Open Chords A and E
Round out A and E, then grab Dm while you're at it — by the end of this lesson the “eight essential open chords” are complete, and your folk playing-and-singing toolkit is fully stocked.
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How to fret A
Index, middle, and ring fingers sit side by side on the 2nd fret of the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings (all three on the 2nd fret, packed together). Don't play the thick 6th string — start picking from the 5th (open A); the 1st string is open. With three fingers on the same fret, stand them up so they don't press on each other.
How to fret E
Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string, index finger on the 1st fret of the 3rd string. All six strings ring. The shape is actually almost identical to Am — just shifted over by one string toward the thick side, so it's quick to remember by comparison.
The common open chords are complete
By now you know five major chords — C, A, G, E, D — plus the two minors Em and Am, which already cover the vast majority of folk playing-and-singing. The so-called “eight essential open chords” are just one short: Dm. Grab it while you're here — like D, it plays only the four thin strings, and the ring finger again sits on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string; drop the index onto the 1st fret of the 1st string and the middle onto the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, and you've got Dm (D's “melancholy version,” the shape being a more upright little triangle). Slowly drill these eight chords in pairs (the later “one-minute changes” lesson will teach you to practice this in a measurable way) and the songs you can back will multiply all at once.
✓Shared fingers 1, 2 — when you change, don't lift; keep them planted as an anchor (that's the key to smooth changes).
↗The orange finger 3 is what moves this time — watch the animation take the shortest path.
Chord-change mantra: look first then press, keep shared fingers down, and never stop the right hand. Once it clicks, head up to the "Chord-change timer" above and race the clock.
In the chord-change animation, pick E ⇄ Am: all three orange fingers shift over by one string — this is the “close-relative” relationship the text mentions; find it and the switch is easiest. You can also pick another pair (like A ⇄ E) to feel the same short-distance moves by comparison.
- 💡 E and Am have similar shapes, and A to E is just a swap of strings — find these “close-relative” relationships and you'll switch fastest.
⚠️ Common mistakes
- A's three fingers crowd onto the 2nd fret and bump each other, muting strings — stand the fingertips up and squeeze them apart a bit.
- You miss an open string in the E chord — A and E are both full chords, so check string by string.
Chords in this lesson
Tap the 🔊 under each diagram to match every chord's sound to its shape.
⏱️ Cycle this lesson's chords to a beatPractice switching without stopping (one-minute changes) — first learn each chord by ear and shape, then drill clean changes between them.Expand Collapse
Switch back and forth between this lesson's chords to the beat below.
One bar of count-in first, then the chord changes automatically each bar. Get it smooth slowly, then speed up bit by bit.
Want to count how many changes you can do in 60 seconds? Head to the one-minute changes drill.
Go play these
Songs that fit this lesson's technique and chords — pick one and practice in the library:
Practice checklist
- Hold A and pick from the 5th string to the 1st (don't touch the 6th), keeping the three fingers from fighting.
- Hold E and pick all six strings one by one; then run the close-distance switch E ↔ Am.
- Fret Dm (index 1st string 1st fret, middle 3rd string 2nd fret, ring 2nd string 3rd fret), pick the four thin strings one at a time, and compare it with D by ear: bright vs. melancholy.