Start with Em (E minor)

Em uses only 2 fingers and all 6 strings. It sounds full, forgiving, and appears in thousands of songs.

Finger placement

1. Finger 2 (middle) on the A string (5th string), 2nd fret
2. Finger 3 (ring) on the D string (4th string), 2nd fret
3. All other strings play open

Strum check

Strum slowly. Every string should ring clearly. If one sounds muted, check that your finger is curved and pressing just behind the fret bar, not on top.

Play a song with just Em

"Sunshine of Your Love" intro riff, "Horse With No Name" verse (A then Em alternating — but Em alone works as a drone). Even strumming Em in a steady rhythm over a metronome for 5 minutes trains your hand better than bouncing between 3 chords badly.

Next chord to learn

D, then G, then C. Once you have Em–D–G–C, you can play hundreds of pop songs.

If your fingers hurt

Normal for the first 2 weeks. Play 10 minutes, rest, come back. Calluses form in about 10 days of daily practice.