Chord Listings: The difference between scales and chords is that scales are successions of notes, chords are combinations of notes. Chords are created by picking out 2,3 or more intervals and playing them together on the guitar - on different strings, all simultaneously. Below are interval (number)patterns and diagrams for all of the chord types in common use. The way you create all of these chords on the guitar is by picking out the specified interval pattern in any of the "caged" shapes, and plucking them together. In the chord definitions below, the name of each chord type is listed, then the typical symbols used to represent them in music notation are shown, and finally the interval spelling, along with the note spelling (starting on C), are provided. Learning these formulas, along with the 5 "caged" diagrams will replace any need for chord books. Instead, learning to build all of the chord types in every position on the neck will yield 10's of thousands of combinations! All you need is the information on this page. It's very important to note that when forming a chord on the guitar, any note(s) can be doubled (ie, any collection of C, E, and G notes (1, 3, and 5) - regardless of octave or count - forms a C major chord). The shapes provided below contain many doubled numbers (i,e., you may find several number "1"'s, several "5"'s, etc., in each fingering). For each type of chord, guitar diagrams derived from the "caged" interval patterns are provided. Compare the shapes below to the chords you know so far. Every single chord fingering possible on the guitar comes from those few simple interval patterns:
Power Chord - the most common rock guitar sound. The intervals 1 and 5 played together. Represented in chord symbols by a note name, followed by the number "5":
C5 (Note that power chords can be created several
diffent ways in each of the "caged" patterns,
1 5 depending on which numbers are doubled. Each
C G of the fingerings sounds basically the same.)
Major, or "major triad" - the most common type of three note chord. Most often represented in music by a single note name, i.e. "C" = C MAJOR triad, "G#" = "G sharp MAJOR triad":
C, C , Cmaj
1 3 5
C E G
Minor, or "minor triad" - another type of common three note chord (with a "sadder" sound):
Cm, Cmin, C- ("Am" = "A minor" or "A minor triad")
1 b3 5
C Eb G
"7th" Chords - four note chords. 7th chords come in three types, or "sonorities": major, minor, and dominant. The main difference between each chord type is the 3 and 7 intervals. Major 7th chords are labeled by the symbols "M" (large M), "maj", or " " (triangle) and contain all "natural" intervals (no sharps or flats). Minor chords are labled by the symbols "m", "min", or "-" (minus sign), and contain a b3 and b7. Dominant chords are those that don't have any other sonority lable (i.e., "C7" is a dominant 7th - it has no major or minor symbols). Dominant chords contain a natural 3 and a b7. The 5 is optional in all of these chords (i.e., some fingerings of C7 on the guitar do not contain the note G (the interval 5) - it's not required):
Major 7th: Cmaj7, C 7, CM7
1 3 (5) 7
C E (G) B Minor 7th: Cmin7, Cm7, C-7 1 b3 (5) b7
C Eb (G) Bb Dominant 7th: C7 (Dominant 7th are usually referred
to as simply "Seventh" chords.
1 3 (5) b7 They have a "bluesy" sound compared
C E (G) Bb to major and minor 7th chords.)
Extended Chords - created by adding 9, 11, and/or 13 intervals to 7th chords. Those intervals, or "extensions" (9,11, and 13) add additional color to the basic 7th chord sounds. ONLY the highest extension is needed to create an extended chord (i.e., the C13 chord requires only the notes in C7, plus an added 13 (A) - the added 9 (D) and 11 (F) are optional). It's very important to realize that the numbers 2/9, 4/11, and 6/13 are the same. When you count up the notes of the major scale, the notes start over at 8 (i.e., 8 is an octave above 1 - the same note, just up higher). Continuing that pattern (i.e., if 8=1), then 9=2, (10=3), 11=4, (12=5), 13=6. When forming extended chords on the guitar fretboard, look for the numbers 2, 4, and 6 in the fingering patterns when you need the intervals 9, 11, and/or 13 respectively.
Major: (note that every major chord contains all natural intervals - no sharps or flats)
Cmaj9, CM9, C 9 (note that the 5 is optional by
the guidelines above - as in
1 3 (5) 7 9 7th chords)
C E (G) B D
Cmaj13, CM13, C 13 1 3 (5) 7 (9) (11) 13 (note that the 5, 9, and 11 are
C E (G) B (D) (F) A optional by the guidelines above -
only the highest extension is
required, and the 5 is optional).
Minor: (note that every minor chord has a b3 and b7)
Cm9, Cmin9, C-9
1 b3 (5) b7 9
C Eb (G) Bb D
Cm13, Cmin13, C-13 1 b3 (5) b7 (9) (11) 13 (note that the 5, 9, and 11 are
C Eb (G) Bb (D) (F) A optional by the guidelines above)
Dominant: (note that every dominant chord has a natural 3 and a b7)
C9
1 3 (5) b7 9
C E (G) Bb D
C13 1 3 (5) b7 (9) (11) 13 (note that the 5, 9, and 11 are
C E (G) Bb (D) (F) A optional by the guidelines above)
C11 1 3 (5) b7 (9) 11 (note that the 5 and 9 are optional
C E (G) Bb (D) F by the guidelines above)
Altered Chords: chords with a sharped or flatted 5 and/or 9 (i.e., #5 or b5, and/or #9 or b9). Alterations are typically notated by parentheses after a chord label, i.e., G7(b5). Flats are often indicated by minus signs ("-"), and sharps by plus signs ("+"). Although 5, 9, and 11 are optional in some extended chords (see the guidelines above), they should be included whenever altered (i.e., in a C9 chord, the 5 is optional. In a C9(#5), the 5 is required):
Major:
Cmaj9(#11) (note that #11 and b5 are the same note: 11=4, and #4=b5)
1 3 (5) 7 (9) #11 (note that the 5 and 9 are optional
C E (G) B (D) F#
Minor:
Cmin7(-5) 1 b3 b5 b7
C Eb Gb Bb
Dominant: (this category is most often altered)
C7(+5), C7(#5), C7aug Chords containing a #5 are
also called "augmented", or
1 3 #5 b7 "aug" chords.
C E G# Bb Caug or C(#5) "Caug" (no 7) refers to a simple
major triad with a #5.
1 3 #5
C E G# C7(#9) or C7(+9) 1 3 (5) b7 #9
C E (G) Bb D# C7(b9) or C7(-9) 1 3 (5) b7 b9
C E (G) Bb Db C7(-5) or C7(b5) 1 3 b5 b7
C E Gb Bb C9(-5) 1 3 b5 b7 9
C E Gb Bb D C7(b9,b5) 1 3 (5) b7 9
C E (G) Bb D
C7(#9,b5) 1 3 b5 b7 #9
C E Gb Bb D#
Suspended Chords: "sus" means replace the 3 interval with either a 2 or 4, as indicated. If no number is given (2 or 4), then sus means "4".
Csus4 (remember: a plain "C" = 1 3 5)
1 4 5
C F G Csus (same as Csus4)
1 4 5
C F G C7sus4 1 4 5 b7
C F G Bb Csus2
1 2 5
C D G C7sus2 1 2 5 b7
C D G Bb
Add Chords: triads (major and minor) with one or more added intervals (6 and/or 9). The difference between add chords and extentended chords is that add chords do not contain a 7. All notes are required in add chords:
Cadd6, C6, C 6, Cmaj6, CM6
1 3 5 6 (C major triad, with an added 6)
C E G A Cadd9, C add9, CM(add9) 1 3 5 9 (C major triad, with an added 9)
C E G D C6/9, C6add9, Cadd6/9 1 3 5 6 9 (C major triad, with an added 6 and 9)
C E G A D Cm6, C-6, Cmin6 1 b3 5 6
C Eb G A
Half Diminished Chords: one very common type of altered chord, "half diminished" means the exact same thing as "minor 7th with a flatted 5". Very common in minor chord progressions:
Co7, Cmin7(-5), Cm7(b5), C-7(b5), etc.
1 b3 b5 b7
C Eb Gb Bb
Diminished Chords: The interval pattern 1 b3 b5 (6). Diminished chords have the unique characteristic of repeating every 3 frets. You can take any diminished chord fingering and move it up repeatedly in three fret increments, and all positions will contain the same notes:
Co, Cdim (diminished triad) 1 b3 b5
C Eb Gb
Co7. Cdim7
1 b3 b5 6 (6 is also called bb7)
C Eb Gb A
Try moving this shape up 3 frets,
and look at the note spellings at
each location - they are the same.
"Slash" Chords: The note following a slash symbol should be played as the bass (lowest sounding) note in the chord. When playing with a band, guitarists often ignore slash symbols, allowing the bass or piano instruments to play the bass note:
C/G
1 3 5
C E G, with the "G" note played as the lowest note in the chord formation C/Ab
1 3 5
C E G, with and added "Ab" note played in the bass C7(b5)/Gb 1 3 b5 b7
C E Gb Bb, with the "Gb" note played as the lowest note in the chord formation
Every accomplished guitarist knows, and has completely memorized and deeply ingrained, a variety of fingering patterns for every basic type of chord. Chords are the foundation of rhythm guitar and some lead guitar styles - they provide the basic background sounds used to accompany melodies and create compositions. If you want to be able to read chord charts, play by ear, or improvise, then you should learn the shapes that are found in the music you like. Add them to your habitual vocabulary. They are perhaps the most important and useful elements of music to be practiced on the guitar. |
