There are few chords that you can play using only one finger, Em7 is one of them, E5 is another.
However the vast majority of chords will require you to use 2, 3 or 4 fingers at the same time on your fretting hand. And this can be really tricky for a beginner.
Of course there are songs that only use one chord, but again the vast majority use more.
And then you will have to face the chord changes, and they are hard.
To avoid the gap in between the two chords will require a few practice sessions, sometimes a few weeks or even months.
So starting out with chords can lead to disappointment.
That's why I always start with my students playing only melodies and I recommend you start on melodies too.
But what if I just want to learn chords to accompany my singing?
If you want to learn the guitar only to accompany yourself while singing you will only need to play chords, that's true, but I still think you should start with melodies, and here's why:
Melodies will prepare your fingers for chords!
To play melodies you only need one finger at a time, or no finger at all when the melody note lands on an open string.
Learning melodies will keep you motivated because you will hear something sounding like music coming from your fingers much sooner than if you start with chords.
And while playing those melodies you will be teaching your fingers how to move between frets and between strings. So when you start chords your muscles are better trained to do it and the results will come faster and with much less stress and disappointment.
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