Table Of ontents Ho to Fretboard hord Basics and Major hords Minor hords I-IV-V in Major Keys Minor Key hords Progression hord Inversions uitarzoom
uitar Tuning: Moderate q = to Ê Â = = = Tuning x. x. = = B = hord Theory B e omplete hord Freedom in ays F F#/b #/b #/Bb B #/b #/b Rob she Ho The Fretboard Works Standard guitar tuning, as described above, provides a lot of friendly posi ons for the hand to grab various chords that ould otherise be unavailable if the guitar as tuned differently. guitar string is pre y much laid out in a linear fashion like a piano. ach guitar string starts at the loest pitch it is tuned into, and then it progressively goes up a half step in pitch every fret un l the en re sequence repeats itself every frets (albeit at a higher pitch). Since the guitar has six s rngs, it's like having six pianos laid out across the fretboard. Notes of the th String From Open to th Fret # # b n # b n uitarzoom
The sequence of notes, from the open string to the note on the th fret, is called the chroma c scale. The note on the th fret of each string is the same as that of the open string's note. only sounding an octave higher. Fret markers (the dots on the fretboard) help a guitar player navigate the fretboar easier. We typically find dots at the rd, th, th, and th frets. The th fret typically has to or more dots represen ng the octave from the open string. x. x. Since the fretboard is designed as such, there ill be numerous pa erns all over the fretboaard that can be repeated. For example, every guitar player can memorize one chord or scale shape and be able to transpose it up or don by simply moving the en re shape to a different loca on rather than learn ne fingering. To successfully do this, one must be able to iden fy on the fretboard the root notes of a scale or a chord. Octaves Knoing here octaves and unisons are on the fretboard also helps in naviga ng the fretboard to find root notes. Unisons uitarzoom
Other than for fretboard naviga on by looking for root notes, octaves can also be used to create very interes ng melody or lead lines. x. Octaves Used In a Melody/Lick x. Notes of the th String From Open to th Fret b n # b n # # #/Bb B #/b #/b F F#/b #/b x. Notes of the th String From Open to th Fret b n # # b n # #/b F F#/b #/b #/Bb B #/b x. Notes of the rd String From Open to th Fret # b n # b n # #/b #/Bb B #/b #/b F F#/b uitarzoom
x. Notes of the nd String From Open to th Fret # b n # # b n B #/b #/b F F#/b #/b #/Bb B x. Notes of the sy String From Open to th Fret # # b n # b n F F#/b #/b #/Bb B #/b #/b uitar Strings, Same Notes on ifferent Strings, and Timbre One of the remarkable things on the guitar is the ability to play the same note on different strings (as demonstrated hen finding unisons). Hoever, it does not mean that they ill sound exactly the same. For example, if e play a passage on the nd string, e expect it to have a bright sound. If e play the same passage on the rd string. the pitches may be the same but the tone or mbre ill be rounder/armer because the string is thicker plus there is copper or bronze ire rapped around the string. x. Sample Lick on nd String x. Sample Lick on rd String uitarzoom
x. x. hord Basics and Major hords hord Shapes (a.k.a. oboy or hurch hords) to is a perfect th apart The basic chord consists of a triad, three notes that together form a harmony. triad contains a root note, a note an interval of a rd aay, and another note a th aay. Building hords to is a major rd apart to is a minor rd apart We can also think of a triad as a stack of rds. In this case, our major chord consists of a major rd ( to ) stacked over a minor rd ( to ). to is a major rd apart # # # uitarzoom
x. The "" hord Shape Typical guitar chords consist only of the root, rd, and th repea ng themselves in different strings. For example, the "coboy" chord has the (root) and (repea ng themselves in a number of strings: ny shape or pa ern on the fretboard, as said earlier, can be moved around to transpose it. In the case of choirds, a "" chord shape can be moved to turn it into a different chord. ll that is needed is to find the root, and then form the chord shape. For example, e can build a chord using a "" chord shape: x. # # When moving chord shapes, remember to use the first finger as a barre (replacement for the nut) to form barre chords. Otherise, if a barre is not used, some open strings ill ring out and the chord ill not sound correct. hord shapes can also provide a frameork for melodic playing or soloing (especially in styles such as Bluegrass) since the root, rd, and th are already there. ll that is needed to do is to fill in the blanks to follo a par cular scale. x. Bluegrass Lick Using hord Shape uitarzoom
x. The "" hord Shape When playing the chord e o en leave out the on open th string. lthough the on the th string ill belong to the chord, e tend to leave it out or even mute it ith the thumb of the fre ng hand to keep it from ringing. This is because this lo can make the chord sound muddy. # # # x. <#> # Bass notes on the th string can ork ell ith an chord if the situa on calls for playing some simple bass lines: # # # # # <#> # # # uitarzoom
x. II B ## # The shape (like many other shapes and pa erns for guitar) is movable. In this instance, e can move the shape to play a B chord. We use our first finger to form a barre over the nd fret to act as a replacement for the nut ith the open shape. We then use the nd. rd, and th fingers of the fre ng hand for the shape itself: One alternate fingering for the barre chord that uses the shape involves the en re rd finger barring over the nd, rd, and th strings to form the shape and then the st string is muted. This alternate fingering is used hen a darker, less chimy sound is desired. Some people also use this fingering hen using the nd, rd, and th fingers prove to be too cumbersome over a single fret. B x. x. The "" hord Shape II # n n # This par cular chord voicing has an extra played on the nd string. This makes the chord sound rather ght, making it a favored chord voicing by many guitar players. J B uitarzoom
This is another chord voicing for. The open B at the nd string makes this x. chord voicing "jangly". # x. The "" hord Shape J B B The chord shape is one of the most useful shapes because, like the shape, it llends itself ell to forming barre chords. B # B # J x. Becaise of its compact shape plus easy access to open strings, the chord shape lends ell to playing lead/melody lines and licks. # # j j # uitarzoom
x. The great thing about the shape is that it can be easily moved up and don the neck to form hat's called th-string barre chords. ll that one has to do is find the root on the th string, foirm a barre over that fret here the root is. and then form the shape over the next to frets. Here's using the shape: x. # The "" hord Shape The chord shape forms a nice triangle over the rd, nd, and st strings. F# # F# x. The chord can be played ith a simple bass line using the open th and th strings. # uitarzoom
x. The chord's triangle shape can be easily moved up the fretboard, leading to chord voicings on the st, nd, and rd strings that sound really interes ng. In this example, e have a that has the voicing of a chord shape. The trick to using this shape is to remember that the root note is at the nd string (rd finger). / /B / / fr fr # n fr # fr x. nother chord voicing that uses the shape has the root on the th string. This kind of chord voicing takes a bit more prac ce because of that stretch beteen the st and nd finger. fr x. Using hord Fragments Look at this F chord. While this is tradi onally played as a barre chord, e can also make use of the fragment at the st four strings that looks like a modified shape and play it. You can further modify the chord into an Fmaj or an F(add). F F FŒ Š F( ˆˆ) uitarzoom
Minor hords x. The process of turning major chords into minor chords is loering the pitch of the rd by a half step (going flat). The diagrams belo sho some open major chords contrasted ith open minor chords (emphasis on flat rd) # (b) n # (b) n # n (b) x. fr When dealing ith barre chords, the process is the same: e just fla en the rd. For instance, if you ant a -string voicing of m, you just find the root note on the th string and then apply a barre here that root lands (th fret). erards, apply an shape and fla en the rd by taking off your middle finger. Remember that you can move this shape all over the neck. x. The m shape can be moved all over the neck as ell. This is example is m using the m shape: uitarzoom
x. b onver ng the shape into minor is rather imprac cal or unieldy. To get m, e can just use either the m shape (th-string barre chord at the rd fret) or the m shape (th-string barre chord at the th fret) as a more prac cal ay of doing it: b fr The shape is also unieldy to convert to minor, and therefore e use other shapes to be x. able to play m. It is possible to form a m out of the open shape by simply fla ening the rd. It can be easier to use an m (th-string barre chord at the rd fret) shape to do that but e can also use an m shape (th-string barre chord at the th fret): b I-IV-V In Major Keys x. b b It pays ell to kno a number of chord progressions such as the I-IV-V because they are shared by many songs. fr n uitarzoom
uitarzoom I IV V B x. fr fr B x. # # # # # # # # I-IV-V in the Key of # # # # # # I-IV-V in the Key of Using th String Barre hords # #
uitarzoom x. fr fr x. F x. # # I-IV-V in the Key of # # n n # # # ## I-IV-V in the Key of
x. I-IV-V in the Key of B B F # # # # # n n n nn Minor Key hord Progression i-iv-v x. i-iv-v in the Key of Minor i iv v fr fr fr b b uitarzoom
b b x. i-iv-v in the Key of Minor fr b b b b bb b b # x. i-iv-v in the Key of F Minor F B x. -m- hord Progression # j j uitarzoom
# j j ( ˆˆ) # J J n hord Inversions x. There are instances hen chords start at notes other than the root. These kinds of chord voicings are called inversions. Why do e bother learning inversions? There are many benefits including interes ng chord voicings, efficient transi on beteen chords, smooth voice leading, lead and melody lines. and be er visualiza on and naviga on of the fretboard for maximum freedom to do everything that you ant. Root Position st Inversion nd Inversion Loest note is root Loest note is rd Loest note is th uitarzoom
x. (Root and Inversions) R R R R R F# x. (Root and Inversions) F# # F# F# F# R R R R R # # # # # x. # Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- # # # # # # R R R x. B Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- B B B R R uitarzoom
x. B # # Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- # B B # # B # # # R R x. F# Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- # F# F# F# # # R R x. F n F Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- F # F F n R R uitarzoom
x. hord Inversions xercise, Strings -- # # # # # # F n n tc... x. Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- uitarzoom
x. Root Posi on and Inversions xercise cross the n re Fretboard x. Root Posi on and Inversions, Strings -- x. Root Posi on and Inversions xercise cross the n re Fretboard x. # # Root Posi on and Inversions xercise cross the n re Fretboard # # # # # # # uitarzoom
Progress Tracker Ho to Fretboard hord Basics and Major hords Minor hords I-IV-V in Major Keys Minor Key hords Progression hord Inversions / / / / / / ate / / / / / / uitarzoom