Guitar Song Chords by Chord Family

What guitar song chords belong together? These free guitar chord charts will show you the most common chord families.

If you've been playing guitar for even a short time, you've probably noticed that some chords always seem to be associated with each other. D7 is (almost) always followed by G. G7 is (almost) always followed by C. C7 is (almost) always followed by F. F7...well, I could go on and on.

It is not my purpose on this page to explain music theory and how to know which chord to play next. Eventually, I'll put up a Circle of 5ths for anyone who wishes to refer to it, and I'll tell you all about its near-magical properties. (It's kind of a gee-whiz way to figure out musical relationships.)

There are lots of music theory sites out there on the web, many of which will tell you far more than you ever wanted to know. I will tell you that the I, IV, and V (1, 4, and 5) are enough for most songs such as church hymns and folk songs, with the ii, iii, and vi (2, 3, and 6) adding color.

For now, here are the main groups of chords most beginning guitarists, especially folk and church guitarists, will find useful.

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