Guitar Chord Generator

What the Guitar Chord Generator Does

The Guitar Chord Generator draws fretboard diagrams for 108 chords: 12 root notes across 9 chord types. Pick a root note and a chord type, and the diagram updates instantly with the finger positions, fret numbers, barre bars, and open or muted string markers. Each chord includes four voicings, so you can compare a familiar open shape with a barre shape higher up the neck and choose the one that fits the song.

Every diagram is generated in your browser. No account is needed, nothing is uploaded, and the same diagram data covers standard tuning (E A D G B E) from the open position to the upper frets.

How to Use the Guitar Chord Generator

1. Choose a root note, such as C, F♯, or B♭.
2. Choose a chord type: Major, Minor, Dominant 7th, Minor 7th, Major 7th, Sus2, Sus4, Diminished, or Augmented.
3. Read the diagram: black dots are finger positions, and the number inside each dot is the finger to use.
4. Click the numbered voicing buttons to page through the four available shapes.
5. Check the string by string strip below the diagram for the fret number, note, and finger of every string.

How to Read a Chord Diagram

A chord diagram is a picture of the guitar neck. The six vertical lines represent the strings, with the low E string on the left and the high E string on the right. The horizontal lines are the frets. When the diagram is in the open position, the thick bar at the top is the nut. When a shape sits higher on the neck, the label to the left (for example, 3fr) tells you which fret the grid starts on.

• Black dot: press that string at that fret.
• Number in the dot: which finger to use. 1 is the index finger, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
• O above a string: play the string open, with no finger.
• × above a string: do not play that string, or mute it with your fretting hand.
• Long rounded bar: a barre, where one finger presses several strings at once.

Chord Types Explained

Major and minor triads are the backbone of most songs. The major chord uses the root, the major third, and the fifth, while the minor chord lowers the third by one fret. Seventh chords add a fourth note: the dominant 7th adds a flat seventh for a bluesy, restless sound, the major 7th adds the natural seventh for a smooth, jazzy color, and the minor 7th adds the flat seventh to a minor triad. Suspended chords replace the third with the second (sus2) or the fourth (sus4), which makes them feel unresolved until they settle back into a major or minor chord. Diminished and augmented chords tighten or widen the fifth, and they usually appear as passing chords that create tension.

If you want the full note breakdown and interval formula for any of these qualities, the Chord Calculator shows the notes of every chord type in any key, and the Chord Inversion Calculator explains how slash chords and inversions change the bass note.

Open Chords vs Barre Chords

Open chords use one or more unfretted strings, which is why they ring out and feel easy on the fingers. Barre chords move the same shape up and down the neck: the index finger lies flat across all six strings and the remaining fingers build the chord in front of it. The four voicings shown for each chord typically start with the easiest option and then move to barre shapes. If a barre voicing feels painful at first, play the open voicing in the meantime, and build strength with short practice sessions.

When a progression calls for chords you already know in other keys, the Chord Transposer moves them to a new key, and the Chord Progression Generator suggests common progressions such as I-V-vi-IV in any key.

Practice Tips

• Press just behind the fret, not on top of it, for a clean tone.
• Arch your fingers so the open strings between fretted notes can ring.
• Play each string one at a time when learning a new shape, and fix buzzes before strumming.
• Switch between two chords on a steady beat, then add a third once the changes feel automatic.
• Check the string by string strip to confirm which notes should sound and which strings are muted.

For string setup questions, the Guitar String Tension Calculator compares gauges and tunings, and the BPM Tap Tempo tool helps you lock in the tempo before you practice chord changes.