Power chords are great for distortion. Open chords are great for everything else: clean tones, arpeggios, ballads, pop. Three shapes get you started.
E minor (Em), the easiest chord on guitar
Two fingers, only two strings to fret. Both at the second fret on the A and D strings. Strum all six strings.A minor (Am), the moody one
Three fingers, all in a tight cluster around the 2nd and 1st frets. Strum five strings (not the low E).D major (D), the bright one
Three fingers in a triangle on the 2nd and 3rd frets of the G, B, and high E strings. Strum the lower four strings (mute low E and A).Switch between them slow
This is the hard part. Getting one chord clean is easy; switching cleanly is where most beginners give up. The trick: switch with the metronome, not against it.Practice metronome
60BPM
Set 60 BPM. Strum Em four times, then Am four times, then D four times, then back to Em. The switch happens between beats 4 and 1. Even if the chord buzzes for a beat after the switch, stay with the metronome. Speed comes from rhythm, not the other way around.
Try a real progression
Em → C → G → D is every sad pop ballad ever. Try it once you have Em, Am, and D solid. C and G come in lesson 9 along with your first full song play-along.Next: strumming patterns. Down-down-up-up-down-up. The pattern under half of all music.