Open minor chords are an integral component of musical knowledge. Utilizing only two strings, these pliable shapes can easily be moved up and down the fretboard for multiple uses.
By adding a fifth string barre, this basic shape becomes an A minor seventh chord voicing that sounds smoother and adds jazzy ambiguity to your playing.
A minor chord
G minor chord is one of the most frequently used minor chords, found in many different formations and keys. Furthermore, extensions such as Gm9 or Gm11 add depth and emotion to its sound.
Open G is a beloved tuning for slide guitar players and has been utilized by artists like Keith Richards and The Black Crowes in songs they have released. Furthermore, it is often chosen for blues guitar styles like Hawaiian Slack Key or alternative genres such as metal.
Open G tuning chord shapes may require more of an effort, but their rewards can be tremendously satisfying. Once you master them, more advanced chord progressions and melodies become possible to experiment with. There are other chord forms you could try as well, but here we’ll focus on two of the more versatile options.
B minor chord
Beginner guitarists typically learn the B minor chord as one of their first barre chords. It is typically played in either G or D and is found throughout most chord progressions. Forming this chord requires just one finger – simply barring across both high D and B strings – making it highly versatile. This shape can even be used to play other keys!
Add a minor seventh for an ominous sound or add blues harmonics for a jazzier sound, perfect for adding positive feel verse or chorus G major and melancholic bridge or middle eight mood shift.
The B minor chord makes an excellent foundation for improvisation. You can explore its potential using either of two scales – either minor pentatonic (the easiest minor scale to learn) or B minor blues scale – both can add a unique bluesy twist to your music.
C minor chord
C minor chords are associated with slower and sadder music, making them an excellent way to alter the atmosphere in a progression or add tension to songs. Their easy playing in open G tuning thanks to movable chord shapes also makes them useful additions to your open position guitar chord repertoire.
C minor in open g tuning offers many movable chord shapes. Most commonly encountered is the C minor barre chord, consisting of root, major third and perfect fifth notes arranged around a common root note. This chord structure can easily be moved up or down the fretboard using the Circle of Fifths for effortless playing.
C Minor Sus2 chords, composed of a root, major third and perfect fifth note. These chords are extremely popular in blues music and can be played both on the first string and fifth string simultaneously; you may even remove one string in order to play more slide oriented riffs more efficiently.
D minor chord
Minor chords require extra work when learning them; however, once learned they can add variety to your progressions and be highly useful!
The D minor chord is a versatile chord found in numerous songs of all genres and is relatively simple to play, particularly when using one of the movable minor shapes provided below. These shapes allow for new sounds in progressions while helping you form more advanced chords.
Add additional D minor pentatonic scale notes or the D blues scale notes into your chord progressions for added blues flair and suitability in most contexts. Or try using D dorian mode chords for an even darker sound; these types of chords work particularly well when used in open G tunings.