Learn › Jazz Guitar Chords for Beginners: Start With Shells
New Released in April 2026
Jazz Guitar Chords for Beginners: Start With Shells
The easiest jazz guitar chords for beginners are shell voicings: just the root, the 3rd and the 7th. Three notes, two strings skipped, and you can play maj7, 7 and m7 anywhere on the neck. Learn six shapes and you can comp through most jazz progressions.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Shells with the root on the 6th string (G)
- Gmaj7: 3x44xx (G, F#, B).
- G7: 3x34xx (G, F, B).
- Gm7: 3x33xx (G, F, Bb).
- Gm7b5: 3x332x (G, F, Bb, Db).
- Gdim7: 3x232x (G, E, Bb, Db).
Shells with the root on the 5th string (C)
- Cmaj7: x324xx (C, E, B).
- C7: x323xx (C, E, Bb).
- Cm7: x313xx (C, Eb, Bb).
Jazz Guitar Chords for Beginners: Start With Shells
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoUse them in a ii-V-I
In G major: Am7 (5x55xx), D7 (x545xx), Gmaj7 (3x44xx). The shapes stay in one area of the neck and the 7th of each chord falls a step into the 3rd of the next. That smooth movement is the sound of jazz comping.
Make them automatic
ChordRunner has maj7, 7, m7, m7b5 and dim7 in its chord set and listens to your guitar through the microphone. Any voicing counts, shells included, so you can drill these shapes from chord symbols in all 12 keys.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
What jazz guitar chords should a beginner learn first?
Shell voicings of maj7, 7 and m7 with the root on the 6th and 5th strings. Six shapes cover most jazz progressions.
What is a shell voicing?
A chord with only the root, 3rd and 7th. It keeps the sound of the chord with fewer notes, which makes changes easy.
How do I practise jazz chords?
Play ii-V-I in several keys with shells, keeping the hand in one area of the neck, then add a simple rhythm on beats 2 and 4.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
Try the demoKeep learning
How to Start Learning Jazz Guitar, Step by Step
How to start learning jazz guitar: shell chords, the ii-V-I, comping rhythm, ear and a daily routine.…
Seventh Chords: The 5 Types Explained
Seventh chords explained: major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished and diminished 7th, with formula…
Jazz Piano Chords and the ii-V-I in All 12 Keys
Jazz piano chords explained: 7ths, 9ths, 13ths and altered chords, voiced the way jazz pianists play them. See…
Half Diminished vs Fully Diminished Seventh Chords
Half diminished vs fully diminished seventh chords: the one note that separates them, the symbols (ø7, m7b5, °…
Chord Training That Feels Like a Game
Interactive chord training in your browser. Play major, minor, 7th and extended chords on a MIDI keyboard or a…
Master All 12 Major Chords on Piano
Every major chord on piano with notes and fingering, plus an interactive game that drills all 12 until they ar…