Understanding chords requires more than simply memorizing shapes; you must also gain an understanding of how they are constructed and their respective intervals that create them.
Sus chords (available in two forms: sus2 and sus4) remove one note from a major or minor scale and are comprised of the first, third and fifth notes from that scale.
Triads
Triads are an indispensable way to learn chord theory. Triads form the backbone of Western music, and help create more complex chord progressions. Their simple impact gives your songs emotion and structure while you can use triads as building blocks to add deeper harmony layers.
Triads consist of three unique pitch classes and come in many varieties such as major, minor, diminished and augmented chords. Their quality determines how consonant and stable the chord sounds.
To identify a triad, draw its root on the staff and write notes a third or fifth above it. Apply any necessary key signature accidentals and label each chord note using Roman numerals; this makes remembering their names easier. Furthermore, inversions help identify chords: those starting on its root position (Root Position), while chords starting on its second (First Inversion).
Scales
Beginning to learn chord names and reading them can be daunting at first; but eventually it becomes invaluable when communicating with other musicians.
Reading a chord chart requires reading its thickest horizontal line as the nut (zero fret), the vertical lines as strings and dots or circles as where to position your fingers on the fretboard. If you want to explore more deeply into theory and scales library check our guitar scales library but for now focus on learning chords themselves.
Sus chords can add suspense and tension when played immediately before or after another parallel major or minor chord, creating suspenseful transitions from one chord to the next. They’re made up of either the 1st, 3rd or 4th note of a scale but with either its third or fourth note moved out of position on the chord (if someone refers simply to “sus”, it will usually mean sus4; however it’s best practice to specify exactly which sus chord you intend for best results.)
Intervals
As part of learning guitar chords, it is necessary to practice reading interval names. This is an integral component in understanding different kinds of chords as well as how you can form them yourself.
Minor/major 7 chords utilize the 1st, flat 3rd, and 5th notes from a major scale to form a triad. Although technically known as a diminished triad, since it contains a perfect fifth tone it sounds much more balanced and doesn’t create dissonant sounds; sometimes written as “m7b5″ or min7”.
Learning all these letters, numbers and symbols may seem intimidating at first, but knowing how to read them can make learning music much simpler – not to mention when other musicians describe songs or chord progressions as one four and five! Learning these reading skills will become even more useful as time goes on – reading musical notation becomes even easier!
Slash
The slash symbolise chords in music, acting as an intuitive shorthand way of showing which string and finger should be played and which finger pressed against the fretboard. Chords comprise three or more notes that play simultaneously for a fuller sound than individual notes played individually.
Minor chords can evoke many different emotions. They’re typically denoted by their root letter followed by “m” for minor. An “m” indicates the chord contains both a minor third and fifth.
Before reading a chord chart, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with guitar strings. The thickest string should appear on the far left; thinnest on the far right. Numbers at the top correspond with fingers on your left hand: index finger is 1, middle finger 2 and ring finger 3.
Power chords are among the fullest-sounding guitar chords and form the backbone of many rock songs.