Chords are combinations of two or more notes played simultaneously on guitar. Chords can be divided into major and minor categories for further classification.
A chord takes its name from its root note. Most chords contain three notes; those featuring more than one root note are known as extended chords.
These chords are built upon musical intervals, triads, and other concepts covered in music theory classes.
Triads
Chords are groups of three or more notes joined together into chords; their construction involves using notes in a scale to compose them; typically beginning with triads which only contain three notes.
Triads are essential building blocks of chords, consisting of the root, third and fifth note in any scale. Triads are easy to create and are the foundational structures of all major, minor and extended chords.
Addition of sevenths adds another level of difficulty when creating extended chords, opening up a whole new world that may prove quite challenging to master.
One variation on this theme is to use sus2 or sus4 chords, in which a fourth or major second replaces the third of a triad to add tension or suspense to a chord, making for an interesting change of pace and texture in performance. These work especially well before or after parallel major or minor chords.
Sevenths
Sevenths can add depth and sophistication to chord progressions, from Bacharach & David’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” to intellectual jazz pieces.
They can be created by adding a seventh interval to one of the four basic triads and can either be major or minor depending on which voicing option is chosen. A major seventh is frequently found in many styles of music and gives an intimate warmth to its progression.
Dominant sevenths are popularly used in blues music to convey feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction, often leading up to the tonic chord of an established key. Other sevenths such as fully diminished are more active and can often move between keys without being completely stable in their progression; these chords may also serve as passing chords.
Extended chords
Chords featuring extra notes tend to be found in musical genres that allow for improvisation, such as jazz and funk. The extra tones add depth and complexity, creating tension within the chord itself.
Extended chords may include notes in the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth scale degrees – known as tension notes or chord tones – in addition to their root, third, fifth, and seventh scale degrees. These extra notes are known as tension notes.
Extended chords differ significantly from their dominant cousins in both construction and notation; often written as Cmaj9 or C13 for example.
Note that notes in an extended chord should be separated by an octave to avoid dissonance when playing these chords, and also sometimes drop certain tones such as ninth or thirteenth for easier fretting; this technique is known as chord voicing.
Chord progressions
Chord progressions are essential in creating the structure of any song, and are used across most genres of music. A common chord progression seen in popular songs like “Let It Be” by The Beatles or “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley is I – IV – V progression.
Before beginning to learn to read a chord diagram, it is vital that one can recognize its structure. Chord diagrams are typically drawn horizontally with lines representing strings and circles or O’s representing frets.
Notice some chord shapes are doubled? This indicates two of each note within a chord – which occurs because guitar chords contain multiple-timbral notes unlike woodwind and brass instruments which can only play one note at once.
Step one in learning this skill is practicing basic chords and then trying out your favorite song’s chord progressions – this will enable you to transition smoothly between chords without missing a beat!