{"id":30604,"date":"2024-10-18T10:50:58","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T08:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lerengitaarspelen.nl\/?p=30604"},"modified":"2026-10-31T14:26:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T13:26:38","slug":"which-guitar-chords-go-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lerengitaarspelen.nl\/en\/which-guitar-chords-go-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Guitar Chords Go Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

Which chords go together on guitar? Chords that come from the same key.<\/strong> In every major key you mainly use six chords: degrees I, ii, iii, IV, V and vi. In G major those are G, Am, Bm, C, D and Em, and in C major they are C, Dm, Em, F, G and Am. The table below shows you at a glance which chords you can combine in each key.<\/p>\n

Chords per key: which chords go together?<\/h2>\n

Every key has a fixed set of chords. Below you see them for five commonly used keys on guitar.<\/p>\n\n
Key<\/th>I<\/th>ii<\/th>iii<\/th>IV<\/th>V<\/th>vi<\/th>vii\u00b0<\/th><\/tr>\n
C major<\/td>C<\/td>Dm<\/td>Em<\/td>F<\/td>G<\/td>Am<\/td>Bdim<\/td><\/tr>\n
G major<\/td>G<\/td>Am<\/td>Bm<\/td>C<\/td>D<\/td>Em<\/td>F#dim<\/td><\/tr>\n
D major<\/td>D<\/td>Em<\/td>F#m<\/td>G<\/td>A<\/td>Bm<\/td>C#dim<\/td><\/tr>\n
A major<\/td>A<\/td>Bm<\/td>C#m<\/td>D<\/td>E<\/td>F#m<\/td>G#dim<\/td><\/tr>\n
E major<\/td>E<\/td>F#m<\/td>G#m<\/td>A<\/td>B<\/td>C#m<\/td>D#dim<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n

The Roman numerals are the degrees of the key: capital letters stand for major chords, lowercase letters for minor chords, and vii\u00b0 is a diminished chord that you rarely come across in pop. With I, IV and V you have the heart of the key; add the vi and you have the four chords behind countless pop songs. Chords like Bm, F#m and C#m are usually played as a barre chord<\/a>, but in C and G major you can get a long way with open chords<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
Bm
B minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/svg>
F#m
F# minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
4<\/text>\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
C#m
C# minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Every minor key uses the same chords as a major key: A minor shares its chords with C major, and E minor shares them with G major. The vi chord then becomes your home chord.<\/p>\n

Beautiful chord combinations on guitar to start with<\/h2>\n

Beautiful chord combinations on guitar are fixed sequences of three or four chords from one key that you keep repeating. Because the chords come from the same key, they always sound good one after the other. The table lists combinations you hear in many songs, using the degrees from the table above.<\/p>\n\n\n
Combination<\/th>Degrees<\/th>Mood or style<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
G – D – Em – C<\/td>I-V-vi-IV in G major<\/td>Pop and singalongs, open chords only<\/td><\/tr>\n
C – G – Am – F<\/td>I-V-vi-IV in C major<\/td>Pop; play Fmaj7 (xx3210) if the F barre doesn’t work yet<\/td><\/tr>\n
Am – F – C – G<\/td>vi-IV-I-V in C major<\/td>The same chords, but more melancholic<\/td><\/tr>\n
G – Em – C – D<\/td>I-vi-IV-V in G major<\/td>Ballads in the style of the 1950s<\/td><\/tr>\n
Em – C – G – D<\/td>vi-IV-I-V in G major<\/td>Pop and rock with a tougher edge<\/td><\/tr>\n
Am – G – F – E<\/td>i-VII-VI-V in A minor<\/td>Spanish and flamenco-like<\/td><\/tr>\n
A7 – D7 – E7<\/td>I-IV-V in A<\/td>Blues, for example as a 12-bar pattern<\/td><\/tr>\n
Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7<\/td>ii-V-I in C major<\/td>Jazz<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cmaj7 – Fmaj7<\/td>I-IV in C major<\/td>Soft and dreamy, lovely with fingerpicking<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
<\/svg>
G
G major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text>\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
D
D major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/svg>
Em
E minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
C
C major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
Am
A minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text>\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
F
F major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text>\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
Fmaj7
F major seventh<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/svg>
E
E major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Play each combination first with four beats per chord and four downstrokes per measure. Once that feels smooth, vary the rhythm or pick the chords. The Spanish sequence Am-G-F-E works differently from the rest: the E is a major chord there, even though the key is minor. You can find more sequences like that in Spanish chord progressions for guitar<\/a>. If you want to turn a combination like this into a song of your own, read writing songs with 4 chords<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Basic chords: major and minor<\/h2>\n

For many musicians, learning basic chords is the first step on their musical journey. Basic chords, such as major and minor chords, are the foundation of countless songs in many genres. These chords are relatively easy to learn and often need only a few fingers on the right strings of the guitar. <\/p>\n

Major chords, such as C, G, D, A and E, have a bright, cheerful sound, while minor chords, such as Am, Em and Dm, have a more melancholic tone. Mastering these chords lets beginners play a wide range of popular songs and gives you a solid base for further musical development. Practicing these basic chords can be challenging at first, especially when it comes to finding the right fingering and moving smoothly from one chord to the next. <\/p>\n\n

\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
A
A major<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u00d7<\/text>\u00d7<\/text><\/svg>
Dm
D minor<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It is important to be patient and to practice regularly. Beginners can start by playing simple chord progressions, such as the I-IV-V progression, which is common in pop and rock music. By combining these chords in different orders, you can train your ear and improve your playing. <\/p>\n

It is also useful to practice with a metronome to strengthen your timing and sense of rhythm. As your skills grow, you can start experimenting with variations and additions to these basic chords.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n