An effective way to determine what chords to learn next is by studying their progressions. That way, you’ll have a roadmap as you transition from one chord shape to the next.
E Major chords possess a gritty, grinding quality that’s ideal for songs about powerful physical desires and revenge. Additionally, these chords sound fantastic when played through a distorted guitar in country songs.
Open E
The E major chord is one of the introductory guitar chords most beginners learn. It is straightforward, using just open strings and the first three frets; making this basic barre chord easy to spot in many rock and blues songs.
The E dominant 7th guitar chord is easily recognisable as it shares the same E major shape. However, its unique sound comes from adding the minor seventh note which adds soulful vibrato that can often be heard in blues riffs.
Bon Iver is an inventive musician that employs unconventional tuning setups to achieve distinctive guitar sounds. Perth is an excellent example of this approach. Performed on electric guitar with a jangly British rock tone and featuring different arpeggio sections; also featured are acoustic string instruments tuned using Open E which raises A, D and G strings to higher pitches than standard strings to increase tension; may require lighter gauge strings than usual due to their higher pitched nature.
A Barre Shape
This shape begins as a major chord, then shifts up into minor by adding a minor 3rd (major third + one half-step = two whole steps). If moved up two frets it will also assume the form of G major chord.
Beginning barre chord learning should start here as it offers less tension on the index finger and offers a more percussive sound than E major shapes.
Barre chords on an electric guitar tend to be easier than those played on acoustics due to the string action and being strummed without hitting any open strings. You might want to consider altering your string gauge from heavier to lighter; this should make chords simpler to play in barre position using just one finger, without mutes being created unnecessarily. Pressing down evenly with an index finger so all six strings are covered simultaneously and avoid any accidental mutes!
D Barre Shape
This basic barre chord should become part of your practice routine. While the high string tension on an acoustic guitar may make barre chording challenging at first, with time and practice it will become second nature – or use a grip trainer for additional strength training for these barre chords!
You can alter this chord shape up and down the fretboard by moving its root note around. For instance, shifting it to the fifth fret will produce an A major chord.
A great way to become acquainted with the fretboard, this exercise will also prepare you for learning advanced chords such as 7th chords and sus4 chords in future. Just keep in mind that strength building should precede attempting these more advanced forms, and make sure you use an acoustic guitar with low action for optimal results.
C Barre Shape
As with E and A barre chord shapes, this shape can be moved up or down the fretboard to form different major and minor chords. By moving it three frets upwards you’ll create a C bar chord; moving two frets higher will produce an F major barre chord. When playing these types of bar chords it is very important that all strings are evenly pressed down with your index finger placement so none ring out unintentionally when pressing these types of bar chords down with an index finger placement misstep; otherwise one or more strings could misalign and cause one or more strings to sound out unexpectedly during playing these types of bar chords!
Practice placing your index finger on each string and strumming to hear each individual note. However, avoid exerting too much pressure as doing this could result in muddy sounding chords. Like any skill, this one takes practice to master and perfect; one of the greatest modern martial artists – Conor McGregor (one of my all time faves!) once said “precision beats power every time”. And this holds especially true with bar chords!
The E major chord is one of the first guitar chords most guitarists learn and is associated with strong feelings of rejection and physical desire.
Learning this chord shape will open up an abundance of musical options for you. It can be used in various ways, including inversions of E major triad.
Major Triad
As noted above, a major triad consists of three notes from the same scale – its root note (root), as well as third and fifth notes spaced three intervals apart – all belonging to one scale degree. Similar to minor chords, each scale degree creates different major triads with differing note interval qualities – diminished, minor, major, or perfect intervals.
Major triads comprised of chords based on the first (root) and fourth scale degrees of the C major scale – B E G – are known as major triads. As with other major triads, they can be inverted by shifting either or both third and fifth strings up or down by one or more half steps.
To create the second inversion of this chord, move the third up to C and lower the fifth to D – this variation of E major triad is known as Em9 and used in many popular songs, such as Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours or U2’s With or Without You.
Minor Triad
Minor triads, like major chords, consist of three notes. Many songs use both major and minor chords in concert with one another to support the melody; these chords often create an unsettling or melancholic atmosphere and can add tension or sadness depending on your personal taste.
Root notes of triads are typically called roots; middle note (known as third), and top note (called fifth). Most often they are stacked in root position but sometimes inverted; in this instance the lowest note becomes middle rather than root position.
There are various techniques for playing triads on the fretboard; these are referred to as voicings of a chord. Try switching up how you play them to see the effect on sound; using triads is also great for creating arpeggios and melodies since each note can be played independently at any time or short bursts.
Suspended Triad
Suspended chords can be created by replacing the third from either a standard Major (1-3-5) or Minor (1-b3-5) triad with either the 2nd (sus2) or 4th (sus4) of a scale, creating a dissonant sound that has become popular in modern songs.
Example: the guitar riff in The Police’s song Message in a Bottle uses suspended chords (sus2) before resolving them to G major at the end of each measure, creating tension and an uncertain feeling in listeners. This technique helps create tension and indecision.
Vsus4 chords are one of the more widely-used suspended chords, often serving as dominant chords in keys and adding tension and ambiguity in progressions. Usually followed by I chords to complete their progression, this method of creating tension and resolution makes for powerful sounding progressions that give songs greater emotional impact and tension. Try this out when writing songs to give your music extra emotion and drama!
Major Chord Progression
Chords can be divided into Major or Minor depending on the scale they use to form them, and this progression begins with an E Major chord before proceeding through A and B Major (or Ab, G and D) versions of it.
This pattern is an easy yet popular one that can be applied across a wide variety of musical forms. Songwriters might use this progression to convey a narrative or set the mood.
To play an E Major chord on guitar, place your index finger on the third string at its second fret and your middle finger on its fifth string at second fret – this makes up an Emaj9. To add another dimension of complexity and to create Sus chords which offer another option other than open E Major, check out here or here. Emaj9 works well when used with E minor 7th chords commonly abbreviated Em7 chords.