Christian guitar chords

When learning guitar, it is always easiest to begin with the chords that use open strings. The good news is that you can play almost all Christian music without the use of barre chords. In fact, you can play most music (Christian or secular) by learning only 6 major chords and 6 minor chords and then using a capo to play the other keys.

Key of G

Each key in music has only 3 major and 3 minor chords that you need to know. I recommend that you start with the key of G. The chords you need to learn, in order of importance, for the key of G are: G, D, C, Em, Am, Bm.

G Chord

There are two ways to play the G chord. The second one leads nicely to an alternate version of the C chord and is used when you need to switch between the G and the C chord a lot in a song. It is optional but can make playing in the key of G a little easier with certain songs.

G Chords

D Chord

I recommend learning the Dsus chord in addition to the D chord because it is relatively common in the key of G. Notice how similar the two chords are to each other.

D and Dsus Chords

C Chord

There are two ways to play the C chord. The Cadd9 version (the 2nd diagram below) can be used in the key of G to replace any C chord. It has a little more color than the C chord and leads very easily to the Alternate G chord (2nd G chord) above. It is an optional chord, but many people like how it feels and sounds. Notice how similar in shape it is to the Alternate G Chord.

C Chords

Em Chord

The Em chord is one of the easiest chords to play.

Em Chord

Am Chord

The Am chord can be played either with or without the 7th. Anytime you see an Am chord you can play the 7th chord in its place if you wish, with the exception of the key of A minor where it is best to stick to the Am chord. I recommend learning both. Notice how similar the two chords are to each other.

Am and Am7 Chords

Bm Chord

The last chord you need to learn in the key of G is the Bm chord. The standard Bm chord is a barre chord so I recommend learning the Bm7. You can play a Bm7 any place you see a Bm chord except in the key of B minor.

Bm7 Chord

Use these four progressions to practice in the key of G

1. G C D G
2. G Em C D G
3. G C Bm Em Am D G
4. G C Dsus C G - Try playing this progression using the alternate G and Cadd9

Key of D

The second key to learn is D. To play in the key of D you only need to learn two more Christian guitar chords: A and F#m.

A Chord

The A chord is very similar to the am chord and simple to learn. I recommend also learning the sus version.

A and Asus Chord

F#m Chord

The F#m chord is easiest to learn as a F#m7 chord. You can play an F#m7 any place you see an F#m chord except in the key of F# minor, which is an extremely rare key in modern music. Notice that the F#m7 chord is an A chord with a different bass note.

F#m7 Chord

Use these three progressions to practice in the key of D

1. D G A D
2. D Bm G A D
3. D G F#m Bm Em A D

Key of A

The third key to learn is A. To play in the key of A, once again you only need to learn two more Christian guitar chords: E and C#m.

E Chord

The E chord is very similar to the Em chord. As in the other keys, I recommend learning the sus version also.

E and Esus Chords

C#m Chord

The C#m chord is a barre chord so I recommend learning the C#m7 chord. You can play a C#m7 any place you see an C#m chord except in the key of C# minor, which is an extremely rare key in modern music. If you know your power chords you may notice that the C#m7 chord uses the same shape as the 3 string power chord.

C#m7 Chord

Use these three progressions to practice in the key of A

1. A D E A
2. A F#m D E A
3. A D C#m F#m Bm E A

Key of C

The final key is C. The two new chords to learn for the key of C are F and Dm. I also recommend learning the Gsus to complete your knowledge of suspended chords on the 5th scale degree (suspended dominant chords).

F Chord

The F chord is the only barre chord you need to learn. The first version uses a partial barre and is easier to play than the second which uses a full barre.

F Chords

Dm Chord

The Dm chord can be played either as a Dm or Dm7. As is true with all of the minor chords, you can play the Dm7 any place you see the Dm chord except in the key of D minor.

Dm and Dm7 Chords

Gsus Chord

By learning the Gsus you will now know all of the chords you need to play in the Keys of G, D, A and C.

Gsus Chords

Use these three progressions to practice in the key of C.

1. C F G C
2. C Am F G C
3. C F Em Am Dm G C

Now learn to use a Capo and you can easily play in every key!

2 Chords

2 Chords, also known as sus2 chords, are a very simple way to add some extra color or movement to your chords. The D2 and A2 are very easy to play. Use the D2 and A2 as replacements for the D and A chord when you want a more "earthy" sound. It is also fun to go between the 2 chord and the major chord to add some movement within the same chord.

2 or sus2 Chords

Try it out with these progressions:

1. D2 A2 Em A2 D2
2. D2 D | A2 A

7th chords

There are three types of 7th chords that you should know: the minor 7th, the dominant 7th and the major 7th.

Most of the minor 7th chords have already been included in the first section, "What Christian Guitar Chords Do I Need to Know?" I recommend starting with the Am7, Bm7, Em7, F#m7, C#m7, Dm7. The only one that we haven't looked at is the Em7.

Em7 Chord

Dominant 7th chords were very common Christian guitar chords but they now tend to sound dated and are rarely used in modern worship music. Still, I think every guitarist should be familiar with them because they are used a lot in older music and jazz. A dominant 7th chord is the 7th chord built on the 5th scale degree of the key. It will always be a major triad with a minor seventh. I recommend starting with the G7, D7, A7 and E7.

Dominant 7 Chords

The Major 7th chords are somewhat rare in modern worship music, but can add a nice jazz flavor to your music. I recommend starting with the F, C, G, D and A chords. Notice that some of the Major 7th chords are easier to play than the major chords.

Major 7 Chords

Slash Chords

Learning to play the correct bass allows you to accompany with only your guitar and still capture the correct chords in their correct inversions. The key to playing slash chords is to make sure that the correct note - the note to the right of the slash - is the lowest sounding note in your chord. To do this you will need to know the names of the notes for at least the first 5 frets on strings 4-6 (the lowest sounding strings.)