Understanding root notes is one of the most important fundamentals in guitar theory. Once you grasp this concept, everything else—chord construction, scales, and even soloing—starts to make a lot more sense. It’s one of the most fundamental pieces of chord theory you can learn.
In this lesson, I’ll explain exactly what root notes are, show you where to find them on every common chord, and explain why they matter for your playing.
What Is a Root Note on Guitar?
The root note is the note that gives a chord its name. If you’re playing a G chord, the root note is G. If you’re playing a C chord, the root note is C.
In most standard open chords and bar chords, the root note is also the lowest-pitched note in the chord. This is important because lower frequencies set the foundation for how our ears interpret everything above them.
Think of it this way: the root note is like the starting point that tells your ear “this is a G chord” or “this is a D chord.”
Guitar Root Note Chart (All Common Chords)
Here’s a quick reference showing where the root note is located for each common open chord – keep in mind of course that there are different fingerings for different chords. As such I’ve gone with the most common shapes for simplicity here.
|
Chord |
Root Note Location |
String |
Fret |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Major/Minor |
5th string open |
A string |
Open |
|
B Minor |
5th string, 2nd fret |
A string |
2 |
|
C Major |
5th string, 3rd fret |
A string |
3 |
|
D Major/Minor |
4th string open |
D string |
Open |
|
E Major/Minor |
6th string open |
Low E |
Open |
|
F Major |
6th string, 1st fret |
Low E |
1 |
|
G Major |
6th string, 3rd fret |
Low E |
3 |
Key Point: The root note location tells you which strings you should and shouldn’t strum. More on this below.
Why Root Notes Matter for Your Playing
1. Cleaner Chord Strumming
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is strumming all six strings on every chord. This creates a muddy, unfocused sound.
The root note tells you where to start your strum.
Take the D chord, for example. The root note is on the 4th string (D string). If you strum the 5th and 6th strings, you’re adding notes that don’t belong—and the low E especially will clash and make your D chord sound muddy.
Once you know where the root note is, you know exactly which strings to avoid.
2. Understanding Chord Names
The root note determines the letter name of any chord. All the other notes determine the type of chord (major, minor, 7th, etc.).
For example, with a C root note:
- C + E + G = C Major
- C + Eb + G = C Minor
- C + E + G + Bb = C7
- C + E + G + B = C Major 7
- Guitar Chords Hub — all our chord lessons in one place
Same root note, different chord types. The root note stays C in all cases.
3. Moving Chords Up the Neck (Bar Chords)
This is where root notes become really powerful. Once you understand that an E major chord shape has its root on the 6th string, you can move that shape anywhere on the neck to create new chords.
Move the E shape up one fret, bar across, and now your root is on the 1st fret of the 6th string—that’s an F. Move it to the 3rd fret? Now it’s a G.
The root note location is how you know what chord you’re playing when you move bar chord shapes around.
Root Notes for Each Open Chord (Detailed)
A Chord Root Note
The A chord uses the top 5 strings. Your root note is the open A string (5th string).
Don’t play the low E string—it will muddy up the sound because E isn’t the root of your A chord.
C Chord Root Note
The C chord root is on the 5th string, 3rd fret. That’s a C note. Again, we skip the low E string.
Technically, you could play the low E and call it a “C/E” (C over E)—a slash chord. But for a standard C major, keep your lowest note as the C on the 5th string.
D Chord Root Note
The D chord only uses 4 strings. Your root note is the open D string (4th string). This is why D chord diagrams show X’s on the 5th and 6th strings.
But why can’t we play those strings? Let’s break it down:
The low E string: E has no place in the D major chord. If you play it, it really conflicts with the D, making the sound muddy and less defined. That E just doesn’t belong.
The A string: This one’s more interesting. We do have an A note in the D chord (it’s on the 2nd string, 2nd fret). So why can’t we play the open A string too?
The reason is that lower frequencies set the stage for how our ears interpret the higher frequencies. Think of the lowest note like a starting point. If you start on an A, but you want to play a D chord, it changes the flavor of the chord.
Technically, this can work, because A is the fifth of D. However, in this case we would write it as D/A. You would say that as “D over A.” This is an example of a slash chord—the slash indicates that although we’re playing a D chord, the bass note (lowest note) is A. You could also say it’s a “D with an A bass.”
Even in this case though, the ROOT note of the chord is still D, because that’s the note that gives the chord its name.
This is exactly why understanding root notes matters—it clears up confusion around chords and cleans up your playing.
E Chord Root Note
The E chord uses all 6 strings, with the root note on the open low E string. This is the lowest note possible on a standard-tuned guitar, which gives E chords their full, powerful sound.
F Chord (Bar Chord) Root Note
The F bar chord has its root on the 6th string, 1st fret. This is the same “E shape” moved up one fret with your index finger barring across.
G Chord Root Note
The G chord root is on the 6th string, 3rd fret. That’s a G note. You’ll strum all 6 strings with this chord.
Root Notes vs. Bass Notes
Sometimes these terms get confused:
- Root note: The note that names the chord (G in a G chord)
- Bass note: The lowest note being played
Usually these are the same. But in slash chords (like D/F# or C/G), the bass note is different from the root note.
In D/F#, the root is still D, but the bass note is F#. This creates a nice walking bass line when moving between G and D chords.
How Root Notes Connect to Scales
When someone says “this song is in the key of A,” they’re telling you that A is the tonal center—also called the tonic.
If you’re soloing over an A chord, your scale’s root note should also be A. This is why learning your root note locations on the fretboard helps with soloing—you’ll know where to target and resolve your phrases.
Practice Tips
- 1Before you strum any chord, identify the root note. Where is it? What string?
- 2Practice accuracy. Start your strum from the root note string, not above it.
- 3Learn root notes on the 6th and 5th strings. These are where most bar chord roots live, and knowing them unlocks the entire fretboard.
- 4Connect this to the number system. Once you know root note locations, understanding chord progressions becomes much easier.
Take Your Theory Further
Root notes are just the beginning. Once you understand roots, you can start creating your own chord voicings anywhere on the neck. If you want to understand why chords work together, how to find any chord anywhere on the neck, and how to use theory to actually improve your playing, check out Guitar Theory Unlocked—my complete course that makes theory practical and usable.
Hi, I finally understand the root note but I got you two videos but what I can’t understand is: why do they teach you the C Maj fingering CEC and yet in the chord speller they say it is made up of CEG but tell you not to play the top string so please explain. I know it is the bass but when you look in the chord speller it only shows CEG. Hope you understand what I am getting at. Did you have a video on the I II III. Thanks
Hi Phyllis,
E is indeed one of the notes in the C major chord, however in the open C chord, we skip the low E because if you play it, it dilutes the sound of the chord way too much, and the root note (C) can’t ring through. The root note is very important for setting the overall sound of chord, and it needs to have a prominent place.
Let me see if I understand: A scale is a series of notes that can be played when jamming in a particular chord. A root note is the a note on which a jam can begin and end. To blues jam in A I should start on the Root note of A and end the jam, or stop and regroup on an A note?
Yes, that’s a pretty good summary… there’s more to it than that, but that’s a good start!
That was beautifully confusing, I know less about root notes and what they are, and guess they are not integral to learning the guitar. The one thing that stands out more than anything is so few people can teach the guitar via the internet, and I can see why I am struggling.
Hi Jonathan, thanks for explaining the root note which I can admit that I have been looking for an explanation for, some of the videos I have seen the host who is explaining I’m sure they think that you know just as much as them.
Thanks Jonathan
So if someone say this song is in A we use A as our root note. Or they say G we use G as our root
Hi Eddie, in general, root notes refer to chords and scales, a “tonic” refers to a key. So if someone says the song is in A major, that tells you the key is A, and the tonic of the song is A as well. That means the root note of your major scale is A. However, you may choose to solo from another position, like the relative minor for instance, in which case your root note would be F#, and the tonic of the key would still be A.
It can get a little complicated, but it’s important to know what is referring to what. In the video, I was only discussing root notes as they relate to individual chords, and in that context, we don’t necessarily have enough information to know what key the song is in.
For instance, we could be analyzing a D major chord, however the key of the song could be D major, A major, G major, E minor, or…. because the D major chord fits into multiple different keys. Hopefully that helps clarify a little?
Thank you. Very helpful and clear.