LEARN HOW TO READ A CHORD BOX 🎸
The first thing that you need to know is how to read chord boxes. This diagram below shows you where to put your fingers on the fingerboard to play a chord. The six vertical lines represent the six strings. The thick line at the top of the box represents the nut (the plastic, bone or metal piece that the strings go through on the headstock) and the rest of the horizontal lines represent the frets. The string on the furthest left is the thickest string (E).
The dots represent the places where you put your left-hand fingers, and they are numbered to show which finger to use. Number 1 is the index finger, 2 is the middle finger, 3 is the ring finger and 4 is your pinky (little finger). The thumb doesn't count as a finger in this case!
Notice the X or O above each string too. These show whether you should play the string or not for that chord. The O means that you play the string ‘open' – with no fingers holding it down – and the X means that you should not play that string.
The chord shown above is a C Major chord. 🎸
