The campfire four: G, C, D, Em

A huge number of songs use just four chords: G, C, D and Em. These four shapes, in some order, are all you need for Brown Eyed Girl, Good Riddance, Heart of Gold, Zombie, and a lot of campfire singalongs.

Three new chords in one lesson is a lot, and this is where most people get stuck. If yours buzz or the changes will not come, that is normal: the short When the Chords Won't Come track on the Lessons page is built for exactly this moment.

Want a real song while the shapes settle? Knockin' on Heaven's Door works on just three strings, and two of its four chords take one finger.

Em (the easiest chord on guitar)

Two fingers, 2nd fret on the A and D strings. Strum all six. Use your middle and ring fingers, keep your index free for what's next.

C major

Three fingers in a slight diagonal:

• Ring finger: 3rd fret, A string
• Middle finger: 2nd fret, D string
• Index finger: 1st fret, B string
• Strum from the A string down (skip the low E).

D major

Three fingers in a triangle on the G, B, high E strings:

• Index: 2nd fret, G string
• Ring: 3rd fret, B string
• Middle: 2nd fret, high E string
• Strum from the D string down (skip low E and A).

The transition trick

Switching from G to C: keep your ring finger on the same fret, just shift it from the high E string to the A string. The shared finger is the "pivot."

G to D: don't even try to clean-pick the change; just lift G and stab D as a single motion. Speed comes later; rhythm comes first.

Drill the cycle

60 BPM, four strums per chord:
G (4) → C (4) → D (4) → Em (4) → repeat.

Five minutes. Don't worry if chords buzz during transitions. Stay in time, even if you have to thunk a dead beat to make the change.

Next: strumming patterns. Down-down-up. Boom-chuck. The patterns that turn four chords into songs.