Are You Just Beginning Guitar Playing? Then This Is the Guide For You! Designed for novice guitar players, this easy-to-understand guide will assist in learning to navigate the fretboard and improve finger dexterity.
A chord is any collection of notes separated by an interval of three notes, typically separated by an X and O on chord charts to indicate when those strings should not be played and when they should remain open.
Major Triad
Major triads are chords composed of three tones arranged in either of two ways and serve as the fundamental building block for tonal music. Triads are constructed within scales; to create one start by choosing any pitch from that scale before counting up until reaching third and fifth pitches – it should take you no more than 3 and 5 pitches respectively!
Triads consist of three notes; these are the root and middle notes, and then an ideal fifth. Triads may be altered through augmenting, decreasing or inverting; the latter involves having similar structures but with different notes; this technique adds extra tension and interest to basslines.
The following fretboard diagram and tab depict three shapes that represent all major triads on strings 1 through 4, repeating up and down the fretboard. Names and chord symbols for each triad are also provided – note that octave doublings or open spacing don’t impact identification of chords.
Minor Triad
A minor triad is composed of three notes with a minor third on the bottom and major third (M3) at the top, often found in minor keys but also possible to find in major keys by shifting or lowering one third to minor; it is known as a minor chord and often abbreviated Mm or Cmin.
Triads are typically notated using the chord symbol followed by a suffix that denotes their type. For instance, the figured bass 4 symbol represents note E from an E-5th interval triad.
To form a major triad, write its root on the staff and draw notes a third and fifth above it (ie, draw a snowperson). Add any accidentals from the key signature; for minor, diminished, or augmented chords you must also add extra accidentals on second and fourth notes (often double sharps but they could also be naturals in certain keys).
Major Scale
The Major Scale is one of the key elements to learning guitar. Comprised of seven distinct notes across an octave, its pattern of intervals classifies it as diatonic scale.
Music composed using the Major Scale often sounds upbeat and cheerful; however, by flattening or forgoing the third note altogether you get the Minor Scale which has much darker, melancholy notes.
As seen below in C Major Scale, its root notes change slightly due to tuning differences; for instance, 2nd and 5th strings are tuned a half step lower than 1st and 6th strings, yet their patterns remain constant, making it easy for any major scale player to navigate their fretboard and play any major scale imaginable. Plus these patterns are flexible so they can be applied on any fretboard!
Minor Scale
Minor Scale is the second set of chords you should learn when learning guitar. Minor scales feature different interval patterns than major ones and have fewer flats and sharps compared to major ones, making them sound less familiar yet exotic at first listen.
Minor scales come in three flavors – natural, harmonic and melodic – each one offering their own distinct sound and key relationship with its counterpart in major scale. To identify which key a song falls under use the initial note as your guide and locate its respective major scale on a Circle of Fifths diagram.
All three forms of minor scale have similar descending patterns, while each form possesses its own distinct ascending pattern that stands out. Melodic minor has more degrees lowered towards its ascending end than going downwards; hence its name as subtonic minor.