Guitar chords may seem complex to those just starting out; even more experienced guitarists still have much to gain by understanding them and how they are constructed.
Triad chords are the easiest form of chord to compose; composed of three notes connected by intervals.
Understanding these intervals can provide a glimpse into why certain chords work so well together.
Key of D
Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr’s soulful classic “Just the Two of Us” features an infectious melody with accessible chords that anyone can easily play, making this tune a great duet piece to get people on their feet. One effective method for performing “Just the Two of Us” is using Dbmaj9 chords with jazzy overtones to give an exciting jazzy edge to your guitar playing or use C7b9 chords for dramatic effect.
Chords
A chord is composed of notes that work together. Guitar chords consist of triads that contain intervals; these differences between notes create different sounds; for instance, major triads contain major intervals and create happy-sounding songs while minor triads contain minor intervals for melancholic or menacing tones.
Beginner guitarists should start off with basic major and minor chords as a starting point, which can be found throughout popular music.
Once you’ve mastered those, move on to bar chords that use all six strings. Beginner guitarists often find these more difficult, as it takes strength to press all six strings down at once. Practice these chords frequently in order to develop finger strength and achieve clear sound; make sure your arched fingers can touch as many strings as possible!
Frets
Just the Two of Us’ guitar chords are straightforward and accessible for both beginning musicians and advanced performers alike. The Cmaj7 chord, consisting of root note C, major third E, perfect fifth G and minor seventh D creates a gentle sound which is extremely soothing to listen to. To play it yourself: place index finger on second fret of D string (i.e. 4th string) while middle finger on 2nd fret B string (2nd string), both as seen below – strumming from A string as necessary – 2019 MyMusicSheet All Rights Reserved
Scale
There are songs that can be played using just two chords; however, I believe that doing so for too long would become tedious and repetitive. Therefore, it would be beneficial to expand your chordal repertoire by learning several more. That way you’ll add variety and keep things interesting!
F Major is an important key because its notes form part of the Dbmaj7 chord, including its root note (F), minor third E and major seventh B notes. To play it properly you will require using both index finger on fret 2 of D string and ring/pinky finger on fret 3 of A string of your left hand to produce this chord.
Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. made this timeless classic popular through their rendition, featuring an impressive blend of R&B, soul, and jazz music with simple yet elegant chord progressions that any guitarist can easily learn.