A big challenge for anyone starting out playing the guitar is training their fret-hand fingers to memorize the proper placement on the strings to form various chord shapes, so that the notes ring clearly when strummed.

I’ve seen many beginner students struggle to form open chords cleanly and accurately and switch from one chord to another in a timely manner, meaning in a prescribed rhythm, such as every two or four beats, at a steady tempo.

A simple, effective exercise to address this technical issue is to practice switching back and forth between any two chords at a relaxed (fairly slow) tempo, holding each chord for a few beats or just a single beat. Ideally, this should be done along with a metronome or while tapping your foot in steady quarter-note beats.

For example, practice moving back and forth between open G and C chords repeatedly (see FIGURE 1). Start out with easy whole-note rhythms, holding each chord for four beats while counting “1, 2, 3, 4.” This gives you a good amount of time to mentally get ready for the next chord.

Do this a few times then “double-up” the rhythm to half notes, for which you’ll hold each chord for only two beats before changing to the next chord. This is more challenging, as you now have half as much time to mentally prepare for the next chord change.

Do this at least a couple of times, then double-up the rhythm again, to quarter notes, now changing chords on every beat, which, again, is twice as challenging. Doing this will help ingrain the movement into your brain and fingers.

A couple of things to keep in mind when performing this chord changing exercise:

1) Try to hold the chord for its full prescribed duration before moving to the next chord. I’ve seen beginner students strum a chord that’s supposed to be held for four beats (a whole note) but “let go” of the shape too early, on beat 4 or beat 3, in order to give their fingers more time to get ready to form the next chord shape “on time.”

This is a bad habit. You should strive to not cheat a rhythmic value out of its full duration. Try to hold the chord as long as possible, letting go of the shape “at the last second,” which is sometime during beat 4, such as on the eighth-note upbeat (on “4 and”).

2) When changing from one chord to another, make a point of setting your fretting fingers down onto the strings together, at the same time, not one at a time, which is another bad habit I’ve seen beginners fall into; doing that ultimately ends up slowing you down mentally and physically.

The fingers need to learn to move together as a team and “stick the landing” in tandem. This is the only way you’ll be able to keep up with the tempo. Try applying this exercise to any chords you’ve recently learned. Doing so will help to quickly establish the neurological connections between your brain, fingers, ears and eyes.

Here’s another example. Toggle back and forth between Em and Am (see FIGURE 2). Or do the same thing with Em and D, Em and C, G and B7, or any other newly acquainted chords that you want to quickly get to know, in terms of muscle, visual and auditory memory.

The old adage is ‘a good song can stand on its own played on acoustic guitar’. But is it really that black and white? A specific chord voicing can make a significant contribution to the feel of a song.

For example, if the Beatles’ The Fool On the Hill started with a regular D major, rather than D6, it would definitely lose something. The common thread linking together all the examples in this lesson is that they are what we might call a ‘deluxe’ alternative to the regular major and minor chords we hear every day, particularly on acoustic guitar.

Another thing they all have in common is the use of open strings, even if that’s just a single string. Acoustic guitar chords always seem to jangle and jump out of the mix better when they feature open strings.

Finding voicings that do this in keys such as F and Bb can be a challenge, so the examples are aimed at some of these less obvious keys. Chords that stray from the mainstream can really make a big difference!

Example 1. Bm(add11)

This B minor omits the usual barre at the 2nd fret, so we get this nice ringing E at the top. If this were a Bm7, we’d call it a Bm11. However, there is no 7th (A), so we refer to this as a Bm(add11). It can go wherever a regular B minor goes if you fancy a change.

Example 2. F#m11

This F#m11 is another that would normally be a barre chord, but instead we’re making use of the open first and second strings to give us an 11th (B) and 7th (E) respectively.

The root note (F#) on the sixth string is optional, but it’s a nice finishing touch. Try using your thumb (Hendrix style) or a spare finger if you’re feeling nimble.

Example 3. C#m7

This C#m7 adopts similar thinking to Example 2, using the open first and second strings to add a jangly extension at the top. In this case we’re adding the 7th (B) on the second string and the minor 3rd (E) on the first. Moving this shape around the fretboard will also give a few more useful ideas.

Example 4. Bb6

This Bb6 isn’t the most jangly of the examples, but it does give us a nice alternative to the regular Bb. As in Example 3, you can move this shape around for some nice variations. You can also get a Bbm6 by shifting from the 3rd to the 2nd fret on the second string.

Example 5. Fsus2/C

F can sometimes sound a bit ‘blocky’ when used together with other open position chords. This version leaves the third string open for a sus2 voicing (over C).

This can be used instead of F major or F minor. You can also leave the first string open to add a major 7th. You could potentially add in the Root (F) at the 1st fret of the sixth string – if your thumb will comply!

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One worthwhile thing every beginner guitarist should learn is that there are two different useful fingerings for an open G chord, as shown in FIGURE 1.

Either can be more advantageous, depending on what chord you play immediately before or after G. The guiding principle is to use the fingers that are closest to where they need to be for the next chord, or the previous one. In other words, it’s all about where you’re coming from and where you’re going.

For example, when switching from G to C, or from C to G, as shown in FIGURE 2, use your ring and middle fingers to fret the bottom two notes of each chord and have them do a small, tandem “bunny hop” to the next higher or lower string.

This “3-2-4” fingering for G, with the ring finger (3) on the low E string, the middle finger (2) on the A string and the pinkie (4) on the high E string, makes for a convenient, efficient transition from G to C and back, with minimal motion of the fingers and wrist. The key is to move economically from chord to chord.

Now, if you’re switching from G to D, or from D to G, it makes more sense to use the “2-1-3” fingering for G, with the middle finger on the low E string, the index finger on the A string and the ring finger on the high E string (see FIGURE 3).

This fingering officially puts your hand in 2nd position and requires less movement when changing from G to D and back, as an open D chord, fretted with the first three fingers, is also in 2nd position.

Oftentimes, you’ll find yourself playing a progression that uses all three chords — G, C and D – in various orders, along with other chords. So, what do you do if you’re playing G - C - D - G? Or G - C - G - D - G? Use whichever G-chord fingering works best at any given moment. Sometimes you’ll end up using both fingerings within the same song, which is totally fine!

The 1st-position 3-2-4 fingering for G is the more commonly used one, as it works best when moving to and from other 1st-position chords, such as Am, Em, E or F.

There’s also this commonly used four-finger open G chord, which is considered a different voicing of G, with a D note on the B string’s 3rd fret instead of the open B note (see FIGURE 4).

This chord shape has been used to great effect in countless songs, such as Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, Poison’s Every Rose Has Its Thorn and Wonderwall by Oasis (with a capo at the 2nd fret).

Get to know all three open G chord fingerings well, so that you’ll have the technical facility to rock out on a variety of progressions and songs!

Paul McCartney is inviting fans to work out the “wacky chord” that inspired his new solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane – and it's sparked a hearty debate online.

The nostalgic album is Macca's first in six years, and was written and recorded with mega-producer Andrew Watt. As the legendary Beatle reveals via Instagram, their very first session together proved fruitful and set the tone for the entire record.

“I’ve got a little story about a chord you might like,” he says, acoustic guitar in his lap. “I was due to meet Andrew Watt for the first time at his studio in LA. I went down there, and we had a cup of tea.

“I was chatting and talking about music, and I said, ‘Sometimes I like to start the idea for a song with a wacky chord – a chord I don’t know. Sometimes that inspires me and gets me into a song.’ So, he lent me a guitar, and I played the wacky chord.”

The chord, which stacks C, Eb, and B on top of a lower D note, opens the album on As You Lie There. That mystery chord then runs into the rest of the progression, that high B descending to an A (all other notes the same) and then a G top note on a G chord (G/D). It is certainly colorful, with the complex voicing evoking the Beatles at their most harmonically vibrant.

“But what is it?” McCartney asks his fans. “Do you know the wacky chord?”

It has got fans hotly debating to define the chord. Some argue it's a Cmmaj7/D. Others are convinced it is a D13b9, since the D note root is anchored in place and ultimately resolves on that G note; it has a D-like feel.

Guitar World's Senior Music Editor Jimmy Brown agrees with the latter, identifying the mystery chord as a D13b9(no3). That's then followed by a D7b9(no3) and a G/D to complete the three-chord progression.

On the flipside, Jason Sidwell, Guitar World's Tuition Editor, is in the former camp, naming the chord as Cmmaj7/D(no5). Likewise, that second chord is identified as Cm6/D(no5), with the progression finalised by that G/D.

The joy of a chord like this is its sonic ambiguity, meaning it can be interpreted in different ways, at the will of the songwriter. As one user says, Paul takes the peculiar chord and brings it all into focus.

Watt has said that the chord, which was new to McCartney’s ears, became the backbone of the album, proving that, no matter how experienced a player you are, there are always mysteries waiting to be discovered on the fretboard.

In related Macca news, the legendary songwriter recently recalled the time he gave Paul Mescal a guitar lesson in prep for the upcoming Beatles biopics – but his services were redundant.

As discussed last time, open/alternative tunings are a great way to expand our chordal horizons without getting our fingers in a twist. However, we also mentioned that there are quite a few expansive voicings available without having to retune.

There’s no doubt that open/alternative tunings facilitate some unique sounds, but in a world where artists such as Davey Graham (who introduced us to the DADGAD tuning in the 1960s) plus Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Jimmy Page and Keith Richards have all given their unique spin on multiple angles of this idea, perhaps exploring regular tuning is equally interesting!

The five examples are selected on a fairly random basis, but they could work together to create an interesting piece or accompaniment. It’s also worth mentioning that each example has the potential to yield some interesting variations, by shifting a note within each shape, or simply moving to a different position on the fretboard. The constant, if anything, is the inclusion of open strings.

Example 1. G#m9

This G#m9 is a little reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s jazzier moments (check out the 1980 Shadows And Light album), but no strings were retuned to create it! It’s important to mute the fifth string, but this can be a movable shape if you’re discerning. One useful idea is to shift it down a fret for a nice G9 chord.

Example 2. E5add9add#11

This E5add9add#11 (yes, that really is the simplest way to describe it!) is a handful at first. It’s the result of changing around the bass notes from Example 1 to give an E5 on the fifth and sixth strings. Keeping the same notes on top gives the add9 (F# on the fourth and first strings) and #11 (A# on the third string).

Example 3. C#m9

Here’s a real stretch – until you find the optimum hand position. Try shifting your fretting hand thumb down to the centre of the back of the neck. This C#m9 is surprisingly useful as a movable chord, functioning similarly to an open tuning in that the open first and second strings function as a drone.

Example 4. Esus2sus4

There are shades of Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On in this Esus2sus4, one of the only examples of a ‘double’ sus voicing we’ve ever come across.

Remember, these complex-sounding names are just music theory struggling to explain what is actually a very simple chord to play. Once again, treat this as a movable shape for some nice results.

Example 5. A7

This A7 is one of many similar shapes that can be moved up and down the fourth and second strings. The wonderful Gordon Giltrap used shapes like this (albeit in open A tuning) in his signature composition Heartsong. Be sure to mute the sixth string; it isn’t a horrible clash exactly, but it does mess with the resonance overall.

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Sometimes open-position chords are just the job for filling out an accompaniment or providing the sole backing for a singer.

However, what if there could be a few extra touches to elevate your accompaniment, without sounding like you’d swallowed a jazz chordbook for breakfast?

To demonstrate some possibilities, we’ve taken the commonly heard C-G-Am-F (or I-V-VI-IV) progression and given it a twist. Think The Pretenders, Tom Petty or Sam Fender.

As we’re playing in open position, the open strings add a nice jangle, which we’re looking to maximise. Another feature is the G at the 3rd fret of the first string. This remains constant through all of the examples, giving a nice ‘shine’ in whatever order you play these chords.

A hint of overdrive can really help smooth out any unwanted spiky transients, while emphasising the sparkle and adding a bit of texture to push you forward in the mix. For the full Pretenders experience, add a bit of chorus, too!

Example 1. C

A regular C chord, but adding G on the first string really emphasises the upper part of the chord, particularly effective for asserting the guitar’s place in a band mix.

As well as making this a more ‘jangly’ chord, the G on top carries over to the other examples, offering a sense of continuity.

Example 2. G

This is the first of two possibilities for the G (V) chord. There’s a reason why this is played with two fingers, omitting the fifth string, but you’ll need to look at Example 3 to see what that reason is… In the meantime, this is one of the best open chords on the fretboard.

Example 3. C/G

This C/G could also be called G6sus4 – both names are technically correct. It’s meant to be added as a momentary embellishment, rather than a replacement for Example 2.

To hear this voicing in the wild, check out the intros to the Eagles’ Take It Easy or Bowie’s John, I’m Only Dancing.

Example 4. Am7

This Am7 continues the same jangly theme. It’s a great substitute for a regular Am chord, or can combine well if there’s another guitar playing Am.

Check out James Honeyman-Scott’s distinctive playing on The Pretenders’ Talk of the Town to hear this in action, complete with just the right amount of overdrive and chorus.

Example 5. Fsus2

This Fsus2 further continues the jangly theme, with the G on the first string, plus another from the open third string.

The F (Root) on the sixth string is optional. If you can get your fretting-hand thumb to oblige, great! Otherwise, it can still sound pretty full using the C on the fifth string as the lowest note.

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Recently, we’ve been exploring extended chords, and while we did touch on some altered chords, this is a fuller explanation with tips on how to avoid some common pitfalls with the naming conventions.

That being said, it’s important to remember that the names are only an attempt to describe/itemise the different sounds available to us. Altered chords aren’t necessarily extended, but this can be the area that spawns the most intimidating names, some of which we’ll attempt to demystify here.

Let’s start by defining exactly what ‘altered’ means in this context, which is: moving a note within a chord out of the ‘parent’ scale. For example, a C augmented (usually written as ‘aug’) triad contains C-E-G# (Root-3rd-#5).

The 5th has been raised (augmented) by a semitone, giving us a G#, which is not found in the C major scale – and is great for adding tension. It really is as simple as that, even though some of the names can seem a little daunting at first glance (see Example 5).

Example 1. Caug5

You’ll see the similarity to a regular C major chord, but that #5 (G#) on the third string takes it somewhere else – perhaps it can resolve to an F major, or maybe raise that G# another semitone to A at the 2nd fret, giving us C6? Altered chords are all about the context.

Example 2. C7(b5)

Having raised the 5th in Example 1, we’re lowering it in this C7(b5). It’s also a 7th chord, which adds a more jazzy feel. Take care to mute the fifth string and you can move this chord to any key. This would resolve well to C7 by raising that b5 on the second string a semitone.

Example 3. C7(b9)

The same overall principles apply when looking to alter extended chords. This C7(b9) is a classic jazz chord, with the b9 (Db) appearing at the 2nd fret of the second string. Raise it a semitone to the 3rd fret and you’ll find a D, giving us a nice resolution to a C9 chord.

Example 4. C9(#11)

If we build further on the ideas in Example 3, we might make this dramatic C9 (#11) chord. The #11 itself (F#) is found at the 2nd fret of the first string. They’re both F#/Gb, so why a #11 rather than a b5? Because we also have the 7th and the 9th here, making this an extended chord.

Example 5. C7(#5#9)

The classic Hendrix chord gets an extra note here, the #5 (G#) above the more often heard #9 (D). You can add this by simply flattening your fourth finger across the first and second strings. This sets up a nice resolve to F13, but why not experiment and see what else sounds good to you?

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In the world of extended chords, this is as far as we can go. Chords at this end of the spectrum frequently deviate from their strict theoretical definitions in the real world.

An extended chord goes beyond the major (or minor) triad, on to the 7th (or flat/dominant 7th) then 9th, 11th and 13th. In theory, all of these would be present in ascending scale order, but in practice this can lead to some dense, even dissonant, chords. There’s also the issue of playing a seven-note chord on an instrument with six strings...

In the examples below, I attempt to demystify some of the theoretical terms and demonstrate strategies enabling us to play beautiful-sounding 13th chords.

When choosing which notes to omit, the 5th is usually high on the list. In the case of 13th chords, the 11th is very often omitted, too, which is nice for us guitarists because that’s one less note to go searching or stretching for...

Example 1. G13

This G13 omits the 5th (D) and the 11th (C), leaving us with, in ascending order, the Root-b7th-3rd-13th-9th (G-F-B-E-A).

The fifth string is muted, which can make simultaneously playing all the notes tricky, unless you use your picking-hand fingers like Joe Pass (or leave it to the bass player!).

Example 2. G13(b9)

By flattening the 9th at the top of our G13 chord from Example 1, we get a G13(b9). Altered chords such as this are often used to create a ‘tension and release’ effect, resolving to somewhere more harmonious, such as a Cmaj9 or G/C.

In a film soundtrack context, composers often create tension by not resolving chords like this.

Example 3. C13

This C13 gives us a slightly different flavour by featuring the 11th, though we do omit the 3rd (E) and the 5th (G), for practical as well as harmonic reasons.

We are left with Root-11th-b7th-9th-13th (C-F-Bb-D-A) in ascending order. Like all the other examples, this shape is movable to any key.

Example 4. Gm13

This Gm13 consists of Root-5th-b7th-b3rd-13th-9th (G-D-F-Bb-E-A) in ascending order. As with all the examples, it’s not possible to feature all the notes in ascending scale order, and this isn’t necessarily desirable anyway.

The inclusion of the 5th is unusual and completely optional. In a band situation, you may well find yourself omitting the Root and 5th.

Example 5. Emaj13

This Emaj13 takes part of its name from the major 7th it features – a regular E13 features a flat/dominant 7th.

In ascending order, we have Root-3rd-maj7-3rd (again)- 13th (E-G#-D#-G#-C#). We omit the 5th (B), the 9th (F#) and the 11th (A), but what’s left holds up very well – good enough for SRV in Lenny!

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When naming complex extended chords, there are various conventions and abbreviations. These are helpful when reading or writing a chord chart, but can seem like mysterious jargon to the uninitiated.

The aim of this article is to demystify some of these terms and give you tools to name the weird and wonderful chords you may encounter on the fretboard. The maj9 chord is a helpful example because it demonstrates how a complex extended chord can be described in concise terms.

Let’s reverse-engineer a maj9 chord to start with: Root-3rd-5th-7th-9th. The ‘maj’ in maj9 refers to the 7th, though this is indeed a major chord. A minor chord with a maj7 is possible (see Example 5 for Amin/maj9), but maj9 is shorthand for a maj7 chord with a 9th.

A regular 9th chord is: Root-3rd-5th-b7th-9th (eg, A9, B9 and so on). As you can see, it contains a flat (not major) 7th. 9th chords are a common sight on chord charts, but it turns out they have an even more abbreviated name…

Example 1. Amaj9

Though this Amaj9 features the open fifth string as its root, this can be omitted to move to any key – albeit relying on the bass or another instrument to provide the root.

It isn’t always easy to visualise the structure on the fretboard, but the 5th (E), 9th (B), 3rd (C#) and major 7th (G#) appear on the fourth through to first strings respectively.

Example 2. Emaj9

A little bit of a stretch at first, this Emaj9 can be moved to other keys, but you’ll need to mute the sixth (E) string and let another instrument carry the root.

Moving down through the fifth to second strings, we find the 5th (B), 9th (F#), 3rd (G#) and maj7th (D#).

Example 3. Cmaj9

Much loved by Stevie Ray Vaughn, this maj9 shape (in this case, C) is movable to any key, complete with root.

Raking through the fifth to second strings, we find the root (C), 3rd (E), maj7th (B) and 9th (D). The 5th is omitted, which is quite common practice in extended chords, especially on the guitar.

Example 4. Amaj9

Here’s another maj9 voicing you may find useful. In this key (A), we can use the fifth string as the root, but to move to other keys you’ll need another instrument to cover this.

Having said that, you may find in a solo performance that the other chords will give sufficient context.

Example 5. Am/maj9

Adding a maj7th and a 9th to a minor chord/triad gives the infamous ‘Bond theme’ style min/maj9. The only difference between this Amin/maj9 and the Amaj9 in Example 4 is that the 3rd (coincidentally, played on the third string) is flattened here to C natural, the minor 3rd, hence the name.

Previously, we’ve looked at what happens when you swap around the notes in a triad and put the 3rd at the bottom (first inversion), or the 5th at the bottom (second inversion). In this next instalment, we’ll look at third inversion chords.

To create these, we add a dominant (aka flat) 7th to a triad/chord and move that to the bottom. In practice, these are generally notated as slash chords. For example, in an A/G chord (see Example 1), the b7 (G) is moved to the bottom.

Like suspended chords, this definitely feels like its leading somewhere – try following up with a D/F# (D first inversion) and you’ll recognise a very popular chord move, heard across multiple genres.

Slash chords are a convenient way to notate the various inversions, but with chords it’s always good to know the ‘whys and wherefores’. Having said that, there is a lot of fun to be had by putting random alternative bass notes under a chord! Hope you enjoy and see you next time.

Example 1. A/G

This A (third inversion) is given the more modern name of A/G, but knowing the traditional chord theory highlights that the reason it sounds the way it does is the dominant 7th at the bottom.

This is a movable shape, though care needs to be taken with muting the unwanted strings.

Example 2. D/C

This D/C (D third inversion) is another movable shape requiring careful muting. You can really hear that it wants to lead us somewhere; perhaps G/B (G first inversion) would be a good place.

You can hear Pete Townshend experimenting with third inversions at the beginning of The Who’s See Me, Feel Me.

Example 3. Am/G

This Am/G demonstrates that this approach doesn’t only apply to major chords. Here, the b7 (G) is moved to the bottom, giving the feeling it should be leading somewhere.

For a good example of this in the wild, check out the chorus of David Bowie’s Starman, where it leads to C major.

Example 4. Dm/C

Here’s another movable minor third inversion shape, in this case Dm/C.

Now you know about these chords, you’ll start hearing them everywhere – for instance, as a key part of the descending progression in The Kinks’ Sunny Afternoon, Holiday by The Scorpions and Dear Diary by The Moody Blues, among many others.

Example 5. Em/D

This Em/D sounds like something Nick Drake might have used, albeit in a non-standard tuning.

Like Example 4, see if you can find/create examples of a descending pattern in the bass. This can be done under a static chord (fingers permitting) or by combining other chords/inversions.

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When we learn about creating a chord from a scale, we list the notes in order of appearance: Root, 3rd, 5th.

However, swapping this order around can sometimes be really effective. Shifting the 3rd (or b3) to the bottom gives what classical composers call a ‘first inversion’.

This time around we’re going to move the 5th to the bottom, making a ‘second inversion’. It’s still the same chord, but the emphasis shifts from the Root and gives the chord a slightly different feel.

For example, play a regular C major chord and follow up with a G major. This is all fine, of course, but maybe there’s more we can do with it… How about using a second inversion for that C chord?

In practice, this means swapping the 5th (G) to lowest note instead of the Root (see Example 1 below). These days, we’d usually call this C/G – and it really sets us up in a grand way for that G chord.

Example 1. C/G

This is a C chord with the 5th (G) on the bottom. Its ‘official’ name would be C (second inversion), but you’ll usually see it referred to as C/G – a slash chord.

This is worth experimenting with in the context of a chord progression: for example, before a standard G chord. Hear it in action on Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) by Squeeze.

Example 2. Am/E

The inversion/slash chord approach can be applied to minor chords, too, as demonstrated by this Am/E (aka A minor second inversion).

This leads beautifully into a standard E major, or maybe try a D major first inversion (D/F#). You could potentially expand from here to form a counter melody in the bass – like Bach!

Example 3. G/D

Here’s another shape that gives us a second inversion, in this case a G/D. We’ve simply omitted the root, leaving the 5th (D) at the bottom.

Obviously, if the bassist plays a G root under this it won’t be particularly effective, but on the flip side you could ask them to play a D under your regular G chord or powerchord.

Example 4. D/A

Here’s another shape that you’ll find useful for exploring the second inversion sound – in this example, a D/A. It’s a darker, more grandiose sound than a regular D major.

This could be the perfect way to give a more standard chord progression a lift, without getting too complex or losing its character.

Example 5. Em7/B

This movable shape allows us to play a second inversion minor 7 chord anywhere on the fretboard. It’s an Em7/B.

In this position, you could allow the open first and second strings to ring. Give it a try – while this won’t work everywhere, there are some nice surprises lurking.

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Way back when decent folk could be relied on to keep the notes in their chords in scale order (Root on the bottom, then 3rd then 5th ascending), it was deemed necessary to find a name for the different permutations that occur when this order was intentionally changed.

In this case, we’ll take a look at what happens when the 3rd is shifted to the bottom, replacing the Root as the lowest note. Though still theoretically the same chord, the sound is different enough to warrant acknowledgment in the name.

In classical circles, this would be known as a first inversion, but in most other styles that are played these days, we’d refer to it as a slash chord: for example, a G major with the 3rd at the bottom would be called G/B.

As a guitar player, you may not always feel it necessary to conform if the bass player is already covering the 3rd, but it can never be a bad thing to know your triads and inversions!

Example 1. E/G#

This E/G# follows the first inversion convention of having the 3rd (G#) on the bottom. This necessitates muting the fifth string as this would clash. We also get a nice bit of natural chorusing from the duplicated B (5th) on the third and second strings. 1970s-era Alex Lifeson was very fond of this voicing.

Example 2. D/F#

This D/F# (or first inversion) chord takes the 3rd (F#) from the first string and shifts it to the sixth string. The open fifth string would add in an A (5th), too, but for clarity it is muted here. Try both – you’ll likely find both versions have their uses.

Example 3. C/E

Many of us will have been taught not to allow the sixth string to ring under an open position C chord! Now you can try it guilt-free and discover the joys of a C/E chord. Try playing an F major (or minor) chord following this and you’ll get an idea of how slash chords/inversions can work in context.

Example 4. G/B

While we’re looking at these open chord shapes, here’s a G/B. By omitting the usual Root (normally played at the 3rd fret of the sixth string as you almost certainly know), we shift the whole emphasis. Moving to a regular C major and back gives a classic chord move from many popular songs.

Example 5. G/Bb

So what about first inversion minor chords? Just like regular minor chords, the only difference is that we lower/flatten the 3rd by a semitone.

In this case, we’re calling it G/Bb – but we could also call it Gm (first inversion , or ‘inv’ for short). Try flattening the 3rd in the other examples (except maybe Example 3) and you’ll see they also work.

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Open tunings are very popular with slide players as they offer the facility of playing triads with one finger (or slide), giving convenient groups of notes with which to build licks and patterns.

In this way, open tunings differ from ‘alternate’ tunings, which don’t give us an open chord. Either way, open or alternative tunings provide the opportunity to create wide-ranging, piano-style chord voicings that aren’t available to us in regular tuning.

Though they have frequently been used on electric guitar (think Keith Richards and Jimmy Page), open tunings are particularly effective on acoustic guitar (look to Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Nick Harper, Jimmy Page and so on).

For this reason, the examples here have been recorded on acoustic. They’re designed to give a useful vocabulary of major and minor chords, mostly featuring a mix of open and fretted strings.

However, there are many more chord shapes hidden away in this open D tuning – and don’t forget you can move shapes around for some nice surprises.

Example 1. Dadd9

This Dadd9 is simplicity itself – the only way to get simpler is to play all the open strings for a D major chord.

As with all the examples here, do experiment with moving shapes/notes around. Random is fine, that’s how the happy accidents happen, as well as learning what’s available to you in this tuning.

Example 2. Dm7

Apart from the open low D, this Dm7 chord is movable to any key; it just seemed to make sense to use that open root note as it was there. Having said that, you might want to try keeping the low D and moving the rest of the chord around for some interesting slash chords.

Example 3. Gadd9/D

Here’s a nice Joni Mitchell style Gadd9/D, using the shape that would give us E7 in standard tuning. This is a great example of the complex-sounding voicings that can be created with a minimum of effort using open/alternative tunings. Try moving this around for some nice variations on the theme.

Example 4. Gadd9

This Gadd9 doubles up on D, with the 5th fret of the fifth string and the open fourth string sounding in unison, for a touch of chorusing.

This is another shape that can be used elsewhere – though, of course, the changing relationships/intervals between the fretted and open strings will give a variety of names!

Example 5. Gadd9

This is the same as Example 4 but with a b3 (Bb) on the 4th fret of the third string. Having this string tuned down to F# can take some getting used to, but it’s also a really good way of avoiding unconscious patterns and approaching shapes with an open mind. Once again, don’t forget to check if this can work in other positions.

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An altered chord is one that contains notes from outside its scale of origin – chords such as b9 or #5 are frequently seen examples of this.

What the example chords are designed to demonstrate is how we might set up a dissonance or ‘tension’, which can then resolve to a more harmonious conclusion. As an interesting side note, film and TV music will often leave a dissonant chord hanging unresolved to underline the tension of what’s happening on screen.

Whichever way you choose to approach this, a deep knowledge of chord construction and harmony will aid your creativity in composition, melodic invention and arranging other instruments such as strings or brass.

Though some of the chord names can seem a little daunting, remember that this is simply an attempt to label a sound. Even if you can’t work out the name for a chord, that’s no reason not to use it!

Example 1. Asus2(#5)

This Asus2(#5) chord is based on Asus2, which is already setting up an expectation to resolve somewhere – usually to an A major or minor chord. In this example, it also features a #5, which adds a less subtle layer of tension into the mix. Try alternating this with an Asus2 to hear the tension and release in action.

Example 2. Dsus2(#5)

Shifting to D, this Dsus2(#5) is another useful chord shape. Could this be how the intro to ABBA’s Mamma Mia was written? Either way, that sharp (sometimes called augmented) 5th adds a real sense of anticipation, especially when left hanging without resolve. Watch out for this in TV and film music.

Example 3. Eaddb9

This Eaddb9 shifts what would be a duplicate root (E) in a regular E major chord up a semitone. Or, looking at it another way, an add9 (F#) down a semitone to F natural, giving a flamenco (or Spaghetti Western) twist that is often heard as a hanging chord but resolves nicely to E or E7.

Example 4. F#7b9sus4

Here’s where chord-naming can tie us in knots! This is actually simple to play, combining an F# powerchord with the three open strings at the top – think Alex Lifeson on Rush’s Hemispheres album. The name is F#7b9sus4 (though opinions vary). Try resolving to an F# major to hear how it sets up tension.

Example 5. Gaug

The simple name for this is G augmented (shortened to G aug) – a G major chord with a #5. Whether to refer to this as ‘augmented’ or ‘#5’ is purely a matter of preference. Some jazz chord charts call this ‘+5’ as it’s easy to write and read quickly. Try it before a G major for Jimmy Page The Rain Song vibes.

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Guitar straps are useful tools, but they’re a little one-dimensional. Thankfully, SNL’s Fred Armisen has a nifty solution – straps with chord shapes printed onto them.

If, like this writer, you had a pencil case with the answers to the times tables on it during your school days, you’ll know how useful cheat sheets like this can be. It’s inspired. But, err, we’re not sure they’re entirely correct.

“The Fred Armisen Guide to Guitar Chords guitar strap is real. We think these chords are PROBABLY correct,” Couch Guitar Straps says in an Instagram post announcing Armisen’s new signature release.

The strap itself looks pretty comfortable, with a nice leather finish, but a look at the shapes reveals there’s more than meets the eye – they’re way out of whack.

“Here's a strap that I helped design,” Armisen says in the post’s accompanying video. “It's got chord formations with the names of the chords.”

Indeed, every single chord shape is an A minor, but is labeled differently every time – as a D♭ minor, C minor 9♯1, G7, and, for at least one bout of accuracy, A minor.

“It's best always to just do the same chord and just call it different things,” he adds.

And to make it “a little more official,” the strap has a little tag on the inside, which reads, ‘Fred Armisen's Guide to Guitar Chords.’ Going off this evidence, it's unlikely he'll get a gig teaching at Berklee any time soon, but he certainly gets a gold star for trying.

“At Couch, we're huge fans of comedian and musician Fred Armisen,” says its creators. “Recently, Fred asked us to help him make a guitar strap he designed to sell on his current tour, ‘Comedy For Musicians But Everyone Is Welcome’ and we were stoked.

“This design is a cool conversation piece, especially for guitar players – when they get a look at that chord chart on your strap they're gonna think ‘something's wrong.’ You, of course, get to explain to them that this is ‘Fred's Guide To Guitar Chords’ and show them the hidden badge sewn onto the back.”

The comments on the post have divided opinions. On one side, there's an outpouring of love for Armisen, whose musical talents and drier-than-desert humor have earned him a place in the hearts of SNL fans. Another user has called for him to “go straight to jail” for his crimes against music theory.

The guitarist is heading on the road, where he'll be selling the straps – for those who need a little assistance on the fly.

And for those not attending any of Armisen’s upcoming live dates, a limited number are being sold on the guitar strap company's website for $54.

Head to Couch Guitar Straps for more details.

For other strange strap innovations, look to the Axel for one that can make guitars spin 360 degrees, and Joe Satriani and D’Addario’s Auto Lock Swivel strap for one that will never tangle again.

Lo-fi is to audio what black-and-white or sepia-tinted film is to visual. Often lo-fi tracks will loop a sample from an old vinyl record, complete with scratches and crackles, then drop it over a modern beat.

In this case, the idea is to be able to create your own loops or chord progressions, although this knowledge is useful beyond this genre, too, of course.

Apologies in advance for Example 1, which is a bit of a stretch, but sometimes we have to make these sacrifices if we’re going to find voicings you don’t hear every day! All of these chords have their highest note (B) in common, with most of them also featuring F# as the second highest.

As we play through these, it’s interesting to hear the shifting intervals and changing relationships. It’s yet another angle at which we can look at harmony and chord construction, which benefits every single area of our playing – with the possible exception of an aching fretting hand…

Example 1. Gmaj7

This is a Gmaj7 but with an unusual stacking of notes and a wide skip between the 5th (D) on the fifth string and the 3rd (B) on the third string.

On the top two strings we have the maj7th (F#) and another 3rd (B) in ascending order. The fourth string is muted.

Example 2. G#7(#9)

This is a very similar shape, but it keeps the top two notes (F# and B) while we shift everything else up one semitone or fret. The result is a G#7(#9).

If you moved your fourth finger up to the 8th fret, you’d be back to the maj7th voicing but in G#.

Example 3. Am9

This Am9 keeps the B on the top, but we lose the F# for now. In this position we could use the open fifth string as our root, but we’d lose some consistency in the tone and the chord wouldn’t be movable, so that’s the reason for this seeming harder than it needs to be!

Example 4. D13(b9)

Like a few of the other examples, this D13(b9) doesn’t use the fifth string. This means we have a wide interval of a dominant 7 (aka b7) between the root and the next note in the chord as you brush across the strings.

The top three notes give us the b9th (Eb), the 3rd (F#) and the 13th (B).

Example 5. Gmaj9

This Gmaj9 gives a nice finishing chord, meaning Examples 3, 4 and 5 in sequence give us the II-V-I progression, a classic chord move in this style.

Perhaps it would be nice to cycle Examples 1 to 4 a few times, then finish with this? From bottom to top, we have: Root (G), 3rd (B), maj7th (F#) and 9th (A).

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When it comes to guitar chords, it all begins with basic ones that are called either major (use just the letter of the chord, eg E for E major) or minor (reduced to the letter plus m, eg Em for E minor).

These major or minor chords contain three different notes: a root (eg the E note in E), a 3rd interval up from the root (eg the G# note in E) and a 5th interval up from the root (eg the B note in E).

To make these chords sound richer, you can add another note which is the 7th interval up from the root. With the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th all combined, 7th chords are created.

These became commonplace in America's Broadway and jazz world of the 1940s and by the 1950s and '60s they were a mainstay of contemporary music, from Chuck Berry to The Beatles.

There are a variety of 7th chords available but in this feature you’ll concentrate on the three fundamental 7th barre chords as these are the most used: major 7th (eg Emaj7), minor 7th (eg Em7) and dominant 7th (eg E7). Let's look at the options when creating these 7th chords from a C root note.

For Cmaj7 the notes would be - C (root), E (3rd), G (5th) and B (7th). For Cm7 the notes are C (root), Eb (b3rd), G (5th) and Bb (b7th). Finally, a C7 is C (root), E (3rd), G (5th) and Bb (b7th).

Let's look at how these three chords can be played on the guitar: watch the video above, hear the audio below and learn from the tab/notation examples below.

Tab examples

Example 1a. Three Cmaj7 chords

Here are the three most used shapes for Cmaj7 with the C root note as the lowest note each time, moving from the low sixth string version to the upper fourth string version. They have a jazzy, romantic and soft sound, usually best played on an acoustic or clean toned electric.

Once learned, think texturally and contextually when using them as each shape has pros and cons. For example, the sixth string root version of Cmaj7 (the first shape shown) has the biggest projection but can sound muddy depending on how it's played and tone used.

Alternatively, the last Cmaj7 shape is played on the upper strings so is high pitched and bright sounding. When practicing these play and identify each note individually so you can hear the impact of the 7th interval, the B note.

Example 1b. Three Cm7 chords

Cm7 chords include the b3rd (Cm7's Eb note) and the b7th (Cm7's Bb note) which provide the most amount of harmonic information against the root note.

In general, you'll find m7 chords feature considerably more in rock and blues than maj7 chords which tend to lean more towards ballads and jazz styles. From acoustic to mildly overdriven, m7 chords are flexible enhancements for a straight minor chord.

Example 1c. Three C7 chords

Once upon a time, back when composers like Mozart were writing music every day for royal events and church services, a dominant 7th chord functioned as a tense chord that needed resolving to a final major or minor chord.

Specifically, the dominant 7th featured in cadences (candence = the ending of a musical phrase or passage) such as G7-C or G7-Cm. However, since the '50s, dominant 7ths have earned the right to be both a transitional chord and a static chord, not least because blues is so integral to contemporary music. In short, a solitary dominant 7th has been accepted by everyone.

With this in mind, if you're in a major key and in a rock or blues setting, it's highly likely you'll be using dominant 7th chords. From T-Bone Walker to Joe Bonamassa via ZZ Top and Joe Satriani, it's a sound everyone knows and it works well on an acoustic through to overdriven guitar.

The first two C7 shapes are very commonly used but don't overlook the third shape with the C note on the fourth string - it has real benefits if you're in a band with, say, a Hammond organ player and can't quite cut through the mix. This higher pitched shape may well help you to sound great.

Whichever shape you lean most towards initially, learn to appreciate the ‘tritone’ interval (the diminished 5th) found within: here, it's the E note (C7's 3rd interval; try it at the 9th fret, third string) and the Bb note (C7's b7 interval; try it at the 8th fret, fourth string).

Some guitarists will play just these two notes as doublestops while the bassist plays the root C note; this combination provides all the relevant harmonic information to an audience.

Indeed, some have even played solos using just (or mostly) these two notes all over the fretboard. This just shows the power of the tritone in many dominant 7th chord scenarios!

Example 2. Harmonizing the ascending C major scale with 7th chords

Here the C major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) is harmonized as 7th chords. Learn all the shapes carefully ascending and then learn them descending so you've more musical flexibility. During this, you’ll hear common relationships that fuel many popular chord progressions.

For example, the second chord is a m7 (Dm7), the fourth chord is a maj7 (Fmaj7) and the fifth chord is a dominant 7th (G7). So, using the roman numeral system that is so favoured by musicians around the world, the popular ii–V–I chord progression in the key of C would be Dm7–G7–Cmaj7.

Play Dm7 at the 5th fret, G7 at the 10th fret then Cmaj7 down at the 3rd fret to appreciate this progression for yourself.

Example 3. Grooving with three 7th chords

7th chords are great for spicing up progressions where simple major and minor chords may not have quite enough personality. In this example a basic I–IV–V progression is boosted with major 7th and dominant 7th flavours. With these chord voicings and rhythms, you're venturing into the funk/soul world of guitarists like Nile Rodgers and Cory Wong.

Pro playing tips – if these chords sound too muddy, consider clipping the chord lengths (this is called playing staccato) by releasing fretting hand pressure. Then focus your strumming on the upper three strings for a bright, cutting sound. Short length chords with an emphasis on the higher strings = funk guitar greatness!

Example 4. The I-IV-V progression (major key)

Blues music is often based around three 7th chords so here is the ever popular I–IV–V progression in the key of C major. Instead of just the major chords of C-F-G, the upselling to all dominant 7ths to create C7-F7-G7 provides more colour and tasteful tension.

In theory terms, this isn't diatonically correct to C major (it should be Cmaj7-Fmaj7-G7) but the bluesy nature of dominant 7ths do make a I-IV-V sound juicy and gritty.

As with the previous example, if some of these chords sound too full, thin them down to the upper three or four strings. Adding simple and short bass runs (see the opening three low notes) can provide variety of pitch and feel, broadening the sense of blues/soul authenticity.

Example 5. The I-IV-V progression (minor key)

Still in a bluesy context, the I–IV–V chord progression is now made minor using the m7 chords of Cm7-Fm7-Gm7.

Again, full chord shapes can be contrasted with the upper register noted for sonic variations. Playing the progression like this instantly conjures up the sounds of funk and '70s soul though it will work in any style and for any guitar, acoustic to clean-toned Stratocaster.

Example 6. Maj7, m7 and 7 chords all together

For the final example, here is a longer chord progression using 7th chords from the harmonized C major scale you studied in example 2.

Everything belongs to the scale and key (this is called being diatonic) and it sounds like a good guitar part in a song with contrast and flow.

The outro is a classic soul/pop style ending, moving down the scale with the diatonic 7th chords of Fma7-Em7-Dm7 then G7-Cmaj7.

Songs that use 7th chords

The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin'

The immediately recognisable intro riff to the Doobies’ classic 1973 hit showcases the sound of minor 7th chords in action.

In this case, a Gm7 chord played up at the 10th fret (root on the fifth string) with brief uses of a first finger barre to provide colorful passing motion. This is a great example of the ‘A shape’ m7 chord in a rock pop hit song.

The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Johnny Marr’s playing on this classic 1984 song (certainly in the intro) is a great example of the sweet sound of maj7 chords.

It’s a great writing tool as the bright but almost whimsical sound of the maj7 chord is the perfect ironic foil to Morrissey’s ‘miserable’ lyrics.

James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag

Dominant 7ths really found their home in 60s and 70s funk as heard with this classic song by the Godfather of Soul. The dominant 7th sound is up front and throughout: a I-IV-V in Eb using the popular 12-bar structure favoured in countless blues songs.

The guitar mimics a horn section, providing a rhythmic backdrop with tight chord stabs. This is a perfect example of how to play crisp and clear 7ths in the context of a grooving band.

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

This powerful song is one of the band's biggest hits, not least due to its broad dynamic range that travels from the intro's intimate chord picking through to the chugging distorted guitar chords and roaring vocals later on.

To highlight one of the greatest uses of a dominant 7 chord in metal, the B7-Em cadence (a V7-I in E minor) is nothing short of masterful. The B7 chord occurs on the word 'nothing' and then resolves to Em on the word 'matters'.

We get different voicings of a chord when we shuffle the order of the notes around. Though we still have the same chord harmonically speaking, it will have a slightly different character.

We can also arrange to have the Root, 3rd, 5th, 7th (or any other extension) at the top or bottom to facilitate chord melody arrangements or Bach-style moving basslines. In the classical world, this practice would usually be called ‘inversions’ of a chord.

Briefly, a major or minor chord with the 3rd shifted to the bottom (such as D/F#) is a first inversion. Move the 5th to the bottom (D/A, for example) and we have a second inversion.

If we were to take a dominant 7th chord and move the 7th to the bottom (D/C, for example), we’d have a third inversion. In the jazz/pop/rock world, we normally talk in terms of voicings or slash chords, but it’s useful to understand the various terminologies.

In the meantime, enjoy the versions of Bmaj7 in the examples and I hope you feel inspired to apply this approach to other chords.

Example 1

Based on the CAGED shape of A major, this movable Bmaj7 shape is one of the most popular maj7 voicings, as seen in many chord books.

We have the Root (B) on the fifth string, then the 5th (F#), maj7th (A#), 3rd (D#) and another 5th (F#) in that order as you strum across the strings. The duplicated 5th is optional, but it makes a nice top note.

Example 2

This voicing of Bmaj7 has the 5th (F#) on the bottom, so could technically be called a second inversion.

The rest of the B major triad is also here at the 4th fret, so we have the full set: F#-B-D#, in that order. The maj7th (A#) appears on the first string, which is a nice way to accentuate what is unique about this chord.

Example 3

This version of Bmaj7 has a jazzy feel as the 5th (F#) is separated from the Root (B) by an octave.

This is common in jazz because it allows the other more delicate intervals to come to the fore.

In fact, the 5th is often omitted completely. Compare with Example 1 to hear how much more ‘rock ’n’ roll’ the Root and 5th (B-F#) sound at the bottom.

Example 4

Played on the top four strings, this version of Bmaj7 is great for funk rhythm parts where you want to keep things light without too much low-end muddying things up.

Over a G# bass note, this voicing would also make a very nice G#min9 chord, which is the relative minor key.

Example 5

Using the CAGED Cmaj7 shape, here is yet another voicing of Bmaj7, with the root on the bottom.

You could almost view the first finger of your fretting hand as a temporary capo and move this shape to any key, though it does require a bit of stretch and strength in the lower registers.

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In my previous column, we looked at the difference between extended and altered chords, and I wanted to give some further examples and explanations of how altered chords work in practical terms.

After all, the guitar can be a tricky instrument on which to conceptualise music theory! All but one of the examples here have been altered – namely, at least one note has been raised or lowered from where you would normally expect to find it in the ‘parent’ scale. We’ll talk about which one is the odd one out (and why) later.

We can get some pretty dissonant ‘murder mystery’ type chords without having to get our fingers in a twist.

However, most chords don’t present themselves to us neatly on the fretboard in linear scale order in the way in which they do on the piano keyboard. This can be off putting until you realise that virtually all altered chords are based around a small selection of more familiar shapes. Have a look for yourself.

Example 1. A7(#5)

Based on the regular A7, this version omits the 5th (E) you might normally expect to find on the fifth string, but if we look at the second string there is a #5 (F) at the top. A #5th is often referred to as augmented, so if you see A7(aug 5) on a chord chart, this is it!

Example 2. D7b9

This would be a D9 chord, but if we look at it from low to high, we have: root (D) - major 3rd (F#) - dominant 7th (C) - b9 (Eb). The Eb/b9 is the note that makes this an altered chord. Play this after a D7(#9) and end with E minor and you’ll recognise a fragment of Pink Floyd’s Breathe.

Example 3. Gm/maj7

This is based on a Gm7 chord, but instead of the dominant 7th (F), this features a major 7th (F#). We’ve just found the odd one out! A b3rd does not count as ‘altered’ in the theoretical sense, neither does a dominant/b7 or major 7th. Still a great chord, though.

Example 4. C9(#11)

If you rake down across the strings slowly, this sounds like a regular C9 chord. However, once you get to the first string, that F# is raised, as opposed to the F you usually find in the C major scale. That’s why this is an altered chord. It’s much nicer than adding a regular 11th (F) on top.

Example 5. Amaj7(#5)

This very dramatic chord is an Amaj7(#5). Shifting (altering) the 5th up a semitone from E to F on the second string takes us from pretty love songs to ‘murder mystery’ territory. It’s worth noting that using a dominant 7th in this chord (G) would bring us back to the A7(#5) of Example 1.

The term ‘embellished’ isn’t really a theoretical one, but it seems an appropriate way to describe these examples. Sometimes an idea for a chord progression can come to us virtually complete; at other times, we have to work a bit harder to refine an idea.

In a recording session, it’s not unusual to be asked if you can add something to a ‘standard’ set of chords and bring something else to the harmony – all within reason, of course.

The theme linking these examples is that (with experimentation) they could all make nice alternative voicings or ‘overlays’ to more conventional chords.

Some of them have a complexity you can normally only achieve in alternative tunings, which is also a wonderful world to explore, but it makes sense to get the most out of regular tuning, too.

There’s also the convenience of not having to retune. All of the examples can be strummed (with some judicious muting of unwanted strings) or fingerpicked. Don’t let the complex-sounding names spoil your enjoyment!

Example 1. Dm/F

This chord could correctly be called F6 or Dm/F as both share the same notes (F D A D). The naming is a matter of preference and/or context. For example, this may follow a D/F# chord, in which case it could make sense to call this Dm/F. Even then, you wouldn’t be wrong to say F6 if you preferred.

Example 2. Gmaj9(no 3rd)

From a player’s perspective, this chord is easy to recognise as D with a G in the bass (D/G), but in practice it sounds more like a Gmaj9 chord with no 3rd (B). With G as our root, we pass the muted fifth string, then the open fourth gives us the 5th of a G chord (D). The third string A gives us a 9th, then another 5th (D) on the second string, and major 7th (F#) on top!

Example 3. Emaj9(no 3rd)/A

There are several ways you can view this chord. Looking closely, there is a B major triad on the top three strings, with an A5 chord in the bass. After some head-scratching, we felt this is most clearly described as an Emaj9(no3rd)/A, though you might want to try this with, or instead of, an A major chord – it won’t work all the time, but when it does it will be lovely.

Example 4. Bmaj7(no 3rd)

Another chord with the 3rd omitted. This isn’t for any fancy theoretical reason; it’s more about running out of strings/fingers! Many will recognise this as a Bmaj7 but replacing the 3rd (D#) with the open second string (B). This gives a bit of dissonance – just the thing sometimes. Try adding in the open sixth string for a twist on E major.

Example 5. Cadd9addb5

This is definitely based around C major: you can clearly see the triad (C E G) on the fifth, first and third strings respectively. We have the 9th (D) on the second string, so that would mean Cadd9, but then we find a b5 (Gb) on the fourth string. As we already have a 5th on the open third string, we’ll call this an ‘addb5’: Cadd9addb5.

Terms such as ‘altered’ and ‘extended’ chords are relatively simple to explain. Extended chords add other notes from the scale to the existing root-3rd-5th triad (for example, C-E-G), so if we add a 7th, we’d call this a major 7th chord (C-E-G-B).

We can extend up to a 13th in this way by progressively adding in the non-chord tones of a scale – in theory, at least.

In practice, root-3rd-5th-7th-9th-11th-13th played simultaneously makes for a dense, almost dissonant voicing.

On guitar we’d struggle because we only have six strings, plus a limited reach and number of fingers! So we tend to omit non-essential notes. The 5th is often the first to go, then the 11th gets the chop in 13th chords for clarity.

Altered chords contain non-diatonic notes – that is, notes that have been raised or lowered from their usual place in the scale. The examples below provide further explanation!

Example 1. G7

As a reference point, here is a G7 chord. These contain a b7th, which is referred to as the dominant 7th (and not considered as ‘altered’ in the theoretical sense). From low to high, we have G-D-F-B-D-G. Two roots (G), one 3rd (B) one dominant 7th (F) and two 5ths (D). Try not to let the non-linear nature of the guitar distract you from music theory’s basic principles.

Example 2. G7(b5)

An altered version of the G7 in Example 1 could be this, a G7(b5). Let’s talk it through from low to high: the root (G) is at the bottom, followed by the muted fifth string, coincidentally where the 5th (D) would also appear. Next, we have the b7th (F) and the major 3rd (B). All fairly standard apart from the omitted 5th. The b5th (Db) is where the alteration happens, on the second string.

Example 3. C11

Taking another chord as a reference, here’s a C11. From low to high, we have: Root (C) - dominant 7th (Bb) - 9th (D) - 11th (F). Again, the 5th is omitted, which helps with fingering on the guitar, but it’s also common practice to stop chords becoming too harmonically dense and hard for our brains to decipher!

Example 4. C7(b9)

An altered version of the C11 in Example 3 could be this, a C7(b9). We’ve lost our 11th (F) by shifting it down to an E at the 5th fret of the second string. This becomes the major 3rd, so there’s no need to name it separately. However, we do have a Db on the third string, a semitone below the 9th from the previous C11 chord. This is our altered note.

Example 5. E7(#9)

The E7(#9) is a very well-known chord, but it’s interesting to look at it from this perspective. If we take it from low to high, we see: root (E) - major 3rd (G#) -
dominant 7th (D) - #9th (G). If you take that G at the top down to F#, we’re looking at a regular E9 chord.

In theory, the name of a chord should describe its content, especially if it differs from the root-3rd-5th of a standard major chord. In guitar circles, describing a chord as ‘G’ without any other information would usually mean a G major chord.

Once we get into minor chords (with a b3) and 5 chords – often called powerchords and which don’t have a 3rd at all – it’s necessary to include these extra details to make sure everyone is on the same page (sometimes literally!).

Just as ‘G’ is often slang for G major, other terms that refer to extended and/or altered chords have developed over time. C7, for instance, means a C major chord with a b7th (Bb).

C9 (see Example 3) contains the b7th plus the 9th (D), so there’s more going on than many may suspect. Cadd9 (see Example 4) on the other hand simply adds the 9th to an existing C major (or minor) chord.

I’ve included a few more commonly misunderstood chords in the examples.

Example 1. Dsus4

Dsus4 is an abbreviated way of saying D suspended 4th. The 4th in this case is G, the 4th of the D major scale. The G replaces the 3rd (F#), meaning sus chords are neither major nor minor; it’s all about which chord you resolve to afterwards (that’s where the ‘suspended’ part comes from).

Resolving to D major sounds a bit like The Who, while resolving to D minor sounds a bit like Bach.

Example 2. Dadd4

Here’s another D chord containing the 4th (G). This time, the 3rd (F#) is also retained, giving us what is called a Dadd4.

This is a major chord, but it retains a certain suspended quality by containing the 3rd and 4th a semitone apart. If you can stretch to making the F# an F natural on the 3rd fret of the fourth string, you’ll have Dm(add4).

Example 3. C9

When we extend a chord beyond the 7th, we start adding the names/numbers from a second octave of the major scale. The 9th (D) is nine notes above the original root when we play a two-octave C major scale. This, plus the inclusion of the b7 (Bb), is why this chord is called C9, instead of Cadd9.

Example 4. Cadd9

Further to Example 3, here is a Cadd9 in the same position. There is no b7 th, just the root-3rd-5th (C-E-G) plus the 9th (D) added on top.

On an instrument such as the guitar where chords don’t always oblige by appearing in scale order, there can sometimes be confusion about what is a 2nd and what is a 9th (both D in this key!). I’ll attempt to clarify in Example 5…

Example 5. Asus2

This Asus2 chord features the 2nd (B), a full nine notes above the root (A) on the open fifth string – but as the 2nd replaces the 3rd (C#), here the octave becomes irrelevant.

This is similar to the triad (E-A-C#) that forms the A major chord at the 2nd fret of the fourth, third and second strings (in that order). Like sus4, sus2 is neither major nor minor. Try mixing this with Asus4, A major and A minor.

Complete mastery of the fretboard – as much as such a thing may be possible – would have to include knowing each and every way a chord can be played or ‘voiced.’

Taking a theoretically identical chord and juggling its notes can give a subtle or not so subtle change in timbre.

Being able to arrange voicings to ‘sit’ nicely in a chord progression (both to your ears and on the fretboard) is an under-appreciated skill that can set you apart from players who feel ‘three chords and the truth’ is enough. Sometimes that is sufficient, of course, but we have space for five chords here and we want to improve, rather than rest on our laurels!

You’ll notice each major 7 chord has its own ‘EQ’ due to the different strings used. I’ve highlighted A for particular attention here because it’s such a nice key on the guitar, but you’ll notice below that a Cmaj7 has crept in on Example 5, too.

Why? Well, it’s a nice alternative to the more obvious shapes, plus it fits really well with A.

Example 1

This version of Amaj7 has the maj7 (G#) as the highest note, though the relatively wide interval between this and the C# (3rd) on the second string – a perfect 5th – gives it a different feel to other, more common shapes. I’ve used the open fifth string (A) as root here, but omit this and the voicing becomes movable.

Example 2

This version of Amaj7 features the root-3rd-5th-maj7 (A-C#-E-G#) in scale order, with the open fifth string as its root, but you can get some interesting ideas from moving it around. Alternatively, mute the fifth string and you have a nice movable voicing, great for funk or overdubs where another instrument is playing another voicing.

Example 3

This Amaj7 has a darker, jazzier sound, due to its use of the lower, thicker strings. With the open fifth string and first string not used, this version can be moved anywhere. Note that not having the 5th (E) down near the root (A) like more conventional voicings makes a big difference.

Example 4

This full six-string version of Amaj7 has a little dissonance, but this is sometimes what you want. The primary dissonance occurs between the maj7 (G#) on the fourth string and the dual root notes (A) on the first and sixth strings. Perhaps it’s enhanced further by this doubling of the root…

Example 5

Played with the root (A) at the 12th fret, this would give us another voicing of Amaj7, but I’ve opted to stay lower and feature this nice voicing of Cmaj7. The 5th (G) is omitted completely from this voicing – a common practice in jazz, which makes things a little more ambiguous.

Chords, scales, and harmony are subjects you could spend your whole life studying – and perhaps that complexity and sense of infinite possibilities is what keeps most of us hooked.

There are various ways in which we can approach any one aspect of chords and their extensions, but for this feature I’ve chosen to highlight polychords and slash chords, clarifying what each term means – and what the difference is between them.

A slash chord such as A/B features a triad over a non-root bass note. In this case, an A major with a B in the bass (check out Examples 1 and 2 below). A polychord contains two complete triads played together.

This isn’t always easy on the guitar, but the Em/maj9 (E minor and B major combined) in Example 5 is a great example. The reason for such experimentation isn’t purely academic; hearing and recognizing what’s going on in chords such as this can give us a different insight into harmony than counting through scales to name extensions.

Example 1. A/B (B11)

You’ll notice this A/B could also be correctly named B11. Why? Well, if we take the B as our root, the A, C#, and E become the b7th, 9th, and 11th. In some contexts, it could make sense to call this a B11, but calling it A/B gives us more of an insight into what’s actually going on harmonically – and this is a good thing.

Example 2. A/B (B11)

Here’s another A/B. The same applies as Example 1: unless there’s a strong contextual reason to call this B11, it makes sense to use the more intuitive slash chord name. You can solo using A major or F#m pentatonic, B Mixolydian, or A Lydian modes over this chord. Why not give each of these a try?

Example 3. B/A

If we reverse the order of chord and bass notes from Examples 1 and 2, we get B/A – a B major triad with an A at the bottom. A is actually the b7th that gives B7 its name, but it has a far stronger effect at the bottom like this, which warrants the different name.

Example 4. C#m11

This C#m11 has the root (C#) at the bottom, so it isn’t a slash chord. However, if we look at the two lowest notes, C# and E, we have the root and b3rd, which set this up as some kind of C# minor. The B, D#, and F# on the top three strings are the b7th, 9th, and 11th, which happen to form a B major triad. We’re getting into polychord territory here…

Example 5. Em/maj9

This Em/maj9 is named according to the usual conventions of extended chords (from low to high): Root-b3rd-5th-maj7th-9th-5th. This is the renowned ‘Bond theme’ chord, with a B on the top. If we look at the lowest three strings, we find E-G-B, an E minor triad. And the top three, B-D#-F#, make a B major triad.

We’ve all played them, but how many of us can say we know how 7th chords actually work? There’s more to them than meets the eye… In this lesson, we’ll go through the difference between a dominant, major and minor 7th, plus the apparent contradiction of the minor/major 7th. Let's go.

The first 7th chord most of us learn is called just that: C7, G7, A7, etc. It seems reasonable to assume these consist of the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of the scale, right? Wrong! This would make a major 7th chord. For a regular 7th chord, we need root, 3rd, 5th and b7 – but to say 'a flat 7' would be too easy to confuse with the chord A b7, a completely different thing.

One solution is to call these ‘dominant 7th’ chords; the other is to sidestep the whole issue completely and adopt the ‘slang’ term ‘A7’ when we mean ‘A with a b7th’, or ‘A dominant 7th’. Fortunately, as we’ve already seen, major 7th chords can be taken at face value…

Example 1. D7

This D7 chord can be found among the first few pages of many chord books. From the fourth string through to the first, we have root (D), 5th (A), b7th (C) and major 3rd (F#). You can convert this to a Dm7 by lowering the 3rd to F natural, or turn it into a major 7th by raising the C to C#. A lot of songs have been written around such simple moves.

Example 2. Em7

Em7 can be played in several ways. Playing across all six strings, this voicing has the root (E) on the sixth, then the 5th (B), b7th (D), b3rd (G), another 5th (B) and a duplicate root on the open first string. Raising the open third string to G# at the 1st fret makes this an E7 chord.

Example 3. Cmaj7

By combining the root (C), 3rd (E), 5th (G) major 7th (B) and duplicate 3rd (E), we create a Cmaj7. To change this to a regular C7, add your fourth finger at the 3rd fret, third string (Bb), but be sure to remove that clashing open B by adding your first finger at the 1st fret.

Example 4. Cm7

Cm7 combines the root (C), 5th (G), b7th (Bb), b3rd (Eb) and a duplicate 5th (G). The term ‘minor’ refers to the b3rd. This is a C minor chord with a dominant or b7th. If we were to raise the 7th, we would have a C minor chord with a major 7th. Now check Example 5!

Example 5.

Using the open fifth string as root (A), we then find the b/minor 3rd (C), 5th (E) and G#, the major 7th. Hopefully, the term m/maj7 now makes more sense than it would have done a few minutes ago, as we are simply describing what is happening in the chord.

When we combine harmonious intervals to create chords, there are various conventions we follow (consciously or otherwise) to avoid unpleasant dissonances. Here, we’re going to do no such thing! We will head boldly into a world of discord with our eyes wide open and see what unexpected delights can be found.

The most discordant interval is arguably the minor 2nd (semitone), so we'll find chord shapes/voicings that incorporate it. Generally, the lower the interval is in a chord, the more profound its effect. So none of our featured chords has a minor 2nd in the bass.

But never say never… We’re sticking with clear, unambiguous root notes at the bottom, adding in the weirdness in the mid to high register. Some of these examples may have a familiar ring – hopefully all of them will encourage you to experiment.

More detailed knowledge of chord construction can inform the note choices in your solo playing, too, of course!

1. Em9

This Em9 chord features a semitone interval, with the F# on the fourth string ringing boldly against the G of the open third . Playing these two notes in isolation, it’s hard to believe the inclusion of all the other notes in the chord can change the way we hear them so dramatically.

2. Emaj9

Shifting to a major feel, this Emaj9 features the semitone at the top. This would not sound as harmonious with a D# ringing against an E at the bass end. As it is, there is a certain push-pull between the two, which adds a sparkle that simply isn’t there if we omit the open first string.

3. Am9

Moving to Am9, the semitone here is between the B on the 4th fret, third string and the C on the 1st fret, second string. Perhaps this can be viewed a little like mixing colours; the dark minor 2nd interval blends with the minor 7th chord to give it a little more intensity.

4. Amadd11

This add11 only just qualifies as a chord because it is very sparse. From low to high, we have root (A), another root an octave above, 3rd (C#) and the added 11th/4th a semitone above (D). The open E might make a nice addition, but it is omitted here. It is not a ‘sus4’ chord, because the 3rd is present.

5. F#7add11

This F#7add11 chord will bring a smile to the face of any Rush fans. By allowing the open first and second strings to ring at the top of this F# chord, we create the semitone we want between the third and second strings, with the open E adding more shimmer on top. Many more Rush textures can be found if you move this one around.

Sometimes, when music theory ties us in knots, it’s good to remember that so much of what we’re dealing with is just names for sounds. And sometimes those names struggle to keep up with the complexities of music as much as we do!

One term that can throw people at first is the 6/9 chord, so this feature will attempt to dispel any mystery about them and their possible variants.

As you might suspect, the 6/9 chord contains both the 6th and the 9th of the ‘parent’ scale, the scale the chord is taken from. In practice, the name 6/9 is actually an abbreviation of 6add9 because 9th chords would technically contain the 7th.

They have a very particular sound due to the stacking of 4ths. Check out the C6/9 in Example 1, which, apart from the root (C), consists entirely of 4ths, the remainder of the chord being E, A, D and G – the same as the bottom four strings of the guitar!

See below for a few useful major and minor 6/9 voicings, plus an extra twist here and there.

Example 1. C6/9

This C6/9 is movable to any key, preserving the stacking of notes with the root on the bottom and stacked 4ths on top.

This makes a great substitute for a regular major chord if you’re looking to jazz things up, or move the E on the fourth string down a semitone to Eb for Cm6/9.

Example 2. Gmaj9add6

Basically moving a similar shape across to have the root on the sixth string, this sounds very much like a G6/9 – but the presence of the maj7 (F#) on the first string changes the naming convention.

Theoretically, this is first and foremost a Gmaj9 but with the 6th added. So we have Gmaj9add6, but we can view it as a ‘deluxe’ version of G6/9.

Example 3. F6/9

This small but beautiful F6/9 is movable to any key, like Examples 1 and 2. From low to high it stacks up as: root (F), major 3rd (A), 6th (D) and 9th (G), omitting the 5th – as so many jazz-flavoured voicings do – and getting straight to the point.

Example 4. Fm6/9

A minor version of Example 3, this Fm6/9 calls to mind Brian Setzer’s dramatic ending to Stray Cat Strut (though that’s in C, it’s easy to shift key). As we shall see in Example 5, you can achieve a darker sound by transposing this voicing over to the lower strings.

Example 5. Fm6/9

This version of Fm6/9 is identical in its intervallic structure to Example 4, but it gains a darker sound by being played on the thicker strings.

You can add a mysterious ‘murder mystery’ quality to this by adding in the maj7th (E) via the open first string, which would be an Fm/maj9add6.

For this open tuning lesson, we are going to take open G and turn it into a G minor version. To do this, tune into open G by dropping the sixth, fifth and first strings down a tone, then drop the second string down a semitone to a Bb – that’s the all-important minor 3rd in the key of G.

Though not as commonplace as its major counterpart, G minor tuning is used in many songs including John Renbourn’s The Mist Covered Mountains Of Home.

1. C/G

This first chord is a nice, easy fingering for C/G. Do your best not to accidentally mute the open third string.

2. F

The F chord is the fourth chord in the key of C, so this will go well in a progression with our C/G chord.

3. D

Play a first-finger barre, then use a spare finger to raise the minor 3rd to make a major chord in this minor tuning.

4. G

The G chord is the fifth chord of G major and completes our three-chord trick of C/G-F-G.

5. Cadd9/G

To finish off, it’s another great fingering. The Cadd9/G chord only requires two fingers and sounds ace.

We continue our series in open tunings with another ‘C’ tuning, but this is different to open Csus2 because the strings are tuned to a major chord, not a suspended sound – and that changes the character.

To get into open C from standard tuning, adjust the fifth and fourth strings down a tone, tune the sixth string down two tones, and raise the second string up a semitone.

Check out Come To Me by Goo Goo Dolls and As It Was by Hozier for songs in this tuning.

1. Am

This first chord is an easy fingering for Am, with the open strings giving it a nice, rich sound.

2. G

This G chord has a sweet sound thanks to the wide intervals between the three lowest notes. G fingering. Try it also with a barre.

3. F

You’ve gone to the trouble of tuning to a major chord. Well, that means any barre across the strings like this is a major chord, too!

4. Dm7

This Dm7 chord fingering has an open, ringing sound to it.

5. Emb6

The Emb6 chord in standard tuning it doesn’t always sound the best. Open C tuning gives us this more musical fingering.

Here is an open tuning that is actually very similar to Gsus4 – and the fresh perspective it offers on the instrument is transformative.

The only difference is that for this tuning we’ll drop the sixth string another tone down to C. It’s quite remarkable how two tunings that share the same notes can be applied in different ways.

Just think how different drop D feels compared to standard tuning on electric guitar and you’ll see what we mean!

1. Csus2

The low C is deep and full here, and it sounds especially good in when played on a dreadnought or jumbo.

2. Dm11

This chord is created by simply moving the last shape up two frets. Try other fret positions, too.

3. Gadd11/D

This shape resembles a standard-tuned powerchord, but it’s a much richer-sounding Gadd11/D chord.

4. Am11

This chord is easy and sounds great. Keeping the sixth string muted gives a more focused bottom-end.

5. G7sus4

Sus chords sound great on acoustic – just look at how many tunings are based on them! This 7sus4 shape is no different.

Once you've filled your boots with DADGAD or double drop D, why not turn your attention to an open tuning that is very popular for clawhammer acoustic guitar, open Gsus4? It is essentially the same as open G tuning, but with the second string raised by a semitone.

So to tune from standard tuning, drop the first, second and sixth strings down a tone and then raise the second string by a semitone. Molly Tuttle uses this tuning for her track Take the Journey.

1. Bbadd9

It’s a little awkward to fit all three fingers in place here, but the results are worth it.

2. Csus2

This chord sounds great following on from the previous shape.

3. Dm7

This fingering here is easy. Simply place your second and third fingers on the second and third strings at the 5th fret.

4. Bbadd9

This chord use the same fingering as the previous Dm7 chord, but places a Bb note in the bass.

5. Amadd11

The final fingering is easy to play and gives a moody minor tonality to experiment with.

Once you've whetted your appetite for open tuning experimentation, your acoustic guitar having long forgotten the vanilla pleasures of EADGBE, maybe it's time to try open Aadd9 (EAC#EBE).

This tuning is a bit more of a rarity, and is the main tuning used by Australian virtuoso Alan Gogoll.

The tuning has a wide open sound all of its own, with the brightness of a major 3rd interval (C#) and the richness of a 9th (B) giving the signature sound.

It won’t disrupt your neck/string tension much, either – simply drop the fourth string by a semitone and the third string by three semitones.

1. Aadd9

Use your second and third fingers to fret the notes on the sixth and third strings. Strum all six strings and let it ring!

2. Bsus2/4

This chord is created by moving the previous shape up by two frets. Try other fret positions, too.

3. C#madd9

This time, instead of changing fret position, we’re moving the shape on the fifth and second strings.

4. Eadd9

If we barre across the top five strings at the 7th fret, a large Eadd9 chord is created.

5. Aadd9

This shape has a jazzier character to the opening Aadd9 thanks to a wider pitch range and fewer ringing open strings.

Open G tuning is an alternate tuning favored by Keith Richards and requires the guitar to be tuned to D-G-D-G-B-D. To retune into open G from standard tuning, drop the sixth, fifth and first strings down a tone.

The open strings form a G chord, but, where open D tuning has its root note in the bass, here in open G, the low string is a D.

It’s still a note in the G chord (G-B-D), but it means you’ll often find chords and riffs phrased around an open fifth-string root. The tuning is common in many styles including Hawaiian ‘slack key’ and bottleneck blues.

Here are five chord shapes you need to learn in open G tuning.

1. G5

With its G-G-G-D-D arrangement of notes, this first chord is near impossible to play in standard tuning.

2. C/G

This chord offers a way to create boogie riffs by moving between an open-string G chord and this C/G fingering.

3. D

It’s well worth having a fingering for the V chord (D) of the key of G up your sleeve.

4. C#maddb9

This minor version the major shape includes a lush sounding b9th interval.

5. Aadd11

This chord sounds great, and the dissonance between the major 3rd (C#) and 11th (D) adds color.

Having introduced 5 chord shapes for DADGAD tuning, let's turn our attention to open D (aka D A D F# A D).

As with DADGAD, drop the sixth string down a tone to D, then drop the first and second strings down a tone to D and A, respectively.

The final step is to drop the G string down a semitone to F#. The open D tuning is great for blues and fingerstyle acoustic pieces.

1. F#5

This powerchord shape features in Mumford And Sons’ The Cave, transposed to various fret positions.

2. Esus2

If we move the F#5 fingering down two frets and leave the third string ringing, this Esus2 is created.

3. Gadd9/D

This one is nice and easy, and sounds great when followed by a D chord played on the open strings.

4. Aadd11/D

This fingering uses the open strings as drones. Simply move the shape around the fretboard to find different sounds.

5. Amadd11/D

This final chord fingering is the minor version of the previous chord – it only differs by one note.

Loved by the likes of Davey Graham, Roy Harper and Jimmy Page, DADGAD remains a great place to start when exploring alternate tunings, especially on acoustic guitar.

It’s harmonically somewhat ‘ambiguous’ because it contains stable-sounding perfect 4ths (G), perfect 5ths (A) and the root note (D) – but no 3rds to make it major or minor.

Strummed all at once, the open strings are a big, bold Dsus4 chord. It’s a de facto standard alternative to traditional E standard (EADGBE) tuning amongst fingerpickers and percussive players alike.

1. D5

This chord only requires one finger, but creates a huge-sounding D5 powerchord.

2. Bm7

This fingering sounds great as it uses the first and second strings as a drone.

3. Aadd11

This shape also uses a drone. Try swapping between the previous shape and this one.

4. Cadd9

This one can be heard in action by Jimmy Page in his fingerstyle classic, Black Mountain Side.

5. Em11

This final chord provides a huge, resonant Em11 sound thanks to those ringing open strings.

Legendary American group Steely Dan blended rock, pop, blues, jazz, country, folk and almost any other imaginable popular musical idiom – the compositional style of keyboard player and vocalist Donald Fagen, alongside his writing partner and guitarist Walter Becker had it all.

Combine the pair’s considerable creative talents with an almost unfathomable A-list of the best of the best session musicians, literally queuing up to play on their recordings, with phenomenal production and you can see why their music has stood the test of time. And with over 40 million albums sold and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame we see two further indications of their significance and popularity.

Steely Dan’s music manages to somehow combine accessibility with sophistication. Its intelligent lyrical content, incredible groove and feel blended with a harmonic sensibility, make it both bluesy and direct, and equally complex and involved.

One consistent ingredient in the Dan sound is the now legendary ‘Mu’ voicing – essentially a major triad with added 2nd or 9th degree, voiced in a particular way, so that the 2nd and 3rd intervals are located adjacently, to create an intriguing and mildly dissonant cluster.

The intention was to introduce harmonic colour and interest, but in a way that avoided any overtly jazzy overtones, which would be almost impossible to avoid when building chords by the usual method of stacking 3rds (7ths, 9ths, 11ths and so on).

Evidence of these voicings can be found all over Steely Dan’s music. Fans of the band enthusiastically trace them down and point them out, rather like the ‘Gretty chords’ famously associated with The Beatles.

Our mission here is to establish a working vocabulary of these voicings that you can employ in your own compositions and/or arrangements so that you can introduce a little (or a lot) of Dan-inspired sophistication into your playing and writing.

The musical examples that accompany this article are divided into five distinct sections. We begin with a short contextualised musical piece, so that you can hear and utilise these Mu voicings in a real-world scenario.

The next two examples will provide you with an extensive list of potential options that you can include into you chord vocabulary, both by establishing specific forms and then by superimposing a certain shape from different intervals, so that the same exact chord form can function in a variety of different ways.

We then look at a selection of examples that showcase how some other legendary players might imagine this colourful add9 sound, including jazz giant John Coltrane, fusion great John Scofield, gypsy jazzers Biréli Lagrène and Django Reinhardt, and psychedelic blues-rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

As usual, we conclude our study with a full piece, putting a selection of these voicings to work in musical context.

But treat these examples as the first step, taking time to learn each exercise or etude as written, but then consider these as the inspiration to create your own chordal figures, compositional connections or arrangement tools. It’s this that will allow you to bring some of this intelligent sophistication to bear, so it becomes a natural part of your personal sound. As always, enjoy.

Example 1. Mu chords in action

We begin with a Dan-inspired example that uses a selection of cluster add9 Mu voicings in the key of D (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#), although the Cadd9 in bar 2 pushes us towards a parallel D Mixolydian tonality (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C).

In this introductory excerpt, we’re using open strings to achieve a more piano-like sound, where the major 2nd intervals (two frets apart) are easier to achieve. So we can hear how the guitar voicings sound, the examples are just guitar, bass and drums/click.

Example 2. Establishing some voicings

In this example we’re presenting a selection of useful voicings, starting in 2a) with R-9-3-5 configurations in open and movable forms. In 2b) we shift the 5th down an octave, to give us R-5-9-3, again in both open and moveable forms.

In 2c) we explore the potential of switching root and 5th to give us another set of shapes, while in 2d) we position the tone cluster between root and 9th. 2e) highlights a modern version of the chord, a quartal stack with no clusters, voiced 3-9-5-R, and round things of in 2f) with a selection of ‘rule breakers’ avoiding the tone clusters, and 2g), where we see some potential ‘minor-Mu’ candidates.

Example 3. Superimpositions

Here we’re highlighting the potential of taking a particular voicing and moving it to different positions along the neck while keeping the root note fixed in one location.

As this means each of the intervals changes based upon how each note now relates to the root, we can turn a major voicings into a minor chord, or a sus chord, dominant, half-diminished and so on. Example 3a) outlines the most consonant options, where our initial Eadd9 (E-G#-B-F#) can be moved a minor 3rd higher to give us Gadd9/E, or Em11 (R-b3-b7-11-5, low to high).

Example 3b) shows us the more dissonant or advanced Mu chords, where the same exact voicing can be used to imply E Phrygian (from the b9), E Lydian (from the 2nd), and E Locrian (from the b5).

Example 4. Crossroads add9 applications

Here’s how other artists might employ add9 ideas, starting with John Scofield (4a) that he used in his ’80s fusion era. Next (4b) is a classical violin-sounding double-stop courtesy of gypsy jazz virtuoso Biréli Lagrène, then a groovy add9 chordal idea (4c) from Jimi Hendrix.

Finally it’s single-notes, starting with a chromatic ‘tetrachord’ line (R-2-3-5) like saxophonist John Coltrane, before a Django line moving between Am(add9) (A-C-E-B) and Dm(add9) (D-F-A-E).

Example 5. Full Piece

We end our study of add9 Mu chords with a snappy piece using a variety of forms in the key of A major (A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#), although we move through a selection of parallel tonalities, such as A Mixolydian in bar 2 (A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G), and A Phrygian in bars 9-11 (A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G).

I went from fingerstyle (bars 1-8), to hybrid picking for the rest of the piece, keeping the pick between my first and second fingers of my picking hand, ready to be switched during the held chord in bar 8, but use any approach that works for you and, as usual, cherry-pick the sections that you like best and add them to your box of tricks as you wish.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good ‘straight up’ major or minor chord, particularly on acoustic guitar, but with a few little adjustments such as lifting a finger off or moving a note up or down a semitone, you’ll find that there are lots of other sounds available to you.

It’s true to say that a good song will often stand up on solo acoustic guitar, but that’s no reason for us to rest on our laurels. Players such as David Bowie, Pete Townshend, Joni Mitchell and Andy Summers have all created ideas that could be played with simple chords – but some depth and interest would be lost.

The five examples below are played in regular tuning and use a lot of open strings, but that isn’t necessarily an essential feature in this approach. Some of these variations are easy to play, while others require a few more fretting-hand gymnastics, but all of them are well worth your time.

Example 1. C

This C major chord is an easy way to shift the focus more on to the jangly high strings. The name doesn’t change, as the G we’ve added on the first string is part of the C triad (C-E-G) anyway. You could experiment by combining this with the more regular version that has the first string open (E). It also combines well with other chords that have a G on the first string.

Example 2. Fsus2

This Fsus2 has the G on the first string as suggested in Example 1. This is our sus2, which replaces the major 3rd (A) in this case. Combined with the open third string (also a G), we have the sus2 appearing in two octaves. This isn’t really by design, but it gives a nice alternative to a regular F major chord.

Example 3. Fmaj7sus2

This Fmaj7sus2 is another alternative to F major; it avoids the 1st fret barre, but it’s tricky in its own way. The root (F) at the 1st fret of the sixth string requires the fretting hand thumb or particularly nimble fingers. Neither will be comfortable at first, so keep an open mind. Our money is on the thumb…

Example 4. G6sus4

I’ve called this a G6sus4. It could also correctly be called a C/G chord, but the context I’m imagining it in is resolving to a G major by removing the E (6th) and C (sus4) on the fourth and second strings. The fifth string remains muted. Bowie’s John, I’m Only Dancing and the Eagles’ Take It Easy both feature this chord.

Example 5. Am/F#

Change the bass/root note of Am to an F# and you get Am/F#. You could also correctly call this F#m7b5, but the basic shape is so clearly an Am that it seems a bit silly not to go with the first option. Having said that, this resolves nicely to an Fmaj7 – or better still, the Fmaj7sus2 from Example 3!

Just as we might view major chords as having a ‘happy’ sound and minor chords as bringing a ‘sad’ feeling to a song, there are many other atmospheres or moods that we can create by manipulating or altering the voices in a chord.

This can include adding or taking away, with a great example being sus chords, where the suspended note (either a 2nd or 4th) replaces the 3rd, rather than adding it (you guessed right: this would make add2 or add4). 

The examples here are geared more towards the dramatic. I'm talking about the kind of chords that might feature in a film soundtrack to underline the gravitas or the terror of the events happening on screen. Having said that, these chords are also a lot of fun!

Example 1. Em6

This Em6 chord works beautifully as a passing chord going to or from an Em7. It is as a static, unresolved chord like this that it develops the most tension and mystery, though. John Lennon loved this voicing – and you’ll hear it clearly in Jealous Guy and Julia.

Example 2. Abmaj7#5

There are various ways this cliffhanger of a chord could be named, but the most logical is Abmaj7(#5). If you flatten the E on the second string to an Eb at the 4th fret, you’ll see why. This could be resolved to another chord, such as Abmaj7, but its real power is when it is left to hang in the air like an unanswered question…

Example 3. Am13

This Am13 is the kind of chord that Brian Setzer might use at the end of a Stray Cats, song and it may remind you of the minor 6th chord we looked at earlier. But by virtue of the b7 (G), this 6th is renamed 13th. The note is still an F# but now code for ‘add a b7, too’.

Example 4. Dm6/9

This Dm6/9 shape is another great chord for endings. As you can see, it’s a ringing open chord, adding a B (6th) and an E (9th) above the fretted D minor triad. You could call this Dm add6 add9, which would be correct, but perhaps a little over‑conscientious…

Example 5. Em/maj9

What a moment it must have been when Monty Norman decided an Em/maj9 would be the perfect way to end the James Bond theme – a chord so iconic it’s now known as the James Bond chord.

The contradictory-sounding Em/maj9 name abbreviates E minor with a major 7th (D#) and a 9th. So the ‘major’ part refers to the 7th.

The term tritone refers to an interval that spans three whole tones. For example, this could be: C to D, D to E then E to F#. However, another way of looking at it could be as an augmented 4th (C to F#) or a diminished 5th (C to Gb). As you can see, these are all different names for one specific sound.

Once we get into chord progressions and ‘diatonic speak’ such as II-V-I, you may well come across the term ‘tritone substitution’. All this actually means is that a chord within a progression (usually the V) has been exchanged for another with the root a tritone away.

Let’s explore this with a couple of examples. First, a jazzy II-V-I in C major would be Dm7-G7-Cmaj7. Then, if we move the G7 up a tritone/aug 4th/dim 5th, we will get a Db7. Now, the progression would be Dm7‑Db7-Cmaj7, which can support many of the same melodic ideas but positions them in a different light. Why not get experimental and have a go at a Dm7‑Dbmaj7-Cmaj7 progession?

Example 1. Em9

If we took an Em-A7-D (II-V-I) progression and decided to jazz it up with 7ths and extensions, we might well start with this Em9 chord. The F# (9th) is our highest note. I mention this because the F# will be the highest note of one of our other examples, too.

Example 2. Eb9

As the V chord, the A is the most likely candidate in our sights for substitution. Let’s make it a dominant 7th, then shift it up a tritone (#4/b5) to give us Eb7. Then let’s go even further and make it a Eb9. Now we’re ready for the I chord.

Example 3. Dmaj9

The I of our II-V-I (D) sounds a bit plain after all that, so I’m opting to make it a Dmaj9. This voicing with the E (9th) on top gives a chromatic run down in parallel with the bass, which sounds harmonically linear and pleasing – though, as always, it’s a personal choice

Example 4. Eb7#9

Now we’ve heard the ‘deluxe’ version of the II-V-I, let’s have a play with some alterations. How about this Eb7#9 in place of the Eb9? It keeps the F# from our Em9 as the highest note, which gives a nice continuity as the other voices shift. Follow with a Dmaj7 with the F# on top and you have a matching set!

Example 5. Ebmaj7

This final example goes slightly outside the theoretical definition of a tritone substitute by being a major 7th rather than dominant 7th, but I don’t think we should let that bother us as it sounds great! This Ebmaj7 fits beautifully if you finish by playing the same chord down one semitone/fret to finish on Dmaj7.

The acoustic guitar remains one of the most popular instruments among singer-songwriters, as well as solo instrumentalists. Admittedly, this is probably in part due to it being so portable, but beyond such everyday practicalities, there is an enduring fascination in getting so much from an instrument that, in theory, could seem quite limited. 

We have just six strings to work with, but, if anything, this seems to encourage us to push the boundaries – and it’s not uncommon for seasoned players to discover new chords and voicings that have been hiding in plain sight for decades! 

If we move beyond the standard tuning, these possibilities multiply, as suddenly we’re able to access voicings that are impossible – or even painful – in regular tuning. We can use the open-tuned strings as a ‘drone’ while shifting one note around, or see what happens when we try regular chord shapes in the non-standard tunings.

Changing things up like this can also shift writers’ block or give the solo acoustic guitar a more wide-ranging yet self-contained sound. 

In this feature, we’re looking at some of the more popular tunings, but rather than simply showing a few major and minor voicings that are widely available elsewhere, we’ll be exploring some of the more unusual, following in the footsteps of players such as Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Jimmy Page, Nick Harper and Gordon Giltrap. Welcome to the tuning rabbit hole!

Tuning #1: Double Drop D

To try this tuning, simply drop both high and low E strings by a tone, giving (low to high): DADGBD. Neil Young is fond of this tuning; check out Cinnamon Girl and Cortez The Killer.

Example 1. Em7

This Em7 makes use of the open first string, giving us the 7th (D) as the top note. We’re fretting the sixth string at the 2nd fret, giving us the root (E) we would have if we left this string in standard tuning. But we will be making use of this soon…

Example 2. Cmaj9

While we’re in open position, this is what happens when we use a Cmaj7 shape. The 9th (D) is provided by the open first string. Play a regular C chord and you’ll get Cadd9.

Example 3. F6

The 6th (D) appears on the open fourth and first strings here, giving this chord an unusual feel, very Nick Harper in style. Like Examples 1 and 2, this chord features open strings, so strictly speaking it isn’t movable. But why not try anyway?

Example 4. Am7(add11)

As you can see, this tuning allows for quite a few ‘standard’ chord shapes (similar to open G), but the open D strings do allow us to stretch out a little. In case you haven’t already guessed, the add11 (D) is our trusty open first string!

Example 5. E11

Open tunings don’t necessarily have to mean open chords – this example uses all six strings with a barre at the 2nd fret. It looks like a Bm7, but the detuned first and sixth strings completely change the harmony, giving us this hybrid of D and E chords that constitutes E11.

Example 6. Dm/maj9

Hopefully by now, we’ve dispelled any myths that open tunings are only for folk songs! This ‘James Bond’ chord features a b3rd (F), giving it the ‘minor’ part of the name, plus a major 7th (C#), giving us the ‘major’ in the form of a maj7th. Finally, we get the 9th (E) on the first string. All done with just two fingers!

Tuning #2: Open G

Perhaps the most widely used open tuning of all, by everyone from Robert Johnson to Keith Richards. Once again, drop the first and sixth strings down a tone from E to D, then do the same with the fifth string from A to G, giving us (from low to high): DGDGBD.

Example 7. Gadd9

Here’s a lovely demonstration that you can sometimes play incredibly simply but get a beautiful result. Though many of the examples throughout this feature seek to demonstrate alternative chord shapes, don’t forget moving one note around can be enough.

Example 8. Em9

Being able to play Em9 as a ringing open chord is a real bonus in open G. Though it can seem counterintuitive fretting the sixth string to get what would be the open root in standard tuning, don’t forget the possibilities the open D can give elsewhere.

Example 9. Cadd9

While there are movable chords to be found in this tuning, it’s hard to resist making use of the ringing open strings, so here’s a Jimmy Page-style Cadd9. It’s worth sliding this shape around to see what other chord voicings you can create. 

Example 10. Bm (add#5)

You can see this chord comes from shifting and altering the same fretted strings against the open ones. Though the name sounds complex, it’s really just a Bm with a ringing open third string. This gives us the #5 (G).

Example 11. Csus2 (add#4)

Here’s a movable chord with a complicated-sounding name. If you lift off the second string but keep the rest of the shape (including the barre) intact, you’ll get a Cadd9. If you lift off the third string, too, leaving just the barre, you’ll see where Joe Satriani’s Flying In A Blue Dream came from.

Example 12. Gmaj9

Gmaj9 sounds lovely in this open position, but with minimal effort it could be made movable as a barre chord, similar to Example 11. It’s not always important to understand the theory behind the chord names and shapes – that can come later.

Tuning #3: DADGAD

Though very popular in folk/Celtic circles, with Davey Graham introducing it to the mainstream in the 60s, this tuning was also used by Jimmy Page to compose Kashmir and provides plenty of other opportunities to get weird and wonderful. 

As with our first two tunings, drop the first and sixth strings down a tone to D, then the second string down a tone to A. Leave everything else in standard, giving us (from low to high): DADGAD.

Example 13. D7 (#5#9)

It may sound as though we’re jumping in the deep end, but this is actually a two-finger chord, based around a D7 but adding a twist with the #5th (A#) and #9th (F). Yes, F is also the minor 3rd, but that would conflict with the D7’s F# on the fourth string, so we’re calling it an extension.

Example 14. Gadd9

Another extended chord made easy by an alternative tuning! This is another shape worth moving around for some nice surprises. It’s also worth moving notes up or down a semitone/fret within a shape where possible, as this can sometimes give you other useful chords.

Example 15. Gmaj7

Here’s a movable maj7th voicing (featured here in G ) that can be taken anywhere on the fretboard, space permitting. It’s a little tricky at first but well worth the trouble. Most definitely a surprise, given this tuning’s Moroccan/Celtic heritage.

Example 16. Gm11

A first-finger barre at the 3rd fret while holding down two strings in the bass gives us this lovely Gm11 chord. The 7th (F) appears on the first string, with the 11th (C) on the second. This is another movable chord, with all six strings fretted.

Example 17. Dmaj7 (add6)

A nice choice to resolve to after the Gm11 in Example 16, this is a one-finger barre at the 4th fret of the first, second, third and fourth strings. There are several other voicings of Dmaj7/D7 to be found around here, so keep experimenting. In the meantime, check out the next example.

Example 18. Dmaj9

Here is one of the other Dmaj7-inspired voicings found in the same area as Example 17. As we have a 9th (E) at the 2nd fret of the first string, along with the maj7th (C#) on the second, this is called a major 9th chord. 

Tuning #4: Open D

Another very popular tuning, you can hear a bit of Brown Sugar-era Keith Richards and a little bit of Joni Mitchell. 

As before, we start by tuning the first and sixth strings down a tone to D, then the second string down a tone to A. Finally, we tune the third string down a semitone from G to F#, giving us (low to high): D A D F# A D.

Example 19. Csus2/G

Play what would be an A7 barre chord in standard tuning and you get this interesting Csus2/G chord. The G is our bottom note on the sixth string, but we then move up to an E on the fifth string, which would give us a Csus2/E… Don’t get stuck on the theory, just keep looking for weird chords! 

Example 20. G7sus4

Though it’s only one note different from Example 19, this is contrasting enough in theory to have a completely different name. It works very well with Example 19 (and a straight barre at the 5th fret) for some Joni Mitchell-style moves.

Example 21. Dm7

Bringing back some open strings, this Dm7 makes use of the open sixth string (D) as the root. In a band context (or with a bass player), this could become a movable chord by omitting the sixth string/root.

Example 22. Dm6

Though we could use the open sixth string as the root here, there’s no need, as it appears on the fifth string. This also makes this chord movable, so it’s worth investigating whether other chords might be found by tweaking this shape. The 6th (B) is found here on the third string.

Example 23. A7

Judging by the name, this is a very common chord, but because we’re in open D, there is a twist… The 7th (G) is adjacent to the root (A) on the open second string, so this gives a certain dissonance – or texture, at least. A useful chord, for sure.

Example 24. A13 (b9)

More the type of chord you’d expect to find in a jazz ballad than in open D tuning, but that’s what makes things interesting. Another two-finger chord with a complicated name. Why not see if you can find a Dmaj7 somewhere to resolve this to?

Tuning #4: Open D

Unlike the other tunings here, open C is not based around dropping E strings down to D. Though it shares some characteristics with the other tunings, we’re getting much more into Nick Drake’s Pink Moon territory, with a bit of Jimmy Page similar to Friends or Bron-Yr-Aur. 

Drop the sixth string two tones down to C (extra light strings may get a bit loose), then the fifth and fourth down a tone to G and C respectively. Leave the third and first strings standard but raise the second string a semitone to C. This gives us (low to high): CGCGCE.

Example 25. Amadd9

As with the other tunings, we’ve avoided the obvious barre shapes in favour of some more exotic voicings. This lovely Amadd9 makes use of the open first and second strings, but we’re saving that open C at the bottom for later.

Example 26. Amadd9/G

As the name implies, the only thing different about this compared with Example 25 is the G in the bass. However, it fits beautifully with Example 25 and demonstrates how just a small change in fingering can give a radically different chord/mood.

Example 27. Fsus2 (addmaj7)

This would be a relatively easy-to-recognise Fsus2 but for the maj7th (E) that appears on the open first string. This starts to hint at shades of Nick Drake, though most of his tunings were altered, rather than open. But you could try tuning the third string down a tone to F and using a capo at the 2nd fret for Pink Moon.

Example 28. Cmaj7

While the name suggests a well-known chord, this really is Cmaj7 with a twist. Firstly, the low C and G on the sixth and fifth strings give much more depth than any standard tuned version. Secondly, the maj7th (B) ringing adjacent to the open C (root) on the second string gives an interesting dissonance.

Example 29. Ebadd9

A movable chord using all six strings, this shape is great for using as a basis for experimentation. Try lifting off or adding various notes to the basic barre and you will find a few other useful chords you can use anywhere.

Example 30. Dm7

Another six-string chord that can move anywhere. This one needs a bit more fretting hand strength, but the detuned strings can help a little, as they don’t need quite so much pressure. Try moving just the barre up to the 3rd fret for another interesting chord.

The fretboard can be a complicated terrain to navigate. Many notes can be played at the same pitch in multiple positions, and the third and second strings are tuned a major 3rd apart, whereas the rest are tuned to the interval of a 4th.      

With this in mind, the CAGED system is a useful tool to help the fretboard make a little more sense. This system is based on any chord being able to be played in five different positions, based upon the five main open-position major chord shapes of C-A-G-E-D. In essence, each one of these chords can be moved up the guitar neck, most commonly utilising the first finger to barre across the fretboard.

Most guitarists are familiar with the E and A shape barre chords that are commonplace in blues, pop and rock. Full barres using the C and G shapes are a little less popular in contemporary music, but are prevalent in classical guitar. These shapes can be trickier play, but they do have something different compared to the E and A shapes. 

This is that they allow for the notes of chords and arpeggios to be played in sequence. Take the open C major chord. The intervals in ascending order from the fifth string up to the first are: root, major 3rd, 5th, octave and 10th (essentially another major 3rd stacked an octave higher). 

This shape, along with the open G chord, are therefore constructed in a logical fashion, whereas the open E and A shapes are rather more disorganised – although this makes them perfect for powerchords, for example.  

Our final shape is the D shape, based upon the open D chord. This utilises the top four strings and is great for funk rhythm playing and cutting arpeggios. All the CAGED system shapes provide enough variation to navigate a variety of genres and styles. 

Becoming proficient in them will make you a well-versed guitarist and breathe life into your playing, especially if your go-to barre chords are those ubiquitous but super guitar-friendly E and A shapes. 

When learning these shapes, it’s helpful to visualise the open chord shape within each barre chord. You may also notice when playing the C, A, G and E shapes, that your fretting hand’s first finger is working as a handy (sic) moveable guitar capo. 

Of course, sometimes an actual capo will be the preferred method, allowing you to play open chord shapes further up the neck, as a guitarist like James Taylor does. But even with no barre or capo, it’s beneficial to know the CAGED shapes all over the fretboard.

The following examples show how major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, and minor 7b5 chords can be played using the CAGED system, while the study piece explores a four-bar chord progression showing variety of ways of playing each chord.

Get the tone

Amp Settings: Gain 4, Bass 7, Middle 6, Treble 7, Reverb 4

Your neck pickup is always a good choice for this style of playing, as it provides a ‘plummy’ tone that makes the examples sound warm and pleasant. A cleanish guitar amp and a little reverb will also help.

It goes without saying that heavy distortion and wild effects are off the agenda, but experimenting with your electric guitar’s tone control can often refine the results.

Examples

Exercise 1. Major 7 shapes

Our first example features five shapes of a C major 7 chord using the CAGED system in logical order. You may notice that the sixth string is omitted from the G-shape chord at the start of the second bar. This is to make the shape a little easier to play.

Exercise 2. Minor 7 shapes

This example showcases four D minor 7 shapes, and demonstrates how arpeggiated chords can be used to create an entirely different feel. 

Exercise 3. Dominant 7 shapes

Five G7 chord shapes are used here to create a colourful funk rhythm guitar part. Moving shapes up the neck as seen in these examples is good for creating interesting rhythm guitar parts with upper melodic movement, especially when working with other instruments. 

Exercise 4. Minor 7 flat 5 shapes

Five Bm7b5 chords feature in this example, with lots of arpeggios to create a neo-soul style guitar part. Arpeggios can be unforgiving if there are any notes that aren’t fretted properly, or if stray open strings creep in, so make sure that you have every chord shape accurately under your fingers.

Exercise 5. Caged system in action 

This final example shows how we might put some of these shapes together when navigating a simple chord progression. The CAGED system is exploited fully here so that each chord climbs the guitar neck, with A shape chords featuring the most.

Study Piece

[Bars 1-8] We set the scene with a four-bar progression using open position chords. This progression is used throughout, with the CAGED system exploring different shapes and voicings.

[Bars 9-12] features barre chords with added single-note lines for melodic interest before a repetitive rhythm pattern in bars 13-16 takes the chords further up the neck

[Bars 17-20] continue to explore different chord voicings with some neo-soul inspired arpeggios during the final two bars before we come to a close in bars 21-24 with further neo-soul flourishes, ending with a final climb using five shapes of C major 7.

The term ‘light and shade’ might be well-used, but it does describe some very important qualities in music. For example, the ‘tension and release’ of Dsus4 to D major, or even a V-I progression such as C7 to F.

Taking this concept a bit further, film score and classical composers often use dissonance, tension and release to build and resolve suspense. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No 5 is a masterclass in this. 

However, the examples here focus on using dissonance within a single chord and how sometimes the rest of the chord can balance it out, forming a kind of resolution in itself.

For example, a major 7th interval (the root and 7th of a major scale played simultaneously) can sound pretty jarring in isolation, but as part of a major 7th chord this dissonance becomes an attractive feature. 

Perhaps even more challenging is the minor 2nd (two notes a semitone apart), but if we arrange this within a minor 9th chord, this is a different story.  

Example 1. Asus2(addb5)

This Asus2(addb5) piles on the suspense in two ways: the suspended 2nd (B) played on the third string, then the b5 (Eb) played on the second.

Note the minor 2nd between Eb and E on the first and second strings. This resolves nicely to a regular A chord at the 2nd fret.

Example 2. G#m9

For this voicing of G#m9, it’s important not to let the fifth string ring, but it’s easy to mute this with the pad of the third finger of your fretting hand.

You’ll find the 9th (A#) adjacent to the minor 3rd (B) on the open second string, a minor 2nd away. Jarring in isolation but a different matter within the chord.

Example 3. Gmaj7

For this voicing of G#m9, it’s important not to let the fifth string ring, but it’s easy to mute this with the pad of the third finger of your fretting hand.

You’ll find the 9th (A#) adjacent to the minor 3rd (B) on the open second string, a minor 2nd away. Jarring in isolation but a different matter within the chord.

Example 4. Amaj7

This Amaj7 is more conventional in that it keeps the root and major 7th in their order of appearance in the scale with the root on the open fifth string and major 7th on the 6th fret of the fourth string and 4th fret, top string respectively.

However, playing these two notes in isolation is still very dissonant – much nicer within the chord!

Example 5. Am9

This Am9 is missing its 5th (E) but does feature the 9th (B) on the open second string, adjacent to the minor 3rd (C) at the 5th fret of the third string.

Once again, the interval alone would not necessarily inspire (unless you’re looking to unsettle people!), but it forms an essential part of the chord.

There’s nothing wrong with a good honest E, C# minor or B, but sometimes it’s nice to give things a twist – and that’s what we’re doing with this lesson’s theme of alternative voicings using open strings. Players such as Joni Mitchell, Steve Hackett and Steve Howe have all demonstrated this with considerable aplomb.

In these examples, I’ve used the open first and second strings to keep a jangle at the top-end, while looking to stray from the norm – and perhaps even emulate the effect of using an alternative/open tuning. In a band mix, it can also be desirable to keep a certain uniformity to the sound, so arranging chords like this can make it easier for the mixer to feature your guitar more prominently.

The five examples below will work equally well on acoustic or electric guitar (without too much distortion) and will hopefully lead you to make some other happy discoveries along the way.

Example 1. C#m9

This C#m9 omits the fifth string – this is done by allowing the (usually second) finger fretting the root on the sixth string to lay across and stop it ringing. We get a 7th (B) from the fourth string at the 9th fret, plus the open second string. 

The 9th is added at the 8th fret of the third string. Finally, the minor 3rd (E) is added courtesy of the open first string. Some duplication of notes is going on, but it’s still an interesting sound.

Example 2. Add9/E

This example looks and sounds very much like an Asus/E, but there is more going on in the low-end. The presence of the C# on the fifth string means we should call it an Aadd9/E. 

This is particularly reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s open-tuned chords and makes a great ‘set up’ as a IV chord returning to E major. In fact, that’s exactly where we’ll be going shortly, but there will be a twist to that one, too!

Example 3. E(add9)

This is an alternative take on the E major chord but a sort of ‘deluxe’ version. Your ears, skill and judgement will tell you whether it’s appropriate or not to replace this with a regular E major. 

Note that removing the first finger from the G# on the third string and leaving this open gives us an open G natural. This is the b3rd, making a lovely Em(add9). Be sure to experiment with the other examples in a similar way where possible.

Example 4. B7sus4

If this sounds like B7sus4 to you, you’re correct! The 4th (E) is heard on the open first string, with the root (B) appearing on the open second string and the 2nd fret of the fifth string. 

Looking more closely, you’ll see this is similar to the more conventional barre chord version of B7 that appears in this position but with the advantage of the ringing open high strings – and less effort for the fretting hand.

Example 5. Emaj7

This is an unusual ‘stacking’ of notes, with a little dissonance in the low-end, but the most technically correct name for it is Emaj7. The major 7th itself (D#) is happening down on the fifth string, adjacent to the root (E) on the open sixth. 

That’s the reason for the dissonance, but it’s easy to omit the sixth string. Moving onto the fourth string we find the major 3rd (G#), then the open second and first strings (B and E) give us the 5th and root respectively.

When rock ’n’ roll was being invented, the guitars used were often the hollowbodies that were originally designed for jazz – just check out early photos of Scotty Moore, Chuck Berry and, of course, Eddie Cochran. 

In many cases, the harmonic sophistication of jazz found its way into some guitar parts and solos, too, which you’ll hear on the early Elvis recordings, plus Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock. Brian Setzer is a great example of a more contemporary player who clearly has a good knowledge of his jazz voicings, as evidenced on Stray Cat Strut or his version of Route 66 with The Brian Setzer Orchestra. 

We’re not getting quite that complicated here, but these voicings certainly give you some nice options. While they don’t have to be exclusively ‘ending’ chords, this is a fun way to incorporate them into your vocabulary. 

As ever, close attention to their content can also give ideas for single-note lines or patterns where you might rake across a chord/triad as part of a solo.

Example 1. Em6/9

This Em6/9 is so called because is contains the 6th (C#) and the 9th (F#). If only chord extensions could always be this simple! Actually, some may wish to call this Em6(add9). This would technically be correct, as there is no 7th, but you’ll find most chord charts will abbreviate where possible.

Example 2. Emaj9 

This Emaj9 is, of course, a major chord, courtesy of the G# that appears on the fourth string. But the ‘maj’ part of the name actually refers to the major 7th (D#), which appears on the third string. Generally, chords are presumed to be major unless stated otherwise.

Example 3. Am13

This Am13 is a handful – and takes some explaining. It’s very similar in structure to Ex 1’s chord, but you’ll find a G, the dominant (or flat) 7th on the fourth string. This means we should see the F# on the second string as the 13th (not the 6th), and the 9th (B) on the first string is now a default part of the 13th chord, rather than needing to be specified!

Example 4. A6/9(#11) 

This A6/9(#11) uses the open fifth string as its root; you can omit this to play it in any other key. There is no dominant 7th and yet we have referred to the #11 (on the first string), which would normally require that… This convention avoids having to say A6b5add9, which suggests a very different voicing/feel with the b5 buried in the chord.

Example 5. E6/9

One of the nicest ending chords of all, this E6/9 is also short for E6(add9), but it’s worth knowing this abbreviated name. You could use the 11th fret of the first string (instead of the 12th shown here) to incorporate a maj7th. The abbreviated name for this would be Emaj69.

A great all-round rhythm player needs really good chord knowledge. There are two ways to develop this part of your playing. The first is simply to learn some new chords – and this is fun, a journey of discovery with new sounds and moods. 

The other method is to learn how chords link together when played in various positions on the fretboard. It’s known as the CAGED system, because you’ll be looking at C, A, G, E and, yep, you guessed it, D chord shapes. 

Get to grips with it and you’ll soon be playing the best riffs and rhythm parts ever, as you navigate the whole fretboard in the process. Read on and we’ll show you more... 

Major chords 

We start here with five C chords, including the good old open shape. Your task is to see how they link together across the fretboard. The first barre chord shares the root note with open C. 

This resembles an open A chord, so it gets called an “A shape” even though it could be any pitch – C here, of course. Play the chords one after the other, then see if any ideas come to mind. 

Minor chords

Once again, the idea is to see where these chords share notes – the idea being that you could create cool rhythm parts across the entire fretboard.

Though a couple of these shapes are tough to play, it’s still useful to see how they link together. And there’s nothing to stop you playing an easier “partial” version – just fret three strings instead of the full shapes.

E shape chords

Here, we’ll turn our attention to fresh sounds, in particular, some variations on the open E chord we all know. Try them out in open position, then see if you can make them work as closed position barre chords. 

A shape chords

This is a similar approach to the previous example, but with the open A chord as our starting point. Once again, try out the chords in open position and choose your favourites. If you can also make them work as barre chords you’re acing it!

D shape chords

One more time! Here we’re looking at some creative variations on the humble open D chord. Some of these can be tricky when played as barres, so take it slow and focus on accurate fretting before any changes. 

Foo Fighters-style sus chords

The sus2 chord we’re using here sounds great with a light overdrive and provides a contrast when followed by some dissonant sounding stabs. The D7/A chord we used for the stabs is a bit of a Dave Grohl favourite!

Chords with open strings

This part uses the open string to create a lush, ringing sound with plenty of sustain. Incorporating the open strings into pretty basic fingerings is an easy way to generate more harmonically rich sounding chords. 

Triads are a crucial part of gospel, R&B, and jazz guitar. In fact, they’re an important tool for guitarists of any genre. There’s no better way to get acquainted than by getting hands on. So let’s take a look at some beautiful triadic gospel licks that are guaranteed to get those creative juices flowing. 

Sam Blakelock has eight licks for you to learn here, each one with its own unique flavour. The best part is at the end, they all tie together to create a glorious sequence. It’s up to you whether you treat it as a package of cool licks or a longer study piece. 

So grab your guitar, set up a smooth, clean tone, and let’s slow things down a little. Make sure your hands are warmed up and we’ll take you through eight triadic gospel licks.

Example 1. Tom Misch-style line and triads

Let’s start with a super laid-back feel at around 50bpm. We’re in the key of C major (C D E F G A B) and using the classic A minor pentatonic box (A C D E G) as our home base. Focus on these three-note chord voicings – they’re really useful shapes to have under your belt. 

Example 2. New position and triads

Leading on from the previous lick, we’ll take the same phrase and move it up. It’s really important to learn how to play any phrase in multiple positions on the neck. Not only does it help with fretboard knowledge, but it’s also great for creating a smooth, relaxed playing style – no jumping up and down the neck.

Example 3. Minor IV chord

Nothing too tricky yet, right? Here’s the same phrase, but this time it lands on the iv (F – the fourth note in C major), giving it a very different flavour. That last chord in the lick is an F minor/major 7th chord, which stems from the harmonic minor scale. It’s an exotic sound and quite suspenseful.

Example 4. Secondary dominant to the VI

Here’s a turnaround – E7 (a ‘secondary’ dominant, because it’s not from the key we’re playing in) to Am. The melody leads into the chords with chromatic notes, which is a great way to get that slinky jazz sound. Before you move on, put all four licks together and get comfortable playing them through in sequence. 

Example 5. Secondary dominant to the ii

Let’s try another secondary dominant chord (A7), but this time landing on the ii (D, or rather, Dm in this key). To create interesting passages, it’s important to mix things up – not just stick to only triads or only 7th chords. This lick is a great demonstration of that idea based around an arpeggiated A7 chord. 

Example 6. Diminished passing chord

Continuing from the previous lick we’ll keep going up through the scale. This part starts on an F diminished arpeggio and then moves to a C/G. After that, we descend to a simple Bb triad and finally resolve to an A. Once you’ve got that, move on to the final two licks!

Example 7. Diminished substitution and a II-V

This lick also starts on a diminished chord – it’s a different shape so take some time to familiarise yourself with it. The following chord is a Dm9 with a little hammer-on embellishment for some real neo-soul flavour. We finish off with a G7b9. Practise making a smooth transition from the previous lick to this one.

Example 8. Doublestops

Let’s finish this whole sequence in style. Feel free to add your own flare to this, you can use slides or hammer-ons to accent certain notes. Now for the fun bit – once you’re confident with each individual lick, put them all together for an awesome sequence!

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Using alternative voicings adds color and variety to your chords by reshuffling the order of notes. 

Though there are essentially just five different categories of chord shape (C-A-G-E-D), there are almost infinite possibilities in how to arrange the notes. Starting with the classical convention, the order of root, 3rd, and 5th can be ‘shuffled’ to create inversions. 

For example, using E Major, swapping the conventional voicing of E-G#-B (R-3-5) in ascending order, how about 3rd-5th-root (G#-B-E)? Or, how about putting the 5th (B) on the bottom? This creates another feel altogether.

Example 1 

Taking the C Major chord (C-E-G) and putting the 3rd (E) on the bottom gives a grander version, great for setting up a change to F Major. In fact, sitting between a regular C and F Major, you have a well-loved chord progression – all achieved by doing what many guitar teachers forbid, letting the sixth ring under a C Major!

Example 2 

This A Major shape is similar to the barre chord version, but omits the first finger across the strings, which enables the open first and sixth strings to ring. Our focus is on the sixth string, as this non-root bass note changes things a little. It’s still the same A Major, but if the next chord is E, we’ve set it up with this linking note.

Example 3

Moving a G Major triad (G-B-D) up away from open position and shifting the 3rd (B) to the bottom, we create a jangly alternative ideal as an overdub/alternative guitar part, or even as an melodic interlude in a song. Try adding a D at the 10th fret of the first string with your fourth finger to expand this even further.

Example 4

This version of E Major moves the 3rd (G#) to the bottom. In context, this is great for leading to an A Major chord. Note the fifth string is not used. The low G# and B would resonate in an unpleasant way – and we have two 5ths on the third and second string anyway!

Example 5 

A D Major chord with the 3rd (F#) on the bottom sounds great both leading into and out of a G chord. While the open fifth string is perfectly in key with the rest of the chord, lots of harmonic detail can make the low-end sound muddy, so we’ve muted it here.

Example 6 

This can work just as well with Minor chords, so here is an E Minor with the 3rd (G) on the bottom, or first inversion. A nice example can be heard on On An Island by David Gilmour, where he combines it with a regular E Minor chord, giving a melodic feel to the bass end.

Few would dispute the fact that it’s helpful to learn chunks of the fretboard via patterns and scales. However, sometimes we can feel trapped within these same patterns, or hear ourselves repeating the same lines more often than we would like. 

The vast majority of us rely on ‘stock’ phrases – and this doesn’t mean they aren’t valid or exciting to the listener. Having said that, we all want to progress, so the following chord shapes offer another way of viewing the available possibilities. 

Chances are you’ll recognize fragments of the pentatonic shapes, arpeggios and CAGED chord shapes. 

Not only are these useful for soloing but also alternative chord voicings, melodic lines that don’t sound ‘linear,’ as well as funky featured chord parts – think Nile Rodgers or David Gilmour’s funky playing on Another Brick In The Wall Part 2. The underlying message here is that while we may be dealing with the same groups of notes, different approaches give different results!  

Example 1

Taking the open position Dm for granted, let’s move the shape up two frets to make an Em/D. The open D string gives us a nice chord as a ‘standalone,’ but you can also find the shape 2 Em pentatonic here, or find the notes to extend this into a full Em arpeggio.

Example 2

Using the CAGED chord principle, this Dmaj shape functions as an Fmaj triad in this position, though the D bass note makes us hear it as a Dm7. Looking more closely, you’ll also see this is a fragment of the shape 3 Fmaj pentatonic – or, if you’re taking the D bass note into account, shape 4 Dm pentatonic.

Example 3

The same shape moved up two frets gives us a G/D. This is useful as a chord in the context of the other examples, but it offers melodic/soloing possibilities, too. You can view this as part of a Gmaj arpeggio, or see it as part of a Gmaj or Em pentatonic shape.

Example 4

Taking the shape of a Cmaj triad, the open D bass note makes this a C/D, which ties it to the context of the other examples, but you can see it is also a small part of the Cmaj barre chord that resides here. Playing over Am would give an Am7 flavour, and there are Am and Cmaj pentatonics to be found here, too.

Example 5

This Dm could be viewed as part of the larger Dm barre, but by now you may see that moving these triads around puts us firmly in the ballpark of Gilmour’s chord vamping on Another Brick In The Wall Part 2. Triads like this are great for moving around to play signature parts, and easier than cumbersome chords.

Rhythm guitar can be an overlooked part of an electric guitar player’s skill set, with soloing taking the lion’s share of valuable practice time. However, all of us guilty of this should redress that deficit, as the rhythm element is vitally important, and immensely satisfying when played well.

Listening to great rhythm guitarists is an education in itself, as they seem to create layers of often sublime chords combining different technical and musical approaches.

There are, and have been, several iconic players who are masters of this and incorporate these elements into their rhythm playing. Jimi Hendrix, for example, blazed a trail for legions of players with classic tunes like Little Wing and The Wind Cries Mary. 

Other virtuosi like Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer and Mateus Asato share this mastery, plus soul legends and studio greats like Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree, Bobby Womack, Louie Shelton and Reggie Young were among ’60s and ’70s session ‘royalty’, able to come up with the most amazingly musical and catchy rhythm guitar parts – or ‘hooks’ if you will.

A vast amount of songs can be basically played with a staple vocabulary of great sounding, yet rudimentary chords like major, minor, major 7th, minor 7th and dominant 7th, but what do we need to do to improve upon those perfectly legitimate chords in order to play rhythm parts like those iconic guitarists?

Well, if we have some technical tricks up our sleeves like Hendrix-style hammer-ons and pull-offs, Womack/Dupree style double-stops and sliding shapes, Cropper-style country influenced 6ths, mixed with some triads knowledge, a bit of chord substitution and learning some extended chords like 9ths, 11ths and 13ths, we can start to understand how those awesome players made those wonderful sounds.

This is what we’re looking at in this feature. We’re breaking down those approaches into six categories – hammer-on and pull-off colourations, double-stops, sliding shapes, hybrid picking embellishments, harmonics and chords (suspended, 9th, 11th, 13th and Altered). Finally, there’s a full piece at the end which puts many of these elements together.

Each category has four or five exercises which show how those ‘regular’ chords can be hinted at, improved on and made more musical by these various musical ideas.

Read the performance notes and take each exercise slowly, working on technical and musical/stylistic accuracy. And listen to how each section of the exercises and final piece react with the underlying harmony. This will help train your ears to absorb the sound of that approach over the particular chord or progression. Have fun! 

Get the tone

Amp Settings: Gain 3, Bass 3, Middle 5, Treble 7

A clean tone is best, though for some bluesy or rocky styles a light overdrive is okay provided chords stay clear. Neck or middle/neck setting are favourites here. Some compression lends consistency to levels, especially on thinner single-coil pickups. Adding reverb and delay provides ambience and depth, while chorus, phaser or flanger pedals can add pleasing flavours. 

HAMMER-ONS & PULL-OFFS

Example 1

We kick things off with a soul groove idea over an Am (A-C-E) tonality.

Bars 1& 2: Hold down your fretting-hand first finger at the 5th fret and play the hammer-on/pull-off embellishments to add the b7th interval (G note - 5th fret, fourth string ,and 8th fret, second string), creating a minor 7th sound (A-C-E-G), and the Major 9th interval (B note - 7th fret, first string) creating a minor 9th tonality (A-C-E-G-B). 

Bar 3: Barre the first finger of your fretting hand at the 12th fret. The hammer-ons/pull-offs create a similar tonality. Make sure each chord shape rings clearly so the notes sound out together as much as possible.

Example 2

This one also has a soul feel and a C major (C-E-G) sound. Bars 1 & 2: Play the Cmaj7 chord (C-E-G-B) on beat one of bar 1, keeping it fretted, using the fourth finger of the fretting hand to play the subsequent embellishments. 

Use the same finger to slide up to the B note (7th fret, first string) and hold it down. Immediately place a half-barre at the 5th fret so the following arpeggiated notes of the chord ring together. 

Bar 3: Fret an E Minor triad (E-G-B) at the 9th, 8th and 7th frets of the third, second and first strings respectively, but add your fourth finger at the 10th fret, first string (D note). This adds the major 9th colour, while the E minor triad substitutes for a Cmaj7 chord, as the E, G and B notes of that triad are also the 3rd, 5th and 7th of Cmaj7

Example 3

We move to a bluesy feel in 12/8 time signature with a G7 (G-B-D-F) tonality, featuring four separate voicings of a G7 chord, each one having hammer-on and pull-off embellishments. Bar 1: Hold down a G7 chord at the 3rd fret, using the second finger of your fretting hand to hammer-on/pull-off the third string (b3rd - Bb, to the 3rd - B). 

The fourth finger can be used for the 5th (D) to b7th (F) move for the hammer-on and pull-off on the second string. Bar 2: This fourth-string root G7 voicing adds the 6th (or 13th - E) at the 5th fret, second string, and the 9th (7th fret, first string). 

Bar 3: Start with three-string G7 voicing, played off the 3rd of the chord (B note - 9th fret, fourth string) with the fourth finger of the fretting hand hammering on and pulling off from the root (G) on the second string, 8th fret, to the 9th (A) at the 10th fret. The second half of the bar, starting on beat 3, sees the next chord shape being fretted.

Example 4

This slow, soul ballad style exercise demonstrates how some of the approaches we’ve seen in the previous three exercises can be amalgamated over a chord progression using the minor 7, major 7, and dominant 7 chord types in a more musical way, adding both interest and tonal colour.

DOUBLE-STOPS

Example 1

Bars 1 & 2: This example has a slow soul or pop vibe with an A Minor 7 sound.Make sure the upper note of the double-stops sounds when the lower one is hammered on.

Bar 3: This is a tricky bar, needing a good recognition of the double-stop shapes; 4ths, 3rds and 6ths shapes are all used.

Example 2

Next comes a soul ballad style over a Cmaj7 tonality.

Bars 1 & 2: Note how these initial 6th shapes cleverly create the overall sound of a C major 9 chord (C-E-G-B-D); each of the shapes contain two notes found in that chord. 

Bar 3: The thought process behind the Hendrix-style double stops in this bar is in visualising an E minor7 chord (E-G-B-D) to substitute for the Cmaj7. This is a great trick to get the tonality of a Cmaj9 chord. 

Bar 4: Another neat idea, this E5 ‘powerchord’ works as a double -top giving the sound of Cmaj7, since the E and B of the E5 chord are the Major 3rd and Major 7th chord intervals of the Cmaj7.

Example 3

Here we’re using doublestops over a G7 sound, and mainly interspersing a funky G7 chord with Mixolydian 3rds (G-A-D-C-D-E-F).

Example 4

Now let’s demonstrate how various double-stop approaches can be applied over a II-V chord progression in the key of C; the II chord being Dm7 (D-F-A-C) and the V chord, G7 (G-B-D-F). Again, a combination of 3rds, 4ths and 6th shapes are employed.

SLIDING SHAPES

Example 1

Here’s how sliding major and minor triads can work over Am7.

Bar 1: The C major triad (C-E-G) is substituted for the Am7 chord (A-C-E-G), with the D major triad (D-F-A) sliding to and fro. These are second inversion triads; 5th-R-3rd.

Bar 2: Here are the same triads, but with first inversion voicings; 3rd-5th-R.

Bar 3: The first two triads are first inversion B minor (B-D-F) and A minor (A-C-E), while the second two are second inversion D major and C major triads again.

Example 2

Again an E minor triad is substituted for a Cmaj7 chord, but here slides from a semitone above or below.

Bar 1: Uses root inversion E minor triad (E-G-B). This bar contains also commonly heard sliding 4th shapes from C major pentatonic (C-D-E-G-A). 

Bar 2: First inversion E minor triads here on the second, third and fourth, and third, second and first strings.

Bar 3: More sliding 4ths plus root inversion and second inversion E minor triads on third, second and first strings.

Example 3. 

This exercise shows how sliding Minor triads can be employed over a G7 chord. The two triads used are an E minor (E-G-B), which creates the the sound of the 6th, root and 3rd of a G6 chord (G-B-D-E), and a D minor triad (D-F-A), which creates the sound of the 5th, b7th and 9th of a G9 chord (G-B-D-F-A). 

This combination of triads sounds great together, especially when slid between each other, and you’ll often hear it used in blues and soul styles.

Example 4

Another sliding triad approach here, this time demonstrating how a G major triad (G-B-D) and an F major triad (F-A-C) can sound good together. When played over a G pedal tone bass note, they imply the chords of G major and F/G.

HYBRID PICKING EMBELLISHMENTS

Example 1

This A minor groove uses a combination of funky-style strumming with a bluesy, hybrid-picked figure. Ensure that you can switch from the strum to the hybrid-picked sections cleanly; keeping your third and fourth picking fingers hanging loose, rather than tucking them up into the palm, can help here.

Example 2

A similar mix of clipped pick strums and hybrid sections, this exercise, played over a Cmaj7-based soul ballad style idea incorporates a more intricate use of hybrid picking. Study the suggested picking-hand approaches carefully, as they will help with your economy of picking.

Example 3

This Steve Cropper-style exercise played over G7 uses some typical country-flavoured soul/R & B hybrid-picking approaches, with double-stops and 6ths.

Example 4

Here we see how a hybrid picking technique can create a bluesy groove utilising root-note pedal tones and upper harmonic movement over a G7 to C7 chord progression. Do you prefer the pick’s sound to be different from that of the fingers, or try to make them sound the same? It’s up to you!

Example 5

This is a similar type of exercise but the hybrid picking technique is more intricate and also features tricky fretting-hand moves within a held-down chord. My preference with this one is to use a fretting-hand barre shape for each chord. Try it, and see if my approach works for you.

USING HARMONICS

Example 1

The first exercise in this section is over an A minor sound and incorporates mainly natural harmonics. The fretted C note in the first bar should remain ringing while the harmonics are played; this will give the overall effect of the sound of an A minor 9 chord (A-C-E-G-B) with a little added ‘something’. 

Example 2

This Cmaj7-based exercise combines fretted chords with natural harmonics.

Bar 1: Play the Cmaj7 chord as indicated, but keep the first finger of your fretting hand on the 8th fret of the sixth string (C) to keep this ringing while reaching for the 12th-fret harmonic with your fourth finger. 

Bar 3: A similar idea here, with the C root on the 3rd fret, fifth string. The combined sound of the Cmaj7 with the D-G-B-E harmonics creates a lovely C Major 9 sound (C-E-G-B-D).

Example 3

This is another harmonics-based exercise over a G7 chord. The fretted G note (10th fret, fifth string) and F note (8th fret, fifth string) are the root and b7th of the chord, and combine with the harmonics to give a G7 sound. 

The ascending harmonic line in bar 3 is G major pentatonic scale (G-A-B-D-E), and in bar 4, the ringing harmonic, first-string E is bent behind the nut, up a semitone to F; this creates a ringing G9 chord (G-B-D-F-A). 

Go easy with the ‘behind the nut’ bend if you’re not used to it, as it can hurt the fingertips! Also, you’ll need a Fender-style headstock as, on Gibson-style pitched headstocks it won’t work.

Exercise 4

This exercise utilises natural, artificial, and tapped harmonics, as well as fretted notes. So it might be easier to play this one with a purely fingerstyle approach. Take it slowly, as this combination of different techniques is quite tricky.

SUS, 9TH, 11TH, 13TH & ALTERED CHORDS

Example 1

This pop-style exercise uses a combination of sus2 (R-2-5) and sus4 chords (R-4-5) in a diatonic progression in the key of C. Note how the sus chords can resolve to either a major or minor chord, and how simple melodies can be created when combining them.

Example 2

Here we see major 9th, minor 9th and dominant 9th chords using regular voicings, plus substitution ideas and slash chords. Bar 1: The A minor 9 chord (A-C-E-G-B) is firstly represented with a Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B) substitution, followed by a regular sixth-string root-voiced A Minor 9. 

Bar 2: A similar substitution idea over the Dm9 chord (D-F-A-C-E) here, but with an Fmaj7 chord (F-A-C-E) creating the substitution. A fifth-string, root-voiced D minor 9 appears afterwards.

Bar 3: Some regular voicings of G9 (G-B-D-F-A) here. Bar 4: Here’s a slash chord approach to a C major 9 chord (C-E-G-B-D). This is a contemporary sounding voicing as the actual chord is a G/C; a G major triad (G-B-D) with a C root note. This gives the sound of a C major 9 but with no 3rd.

Example 3

Bars 1 -4: These minor 11th and dominant 11th chords are voicings of a fifth-string root Dm11 (D-F-A-C-E-G) and sixth-string root Am11 (A-C-E-G-B-D), and fifth and sixth-string root Dominant 11ths. 

Usually, dominant 11ths are played as slash chords – F/G (F triad, F-A-C, with a G root note). The 5th of the chord can be omitted, and the 3rd is too as it clashes with the 11th. The 11th gives an open or ‘suspended’ sound. At the end we see a fourth-string root Dm11 chord.

Example 4

These major, minor and dominant 13th chords are invariably lush and jazzy sounding, and will lend real sophistication wherever you use them.

Example 5

This funky blues style exercise in E utilises altered dominant chords. An altered dominant is a regular dominant chord (R-3-5-b7) but with one or more ‘alterations’ to intervals such as the 5th, 9th, 11th, and 13th; in other words, these intervals will be a semitone lower or higher than their un-altered counterparts, and give real tension to the chord making it want to resolve. 

Although usually played as functioning V chords (where the Dominant 7th chord usually lives), in the case of the 7#9 – aka ‘the Hendrix chord’, this works great as a I chord (tonic), too! Altered chords are very common in jazz.

SPICING IT UP IN PRACTICE

Full study piece

This piece puts together many of the approaches seen in the previous exercises into one full tune. 

From a technique perspective, a pick approach will work throughout, but maybe try hybrid picking for the 6ths shape lick at the end of bar 14 into bar 15, and the D Mixolydian 6ths lick (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C) at the end of bar 17 and bar 18. 

If you’re using the neck or middle pickup setting, it might be necessary to flick the switch to the bridge pickup for the final bar to allow the harmonics to ring out clearly. Throughout the piece, make a real effort to notice how each of the rhythm ‘licks’ relates to the underlying harmony.

Jimi Hendrix is usually the first name under the spotlight when it comes to discussions of game-changing lead guitar techniques, but it was the guitar icon’s chordal work that formed the foundation of his remarkably responsive playing style. 

By its nature, it was Hendrix’s liquid rhythm playing – not least, that distinctive thumb-over barre chord – that made up the majority of the songs we know and love and enabled him to flow so seamlessly in and out of his solos and lead embellishments. 

Indeed, quite apart from his virtuosic solos, Hendrix’s approach to chords and rhythmic work made their own waves in the rock guitar space, as the icon incorporated the soul and funk chops, honed backing the likes of the Isley Brothers, alongside his toothy rock tone. 

Here we’ve rounded-up four examples of Hendrix’s sometimes overlooked rhythm technique that will help you add character to your chord work and flow more easily between your lead and rhythm playing.

Thumb-over-the-neck barre chords

Classical guitarists may balk, but Jimi’s ‘thumb over the neck’ barring technique allows him to position his fret hand in a way that those magical embellishments fall neatly under his fingers. 

It’s just a matter of wrapping your thumb round the neck to fret the sixth string instead of using your first finger to barre across all six strings. Try the basic G chord first, and hammer on to the extra notes for a Little Wing or Castles Made of Sand vibe.

Minor shapes

The ‘thumb over the neck’ and one-finger barre techniques also apply to minor chords. 

Remember, Jimi would often play only two or three notes from each shape – an idea that allows you to ditch the occasional note you can’t easily reach and focus on cleanly fretting the more colorful extensions. 

First-finger barre chord shape

This first-finger barre across three strings is a key part of Jimi’s rhythm style. We’ve really only scratched the surface with a few third-finger variations here but experiment with your second and fourth fingers, too. 

Start with the one-finger barre and hammer on to the additional notes in C/E, Am and Cadd9/G for authentic sounds in the style of Wait Until Tomorrow, Bold As Love and many more.

Funk chords

He’s arguably best known for his fiery, psychedelic lead guitar style, but Jimi played with so much groove, too. Get your fingers round these edgy sounding chords and you’ll be part way to nailing his aggressive funk-rock stylings. 

The 7#9 is the great man’s best known signature chord and can be heard in Purple Haze, Foxey Lady, Crosstown Traffic and more.