How To Play Sa Re Ga Ma On Guitar? Best 51 Answer

Welcome to video five in the Beginner’s Guitar Quickstart Series. In this lesson we will learn the names of the open strings on the guitar. When I first learned to play the guitar, I avoided it for a long time because I wasn’t really good at remembering the names of the strings. This lesson is important because you will soon be tuning your guitar, but also because you will need to know the names when you start learning the notes up and down the guitar fretboard.

String numbering

Let’s briefly summarize the numbering system for the guitar strings. The first string is the thinnest string and you count the strings in order so the thickest string is your sixth string. Like the string numbering system, learning the names is a bit counter-intuitive as most people learn the strings from the sixth string to the first string.

The string names

The name of the thickest string, the sixth string, is E. Moving on, the fifth string is A, the fourth is D, the third is G, the second is B, and then the first string is E.

Remember the string names

Now you’re probably thinking there’s no way you can remember all those strings, and I thought so too when I started. Finally, I decided to come up with a silly saying to help me remember the names of the strings: Eat all day, go to bed early.

I’m sure this sounds silly to you because it is, but you can use any proverb that will help you remember the string names. The other thing that will help you remember the names is to realize that the two outside strings are both E, so you only need to remember the four strings on the inside.

Knowing the names of the strings by heart will help you in future lessons, especially in the next lesson where we will look at tuning the guitar. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us for help.

method of music teaching

In music, solfège ( ,[1] ;[2] French: [sɔlfɛʒ]) or solfeggio ( ; Italian: [solˈfeddʒo]), also known by many names as sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, is a method of music education that used to teach listening skills, pitch and sight reading of western music. Solfège is a form of solmization, although the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Syllables are associated with the tones of the scale, allowing the musician to hear or hear the pitches of a piece of music that they are seeing for the first time and then sing them out loud. During the Renaissance (and much later in some Shapenote publications), various interlocking 4-, 5-, and 6-note systems were used to cover the octave. The tonic sol-fa method popularized the seven syllables commonly used in English-speaking countries: do (or doh in tonic sol-fa),[3] re, mi, fa, so(l), la and ti (or si). ), see below.

There are currently two ways to apply solfège: 1) fixed do, in which the syllables are always tied to specific pitches (e.g. “do” is always “C-natural”) and 2) movable do, in which the syllables Scale degrees are assigned to “do” always the first degree of the major scale.

Etymology[ edit ]

The Italian “solfeggio” and the Anglo-French “solfège” derive from the names of two of the syllables used: sol and fa. [4] [5]

The generic term “solmization”, which refers to any system of syllabic designation of pitches of a scale, including those used in India and Japan, as well as solfège, derives from French solmization, from the Latin solfège syllables sol and mi. [6 ]

The verb “to sol-fa” means to sing a passage in solfège.[7]

origin [edit]

In 11th-century Italy, the music theorist Guido von Arezzo invented a system of notation that named the six notes of the hexachord after the first syllable of each line of the Latin hymn “Ut queant laxis”, the “Hymn to John the Baptist”, yielding ut , re, mi, fa, sol, la.[8][9] Each subsequent line of this hymn begins on the next scale degree, so the name of each note was the syllable sung at that pitch in this hymn.

Sheet music for “Ut queant laxis”

Ut queant laxīs re sonare fibrīs

Mī ra gestōrum fa mulī tuōrum,

Sol ve pollūtī la biī reātum,

Sancte Iohannes.

The words were written by Paulus Deaconus in the 8th century. They translate as:

So that your servants with a relaxed voice

resound the wonders of your deeds,

Clean the guilt from our stained lips

Oh John.

“Ut” was changed to the open syllable Do[9] and Si (from the initials for “Sancte Iohannes”) in 16th-century Italy at the suggestion of the musicologist Giovanni Battista Doni (based on the first syllable of his surname). ) was added to complete the diatonic scale. In anglophone countries, “si” was changed to “ti” by Sarah Glover in the 19th century so that each syllable could begin with a different letter.[10] “Ti” is used in Tonic Sol-Fa (and in the famous American show tune “Do-Re-Mi”).

A discredited 17th-century speculation suggested that the Solfège syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) came from the syllables of an Arabic solmization system درر مفصّلات Durar Mufaṣṣalāt (“Detailed Beads”) (dāl , rā’, mīm, fā’, ṣād, lām, tā’), mentioned in the works of Francisci a Mesgnien Meninski in 1680 and discussed by Jean-Benjamin de La Borde in 1780.[11][12][13][14] No documentary evidence for this idea has ever been found.[15]

In Elizabethan England[edit]

In the Elizabethan era, England and its related areas used only four of the syllables: mi, fa, sol and la. “Mi” stood for modern si, “fa” for modern do or ut, “sol” for modern re and “la” for modern mi. Then fa, sol, and la would be repeated to stand for their modern counterparts as well, resulting in the scale being “fa, sol, la, fa, sol, la, mi, fa”. The use of “fa”, “sol” and “la” for two positions in the scale is a holdover from the Guidonian system of so-called “mutations” (ie changes in the hexachord on a note, see Guidonian Hand). This system was largely eliminated in the 19th century but is still used in some form notation systems that give a different form to each of the four syllables “fa”, “sol”, “la” and “mi”.

An example of this type of solmization is found in Shakespeare’s King Lear, I, 2 (see § Cultural references).

Modern use[edit]

Solfège is still used for sight reading training. There are two main types: Movable Can and Fixed Can.

Movable do solfège [ edit ]

In Movable do[16] or Tonic sol-fa, each syllable corresponds to a scale degree. This is analogous to the Guidonian practice of giving each degree of the hexachord a solfège name, and is used primarily in Germanic countries, Commonwealth countries, and the United States.

A particularly important variant of the movable Do, though different in some respects from the system described below, was invented by Sarah Ann Glover in the 19th century and is known as the tonic Sol-Fa.

In Italy, in 1972, Roberto Goitre wrote the famous cantar leggendo method, which is now used for choirs and music for young children.

The pedagogical advantage of the mobile Do system is its ability to support the theoretical understanding of music; As a tonic is established and then sung in comparison to it, the student derives melodic and chordal implications through his singing. While fixed-do is more applicable to instrumentalists, moving-do is more applicable to theorists and arguably composers as well.

major [edit]

Movable do is commonly used in Australia, China, Japan (where 5th is so and 7th is si), Ireland, UK, United States, Hong Kong and English-speaking Canada. The Movable Do System is a fundamental element of the Kodály Method, used primarily in Hungary but with a dedicated following worldwide. In the moveable do system, each solfège syllable corresponds not to a pitch but to a scale degree: the first degree of a major scale is always sung as “do”, the second as “re”, etc. (for minor keys see below.) In movable do, therefore, a given melody is always sol-faed on the same syllables, no matter what key it is in.

The solfège syllables used for movable do differ slightly from those for fixed do, as the English variant of the base syllable (“ti” instead of “si”) is usually used and chromatically altered syllables are also usually included.

degree of the major scale Mova. do solfège syllable # half steps from Do Trad. pron. 1 Thu 0 /doʊ/ High 1 Di 1 /diː/ Lower 2 Ra 1 /ɹɑː/ 2 Re 2 /ɹeɪ/ High 2 Ri 3 /ɹiː/ Lower 3 Me (or Ma) 3 /meɪ/ ( /mɑː/ ) 3 Mi 4 /miː/ 4 Fa 5 /fɑː/ High 4 Fi 6 /fiː/ Low 5 Se 6 /seɪ/ 5 Sol 7 /soʊ/ High 5 Si 8 /siː/ Low 6 Le (or Lo) 8 /leɪ/ ( /loʊ/ ) 6 La 9 /lɑː/ Raised 6 Li 10 /liː/ Decreased 7 Te (or Ta) 10 /teɪ/ ( /tɑː/ ) 7 Ti 11 /tiː/

If the key of a piece modulates at a certain point, then the solfège syllables must be changed at this point. For example, if a piece begins in C major, C is first sung on “do”, D on “re” and so on. But if the piece then modulates to G major, G is sung on “do”. A on “re” etc. and C is then sung on “fa”.

minor [edit]

Passages in a minor key can be sol-faed in two ways in the movable do: either starting with do (using “me”, “le” and “te” for the lower third, sixth and seventh degrees and “la” and “ti” for the augmented sixth and seventh degrees), which is called “Do-based minor”, or beginning with la (using “fi” and “si” for the augmented sixth and seventh degrees). The latter (referred to as “la-based minor”) is sometimes preferred in choral singing, especially among children.

Choosing which staff to use for minor makes a difference in how you deal with modulations. In the first case (“do-based minor”), when the key moves from C major to C minor, for example, the syllable do continues to point to the same note, namely C, (there is no “mutation” of the do note ), but when the key changes from C major to A minor (or A major), the scale is transposed from do = C to do = A. In the second case (“la-based minor”), when the key signature moves from C major to A minor, the syllable do continues to point to the same note, C again, but when the key signature moves from C major to C minor moves, the scale is transposed from do = C to do = Eb.

Degree of natural minor scale Movable do solfège syllable (La-based minor) Movable do solfège syllable (Do-based minor) Flat 1 Le (or Lo) ( Ti ) 1 La Do Raised 1 Li Di Flat 2 Te (or Ta) Ra 2 Ti Re 3 Do Me (or Ma) raised 3 Di Mi lowered 4 Ra ( Mi ) 4 Re Fa raised 4 Ri Fi lowered 5 Me (or Ma) Se 5 Mi Sol 6 Fa Le (or Lo) raised 6 Fi La Lowered 7 Se (La) 7 Sol Te (or Ta) Raised 7 Si Ti

Fixed solfège[ edit ]

The names of the notes in Romance languages.

With Fixed do, each syllable corresponds to the name of a note. This is analogous to the Romance system of naming pitches after the solfège syllables, and is used in Romance and Slavic countries, including Spanish-speaking countries, among others.

In the main Romance and Slavic languages, the syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Si are used to name notes in the same way that the letters C, D, E, F, G, A and B are used to name notes in English. For native speakers of these languages, Solfège simply sings the names of the notes, omitting any modifiers such as “sharp” or “flat” to preserve rhythm. This system is called Fixed Do and is used in Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Romania, Latin American countries, and French-speaking Canada, as well as countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria where Romance languages ​​are not spoken. In the United States, the fixed-do system is taught primarily at the Juilliard School in New York City, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland. Ohio.

In the fixed do system shown above, accidentals do not affect the syllables used. For example, C, C♯ and C♭ (as well as C and C, not shown above) are all sung with the syllable “do”.

Chromatic variants[ edit ]

Several chromatic fixed-do systems, also designed to accommodate chromatic notes, and even for double sharp and double F variants. The Yehnian, the first 24-EDO solfège, even proposed quarter-tone syllables, with no exceptions to its rules, and ease of use for both Si and Ti users.

Comparison of the two systems[edit]

Movable Do corresponds to our psychological experience with normal melodies. If the song is sung a pitch higher, it’s still perceived as the same song and the notes have the same relationship to each other, but in a fixed do all the note names would be different. A moving do emphasizes the musicality of the melody, since for the vast majority of people who do not have absolute pitch, the psychological perception of the notes is always relative to a key.

Sotorrio [25] argues that fixed-do is preferable for serious musicians, since music with complex modulations and vague tonality is often too ambiguous about key for a moving system. That is, without prior analysis of the music, any movable-do system would inevitably have to be used like a fixed-do system anyway, which would lead to confusion. With fixed-do, the musician learns to consider each syllable as a tonic, which does not force him to make an analysis of which note is the tonic when ambiguities arise. Instead, with fixed-do, the musician is already being practiced thinking in multiple/indefinite keys by using the appropriate syllables.

Compared to the movable Do system, which relies on short-term relative pitch skills involving comparison to a pitch listed as the tonic of the particular piece, fixed Do develops long-term relative pitch skills involving comparison to an independently defined pitch include its role in the piece, a practice closer to the absolute definition of each note as found in absolute pitch. The question of which system to use is a matter of debate among music educators in schools across the United States. While a flexible do is easier to teach and learn, some believe that a fixed do leads to stronger sight reading and ear training because students learn the relationships between specific pitches as they are independently defined, not just those Function of intervals within melody lines, chords, and chord progressions.[26]

When a performer has been trained with fixed Do, particularly on the rare occasions when the performer has absolute pitch or well-developed long-term relative pitch, the performer may have difficulty playing music notated for transposing instruments: because the “Concert pitch” the note to be performed differs from the note written in the sheet music, the performer may experience cognitive dissonance when having to read one note and play another. Especially in the early stages of learning a piece, when the performer has not yet become familiar with the piece’s relatively expressed melody line, it may be necessary to mentally re-transpose the sheet music to bring the notes back up to concert pitch. However, because fixed pedagogical systems often include instructions for reading all seven clefs, musicians reading transposing instruments are accustomed to mentally substituting one clef. For example, when reading B flat major clarinets written in treble clef, those proficient in writing mentally substitute the tenor clef. In comparison, those trained in moving dos may experience confusion when reading transposing instruments in the context of a score, since it is necessary to ascertain the absolute sounding pitch coming out of the instrument in order to understand pitch’s function in the score Knowing the key of the ensemble This is especially true for French horn parts, which are traditionally written without key signatures and instead have all the signatures notated. A musician who reads fixed do fluently can find the absolute pitches and use these to extrapolate the function.

Those trained in fixed-do will argue that their action is equivalent to reading a language aloud. Just as one reads this sentence precisely without analyzing it grammatically, the direct sounding of the music is also too rigid. While the moving do system requires constant, real-time analysis of tonality and modulations in the score, with the fixed do system the musician uses the knowledge of changing tonality to understand, for example, that the pitch class C-of course the supertonic in Bb is. B flat major or minor and the dominant when the music modulates to F major but the C note keeps the same pitch.

Instrumentalists who are new to sight singing in college find Moving Do to be the system that more closely matches the way they learned to read music.

For choirs, sight singing with fixed Do using chromatically movable Do syllables is more appropriate than singing with movable Do for atonal music, polytonal music, pandiatonic music, music that modulates or changes key frequently, or Reading music where the composer just didn’t do this write a key signature. This is not uncommon in modern or contemporary choral works.

Note names [edit]

In the countries with fixed Do, these seven syllables (with Si replacing Ti) – instead of the letters C, D, E, F, G, A, and B – are used to name the notes of the C major scale. Here, for example, one would say that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (in D minor) is in “R minor” and that its third movement (in B flat major) is in “Si bemol major”.

In Germanic countries, on the other hand, the letters are used for this purpose (so that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is in “D minor”) and the solfège syllables are found only in their use in sight singing and ear training.

Other ways of denoting Solfège

Rainbow colors assigned by Isaac Newton[ edit ]

Isaac Newton[27] had associated the seven Solfège syllables with the seven colors of the rainbow and suggested that each color vibrated accordingly (a concept possibly related to the modern view of chromaesthesia). So, red vibrates the least, while violet vibrates the most.

Pitch Solfège Color C do (or doh in Tonic sol-fa) Red D re Orange E mi Yellow F fa Green G sol (or so in Tonic sol-fa) Blue A la Indigo Blue-violet B ti/si Violet Red-violet

Cultural references[ edit ]

See also[edit]

Key Names and Translations – Translation of Keys

Numbered Music Notation – Musical notation system used in Asia since the 19th century.

Vocabulary – Meaningful sound uttered by people

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Learning to tune a guitar is one of the first challenges a beginner faces when learning to play. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t get an out of tune guitar to sound “right”. This guide will teach you how to tune a guitar (with or without a tuner), identify notes on guitar strings, and keep your guitar in tune longer. Regular practice is essential to learning an instrument, and when it’s in tune properly, practice is a lot more fun and rewarding.

Guitar tuning basics

First, let’s start with some basic parts of tuning a guitar. Guitar tuning is controlled by the tuning pegs on the guitar’s headstock. Turning the pegs changes the pitch of the strings up or down. Tightening the strings raises the pitch; Loosening the strings lowers the pitch.

How often should you tune your guitar?

You should tune your guitar every time you play it. You can’t expect your guitar to stay in tune between practice sessions. Guitars also get out of tune when played, especially when you bend strings or play for long periods of time. As you play, it’s a good idea to check your guitar tuning frequently. If you play a chord and it doesn’t sound quite right even though you know you’re playing the right notes, your guitar is out of tune.

How to tune your guitar

Electronic tuners have made tuning guitar notes quick and easy. You can also use a reference tone (from another instrument, a pitch pipe, or a tuning fork) to tune one of your strings, and then tune “by ear”.

Happy Birthday Guitar Chords: 5 Easy Ways to Play This Fun Song

Do you want to play Happy Birthday on the guitar? In this lesson, we’ll show you your favorite way to play this must-have tune.

In this free guitar lesson you will learn:

3 Quick and Easy Tips for Playing Happy Birthday Guitar Chords

5 great versions of this must-know song

4 tips to make your A5 chords sound amazing

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Why You Need to Know How to Play Happy Birthday on Guitar…

If your friends or family know you own a guitar, at some point someone will ask you if you can play “Happy Birthday” on the guitar.

Such is the life of a musician!

So brush up on the chords you need to know and play “Happy Birthday” in comfort when the inevitable moment arrives.

Playing Happy Birthday on guitar isn’t difficult, but the timing is surprisingly difficult.

So let’s look at an easy way to play “Happy Birthday” with open chords, and then look at how you can jazz up your guitar arrangement. We will also look at how to sing and play Happy Birthday at the same time and pick out the melody.

Happy birthday guitar chords for beginners

To start, let’s learn how to play Happy Birthday on guitar with a chord chart.

To use the chord chart below, you need to know three chords: E major, A major, and B7.

B7 looks like a scary and impossible chord to the beginner, but it’s a relatively easy chord change, especially when you’re coming from the E major chord.

Check out this simple finger swap to go from E major to B7; Your middle finger stays in the same place as a fulcrum and you only have to move the other two fingers.

E major

B7

(If you don’t understand the image above, please see our How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds article. It will make everything clear!)

chord transition

To go from E major to B7, your first finger goes down from the D string to the first fret of the A string, and your ring finger goes from the A string to the second fret of the D string. Add your fourth finger to the second fret of the high E string (first string) and you have a B7!

To switch from B7 back to E major, simply reverse the exchange and take off your fourth finger. With a little practice, you can do this without having to look at your fingers.

The chord chart below shows you when to change chords. With a little practice you can play Happy Birthday on the guitar and accompany the whole party!

Look at the last chord line: there’s a quick chord change, two beats of E major, followed by a beat of B7, and then the song lands right back on E major.

3/4 time

Key: E major

Hit B7 once

How to find the first note to sing

If you’re wondering how to figure out where to start singing while playing Happy Birthday chords, you’re not alone.

Matching the melody you sing with the chords you play is a skill that takes a while to develop, and playing Happy Birthday on guitar is a classic test.

Never be afraid! You are about to find your starting note to sing within the very first chord you play, the B7.

In the key of E major, Happy Birthday’s melody starts on a Bb, and when you play a B7 you’re playing two Bbs: on the A string on the second fret and on the open B string.

B7

To play and also sing Happy Birthday chords, all you have to do is strike the B7 chord, pitch your voice to one of those two Bs, and sing the word “Happy” at that pitch. Then you are ready to go.

It’s a familiar tune, so once you get to that initial pitch, the tune practically sings itself!

If you’ve taken the firm stance that under no circumstances are you a singer, now is the time to reconsider. With this tip you can easily sing and play Happy Birthday on the guitar, you will sound great and your birthday boy will be amazed. (Once you start singing, everyone else present will join in.)

Top tip: When playing the B7 chord, be sure to hit one of the Bs a few extra times so you and the other singers know which note to start on.

Learn the 12 EASIEST beginner chords with our famous FREE guide

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If the key doesn’t suit your voice, use a capo.

If you played and sang Happy Birthday on your guitar during this lesson, you now know if you can sing the song in the key of E major.

If you’re uncomfortable singing this song in the key of E major, don’t give up! You can easily play Happy Birthday on guitar in any key.

All it takes is a capo and a little trial and error, and you’ll quickly find a comfortable vocal range and key to use.

The beauty of the capo is that it allows you to change the key of the song without having to change any of the chord shapes you are creating. A capo gives you a super power!

No capo? Do not worry! You can play Happy Birthday on guitar using a type of chord transformation called “transpose”.

It sounds scary, but it’s pretty easy.

Happy Birthday, like many songs, follows an I-IV-V chord progression and to convert it you just have to replace the E major with another I chord and follow the musical alphabet to find the IV and V7 or Find V chords. V and V7 are interchangeable, so use the one you know!

Find and play the root of the V chord you choose to find your starting singing note.

Here’s a handy I-IV-V chart in the guitar-friendly keys of C, A, G, E, and D. Pick your I chord to replace the E major, and follow this series to find the A and convert B7 chords.

(So ​​that’s effectively 5 different ways to play Happy Birthday on guitar.)

Let’s play the melody to Happy Birthday on the guitar!

Can you hear the Happy Birthday tune in your head? Of course you can.

If you hear a melody in your head, you can play it on the guitar. Playing the Happy Birthday melody on the guitar is no more complicated than matching the pitch of the guitar to the pitch in your head.

Here’s a tablature version of Happy Birthday on guitar to get you started.

Do you know barre chords? If yes, try this!

If you know how to make barre chords, playing Happy Birthday on guitar is even easier. All you have to do is convert the chords we used to numbers according to the table above.

E major is the I chord and A major is the IV chord. So if you use the open E major chord as your I chord, then the A major shaped barre chord that is on the same fret is the IV chord. You don’t even have to move your hand up the neck!

Wherever your IV chord is, move it up two frets and you’ve found your V chord.

E major

A major

Using these barre chords, follow the chord progression and you can play Happy Birthday on guitar in any key.

Here is the chord progression for Happy Birthday expressed in numbers (these are called the “degrees” of a scale): I V V I I IV [I V] I

Intermediate: Using triads to play Happy Birthday chords

If you don’t know barre chords, you can still play Happy Birthday on guitar with interesting arrangements.

The D major triad, when moved up five frets on the guitar, gives a D-shaped G chord (the IV), and when moved up two more frets, gives a D-shaped A chord (the V).

G major | A major

(Both with moveable D-shape)

The A major triad, when moved up five frets on the guitar, gives an A-shaped D chord (the IV), and when moved up two more frets, gives an A-shaped E chord (the V).

D major | E major

(Both use a moveable A-shape)

The E major triad, when moved up five frets on the guitar, gives an E-shaped A chord (the IV), and when moved up two more frets, gives an E-shaped B- chord (the V).

A major | B flat major

(Both use a moveable E shape)

Playing Happy Birthday on the guitar with any D shape, A shape, or E shape sounds cool.

Try practicing moving the D, A, and E chord triads up the neck of the guitar. You will start hearing other songs in it! Many songs use the moveable D, A, and E shapes.

So many ways to play Happy Birthday on guitar…

Now that you’ve learned a few ways to play Happy Birthday on guitar, it’s time to teach a friend and form your power duo!

Once you master Happy Birthday on the guitar, you can expand your birthday party repertoire by adding these songs:

“Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder

“Birthday” by The Beatles

“The Happy Birthday Song” by Andrew Bird

“It’s Not My Birthday” by They Might Be Giants

“Tears at the Birthday Party” by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach

“Birthday” by Katy Perry

Recommended Resources

To deepen your understanding of the terminology and ideas used to play Happy Birthday on the guitar, as well as work with chords and figure out melodies by ear, check out these other lessons!

How to use a capo in 3 easy steps

Chords in the key of E

How to play bar chords

Guitar Sheet Music Explained: A Beginner’s Guide

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term in music theory

In music, a guitar chord is a series of notes played on a guitar. The notes of a chord are often played simultaneously, but they can be played one after the other in an arpeggio. The implementation of guitar chords depends on the guitar tuning. Most guitars used in popular music have six strings with the “standard” Spanish classical guitar tuning, namely E – A – D – G – B – E’ (from lowest string to highest) ; In standard tuning, the intervals present between adjacent strings, with the exception of the major third (G, Bb), are pure fourths. Standard tuning requires four chord shapes for the major triads.

There are separate chord shapes for chords rooted on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth strings. On a six-string guitar in standard tuning, it may be necessary to remove or omit one or more notes from the chord. This is usually the root or fifth. The arrangement of notes on the fretboard in standard tuning often forces guitarists to change the tonal order of notes in a chord.

Playing traditional chords is made easy with open tunings, which are popular with folk, blues guitar, and non-Spanish classical guitar (such as English and Russian guitar). For example, the typical twelve-bar blues uses only three chords, each of which can be played (in any open intonation) by fingering six strings. Open tunings are primarily used for steel guitar and slide guitar. Open tunings allow one-finger chords to be played with greater consonance than other tunings that use an equal temperament, at the expense of increasing dissonance in other chords.

Playing (3- to 5-string) guitar chords is simplified by the class of alternative tunings called regular tunings, in which the musical intervals are the same for each pair of consecutive strings. Regular tunings include major third, all fourth, and all fifth. For each regular tuning, chord patterns can be shifted diagonally down the fretboard, a feature that makes it easier for beginners to learn chords and advanced players to improvise. On the other hand, in normal tuning, 6-string chords (in the keys of C, G, and D) are more difficult to play.

Traditionally, guitarists double notes in a chord to increase its volume, an important technique for unamplified players; Doubling notes and changing the order of notes also changes the timbre of chords. It can allow for a “chord” consisting of the same note on different strings. Many chords can be played with the same notes in more than one place on the fretboard.

Musical basics[edit]

Guitar chord theory respects harmonic conventions of western music. Discussions of basic guitar chords draw on fundamental concepts in music theory: the twelve notes of the octave, musical intervals, chords, and chord progressions.

Intervals[ edit ]

The color wheel lists the twelve tones of the octave that differ by exactly one semitone.

C Major Scale C Major Scale On the piano, the C major scale is played up and down an octave. Problems playing this file? See media help. an octave

♭ ,C) Simultaneously play initial eight overtones on C, namely (C,C,G,C,E,G,B,C)

The octave consists of twelve tones. Its natural notes form the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C).

The intervals between the notes of a chromatic scale are listed in a table, where only the highlighted intervals are covered in the root chords section of this article; these intervals and other seventh intervals are discussed in the section on intermediate chords. The unison and octave intervals are in perfect consonance. Octave intervals were popularized by Wes Montgomery’s jazz playing. The perfect fifth interval is high consonant, meaning that playing the two perfect fifth notes back-to-back sounds harmonious.

A semitone is the distance between two adjacent notes on the chromatic circle that represents the twelve notes in an octave.[a]

As indicated by the boldface in the table, a few intervals—thirds (minor and major), perfect fifths, and minor sevenths—are used in the following discussion of basic guitar chords.

As already mentioned, the interval of perfect fifths (P5) is most harmonic after the unison and octave intervals. An explanation of the human perception of harmony relates the mechanics of a vibrating string to the musical acoustics of sound waves using Fourier series harmonic analysis. When a string is struck with a finger or pick (plectrum), it vibrates according to its harmonic series. When an open C string is strummed, its harmonic series begins with the terms (C, C, G, C, E, G, B♭, C). The root is assigned to a series of intervals, beginning with the unison interval (C,C), the octave interval (C,C), the perfect fifth (C,G), the perfect fourth (G,C) and the major third (C,E). Specifically, this interval sequence contains the thirds of the C major chord {(C,E),(E,G)}.

With a musical note one strikes the fundamental, and in addition to the fundamental, other tones are produced: these are the harmonic series…. Since a fundamental contains other tones in the octave, two fundamentals produce a remarkable series of overtones, and the number possible combinations between all notes increases phenomenally. With a triad, affairs have a good chance of getting seriously out of hand. Robert Fripp

Perfect fifths [ edit ]

The perfect fifth interval occurs in guitar playing and chord progressions. The sequence of fifth intervals built on the C major scale is used in the construction of triads, discussed below.[b]

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Cycle of Fifths [ edit ]

The concatenation of the perfect fifths ( (F,C), (C,G), (G,D), (D,A), (A,E), (E,B),… ) results in the sequence of fifths ( F,C,G,D,A,E,B,…); this progression of fifths shows all the notes of the octave.[c] This progression of fifths is intended to be used in the discussions of chord progressions below.

power chord [edit]

Peter Townshend of The Who often used a theatrical “windmill” beat to play “power chords” – a root, fifth and octave.

The perfect fifth is called a power chord by guitarists, who play it particularly in blues and rock music.[7] The Who’s guitarist Peter Townshend played power chords with a theatrical windmill beat.[7] Power chords are often played with notes repeated in higher octaves.[7]

Although established, the term “power chord” contradicts the usual definition of a chord in music theory, which requires three (or more) distinct notes in each chord.

Chords in Music Theory

A quick overview

C major (C,E,G) begins with the major third (C,E). C minor (C,E♭,G) begins with a minor third (C,E♭). Major and minor triads contain major-third and minor-third intervals in different orders.

The music theory of chords is reviewed to provide terminology for a discussion of guitar chords. Three types of chords emphasized in introductory guitar playing[d] are discussed. These basic chords arise in chord triplets common in Western music, triplets called three-chord progressions. After each chord type is introduced, its role is notated in three-chord progressions.

Intermediate discussions of chords derive both chords and their progressions simultaneously from scale harmonization. The basic guitar chords can be constructed by “stacking thirds”, that is, by concatenating two or three intervals of thirds where all the lowest notes come from the scale.

Triads[ edit ]

major [edit]

Both major and minor chords are examples of musical triads that contain three different notes. Triads are often introduced as an ordered triplet:

the root ;

; the third, which is either a major third (for a major chord) or a minor third (for a minor chord) above the root;

, which is either a major third (for a major chord) or a minor third (for a minor chord) above the root; the fifth, which is a perfect fifth above the root; consequently the fifth is a third over the third – either a minor third over a major third or a major third over a minor third.[15] The major triad has a root, a major third, and a fifth. (The major-third interval of the major chord is replaced by a minor-third interval in the minor chord, discussed in the next subsection.)

Major chords Chord Root Major third Fifth C C E G D D F ♯ A E E G ♯ B F F A C G G B D A A C ♯ E B[e] B D ♯ F ♯

For example, a C major triad consists of the (root, third, fifth) notes (C, E, G).

The three notes of a major triad were introduced as an ordered triad, namely (root, third, fifth), with the major third four semitones above the root and the perfect fifth seven semitones above the root. This type of triad is in the closed position. Triads are quite commonly played in open position: for example, the C major triad is often played with the third (E) and fifth (G) an octave higher, or sixteen and nineteen semitones above the root. Another variation of the major triad changes the order of the notes: for example, the C major triad is often played as (C, G, E), where (C, G) is a perfect fifth and E is raised an octave above the perfect third (C,E). Alternative arrangements of the notes in a triad are discussed below (in the discussions of chord inversions and drop 2 chords).

In popular music, a subset of triads is stressed—those with notes from the three major keys (C, G, D) that also contain the notes of their relative minor keys (Am, Em, Bm).[16]

Progressions[ edit ]

traditionally numbered with the Roman numerals I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii o. Its major key subprogression C–F–G (I–IV–V) is common in popular music. In this sequence, the minor triads ii–iii–vi appear in the corresponding chord progression of the relative minor key (Am). Stacking the C major scale with thirds creates a chord progression traditionally numbered with the Roman numerals I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii. Its major key subprogression C–F–G (I–IV–V) is common in popular music. In this sequence, the minor triads ii–iii–vi appear in the corresponding chord progression of the relative minor key (Am).

The major chords are emphasized by the three-chord theory of chord progressions, which describes the three-chord song archetypal in pop music. When played consecutively (in any order), the chords of a three-chord progression sound harmonious (“well together”).

The most basic three-chord progressions of western harmony have only major chords. In each key, three chords are denoted by Roman numerals (the musical notation): the tonic (I), the subdominant (IV), and the dominant (V). While the chords of each three-chord progression are numbered (I, IV, and V), they appear in different orders. [f] [18]

Basic Three Chord Progressions[f] Tonic (I) Subdominant (IV) Dominant (V) C C F G D D G A E E A B G G C D A A D E

In the 1950s, the I-IV-V chord progression was used in “Hound Dog” (Elvis Presley) and in “Chantilly Lace” (The Big Bopper).

Major chord progressions are constructed in triads when harmonizing major scales. For example, stacking the C major scale with thirds creates a chord progression traditionally enumerated using the Roman numerals I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viio; its subprogression C–F–G (I–IV–V) is used in popular music, as discussed earlier. Further chords are constructed by stacking additional thirds. Stacking the dominant major triad with a minor third creates the dominant seventh chord to be discussed after minor chords.

minor [edit]

An A minor scale has the same pitches as the C major scale because the keys of C major and A minor are relative major and minor keys.

A minor chord has the root and fifth of the corresponding major chord, but its first interval is a minor third rather than a major third:

Minor chords Chord Root Minor third Perfect fifth Cm[e] C E ♭ G Dm D F A Em E G B Fm[e] F A ♭ C Gm[e] G B ♭ D Am A C E Bm[e] B D F ♯

Minor chords result from the already discussed harmonization of the major scale in thirds: The minor chords have the degrees ii, iii and vi.

Minor Three Chord Progressions[18] Key Tonic (I) Subdominant (IV) Dominant (V) Cm Cm Fm G7 Dm Dm Gm A7 Em Em Am B7 Gm Gm Cm D7 Am Am ​​Dm E7

Major and minor keys that share the same key are paired as relative minor and relative major keys.

Minor chords arise as the tonic of minor keys, which share the same key as major keys. From the I–ii–iii–IV–V–vi–viio progression of the major key, the ‘secondary’ (minor) triads ii–iii–vi appear in the corresponding chord progression of the relative minor key as i– iv–v (or i–iv–V or i–iv–V7): For example, the chord Em from Cs vi–ii–iii progression Am–Dm–Em is often played as E or E7 in a minor chord progression. Among the basic chords, the minor chords (D, E, A) are the tonic chords of the relative minor chords of the three major keys (F, G, C):

The technique of alternating between relative keys (pairs of relative majors and relative minors) is a form of modulation. Minor chords are constructed by harmonizing minor scales in triads.

Seventh chords: Major minor chords with dominant function

(help info) The previously notated chord progression with dominant seventh. The dominant seventh chord (V7) G7=(G,B,D,F) increases tension with the root (I) chord C.

Adding a minor seventh to a major triad creates a dominant seventh (denoted V7). In music theory, the “dominant seventh” described here is referred to as a major-minor seventh, thereby emphasizing the construction of the chord rather than its usual function. Dominant sevenths are often the dominant chords in three-chord progressions, [18] in which they increase tension with the tonic “already inherent in the dominant triad”.

Dominant 7th chords Chord Root Major 3rd Perfect 5th Minor 7th C7 C E G B ♭ D7 D F ♯ A C E7 E G ♯ B D F7[e] F A C E ♭ G7 G B D F A7 A C ♯ E G B7 B D ♯ F ♯ A

The dominant seventh under discussion is the most commonly played seventh chord.

Paul McCartney used an A major I–IV–V7 chord progression in “3 Legs”, which is also an example of the twelve bar blues.

Three Chord Progressions[18] Key Tonic (I) Subdominant (IV) Dominant (V) C C F G7 D D G A7 E E A B7 G G C D7 A A D E7

An A major I-IV-V7 chord progression A-D-E7 was used by Paul McCartney in the song “3 Legs” on his album Ram.[32]

These progressions with seventh chords arise when harmonizing major scales into seventh chords.[g]

Twelve bar blues [ edit ]

Whether in major or minor, such I-IV-V chord progressions are extended over twelve bars in pop music – especially in jazz, blues and rock music.[36] For example, a twelve bar blues chord progression in the key of E has three sets of four bars:

E-E-E-E7 A-A-E-E B7-A-E-B7;

this progression is simplified by playing the sevenths as major chords.[36] The twelve-bar blues structure is used by McCartney’s “3 Legs”[32] previously mentioned.

Play chords: open strings, inversion and note doubling

The implementation of musical chords on guitars depends on the tuning. Because standard tuning is the most commonly used, guitar chord expositions emphasize the implementation of musical chords on standard-tuned guitars. The implementation of chords with specific tunings is a defining part of the guitar chord literature that is left out in the abstract music theory of chords for all instruments.

For example, on the guitar (like other stringed instruments, but unlike the piano) notes with open strings are not fretted and therefore require less hand movement. Therefore, chords containing open notes are played more easily and are therefore more common in popular music, such as B. folk music played. Many of the most popular tunings—standard tuning, open tunings, and new standard tuning—are rich in open notes used by popular chords. Open tunings allow playing major triads by locking a fret with just one finger, using the finger like a capo. On guitars without a zeroth fret (after the saddle), the intonation of an open note may differ from the note fretted on different strings. As a result, an open note may sound worse than a fret note on some guitars.[38]

Unlike the piano, the guitar has the same tones on different strings. Consequently, guitarists often double notes in the chord, increasing the volume of the sound. Doubled notes also change chordal timbre: with different “string widths, tensions, and intonations, the doubled notes reinforce each other, like the doubled strings on a twelve-string guitar adding chorus and depth”. Notes can be doubled at identical pitches or in different octaves. In triadic chords, the doubling of the third interval, which is either a major third or a minor third, makes it clear whether the chord is major or minor.[40]

Unlike a piano or the voices of a choir, the guitar (in standard tuning) has difficulty playing the chords as stacks of thirds, which would require the left hand to span too many frets, particularly for dominant seventh chords, as below explained. If chords cannot be played in closed position in a given tuning, they can often be played in open position; Similarly, if chords cannot be played in root position in a given mood, they can often be played in reversed position. A chord is inverted if the bass note is not the root. Additional chords can be created using drop 2 (or drop 3) voicing, which are discussed for implementing dominant seventh chords in the standard tuning (below).

Johnny Marr is known for creating harmony by playing arpeggiated chords.

When providing harmony to the accompaniment of a melody, guitarists can play chords all at once or as arpeggios. Arpeggiation was the traditional way of playing chords for guitarists, for example in the time of Mozart. Contemporary guitarists using arpeggios include Johnny Marr of The Smiths.

Root chords [ edit ]

Default tuning [ edit ]

Standard guitar tuning inserts a major third interval in the middle of four perfect fourth intervals. In guitar tuning, a major third interval is inserted between four perfect fourth intervals.

In standard tuning, the C major chord has three forms due to the irregular major third between the G and B strings.

A six-string guitar has five musical intervals between its consecutive strings. In standard tuning, the intervals are four perfect fourths and a major third, the comparatively irregular interval for the (G,Bb) pair. Consequently, standard tuning requires four chord shapes for the major chords. There are separate chord shapes for chords rooted on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth strings. Of course, a beginner learns guitar by learning notes and chords, and irregularities make guitar learning harder—even harder than learning plural nouns, according to Gary Marcus. Nonetheless, most beginners use the default tuning.

Another feature of standard tuning is that the order of the notes often deviates from the root position. Notes are often inverted or otherwise permuted, particularly in seventh chords in standard tuning, [47] as discussed below.

Power Chords: Fingerings [ edit ]

As already mentioned, every power chord has only one interval, a perfect fifth between the root and the fifth.[7] In standard tuning, the following fingerings are common:

E5

G5

G5

Triads[ edit ]

Triads are usually played with doubled notes,[48] as the following examples illustrate.

major [edit]

Commonly used major chords are conveniently played in standard tuning, where basic open position chords are available, ie the first three frets and additional open strings.

C major chord in open position

For the C major chord (C, E, G), conventional left-hand fingering doubles the C and E notes in the next octave; This fingering uses two open notes, E and G:

E on the first string

C on the second string

G on the third string

on the third string E on the fourth string

on the fourth string C on the fifth string

on the fifth string The sixth string is not played.

Major Chords (Guitar Chord Chart Guide)

A: 002220

B: x24442

C: 032010

D: xx0232

E: 022100

F: 133211

F#: 244322 (movable – remember there are no sharps or flats between BC and EF)

Normal G: 320003

Nashville style G: 3 × 0033

For the other commonly used chords, the conventional fingerings also include double notes and open string notes:

A major chord

D major chord

E major chord

G major chord

In addition to doubling the fifth note, the conventional E major chord features a triple bass note.[48]

A barre chord (“E major form”) that uses the index finger to bar the strings

The B flat and F major chords are commonly played as barre chords, with the first finger pressing five to six strings.

B flat major chord

F major chord

The B flat major chord has the same shape as the A major chord but is two frets up the fingerboard. The F major chord has the same shape as E major but is one fret up the fingerboard.

minor [edit]

Minor chords (commonly notated as C-, Cm, Cmi, or Cmin) are the same as major chords, except they have a minor third instead of a major third. That’s a semitone difference.

To produce F minor from the F major chord (in E major form), the second finger should be lifted so that the third string plays on the barre. Compare F major to F minor:

F major chord

F minor chord

The other shapes can also be modified:

Chord name Fret numbers E minor [0 2 2 0 0 0] A minor [X 0 2 2 1 0] D minor [X X 0 2 3 1]

Locked [edit]

Movable Suspended Chords Guide (for chord charts)

(in default tuning)

Sus2

A Sus2 x02200

B Sus2 x24422

C Sus2 x35533

D Sus2 x00230

Sus4

E SUS4 022200

F SUS4 133311

G SUS4 355533

These chords are used extensively by My Bloody Valentine on the Loveless album. They are also used in the Who song “Pinball Wizard” and many, many more songs.

Dominant sevenths: omit two [ edit ]

Standard tuning, the C7 chord has notes on frets 3–8. Covering six frets is difficult, and so C7 is rarely played. Instead, an “alternative voicing” is replaced. Intuning, the C7 chord has notes on frets 3–8. Covering six frets is difficult, and so C7 is rarely played. Instead, an “alternative voicing” is replaced.

(help info) (help info) Dominant seventh chord on C played on guitar in open position and as a barre chord

As mentioned earlier, a dominant seventh chord is a four-note chord that combines a major chord and a minor seventh chord. For example, the dominant seventh chord C7 adds B♭ to the C major chord (C, E, G). The naïve chord (C, E, G, B♭) spans six frets from fret 3 to fret 8;[50] such seventh chords “include some pretty serious left-hand stretches”.[47] An illustration shows a naïve C7 chord that would be extremely difficult to play[50] alongside the open position C7 chord common in standard tuning.[50][h] The standard tuning implementation of a C7 Chord is a second inversion of the C7 drop 2 chord where the second highest note is dropped an octave in a second inversion of the C7 chord. Drop two chords are used alongside the major minor seventh dominant function seventh chords discussed in the section on intermediate chords below. Drop two chords are used especially in jazz guitar. Drop two second inversions are examples of overtly voiced chords typical of standard tunings and other popular guitar tunings.

“Alternatively voiced” seventh chords are commonly played with standard tuning. Following is a list of fret number configurations for some common chords:

E7:[020100]

G7:[320001]

A7:[X02020]

B7:[X21202] (Unlike B major, this B7 does not need a beam.)

D7:[XX0212]

Other chord inversions [ edit ]

Even in simple guitar playing, inversion is important for seventh chords in standard tuning. It is also important for playing major chords.

In standard tuning, the chord inversion depends on the string of the bass note, and so there are three different forms for the inversion of any major chord, depending on the position of the irregular major third interval between the G and B strings.

For example, if the note E (the open sixth string) is played over the A minor chord, then the chord would be [0 0 2 2 1 0]. This has the note E as the lowest note instead of A. It is often written as Am/E, with the letter after the slash denoting the new bass note. However, in popular music, it is common to play inverted chords on guitar when they are not part of the harmony, since the bass guitar can play the root.

Alternate tunings[ edit ]

Chords have consistent shapes anywhere on the fretboard for each regular tuning, for example major thirds (M3) tuning.

Chords can be shifted diagonally in normal tunings.

There are many alternate tunings. These change the way chords are played, making some chords easier to play and others harder to play.

Open tunings[ edit ]

An open tuning allows a chord to be played with the strings strumming “open” or no strings fringed. The base chord consists of at least three notes and can contain all or a subset of the strings. The tuning is named for the base chord when played openly, typically a major triad, and any major triad can be played by excluding exactly one fret. Open tunings are common in blues and folk music,[59] and they are used in playing slide and lap-slide (“Hawaiian”) guitars.[60][61] Ry Cooder uses open tunings when playing slide guitar.[59]

Open tunings improve the intonation of major chords by reducing the error of third intervals in equal temperaments. For example, in the open G overtone tuning G-G-D-G-B-D the (G,B) interval is a major third and of course each consecutive pair of notes on the G and B strings is also a major third; Similarly, the open minor third (B,D) induces minor thirds under all frets of the B-D strings. The equal thirds show audible deviations from the purely intoned thirds: Equal temperaments are used in modern music because they make it easier to play in all keys, while (on a piano and other instruments) pure intonation yields better-sounding major third intervals only a subset of keys.[64] “Sonny Landreth, Keith Richards, and other open-G masters often lower the second string slightly to get the major third in line with the overtone series. This adjustment picks out the dissonance and brings those big one-finger major chords to life. “[65]

Repetitive open tunings are used for two non-Spanish classical guitars. For the English guitar, the open chord is C major (C-E-G-C-E-G); for the Russian guitar with seven strings, G major (G-B-D-G-B-D-G).[67][68] By mixing a perfect 4th and a minor 3rd along with a major 3rd, these tunings are, on average, regular major 3rd tunings. While on average major thirds are conventional open tunings, proper major thirds are unconventional open tunings because they have augmented triads as open chords.

Regular tunings[ edit ]

Guitar chords are dramatically simplified by the class of alternate tunings called regular tunings. In any regular tuning, the musical intervals are the same for each pair of consecutive strings. Regular tunings include major thirds (M3), all fourths, augmented fourths, and all fifths. Für jede reguläre Stimmung können Akkordmuster diagonal auf dem Griffbrett nach unten verschoben werden, eine Eigenschaft, die das Erlernen von Akkorden für Anfänger und die Improvisation für fortgeschrittene Spieler vereinfacht. Die diagonale Verschiebung eines C-Dur-Akkords in M3-Stimmung erscheint in einem Diagramm.

Die Dur-Terz-Stimmung wiederholt ihre Noten nach drei Saiten.

Weitere Vereinfachungen ergeben sich für die regulären Stimmungen, die repetitiv sind, dh ihre Saiten wiederholen. Zum Beispiel wiederholt die M3-Stimmung E–G♯–c–e–g♯–c’ ihre Oktave nach jeweils zwei Saiten. Eine solche Wiederholung vereinfacht das Erlernen von Akkorden und Improvisation weiter;[72] Diese Wiederholung führt zu zwei Kopien der drei offenen Saitennoten, jede in einer anderen Oktave. In ähnlicher Weise wiederholt sich die B-F-B-F-B-F-Stimmung mit erweiterten Vierteln nach einer Saite.

[75] Bei der Dur-Drittel-Stimmung werden Akkorde invertiert, indem die Noten um drei Saiten auf denselben Bünden angehoben werden. Die Umkehrungen eines C-Dur-Akkords werden gezeigt.

Ein Akkord wird invertiert, wenn die Bassnote nicht der Grundton ist. Die Akkordumkehrung ist in der M3-Stimmung besonders einfach. Akkorde werden einfach invertiert, indem ein oder zwei Noten um drei Saiten angehoben werden; Jede angehobene Note wird mit demselben Finger wie die ursprüngliche Note gespielt. Umgekehrte Dur- und Moll-Akkorde können auf zwei Bünden in M3-Stimmung gespielt werden. Bei der Standardstimmung hängt die Form der Inversionen von der Beteiligung des unregelmäßigen großen Drittels ab und kann vier Bünde umfassen.

Es ist eine Herausforderung, herkömmliche Gitarrenakkorde an eine neue Standardstimmung anzupassen, die auf einer Fünftelstimmung basiert.

Zwischenakkorde [ bearbeiten ]

Nachdem Dur- und Moll-Dreiklänge gelernt sind, spielen fortgeschrittene Gitarristen Septakkorde.

Terzianische Harmonisierung [ bearbeiten ]

Arten von Triaden: ( Hilfe · Info ) ( Hilfe · Info ) ( Hilfe · Info ) ( Hilfe · Info )

Stapeln von Terzintervallen

Die grundlegenden Gitarrenakkorde – Dur- und Moll-Dreiklänge und dominante Septime – sind Tertian-Akkorde, die Terzintervalle verketten, wobei jede dieser Terzen entweder Dur (M3) oder Moll (m3) ist.

Weitere Dreiklänge: vermindert und vergrößert [ bearbeiten ]

Wie oben besprochen, werden Dur- und Moll-Dreiklänge durch Stapeln von Terzen konstruiert:

Der Dur-Dreiklang verkettet (M3,m3) und ergänzt M3 mit einem perfekten Fünftelintervall (P5) und

Dreiklang verkettet (M3,m3) und ergänzt M3 mit einem perfekten Fünftelintervall (P5), und der Moll-Dreiklang verkettet (m3, M3) und ergänzt m3 mit einem P5-Intervall.

Eine ähnliche tertianische Harmonisierung ergibt die verbleibenden zwei Triaden:

der verminderte Dreiklang verkettet (m3,m3) und ergänzt m3 mit einem verminderten Quintintervall, und

Triade verkettet (m3,m3) und ergänzt m3 mit einem verminderten Quintintervall, und die erweiterte Triade verkettet (M3,M3) und ergänzt M3 mit einem erweiterten Quintintervall.

Weitere Septimen: Dur, Moll und (halb-)vermindert [ bearbeiten ]

( Hilfe · Info ) Septakkorde werden durch Stapeln von Terzintervallen auf der C-Dur-Tonleiter konstruiert. Griffbrettdiagramme für die Stimmung der großen Terzen werden angezeigt.

Das Stapeln von Terzen konstruiert auch die am häufigsten verwendeten Septimen-Akkorde. Die wichtigsten Septimen-Akkorde verketten einen Dur-Dreiklang mit einem Terzintervall und ergänzen es um ein Septintervall:

Vier dieser fünf Septimen-Akkorde – alle außer der verminderten Septime – werden über die Tertian-Harmonisierung einer Dur-Tonleiter konstruiert.[80] Wie zuvor schon gesagt,

Die Dur-Moll-Septakkorde hat die dominante V7-Funktion. Die große Septime spielt die Tonika (I7) und die Subdominante (IV7); The minor seventh plays the ii7, iii7, and vi7 roles. The half-diminished seventh plays the vii ø 7 role.

While absent from the tertian harmonization of the major scale,

The diminished seventh plays the vii o 7 role in the tertian harmonization of the harmonic minor scale.[80]

Besides these five types there are many more seventh-chords, which are less used in the tonal harmony of the common-practice period.[79] [81]

( help · info ) (minor), (half-diminished), (major), , , or ( help · info ) An approximate “ranking by frequency of the seventh chords in major”.(dominant),(minor),(half-diminished),(major),, or

When playing seventh chords, guitarists often play only subset of notes from the chord. The fifth is often omitted. When a guitar is accompanied by a bass, the guitarist may omit the bass note from a chord. As discussed earlier, the third of a triad is doubled to emphasize its major or minor quality; similarly, the third of a seventh is doubled to emphasize its major or minor quality. The most frequent seventh is the dominant seventh; the minor, half-diminished, and major sevenths are also popular.[81]

Chord progression: circle of fifths [ edit ]

( help · info ) Sevenths chords arising in the tertian harmonization of the C-major scale, arranged by the circle of perfect fifths (perfect fourths). Fretboard diagrams for major-thirds tuning are shown.

The previously discussed I–IV–V chord progressions of major triads is a subsequence of the circle progression, which ascends by perfect fourths and descends by perfect fifths: Perfect fifths and perfect fourths are inverse intervals, because one reaches the same pitch class by either ascending by a perfect fourth (five semitones) or descending by a perfect fifth (seven semitones). For example, the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” contains the iv7–VII7–VIM7–iiø7–i circle-of-fifths chord progression;[82] its sevenths occur in the tertian harmonization in sevenths of the minor scale. Other subsequences of the fifths-circle chord progression are used in music. In particular, the ii–V–I progression is the most important chord progression in jazz music.

Chord chart guide for major inversions [ edit ]

Major inversions for guitar in standard tuning. The low E is on the left. The A demonstrates three of the different movable shapes.

Specific tunings [ edit ]

Standard tuning: minor and major sevenths [ edit ]

Besides the dominant seventh chords discussed above, other seventh chords—especially minor seventh chords and major seventh chords—are used in guitar music.

Minor seventh chords have the following fingerings in standard tuning:

Dm7: [XX0211]

Em7: [020000]

Am7: [X02010]

Bm7: [X20202]

F ♯ m7: [202220] or ([XX2222] Also an A/F ♯ Chord)

Major seventh chords have the following fingerings in standard tuning:

Cmaj7: [X32000]

Dmaj7: [XX0222]

Emaj7: [021100]

Fmaj7: [103210]

Gmaj7: [320002]

Amaj7: [X02120]

Major-thirds tuning [ edit ]

In major-thirds (M3) tuning, the chromatic scale is arranged on three consecutive strings in four consecutive frets.[85][86] This four-fret arrangement facilitates the left-hand technique for classical (Spanish) guitar:[86] For each hand position of four frets, the hand is stationary and the fingers move, each finger being responsible for exactly one fret.[87] Consequently, three hand positions (covering frets 1–4, 5–8, and 9–12) partition the fingerboard of classical guitar,[88] which has exactly 12 frets.[k]

Only two or three frets are needed for the guitar chords—major, minor, and dominant sevenths—which are emphasized in introductions to guitar-playing and to the fundamentals of music. Each major and minor chord can be played on exactly two successive frets on exactly three successive strings, and therefore each needs only two fingers. Other chords—seconds, fourths, sevenths, and ninths—are played on only three successive frets.[93]

Advanced chords and harmony [ edit ]

Sequences of thirds and seconds [ edit ]

The circle of fifths was discussed in the section on intermediate guitar chords. Other progressions are also based on sequences of third intervals; progressions are occasionally based on sequences of second intervals.

Extended chords [ edit ]

( help · info ) ( help · info ) Commonly voiced with only four notes in open position, ninth and eleventh chords often play a dominant (V) role.

As their categorical name suggests, extended chords indeed extend seventh chords by stacking one or more additional third-intervals, successively constructing ninth, eleventh, and finally thirteenth chords; thirteenth chords contain all seven notes of the diatonic scale. In closed position, extended chords contain dissonant intervals or may sound supersaturated, particularly thirteenth chords with their seven notes. Consequently, extended chords are often played with the omission of one or more tones, especially the fifth and often the third,[96][97] as already noted for seventh chords; similarly, eleventh chords often omit the ninth, and thirteenth chords the ninth or eleventh. Often, the third is raised an octave, mimicking its position in the root’s sequence of harmonics.[96]

Dominant ninth chords were used by Beethoven, and eleventh chords appeared in Impressionist music. Thirteenth chords appeared in the twentieth century. Extended chords appear in many musical genres, including jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, and progressive rock.[97]

Chord guide for major and minor 9 chords [ edit ]

(Standard tuning, read from left to right, low E to high e)

Major 9

AM9: [XX7454]

BbM9: [XX8565]

BM9: [XX9676]

CM9: [XX(10)787]

C#M9: [XX(11)898]

DM9: [XX0220]

EM9: [099800]

FM9: [XX3010]

GM9: [XX5232]

Minor 9

Alternative harmonies [ edit ]

Scales and modes [ edit ]

Conventional music uses diatonic harmony, the major and minor keys and major and minor scales, as sketched above. Jazz guitarists must be fluent with jazz chords and also with many scales and modes; “of all the forms of music, jazz … demands the highest level of musicianship—in terms of both theory and technique”.[100]

Whole tone scales were used by King Crimson for the title track on its Red album of 1974;[101] whole tone scales were also used by King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp on “Fractured”.[101]

Beyond tertian harmony [ edit ]

Disliking the sound of thirds (in equal-temperament tuning), Robert Fripp builds chords with perfect intervals in his new standard tuning.

In popular music, chords are often extended also with added tones, especially added sixths.

Quartal and quintal harmony [ edit ]

Chords are also systematically constructed by stacking not only thirds but also fourths and fifths, supplementing tertian major–minor harmony with quartal and quintal harmonies. Quartal and quintal harmonies are used by guitarists who play jazz, folk, and rock music.

Quartal harmony has been used in jazz by guitarists such as Jim Hall (especially on Sonny Rollins’s The Bridge), George Benson (“Skydive”), Kenny Burrell (“So What”), and Wes Montgomery (“Little Sunflower”).

Harmonies based on fourths and fifths also appear in folk guitar. On her 1968 debut album Song to a Seagull, Joni Mitchell used both quartal and quintal harmony in “Dawntreader”, and she used quintal harmony in “Seagull”.

Quartal and quintal harmonies also appear in alternate tunings. It is easier to finger the chords that are based on perfect fifths in new standard tuning than in standard tuning. New standard tuning was invented by Robert Fripp, a guitarist for King Crimson. Preferring to base chords on perfect intervals—especially octaves, fifths, and fourths—Fripp often avoids minor thirds and especially major thirds,[106] which are sharp in equal temperament tuning (in comparison to thirds in just intonation).

Alternative harmonies can also be generated by stacking second intervals (major or minor).

See also[edit]

References[ edit ]

quotes[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Berklee College of Music [ edit ]

Professors at the Department of Guitar at the Berklee College of Music wrote the following books, which like their colleagues’ Chapman (2000) and Willmott (1994) are Berklee-course textbooks:

Learn one of the most important guitar scales in rock music.

By Ben Nemeroff

Embedded content: https://youtu.be/4eUu_643Nbs

Lesson: Playing the C major scale on the guitar

The C major scale is a great guitar scale for beginners since many other instruments, such as the piano, are played in the key of C. This will help you play along with other instruments while improving your guitar playing journey.

Part of what makes the C major scale a great scale for beginners is that it doesn’t contain sharps or flats (remember to only play the white keys on a piano). This allows you to hear each note in its purest state

In this lesson we’ll go through the notes in the C major scale and the hand and finger positions. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can add chords using the same notes to create a harmonized C major scale. You can harmonize the C major scale (or any other scale) by adding chords that contain the notes of the scale. (We’ll get into more of that below!) The first step to learning a scale is to understand what notes you’re going to play.

Notes of the C major scale

• c

• D

•E

• F

• G

• A

• B

Next, we’ll go through the positions of the C major scale so you know what hand shapes and fingers to use to play each note on each string.

Positions of the C major scale

In order to play the C major scale, you need a basic understanding of how to read guitar neck scale diagrams. In the example below, the numbered dots represent how the scale pattern will appear on your guitar’s fretboard. The individual numbers correspond to each finger to show you which to use for which note. Use this key to determine the correct finger position:

1 = index finger

2 = middle finger

3 = ringtone

4 = Pinky

5 = thumb

The white dots in the diagram represent the open strings.

Like all scales on the guitar, the C major scale is made up of different finger positions. To play the scale, you build dexterity to touch your fingers to the correct frets to play a C major scale.

For each note of the C major scale, there is a different scale position (C, D, E, F, G, A, and Bb). Each note of the scale has its own position.

In this lesson we will cover six positions of the C major scale.

Free place

If you play C major in open position, you’ll limit your fingers to the first three frets. Use your index finger to play notes on the first fret, your middle finger for notes on the second fret, and your ring finger for notes on the third fret.

1 position

C major in 1st position adds on fourth fret. You can see the notes you will play in this position in the diagram below.

4th Place

Playing C major in 4th position requires more finger movement, but learning this position will allow you to improvise and play notes up and down the guitar neck! In 4th position, you use your index finger to play notes containing the 5th fret, you use your middle finger to play the notes on the 6th fret, your ring finger to play the notes on the 7th fret, and finally, your pinky to play the notes on the eighth fret.

To play the notes on the third string, you need to move your fingers. Move your index finger to the fourth fret to play the B note, and use your middle finger to play the C note on the fifth fret. You play the D note on the seventh fret with your pinky. Then move your index finger back to the fifth fret of the first and second strings.

7th place

Playing C major in 7th position uses the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th frets. While this sounds like you’re installing a lot of new frets, this position actually requires fewer shifts compared to 4th position.

8th place

When playing the C scale in 8th position, use the 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th frets.

12th place

In 12th position, use the first four fingers to play the notes on the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th frets, as shown below.

Guitar tabs in C major scale

The C major scale isn’t just played on one string, you can play multiple combinations with different strings as you work down your guitar’s neck. Here we will go over how to play the C major scale with different guitar tabs.

C major scale starting on the low E or 6th string

Starting on the high “E” string, this is how you would play the C major scale. (Then you would play it in descending order to hear it backwards.)

C major scale starting on the low A or 5th string

To hear the C major scale in a lower register, you can play it on the A string like this:

C major scale starting on the low D or 4th string

Starting on the D (4th string), you can play the C major scale like this. Most of your fingerwork will focus on shifting your positions on the B string – between the 10th and 13th fret.

C Major Scale Starting on the low G or 3rd string

Another way to play the C major scale is to start on the G (or 3rd string), starting on the 5th fret and concentrating your fingerwork on the high “E” string, the 5th fret .and 8th frets and go back to the G string.

C major scale chords

The C major scale has a set of chords associated with that particular scale. Just as the C major scale has 7 notes, there are 7 guitar chords or triads in the C major scale. Here we’re going to dive into some basic music theory to introduce you to the guitar chords of the C major scale. As we introduce each chord, use the charts to see which strings to play with which fingers.

C major

A major chord consists of three parts: the root, the major third, and the perfect fifth. For the C major chord, the root is C, the major third is E, and the perfect fifth is G. Learn how to play the C major chord here.

D minor

For D minor, the root is D, the minor third is F, and the perfect fifth is A. See how to play the D minor (or Dm) chord here.

E minor

Another minor chord that corresponds to the C major scale is the E minor (or Em) chord. In E minor, the root is E, the minor third is G, and the perfect fifth is B. Learn how to play it.

F major

We’ll switch from minor chords, which work within the C major scale, and switch back to major chords. According to our formula for F major, the root is F, the minor third is A, and the perfect fifth is C. Discover how to play the F major chord here.

G major

In G major, the root is G, the major third is B, and the perfect fifth is D. Here’s how to play the G major chord.

A minor one

In the A minor chord, the root is A, the minor third is C, and the perfect fifth is E. Learn how to play the A minor (Am) chord.

B Decreased

This chord consists of the root B, minor third D, and perfect fifth F. This diagram shows you how to properly position your fingers to play the dim B chord.

C major scale exercises on guitar

To tie everything together and help you learn the C major scale, let’s try some C major guitar exercises. Make sure you’ve practiced the C major chords and guitar positions above before attempting these exercises. Once you’ve memorized these chord shapes, these exercises will help you keep your fingers nimble and easier to navigate the fretboard.

The best way to learn the C major scale is to literally practice forward from the lowest root to the highest root, playing the notes in both ascending and descending order. That’s exactly what we do in these exercises!

C major scale ascending and descending

To play the C major scale ascending, start with the root C and play the notes in order: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C. Then go back down the scale : B – A – G-F-E-D until you return to lower C again.

Referring to the scale tab above, you can practice these drills and exercises in open, first, fourth, or other position. Try playing each one – forwards and backwards – to see how different each one sounds in terms of tone and octave. No matter what position you play the C major scale in, it still contains the same notes, but some may be higher or lower in pitch than others.

By playing these scales in different positions, you can train your ears to hear the same note in different pitches.

Reduced

If you want to learn how to play even more chords, browse Fender Play’s chord library, learn about chord types and get tips on how to master them.

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Beginner Guitar: C major is one of the most useful chords you will ever learn – so figuring out how to play a C chord on guitar is an essential step for any player.

It’s so fundamental that it appeared on both sides of The Beatles’ and The Rolling Stones’ debut singles. So far in 2021, the humble C chord has popped up on hits like Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan’s Let’s Go Home Together and Marshmello and Jonas Brothers’ Leave Before You Love Me.

Of the five basic open chords on guitar (C, G, D, A, and E), C is one of the more challenging in that it requires the stretch to play, but if you practice often, your hand will develop the flexibility that you have need.

If you’re new to playing chords, it’s a good idea to practice in very short bursts so your fingers don’t start to hurt. Grab your guitar to play a few shapes every time you boil a kettle or use the microwave and you’ll soon be playing fluently.

Sometimes you might want options aside from the standard C major chord to create a variety of sounds. Don’t worry – we’ve provided you with shapes that can replace C in various contexts. For more advanced players, there are also barre chord shapes below to give you more options.

How to play the C chord on guitar: Open C

(Image credit: Future)

To play the C chord on guitar, place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, your second finger on the second fret of the D string, and your third finger on the third fret of the A string. Try to avoid plucking the low E string when you strum the chord.

Pluck the strings one at a time to see if they all sound clear like in our demo. If any of the strings sound muffled or choked, don’t panic. If one of the open strings is clogged, it’s probably the underside of one of your fingers accidentally catching it. Try adjusting your hand to make more room.

If the fret notes sound bad, you may not be pressing hard enough. Try to get your fingers close to the fret wire (the metal part) without going over it.

There you need the least pressure to get a clear sound. It will take some time before you can comfortably stretch your fingers into this shape. If you’re having trouble, try dropping your third finger. That leaves an A minor 7th chord (Am7). Try C major again once you’re comfortable with Am7.

(Image credit: Future)

How to Play the C Chord on Guitar: C Barre Chords

Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2

When locking, it’s often easier to roll slightly onto the side of your finger than try to stay absolutely flat. The side is a bit harder and bonier, making it easier to apply pressure. Barre chords are mobile, once you master these forms you can play 12 different chords with each of them by moving to different frets.

Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2

We have shown two different ways to play the A-Form. The first is to use all four fingers. The stretch between your first and second fingers might feel big. Try to get just those two strings to work, and if necessary, start higher on the neck where the frets are closer together.

Pro Secret: If you’re having trouble fingering the high E string accurately, you can omit it. This note (G) is already played an octave lower on the D string, so it’s not essential.

The second method is to lock the D, G, and B strings with your ring finger. If you do this you will likely mute the high E string. It’s good. Some jazz jedis are able to bend their third finger so the first string still sounds clear, but as we’ve said before, you can still omit that note.

Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 C major bar with an E shape on the 8th fret (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2

How to Play the C Chord on Guitar: Easy C Chord Variations

Image 1 of 2 Cadd9 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 Cadd9 (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 2

Here are two alternatives to an open C major chord that sound great and give you different tonal options. The first, Cadd9, is very common, especially when switching between C and G major chords, as it resembles a common G major shape.

You can leave your third and fourth fingers down and just move your first two fingers up and down a string to move between the two. You can hear this method in songs like Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, and Guns n’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine. Cadd9 almost always works as a substitute for C major, and it sounds great.

Image 1 of 2 (Credit: Future) Image 1 of 2 Cmaj7 (Credit: Future) Image 1 of 2

Cmaj7 is a nice alternative to C major, although it’s not quite as universal as Cadd9. However, your ears will quickly tell you where it’s wrong! Without delving into music theory, Cmaj7 often works in jazzy songs and ballads, and almost always sounds terrible in the blues. To play it, simply take your first finger on the open C major chord you learned above. Easy!

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