Guitar chords are made up of intervals. In this article we’ll look at both major and minor triads as well as how their movable shapes (shown in Figure 7) can be reconfigured into other chord types.
Shifting an E Shape up one fret will produce an A Minor note, because this key contains both a perfect fourth and perfect fifth (a major triad).
E Major
The E chord is often one of the first chords guitar players learn, used in numerous songs and providing a solid base for power chords – for instance Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day uses this chord progression with Em, B and G chords as its foundation.
The E major scale contains four sharps: F#, G#, C# and D#. This key is widely utilized in classical guitar music.
When playing an E-major chord, be sure to use all five fingers when strumming each string properly. Otherwise, you risk hitting unintended strings or producing muffled sounds that could potentially end up producing muted notes or muted sounds altogether. Practice playing each note individually as well so you can hear whether you are producing correct notes; this can help pinpoint any areas for improvement and help identify possible areas where improvement may be needed.
E Minor
E Minor is a widely used chord in most musical styles. It is often combined with relative major (G Major) or dominant chords (C) to create harmonic movement, and may be played open or barred depending on the musical genre being written.
As is common among minor scales, E minor has one sharp note. This is due to its relative major key being G major and thus necessitating a key signature with one sharp note for compatibility purposes.
Practice E Minor Scale by playing it up and down your fretboard or keyboard from open E string all the way up to 12th fret for guitar or bass. Start slowly at first to ensure all notes are clean and even, gradually increasing speed as your get comfortable with it – metronome might help maintain steady rhythm; eventually you should be able to switch between E Minor scale and other chords without buzzing or hesitation!
E Sus
Sus chords (also referred to as suspension chords) can add both variety and tension to your chord progressions. They work by replacing the third with either a second or fourth note to produce an unsettling sound full of suspense and anxiety.
Example: if you’re playing an A major chord for four consecutive measures, it can become monotonous and disengaged the listener from your performance. Switching up between A major and an Asus4 will break up this repetition and keep their attention focused on you!
For a sus chord, add your little finger underneath the fourth finger of your pointer finger and play Gsus4. At first it may feel awkward but over time this form of embellishment becomes easier – as seen often when listening to songs like Jack Straw by Grateful Dead.
E Dominant
Dominant seventh chords (V7 or E7) are an indispensable tool in any guitarist’s repertoire, representing an amalgamation of major and minor chords that create tension that ultimately resolves into their respective tonic chord. You’ll often hear these types of chords being used within blues music.
Dominant sevenths play an essential role in helping define the key of any song, making it easy for listeners to know which key it’s in by simply playing one dominant seventh note.
When playing chords, make sure that your fingers are close to the fret in order to produce a full and clear sound. Avoid hitting any of the small bars between frets as this will muffle its sound. While practicing, keep your fret hand arched like a C shape so as to not miss any notes, which will both improve sound quality as well as making moving up and down the fretboard easier for your fingers.