Beginner guitar players appreciate the easy step by step approach of learning new chords. 

That’s why its important to chop things up into a series of easy to follow chord excursions, so you don’t get overwhelmed by the infinite amount of chords that are all around the internet...

After a beginner learns the important Major and Minor "Open Chords," the next most important chords are the "Dominant 7th."

These chords will allow you to expand your chord vocabulary in the appropriate order that works best for learning new beginner songs and developing the skills toward more advanced chord types.


After spending time learning how to play through the C, A, G, E, D, Dm, Am and Em chords you'll be ready for the Dominant seventh category.

This category includes the; A7, B7, C7, D7, E7 and G7 chords. We call these dominant 7th chords (dom7). They are often used in pop music, country, folk, classic rock and they are essential chords in blues music.

A "Dominant 7th" chord can be played on any V-chord of a key. And, this can be the case in either major or minor. 

CHORD READING:
The numbers on the dots in the chord diagrams below indicate the finger positioning:
1 = index finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 = ring finger, 4 = pinky

The “x” on top of the diagram means you “mute” that particular string.
“O” means an open string.










Additional beginner chord types include the F chord and the Bm chord. The "F and Bm" shapes are more challenging, but they are a great follow up to the basics and are also common chords in nearly every style of music.

Note: The F chord is played with your index finger barring two strings on the first fret. This is a bit tricky in the beginning, but with daily practice you will develop this technique.






The best way to learn and memorize chords is to learn songs that use these chords. Check out some easy to play blues progressions for the 7th chords. The F and Bm chords show up in countless pop, rock and country songs.

"F Chord Practice"
Try learning the Simon and Garfunkle song "Sound and Silence"

"Bm Chord Practice"
Try learning the Bryan Adams song, "Summer of 69"


Chord Study Tips:
– Press the strings with the very tips of your fingers.
– Bend all three knuckles.
– press the strings hard enough.
– If you press a string make sure your finger isn’t touching and muting the string below.
– Make sure your fingers are as close to the fret as possible.
– Check each string to see if all the notes sound clean and clear.
– For barring the strings, press your index finger firmly down on the strings and make sure your thumb is right behind the neck to give it enough support. Alter the positioning of your index finger slightly up or down to see if you can fix some of the buzzes and mutes.
– Learn to switch between every chord you’ve learned until now.
– Practice your chords daily.
– Learn chord songs.

Enjoy your bigger chord vocabulary!