Open chord

An open chord is a chord played in the first frets of the neck while letting one or more strings ring open. Em, Am, G, C, D and their minor and major variants are all open chords. They are the first chords beginners learn because they do not require a barre and produce a rich, resonant sound thanks to the open strings. The majority of folk, pop and rock songs can be played with a handful of open chords.