Which Chords to Learn First
The difference between 'learned 20 chords in a month and still can't play a single song' and 'learned 5 chords and is already playing' almost always comes down to order, not quantity. There's a sequence that pays off within the first week.
Why order matters at all
Not all open chords are equally hard. Some need just two fingers and forgive imprecise placement; others stretch the hand across all four strings from the very start. Starting with the hard ones is a reliable way to burn out before you get any results.
The first pair: Em and Am
Em and Am are the most forgiving open chords: two fingers, adjacent frets, no barre, no awkward stretch. They're the right place to start - they let you feel what a clean chord actually sounds like before adding any complexity.
Em↔Am is also a ready-made pair for the one-minute-changes drill (see the neighboring article on changing chords faster), since the fingers travel a short, predictable path.
The second tier: C, G, D
After Em and Am come C, G, and D - a bit harder (three or four fingers, less obvious placement), but together this set of five chords covers a huge share of popular major and minor songs. Learn them one at a time, getting each one ringing clean on a slow arpeggio before moving to the next.
How to pick your first song for these chords
A song that uses 2–3 of the chords you've already learned, at a slow or medium tempo that leaves time for the changes, is far more motivating than trying to immediately play a favorite complex song. Searching the song title plus 'chords Em Am C' (or a similar set) almost always turns up a fitting version.
When to move on to barre chords
It's worth adding a barre chord only once all five chords above are solid and change without hesitation - otherwise the barre eats all your attention while the basics get rusty from lack of practice. One barre shape at a time (usually F), as its own short drill - see the barre-chord technique article.
Try it in practice
Open chord trainer