What is a Chord?
A chord is a group of three or more notes that are played together. Chords are used to accompany a singer, or an instrumentalist who is playing the melody of song.
Chord Types
The most common types of chords are:
1. Major
2. Minor
3. Seventh
From these chords other chords called extended chords are formed. These chord types are also quite common.
4. Sixth
5. Minor Seventh
6. Major
Here are four other chord types used in Pop/Rock music. Although less common you will come across them.
7. Augmented
8. Diminished
9. Suspended
10. Ninth
For playing Rock, Pop and Country styles of music you should be familiar with the 10 chord types listed here.
Jazz and Classical music also use more complex chord types. These are generally more difficult to play. The most important have been included in this book.
Chord Shapes
There are three main group of chord shapes a guitarist will encounter.
1. Open Chords
Open chord shapes are found within the first four frets and contain at least one open (i.e., not fretted) string. These are the first chord shapes you should learn to play. They are commonly used in Pop, Rock, Country and Folk music. Open chords sound particularly good either strummed (rhythm playing) or fingerpicked. Open chords are also the basis for bar chords and other movable shapes. With these open chord shapes plus a knowledge of substitution and transposing, you will be able to play almost every song ever written.
Chord Diagrams
Chords are written on a chord diagram. This shows you exactly where to place your left hand fingers in order to play a particular chord. A chord diagram is a grid of horizontal and vertical lines representing the strings and frets of the banjo. The following chord diagram and photograph illustrate an open C major chord.
Left Hand Fingering
- Index Finger
- Middle Finger
- Ring Finger
- Little Finger
The black dots show you where to place your left hand fingers. The white number tells you which finger to place on the string just before the fret. If there is no dot on a string, you play it as an open (not fretted) string.
C Major Chord
C
To play the C chord place the first, second and third fingers of your left hand as shown in the diagram. Strum all four strings.
2. Bar Chords
A bar chord has no open strings and can be played anywhere on the fretboard. The first finger of the left hand is used to Bar across all four strings of one fret. Sometimes other fingers are used after the bar to form various chord types.
Bar chord are based on open chords, e.g., This C chord is an open G major chord played after a Bar across the 5th fret.
C Major Bar Chord Shape
C
3. Movable Chords
There are many movable chords which do not involve the first finger barring all the strings. In the book these chords are simply called movable chords. Many seventh chords and higher extensions commonly occur as movable shapes and are often called Jazz chords. They are sometimes harder to play but songs and chord progressions containing these chord shapes have a unique sound that cannot be achieved by with open or Bar chords. Simple major and minor chords can also be played as movable chords, as demonstrated with the movable G chord shape shown here.
Movable G Chord Shape
G
