Playing Minor Chords
Table Of Contents How Chords Are Built CAGED Chord Shapes Playing Minor Chords
2
3 3 4
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23 Rob Ashe
Guitar Tuning: = E2 = A2 = D3
= G3 = B3 = E4
How Chords Are Built The basic chord consists of a triad, three notes that together form a harmony. A triad contains a root note, a note an interval of a 3rd away, and another note a 5th away. Study of chords involves examining major chords first i.e. chords that start with a major 3rd apart. These chords tend to sound "happy" or "bright". We can also think of chords as a stack of 3rds
Moderate q = 100 to 105 Ex.1
° 4 &4
C Major Chord (C)
1
C to E is a major 3rd apart
w w w w w
5 4
C to E is a perfect 5th apart E to G is a minor 3rd apart
0 1 0 2 3
¢⁄
CAGED Chord Shapes Major chords on a guitar in standard tuning typically exist in at least five different voicings, all of which can cover the en�re fretboard. This sequence of chord voicings or shapes is called CAGED, named a�er the tradi�onal shapes of open major chords:
Ex.2
° 5 &4 2
¢⁄
C
A
G
E
D
œœ #œœœ œœœ œ œ
œ œ #œœ œœ #œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ
0 1 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
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0 2 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
2 3 2 0
C
œœ n nn œœœ
C
C
nœœœ n œœœ œœ œœœ
C 5fr
œœ œœ œœ
C 8fr
œœ œœ
C
A
G
E
D
0 1 0 2 3
3 5 5 5 3
8 5 5 5 7 8
8 8 9 10 10 8
12 13 12 10
10fr
4 4
3
Playing Minor Chords
24
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 have C minor. Since it is imprac�cal to use the C shape to do this, we find another voicing. This �me we will play C using an A shape to go from C to Cm.
Ex.3 C
° 4 &4 4
C‹
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙
(b)
b˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
3 5 5 5 3
¢⁄
3 4 5 5 3
A to Am would be an easier way to demonstrate how one can go from a major chord to a minor.
Ex.4 A
° #n˙˙ & n ˙˙ ˙
A‹
5
¢⁄
4
0 2 2 2 0
(b)
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
4 4
0 1 2 2 0
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Progress Tracker Date How Chords Are Built CAGED Chord Shapes Playing Minor Chords
GuitarZoom © 2015
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5
2
3 3 4
GuitarZoom © 2015
Learn Chord Theory in No Time Ê Â ‰
„ ‚ ·
23 Rob Ashe
Guitar Tuning: = E2 = A2 = D3
= G3 = B3 = E4
How Chords Are Built The basic chord consists of a triad, three notes that together form a harmony. A triad contains a root note, a note an interval of a 3rd away, and another note a 5th away. Study of chords involves examining major chords first i.e. chords that start with a major 3rd apart. These chords tend to sound "happy" or "bright". We can also think of chords as a stack of 3rds
Moderate q = 100 to 105 Ex.1
° 4 &4
C Major Chord (C)
1
C to E is a major 3rd apart
w w w w w
5 4
C to E is a perfect 5th apart E to G is a minor 3rd apart
0 1 0 2 3
¢⁄
CAGED Chord Shapes Major chords on a guitar in standard tuning typically exist in at least five different voicings, all of which can cover the en�re fretboard. This sequence of chord voicings or shapes is called CAGED, named a�er the tradi�onal shapes of open major chords:
Ex.2
° 5 &4 2
¢⁄
C
A
G
E
D
œœ #œœœ œœœ œ œ
œ œ #œœ œœ #œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ
0 1 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
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0 2 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
2 3 2 0
C
œœ n nn œœœ
C
C
nœœœ n œœœ œœ œœœ
C 5fr
œœ œœ œœ
C 8fr
œœ œœ
C
A
G
E
D
0 1 0 2 3
3 5 5 5 3
8 5 5 5 7 8
8 8 9 10 10 8
12 13 12 10
10fr
4 4
3
Playing Minor Chords
24
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 have C minor. Since it is imprac�cal to use the C shape to do this, we find another voicing. This �me we will play C using an A shape to go from C to Cm.
Ex.3 C
° 4 &4 4
C‹
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙
(b)
b˙˙˙ ˙ ˙
3 5 5 5 3
¢⁄
3 4 5 5 3
A to Am would be an easier way to demonstrate how one can go from a major chord to a minor.
Ex.4 A
° #n˙˙ & n ˙˙ ˙
A‹
5
¢⁄
4
0 2 2 2 0
(b)
n˙˙˙ ˙˙
4 4
0 1 2 2 0
GuitarZoom © 2015
Progress Tracker Date How Chords Are Built CAGED Chord Shapes Playing Minor Chords
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