Guitar chords offer an easy way to play songs on the guitar without needing to memorize complex shapes. Chords typically consist of either triads or seventh chords.
Some chords can be considered “enharmonic”, sharing notes with another. This means they look similar but sound differently, providing another layer of complexity for musicians to work their magic with.
1. C Major Chord
C Major is often the first chord beginners attempt on guitar. Made up of only three notes, it makes an ideal starting point when exploring its many variations.
A basic open C chord can be formed by placing your index finger on string 1, fret 3, and your ring finger on string 5’s fifth fret – hence its name (C-E-G).
Addition notes to a chord may appear difficult at first glance, but it’s actually quite straightforward. For instance, adding the note D outside a C chord as “color” adds texture and depth. How much color a chord gains depends on its length of note played across strings at different volumes; experiment by playing short bursts of different C chord shapes on different strings at various volumes until you discover how easy it is to introduce new sounds into an existing chord structure.
2. C Minor Chord
C Minor chord is an increasingly popular choice for many songs and offers a melancholic sound to complement its song’s melancholy atmosphere. Composed of C Eb G notes, this minor triad forms an interval of just three notes between its root note and second note for maximum emotive impact.
This chord can add emotion and drama to your music, making it a must-know chord for melancholy ballads and rock songs alike.
There are various techniques for playing this chord, including open position and barre chords. Barre chords involve barring multiple strings simultaneously with one finger for more precise control over voicing the chord.
Chord inversions are a technique for altering the order of notes within a chord to make one note serve as its base or lowest tone, for instance using VII with its fig bass 3 symbol to signify that you’ve inverted it twice.
3. C Blues Chord
Use of major-sounding chords for the 1st and 4th chords of a blues progression is perfectly fine, but to add some harmonic interest it can also be useful to alternate different variations on one basic chord shape – E form barre chord is often used as an example – with A form as well.
One variation that’s often employed involves fretting the high E string high up on the fretboard with the pinky finger to add a blues-esque feel to any tune. Furthermore, this moveable chord shape frees up ring finger for use of (E) minor pentatonic scale – an essential blues scale.
4. C/G Chord
The C/G Chord, often referred to as an inverted G major triad and commonly called C over G or C slash G chord, consists of all the notes found in a standard C major chord but with G as its bass note. It’s commonly found in pop music chord progressions.
Slash chords can be an excellent tool for beginners as they help minimize fretboard movement. For instance, when following a C chord with G chord progression it makes more sense to use an inverted C/G instead of open G as its position will be just over an octave higher than C chord.
This slash chord can be heard in numerous classic rock songs, like Huey Lewis and the News’ catchy rhythm “Back in Time.” Additionally, country musicians often employ it, as evidenced by Johnny Cash’s hit “Ring of Fire” or more recently Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean’s emotional ballads featuring this chord.