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Learning Chords

An introduction to chords, beginning with knowledge of a single chord and weaving in new chords one by one.

D Chord

e	a	d	g	b	e	Names of strings
x	o	o				Open o or muted x strings
						First Fret
			①		②	Second Fret
				③		Third Fret

Learn the D chord. The cells on the grid represent the guitar fretboard.

The first row shown here contains the names of the strings in standard tuning. This row is only for information and does not usually appear.

The next row shows which strings play open (o) or muted (x). Do not play the strings with an x at the top.

The following rows are the frets on the guitar, with the first fret being the one closest to the nut (where the tuners are) and then moving higher up the fretboard on the second and succeeding rows.

Circled numbers ① indicate which finger usually goes on which string. In most chord forms, these contain just dots and the player figures out what fingers to use.

Place fingers close to the frets, straight down on the strings, so that the sides of the fingers do not interfere with the adjacent strings and so that all played strings ring cleanly without buzzing or dead sounds. Relax the hand as much as possible.

Set a metronome and practice paying the D chord repeatedly with a steady rhythm.

Begin very slowly at first before increasing tempo then moving on.

A Chord.

Learn the A chord.

o	o				o

		②	①	③

Practice switching between the A chord and the D chord.

Leave the first finger down as a pivot. Practice moving slowly between them with a minimum of finger movement. Make sure the pinky finger is relaxed and not tight.

Set a metronome and practice switching between the D chord and the A repeatedly with a stead rhythm.

Begin very slowly at first before increasing tempo then moving on. If the chord changes are not clean, the flaws become permanent with improper practice.

G Chord

Learn the G chord.

		o	o	o

	②
③					④

If the fourth finger is not able to make the stretch across the strings, try the alternate fingering.

		o	o	o

	①
②					③

If that is still too hard, try leaving out the bass notes at first.

x	x	o	o	o


					④

Using a metronome, practice switching between the G chord and the D chord.

Then, practice switching between the G chord and the A chord.

Weaving

Begin the process of learning new chords by weaving the new chord into the known chords. Each row in the following weaving table shows all possible combinations of chords.

DD	DA	DG
AD	AA	AG
GD	GA	GG

Practice each of the changes four times in a row with a metronome,

DA DA DA DA DG DG DG DG AD AD AD AD
AG AG AG AG GD GD GD GD GA GA GA GA

A surprising number of songs contain just three chords. These three chords work together as the three primary chords in the key of D.

C Chord

x			o		o
				①
		②
	③

Add one more row and column to the weaving table.

DD	DA	DG	DC
AD	AA	AG	AC
GD	GA	GG	GC
CD	CA	CG	CC

Read the table across row by row, playing each pair for times.

DA DA DA DA DG DG DG DG DC DC DC DC AD AD AD AD AG AG AG AG AC AC AC AC GD GD GD GD GA GA GA GA GC GC GC GC CD CD CD CD CA CA CA CA CG CG CG CG

As the rows get longer, concentrating on just the rows or columns with the new chord may be beneficial.

CD CD CD CD CA CA CA CA CG CG CG CG

The G, C, and D chords are the primary chords in the key of G. G and D are the two most popular keys for guitar, so with these four chords, a lot of guitar based music is now available.

Now would be a good time to start the first few scale exercises. Learning chord theory builds on using scale construction to figure out complicated chords and not just memorizing the pictures.

The G-C-D progression is known as a I-IV-V progression since G has a root of the first scale degree, C has a root of the fourth scale degree, and V has a root of the fifth. This I-IV-V progression is the basis for most of Western music. The already-learned I-IV-V progression for the key of D was D-G-A. Knowing all the I-IV-V progressions helps transpose music into different keys and also makes learning music easier. Understanding the function of the chord makes playing easier since the player is just working with common patterns across different keys and not just looking at the pictures.

E Chord

o				o	o
			①
	②	③

Each new chord adds another row and column to the matrix.

DD	DA	DG	DC	DE
AD	AA	AG	AC	AE
GD	GA	GG	GC	GE
CD	CA	CG	CC	CE
ED	EA	EG	EC	EE

E is the V chord in the key of A, a new key possibility now available. IN A, I-IV-V is A-D-E

Minor Chords

With all the easy major chords learned, start learning the easy minor chords. The minor chords are sadder sounding than the majors. Create a minor by lowering the third of the chord.

A Minor

The scale exercises show how the third of A is C#, so the A minor chord lowers this to C natural.

o	o				o
				①
		②	③

DD	DA	DG	DC	DE	DAm
AD	AA	AG	AC	AE	AAm
GD	GA	GG	GC	GE	GAm
CD	CA	CG	CC	CE	CAm
ED	EA	EG	EC	EE	EAm
AmD	AmA	AmG	AmC	AmE	AmAm

In chord charts, A Minor shortens to Am or A-

Read through the rows and columns as in the previous steps, paying special attention to the last row.

E Minor

o			o	o	o

	②	③

E minor is just the E chord with the third (g#) lowered to g natural. Simply lift the first finger. Full chord weaves are becoming cumbersome, so just concentrate on the last line.

EmD

EmA

EmG

EmC

EmE

EmAm

EmEm

D Minor

D minor requires rearranging the fingers from the D chord.

x	o	o
					①
			②
				③

DmD

DmA

DmG

DmC

DmE

DmAm

DmEm

DmDm

Functions of Minor Chords

Minor chords can serve as the root chord for minor keys, similar to the way major chords did. For example, the i-iv-v progression for the key of minor is Am-Dm-Em. Notice that this progression is i-iv-v in lower case since all the chords here are minor. Often the E major chord substitutes for a stronger i-iv-V progression.

Minor chords can also be substitutions for the IV chord in the I-IV-V patterns. In jazz, substitution of the minor chord built on the second scale degree is common. Instead of IV-V, play ii-V. So, in the key of C, ii would be D minor. Therefore the progression Dm-G-C (ii-V-I). is common. In G, ii-V-I is Am-D-G and in D, ii-V-I is Em-A-E.

Minor chords also appear on the iii and vi chords in a chord progression. More on that later.

Dominant Chords

The V chord in nay key is the dominant chord and plays an essential role in harmonic structure. The dominant signals the return of the tonic, I chord. (For information why, please see the music theory document.) This is why the V chord substituted for v in minor keys. This dominant function enhances by adding a seventh to the dominant chord. After major and minor chords, sevenths (7) are the next most common. To produce a dominant 7 chord, take the upper root and lower it a whole step (two frets).

G7 Chord

Begin with the G chord and lower the first-string G to F

		o	o	o
					①
	②
③

G7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of C.

Practice weave:

G7D

G7A

G7G

G7C

G7E

G7Am

G7Em

G7Dm

G7G7

D7 Chord

Lower the second-string D to C.

x	o	o
				①
			②		③

D7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of G.

D7D

D7A

D7G

D7C

D7E

D7Am

D7Em

D7Dm

D7G7

D7D7

A7 Chord

For A7, just lift the first finger to lower the A to G.

o	o		o		o

		②		③

Alternate fingering

o	o		o		o

		①		②

A7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of D.

A7D

A7A

A7G

A7C

A7E

A7Am

A7Em

A7Dm

A7G7

A7D7

A7A7

E7 Chord

For E7, just lift the third finger to drop the e to d.

o		o		o	o
			①
	②

E7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of A.

Since the weave excerpts are becoming long, skip the majors for now.

E7Am

E7Em

E7Dm

E7G7

E7D7

E7A7

E7E7

C7 Chord

C7 is the first four-finger chord. Simply dropping the upper root two frets does not work with C since dropping the second string first fret c down two frets is impossible. Instead, just drop the fourth finger down to play the Bb.

x					o
				①
		②
	③		④

C7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of F.

C7Am

C7Em

C7Dm

C7G7

C7D7

C7A7

C7E7

C7C7

B7 Chord

B7 is another four-finger chord. Learning B will come later, but B7 works well here.

x				o
		①
	②		③		④

B7 is V7 in the I-IV-V7 progression in the key of E.

B7G7

B7D7

B7A7

B7E7

B7C7

B7B7

B7 is the final of the easily fingered seventh chords.

Minor Seventh Chords

Adding a seventh to a minor chord is similar to the process with a major, just drop the upper root down a whole step. The minor seventh chords do not have the strong dominant function of the seventh chords. Minor sevenths in ii7-V7-I progression work well. The minor seventh adds color to the minor chord, and can occur anywhere a minor chord happens.

A Minor Seventh

For A Minor Seventh, just lift the third finger from A Minor.

o	o		o		o
				①
		②

In chord charts, A Minor Seventh shortens to Am7 or A-7

Abbreviated weave:

Am7Am

Am7Em

Am7Dm

Am7G7

Am7D7

Am7A7

Am7E7

Am7C7

Am7B7

E Minor Seventh

Lift the third finger from E Minor.

o		o	o	o	o

	②

Em7Am

Em7Em

Em7Dm

Em7G7

Em7D7

Em7A7

Em7E7

Em7C7

Em7B7

Em7Am7

D Minor Seventh

For Dm7, use the flat part of the first finger to bar the first fret on the first and second strings.

x	o	o
				①	①
			②

Dm7G7

Dm7D7

Dm7A7

Dm7E7

Dm7C7

Dm7B7

Dm7Am7

Dm7Em7

Major Sevenths

Major seventh chords lower the top root one half step (one fret) instead of two. Abbreviate major seventh chords as Maj7, M7, or with a small triangle in hand written jazz parts. Major seventh chords usually occur on the first or fourth scale degree, so a IMaj7-IVMaj7-V7-IMaj7 progression would be typical for jazz playing.

C Major Seventh

Simply lift the first finger from a C chord to produce C Major Seventh

x			o	o	o

		②
	③

Practice

CM7G7

CM7D7

CM7A7

CM7E7

CM7C7

CM7B7

CM7Am7

CM7Em7

CM7Dm7

G Major Seventh

Begin with the G chord and lower the first-string G to F#

		o	o	o

	②				①
③

GM7G7

GM7D7

GM7A7

GM7E7

GM7C7

GM7B7

GM7Am7

GM7Em7

GM7Dm7

GM7CM7

D Major Seventh

Lower the second-string D to C# by barring all three notes with the flat of the first finger (or any convenient finger).

x	o	o

			①	①	①

DM7D7

DM7A7

DM7E7

DM7C7

DM7B7

DM7Am7

DM7Em7

DM7Dm7

DM7CM7

DM7GM7

A Major Seventh

Lower the a to g#

o	o				o
			①
		②		③

AM7A7

AM7E7

AM7C7

AM7B7

AM7Am7

AM7Em7

AM7Dm7

AM7CM7

AM7GM7

AM7DM7

Bar Chords

A significant milestone marking the transition from a novice player to an advanced beginner is the ability to play barred chords. Bars allow for chords such as F and Bb, and also allow the player access to the whole neck and not just the open position chords.

Before learning the barred chords, first work on a bar out of context. Begin higher on the neck, around the fifth fret or even higher and bar straight across with the first finger.





①	①	①	①	①	①

This will be difficult at first until hand strength develops. Putting the second finger on top of the first finger for added strength might help at first. Keep working until all the strings ring clearly. Move the finger around the4 fretboard until hand strength is enough to play on the first fret.

①	①	①	①	①	①

The Dreaded F Chord

The first of the barred chords is F, always a great challenge to advanced beginners. F is essentially an E chord slid one fret up. The first finger plays the first fret on the first, second, and sixth strings.

①				①	①
			②
	③	④

If the full chord is too difficult, try leaving out the bass notes

x
				①	①
			②
	③	④

For practice weaving exercises for this and subsequent chords, refer to the external table "Chord Weaving Level 0 Table."

Once F is established, the variations mirror the patterns from E and E Minor, with the bar covering more strings.

F7

①		①		①	①
			②
	③

Fm

①			①	①	①

	③	④

Fm7

①		①	①	①	①

	③

A Shaped Bar Chords

Just as the F chord was shaped like an E chord slid up the neck, the next group of chords look like an A chord and variations slid up. The next chord is Bb.

Bb Chord

For Bb, bar as in F and then bar the second, third, and fourth strings with the third finger.

①	①				①

		③	③	③

This will take some time to develop hand strength. Again, if this is too much, lave out the bass notes. Variations on Bb follow the same shapes as A.

Bb7

①	①		①		①

		③		③

Bbm

①	①				①
				②
		③	③

Bbm7

①	①		①		①
				②
		③

BbMaj7

①	①				①
			②
		③		③

The huge advantage to knowing barred chords is that they can move anywhere to produce any chord. Simply sliding the E shaped chord F up one fret yields F# and its variants.

F#


①				①	①
			③
	②	④

F#7


①		①		①	①
			③
	②

F#m


①			①	①	①

	②	④

F#m7

①		①	①	①	①

	②

Note that these forms are not the only way to play these chords. Because the same note appears on multiple strings, an advanced guitar player will know many different ways to play the same chord. One extreme example is the document "All Forms of the E Minor Chord," which shows an exhaustive list of the possible variants of just one chord. With F#m, for example on open form could be

	o

2			2	2	2

		4

But with chords that are not natural on the guitar such as keys with flats or many sharps, just learning to move around the bar chords is a better way to fill in the more difficult chords.

The major seventh versions of the E shaped chord are

F Maj7

	x				o
①				②
		③	④

F# Maj7

The Major Seventh form of the E shaped chords bars with the first finger on two different frets for a pleasant sounding moveable chord.

	x				①
①				②
		③	④

Take a glance at the tables

Major Chords up the neck with alternates

Minor Chords up the neck with alternates

paying attention to the open chords columns. If these chords are new, continuing here in the sequential order without all the variations is probably the best tactic. Just be aware that the picture of chords in sheet music are just approximations.

B

Sliding the Bb chord up one fret produces the B chord. Since B is the dominant in the key of E, the B chord and its variants are common.


①	①				①

		③	③	③

B7 Alternate

B has all the same patterns for variants as Bb did. Notice that this form of B7


①	①		①		①

		③		④

Is different than the B7 using open strings. The "correct" form to use would depend on what chords come before or after the B7. Whichever chord progression produces the least hand movement or cleaner voice leading is usually better, although the player may prefer the sound of one form over another.

Bm


①	①				①
				②
		③	④

Bm7


①	①		①		①
				②
		③

BMaj7


①	①				①
			②
		③		④

The last few groups showed how sliding bar chord shaped like E or A produces chords that are easy to remember. The chords based on sixth-string roots (F or F#) or second-string roots (Bb or B) on the first nor second fret are often more appealing than the open forms of the chords. Pushing these chords to the third fret is often not as appealing, though. Consider the E shaped chord on the third fret.



①				①	①
			②
	③	④

Since the root is on the sixth string, this is just a variant of the G chord. This G chord is not as easy as the G learned early on, so why use it? This form may be appropriate later when playing rock music that uses power chords up the neck, but for working with other open chords, it is in an inconvenient place and more difficult to finger.

Two variants of G, however, did not appear in the earlier list, G minor and G Minor Seventh. These could work with barred chords in a pinch, but these forms are usually better.

G Minor

Bar the first three strings with the third finger, and mute the second string with the second finger.

	x	o


②			③	③	③

G Minor Seventh

This moveable form of Gm7 is probably the best to learn first.

	x


②		③	③	③	③

D Shaped Moveable Chords

Just as the E shaped chords and the A shaped chords move up the neck nicely, chords shaped like a D chord can also bar and move up the neck. The most common of these is Eb.

Eb Chord

Bar the first and third strings with the third finger.

①	①

		③		③
			④

D shaped chords use the similar shapes as D.

EbMaj7

Barred with third finger

①	①

		③	③	③

Ebm

①	①
				②
		③
			④

Ebm7

Barred second finger

①	①
			②	②
		③

Eb7

①	①
			②
		③		④

The D shaped chords are less elegant than the A or E shapes, so they occur less often. Eb is typically the only chord regularly played in this form, other than E Major Seventh

E Maj7


①	①

		③	③	③

C Minor

C minor is a difficult chord, but important since chords based on C are so common. The open position version is unsatisfying because both E strings need to be muted.

x			o		x
		①		②

	③

The third fret A minor shape of this chord is often easier to play, but is far from the other open chords.



①	①				①
				②
		③	③

C Minor Seventh

A workable open form of C minor seventh is possible, but not recommended. Instead use the barred form when possible.



①	①		①		①
				②
		③

C Shaped Chords

The C chord may also bar and shift higher, although this is a difficult process. The C#/Db chord is one form that often calls for the C shaped version.

Db Chord

The f on the sixth string is possible to bar, but does not sound good as a bass note in most circumstances. The alternative to this difficult fingering is to play an A form on the fourth fret, but that is far from the other open chords.

		①		①
			②
	③
④

Db Minor

The minor form of Db is the open C minor chord shifted up into a moveable version.

x					x
			①
		②		③

	④

Db7

The seventh form is also moveable and quite useful.

x					x

				①
		②
	③		④

Db Maj7

Uses a bar

		①	①	①

	③
④

Db Minor 7

x				o	x
			①
		②

	④

G Shaped Moveable Chords

The beginning of the lesson started with five open chords. Each of these shifted up the neck into forms that are moveable. The last chord to shift up is the G chord. G shifted up is Ab (or G#).

Ab Chord

		①	①	①

	②
③					④

While this fingering is certainly possible for some players, the stretch to the fourth finger is difficult for most, so mute the top string and use these fingers.

		①	①	①	x

	③
④

Chord Weaving Level 1

At this point, all the major chords are playable. The level 0 chord weaving was useful at first, but usually becomes tiresome long before now (you probably gave up doing those long ago). Now, with all the major forms learned, access the Level 1 chord weaving section to practice the chords in a more meaningful sequence, the circle of fifths. The circles of fifths and fourths ingrain many of the common chord changes found in Western music.

Ab Minor

Uses the same shape as G minor, shifted up.

	x	①


②			③	③	③

Chord Weaving Level 2

At this point, all minor chords are presented. Access the Chord Weaving level 2 for exercises using major and minor chords around the circle of fifths.

Ab7

		①	①	①
					②
	③
④

Chord Weaving Level 3

At this point, all seventh chords are presented. Access the Chord Weaving Level 3 for exercises using seventh chords around the circle of fifths. The tables for level three also contain patterns for other chord forms as they complete.

AbMaj7

		①	①	①

	③				②
④

Abm7




②	③	③	③	③

At this point, all major and minor seventh chords are presented and ready to work on the Chord Weaving Level 3 Table.

Basic Chord Progressions

Before moving on to diminished and augmented chords, take some time to play through some common chord progressions that use the chords learned so far.

Begin with

I-IV-V-I Chord Progression

This section shows all the basic relationships essential to Western music. Work the sections on major chords, natural minor chords, and seventh chords, both major and natural minor. The other sections, up the neck, harmonic minor, and melodic minor (with their respective sevenths) come later. These support tables do not have fingerings, though. The numbers in those cells refer to the fret number. Typically chords forms do not include fingerings, but just have a large dot and the player figures out the fingerings.

After I-IV-V relationships are ingrained, work on substituting the minor ii for IV, jazz style in the section

ii-V-I Chord Progression

Then work some of the common four chord patterns popular in many songs.

I-vi-IV-V-I Chord Progression

I-vi-ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-V-vi-IV Chord Progression

I-iii-ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-V-vi-iii-IV Chord Progression

Finally, work and memorize the 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression, a staple for rock and roll music.

Other Notes in Chords

So far, all the chords build on the root, third, fifth, and seventh of the scales. Other notes of the scale can add to the mix also. In fact, before reaching this point, you have probably come across lots of other chords. The sequence of chords so far has been in the order that they evolve naturally.

The scale degrees not considered part of the basic chords are the second, fourth, and sixth scale degrees. These may also have the labels ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth, respectively. In the C scale two octaves, for example,

cdefgabcdefgab

d is the second note and also the ninth note

f is the fourth and also the eleventh, and

a is the sixth and also the thirteenth.

The most important way these other notes function is as suspension. In a suspension, the new note replaces one of the other chord tones.

Suspended Fourth Chords

The most common of these suspensions is the suspended 4, notated sus4, or just sus. Producing these are as simple as raising the third a half step. Refer to the table sus4.xls for all versions. The fingerings for the open forms are.

C	sus4
		x			o
						①	①

			③	④


G	sus4
			x	o	o
						①

		③					④


D	sus4 (Common)
		x	o	o

					②
						③	④


A	sus4
		o	o				o

				②	①
						③


E/Fb	sus4

		o				o	o

			②	①	③



B/Cb	sus4
		x				o	o

			①

				②	④

F#/Gb	sus4


		①				①	①

			②	②	②

C#/Db	sus4
		x		x
					①
						②	②

			④

Ab/G#	sus4
			x				x
				①	①
						②

		④

Eb/D#	sus4
		x
			①	①

					③
						④	④

Bb/A#	sus4

		①	①				①

				③	③
						④

F/E#	sus4


		①				①	①

			③	③	③

Suspended fourth often resolve back to the I chord. Try the progression G-Csus4-C to see how the suspension delays the resolution aback to I in a pleasing manner.

Note that no minor version of suspended chords exists since the third is not in the chord. Amsus4 and Asus4 would be the same chord.

Suspended Second Chords

Suspended second chords (sus2) also replace the third of the chord, but with a second instead of a fourth.

C	sus2
		x		o	o
						①

			③				④


G	sus2
			o	o

					①
		②				③	④


D	sus2
		x	o	o			o

					①
						③


A	sus2
		o	o			o	o

				②	①



E/Fb	sus2

		o				o	o

			①

				③	④

B/Cb	sus2
		x

			①			①	①

				③	④

F#/Gb	sus2
			x	x
					①
		③				②	②



C#/Db	sus2
		x					x
				①	①
						②

			④

Ab/G#	sus2
						x	x
			①	①

					③
		④

Eb/D#	sus2
		x
			①	①			①

					③
						④

Bb/A#	sus2

		①	①			①	①

				③	④


F/E#	sus2

					o
		②				①	①

			③	④

Suspended seconds are common in the key of D, often accompanied by a sus4, in patterns such as D-Dsus4-D-Dsus2

Suspended Sixth Chords

Suspended sixth chord replace the fifth of the chord rather than the third. Unlike the other suspensions, since the sixth has a third which can be major or minor, two different versions of the chord exist. However, no chords with altered fifths and sus6 at the same tine would not exist; the chord symbol Cm7b5sus6 does not make sense since a fifth cannot use both lowered and removed by a suspension. (The minor 6^th chords shown here are the ones with the same 6^th as the major, useful with a melodic minor sale. Later chord charts will show a more typical lowered 6^th that fits better with a natural minor scale.)

sus6

msus6

①

②

③

②

④

sus6

msus6

①

②

①

②

③

④

sus6

msus6

①

②

③

④

sus6

msus6

①

②

③

④

E/Fb

sus6

E/Fb

msus6

①

②

③

②

①

④

B/Cb

sus6

B/Cb

msus6

①

②

①

③

②

③

④

F#/Gb

sus6

F#/Gb

msus6

①

②

③

②

③

④

C#/Db

sus6

C#/Db

msus6

①

②

①

②

③

④

Ab/G#

sus6

Ab/G#

msus6

①

③

②

④

③

④

Eb/D#

sus6

Eb/D#

msus6

①

②

③

④

Bb/A#

sus6

Bb/A#

msus6

①

③

④

F/E#

sus6

F/E#

msus6

①

②

①

②

③

④

Add Chords

Add chords are like suspensions, except that the added notes do not replace any other note, they just add to the mix. Add2 chords sometimes notate as add9, since the second scale degree and the ninth are the same note. In practice, add2 and add4 chords are mostly interchangeable with their suspended counterparts. The truly accurate add chords tend to have more awkward fingerings since finding fingerings that have a third and an added note at the same times can be challenging.

add2

add4

①

②

③

④

③

add2

add4

①

②

①

②

③

④

③

④

add2

add4

①

②

③

④

add2

add4

①

②

①

③

④

E/Fb

add2

E/Fb

add4

①

②

③

④

①

④

B/Cb

add2

B/Cb

add4

①

②

③

④

②

③

F#/Gb

add2

F#/Gb

add4

②

①

④

③

①

③

④

C#/Db

add2

C#/Db

add4

①

②

③

④

Ab/G#

add2

Ab/G#

add4

①

②

③

④

Eb/D#

add2

Eb/D#

add4

①

②

③

④

Bb/A#

add2

Bb/A#

add4

①

③

④

③

④

F/E#

add2

F/E#

add4

①

②

③

④

6 Chords

Chords with an added sixth notate with just a 6, and not add6. These chords are quite common and pleasant. Note that a 6 chord and a relative m7 chord are the same notes. C6 is cega, and Am7 is aceg. Chords with an added sixth may be major or minor, just as with suspension. The minor sixth version here would be appropriate for melodic minor or Dorian more. The minor sixth appropriate for natural minor comes later. 6 chords often follow seventh chords in pattern like D-Dmaj7-D6-DMaj7-D, using the chord forms for voice leading purposes.

①

②

③

②

④

③

④

②

③

②

③

④

①

②

①

②

③

④

E/Fb

①

②

③

④

②

③

④

B/Cb

①

②

①

③

④

②

④

③

F#/Gb

①

②

③

②

③

④

C#/Db

①

②

①

③

②

④

③

④

Ab/G#

①

③

②

④

③

Eb/D#

①

②

③

④

③

Bb/A#

①

②

③

④

③

④

F/E#

①

②

③

④

②

③

④

Slash Chords

Most of the chord forms presented already arrange so that the root of the chord is the lowest note. Consider the C Chord

x			o		o
				①
		②
	③

The sixth string on the C chord does not sound quite right playing the open e even though e is in in C chord. Plying the open e as the lowest note (the bass note) is the same chord in first inversion, notated with a slash to indicate the bass.

C/E

o			o		o
				①
		②
	③

Note that the bass note and the root note can refer to two different notes. The root of C/E is still C, but the bass is now E. Any note can serve as the bass note.

Second Inversion Chords

The most common bass note other than the root is the fifth. For the C chord, the second inversion is

C/G

	x		o		o
				①
		②
③

Alternating the root and fifth is essential for playing in folk style, and any genres influenced by folk such as rock and country. The typical pattern is to play the bass note, then strum the chord, alternating between the bass notes.

C (note) – C Chord - G (note) – C Chord (repeat)

Being able to pick apart the chords is the first step in getting away from simple strumming patterns and beginning some more interesting picking patterns. The pattern alternates the root and the fifth, so for G, the bass note becomes the open D string

G/D

x	x	o	o	o


					④

For D, the open A string

x	o	o

			①		②
				③

Note that the standard A chord did include the A already, this just emphasizes the A as the bass.

So, a pattern using C, G, and D might go

G (note) – G Chord - D (note) – G Chord

C (note) – C Chord - G (note) – C Chord

D (note) – D Chord - A (note) – D Chord – (repeat all)

Knowing the /fifth chords is all keys gives the player more flexibility. The others are

A/E

o	o				o

		②	①	③

E/B

x				o	o
			①
	②	③

F/C

			①	①
		②
③	④

Bb/F

①	①				①

		③	③	③

F#/C#


			①	①
		③
②	④

B/F#


①	①				①

		③	③	③

Eb/Bb

①	①

		③		③
			④

Db/Ab

	x		①		①
				②
		③
④

Ab/Eb

x	x	①	①	①


					④

The variations on these chords including minor, seventh, major seventh, and minor seventh all use the same alternate bass for second inversion.

Slash Chords for Other Notes

Any note can be the bass note of a slash chord. The most common alternate bass notes are the ones in the scale that matches the chord. (Anyone this far along with learning chords should already be well into the scale exercises also. Learning scales is essential for calculating complex chord forms.) For a root position C Chord, the group of notes in open position containing the scale is

e-----------------------------o-1-3-	e-3-1-o-----------------------------
b-----------------------o-1-3-------	b-------3-1-o-----------------------
g-------------------o-2-------------	g-------------2-o-------------------
d-------------o-2-3-----------------	d-----------------3-2-o-------------
a-------o-2-3-----------------------	a-----------------------3-2-o-------
e-o-1-3-----------------------------	e-----------------------------3-1-o-

The scale exercises appear horizontally, tablature style. For adding notes to chords, a vertical presentation makes more sense.

o	o	o	o	o	o
1				1	1
	2	2	2
3	3	3		3	3

To find the slash chord, substitute the bass note for the lowest root of the chord. Changing fingers may be necessary on the chord tones. The bass note should always be the lowest note played.

①

②

③

C/B

C/A

C/G

①

②

③

②

③

C/F

C/E

C/D

②

①

③

②

③

Note that some of these note combinations are different spellings of other chords. For example, C/A is an Am7 chord.

Try walking the bass line down.

C (note) – C Chord - B (note) – C Chord

A (note) – C Chord - G (note) – C Chord

F (note) – C Chord - E (note) – C Chord

D (note) – C Chord - C (note) – C Chord

In the key of G, the added notes follow the G scale.

o	o	o	o	o	o
				1
2	2	2	2		2
3	3			3	3
		4	4

②

③

G/F#

G/E

G/D

②

③

G/C

G/B

G/A

②

③

And the key of D follows the D scale

o	o	o	o	o	o

2	2	2	2	2	2
3				3	3
	4	4	4

①

②

③

D/C#

D/B

D/A

①

②

①

②

④

③

D/G

D/F#

D/E

①

②

①

②

④

③

For the other scales presented vertically, see the table vertical scale major

Try the following common bluegrass pattern in the key of G.

G (note) G Chord D (note) G Chord

G (note) G (note) A (note) B (note)

C (note) C Chord G (note) C Chord

C (note) C (note) B (note) A (note)

G (note) G Chord D (note) G Chord

G (note) G (note) F# (note) E (note)

D (note) D Chord A (note) D Chord

D (note) C (note) B (note) A (note)

(Repeat)

Notice that the last line has a C naturals and not a C sharp and would happen in a D chord. So, when in the key of G, do not use D/C#, instead use

D/C
x		o			x

			①
	②			③

The list of appropriate scales to match to the right chords is always in the chord progression documents. Check out the I-IV-V-I Chord Progression table to see the basics.

Chord Progressions in Context

The Chord Weaving Level 3 exercise is a great way to ensure that the player has all the chords in a certain form in any key. Musically, though, chords tend to work together in certain groups. Understanding diatonic chords hinges on knowing the scales well. Most of the diatonic chords appear in the progressions above. For the triads, build the diatonic chords by taking each of the scale tones, taking a note a third above (skip a note in the scale), and then adding another note a third above that. Details on this process are in the music theory support document. So, in the key of C, the diatonic chords already presented are

I C ceg

ii Dm dfa

iii Em egb

IV F fac

V G gbd

vi Am ace

the chord built on the seventh scale degree has been noticeably absent so far. Following the patterns already established, the next chord would spell bdf. This is a combination unseen so far, neither major or minor. A triad built on two minor thirds is called a diminished triad. This chord is B Diminished, shortened to BDim or Bo in charts. So, completing the last row of the chart,

viio Bo bdf

B Diminished

Bo is the viio chord in the key of C. It requires muting of the third sting with the pinky.

		o	x	o
②					①
	③

All the diminished chords in context are in the table "I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii Chord Progression." This table also shows the scales that the chords build upon. Knowing scales is essential to chord building based on knowledge, and not just memorizing the pictures. Chord progressions follow around the circle of fifths, so the next group of chord is in the key of G.

I G gbd

ii Am ace

iii Bm bdf#

IV C ceg

V D df#a

vi Em egb

viio F#o f#ac

F# Diminished

The viio chord in the key of G.

Mute the fourth string with the side of the third finger.

	o	x
				①
②			③		④

Continuing around the circle of fifths, in the key of D, build viio on c#

C# Diminished

The viio chord in the key of D.

x			o		o

		①		②

	④

Continuing around the circle of fifths,

G# o
A Relative
No 1^st string			o		o	x
				①
		②

	④

D# o
E/Fb Relative
Bar 2nd	x	o
			①
				②		②

					④

A# o
B/Cb Relative
	o					o
		①
			②		③
				④



F o F#/Gb Relative
Mute 1st					o	x
	②			①
		③
			④


C o
C#/Db Relative
Mute 3^rd string with 3^rd finger	x			x

						①
		②
			③		④

G o
Ab/G# Relative
			x	o
		①
					②
	③					④


D o
Eb/D# Relative
		x	o
	②			①		①

					④


A o
Bb/A# Relative
No 1st	x	o				x
			①		②
				③



E o
F/E# Relative	o			o	x	o
No 2nd		①
			②

Memorizing the diminished chords can be difficult and is probably unnecessary for most players. The diminished chords in their open forms are awkward, and have muted strings that are difficult to remember. Instead of memorizing the diminished chords, spend more time on the seventh version, which can substitute in most cases.

Diatonic Progressions with Sevenths

Adding another note to the triads produces the diatonic seventh chords. In the key of C, the diatonic seventh chords already presented are

IMaj7 CMaj7 cegb

iim7 Dm7 dfac

iiim7 Em7 egbd

IVMaj7 FMaj7 face

V7 G7 gbdf

vim7 Am7 aceg

Minor Seventh Flat Fifth

For the seventh, add an a to the bdf diminished triad. This chord is m7b5. Note that this is not a o7 chord. The o7 designation is a different chord that will come later. The label m7b5 happens because the spelling would be the same as a minor seventh chord with a lowered fifth. This chord is sometimes referred to as a half diminished seventh chord, and uses a circle with a slash in hand written jazz shorthand.

So, completing the chart for diatonic sevenths in the key of C,

viim7b5 Bm7b5 bdfa

Bm7b5

		o		o
③					①
	④		②

The diatonic seventh chords in the key of G are

IMaj7 GMaj7 gbdf#

iim7 Am7 aceg

iiim7 Bm7 bdf#a

IVMaj7 CMaj7 cegb

V7 D7 df#ac

vim7 Em7 egbd

viim7b5 F#m7b5 f#ace

F#m7b5

	o				o
				①
②		③	④

Finding the fingerings of the m7b5 chords are easier than the diminished. Just take the ii chord and put the root of the new chord in the bass. So, F#mb5 is just Am (ii) with an F# bass.

The diatonic seventh chords in the key of D are

IMaj7 DMaj7 df#ac#

iim7 Em7 egbd

iiim7 F#m7 f#ac#e

IVMaj7 GMaj7 gbdf#

V7 A7 ac#eg

vim7 Bm7 bdf#a

viim7b5 C#m7b5 c#egb

C#m7b5

o			o	o	o

		②

	④

For other keys,

G# m7b5
A Relative
			o		o
				①
	②	③				④



Eb/D# m7b5
E/Fb Relative
		o
			①
	②			③	③	③



Bb/A# m7b5
B/Cb Relative
	o					o
		①		②
			③		④



F/E# m7b5
F#/Gb Relative
Moveable
	①		①	①
		②

					④	④

C m7b5
C#/Db Relative
Moveable
		①	①		①
	②					③
				④


G m7b5
Ab/G# Relative
Lift the center of the bar				o
		①				①
					②
	③		④


D m7b5
Eb/D# Relative
			o
	②			①	①	①

		③


A m7b5
Bb/A# Relative
	x	o
			①		①
				②
						④


E/Fb m7b5
F/E# Relative	o			o		o
		①
			②
					④

Progressions Containing vii

The best way to learn the chords based on vii is in context. First check out the chord basic progression in the exercise

I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii Chord Progression

The learned chords so far are enough to play the sections on major, natural minor, and their respective sevenths. The rest will come later, but feel free to dive in if this is something that helps you.

Then work on the progressions that cycle in fourths (jazz style)

I-IV-vii-iii-vi-ii-V-I Chord Progression

And in fifths (classical style)

I-V-ii-vi-iii-vii-IV-I Chord Progression

Chord Weaving Level 4

Finally, for a more robust workout, spend a lot of time on Chord Weaving Level 4. These are exercises based on fourths, but containing all the possible chord pairs.

Playing Up the Neck

For the sake of completeness, all the chords so far have been in open form or near the first fret. But the moveable forms already learned in chords such as F, Bb, Ab, Eb, and Db, can easily slide up the neck to play any chord in multiple positions.

Open the table Major Chords up the neck with alternates

First take a look at the patterns in the left most column groups. These contain the notes in the chords but extended across the entire fretboard. Numbers here indicate frets and not fingering (unless you have 20 fingers) For C,

o			o		o
				1
		2
3	3				3

		5	5	5

	7
8				8	8
			9
	10	10

12			12		12
				13
		14
15	15				15

		17	17	17

	19
20				20	20

Any combination of notes that contains c, e, and g is a C chord. These charts are similar to the scale exercises that encourage vertical playing, except that the fretboard lays out vertically, as is typical of chord representation.

Now look at the next column group, marked Open Shapes. The first should be familiar, the C chord learned early on. But below are alternate forms of C for different situations. For example,

x			o
				1
		2
	3				3

Makes the chord brighter by adding a high g on the first string.

Moveable A Shape

Now, skip two column groups and look at the forms marked A Shape.

3	3				3

		5	5	5

This pattern should be familiar, as it is just the Bb chord slid up two frets. The fingering would be the same.



①	①				①

		③	③	③

This is a C chord, just in a different place. This shape is one of the two big rock shapes for playing up the neck, along with the E shape. Practice sliding this shape up and down, all the way to the 12^th fret. The root for the chord will be whatever note is on the fifth string. Theoretically, this one form could play all the major chords in a song.

Moveable G Shape

Now, look at the next column group.

		5	5	5

	7
8					8

This shape should be familiar as the moveable G shaped used in the Ab chord, and the fingerings are the same. The 5th in the rightmost column indicates the fifth fret

		①	①	①		5th

	②
③					④

This chord is difficult, so pay more attention to the next chord up the neck, C in E Shape, fingered like an F chord.

Moveable E Shape

8				8	8	①				①	①	8th
			9						②
	10	10					③	④

The root of the E shape is the note on the sixth string. The E shape and A shape are essential to rock playing. Work these chords until they are clean up and down the neck, and so that you know which chords are in which positions. Check out the section on Power Chords for variations easier to play on electric.

Moveable D Shape

The next shape to practice is the D shape, fingered like an Eb chord

						x
	10	10					①	①				10th

12			12		12				③		③
				13						④

D shaped chords happen occasionally in rock as a power chord, but much less than E or A shapes.

Moveable C Shape

The final of the shifted neck chords is the C shape, fingered like a Db chord.

x						x
			12		12				①		①	12
				13						②
		14						③
	15						③

This form is rare in rock, but useful in jazz.

Moveable Alternate C Shape

Since the Moveable C Shape is so far up the neck to be difficult on an acoustic, an alternate was back on the first fret.

①

②

③

④

Three other forms, the Moveable Bb Shape, the Moveable F shape, and the Moveable Alternate E shape are best left for later. Except for the Moveable C shape, all the other forms should be just transpositions if chords already known.

Moveable Chords in G

The huge advantage to the moveable versions of the chord is that forms in different keys are just the same patterns slid around. For example, consider the key of G.

In G, the E shaped chord is on the third fret, and overlaps the open form.

G Full Pattern

			o	o	o				o	o	o

		2						2
	3				3	3	3					3	3				3	3
				4												4
		5	5											5	5

	7			7		7
					8
			9
	10	10				10

			12	12	12

		14
	15				15	15
				16
		17	17

	19			19		19
					20

Just as with the C chord, the D shaped chord is just above the E shaped chord, followed by the C Shaped chord. (All of these are G chords. The letters indicate the shape.)

Open			o	o	o

		2
	3					3	3				3	3	E Shape
	x									4
D Shape		5	5					5	5
							x
				7		7				7		7	C Shape
					8						8
									9
A Shape	10	10				10		10

			12	12	12				12	12	12		G Shape

								14
							15					15

The key of C ended with the C shaped chord, but in G the A Shaped chord continues. Then the octave ends with the G shaped chord, an octave up from open G.

Practice starting on the open forms and moving up the neck sequentially. Use a metronome, just like a scale exercise.

These patterns cycle for all chords. In D, for example, The C form follows the open form and then the pattern continues as before.

x	o	o
						x
			2		2				2		2
				3						3
								4
5	5				5		5

		7	7	7				7	7	7

							9
10				10	10	10					10
			11			x
	12	12					12	12

									14		14
										15

Refer to the table "Major Chords up the neck with alternates" for all major forms.

Chord Progressions up the Neck

The advantage to knowing all the chord forms is that in chord progressions up the neck, vertical movement is not as necessary. Consider these excerpts from the I-IV-V Chord Progression table. As a comparison, start with the key of C. The basic pattern is simple enough C-F-G-C.

I							IV							V							I
	x			o		o											o	o	o			x			o		o
					1			1				1	1													1
			2								2					2								2
		3							3	3					3					3			3

This same pattern translates to the third position as

						x
3	3				3		3	3				3				3	3	3	3				3
															4
		5	5	5					5		5		5	5						5	5	5
										6

And up the neck in fifth position

												x
		5	5	5		5			5		5		5	5						5	5	5
										6
	7							7							7		7		7
8					8		8									8		8					8

In eighth position

												x			x
8				8	8	8	8				8					8		8				8	8
			9											9							9
	10	10						10	10	10			10				10		10	10

In tenth position

x																		x
	10	10						10	10	10		10	10				10		10	10

			12		12		12							12	12	12					12		12
				13		13					13											13

And in twelfth position

x
			12		12									12	12	12		12			12		12
				13		13				13	13											13
		14							14				14							14
	15						15	15				15					15		15

The external table covers the other positions as well, but these positions call for the rarely played versions of the major chords. Players drawn to this style playing should experiment with all of the forms. For most players, knowing the five basic forms is sufficient.

Transposing to Other Keys

These forms only need learning once as they easily transpose into other keys. Just find the root of the new key and move the chord forms to the appropriate place, as outlined in the previous section. For example, since the tonic G chord in the key of G is in open E position on the third fret, the I-IV-V progression in G in the third position mirrors C in eighth positions.

												x			x
3				3	3	3	3				3					3		3				3	3
			4											4							4
	5	5						5	5	5			5				5		5	5

Then just move other chords around using the same relationships.

Minor Chords up the Neck

Refer to the tables Minor Chords up the Neck with Alternates.

Notice that the tables for the minor chords begin with A Minor rather than C Minor. A Minor is relative to C Major, so organizing the tables this way makes more sense. Also notice that another set of rows precedes the actual chord forms. This set of rows shows all the chord tones within reach in any position.

o	o				o
				1
		2	2
	3

5			5	5	5

These notes provide the basis for the alternate versions of the chord. When learning the chords for the first time, skip over these and look at the highlighted version below.

The fingerings for the minor chords that are similar to the five basic major shapes are covered previously.

Moveable E Shaped Minor chords finger like F# Minor.


①			①	①	①

	②	④

Moveable A Shaped Minor chords finger like B Minor.


①	①				①
				②
		③	③

Moveable D Shaped Minor chords finger like Eb Minor.

①	①
				②
		③
			④

Moveable C Shaped Minor chords finger like Db Minor

x			①		x
		②		③

	④

Moveable G Shaped Minor chords finger like Ab Minor

	x	①


②			③	③	③

Other Forms of Minor Chords

Notice that the Minor Chords document has more column groups than the one based on major chords. Some of these column groups have no entries. For example, the A minor chord has no notes on the fourth fret, so no true A Minor in fourth position exists. When playing in fourth position, shift either up or down to the third or fifth position chords. This and future documents no longer refer to chord shapes because the shapes do not hold up for more complex chords. The document column groups refer to position only.

Notice also that minor chords have more alternate fingerings than the major chord chart. E Minor is particularly fruitful because so many open string notes occur for E Minor. Take a look at the informational table All Forms of the E Minor Chord for over 100 ways to play E Minor. This table is not meant to be memorized—the takeaway for this exercise is simply to understand that no series of pictures could represent all the different ways of playing guitar chords. Knowing the fretboard is essential to choosing the correct chord form for the situation.

Minor Chords in Context

In chord progressions, the five already learned shapes hold up well when the minor chord is on vi. Access the document I-vi-IV-V-I Chord Progression. Use the key of C for reference.

I							vi							IV							V
	x			o		o		o	o				o											o	o	o
					1							1			1				1	1
			2							2	2							2					2
		3														3	3					3					3

The progressions built on the five most used shapes flow well for the first three of the forms.

								x				x
3	3				3		3						3	3				3				3	3
																					4
		5	5	5		5			5	5	5				5		5		5	5
																6

																		x
		5	5	5		5			5	5	5	5			5		5		5	5
																6
	7						7	7						7							7		7
8					8								8									8

							x											x			x
8				8	8	8					8	8	8				8					8
			9						9											9
	10	10						10		10				10	10	10			10				10

As written, the form based on 10 would require a new chord shape for vi.

x									x
	10	10						10						10	10	10		10	10				10

			12		12	12	12				12		12							12	12	12
				13						13		13					13

Learning the new form is certainly possible, but not always necessary. An easier method might be to shift down a position for the vi chord.

						x					x
x									9
	10	10						10		10				10	10	10		10	10				10

			12		12		12						12							12	12	12
				13								13					13

Shifting up is also a possibility

x
	10	10												10	10	10		10	10				10

			12		12	12	12				12		12							12	12	12
				13						13		13					13
								14	14

Similarly, in the 12th fret, the vi chord holds well, but the IV chord could shift from

												x
12			12		12	12	12				12		12							12	12	12
				13						13						13	13
		14						14	14						14				14
	15													15				15					15

To the more basic shape


12			12		12	12	12				12								12	12	12
				13						13		13			13	13
		14						14	14					14				14
	15												15				15					15

This shift produces a chord not only easier to play, but also having the chord root as the bass note. The charts for chord progressions default to the least position shifting, but in actual practice moving the hand position may be a better option.

Minor Chords on ii

Unfortunately, minor chords on ii do not fit the five basic patterns as well, and require either learning the other patterns of shifting.

Refer to the table ii-V-I Chord Progression. For reference, in C

ii							V							I
	x	o	o							o	o	o			x			o		o
						1													1
				2					2								2
					3			3					3			3

In third position, the chart reads

			x
		3				3				3	3	3	3				3
									4
5	5				5		5	5						5	5	5
				6

The shift to a more basic form is the same as in the previous section

x					x
			2
		3		3		3				3	3	3	3				3
									4
	5						5	5						5	5	5

The fifth position does not require a shift

						x
5	5				5		5	5						5	5	5
				6
		7	7						7		7		7
										8		8					8

The seventh position

	x											x
		7				7			7		7		7
										8						8	8
								9							9
10			10	10	10		10							10

Might work better with a shift on 1, as in the previous example.

	x
		7				7			7		7
										8		8			8	8
								9						9
10			10	10	10		10						10

8th position might work better with a shift on V, from

		x				x			x
	8									8		8				8	8
								9							9
10			10	10	10		10				10		10	10

		x				7			7		7
	8									8		8				8	8
								9							9
10			10	10	10		10						10	10

But, actually works better using a V7

		x				x					x
	8									8		8				8	8
								9							9
10			10	10	10		10		10				10	10

10^th and 12^th position work well as is

												x
10			10	10	10	10	10				10		10	10

	12	12						12	12	12					12		12
																13


	12	12						12	12	12		12			12		12
13					13											13
			14				14							14
				15		15					15		15

Seventh Chords

The seventh chords follow the same fingering patterns as their counterparts.

Moveable E Shaped Seventh chords finger like F# Seventh.

Maj7

①

②

①

③

④

②

Moveable A Shaped Seventh chords finger like B Seventh.

①

②

③

Moveable D Shaped Seventh chords finger like Eb Seventh.

①

②

③

④

③

④

③

Moveable C Shaped Seventh chords finger like Db Seventh.

①

②

③

④

②

③

④

Moveable G Shaped Seventh chords finger like Ab Seventh.

①

②

③

②

④

②

③

One of these chord forms is new, the minor seventh in C Shape.

x

		①		①

	②		③		④

This chord is simpler leaving out the fifth.

x					x

		①		①

	②		③

Tables for Other Forms

Each of these chord types has its own set of tables in the section on chord types.

The sections

Maj7

Now all the chords are in play.

For sevenths and other more complicated chords, only the basic forms appear in the table. Create your own alternate versions by adding notes form the Chord Notes Within Reach rows that precede the chords.

Chord Progressions up the Neck

Revisit the Chord Progressions worked previously, working now on the versions up the neck.

I-IV-V-I Chord Progression

ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-vi-IV-V-I Chord Progression

I-vi-ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-V-vi-IV Chord Progression

I-iii-ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-V-vi-iii-IV Chord Progression

12 Bar Blues Chord Progression

Diminished Chords up the Neck

As the lessons proceed to the more complex chords with all of their variations, memorizing chord forms becomes more and more challenging. Instead, emphasize learning how to create chords from scales, and what simple chords can substitute for more complex chords.

The chords based on viio are a good example. Previous analysis showed how the diminished chords were difficult and awkward, and that substituting m7b5 for diminished was often easier since m7b5 is just I chord with the seventh scale degree added. This pattern continues up the neck. But an even easier substitution for diminished is the fully diminished chord.

Diminished 7ths

The fully diminished chord (o7) is not diatonic to the major scale. The chord forms from the harmonic minor scale, with its raised seventh. So, in the A Minor Harmonic scale, g#o7 would spell g#-b-d-f. This is an interesting chord in that all the intervals of the chord are minor thirds. This means the chord is symmetrical. Any of the notes in the chord could be the root. For example, spell and arrange the chord this way, b-d-f-Ab, and the chord becomes Bo7. All the notes are the same, so it is essentially the same chord. The other variations are d-f-ab-cb and e#-g#-b-d (An alternate spelling would be f-Ab-Cb-Ebb. The Ebb is not a typo, just the note D spelled strangely.)

Because one set of note is four chords, only three diminished seventh chord note groups exist. The one above, and

a#-c#-e-g, with any alternate spellings or arrangements, and

a-c-eb-gb, with any alternate spellings or arrangements.

Abbreviated Chord Shapes for o7

All the diminished seventh chords up the neck work off these two basic chord forms,

①

③

④

①

②

③

④

On the second chord, either of the notes on the fifth or sixth strings could be the bass,

①

②

③

④

③

④

And variations on the first form provide different bass notes

①

②

③

④

②

③

④

Simply slide one of these forms into the proper place depending on the surroundings. Here viio7 substitutes for V in the I-IV-V-I progression

I							IV							viio7							I

In third position															x
								x								①
	3	3				3			3	3							②		②			3	3				3
																		③		④
			5	5	5						5		5											5	5	5
												6

And up the neck in fifth position
														x
			5	5	5			5			5		5			x								5	5	5
												6					①		①
		7								7					②			③		④			7
	8					8			8													8					8


In eighth position

															①			①		①
	8				8	8		8	8				8			②						8				8	8
				9													③		④						9
		10	10							10	10	10											10	10




In tenth position

	x																					x
		10	10							10	10	10											10	10
															x
				12		12			12								①		①						12		12
					13			13					13					②		③						13
																④

And in twelfth position

	x														x
				12		12											①		①			12			12		12
					13			13				13	13					②		③						13
			14								14					④								14
		15							15	15													15

Diminished Seventh Open Positions

The open position chords are simply variations on the same two forms, but with open strings.

C#	o7

		o			o		o
			①
				②		③



G#	o7
	Consider adding the 4
		x		o		o
					①		②
			③

		(4)

D#	o7
		x	o
				①		①
					②		③



Bb	o7

		o			o		o
			①
				②		③



F	o7
			x	o		o
		①			②		③




C	o7

		x
				①		①
					②		③
			④


G	o7

			x		o		o

				①		②
		③


D	o7


				o		o
		③			①		②
			④



A	o7

			o
				①		①
		②			③		④



E	o7

		o					o
			①
				②		③
					④


B	o7


		①			①		①
			②
				③		④


F#	o7

			o
				①		①
		②			③		④

Chord Progressions Using vii Revisited

Revisit these exercises, but substitute viio7 for whatever chord is in the vii slot.

I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii Chord Progression

I-IV-vii-iii-vi-ii-V-I Chord Progression

I-V-ii-vi-iii-vii-IV-I Chord Progression

Chord Weaving Level 4.

m7b5 up the Neck

While the o7 chords are easier to grasp, they are technically not 100% accurate for major keys. Eventually the accomplished jazz artist will need to learn the viim7b5 forms up the neck. The complete list is on the table m7b5.xls, but these shifts may be easier to start with for the five basic chord shapes.

I							IV							viim7b5							I

In third position															x					x
								x								①					2nd
	3	3				3			3	3							②		③			3	3				3
																		④
			5	5	5						5		5											5	5	5
												6

And up the neck in fifth position
																x	x
			5	5	5			5			5		5							①	5th			5	5	5
												6							②
		7								7					③			④					7
	8					8			8													8					8


In eighth position
In eighth position


	8				8	8		8	8				8			①					8th	8				8	8
				9													②								9
		10	10							10	10	10			③			④	④	④			10	10




In tenth position, with a big stretch

	x																					x
		10	10							10	10	10			①			①	①	①	10th		10	10

				12		12			12								②								12		12
					13			13					13													13
																④

And in twelfth position, shifted to match the F.

	x														x
				12		12															12th	12			12		12
					13			13				13	13							①						13
			14								14					②		②						14
		15							15	15							③		④				15

Diminished Chords up the Neck

Diminished chords without a seventh up the neck are in the file o. Most of the time a o7 or a m7b5 works better than a diminished chord up the neck. A purist who wants to learn all the forms may do so, but this text will not supply the fingerings. As the chords get more complex, the fingerings may not be provided for all chords. Anyone who has gotten this far in the course probably has a good idea of where to put the fingers anyway.

Now revisit the chord progressions using 7 again, this time with the m7b5 chords in the appropriate places.

Suspensions up the Neck

The concepts of playing up the neck was unknown at the introduction of suspended chords. These are the forms left out. More forms are in the Chord Forms section.

Moveable E Shaped Sus4 chords finger like F# Sus4.


①				①	①

	③	③	③

Moveable A Shaped Sus4 chords finger like B Sus4.


①	①				①

		③	③
				④

Moveable D Shaped Sus4 chords finger like Eb Sus4.

①	①

		③
			④	④

Moveable C Shaped Sus4 chords finger like Db Sus4

x		x	①
				②	②

	④

Moveable G Shaped Sus4 chords finger like Ab Sus4

	x	①	①		x
				②

④

The remaining chord forms are in the table sus4

Moveable Sus2 Chords

Moveable E Shaped Sus2 chords finger like F# Sus2.

	x	x
			①
③				②	②

Moveable A Shaped Sus2 chords finger like B Sus2.


①	①			①	①

		③	④

Moveable D Shaped Sus2 chords finger like Eb Sus2.

①	①			①

		③
			④

Moveable C Shaped Sus2 chords finger like Db Sus2

x		①	①		x
				②

	④

Moveable G Shaped Sus2 chords finger like Ab Sus2

	①	①		x	x

			③
④

The remaining chord forms are in the table sus2

Moveable Sus6 Chords

Moveable E Shaped Sus6 chords finger like F#Sus6.

sus6

msus6

①

②

③

②

③

④

Moveable A Shaped Sus6 chords finger like BSus6 adapted.

①

②

③

④

Moveable D Shaped Sus6 chords finger like EbSus6.

①

②

③

④

Moveable C Shaped Sus6 chords finger like DbSus6

①

②

①

②

③

④

Moveable G Shaped Sus6 chords finger like AbSus6

①

③

①

④

②

③

④

The remaining chord forms are in the table sus6

Moveable Add2 and Add 4

Moveable E Shaped Add chords finger like F# Add Chords.

Add2

Add4

②

①

④

③

①

③

④

Moveable A Shaped Add chords finger like B Add adapted.

①

②

③

④

③

④

Moveable D Shaped Add chords finger like Eb Add.

①

②

③

④

Moveable C Shaped Add chords finger like Db Add

①

②

③

④

Moveable G Shaped Add chords finger like Ab Add

①

②

③

④

The remaining chord forms are in the tables add2 and add4

Added Sixth Chords

Moveable E Shaped 6 chords finger like F# 6.

①

②

③

②

③

④

Moveable A Shaped 6 chords finger like B 6 adapted.

①

②

③

④

③

④

Moveable D Shaped 6 chords finger like Eb 6.

①

②

③

④

③

Moveable C Shaped 6 chords finger like Db 6

①

②

①

②

③

④

Moveable G Shaped 6 chords finger like Ab 6

①

③

①

④

②

③

④

The remaining chord forms are in the tables 6 and m6

Augmented Chords

Like diminished seventh chords, augmented chords do not occur naturally in the major scale. They are a product of the harmonic minor scale, as later analysis will show. Augmented chords are major chords with a raised fifth. Augmented triads have an unhinged sound since they are symmetrical chords, like the diminished seventh.

Augmented chords are a good substitute for a dominant V chord. They also can serve as a pivot chord for a key change, as the really do not belong in any key.

All the intervals in an augmented chord are a major third. Consider C+, ceg#. The interval from c to e is a major third. The interval from e to g# is a major third. Also, the interval from g# to the c above it is a major third. So, rearranging the chord notes produces the same chord. Putting g# as the root still yields the augmented chord, although the enharmonic spelling Ab-c-e is more appropriate. Starting with e, e-g#-b# is the same chord. Thus, only four unique augmented chords exist.

c-e-g#

db-f-a

d-f#-a#

eb-g-b

All the other augmented chords are simply arrangements of the previous ones.

Augmented chords use the + symbol, or, sometimes, aug.

Open form augmented chords.

C	+
		x					o
					①	②
				③
			④


G	+
					o	o
				①
			②
		③					④


D	+
		x		o
			①
							②
					③	④


A	+
		x	o
							①
					②	③
				④


E/Fb	+

		o					o
					①	②
				③
			④


B/Cb	+
		x			o	o
				①
			②
							④


F#/Gb	+
			x	o

		①					②
					③	④


C#/Db	+
		x	o
							①
					②	③
				④


Ab/G#	+
							x
					①	①
				②
			③
		④

Eb/D#	+
					o	o
				①
			②
		③					④


Bb/A#	+
		x		x
			①
							②
					③	④


F/E#	+
			x
		①					①
					②	③
				④

Augmented chords for the standard positions up the neck are

A Shaped Position

x		x
	①
					②
			③	④

G Shaped Position

					x
			①	①
		②
	③
④

E Shaped Position

	x
①					①
			②	③
		④

D Shaped Position

x	x
		①

					②
			③	④

C Shaped Position

x	x				x
			①	②
		③
	④

All the augmented chords are in the table +

Adding Scale Tones

Previous lessons showed how scale tones could add to form the basis of slash chords. The same process holds true for slash chords up the neck. But now with the added skills learned so far, consider how more than just alternate bass can add to the chord mix. The scale pattern for C major up the whole neck is

o	o	o	o	o	o
1				1	1
	2	2	2
3	3	3		3	3
			4
5	5	5	5	5	5
				6
7	7	7	7		7
8	8			8	8
		9	9
10	10	10	10	10	10

12	12	12	12	12	12
13				13	13
	14	14	14
15	15	15		15	15
			16
17	17	17	17	17	17
				18
19	19	19	19		19
20	20			20	20

Any of these notes could add to the C chord.

①

8th

②

③

④

C/D

C/E

C/F

①

8th

①

8th

①

8th

②

④

③

④

C/G

C/A

C/B

①

7th

①

8th

①

8th

①

②

④

③

②

④

Check out the tables in Vertical Chords Major to calculate the slash chords for the other moveable forms. With twelve possible bass notes in every chord, providing fingering charts for every possible chord becomes counterproductive. No one could possibly memorize all those forms. Instead, careful study of the scales and arpeggios associate with the chords allows the player to produce his or her own fingerings.

The scales also continue into the chord. Try adding the scale tones further up the scale.

①

②

③

④

Cadd9

Csus4

①

②

③

④

③

④

Cmaj7

①

②

③

④

③

④

③

④

Cadd9

①

②

③

④

③

④

③

④

Knowing the scale tones allows for quick calculation of the add and sus chords without having to refer to any charts. Knowing the notes also allows for superimposing melodies onto chords. Start with the C chord on the bottom left and work down the scale backwards. This is the Christmas song "Joy to the World." To create melodies with chord changes, just insert the proper chords.

Ninth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Chords

Diatonic chord theory culminates with the maddeningly complex world of the jazz chords. The basic concepts are simple enough. Chords build on the triads below them. So, a G triad plus a seventh is a G7, and then just add one more third up, gbdfa, to produce a ninth chord. (See the music theory document for a detailed explanation.)

	x	o		o
					1
			2
3

All the ninth chords are in the table 9. I have provided chord forms that work for me, but figuring out the fingerings from here on is up to you. The chord symbols from now on just have the fret number, without the circle. Better still would be to look at the Chord Notes within Reach section and create your own forms.

Major Ninth

In the key of C, the ninth chord above based on G is the most common. The next most common would be a ninth chord built on c, spelled cegbd. This chord is not the same color as the ninth above--a Bb would occur for C9. This new chord is a Major 9^th (Maj9)

C Maj9

x		o	o	o	o


	3

This open version of C Maj 9 is quite easy to play, but the versions up the neck sound better (as tends to be true for most of the more complex chords).

In the key of C, a Major ninth occurs also on the fourth, faceg.

All the ninth chords are in the table Maj9.

The ninth and major ninth chords are enough information to revisit the I-IV-V Chord Progression table. Work the section with sevenths, but substitute major ninths for major sevenths and dominant ninths for dominant sevenths.

Minor Ninth

A minor chord ninth is a minor seventh chord with a ninth added. The minor ninth occurs naturally on the sixth scale degree, in C, acegb

Am9

o	o				o
				1
		2

			4

A minor ninth also occurs naturally on the second scale degree, bdfac.

All the minor ninth chords are in the table m9.

m7b9

The third scale degree is a bit more problematic. The spelling egbdf is not a minor ninth because an f# would be necessary to keep all the same interval relationships. Since the 9^th is lowered from the expected note, the interval is a b9. Chord nomenclature tries to avoid putting an altered note first (eb9 could mean an e chord with a ninth or an eb chord with a ninth). Instead, the first unaltered number comes first, in this case, the 7,

Em7b9

o		o	o	o
					1
	2

All these chords are in the table m7b9.

m7b9b5

The chord built on the seventh scale degree, bdfac, has none of the scale intervals so far. To calculate which notes are altered, always compare the chord to the dominant form.

A B9 chord would spell bd#f#ac#.

Since the d is not sharp, that makes the chord minor.

Since the f is not sharp, the chord has a b5 like the m7b5 chord.

The chord has an a, as expected, so the seventh is unaltered.

Since the c is not sharp, the ninth is lowered, b9.

The chord symbol starts with the root note, B, then the minor symbol, m, then the highest unaltered number, 7, then the altered tones in order from smallest to largest, b5 then b9, for a final chord of

Bm7b9b5

x		o
				1	1
	2		2

All these chords are in the table m7b9b5.

Work on some of your favorite chord progression charts, but substitute the ninth chords for the seventh chords.

Eleventh Chords

Just as ninth chords were just seventh chords with another third stacked on top, eleventh chords add a third to ninth chords. When calculating complex chords, always start with the dominant. In C, the dominant is on G. That is why so many of the chord exercises start on G. The key of C has no flats or sharps, so C tonic, G dominant is less confusing at first. G11 is gbdfac

G11

		o
				1	1
	2		2
3

(These are fret numbers, not fingers)

All these chords are in the table 11.

Maj11

An eleventh chord based on the root would spell cegbdf in the key of C. This is the major 11^th chord

C Maj11

					o


3	3	3	3	3

All these chords are in the table Maj11.

Maj9#11

The chord built on the fourth scale degree adds a new wrinkle. In C, the eleventh chord built on f is facegb. To analyze this chord, compare it to the expected dominant chord, F11, spelled facEbgBb. (If you need help spelling your dominant chords, look at the theory pages or work the scales more.) Note by note,

F, the root

A, the third, is as expected, so no alterations necessary

C, the fifth, is as expected, so no alterations necessary

E, the seventh, is not the Eb expected. The way to notate a raise seventh is the Maj symbol

G, the ninth, is as expected, so no alterations necessary

B, the eleventh is not the Bb expected, it is higher. The notation for a raised 11^th is #11

So, the chord symbol is FMaj9#11. The highest unaltered number replaces the 7.

FMaj9#11

1				1
	2	2	2
					3

All these chords are in the table Maj9#11

Minor 11^th

The easiest to calculate minor eleventh chords build on the sixth scale degree, in C, acegbd

Am11

		o	o	o	o


	3

5

A minor eleventh also occurs naturally on the second scale degree, bdface.

All these chords are in the table m11.

m11b9

The chord built on the third scale degree is egbdfa. Instead of going through the whole process of analyzing the chord note by note, understand the eleventh chord inherits all the alterations of the ninth chord it builds on. The ninth chord built on the third scale degree is Em7b9. The 11^th would be an a. The a is the expected note in e Mixolydian, so the 11^th is unaltered. The 11 takes the place of the 7 in the previous chord since it is now the highest unaltered number.

Em11b9

o	o	o	o	o
					1

All these chords are in the table m11b9.

m11b9b5

The 11^th chord built on the seventh scale degree, bdface, inherits all the alterations from the ninth built on the same scale degree, Bm7b9b5. Since the e is unaltered relative to the E Mixolydian scale, the 11 replaces the 9.

Bm11b9b5

o		o
				1	1
	2		2

All these chords are in the table m11b9b5.

Fingering Complex Chords

Anyone attempting to create all the 11^th chords from the tables will run into problems. The key of C was very forgiving, so the open position chords are not difficult. Moving up the neck or changing keys is problematic, though. Because the 11 chords have six notes, every string has to play, and some combinations are impossible. With very complex chords, the challenge is not adding more notes to the mix, but deciding which notes not to play.

Complex chord building formula, in order of importance

When deciding which notes to leave out, try to retain notes based on the following order of importance.

1. Highest Number. So, for an 11b13 chord, the b13 is the most important.

2. Add notes. If the composer thought add4 was important, it probably is.

3. Altered 5^th. A b5 or #5 needs to be heard.

4. Other altered tones. If they are important enough to notate, use them.

5. Slash bass notes, solo playing. For playing with a bass, omit the bass note for now.

6. Thirds or suspensions. To identify the color of the chord

7. 7ths. To further identify the color of the chord.

8. Root, solo playing. For playing with a bass, leave out the root for now.

9. Other chord tones besides fifth or root.

10. Unaltered 5^th. An unaltered fifth is less important than the other notes.

11. Root or slash bass, playing with a bass. Do not interfere with the bass.

Thirteenth Chords

The final group of chords based on thirds are the thirteenth chords. Thirteenth chords are eleventh chords with another third put on top. Since the 13^th chords have all the notes of the scale, no further diatonic chords based on stacks of thirds are possible. A theoretical 15^th chord would just wrap around to the root tone again, so 15^th chords do not exist. Also, since the 13^th chords have seven notes, playing the entire chord on a standard guitar is impossible. At least one note must go.

Dominant 13^th Chords

The fully unaltered thirteenth chord in the key of C is G13, gbdface

G13


				1	1
	2	2	2
3

This fingering omits the fifth. Many other fingerings are possible.

All these chords are in the table 13.

Reference Chords

For the above process of naming chords, comparison to the Mixolydian scale, or the way the dominant chord spells, is essential for creating chord symbols. The following chart shows the reference notes for the most common thirteenth chords.

G	13	g	b	d	f	a	c	e
D	13	d	f#	a	c	e	g	b
A	13	a	c#	e	g	b	d	f#
E	13	e	g#	b	d	f#	a	c#
B	13	b	d#	f#	a	c#	e	g#
F#	13	f#	a#	c#	e	g#	b	d#
C#	13	c#	e#	g#	b	d#	f#	a#
D#	13	d#	f#	a#	c#	e#	g#	b#
Gb	13	gb	bb	db	fb	ab	cb	eb
Db	13	db	f	ab	cb	eb	gb	bb
Ab	13	ab	c	eb	gb	bb	db	f
Eb	13	eb	g	bb	db	f	ab	c
Bb	13	bb	d	f	ab	c	eb	g
F	13	f	a	c	eb	g	bb	d
C	13	c	e	g	bb	d	f	a

Major 13^th

The 13^th chord built on the first scale degree, cegbdfa, has one deviation from the chart above. The seventh is higher than expected. The Maj symbol indicates a major seventh.

CMaj13

o


	3	3	3	3

					5