Which chord appears on the 12th fret of the 1st string?

• A. Fmaj
• B. Gmaj
• C. E
• D. Dmin

Answer: (C)

The chord that appears on the 12th fret of the 1st string is E major. This is because the guitar is tuned to EADGBE, meaning that the open 1st string (the high E string) is an E note. When you press down on the 12th fret, you are playing the same note an octave higher. Since the E major chord is constructed from the notes E, G#, and B, if you play the 1st string at the 12th fret and include the appropriate frets on the other strings, you can form the E major chord.

The other options do not match the 1st string note at the 12th fret. F major, G major, and D minor chords involve notes that either require different fretting positions or do not match the open note of the 1st string at that fret. Thus, E major is the correct chord associated with the 12th fret of the 1st string.