Hey, it’s James here from GoodGuitarist.com, and today I want to show you how to learn every important guitar chord in just five minutes.

And when I say important, I mean the chords you’ll use 99% of the time, no matter what style you play or what level you’re at. These are the shapes that show up in song after song—and I’m going to teach you how to play them, plus share a few tips I’ve picked up from 15+ years of teaching guitar full-time.

We’re learning 10 essential chord shapes:

• The Big Five: C, A, G, E, D
• The Easy Minors: Am, Em, Dm
• The Easy F (no barre!)
• B7 (an underrated gem for folk, blues, and country)

And rather than just listing shapes, I walk you through smooth transitions between chords, show you how they show up in real songs, and help you build great habits right from the start.

Which Chords Are We Learning?

We start with the most beginner-friendly ones and work our way up:

✅ E and Am

These two share the same shape—just shifted over. Practice switching back and forth and you’ve already got a mini chord progression!

✅ G and D

This pair pops up in songs like:

• What I Got – Sublime
• Lively Up Yourself – Bob Marley

They’re also part of a powerful trio…

✅ G, A, D

With just these three chords, you can play:

• Bad Moon Rising
• Free Fallin’
• I’ll Fly Away
• Midnight Special
• Tambourine Man
• The Gambler
• This Land Is Your Land
• Twist and Shout
  …and a ton more!

✅ Em

Take your E chord and lift your index finger—boom, E minor.

It’s also the perfect stepping stone to…

✅ C

C is one of the trickiest of the “easy” chords, but it’s vital. It teaches:

• Good posture
• Finger arching
• Thumb and elbow positioning

Plus, it leads right into…

✅ Dm

Just a quick finger shift and you’re there.

✅ Easy F

Leave your index and ring finger in place from C, shift your middle finger, and drop your pinky just below your ring finger.

This version of F transitions easily to:

• C
• Am
• Dm

It’s one of the best ways to ease into barre-style sounds without the struggle.

✅ Bonus: B7

We finish with B7—an oddball that pairs well with E and A and shows up in a ton of folk, country, and blues tunes.

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My #1 Chord Learning Tip

Instead of memorizing shapes in isolation, pick a song first and then learn the chords you need for it. That way you’re always working toward something musical.

I’ve built an entire method around this idea—grouping just a few shapes at a time with real songs, developing your chord skills and rhythm together. If you want a fun, structured way to master all the basics, check out The All-Access Pass – it has everything you need, whether you’re starting fresh or picking it up again after a break.

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Have a fun time practicing and I’ll see you soon!
– James