Knowing how to read a chord chart lets you pick up a song in minutes, follow a band leader or sit in at church or a jam. Chord charts look cryptic at first, but they use just a handful of symbols. This lesson is part of our music theory for guitar beginners series.
Short answer: a chord chart lists the chords of a song, usually in measures separated by bar lines, with each chord lasting until the next one appears. Chord diagrams show where to put your fingers: vertical lines are strings, horizontal lines are frets, dots are fingers, X means mute and O means open. A slash chord like G/B means play G with B in the bass.
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Send My Cheat Sheet →Step 1: Read a Chord Diagram
A chord diagram (also called a chord box) is a picture of the fretboard standing upright:
- Vertical lines are the six strings. The far left is the low E; the far right is the high E.
- Horizontal lines are the frets. A thick line at the top is the nut.
- Dots show where to press. Numbers in or under the dots show which finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
- X above a string means don’t play it. O means play it open.
- A curved line or bar across several strings means a barre with one finger.
- “5fr” (or a similar number) beside the diagram means the top line is the 5th fret, not the nut.
Tab and chord boxes are oriented differently, which surprises many players; see why guitar tabs are drawn upside down.
Step 2: Read the Chord Symbols
| Symbol | Meaning | Example notes |
|---|---|---|
| C | C major | C E G |
| Cm or C- | C minor | C Eb G |
| C7 | C dominant 7 | C E G Bb |
| Cmaj7 or CΔ7 | C major 7 | C E G B |
| Cm7 | C minor 7 | C Eb G Bb |
| Csus4 / Csus2 | 3rd replaced by 4th / 2nd | C F G / C D G |
| Cadd9 | C major plus the 9th | C E G D |
| Cdim or C° | C diminished | C Eb Gb |
| C+ or Caug | C augmented | C E G# |
| C5 | Power chord | C G |
| C/E | C chord with E in the bass | E C G (E lowest) |
For more on 7th symbols, see our 7th chords guitar guide.
Step 3: Follow the Bars and Rhythm
Most chord charts divide the song into measures with vertical bar lines. In 4/4 time each measure has four beats.
- One chord in a bar = play it for four beats.
- Two chords in a bar = usually two beats each.
- Rhythm slashes ( / / / / ) show each beat. A chord over the first slash lasts until a new chord appears.
- A % sign or “simile” means repeat the previous bar.
- Repeat signs (thick double bar with two dots) mean play that section again.
- D.S. al Coda, D.C. al Fine tell you where to jump back to and where to end.