If you just picked up your first guitar, chances are your next step is searching for a few chords to strum. These beginner guitar chords are commonly known as “campfire chords.”
Why Are They Called Campfire Chords?
The name comes from exactly what it sounds like.
Picture a group of people sitting around a fire—someone picks up a guitar, starts strumming, and everyone joins in singing.
No sheet music.
No complicated theory.
No pressure.
Just simple, familiar chords that:
- Sound good together
- Are easy to switch between
- Support a voice without getting in the way
That’s the essence of campfire chords. They’re not about showing off, but about jamming.
Where to Start
We recommend starting with:
- Am (A minor)
- Em (E minor)
- E (E major)
These chords are physically accessible, and perfect for building early confidence and smooth transitions.
From there, we recommend learing:
- C
- G
- D
At that point, you’ve essentially mapped out all but two of the white keys from piano onto the guitar.
And that’s the moment you shift from:
“I’m memorizing chords…”
to:
“I’m playing a full song.”
More Than Just “Easy” Chords
The last two “campfire chords” we’ll cover are A major and F major. We separate these out because, while both can be played as open chords, they naturally bridge into barre chord shapes.
A major is one of the core shapes in the CAGED system and later becomes a movable barre chord across the neck. F major, on the other hand, is often introduced early as many players’ first barre chord, even though it does have an open variation, we think of it less as a common “campfire chord”.
These last two chord explanations might feel a bit ahead of where you are, but we often get asked: “Why should I learn this?” or “What comes next?”
Here’s the key idea: the major versions of these “easy” chords aren’t just beginner shapes—they’re the foundation of the CAGED system. They’re the building blocks for understanding how guitar works across the entire neck.
So by learning them now, you’re not just learning a few chords—you’re setting yourself up for what we later call The Barre Method.