Going Through Fretboard Using Minor Chords
Going Through Fretboard Using Minor Chords Rob Ashe
Ê Â ‰
„ ‚ ·
Guitar Tuning: = E2 = A2 = D3
= G3 = B3 = E4
To play minor chords, all that a guitar player has to do is drop or fla�en the 3rd a half step. In this example, we are going to go from A to Am by moving C# (the 3rd from A) a half step down (one fret).
Ex.1
Moderate q = 100 to 105 A
A‹
° 4 #˙˙ & 4 ˙˙ ˙
D 2 ° #˙˙˙ & ˙˙ 5 7 7 7 5
0 1 2 2 0
To play minor chords, all that a guitar player has to do is drop or fla�en the 3rd a half step. In this example, we are going to go from A to Am by moving C# (the 3rd from A) a half step down (one fret). D‹
Ex.2
2
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
0 2 2 2 0
¢⁄
¢⁄
(b)
5fr
(b)
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
5fr
5 6 7 7 5
GuitarZoom © 2015
2 Just like major chords, a minor chord is a stack of thirds. However, it is the opposite of major in that it has a minor 3rd over a major 3rd
° &
3 Ex.3 A to C is a minor 3rd apart
¢⁄
w w w
C to E is a major 3rd apart
5 5 7
The procedure is s�ll the same when using different chord voicings. In this example, we will look at A as a 6th-string barre chord converted to Am.
Ex.4 A
A‹
° #˙˙˙ & ˙˙ ˙ 4
¢⁄
(b)
˙˙ n˙˙ ˙˙
5 5 6 7 7 5
5 5 5 7 7 5
This 6th-string barre chord used to play Am can be moved across the fretboard to be able to play other minor chords, keeping in mind that the root is at the 6th string e.g. moving the 6th-string minor chord to the 7th fret gives us Bm, 10th fret gives us Dm, etc.
Ex.5 B‹
° #˙˙˙ & #˙˙ ˙
D‹ 7fr
5
¢⁄
7 7 7 9 9 7
GuitarZoom © 2015
˙˙ n˙˙ ˙˙
10fr
10 10 10 12 12 10
3
We can always convert our minor chords to major by simply raising the fla�ened 3rd a half step upwards. In the case of 6th-string barre chords, we just add our middle finger to the 3rd string.
Ex.6 B
D 7fr
n ˙˙ n˙˙˙ n˙
6 ° ##˙˙˙˙ & #˙ ˙ 7 7 8 9 9 7
¢⁄
A 10fr
3
G 5fr
˙˙ #˙˙ ˙ ˙
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙
5 5 6 7 7 5
3 3 4 5 5 3
10 10 11 12 12 10
When we encounter C in its C shape, it's valid to ask, "Can we turn that into Cm?" Using the C shape, it is imprac�cal to turn it into minor.
° nw w & nw w w 8 Ex.7
¢⁄
nw w bw w w
0 1 0 2 3
0 1 0 1 3
If we try to force the issue, we end up with this strange chord with an Eb and an E natural. Together, these two notes form an interval of a minor 2nd, and it just sounds nasty in any chord. Unless you are trying to deliberately annoy listeners, you will forget about using this kind of chord. The best way to form Cm is to use barre chords using the A, E, and D shapes (6th-string barre chord at the 8th fret, 5th-string barre chord at the 3rd fret).
Ex.8
° & 10
¢⁄ 4
C
w w w w w 3 5 5 5 3
C‹
(b)
C
bw w w w w
˙ n˙˙˙ ˙˙
3 4 5 5 3
8 8 9 10 10 8
C‹
(b)
˙ b˙˙˙ ˙˙ 8 8 8 10 10 8
C
nw w w w 12 13 12 10
C‹ 10fr
(b)
bw w w w
10fr
11 13 12 10
GuitarZoom © 2015
4 The G shape can be cumbersome to convert to minor. Therefore, if we are to play Gm, it is easier to use E, A, and D shapes.
G
G‹
Ex.9
° ˙˙˙ & ˙˙ ˙ 15
¢⁄
3 3 4 5 5 3
G
n ˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
˙˙ b˙˙ ˙ ˙ 3 3 3 5 5 3
G‹ 10fr
10 12 12 12 10
b ˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
G 10fr
10 11 12 12 10
n ˙˙ ˙ ˙
G‹ 5fr
b ˙˙ ˙ ˙
5fr
7 8 7 5
6 8 7 5
E‹
E
E‹
#w w w w
nw w w w
#w w w w w
4 5 4 2
3 5 4 2
7 9 9 9 7
We use the same principles to convert E and D into minor chords.
Ex.10 E
° nw w &# w w nw w 18
0 0 1 2 2 0
¢⁄
E‹
w nw w w w w 0 0 0 2 2 0
E
7fr
nw w w w w
7fr
7 8 9 9 7
Ex.11 D
D‹
° #˙˙ & ˙˙
n˙˙ ˙˙
24
¢⁄
2 3 2 0
GuitarZoom © 2015
1 3 2 0
5
Ê Â ‰
„ ‚ ·
Guitar Tuning: = E2 = A2 = D3
= G3 = B3 = E4
To play minor chords, all that a guitar player has to do is drop or fla�en the 3rd a half step. In this example, we are going to go from A to Am by moving C# (the 3rd from A) a half step down (one fret).
Ex.1
Moderate q = 100 to 105 A
A‹
° 4 #˙˙ & 4 ˙˙ ˙
D 2 ° #˙˙˙ & ˙˙ 5 7 7 7 5
0 1 2 2 0
To play minor chords, all that a guitar player has to do is drop or fla�en the 3rd a half step. In this example, we are going to go from A to Am by moving C# (the 3rd from A) a half step down (one fret). D‹
Ex.2
2
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
0 2 2 2 0
¢⁄
¢⁄
(b)
5fr
(b)
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
5fr
5 6 7 7 5
GuitarZoom © 2015
2 Just like major chords, a minor chord is a stack of thirds. However, it is the opposite of major in that it has a minor 3rd over a major 3rd
° &
3 Ex.3 A to C is a minor 3rd apart
¢⁄
w w w
C to E is a major 3rd apart
5 5 7
The procedure is s�ll the same when using different chord voicings. In this example, we will look at A as a 6th-string barre chord converted to Am.
Ex.4 A
A‹
° #˙˙˙ & ˙˙ ˙ 4
¢⁄
(b)
˙˙ n˙˙ ˙˙
5 5 6 7 7 5
5 5 5 7 7 5
This 6th-string barre chord used to play Am can be moved across the fretboard to be able to play other minor chords, keeping in mind that the root is at the 6th string e.g. moving the 6th-string minor chord to the 7th fret gives us Bm, 10th fret gives us Dm, etc.
Ex.5 B‹
° #˙˙˙ & #˙˙ ˙
D‹ 7fr
5
¢⁄
7 7 7 9 9 7
GuitarZoom © 2015
˙˙ n˙˙ ˙˙
10fr
10 10 10 12 12 10
3
We can always convert our minor chords to major by simply raising the fla�ened 3rd a half step upwards. In the case of 6th-string barre chords, we just add our middle finger to the 3rd string.
Ex.6 B
D 7fr
n ˙˙ n˙˙˙ n˙
6 ° ##˙˙˙˙ & #˙ ˙ 7 7 8 9 9 7
¢⁄
A 10fr
3
G 5fr
˙˙ #˙˙ ˙ ˙
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙
5 5 6 7 7 5
3 3 4 5 5 3
10 10 11 12 12 10
When we encounter C in its C shape, it's valid to ask, "Can we turn that into Cm?" Using the C shape, it is imprac�cal to turn it into minor.
° nw w & nw w w 8 Ex.7
¢⁄
nw w bw w w
0 1 0 2 3
0 1 0 1 3
If we try to force the issue, we end up with this strange chord with an Eb and an E natural. Together, these two notes form an interval of a minor 2nd, and it just sounds nasty in any chord. Unless you are trying to deliberately annoy listeners, you will forget about using this kind of chord. The best way to form Cm is to use barre chords using the A, E, and D shapes (6th-string barre chord at the 8th fret, 5th-string barre chord at the 3rd fret).
Ex.8
° & 10
¢⁄ 4
C
w w w w w 3 5 5 5 3
C‹
(b)
C
bw w w w w
˙ n˙˙˙ ˙˙
3 4 5 5 3
8 8 9 10 10 8
C‹
(b)
˙ b˙˙˙ ˙˙ 8 8 8 10 10 8
C
nw w w w 12 13 12 10
C‹ 10fr
(b)
bw w w w
10fr
11 13 12 10
GuitarZoom © 2015
4 The G shape can be cumbersome to convert to minor. Therefore, if we are to play Gm, it is easier to use E, A, and D shapes.
G
G‹
Ex.9
° ˙˙˙ & ˙˙ ˙ 15
¢⁄
3 3 4 5 5 3
G
n ˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
˙˙ b˙˙ ˙ ˙ 3 3 3 5 5 3
G‹ 10fr
10 12 12 12 10
b ˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
G 10fr
10 11 12 12 10
n ˙˙ ˙ ˙
G‹ 5fr
b ˙˙ ˙ ˙
5fr
7 8 7 5
6 8 7 5
E‹
E
E‹
#w w w w
nw w w w
#w w w w w
4 5 4 2
3 5 4 2
7 9 9 9 7
We use the same principles to convert E and D into minor chords.
Ex.10 E
° nw w &# w w nw w 18
0 0 1 2 2 0
¢⁄
E‹
w nw w w w w 0 0 0 2 2 0
E
7fr
nw w w w w
7fr
7 8 9 9 7
Ex.11 D
D‹
° #˙˙ & ˙˙
n˙˙ ˙˙
24
¢⁄
2 3 2 0
GuitarZoom © 2015
1 3 2 0
5
