Your guitar’s thick black line represents its nut. A series of Xs and Os above this area indicate which strings you should play or mutes; each number represents which fret to place your index finger – for instance “2” indicates you should place your index finger on fret two of A string.
Major Triads
Major chords (commonly referred to simply as majors) consist of three notes arranged around their root note – root note, third above it and one that’s an octave higher). These intervals can be combined in different ways to form various chord shapes; C major (C, G and E) is an easy triad while G major (G, C and A) offers more complex sequence of perfect fifths as shown below.
Others intervals commonly found on chord charts include minor second and major seventh intervals. These can be used to form suspended chords (also referred to as sus2 chords). Suspended chords replace the third note in a scale with its 2nd note instead, producing suspended chords – or sus2 chords.
Black dots on a chord diagram represent fretting each string; sometimes numbers above each dot give information about which finger should fret that string. You will also see symbols representing “X’s and “O’s”, where an X indicates non-played strings while Os mean playing them openly.
Major Sevenths
Major seventh chords are built from major triads (1 – 3 – 5) with an extra note added on top that may either be major or minor in nature.
An extra note adds a unique character to chords, giving them more stability and fuller sound. Major 7ths can often be heard in jazz music; for instance you might encounter them when listening to Tadd Dameron pieces.
Most guitar chord charts include both open position and barre chord maj7 shapes, where you can use the same fingerings for both. When it comes to barre chords, however, wrapping your fingers around more than one string requires different finger placement techniques.
Chord diagrams typically feature fingerings with names placed above them, as well as fret numbers in dots that indicate fret numbers within them. This will enable you to quickly determine what finger should play a particular chord on the left hand side of the guitar neck, while some charts even feature red crosses (X’s) showing which strings shouldn’t be plucked when performing it.
Minor Triads
Chords may seem intimidating when first beginning guitar, but with dedication and practice they can quickly transform into beautiful melodies that will have you strumming and picking at lightning speed.
As a way of making chord charts more user-friendly, they usually include dots to illustrate where to place your fingers on the fretboard. These may either be placed along a vertical line to show you which string should be played or within fret boxes showing which finger should use each fret box. You might also see symbols like an X or O which indicate whether that string should be played or not.
As shown here, chord names with an “m” indicate they should be played in minor key. This indicates that their first, flattened third and sharpened fifth notes have been reduced by half-tone to produce a sadder or melancholy sound and are commonly employed across genres to convey mood or emotion.
Minor Sevenths
Minor sevenths can add subtle sophistication to a chord progression. Simply put, they consist of a minor triad with the addition of a minor seventh note for added melancholic feel that looks fantastic when used within chord progressions. Popular examples can be heard in music by Sting, Doobie Brothers, Paul Weller or B.B. King to give an idea of their sound.
To play a minor seventh chord, simply begin with your root note, move four half steps higher until you find the major third and finally three half steps further until you find the perfect fifth note. This gives you the basic minor seven chord which can then be enhanced using other notes from the triad to form its composition – creating an elaborate yet simple chord which can be utilized in various songs and musical genres! Whether playing electric or acoustic guitar this chord will always come in handy!