Truefire guitar chord cookbook.pdf

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Compendium

Reference Library of Chords,

Chord Systems

and Harmony

Matthieu Brandt

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Index 3

Introduction 5

Chords 7

Open Position Chords – Major and Minor Triads 7

Open Position Chords – 4 Note Chords 8

Barre – Chords 10

Sus4 – Chords 12

Sus2 – Chords 13

Sus4 & Sus2 Chords Combinations 14

Add 9 – Chords 16 Add 11 – Chords 17 Min 7 – Chords 18 Maj 7 – Chords 20 MinMaj 7 – Chords 21 Add 6 – Chords 22 m 6 – Chords 23 m 69 – Chords 25

Maj 7 & Add 6 Extended Chords 26

Dom 7 – Chords 28

Dom 7 Extended Chords 30

Altered Dom 7 Chords 32

Diminished & Augmented Triad 34

Half Diminished Chord 35

Diminished 7th_{Chord 36}

Powerchords 37

Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_string₃₈

Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_string₃₉

Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_string₄₀

Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Sus4 & Sus2} ₄₁

Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Sus4 & Sus2} ₄₂

Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Sus4 & Sus2} ₄₃

Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Dom 7} ₄₄

Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Dom 7} ₄₅

Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Dom 7} ₄₆

Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Maj 7} ₄₇

Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Maj 7} ₄₈

Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Maj 7} ₄₉

Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Min 7} ₅₀

Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Min 7} ₅₁

Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Min 7} ₅₂

Powerchord Based Triads 53

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Chord Systems & Tricks

Open Position Chords Moved Up The Neck 55

Bar Chords without A Bar 57

Bar Chords without A Bar (Low E) 59

Chords from Progressions with Pedal Notes 60

Inversions of Triads and 4 – Note Chords 66

Chords with Chimey Close Chord Voicings 69

Complex Slash Chord 71

Chords from Quartal Harmony 72

Chord Harmony

Introduction 74

Chord Extensions 77

Chord Formulas 79

Formulas for Chord Families 81

Chord Progressions 84

Major Chord replaced by it’s dominant chord 86

Adding chords from the minor key with the same root 87

Alternative Chords in a minor key 92

Replacing the Vm with a V major chord in a Minor key 94

Changing keys (modulation) 97

Modulation to the relative minor or major 98

How to Modulate 99

The V- I Modulation 100

Modulating one whole note up 101

Modulating to the Tonic Minor 101

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Introduction

This chord reference library includes all open position chords, bar chords, all the important extensions a chord can have and a number of chord tricks and systems to classify chords.

It is the companion to the TrueFire Interactive Video Course with the same name. Among these chord tricks and systems are

‐ moving an open position chord up the neck to create new sounds ‐ using bar chords without a bar

‐ build chords that have so called close voicings, which is the use of two notes in a chord that are ½ step or 1 step apart

‐ the use of pedal notes in a chord progression

‐ counterpoint, contrary motion and melodic movement within a chord

‐ an extensive look at inversions, triads, powerchord triads and ways to expand them ‐ and finally chords that are built with quartal harmony.

You can go through this library much like you can with all the other TrueFire courses; start at the beginning, go through all the examples, the breakdown of the harmony, all the chord tricks that are described, the ways they are categorized and at a breakneck speed enlarge your chord knowledge.

But because this subject is so vast and important, you can also use it as an encyclopedia.

You can come back to the videos and powertabs whenever you’re stuck with playing the same old chords or when you need to find out how to create or extend certain chords.

You can print this reference manual which will give you a systematic rundown of almost all the chords you’ll ever need, several ways they can be categorized and a set of harmonic and melodic tricks you can use to extend chords and chord progressions.

It also includes a 30 page rundown of chord harmony theory you’ll need to place the chords into context. With every type of chord and approach to playing chords, standard chord progressions and chord tricks we’ve included a list of hit songs to help you get a solid grip on chord colors and the ways they are used by the writers of hit records.

I encourage you to check out these songs and listen for the effect these chords and chord tricks have. It’s easier to remember what they sound like if you have heard a clear and practical example.

You’ll be able to label chords by players or situations or even certain songs, like: the Jimi Hendrix chord, Andy Summers chord, the Wonderwall trick or the James Bond theme.

Aside from references to these hit songs, I’ve included about 35 original compositions to illustrate how chords can be colored, how certain effects can be achieved, which chords will work in which situations and how to

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This reference manual does not include all the chords you can possibly play on guitar and it doesn’t intend to. That whole approach is senseless, because there are probably a few million and no one is going to be able to remember them all and least of all, know how to use all of them.

This reference manual does include 98 percent of all chords you’ll ever need playing pop, rock, blues, folk, r & b, soul, funk and other modern western music. I’ve stopped short of going into jazz and fusion but this manual will have given you several systems to build those chords yourself or analyze them with the extensive harmony section included. I have only included ‘playable’ chords, meaning chords for which you don’t have to break your fingers or extend them over too many frets. This library is for guitar players, not for guitar wizards.

This is a load of material, so take your time going through it.

I hope you enjoy this systematic approach and am convinced it will help you extend your chord knowledge. It will make you recognize chords and chord progressions quicker and help you find certain chord effects when you’re composing songs. This manual will give you all the tools you need to analyze tabs and chord progressions you find on the internet and play the ‘correct’ guitar arrangement.

Matthieu Brandt for TrueFire

Haarlem (The Original), The Netherlands June 2008

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Open Position Chords - Major and Minor Triads

Definition : Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings

with 3 different notes: the root, the third and the fifth.

Some of these notes can be doubled.

Chord Formula : Major Triad = 1-3-5 & Minor Triad = 1-b3-5

Styles of Music : Folk, Country, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc.

Examples : House of the Risin’ Sun (The Animals), A Horse With No Name (America)

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Open Position Chords – 4 Note Chords

Definition : Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings

with 4 different notes: the root, the third, the fifth and the seventh.

Chord Formula : Dominant Seventh = 1-3-5-b7 , Major Seventh = 1-3-5-7 &

Minor Seventh = 1-b3-5-b7

Styles of Music : Folk, Country, Blues, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc.

Examples : Angie (Rolling Stones), Knocking on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan),

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Barre – Chords

Definition : Major and Minor Chord Triads and 4 Note Chords,

that use the barred index finger across 6 or 5 strings.

One or more chord notes are doubled.

Chord Formula : Major Triad = 1-3-5 , Minor Triad = 1-b3-5 ,

Dominant Seventh = 1-3-5-b7 , Major Seventh = 1-3-5-7 &

Minor Seventh = 1-b3-5-b7

Styles of Music : Folk, Country, Blues, Pop, Rock, Americana, Roots, Heavy, etc.

Examples : No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley)

How To Use : Root of the chord can be found on the 6th_{and 1}st_string.

Place your index finger across all strings at the desired location of the root

(F = 1st_{fret, F# = 2}nd_{fret, G= 3}rd_{fret, etc.).}

Shape your other fingers like the open position E, Em, E7 and Em7

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How To Use : Root of the chord can be found on the 5th_string.

Place your index finger across the top 5 strings at the desired location

of the root (Bb = 1st_{fret, B = 2}nd_{fret, C= 3}rd_{fret, etc.).}

Shape your other fingers like the open position A, Am, A7 and Am7

chord shapes to get the desired chord color.

How To Use : Root of the chord can be found on the 5th_string.

Place your pinky on the desired root on the 5th_string

of the root (C# = 4th_{fret,D = 5}th_{fret, D# = 6}th_{fret, etc.).}

Shape your middle and ring finger like the open position C or Cmaj7

chord shapes to get the desired chord color.

Barre your index finger across the top 5 strings, three frets lower

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Sus4 – Chords

Definition : 3 Note chords with root, suspended 4th_{and perfect fifth.}

The suspended 4th can be found 5x1/2 note (5 frets) up from the root.

The chord is major nor minor and can be played as a replacement for

both types of chords.

Chord Formula : Suspended 4th_{= 1-4-5 & Dominant Sus4 = 1-4-5-b7 .}

Styles of Music : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, etc.

Examples : sus4 My Generation (The Who), Monday Monday

(Mama’s and the Papa’s), A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

(Queen).

7sus4 Venus (Shocking Blue), Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan),

Annie’s Song (John Denver), Needle and the Damage Done

(Neil Young), Vincent (Don McLean), Pinball Wizard (The Who),

Black Velvet (Alannah Myles) .

sus4->minor Kathy’s Song (Simon & Garfunkel)

hidden sus4 Wonderwall (Oasis), You’re Beautiful (James Blunt)

When to use : Suspends the Major or Minor Third of the Chord. Used for variation when a

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Sus2 – Chords

Definition : 3 Note chords with root, suspended 2nd_{and perfect fifth.}

The suspended 2nd can be found 2x1/2 note (2 frets) up from the root.

The chord is major nor minor and can be played as a replacement for

both types of chords.

Chord Formula : Suspended 2nd_{= 1-2-5 .}

Examples : One (U2), Fire and Rain (James Taylor), Green Eyes (Coldplay).

When to use : Used for variation when a chord is played for a relatively long period

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Sus4 & Sus2 Chord Combination

Definition : Combination of sus4 and sus2 chords. Both suspended chords are

often combined to create melodies within a chord.

The major or minor third of the chord is also added in the melody.

Chord Formula : Suspended 2nd = 1-2-5, Major Triad = 1-3-5 or Minor Triad =1-b3-5 and

suspended 4th_{= 1-4-5}

Examples : Summer of ’69 (Brian Adams), Brass in Pocket (Pretenders), Annie’s Song

(John Denver), Happy Christmas (John Lennon), The Winner Takes It All

(Abba), Vincent (Don McLean), The First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens).

When to use : To create melodies on top of a major or minor triad

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Add 9 Chords

Definition : A Major or Minor Triads that has an added 9th_.

A Minor Seventh Chord with an added 9th_{is called a Minor Ninth Chord.}

This is the same note as the suspended 2nd_{(2x ½ note or 2 frets above the}

root), usually played 7 whole notes or 14 frets above the root.

Chord Formula : Add9 = 1-3-5-9, madd9 = 1-b3-5-9 and m9 = 1-b3-5-b7-9.

Styles of Music : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Rock Ballads, Latin, Jazz, etc.

Examples : add9 Lover You Should’ve Come Over (Jeff Buckley),

Dust in the Wind (Kansas), I Got A Name Jim Croce),

madd9 Fade To Black (Metallica), Every Breath You Take (Police),

m9 Language (Suzanne Vega)

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Add 11 Chords

Definition : A Major or Minor Triads that has an added 11th_.

This is the same note as the suspended 4th_{(5x ½ note or 5 frets above the}

root), usually played 8 1/2 whole notes or 17 frets above the root.

Chord Formula : Add11 = 1-3-5-11, madd11 = 1-b3-5-11 and m11 = 1-b3-5-b7-11.

Examples : add11 Miss You (Rolling Stones)

m11 Here, There and Everywhere (The Beatles)

m7add11 About A Girl (Nirvana), Back To You (John Mayer)

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Min 7 – Chords

Definition : A Minor Triad that has an added flatted 7th_.

This flatted 7th lies 10 x ½ note or 10 frets above the root of the chord

(same as 2 frets down).

Chord Formula : 1-b3-5-7

When to use : Gives the minor chord a softer color. Can often be interchanged with

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Maj 7 – Chords

Definition : A Major Triad that has an added major 7th_{. This major 7}th_{lies 11 x ½ note or 11}

frets above the root of the chord (same as 1 fret down).

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-7

Styles of Music : Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc.

Examples : Lying Eyes (The Eagles), Photographs and Memories (Jim Croce),

God Bless The Child (Billy Holiday), Sunny Skies (James Taylor),

Show me the Way (Peter Frampton), Old Friends (Simon & Garfunkel),

Harvest Moon (Neil Young).

When to use : Gives the major chord a softer more mellow color.

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MinMaj7 – Chords

Definition : A Minor Triad that has an added major 7th_.

This major 7th lies 11 x ½ note or 11 frets above the root of the chord

(same as 1 fret down).

Chord Formula : 1-b3-5-7

Examples : My Funny Valentine (Standard), This Masquerade (George Benson),

Don’t You Worry ‘ bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder), Stairway To Heaven

Something (Beatles) ; all in a progression down from the Im-chord

Static: It’s Probably Me (Sting), The Ragpickers Dream (Mark Knopfler)

When to use : The mMaj7 chord has a mysterious sound with a lot of tension.

The most common place you’ll find this chord is in a progression downwards

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Add 6 – Chords

Definition : A Major Triad that has an added major 6th_.

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-6

Examples : Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf), Lenny (Stevie Ray Vaughan),

One of These Nights (The Eagles), All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan),

Ventura Highway (America).

When to use : It can replace a major or a dominant seventh chord.

It’s not as harsh as a dominant seventh chord (no tritone interval) and

in a Latin Jazz setting you’ll often find this chord next to a major 7th_.

Sometimes found in upward or downward chord progressions from

maj->maj7->b7->add6 vise versa; Ordinary Pain (Stevie Wonder)

add9->maj->maj7->add6; At Seventeen (Janis Ian), Shine Silently (Nils Lofgren)

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m 6 – Chords

Definition : A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th_{or flatted 6}th_(uncommon)

The flatted 6th_{(also referred to as b13) lies 8 x1/2 note or 8 frets above}

the root of the chord.

The major 6th_{stems from the Dorian Minor Scale and the flatted 6}th_from

the Aeolian Minor Scale. The notation for this chord can also be min(min6).

Chord Formula : 1-b3-5-6 or 1-b3-5-b6

Examples : Play That Funky Music, White Boy (Wild Cherry)

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m 69 – Chords

Definition : A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th_{AND an added 9}th_.

Chord Formula : 1-b3-5-6-9

Styles of Music : Jazz, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc.

Examples : Forty Thousand Headmen (Traffic), 3x5 (John Mayer),

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Maj 7 and Add 6 Extended Chords

Definition : A Major Triad that has an added major 6th_{and/or an added major 7}th

and/or one other extension

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-6-7, 1-3-5-7-13, 1-3-5-7-9, 1-3-5-6-9

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Dom 7 Chords

Definition : A Major Triad with an added flatted 7th_{on top of the root of the chord.}

This note is 10 x ½ note (10 frets) above the root or 2 frets down.

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-b7

Styles of Music : Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc.

Examples : Almost all 12-bar blues progressions,

Dom 7th_{on I-Chord Mrs. Robinson (Simon and Garfunkel)}

More than Words (extreme)

When to use : Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval

between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh.

This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can

be played for a longer period of time without resolving.

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Dom 7 Extended Chords

Definition : A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added from the parent

scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the dominant

seventh chord is the 5th_degree.

Notes from this scale are added on top of the Dom 7th_chord.

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-b7-9 (Dom 9th_{), 1-3-5-b7-13 (Dom 13}th_{), 1-3-5-b7-11 (Dom 11}th₎

Styles of Music : Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc.

Examples : Almost all 12-bar blues progressions (Chicago style Texas and West Coast)

When to use : Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval

between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh.

This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can

be played for a longer period of time without resolving.

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Altered Dom 7 Chords

Definition : A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added that are NOT part of

the parent scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the

dominant seventh chord is the 5th_{degree. Notes that are not part of this scale}

are added on top of the Dom 7th_chord.

The fifth of the chord can also be lowered or raised (alt-5th_{= aug or dim)}

Chord Formula : 1-3-5-b7-b9 (Dom 7b9th_{), 1-3-5-b7-#9 (Dom 7#9}th_{), 1-3-5-b7-b13 (Dom 7b13}th_),

1-3-b5-b7 (Dom 7b5), 1-3-#5-b7 (Dom 7#5)

Styles of Music : Blues, Rock, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, etc.

Examples : Dom 7#9 Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)

When to use : These chords have a lot of tension that wants to resolve. They can be used as

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Diminished and Augmented Triad

Definition : A 3 Note Major chord with the 5th_{of the chord lowered (diminished) or raised}

(augmented). The diminished triad can be found as the 7th degree of an

Ionian Major scale. The augmented triad is a symmetric chord; it’s as stack

of three major third intervals. Each of the chord tones can function as the root.

Chord Formula : 1-3-b5 (dim), 1-3-#5 (aug)

Styles of Music : Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Latin etc.

Examples : Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker), All My Lovin’ (The Beatles),

Mama Mia (ABBA), James Bond Theme.

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Half-Diminished Chord

Definition : A Minor Triad with the 5th_{of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added}

flatted seventh. The Half-Diminished 4 Note chord can be found as the 7th

degree of an Ionian Major scale and as 2nd_{degree chord in an Aeolian Minor}

scale.

Chord Formula : 1-b3-b5-b7.

Styles of Music : Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc.

Examples : Autumn Leaves, Stella by Starlight, Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae),

Change The World (Eric Clapton), Free as a Bird (Beatles)

When to use : These chords tend to only be used as a IIm7b5 chord in a ii-V7-I in minor.

Because these 4 notes are also part of the upper extension of Dominant

Ninth chord a major third lower than the root, it is also used as a replacement

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Diminished 7th_Chords

Definition : A Minor Triad with the 5th_{of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added}

diminished seventh. This is a flatted flatted seventh.

This chord is symmetric; it is a stack of 4 minor third intervals on top of each

other.

Chord Formula : 1-b3-b5-bb7.

Styles of Music : Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc.

Examples : Michelle (The Beatles), bar 6 of a Jazz-Blues, What a Wonderful World

(Louis Armstrong), Need Your Love So Bad (Fleetwood Mac),

Love ME (Elvis)

When to use : Often used as a substitution for a Dominant Seventh chord ½ note lower.

If this Dominant seventh chord is extended with a flatted ninth to give

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Powerchords

Definition : A stack of a root with a perfect fifth. Often one of these notes is doubled

(or both). Although technically a powerchord is an interval, because it only has

two different notes, these intervals are mostly referred to as powerchords.

Chord Formula : 1-5

Styles of Music : Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, etc.

Examples : 11 AM (Incubus), Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), My Generation

(The Who), Knocking on Heavens Door (Guns & Roses Cover),

The Unforgiven (Metallica), Rumble (Link Wray), You Really Got Me

(The Kinks).

When to use : Chord has no major or minor third and can be used as a replacement for both.

Because it has a limited ‘color’ it’s often used in rough edged songs.

Too thicken up the chord, the fifth of the chord is sometimes doubled

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Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_string

Definition : Major and Minor Triads on 3 adjacent strings

Chord Formula : 1-3-5 (major) and 1-b3-5 (Minor).

Styles of Music : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.

When to use : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments.

Locate the root on one string and shape the chord around it.

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Triads on 2nd,₃rd_{and 4}th_string

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Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_string

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Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Sus4 and Sus2}

Definition : Sus4 and Sus2 Triads on 3 adjacent strings

Chord Formula : 1-4-5 (sus4) and 1-2-5 (sus2).

These can be seen as harmonic variations of the major or minor triads.

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Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Sus4 and Sus2}

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Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Sus4 and Sus2}

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Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Dom 7}th

Definition : Dom 7th_{“Triads” on 3 adjacent strings}

Chord Formula : 1-3-b7 (no 5th) and 3-5-b7 (no root).

By definition a dom 7th_{chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-b7). By leaving out one note}

we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad.

We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the

root of the chord and the 5th_{is a note we can leave out without changing the}

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Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Dom 7}th

color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Dom 7}th

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Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Maj 7}th

Definition : Maj 7th_{“Triads” on 3 adjacent strings}

Chord Formula : 1-3-7 (no 5th) and 3-5-7 (no root).

By definition a maj 7th_{chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-7). By leaving out one note}

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Expanded Triads on 2nd_{, 3}rd_{and 4}th_{string: Maj 7}th

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Expanded Triads on 3rd_{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Maj 7}th

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Expanded Triads on 1st_{, 2}nd_{and 3}rd_{string: Min 7}th

Definition : Min 7th_{“Triads” on 3 adjacent strings}

Chord Formula : 1-b3-b7 (no 5th) and b3-5-b7 (no root).

By definition a min 7th_{chord has 4 notes (1-b3-5-b7). By leaving out one note}

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Expanded Triads on 2nd, ₃rd _{and 4}th_{string: Min 7}th

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Expanded Triads on 3rd _{, 4}th_{and 5}th_{string: Min 7}th

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Powerchord Based Triads

Definition : Triads derived from Powerchords on 3 adjacent strings

Chord Formula : several.

Styles of Music : Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, etc.

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Open Position Chords Moved Up The Neck

Definition : Open position chord shapes that are moved up the neck and in

which open strings are kept ringing.

Styles of Music : Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc.

Examples : Saturday Night (Herman Brood & His Wild Romance), Sweet Bitter Blues

(Cephas and Wiggins), Homeward Bound and Scarborough Fair (Simon

and Garfunkel), Calling You – Theme from Bagdad Café (Jevetta Steel)

When to use : As harmonic variations on open position chords. The open strings that

keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.

These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or provide

colorful substitutions for barre chords.

In some cases these chords are used on top of a pedal bass, to create

harmonic motion within a certain key. Because of their well known shape

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Bar Chords Without A Bar

Definition : Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th_{or 5}th_string.

The barre played with the index finger is removed and only the root of the chord

is played with the index finger.

The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard and the open strings are kept

ringing.

Examples : Daughters (John Mayer), Sacrifice (Anouk), Sail Away (David Gray), Trouble

(Oasis), This Side (Nickel Creek), Joy (Janis Ian).

When to use : As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords

The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.

These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or barre

chords.

The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout

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Bar Chords Without A Bar (Open Low E)

Definition : Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th_{or 5}th_string.

The barre played with the index finger is removed and the low E string

rings open, together with the high E and B strings.

The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard.

Chord Formula : several

Examples : Melissa (Allman Brothers Band)

When to use : As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords

The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color.

These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or barre

chords or provide.

The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout

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Chords from Chord Progressions with Pedal Notes

Definition : Chords that occur in progressions where one or more notes keep ringing

throughout the progression. These notes are called pedal notes or pedal

points. Often these notes are open strings, but not always.

Examples : In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller),

You Oughta Know (Alanis Morisette), Crazy (Seal),

Superstition (Stevie Wonder), Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood).

When to use : To create a dissonant, dramatic effect or a sense of impending doom or

to glue chords together through one or more common tones.

The tonic and sometimes the fifth degree of a scale are the most likely pedals.

The pedal points can be the top note, the bass note or (very infrequently)

one of the inside notes of a chord / chord progression.

Examples G & D : Wonderwall (Oasis), You’re Beautiful (James Blunt.)

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Examples D : Eskimo (Damien Rice)

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Examples A : Between the Walls (Anouk), Out on the Weekend (Neil Young),

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Examples Low D : Wish You Were Here (Chicago), Eight Days A Week (Beatles),

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Inversions Of Triads and 4 Note Chords

Definition : Chord that have a note in the bass (lowest sounding note) that is not the root.

Examples : G/B Dust in the Wind (Kansas)

D/F# Carolina (James Taylor)

A/C# Here Comes The Sun (Beatles)

Am/G While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George Harrison)

E/G# Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)

C/G Kathy’s Song (Simon and Garfunkel)

Am9/G# Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

Styles of Music : Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter, etc.

When to use : To create a smooth bass line in a chord progression, introduce movement

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Chords with Chimey Close Voicings

Definition : Chords that have all the chord notes stacked as close together as possible,

often within the same octave. The voicings referred to here can contain two

notes that have an interval of ½ note or 1 whole note between them.

The tension between these adjacent notes within the chord voicing produce

a chimey effect or tension. Often one of these notes is an open string.

Examples : Every Breath You Take & Message In A Bottle (The Police), Night Vision

(Suzanne Vega), Fade To Black (Metallica), Masterplan (Oasis),

Old Man (Neil Young), Scarborough Fair (Simon and Garfunkel version),

Stealing Hubcaps (Larry John McNally)

Styles of Music : Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Heavy Metal, Singer Songwriter, etc.

When to use : To create a chord that has some tension and/or mesmerizing color / floating

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Complex Slash Chords

Definition : Inversions of chords with a note in the bass that is not the root, third, fifth or

seventh.

Examples : Gone Fishing (Chris Rea), All Blues (Miles Davis), Enough To Be On Your Way

(James Taylor), Theme From ‘Hill Street Blues’ (Mike Post).

Styles of Music : Pop, Singer Songwriter, Jazz, Fusion, etc.

When to use : To create a chord that has some tension or to create a harmonic motion with

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Chords from Quartal Harmony

Definition : Western Pop Music is written with tertiary harmony, using the 1-3-5-7 formula

on each of the notes of a scale to create chords. This leads to stacks of

major and minor thirds.

In Quartal Harmony you use the formula 1-4-7-10 to create stacks of fourths.

This leads to suspended, add11 and add#11 chords. This makes it

difficult to establish a certain key.

Because the fourth interval is the compliment of a fifth interval, Quintal Harmony

(stacks of fifth interval) can be regarded as coming from the same family.

Examples : So What (Miles Davis), Intro to Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix), Zoot Allures

(Frank Zappa), The Cage (Charles Ives)

Styles of Music : Jazz, Fusion, Modern Classical, etc.

When to use : Voice leading or modal jazz in which these chords are used to create melodies

within a certain harmonic context. Can also be used to color a chord within

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73 Stacks of Fifth Intervals:

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Chord Harmony

A song is written in a certain key.

This key is the ‘home base’ of the scale of notes that are being used in a song. A scale is number of notes, stacked in a row in order of pitch from low to high. A list of all possible notes we can play :

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1

All notes _C _C# _D _D# _E _F _F# _G _G# _A _A# _B _C

Enharmonic

names* Db Eb Gb Ab Bb

Distance between each tone = ½ note (1 fret). Enharmonic names *

E.g. Distance between C and C# = ½ note (1 fret). these notes can have two names:

Distance between C and D = 1 whole note (2 frets) # means raised with ½ note (C# is a raised C) Distance between D and F# = 2 whole notes (4 frets) b means lowered with ½ note (Db is a lowered D)

E F F

#

G G

#

A A

#

B C C

#

D D

#

E

G

b

A

b

B

b

D

b

E

b

Each scale is a subset of all these notes. Scales are made with a formula.

The scales we use mostly consist of 7 notes, with a set distance between each note. This distance can be ½ note (1 fret), a whole note (2 frets), 1 ½ notes (3 frets), etc. A ‘major scale’ (a.k.a. an ionic scale) has the formula 2‐2‐1‐2‐2‐2‐1.

This means that the distance between the first tone and the second tone is 2 x ½ note = 1 whole note (2 frets).

the distance between the second and third tone is 2 x ½ note = 1 whole note (2 frets). the distance between the third and fourth note is 1 x ½ note (1 fret). Etc.

You can create a major scale on every note on the fretboard.

If you start with a certain note and follow the formula, you’ll always end up with a major scale. The note you start on is called the ‘key’.

E.g. if you are playing in the key of G major the notes (and the distance between them) would be :

G A B C D E F# G

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The chords we use in Pop and Rock music come from the major (Ionian) scale or one of the Minor scales (Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian). We’ll first take a look at chords derived from the Ionian Major scale

In Western Pop, Rock, Blues, Funk, etc. music we use what is called “tertiary” harmony.

This means that most common chords are stacks of third intervals; a major third (4x ½ note or 4 frets) or a minor third (3x ½ note or 3 frets).

The chords we can build from an Ionian major scale can be found by taking each of the notes of the scale as the root and using the formula 1‐3‐5. You skip a note up from the root (nr. 2) and add the one you land on (nr.3). You do the same again, skipping nr.4 and adding the next (nr.5).

This will result in a chord with tertiary harmony; major chord and minor chords.

If you write down the scale, start at a note (tonic) and skip every other note, you end up with a chord. E.g. C = C D E F G A B C . Start at C (=1). The other chord notes are E(=3) and G (=5).

Start at D (=1). The other chord notes are F(=3) and G (=5). Start at G (=1). The other chord notes are B(=3) and D (=5).

Note that when we ‘calculate’ the 3 and 5, we do this relative to each of the tonics we chose (=1).

Depending on the distance in notes between the 1 and the 3,

we end up with a major chord (4 x ½ note) or with a minor chord (3 x ½ note). If we calculate the chords for each scale, we end up with this chord table:

Key I ii iii IV V vi vii B C#m D#m E F# G#m A#dim E F#m G#m A B C#m D#dim A Bm C#m D E F#m G#dim D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim G Am Bm C D Em F#dim C Dm Em F G Am Bdim F Gm Am Bb C Dm Edim Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm Adim Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm Ddim Ab Bbm Cm Db Eb Fm Gdim Db Ebm Fm G Ab Bbm Cdim

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Each Major Key has 7 notes and thus 7 chords.

Major chords are notated with capital Roman Numerals (I,IV,V). Minor chords with small Roman Numerals (ii,iii,vi).

In a major key the chord on the 7th degree vii is never used; you can disregard it.

This is because the 5th of that chord (formula 1‐3‐5 on the 7th note of the scale) is lowered, which creates an unstable chord.

In a major key the I chord is called the Tonic, the IV chord is called the Subdominant and the V chord is called the Dominant. These are the three most important chords in a major key. These chords are Major.

The other three chords on the second, third and sixth degree are used as substitutes for the I,IV and V. They are Minor chords.

Due to the notes in the chords the I chord can be substituted by the vii chord (e.g. C → Am ) the IV chord can be substituted by the ii chord (e.g. F → Dm ) the V chord can be substituted by the iii chord (e.g. G → Em )

This can be done because these ‘substitute’ chords have 2 notes in common with the chord they replace.

If a song only uses the 3‐note chords (triads) from the left six columns of the chord table, the resulting sound can be described as ‘folk’, ‘country’, etc.

This is because there is a limited amount of tension in the chord progression; all the notes in all the chords come from one key and we have not added any ‘extensions’ to the chord.

Each of these chords has certain character which stems from the type of triad. A major chord has the root, a major third and a perfect fifth.

It’s “chord formula” is 1‐3‐5.

A minor chord has a root, a flatted third and a perfect fifth. It’s formula is 1‐b3‐5.

The unstable chord built on the 7th note (degree) has a flatted third and a flatted fifth. The chord formula for this chord is 1‐b3‐b5.

Chord Notes in Chord Substitute Chord Notes in Chord

C C E G Am A C E

F F A C Dm D F A

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Chord extensions

On top of the 3 note chords with the formulas 1‐3‐5 and 1‐b3‐5 you can add notes. The notes are called “Extensions”. They can give a chord more ‘color’.

These notes are added to the “chord formula”.

The most common extension is adding the 7th note in the scale up from each of the notes in the scale. The formula we used to build chords on top of the scale notes was 1‐3‐5.

Skip one note up from the 5th note in the chord and add the one you land on. The formula will become 1‐3‐5‐7 .

If we change the formula of the triad 1‐3‐5 to 1‐3‐5‐7 we end up with these chords: Key

I maj7 iim7 iiim7 IVmaj7 V7 vim7 viim7b5

Bmaj7 C#m7 D#m7 Emaj7 F#7 G#m7 A#m7b5

Emaj7 F#m7 G#m7 Amaj7 B7 C#m7 D#m7b5 Amaj7 Bm7 C#m7 Dmaj7 E7 F#m7 G#m7b5 Dmaj7 Em7 F#m7 Gmaj7 A7 Bm7 C#m7b5 Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 D7 Em7 F#m7b5 Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5 Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 Bbmaj7 C7 Dm7 Em7b5 Bbmaj7 Cm7 Dm7 Ebmaj7 F7 Gm7 Am7b5 Ebmaj7 Fm7 Gm7 Abmaj7 Bb7 Cm7 Dm7b5 Abmaj7 Bbm7 Cm7 Dbmaj7 Eb7 Fm7 Gm7b5

Dbmaj7 Ebm7 Fm7 Gmaj7 Ab7 Bbm7 Cm7b5

Note that we are remaining within the scale. Each of these chords has a color.

This color can be defined as ‘smooth’ when you’re adding a major 7th to a major chord. You can add tension to a major chord when you add the flatted 7th to it. Etc.

If you are in the key of G for instance, the notes are :

G A B C D E F# G

2 2 1 2 2 2 1

Building a 4‐note chord with the formula 1‐3‐5‐7 would get you a chord with the notes G,B,D,F# .

Because the distance between the tonic G and the added note F# (the 7th from the scale) is 11 x ½ note we call this chord a ‘major 7th chord’ or ‘maj7’ or ‘∆7’.

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Note: the ‘maj’ in major 7th refers to the 7th note. It has nothing to do with if the chord is major or minor. A chord is major or minor depending on the third of the chord.

Which means that there is actually a chord like Ammaj7.

Which is ‐ an A minor chord with a C note in it, which is the flatted 3rd (or 3 frets) above the tonic

‐ and a major seventh, which is a G# (= 11 frets above the tonic). If we remain in the key and build 4‐note chords with the 1‐3‐5‐7 method we end up with 4 different chords, each with their own chord formula:

maj7th chords ‐ the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 11 frets ‐ Chord Formula: 1 ‐ 3 ‐ 5 ‐7

m7 chords ‐ the triad is minor and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets ‐ Chord Formula: 1 ‐ b3 ‐ 5 ‐b7

7 chord ‐ the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets ‐ Chord Formula: 1 ‐ 3 ‐ 5 ‐ b7

m7b5 chord ‐ not used in a major key: triad is minor, the fifth is lowered and the distance between the tonic and the 7th note is 10 frets. ‐ Chord Formula: 1 ‐ b3 ‐ b5 ‐ b7

In the key of G this results in:

Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F#m7b5

For 4‐note chords the same rules for substitution apply:

Due to the notes in the chords the Imaj7 chord can be substituted by the viim7 chord (e.g. Cmaj7 → Am7 ) the IVmaj7 chord can be substituted by the iim7 chord (e.g. Fmaj7 → Dm7 ) the V7 chord can be substituted by the iiim7 chord (e.g. G7 → Em7 )

This can be done because these ‘substitute’ chords have 3 notes in common with the chord they replace. You can also substitute these chords by the associated triads, e.g. Cmaj7 → Am .

Songs with 4‐note chords have more color. Modern pop songs, jazz and blues use these chords. Chord Notes in Chord Substitute Chord Notes in Chord

C maj7 C E G B Am7 A C E G

F maj7 F A C E Dm7 D F A C

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Chord Formulas

Each chord has a chord formula. The sound a certain chord has stems from this formula.

Two chords with the same formula, built on different roots, will have the same character / color / flavor.

Because we mostly use tertiary harmony in Western Pop and Rock music most chord will have chord formulas like 1‐3‐5 or 1‐b3‐5 or 1‐3‐5‐7, etc. But other formulas are possible too, each resulting in their own specific sound.

A chord with the formula 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9 is called a dominant ninth chord.

A chord with the formula 1‐2‐5 is a sus2 chord and the chord formula 1‐4‐5 results in a sus4 chord.

The numbers in these formulas refer to the distance between the root of the chord and the note you add. The number 4 for instance refers to the distance of a “perfect fourth” which is 5 frets.

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This is a table of the numbers, the intervals they result in and the name.

Number in Chord Formula

Distance to Root in Notes Distance to Root in frets Name of Interval

1 0 0 Unison b2 ½ 1 Minor Second 2 1 2 Major Second b3 1 ½ 3 Minor Third 3 2 4 Major Third 4 2 ½ 5 Perfect Fourth #4 / b5 3 6 Augmented Fourth Diminished Fifth 5 3 ½ 7 Perfect Fifth #5 / b6 4 8 Augmented Fifth Minor Sixth 6 4 ½ 9 Major Sixth b7 5 10 Minor Seventh 7 5 ½ 11 Major Seventh 8 6 12 Octave b9 6 ½ 13 Minor Ninth 9 7 14 Major Ninth #9 7 ½ 15 Augmented Ninth 11 8 ½ 17 Eleventh #11 9 18 Augmented Eleventh b13 10 20 Diminished Thirteenth 13 10 ½ 21 Thirteenth #13 11 22 Augmented Thirteenth

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Formulas for Chord Families

Adding any one of these notes to the chord formula will influence the sound of the chord. The most important chord formulas can be divided into three ‘families’ of chords ; major, minor and dominant.

We’ll also include some chord formulas that are harder to categorize.

The most common chord formulas and their names are listed here.

Chord Symbol (Major Chords) Name Chord Formula

Major 1‐3‐5

6 Major 6th 1‐3‐5‐6

Maj7, ∆7 Major 7th 1‐3‐5‐7

9 Major 9th 1‐3‐5‐7‐9

add 9 Major Added 9th 1‐3‐5‐9

6/9 Major 6/ 9th 1‐3‐5‐6‐9

∆7/6 Major 7th / 6th 1‐3‐5‐6‐7

∆7/ #11 Major 7th Sharp Eleventh 1‐3‐5‐7‐#11

13 Major 13th 1‐3‐5‐7‐9‐13

Note: Whenever the number 7 shows up in a chord formula, one needs to be careful. In the formulas above the 7 means the major seventh; 11 frets up from the root. In the notation C7 the 7th is actually a flatted seventh; 10 frets up from the root. The chord formula for a C7 = 1‐3‐5‐b7

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Chord Symbol (Minor Chords) Name Chord Formula

m Minor 1‐b3‐5 m6 Minor 6th 1‐b3‐5‐6 m7 Minor 7th 1‐b3‐5‐b7 m9 Minor 9th 1‐b3‐5‐b7‐9 m 11 Minor 11th 1‐b3‐5‐b7‐9‐11 m7/11 Minor 7 / 11th 1‐b3‐5‐b7‐11

m add9th Minor add 9th 1‐b3‐5‐9

m ∆7 Minor Major 7th 1‐b3‐5‐7

m6/9 Minor 6th / 9th 1‐b3‐5‐6‐9

Chord Symbol (Dominant Chords) Name Chord Formula

7 Dominant 7th 1‐3‐5‐b7

7/6 Dominant 7th 6th 1‐3‐5‐6‐b7

7 sus4 Dominant 7th sus4 1‐4‐5‐b7

7/11 Dominant 7th /11th 1‐3‐5‐b7‐11 9 Dominant 9th 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9 11 Dominant 11th 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐11 13 Dominant 13th 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐13 7b9 Dominant 7th flat 9th 1‐b3‐5‐b7‐b9 7#9 Dominant 7th sharp 9th 1‐b3‐5‐b7‐#9 7b13 Dominant 7th flat 13th 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐b13

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Chord Symbol (Other Chords) Name Chord Formula

dim Diminished Triad 1‐b3‐b5

aug Augmented Triad 1‐3‐#5

dim 7, o Diminished 7th 1‐b3‐b5‐bb7

aug 7 Augmented 7th 1‐3‐#5‐b7

sus2 Suspended 2nd 1‐2‐5

sus4 Suspended 4th 1‐4‐5

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Chord Progressions

Chord progressions consist of a number of chords, taken from one or more scales. The I, IV and V chord are the most important chords in a major key.

The others can be added for variation.

In pop songs the chords can move freely from one to the other, with a few rules of thumb: ‐ generally the last chord in a song is the tonic / key in which the song is written*

‐ the strongest chord progression is from the V chord to the I chord

‐ if you add notes to a chord from a different scale, you’ll be playing a chord from a different scale ‐ adding chords from a different scale adds tension to a progression

* We’re not looking at songs that change key (modulate) just yet.

The V‐I progression in the key of G would be a D‐G or a D7‐G or a D‐Gmaj7, etc.

The relationship the tonics of these chords have, is the bases for this tension/resolution. Even a Dm‐G or Dm‐G are relatively strong chord progressions.

The strength of the V‐ I progression and the amount of tension / release depends on the types of chords involved.

Generally a major chord as a V chord wants to resolve more than a minor. This makes the D – G a stronger progression than a Dm – G.

And a dominant 7th chord as a V chord wants to resolve even more. This makes a D7 – G an even stronger progression.

Anytime you have a V‐I chord progression, you’ll have some tension / resolution.

The distance between the tonic of the V chord and the tonic of the I chord is 5 x ½ note (5 frets). Anytime there is a distance of 5 x ½ note between the roots of two chords, we have a strong chord progression.

In a major scale 5 of the 6 chords we use in pop music can function as a V chord for some I chord. And even the m7b5 chord on the 7th degree can function as a V chord

The key of G has the notes G, A, B, C , D, E and F#.

In the key of G the distance between the G note and the C note is 5 x ½ note

the A note and the D note is 5 x ½ note

the B note and the E note is 5 x ½ note

the D note and the G note is 5 x ½ note

the E note and the A note is 5 x ½ note.

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Any progression between chords that are built on a pair of these roots (G‐C,A‐D,B‐E,D‐G,E‐A and F#‐B) will have a strong tension/resolution .

This means that in the key of G: the G wants to resolve to a C the Am wants to resolve to a D

the Bm wants to resolve to an Em

the D wants to resolve to a G

the Em wants to resolve to an Am

the F#m7b5 wants to resolve to a Bm

(never used; if used the progression becomes F#m ‐ Bm)

In general this means that: the I chord wants to resolve to the IV chord

the iim wants to resolve to the V chord

the iiim wants to resolve to the vim chord

the V chord wants to resolve to the I chord the vim chord wants to resolve to the iim chord the viim chord wants to resolve to the iiim chord Both the I‐IV progression and the V‐I progression use major chords.

The first chord being major makes for a stronger tension/resolution than if the first chord would be minor.

If we change the minor chord into major in one of the strong progressions described above, we’ll be creating an even stronger progression.

To change a minor chord to major we need to raise the flatted 3rd of that chord by ½ note. This makes the distance between the tonic and the third of the chord 4 x ½ note (4 frets). The chord will become a major chord.

In the key of G this would mean:

Chord Name Notes in chord Flatted 3rd Raise the 3rd Result Name Chord

iim Am A C E C C# A C# E A II

iiim Bm B D F# D D# B D# F# B III

vim Em E G B G G# E G# B E VI

viim ** F# m F# A C# A A# F# A# C# F# VII

** The dim chord on the 7th

degree can be replaced by a regular minor chord in these cases by raising the flatted 5th to a perfect 5th.

Because this introduces another note from a different scale, it is only applicable in a V‐I progression.