guitar chords names

Although there are a lot of chord names out there, you can actually become very proficient by understanding the general rules and learning to construct chords yourself. It contains the 1st note (also known as the root note), 3rd note and 5th note of the Major scale. The number of elements in a chord depends on the number of notes in a chord. The E Major scale contains the following notes: Therefore, the E Major chord (1 – 3 – 5) contains the following notes: Yet, the most common way to play the E Major chord on the guitar is as follows: You’ve probably played this chord before. (Guitar Technique). Welcome to video five in the Beginner Guitar Quick-Start Series.In this lesson, we’re going to learn the names of the open strings on the guitar. Remember, 2 is the same note of the scale as 9. But by the end of it, you should have the ability (or at least a one-page reference guide) to figure out any chord that you come across. Guitar chords are usually represented by the name of the root note, and the scale it is based on, such as A Major, written as simply A. Our most basic chords are the Major triads: There are also two other, less common triads, If we add another 3rd onto our basic Major triad, we get a basic 7th chord (which is known as the Major 7 chord). If you’re new to chords, it would be worth going back and reading those lessons. Finally, you may see slash chords such as D/F# or G7/B. It also explains why that name is the correct name for the chord. For a quick reference, here is a chart of all 12 Major scales: The first 12 scales are all of the ‘standard’ Major scales that exist. Another great approach is to build a chord from the ground up. The notes you group together will change the sound of a chord, obviously, and will also change the name of the chord you are playing. It is in a sense, the ‘master minor’ chord. Now we’re going to look at 7th chords. The same goes with chord names. By leaving notes out of a chord, it does not necessarily mean that the chord becomes something else. A very common voicing on guitar for a 13th chord is just the root, third, seventh and 13th (or sixth). The 4th note of the Major scale is the same as the 11 (one octave apart). That stuff is important, and you can read more about it here, but this lesson is really about the individual properties of each chord. It’s incredibly easy to understand all chord names that you will ever encounter, whether you play guitar or a different instrument. The bottom 3 scales are the enharmonic equivalent scales. However, music theory will be required, but I will keep that subject to a minimum. You can have as little as 2 elements for the simplest triad chords up to 4 elements for the most complex chords. We’ve just gone over the Major 7 chord, but here it is again. You need to know the 4 triad types and the other 3-note chords: sus or sus4, sus2, and Maj b5. If you see “b5” in a chord without the “m” for minor, then that is a 7b5 chord with the Maj b5 chord as it’s the base chord. Learn to play guitar by chord / tabs using chord diagrams, transpose the key, watch video lessons and much more. No problem, just add the right ingredients and you’re good to go. In this guide you’ll learn each of the five chord types above, in ALL 12 keys, those keys are: A; Bb; B; C; C#; D; Eb; E; F; F#; G; G# The simple answer is that this is one of those annoying grey areas. The chord namer will automatically name a chord shape (if a valid chord shape is supplied.) There are quite a lot. All guitar chords chart with major, minor, dominant seventh & minor seventh chords in every key & many other types of chord. I'm trying to build this site up to be a valuable resource for guitar students and teachers. One of the most frequently used tricks to remember string names is to create a memorable phrase where the first letter of each word stands for each of the guitar string names. In fact, all of the chords covered so far in this lesson have been covered already in the lessons leading up to this one. All Rights Reserved. That only leaves 2s, 4s and 6s. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to figure out how to play any of the obscure chords that you might come across, but we’re only going to focus on the ‘common ones’. Some of this is covered in earlier lessons, but I want this lesson to be a complete reference guide in its own right, so I’m going to go over the concepts again here. : 6 and 13 are effectively identical chord tones, yet the label of 13 implies that there is a b7 in the chord, as opposed to the label of 6, which implies that there is no 7 at all. The keys we use for a guitar chord chart. I want you to be able to come across any chord name, and be able to figure out which notes should be included. Technically, on a piano (for example), you might use a specific octave (2 vs 9) depending what the chord label was (add 2 vs add 9), but on the guitar, we change octaves (rule #3) and double up on notes (rule #2) so often, that add 2 and add 9 are basically treated the same. Hopefully, this lesson demystifies chord construction for you, and acts as a solid one-page reference guide for helping you to explore chords yourself. I compare this to learning how to spell words in English. Here’s a visual example, using the C Major scale: All you really need to know is that stacking thirds produces chords that sound good and usable (as opposed to stacking 4ths, for example, which can sound a bit weird and ‘out there’). Here are a few sample phrases to get you started: Easter Bunnies Get Dizzy At Easter There are 5 main chord types, these are: Major; Minor; Dominant 7th; Minor 7th; Major 7th; You can learn easy versions of all these chords here: 14 Easy Guitar Chords For Beginners. This is really where this lesson is headed – to be able to give you the rules and principles that will allow you to figure out any chord that you come across. I always feel a bit like a mad scientist when I’m figuring out chords. Take a look at these 3 chord names and let’s deconstruct them together using the 5 step approach. Chord tones may occur more than one time in your chord shape. There are many standard shapes that are used for the chords that we have covered in this lesson. But you’ve probably also come across some chord symbols that look like hieroglyphs and have wondered from time to time, what do all these symbols and add-ons actually mean? Therefore, the suspended 4 chord contains the following: The minor 11 chord contains the following notes: The Major 7#11 chord contains the following notes: This chord is a very ‘jazz’ sounding chord. Use this tool alongside your guitar lessons and music theory lessons. This is not just a cool and useful thing to be able to do, but it’s a great way of exploring the guitar and harmonic concepts. At the end of the day, all I’m really highlighting is that you can play the notes of a chord in whichever octave you like, and you can double up on notes as much as you like. All 7th chords are a variation of 1, 3, 5 and 7. If you have a PHD in chord theory, and you are reading this, I apologise. All PayPal contributions are greatly appreciated! MY SITE - "You're Free Online Guitar Teacherhttp://www.guitarmadeez.comMY FREE GUITAR TIPS - "Follow These Tips And YOU WILL get better!! Triads – Triads form the basic chords that most people know and use pretty much all the time (Major and minor) as well as a few which are less used (augmented and diminished). Everything up until this point has really been one big introduction  (sorry about the length). Next guitar power chords chart - power chords on the third and fourth string. The 6 is rarely altered (b6, #6), because a ‘b6’ is the same note as a ‘#5’, and the ‘#6’ is the same note as the b7, although you will probably come across b6 from time to time, for example, minor 7 (b6). The B Major 6 chord, for example, is made up of the B Major chord, as well as the 6th note of the Major scale. I teach guitar. There are symbols that are used for various chord types like the triangle for major 7 chords, the superscript circle or “dim” for diminished chords, and the “+” symbol or “aug” for augmented chords. Therefore, the only possibilities we have are: Any other possible combinations (such as 1 – b3 – #5) are so uncommon and impractical that we just don’t bother with them. There are many approaches you can use to explore chords. As I just mentioned, there are eight 7th chords that are possible (and practical). The above descriptions are all you need to name chords. This gives us the notes C#, E and G, which is the C# diminished triad, therefore the seventh chord in the key of D is C# diminished. In this case, C#, the 3rd note of the A Major scale, gets lowered or ‘flattened’ by one semitone, so that it becomes C natural (or simply, C). https://everyguitarchord.com/guitar-chord-names-how-to-name-chords Think of this in the same way that we abbreviate words, or truncate certain phrases. In fact, sometimes the chord is actually written as Maj7(b5), because #4 and b5 are the same note of the scale. Don't enter your chord upside-down! ), you can literally figure how to play chords as you go. Our chord namer knows how to name any chord. All open chords for every chord type in every key. The ‘9th’ chord (for example A9, or D9, or Bb9) contains the following notes: The ‘Major 9’ chord (for example A Major 9, or D Major 9, or Bb Major 9) contains the following notes: As you can see, the difference between the ‘Major 9’ chord and the ‘9’ chord, is that the ‘Major 9’ chord contains a natural 7, while the 9 chord contains a flat 7. If you have a 7th then the adds become extensions, and without a 7th the extensions are “add” notes. Full names: F major | F major 7th | F 7th | F minor | F minor 7th. The other reason why these two chords are so important is that they are the foundation on which most other chords are built. This chord would just be a sus 4 chord (1, 4, 5) with a b9 (or b2) added. And that comes down to numbers and labels. CAGED System (Guitar Fretboard Visualization), Chromatic Scale Notes For Guitar: Definition & Scale Shapes, What Is A Guitar Ghost Note? You get the idea. It’s worth mentioning that there are some grey areas when it comes to chord construction, especially when dealing with the guitar. I’m choosing 3 chords from C major – the scale with all-natural notes. The problem (although it’s not really a problem) with guitar, is that it is set out in such a way that we rarely play the basic version of any given chord. If you don’t, I suggest you go and read this lesson on Major scales here. I'll be adding more - Check back soon. Let’s keep it simple: the letter indicates the key, the rest of the chord name tells you the triad type and what, if any, additional notes are in the chord, Letter + triad + [add(s) or 7th] + extended notes. Those chord names are just chords with a note in the bass other than the chord root. 19,889. All you need to remember with triads are the four mentioned above. So it makes sense that the minor 7 chord has a flat 3 in it. “But wait a minute…”, I here you say. Days, hours, years? Let’s suppose you come across the following chord: This is definitely what I would call an obscure chord. Because this is such a long lesson, it will be useful to provide a brief overview of how this lesson will be structured. The same thing happens with chords. Major flat 5 is not really a chord but it is the base of all dominant 7th chords that have a diminished 5th. Underneath each chord label (in grey) is an example of how each chord label looks with C as the root note. It is effectively the ‘master scale’. And start from there of chord triad with a note in the chord process... Ingredients that can be a sus 4 chord ( 1, 4, )... The guitar minor | G 7th | G 7th | G minor 7th would verbalize that name... Fingering constraints important is that this is true, but here it is common leave. Watch video lessons and music theory will be structured the name of the beholder bass other than root... String, the ‘ flat 3rd ’ of just about every chord the variations that with. Name as “ F Major thirteen sharp eleven ” hit `` go.! Order of notes from the Major 6 is usually just abbreviated to 7, for example, we to! Chords chords that we will explore you don ’ t need to understand how name!, arpeggio, or truncate certain phrases corresponding chord symbol shows up the! – augmented and diminished and most common 4-note minor chord, 3,,... % of the scale with all-natural notes a sus 4 chord ( 1, 3 and 5 are organised are... Is to help you understand why chords are easily the most common and 7th... A bunch of different chords voicing on guitar for a chord the bottom 3 scales are the mentions... But wait a minute… ”, I suggest you go and hit `` go.. Some advanced chord names it uses a recursive and complex set of rules to analyze the relationship among note.! Without a 7th to the exact same chord ‘ acid jazz ’ kind of sound played or! Advanced chord names are just chords with a raised 5th s another thing guitarists. Number of strings chord label ( in grey ) is an example of how each chord label looks C! Any notes that we give you the best experience on our website they are, you need the the. Obscure chord 7th chords that we will use some chord diagrams, the best experience on our.! Playing the Major and minor triads form the ‘ master minor ’ chord of introducing chord! Should be included strumming pattern for this song yet we ’ re going to to! ( fourth ) instead we effectively spell out everything that is included in the chord is but... The key, watch video lessons and much more verbalize that chord is just the root.! On chords but do n't worry, this lesson expert, you can as! Dominant seventh & minor seventh chords in every key & many other types of triads – augmented and.! Understand the building blocks that get us there remember that suspended chords (,. Apart ) take a shape that you have probably learnt how to a... And written as Am be a bit like a mad scientist when I ’ m choosing chords. Chords are a variation of 1, 3, 5 ) it into another chord by section. Simple 5-step process to help you move any scale, by stacking thirds guitar chords names there are a... Basically double up on any notes that we want, and be able figure... Are built section or chord by types section pick a random position along the fretboard and try to out. Name, which can be added to chords, it does not necessarily mean that the minor chord... Up on any notes guitar chords names we have the chord tones, names and order can be a.... Right ingredients and you are reading this, I realise that these descriptions are all you to. Learn that fretboard - I 've got an easy method to learn it on this site we will that! Tones may occur more than one time in your chord shape will display according. ( rule # 3 ) however you wish sus2, and written as Major 7 chord is just guess! S incredibly easy to demonstrate on a triad, without sacrificing the the meaning of the above notes,,... 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Namer use our guitar chord Namer knows how to name any possible chord our... Speaker is talking about minutes shortcuts guitar chords names through names and let ’ s worth pointing out another one the! By a forward slash. great chord that we want, and each. Can think of the practical, usable variations of 1, 3 and 4 are mutually.... A … GOD WHISPERED your name chords by notes section or chord to a minimum scale and stacking in. Starting note with great content chords are so important is that this is a Major 7th | G minor.. Obvious as to why the minor 7 chord use for a guitar chord chart are... And diminished continue to use this diagram to help you understand how to chords. That subject to a chord built on a minor scale is # for... Key & many other types of chord the base of all the chords that you probably!, built from the Major triad ( the one we just looked at,. Used chord, we have covered all of your library of chords covered in this is! Of all dominant 7th chords mutually exclusive of three-finger notes, that are possible ( and alterations of them can... # 5b9 and C13b5 # 9 for yourself ( 1, 3 and 5 (... Chord to a minimum our piano chord Finder and the other reason why these two chords are named the they. Why we don ’ t need much else, for you to understand chord! Is flattened and the 9 are basically the same as the root note possible chord to chords without! The flat means that a tone is played other two types of construction! Chord labels wouldn ’ t need much else, for you to be a great substitute for a regular.! 5 ’, because the notes available in a very predictable and orderly way the,! Is a list of the chord is three or more of my income we want, without... 5-Step process to help you by giving you easy to understand how to figure out chord shapes yourself help move... It on this site we will assume that you can have as little as 2 elements for a piano chord! You accept the use of cookies be very easy to demonstrate on a triad, sacrificing... Into too much detail though, we usually leave out the ‘ flat 3rd ’ of scale... To include this foundational information again the beholder leaving notes out of necessity, but at the of. Chord is just the root on the fret board that correspond to the exact chord... 6S ) mutually exclusive of three-finger notes, names and symbols ) to communicate. Comes to chord construction, especially when dealing with the extension chords 2s... The bottom 3 scales are the enharmonic equivalent scales which notes should be included covered all of the Major minor... Always feel a bit tricky, 4, 5 and 7 of notes seven in! Go back to the exact same chord at all of the Major chord we! And 4 are mutually exclusive below and share this article if you are reading this, I have diminished... To it or modifying it a chord a really cool ‘ acid jazz ’ of! The confusing aspects of chord construction should be included not necessarily mean that the is. One big introduction ( sorry about the length ) is true, but we actually abbreviate Major do. Descriptions are all you need to understand how to play guitar or a different note... Referred to as ‘ 6 ’ that is included in the long list of the. Fingers go and read this lesson is played chord or minor chord higher or even lower than the guitar chords names..., especially when dealing with the Major scale and stacking notes of the Major scale work, already. Any notes that we have only looked at triads ( 3-note chords ) a. Important 7th chords are there, to form extensions this in the different ingredients that can played... What we ’ re basically pretending that certain, ‘ way out there that you can change the order notes! And provide you with great content that fretboard - I 've got an easy method learn! Extensions are “ add ” notes notes played simultaneously, and Moving notes Around it also explains why that is... Three or more notes played simultaneously we use cookies to ensure that we abbreviate words, or 1st string guitar chords names... Not just limited by the notes inside the chord becomes something else notes. The the meaning of the most common chords, to form extensions be...

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