Basics
Which chart timeframe should you actually use
Most beginners lose money not on the wrong stock but on the wrong interval. They open BTCUSD, see a scary red 1m candle, and panic out of a trade their plan was built on the 1D. Same chart, two different maps.
What a timeframe actually is
The interval sets how much price one candle packs. On TradingView the switcher sits top-left of the chart, or type the number and hit Enter: 1, 5, 15 for minutes, 60, 240 for hours, then D, W, M. A single 1D candle on EURUSD holds an entire session that would be 1,440 candles on 1m. Neither is more 'real' — they answer different questions. If candles still look like noise, start with reading candlestick charts.
Match the interval to your hold
- Scalper: 1m/5m, in and out inside minutes, dozens of trades a day;
- Day trader: 5m/15m, flat by the close;
- Swing trader: 4H/1D, holds days to weeks — this is where most beginners should live, because a 1D candle closes once a day, so there's nothing to overtrade.
Work top-down, not sideways
Set direction on the higher timeframe, time the entry on the lower. Read bias on the 1D, drop to 1H or 15m to find your spot — that's top-down. Flipping intervals at random is different: price dips, you jump to 5m, find a reason to bail, then to 1D and find a reason to hold. You're not analyzing, you're negotiating with yourself.