Learning some chords and progressions can help get you started with guitar. Once you understand them, creating songs won’t take long!
Utilizing the same chord shape, but shifting it up two frets on the fretboard, will yield a minor chord, often used to convey sad emotions in music.
1. B7
This looser-sounding version of the Bsus4 or just “B” dominant seventh chord can be particularly helpful for beginners and children with smaller hands. Because it omits its lower note (typically provided by bass instruments), this voicing works especially well in songs where other instruments (usually bass) cover that note instead.
This version of the B7 chord resembles more closely that of a barre chord, requiring you to use your pinky finger on the sixth string for stability and movement across the fretboard – shift two frets for A7, four frets for G7 etc. Additionally, this chord makes an excellent choice for playing blues songs.
2. C Major 7
Many players find the G chord difficult, as it requires placing fingers close together, which may result in fingers rubbing against one another and creating an audible rattle when strumming it.
Try placing your fingers a bit farther apart to allow more fluid movement from them and reduce any noise generated from rattling sounds.
This chord offers an appealing alternative to the open Cmaj7 guitar chord as its sound is richer and fuller, as well as working well when supporting other guitarists or playing alongside instruments like strings or brass. Furthermore, learning different voicings of this same chord provides you with different feelings and sounds.
3. F Major 7
Chords will often appear out of nowhere during a song you’re trying to learn, surprising you with its presence and sending you into an anxious panic of wondering, “Oh my gosh that sounds amazing – what chord is that?”
First step to understanding what a chord is is looking at the horizontal line on a guitar fretboard – this will show which string to place your chord shape.
Also keep an eye out for chords with slashes on their top; this indicates they are major seventh chords, making for an exciting change from regular major chords that tend to sound less jazzy or summery.
4. E Minor 7
This chord shape can be found in Marvin Gaye’s classic song Let’s Get It On; it resembles Gm7 but with different fret positions.
This E minor 7 voicing utilizes a drop 2 chord voicing (in which the second highest chord tone is dropped an octave down), to achieve more of a Dorian mode sound.
This version of an E minor 7 chord is more traditional but still produces an inviting, warm sound. Additionally, this shape requires less fingers than its predecessor which could prove beneficial for guitarists with smaller hands where reaching higher frets can be challenging.
5. G Major 7
This guitar chord, often written as Gmaj7 or GM7 with an uppercase capital M, consists of an open G major shape converted to a dominant 7th chord.
This chord requires some hand flexibility for optimal playback. Beginner guitarists may want to practice string muting while more experienced guitarists should focus on maintaining proper finger positions.
Major 7th chords provide an exciting way to expand your chord shapes on the fretboard. Many open chords you know can easily be converted to major sevenths by shifting their root note up one semitone; this opens up even more chord variations such as tonic triads, sus4’s, 6/9 upper structures and Lydian modes.
6. C Major 7
Cmaj7 chord is one of the most frequently employed on guitar. There are multiple approaches to playing this chord, each offering their own individual sound and feel; learning all these variations allows you to select the ideal chord for any musical situation.
An open chord Cmaj7 can be formed quickly and simply with just your first finger placed on fret 2 of the D string.
Note that chord diagrams with an “X” marking a string indicate you should mute or not play it, while thick black lines that span multiple strings denote you are playing a bar chord.
Chords consist of at least three notes. Each note is assigned an index number which tells you where to place your fingers on the string frets.
Chord charts can help you gain an understanding of the fretboard quickly. Pay particular attention to strings with an “X” that indicate they should not be played and those marked as an “O”, as these signals mean that string should ring out freely.
Major
Major and minor guitar chords are the easiest for beginning guitarists to learn, making them essential parts of many songs and progressions as you advance.
Major chords consist of two distinct notes connected by their root note plus their 5th note – hence why you’ll find 1- 5 chords everywhere you turn!
A major chord can also feature additional extensions notes to create more variety in its soundscape, usually indicated by numbers in its chord diagram. Some tones can also be sharp or flat (enharmonic), reflecting this fact in its name. When playing these chords, remember to mute your low E string so it does not ring too loudly when strumming.
Minor
Minor guitar chords form the basis for many songs and musical arrangements, offering a darker undercurrent than their major chord counterparts. Used across genres and providing a deeper voice.
A minor is an open chord, meaning it contains only three notes or strings – making it one of the easier guitar chords for beginners.
Subtracting finger three from this basic voicing creates an A minor seventh chord which sounds more subdued than its plain minor equivalent; often seen in songs by Led Zeppelin such as Stairway to Heaven.
A minor is commonly referred to as a minor triad due to only having three notes: root, minor third and fifth.
Power
Power chords are a fantastic way to give your guitar an impressive, heavy sound. Not only are they easy to play and versatile, they work best with a bit of distortion for maximum impact. Hard rock and metal guitarists alike use power chords extensively when creating dark atmospheres – an example being Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams as well as Alice in Chains are great songs to practice these chords with.
Power chords are ideal for all genres or styles of music, making them particularly popular among rock, metal and blues players due to their easy movement up and down the fretboard. Technically speaking, they don’t include scale tone 3 so they are neither major or minor but remain very neutral chords.
Seventh
The seventh chord is an essential tool in any guitar player’s repertoire. You’ll hear it used extensively throughout popular music, and may use it when composing or jamming.
These chords utilize the seventh scale degree to create tension. They don’t fall neatly under either major (characterized by brighter tones) or minor chord categories – instead they fall somewhere in between.
The dominant seventh chord is an integral component of rock ‘n’ roll and blues music, such as Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel” or “That’s All Right”. With its smooth sound and unique arrangement, this chord serves as an effective replacement for block major chord fingerings.
Extended
Opening an intermediate to advanced chord book may be enough to send shockwaves through your body, with all its ambitious voicings. Chord extensions like 9ths, 13ths, and Maj7add4’s may seem intimidating at first, but learning them shouldn’t be so challenging after all!
Many chord extensions can be simplified and made simpler to play by dropping some notes from their structure, such as dropping out 5ths from dominant 11th chords since they don’t add anything to its sound, 3rds in 7th chords would cause dissonance so they are often dropped for many maj7add4 voicings and 9ths may also be dropped – all these steps make for quicker and simpler fretboard playing experience.