The eight chords

None of these chords uses a barre. Most of them share a finger with a neighbouring chord, and that shared finger is what makes the change quick. C and G belong to both keys, so anyone who learns the key of C already knows half the key of G. A capo then moves both families into whatever key the hymnal prints (see Leading a congregation).

Diagrams show the neck upright with the nut at the top, low E string at the left. Photos show the neck from the audience's side, nut at the right. In each one, look for arched knuckles and fingertips just behind the fret wire.

Key of C

C in both keys

C chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: x32010
3 on A string fret 3 · 2 on D fret 2 · 1 on B fret 1

Home chord for the key of C.

Introduced in Week 1.

F (easy)

F chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: xx3210
3 on D fret 3 · 2 on G fret 2 · 1 on B fret 1 · high e open

Strum only the top four strings. Coming from C, the index finger stays put. Technically Fmaj7.

Introduced in Week 2.

G7

G7 chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: 320001
3 on low E fret 3 · 2 on A fret 2 · 1 on high e fret 1

Changing G7 → C, each finger moves one string toward the floor.

Introduced in Week 1.

Am

Am chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: x02210
2 on D fret 2 · 3 on G fret 2 · 1 on B fret 1

Changing C → Am, only the ring finger moves.

Introduced in Week 3.

Key of G

G in both keys

G chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: 320003
2 on low E fret 3 · 1 on A fret 2 · 3 on high e fret 3

Home chord for the key of G.

Introduced in Week 3.

D

D chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: xx0232
1 on G fret 2 · 3 on B fret 3 · 2 on high e fret 2

Strum only the top four strings. Fingers form a small triangle.

Introduced in Week 4.

Em

Em chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: 022000
2 on A fret 2 · 3 on D fret 2

The easiest chord; strum all six strings.

Introduced in Week 4.

A7

A7 chord on a guitar neck, seen from the front with the nut at the right

Shape: x02020
2 on D fret 2 · 3 on B fret 2

Two fingers. The hymnal's own harmony in O Come, All Ye Faithful and Hark! the Herald. A7 → D is the change to drill.

Introduced in Week 5.

Optional extras, after week 8

Dm xx0231
D7 xx0212
A fuller F xx3211, where the index finger lies flat across only the two highest strings. That two-string press is still not a barre.

Where a hymnal harmony calls for a chord outside this set (such as B7 or E), the songbook uses the nearest chord from the set. The one addition is A7: a two-finger chord, the hymnal's own harmony in O Come, All Ye Faithful, taught in week 5.