Guitar/Chord Types

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A chord is three or more different notes played simultaneously. The name of a chord is determined by its root note, and the relationship between the root note and the chord's other notes. A root note is usually the lowest note in a chord, but this is not always the case. Chords may be strummed or picked through. Beginners will find strumming much easier, and picking is examined in more depth in the Picking and Plucking chapter. By definition double-stops and power chords are not chords, but intervals.

While chords are primarily used for rhythm guitar, basic chord knowledge is important for lead playing as well. The lead parts of many songs often require the use of chords, and in certain styles of playing, chords can make up the lead part entirely. Additionally, many lead patterns revolve around arpeggios, which are chords with their notes played in sequence, rather than together. For more information on arpeggios, see the Arpeggio and Sweep Picking chapter.

Chords are easy to play, but to understand why they sound how they do and why certain chords work better together than others, it is important to understand scales. While it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of scales to find this section useful, prior understanding of scales will definitely improve one's understanding of chords. It is recommended that before reading this section, one should familiarise themselves with general music theory first.

There are two main ways of playing chords, using open chords, which are the fundamental and often easiest chords for the guitar. Learning these chords is important, because it sets the stage for learning all other chords. Barre Chords are chords you make while pressing all (or most) of the strings down with your first finger. Barre chords are special, because they can be moved up and down the neck of the guitar, and the type of chord remains the same, although all the notes change. Barring is an important technique and greatly opens up the depth of the instrument.

[edit] Different Kinds of Chords

Major chords are defined by the major triad. The major triad comprises of three notes which are spaced at specific intervals. In ascending order: the root, major third and perfect fifth. These intervals are also found between the first note of a major scale and the third note (major 3rd), and the first note and the fifth note (fifth). Take for example, a C chord. If we play the C major scale on the guitar, we will notice it's relationship to the chord. In the C major scale, the first, third and fifth notes are C, E, and G. If we were to play a C major chord and pick through it, the notes are from lowest to highest, C, E, G. We can add more notes of the same letter names in different registers without altering the chord's designation, for example C major played in first position on a guitar comprises C, E, G, C, E. Major chords have a characteristically bright and happy sound.

Minor chords use the minor triad which is defined as root, minor third and perfect fifth. These intervals are also found between the first to third and first to fifth notes of the minor scale. Minor chords are slightly dissonant and so sound dark and melancholy. Minor chords are best understood in relation to major chords, and we will use the examples of E major and E minor. In the E major scale, the the third and fifth notes are G and B. If we play the E minor scale, the fifth note is unchanged, but the third note is a semitone lower than the third note in the major scale. When we play an E major chord, we can flatten the third of the chord by lifting the finger that is holding down the third string at the first fret, making it an open string.

Switching between major and minor chords can be relatively easy, as it involves the change of only one note. But since any particular note can be played in different places on the guitar, it might be difficult to change between certain major and minor chord fingerings. For example changing between an open F major to an F minor can be difficult. This can be solved by playing chords in different ways, such as by using bar chords.

Diminished chords consist of a minor third with another minor third on top. To make a diminished seventh chord you add another minor third onto the existing triad. This chord is considered fully-diminished and can be noted as such Co7 (a diminished triad with a diminished 7th). A half-diminished chord consists of a diminished triad with a major third on top. In other words, a half-diminished chord is a diminished triad with a minor seventh. Diminished chords are full of tension. Because fully-diminished chords are built entirely of minor thirds you can move the chord shape up the neck in intervals of a minor third and the same chord will sound except in a different inversion.

Seventh chords adds a seventh note to the given chord. The seventh interval is defined as that made between the first note and the seventh notes on a major or minor scale. Seventh intervals can be major, minor or in special cases, diminished. The chord that adds a minor seventh to a major triad is written as A7, G7, etc. Seventh chords sound dissonant, and can strongly direct the music toward the harmony that follows it.

Sixth chords adds a sixth to the chord. It does not sound dissonant as a seventh chord can, because the major sixth note is a minor third below the root of the octave.

Suspended chords removes the third from the chord, replacing the note with a second or a fourth. The guitar part in John Lennon's "Happy Christmas" uses suspended chords.

Slash chords are chords that are not in root position. For example, a C/G is a C chord with a bass note of G.