Guitar Chords Vocabulary Review

Chord Charts

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Chord Formulas

  • Beginner Chords
  • Basic Bar Chords
  • Sus Chords
  • Jazz Chords
  • Triads: Major
  • Triads: Minor
  • Shell Voicings
  • Jazz Chords: Extensions
  • Drop 2
  • Open/Spread Triads

Triads, Chord Formulas, and 7th Chords

  • Chord formulas for major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords:
    • Major: 1 3 5
    • Minor: 1 {\flat}3 5
    • Diminished: 1 {\flat}3 {\flat}{\flat}5
    • Augmented: 1 3 {\sharp}5
  • Chord formulas for major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, minor 7b5, diminished 7, suspended chords, and altered major 7 chords:
    • Major 7: 1 3 5 7
    • Dominant 7: 1 3 5 {\flat}7
    • Minor 7: 1 {\flat}3 5 {\flat}7
    • Minor 7b5: 1 {\flat}3 {\flat}5 {\flat}7
    • Diminished 7: 1 {\flat}3 {\flat}5 {{\flat}{\flat}7}
    • 7sus4: 1 4 5 {\flat}7
    • Major 7#5: 1 3 {\sharp}5 7
    • Minor Major 7: 1 {\flat}3 5 7

SUS, ADD & 6TH Chords

  • Chord formulas for sus2, sus4, add9, add11, major 6, minor 6, major 6/9 and minor 6/9 chords:
    • Sus 2: 1 2 5
    • Sus 4: 1 4 5
    • Add 9: 1 3 5 9
    • Add 11: 1 3 5 11
    • Major 6: 1 3 5 6
    • Minor 6: 1 {\flat}3 5 6
    • Major 6/9: 1 3 5 6 9
    • Minor 6/9: 1 {\flat}3 5 6 9

Extended Major Chords

  • Chord formulas for major 9, major 11, major 7#11, and major 13 chords:
    • Major 9: 1 3 5 7 9
    • Major 11: 1 3 5 7 (9) 11
    • Major 7#11: 1 3 5 7 (9) {\sharp}11
    • Major 13: 1 3 5 7 (9) (11) 13

Extended Minor Chords

  • Chord formulas for minor 9, minor 11, minor 13, and minor 7b13 chords:
    • Minor 9: 1 {\flat}3 5 {\flat}7 9
    • Minor 11: 1 {\flat}3 5 {\flat}7 (9) 11
    • Minor 13: 1 {\flat}3 5 {\flat}7 (9) (11) 13
    • Minor 7b13: 1 {\flat}3 5 {\flat}7 (9) (11) {\flat}13

Extended Dominant Chords

  • Chord formulas for dominant 9, dominant 11, and dominant 13 chords:
    • Dom 9: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 9
    • Dom 11: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 (9) 11
    • Dom 13: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 (9) (11) 13

Altered Dominants

  • Chord formulas for 7b9, 7#9, 7#11 and 7b13 chords:
    • 7b9: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 {\flat}9
    • 7#9: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 {\sharp}9
    • 7#11: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 (9) {\sharp}11
    • 7b13: 1 3 5 {\flat}7 (9) (11) {\flat}13

Beginner Chords

  • Diagrams and finger positions for beginner chords:
    • A, Am, A7, B7, C, C7, D, Dm, D7, E, Em, E7, F, G, G7, E5, A5, D5
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string

Beginner Chords - Pt.2

  • Diagrams and finger positions for beginner chords:
    • Asus4, Asus2, Cadd9, Amaj7, Cmaj7, Dsus4, Dsus2, Dmaj7, Esus4, Em7, E7sus4 Dm7, D7sus4, Am7 A7sus4
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
  • Power Chords
    • 5, 5, 5
    • These are moveable shapes with the first finger playing the root note on the 5th or 6th string (see "basic bar chords").

Basic Bar Chords

  • Diagrams for major, minor, Maj7, Min7, and 7 bar chords with 6th string root and 5th string root.
  • Root Notes
    • A, B, C, D, E, F , F#/Gb
  • Notes in between the natural notes are sharp (#) and flat (b) notes:
    • One fret above F = F#
    • One fret below G = Gb
  • B & C and E & F are 1 fret (1 semitone) apart.
  • All other natural notes are 2 frets (1 tone) apart.
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
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Sus Chords

  • Diagrams for sus2 and sus4 chords with 6th string root and 5th string root.
  • Root Notes
    • A, B, C, D, E, F , F#/Gb
  • Notes in between the natural notes are sharp (#) and flat (b) notes:
    • One fret above F = F#
    • One fret below G = Gb
  • B & C and E & F are 1 fret (1 semitone) apart.
  • All other natural notes are 2 frets (1 tone) apart.
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
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Jazz Chords: 7th Chords

  • Diagrams for Min7, Maj7 and 7, Min7b5, Dim7 chords with 6th string root and 5th string root.
  • Root Notes
    • B, D, E, F , F#/Gb, G
  • Notes in between the natural notes are sharp (#) and flat (b) notes:
    • One fret above F = F#
    • One fret below G = Gb
  • B & C and E & F are 1 fret (1 semitone) apart.
  • All other natural notes are 2 frets (1 tone) apart.
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string

C Major Triads

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4, 5-4-3, 4-3-2, and 3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

C Minor Triads

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4, 5-4-3, 4-3-2, and 3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Triads: Major

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4, 5-4-3, 4-3-2, and 3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Triads: Minor

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4, 5-4-3, 4-3-2, and 3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Shell Voicings

  • Diagrams for Min7, Maj7 , Maj6, Min6 voicings with 6th string root and 5th string root.
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
  • Numbers below indicate scale degrees

Jazz Chords: Extensions

  • Diagrams for 6/9, Maj9, Maj7#11, Maj13 voicings with 6th string root and 5th string root
  • Diagrams for Min9, Min11, Min13, Min7b13 voicings with 6th string root and 5th string root
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
  • Numbers below indicate scale degrees

Jazz Chords: Extensions

  • Diagrams for 9, 7sus4, 11 , 13 voicings with 6th string root and 5th string root
  • 7sus4 theoretically not an "extented" chord
  • Diagrams for 7b9, 7#9, 7#11, 7b13 voicings with 6th string root and 5th string root
  • Numbers indicate fingers.
  • O = Open string, X = Don't play string
  • Numbers below indicate scale degrees

Drop 2: Major 7

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, and 4-3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion and 3rd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Drop 2: Dominant 7

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, and 4-3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion and 3rd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Drop 2: Minor 7

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, and 4-3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion and 3rd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Drop 2: Minor 7b5

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, and 4-3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion and 3rd inversion
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Drop 2: Diminished 7

  • Voicings on strings 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, and 4-3-2-1 for root position, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion and 3rd inversion
  • The dim7 chord is "symmetrical" in minor 3rds.
  • Move the same shape up/down by 3 frets to play the same four notes in a different order.
  • Cdim7 Ebdim7 Gbdim7 Adim7
  • "Symmetrical" in minor 3rds.
  • "Symmetrical" in minor 3rds.
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Open/Spread Triads: Major

  • Voicings on 6th String, 5th String and 4th String for Root V1, Root V2, 1st Inv, 1st Inv V1, 1st Inv V2, 2nd Inv, 2nd Inv V1, 2nd Inv V2
  • Useful when combining with other spread triads along this string set
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)

Open/Spread Triads: Minor

  • Voicings on 6th String, 5th String and 4th String for Root V1, Root V2, 1st Inv, 2nd Inv V1, 2nd Inv V2
  • Useful when combining with other spread triads along this string set
  • Numbers indicate scale degrees
  • R = Root note (1)