Guitar Chords Theory

Chord construction basics

A chord is a type of musical structure, built from 3 or more notes. For example, C
major contains the notes C, E and G.

C, E and G are therefore the building blocks of the C major chord.

However, when learning chord construction, it's far more effective to think of these
building blocks as intervals rather than notes. It means you only have to learn each
chord once and simply move the formation of notes to a new fret to play a higher or
lower sounding version of that same chord. This will become clearer as we progress...

The chromatic scale

Just like scales, chords are built from a series of intervals. As mentioned earlier, you
ideally need a basic understanding of intervals before you take this course, but to
recap, there are 12 intervals in total that make up what is known as the chromatic
scale...

#4 #5
1 b2 2 b3 3 4 5 6 b7 7
b5 b6

A chord can be built by first selecting the 1 note. This is called the root note as it is
the 1st note in the scale. You could see this as the foundations of the chord structure.

We then select two or more additional intervals from the scale (e.g. the 3 and 5) and
build them on the root note to create the chord (so in our example we'd have 1 3 5).

#4 #5
1 b2 2 b3 3 4 5 6 b7 7
b5 b6

The root (sometimes abbreviated as R) is always the reference note when writing a
chord, so when you see Gmaj, Gm or G7, you'll know the root note is G.

Emaj, Em or E7, you'll know the root is E.

C#maj, C#m or C#7, you'll know the root is... yep, C#.

It's the different combinations of intervals stacked above that root note that give us
the different chord types. We'll be looking at some of the most common chord types
throughout the series.
That, in a nutshell, is how chords are constructed. Now, let's lift open the hood and get into the
mechanics behind different types of chord you'll come across...

Major chord theory - major triads

A major triad consists of a major 3rd (3) and perfect 5th (5) above the root (1). These intervals make
up a major chord in its simplest form.

1 3 5

The root (1) is always the note by which the chord is referenced (letters A through to G).

For example, G major is so-called because its root note lies on G. We can abbreviate this chord
as G or Gmaj. E major would be abbreviated E or Emaj. C# major would be abbreviated C# or C#maj.

Here's how a major chord would typically be mapped out on the fretboard…
As you
can see,
all the
notes of
the major
triad are
included
in the
chord
form. We
could
play from the low E 6th string, the A string (the root doesn't have to be the
lowest sounding note in the chord!), D string or G string, basically any set of strings
that include the 1 3 5 triad structure.

Again, let's create a familiar R 3 5 major chord with the bass root on the A string,
allowing us to play the same chord in a different position on the fretboard…

So again,
we could
play
from the
A string,
D string
or G
string, as
each
would
include
the major triad.
Minor chord theory - minor triads
So, we learned the major triad was made up of the root, major 3rd and 5th.

The minor triad is made up of the root, minor 3rd and 5th. The word "minor" in the
context of a "minor chord" refers to the presence of the minor/flat 3rd.

1 ♭3 5

So technically it's that minor 3rd interval above the root which gives minor chords their sound. The
5th is neutral, which is why it's used in both major and minor chords. Think of it as adding more meat
to the chord.

All that we change from major triads is flatten the 3rd a half step - in other words, move it down one
fret. This gives us what is abbreviated as a ♭3 (a minor 3rd interval).

If we use the same chord form as before, but with a minor 3rd, we get this...

See how
that 3rd
has been

flattened/moved down 1 fret from its major 3rd interval?

Remember, the letter used when writing chords is determined by the root note, so if the root was
positioned on the note B, the chord would be B minor (Bmin or Bm for short).

And with an A string chord? We can see how it's the same as the major chord but with
the 3rd flattened one fret position (one semitone)...

Suspended chord theory - sus4 and sus2 chords

Suspended (abbreviated as "sus") chords refer to any chord that does not contain a
major or minor 3rd. This means suspended chords are neither major nor minor, as the
3rd is responsible for making a chord major or minor.

Below are the elements of a suspended 4th chord (e.g. Gsus4, Fsus4, Esus4)
1 4 5

So basically, the 3rd is replaced by the perfect 4th interval. The 4th lies one half step/semitone higher
than the major 3rd - the equivalent of one fret, as we can see in the E and A string forms from earlier…

That's
a suspend
ed 4th
chord and
would be
written as
Bsus4 if,
for
example,
the root
note was B.

When playing these chords, try and internalize their sound. What mood do they
convey?

You can also have suspended 2nd (e.g. Bsus2. Csus2) chords where the 3rd is
omitted and a major 2nd interval is used instead.

1 2 5

Just think
of

"suspended" or "sus" as meaning "no 3rd". This means suspended chords are neither major nor
minor.

In guitar chord theory, whenever the 3rd is not part of the chord, you effectively have
a major/minor neutral sound. Incidentally, that means both major and minor scales
will work over them.
Augmented & Diminished Chord
Theory
In the first guitar chord theory lesson, we learned about constructing major and minor triads.The
other two chord forms in the triad "family" are known as augmented and diminished chords.Just like
major and minor triads, they contain just three notes (hence, triad!).

Let's look at how to construct these chords tone by tone. This will allow you to create
chord voicing is anywhere on the fretboard. Make sure, however, you have a good
understanding of the fretboard to underpin what we're learning.

Augmented chords
Augmented chords have quite an unusual quality. They sound unstable and tense
when used in a chord progression, so they must be used in the appropriate context.
You'll learn more about this chord's function in a separate lesson.

As with every other chord, the most basic form of augmented chord is a triad.
Augmented triads are basically major triads with an augmented 5th (♯5), also called
a sharp 5th, which means you take the 5th tone of the major triad and move
it up one half step (the equivalent of one fret).

1 3 ♯5

So if we build an augmented chord with the E string as the root, we might get something like this…

If the root (1) note

lied on C, that would
be C
augmented or Caug for short. Augmented chords are also sometimes abbreviated with a + sign,
e.g. C+.

Note, that it's only necessary to include the 3 notes in the triad - in the example above
we've included a second root an octave higher on the G string, but this isn't necessary.
Keep this in mind when you're forming chords around the neck and you want a
particular voicing that can't accommodate more than 3 or 4 strings on the guitar.

Let's also look at an augmented chord form with an A string root.

The augmented
5th gives the
chord a
completely
different sound
to a major triad because the augmented 5th interacts with the root and 3rd differently
to the perfect 5th found in major triads.

See the augmented guitar chords lesson for more chord charts and theory behind how
these chords can function in your music.
Diminished chords
Diminished triads are basically minor
chords with a diminished (flat) 5th...
1 ♭3 ♭5

Simply remember:

Aug = major, sharp 5th

Dim = minor, flat 5th

Let's look at a typical diminished chord form built on an E string root note…

See how the 5th

has been
flattened from its
original major
scale position. If
the root note
was F, the chord
would be written as F diminished or Fdim for short. It's also shortened using a °
symbol, e.g. F°.

And on the A string…

See
the diminished
guitar
chords lesson for
more forms and
some of their
common functions.

Study in your own time...

As you learn the fretboard, you'll naturally see chord forms appear all over, giving
you several voicing is for the same chord. I recommend using this interactive learning
software to help develop and connect your fretboard and chord knowledge.

In the next guitar chord theory lesson we'll cover 7th chords which can be seen as the
primary extensions of the triads we've looked at.
Chord Theory - 7th Chords
In guitar chord theory part 1 we looked at major, minor and suspended triads (three
note chords). In part 2 we learned how to construct augmented and diminished triads.
These five chord types form the basis of all chords.
Today we're looking at a family of chords that contain four notes, known as 7th
chords. These can be seen as primary extensions of the basic, three note triads we
learned in the first two parts.

In music theory, the 7th chords are (with their tones/intervals):

Chord Name Abbreviations Chord Tones

Major 7th maj7, M7 1, 3, 5, 7

Dominant 7th 7, dom7 1, 3, 5, ♭7

Minor 7th min7, m7 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7

Minor major 7th minMaj7, mM7 1, ♭3, 5, 7

Augmented 7th aug7, +7 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7

Half diminished m7♭5, ø 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7

Diminished 7th dim7, °7 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7

Suspended 7th 7sus 1, 2/4, 5, ♭7

Don't get confused at this stage with their names. Just focus on getting to know how
each one is built and the unique sound each one creates. A lot of this knowledge will
come naturally if you know the fretboard.

Here's a useful introductory video on 7th chords and what the "7th" refers to…

Major 7th chords

Major 7th chords have been described as "dreamy" and relaxed or resolved (i.e.
lacking tension) and are therefore often used for resolution in chord progressions.

Remember that a major triad was the Root, 3rd and 5th notes from the major scale?
Well a major 7th chord is the triad with an added major 7th tone...

1 3 5 7

The Root (1), 3rd (3), 5th (5) and 7th (7) form a major 7th chord. For example...
Notice how it just uses those 4 tones (1 3 5 7), unmoved from the major scale.

Here's a common major 7th chord shape rooted on the A string...

You don't have to

include that
higher 5th
voicing on the
high E string, but
the option is
there.

The major 7th chord is abbreviated as "maj7", so if the root note lied on A, it would be Amaj7.

Sometimes, it may be abbreviated further to "M7" (capital M), e.g. AM7, BM7, CM7 etc.

Dominant 7th chords

Dominant 7th chords include a flat/minor 7th (♭7) instead of a major 7th (7). A way
of visualizing this is if you flatten the 7th from the major 7th position (its natural
major scale position) one semitone (the equivalent of one fret).

1 3 5 ♭7

Note, in that second

example, there is no
5th. This is fine, as
the 5th is considered
a "neutral" tone and
is often left out to
accommodate a
certain fingering/position. The key tones are the root, 3rd and b7. It still has that dominant 7th sound
without the 5th and that's what matters.

Dominant 7th chords are abbreviated by simply adding a 7 to the root letter. For example, C7, B7, D7
etc.

When you see just the 7 added like this, we can assume that the 3rd and 5th (with some exceptions)
of the major triad are also part of the chord.

Sometimes they may be written as Cdom7, Bdom7, Ddom7 etc.

Minor 7th chords
Minor 7th chords are a minor triad (1 ♭3 5) with a flat/minor 7th (♭7).

1 ♭3 5 ♭7

Two commonly used minor 7th chord forms, rooted on the E and A strings...

Remember that you

can cut these larger,
5/6 string chord
forms down. As long
as the main
elements of the
chord are included, you'll get the sound you need. In fact, a lot of the time you won't even need to
include the root, as the bassist will often cover that.

We abbreviate minor 7th chords as "m7". E.g. Cm7, Bm7, Dm7 etc. sometimes as "min7".

Minor major 7th chords

"Minor major 7th" might sound contradictory, but as the minor comes first these can be seen as minor
chords/triads with an added major 7th...

1 ♭3 5 7

This wonderfully
mysterious sounding
chord is often used
as a more tense
minor
tonic/resolution
chord within harmonic or melodic minor based progressions. Also used in between regular minor and
minor 7th chords, creating a harmony line through both 7th positions.

We can abbreviate this as "mM7" or "minMaj7". E.g. CmM7, BmMaj7 etc.

Remember, with a good knowledge of the fretboard, you'll start to see these chord forms pop up all
over the neck. This interactive software will help you see the big picture.

Augmented 7th chords

I think you can see where we're going with this now!

In part 2, we looked at augmented triads (1 3 ♯5), well an augmented 7th chord is

exactly that with an added flat/minor 7th.

1 3 ♯5 ♭7

When writing the

chord, we use
"m7♭5" (minor 7th,
flat 5th) to avoid
confusion. E.g.
Bm7♭5, Cm7♭5 etc.

Sometimes, you'll see a special symbol used for half diminished chords - ø - e.g. Bø, Cø etc. However, I
would discourage people from using it as not everyone knows what it means and music should be a
common language!

So really, it's just a minor 7th chord with a flat 5th!

Diminished 7th chords
Diminished 7th chords involve the 7th being flattened twice from its natural major
scale position. Incidentally, this puts it in the position of a major 6th. However, in
the context of diminished chords (1 ♭3 ♭5) we label it as a double flat 7th (♭♭7), also
known as a diminished 7th...

1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7

In other words, it's a half diminished chord with the 7th flattened one more semitone (or fret).

The abbreviation of
this chord is simply
"dim7", e.g. Cdim7,
Fdim7, Gdim7 etc.
but can also be
abbreviated using
the diminished
symbol (which looks like a degrees symbol) as °7 , e.g. C°7, F°7, G°7 etc.

As I said at the beginning, don't worry yourself over why some of these chord names
sound a bit confusing, just know what notes they involve and the sound they create.

Just think of diminished 7th chords as minor chords with a flat 5 and double flat 7th.

Suspended 7th chords

In part 1 we learned about suspended triads, where the 3rd of a major or minor triad is
replaced with the 2nd or 4th (sus2 and sus4 respectively).
These triads can also be extended by adding the flat 7th (♭7). Starting with 7th suspended 4th...

1 4 5 ♭7

Abbreviated as
"7sus4", e.g.
C7sus4, E7sus4,
G7sus4 etc.

And here's a
commonly used A string chord shape for a 7th suspended 2nd...

1 2 5 ♭7

Abbreviated as
"7sus2", e.g.
D7sus2, F7sus2,
A7sus2 etc.