Open chords refer to chords that have open strings. Notice that there are a different number of strings being played in some of the chords. The C and A chords have five strings, the G and E chords have six string in them and the D chord has four strings. With these five chords you could play thousands of songs.

These five chords spell out the word CAGED. CAGED is a popular method that is used to learn open chords. Putting chords in some type of order and playing them one after the other creates a chord progressions.

Memorize this material so that eventually you will not have to refer to this lesson again. Here is a summary of what to memorize.

The C and A are five string chords which are also five note chords. DO NOT PLAY the sixth (thickest) string.

The best way to avoid this problem is to let one of your left hand fingers touch the offending string. If you do accidentally pick the string it will be muted and no one will hear it. I have seen experienced players let unwanted string ring which usually sounds out of tune.

When playing the C and A chords, aim to strum the fist strings avoiding the sixth string. With a little practice you will be strumming chords like a pro!

The best way to learn chords is to practice learning to play simple songs. It is better than just learning chords without any structure and definitely more fun.

Strumming