Chords are an integral component of any guitar song. But what exactly are they?
Guitar chords are combinations of notes played on the fretboard that create different types of melodic intervals. Knowing these shapes is essential for every guitarist – from novices to more experienced musicians alike!
1. Major Triad
If you’re new to guitar playing, a Major Triad chord can be an excellent starting point. These three-note chords are easy to construct – they contain all three notes from any major scale in any given major scale; and move smoothly up and down fretboard; one reason your favorite guitarists seem so adept at moving swiftly up and down their neck is because they use various techniques including major triads!
Once you’ve learned the basic triad shapes, you can apply them as block chords or arpeggios. Experiment by playing each triad shape on various strings and inversions in order to increase flexibility and make music that sounds different than it did before – playing major chords might make you feel bright and optimistic while minor ones might bring sadness or contemplation; by listening closely while you play these chords you will become a more well-rounded musician who not only excels as guitarist but will deepen musical understanding as well.
2. Minor Triad
Triads built around any note from the major scale can serve as the basis of a triad. Major triads consist of do, re, and sol (1, 4, and 5); those constructed around mi, ti, and la are minor triads.
In this installment of Chord by Chord, we will take a closer look at one of the first minor triads we can form on the fretboard: A minor.
As with the major triad, the minor triad contains three notes: root, third and fifth. However, one key difference lies within its construction: flatted third in this form is reduced by half step for use with minor chords.
By using this technique, it’s possible to generate many open minor triad shapes to construct chords and arpeggios with. Jazz improvisationists such as McCoy Tyner often used this approach in creating solos centered around static minor triad shapes on the first beat of his basslines before adding other triads and voicings as harmony for further melodies.
3. Major 7th
Major 7ths can add a unique sound to your chord progressions and help build tension that needs to be resolved. They’re often found in jazz and blues songs.
Major 7ths are created by combining a major triad (which consists of the first, third and fifth notes in your scale) with the seventh note that is one octave lower – four total notes that comprise one major 7th. They may be written as Cmaj7 but you might also see them notated simply as major7 or minor7.
Your fretboard offers you many movable maj7 chord shapes to experiment with. A great place to begin exploring these chords are with drop 2 voicings which involve dropping the second highest note from a closed position chord an octave lower, giving four new shapes for exploration.
4. Minor 7th
Minor 7th (abbreviated m7) chords add depth and dimension to any progression. Constructed by stacking three minor triads with an additional seventh interval placed above their root note, this four note chord provides additional harmonic complexity to your arrangement.
Build a minor seventh chord by either stacking minor triads or altering an existing major 7th chord. To form a minor 7th, its formula should include root, lowered 3rd, and raised 5th; to play an A minor seventh chord this would mean placing your finger at the 7th fret of the 4th string, using your 2nd finger for the lowered 3rd while your 1st finger would raise 5th fret with it’s 1st finger as part of an A minor chord chord
Example of this would be Patsy Cline’s classic hit ‘Crazy’ where an A minor 7th is played to create the feeling of heartache and it can also be played beautifully on an acoustic guitar using only first position open chords – making it ideal for beginners looking to develop their fingerpicking techniques.