the fret to press on that string. A 0 means play the string open, and an x means do not play that string. So 320003 for G major means: low E string fret 3, A string fret 2, D and G strings open, B string open, and high e string fret 3.
What is the difference between an open chord and a barre chord?
An open chord uses at least one open string and is played near the nut, at the top of the neck — C, G, D, E, and A major are the classic open chords. A barre chord presses several strings at once with one finger laid flat across the fretboard, which lets you move the same shape up the neck to play any chord. F major (133211) and B minor (x24432) are barre chords, and every chord in this finder shows a barre voicing as a second option.
How do I know which strings to strum?
Strum only the strings that belong to the chord. An x above a string means it is muted and should not ring — for D major (xx0232) you strum only the four thinnest strings. A 0 above a string means it rings open and is part of the chord. If a muted string keeps ringing by accident, rest a fingertip lightly against it, or angle your pick so it misses that string.
What notes are in a G major chord?
A G major chord contains the notes G, B, and D. G is the root, B is the major third, and D is the fifth. The open fingering 320003 plays all three: the low E string at fret 3 gives G, the A string at fret 2 gives B, the D and G strings give D and G open, the B string gives B open, and the high e string at fret 3 gives G again. Chords repeat notes across strings — what matters is that only G, B, and D appear.
How do I play a chord I have never seen before?
Start with the diagram, not the sound. Put your fingers on the frets it shows, one string at a time, and check that each fingertip sits just behind the fret wire without touching the neighbouring string. Pluck each string on its own: every string should ring clearly, with no buzz or dull thud. If a string is muted, move the finger slightly or press a little harder. Play the chord slowly for a few days before trying to switch to it quickly in a song.