The guitar is an excellent instrument for various reasons. Guitar chords are a staple for many musicians because they allow you to play accompaniment to your favorite songs or when you want to noodle around on your instrument.
Although you might not do it as quickly as piano players, it is relatively easy to understand how to recreate chords on the guitar. If you are a newbie to playing guitar, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the many chords and progressions available. Fortunately, many basic chords are easy to play, making it easier for beginners.
For most beginners, it’s easiest to start with just 3 or 4 strings and then move up from there. Today’s writing will list the guitar’s most common and easy chord progressions. These can make up a song and provide you with a foundation for improvisation and composition.
What Is Chord Progression?
A guitar chord progression is a sequence of chords played in a song. It can be found in any genre of music and is used to establish the musical key or tonality. It is the basis for all melodies, whether played on the piano, guitar, voice, etc. The progression tells you which notes should be emphasized in the melody and should be avoided.
It sounds like a smooth transition from one chord to another. Some of the benefits of guitar chord progression are:
- You can operate the same pattern over and over again for your songs.
- The changes in key and tempo make it easier to transition from one song to another.
- Guitar chord progressions help keep your listeners engaged with their eyes focused on what’s happening on stage.
Best 15 Chord Progressions For Beginners
When a new musician walks in the door, many of the chords they may be most familiar with are from a classic rock song. A massive list of chords can be daunting for beginners to navigate, so here is a list of 15 chord progressions great for beginners.
Em – G – Am – C (i – III – iv – VI)
The chord progression of the Em – G – Am – C (i – III – iv – VI) is widely used. It is used in many different genres and can be found in rock, blues, jazz, country, and more. This progression uses an E major triad, a G major triad, and an A minor triad over the i – iii – iv – vi chords of a standard 12-bar blues progression.
The first chord in this sequence is typically an E major triad with a G bass note on the fifth fuss of the sixth string. The second chord is a G major triad with an A bass note on the third fret of the fourth string.
Expert Tip: This is an excellent progression to use when you want to add a little spice to your playing without going too far outside your comfort zone. It also has some cool-sounding chords that are easy to learn but sound fantastic on the guitar.
Am – F – C – G (i – VI – III – VII)
Am – F- C- G(i-VI- lll-VII) is a standard chord progression in music. The Am-F-C-G progression is the basis for many songs in this chord progression. It’s been used in many different music styles, from jazz to blues to metal. This is a progression of the chord progression of the Am — F — C—G (i — VI — lll-VII).
Am: A major triad in the key of A minor.
F: The fifth degree of the scale in the key of F major.
C: The third degree of the scale in the key of C major.
G: The seventh degree of the scale in the key of G major.
C – Am – F – Fm (I – vi – IV – iv)
The chord progression of the C – Am-F -Fm (I-vi – IV -iv) is a famous jazz benchmark often used in post-bop and bebop improvisation. This progression features the chords C-A-F and G with an added seventh chord that adds the notes of the minor ii chord to those of the primary key. A sequence of ii7-V7-l then follows the chords.
The first finger plays the C note on the 3rd fret of the second string while also playing an A note on the 5th fret of the third string. The second finger plays an E note on the 2nd fret of the fourth string while also playing a G note on the 6th fret of the fifth string.
The third finger plays a D note on the 4th fret of the sixth string while also playing an F note on this exact string. The fourth finger plays a Bb or A flat note (on any open strings), and finally, both hands play jointly to ensure all notes tingle out by jerking both sets of lines with your thumb.
C – G – Am – F (I – V -vi – IV)
C-G-Am-F is a typical chord progression in popular music. The C main chord is composed of the notes C-E and G. The D minor chord is composed of D-F# and A.
C – The first three notes of the C major scale.
G – The fifth note of the G major scale.
Am – The fourth note of the A minor scale.
F – The second and third notes of the F major scale.
I – The first, third, and fifth notes of the Ionian mode (Major).
V – The first, second, and fourth notes of the V7 chord in a key signature with one sharp (for example Bb)
vi – vi-ii-iii progression in a key signature with two sharps (for instance. Bb-B).
The I (one) chord is a powerful trio with the root note on the first string and a fifth above it. The ii (two) chord is a minor triad with the root note on the second string and a fourth above it.
The iii (three) chord is an augmented triad with the root note on the third string and a sharp fifth above it. The iv (four) chord is an inverted trio with its core note on the fourth line and a flat fifth.
G-C(I-IV)
The G-C-I-IV progression is one of the most common progressions in rock music.
G – C (I – IV) guitar chord is the same as G – C – D. It can be played in the open function or barred with the index finger locking the 2nd string from the 3rd fret is the middle finger barring the 5th fret of the 4th string.
Expert Tip: This progression starts with the 17 or Imaj7 chord, also known as the “blues scale,” because it’s one of the most commonly used chords in blues music.
E – G#m – A – B (I – iii – IV – V)
This is a typical chord progression in jazz and popular music. It is also commonly used in classical music, including the opening bars of “Ode to Joy” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
The chord progression of the E-G#m-A-B (l-iii-IV-V) is a classic example of a barre chord.
The E and G# are the root notes. A and B are the fifth notes, and I and iii are minor thirds. The iv is a third major interval from A to B, while V is a perfect fifth interval from A to B.
Am – Em (i-v)
Am – Em is a guitar chord progression that starts with the Am (A minor) chord. It then moves to the Em (E minor) chord, followed by an Am7b5 and an E7. The Am7b5 chord is a B minor 7th chord and it has two notes in common with the A juvenile and E minor chords that precede it.
The am – em (i – v) chord contains two minor chords in one octave: Am and Em. This chord’s shape consists of the root note A on the first string, the third note E on the second string, and the fifth note G on the third string.
C – F – G (I – IV – V)
The C-F-G progression is often used in blues and jazz music. It can be found in the primary key’s l-IV-V, A7sus4, or A9 chords. C – F – G: This chord progression can be seen as a variation on the traditional I – IV – V progression with a different emphasis on the root note of each chord.
The first three chords are C. F. and G. which are all diatonic to the key of C major.
G – Em- C – D (I – vi – IV – V)
G-Em-C-D is a popular chord progression that has been used in many songs. The G major chord is played on the first beat of the measure, then the Em7 and C chords are played in succession. The D chord comes at the end of each second measure. This song’s progression uses three chords, making it very easy to learn and sing along with.
A – D – E (I – IV – V)
A – D – E (I – IV – V) Guitar Chord Progression is a guitar chord progression. It consists of five chords. The first four chords are played in a simple A-D-E order, and the fifth chord, usually a G7, is added at the end. The progression can be extended by adding more chords before or after the G7 chord to create variations.
C-F-Am-G(l-IV-vi-V)
C – F – Am – G is a chord progression used in many songs. It can be found in “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts. “You’re the One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and many more.
The C chord corresponds to the scale’s root note (C), C natural, or E natural. The F chord fits the fifth note of the scale (F), F natural, or A natural. The Am chord corresponds to the third note of the scale (A), which is A natural. Finally, the G chord fits the fourth note of the scale (G), G natural or B natural.
G6 – Cmaj7 (I-IV)
G6 – Cmaj7 (I – IV) is a popular chord progression in many songs. It is mainly used as a verse or pre-chorus progression in pop. R&B. and rock music. This guitar chord progression uses the chords G6- Cmaj7, and I.
Expert Tip: The G6 chord sounds like the letter “G” followed by a 6th note from the scale of G major.
The Cmaj7 chord is spelled with one sharp symbol to indicate a minor 7th note instead of a natural 7th note, making it an A major triad. The I chord contains notes from the F major scale and sounds like “F.”
C – Am – F – G (I – vi – IV – V)
The chord progressions of the C – Am – F – G (I – vi – IV – V) is the most common in rock, pop, and country songs. It starts on the first string at the 3rd fret of the A-string, moves up to the 5th fret of the E-string, then down to the 4th fret of the D-string before finishing on the 2nd fret of the B-string.
C, D, E, and G are the four basic chords that make up a major chord. A minor chord comprises three notes: C, Eb, and G. The C major chord consist of the first third, and fifth letters. The major chord consists of the hierarchy’s first, second, and fourth notes.
G – Em – Am – D (I – vi – ii – V)
The G chord is familiar in popular music and is the basis for most of the following chords. The “Em” chord is a major triad with an added minor seventh, which creates tension over the G chord. “Am” takes its name from being spelled A-M-i – it’s another major triad, but with a diminished fifth.
The D chord has two notes on top and one on the bottom; this creates harmonic movement between them as they move through their different modes.
C – Am – Dm – G (I – vi – ii – V)
The C – Am – Dm – G (I – vi – ii – V) guitar chord progression is prevalent and widely used in popular music. It is also known as the “G major” or “A minor” chords. The sequence of chords has been around for centuries, dating back to the Renaissance era. It was first introduced into Western classical music by J.S Bach.
In this particular sequence, the tonic note changes at each step: C to A minor, A minor to Dm, Dm to G major, and finally G significant back to C at the end of the progression.
What is the easiest chord progression?
An easy guitar chord progression can be simpler than the other chord progressions. It doesn’t need complicated chord progression with complex chords and new patterns. A simple IIV V I progression is one of the most common, as it is three chords and easy to play.
There are many different progressions, some easier than others, but this is an excellent place to start. The five easiest guitar chord progressions are:
- 1st position E minor
- G major
- A minor
- 3rd position C major, and
- F# major.
There are a few different chord progressions to choose from when learning to play the guitar. Some people focus on complex chords until they have known all the easy ones first. The following five progressions are suitable for beginners looking to add variety to their playing style and skillset.
Conclusion
Learning how to play guitar is one of the most rewarding and fun things you can do with your time. There are so many different chords, scales, and progressions that you can learn on guitar, it’s a massive world out there. That being said, it’s also a very intimidating world. As such, you need to find the right kind of resources to help you get started.
In this blog post, we’ve outlined some easy guitar chord progressions for beginners to give you an idea of what they are all about We hope that this will be helpful. Many guitar players don’t know how to make a chord progression because the chords come in a different order, which is more complicated than expected.
The player can either start with a simple chord progression or a complex one, based on their skill level and knowledge of music theory. A good idea for beginners is to follow the circle of fifths, which avoids too many accidentals and then branch out from there.
Guitar chords are a great way to play simple melodies, and there are plenty of different ways to play them. The most reasonable path to learn guitar is listening and playing along with other people’s songs, so make sure to follow out our list of the easiest guitar chord progressions.
These easy chord progressions will help you understand the sequential pattern of playing the guitar enjoyably. Also, make sure you’re using good-quality headphones so that you can hear every note. If you face any problems, have any inquiries regarding our list, or anything else, go ahead and comment below.
The guitar is a versatile instrument with an extensive repertoire of sounds. I have explored the guitar as an accompaniment to you as a singer or as a solo instrument using the easiest chord progressions that can be used in many different genres.