Chords
Two notes played harmonically, (at the same time), constitute an interval. Three or more notes played harmonically comprise a chord. There are many different types of chords. Generally, chords are categorized by the number of notes and type of intervals they contain. Most chords are built upon a pattern of successive thirds.
Since the guitar has only 6 strings, you can't really play a complete thirteenth chord. By skipping one of the other notes, it is possible to play a chord that functions as a thirteenth.
The simplest of the chord types is the triad. The triad consists of three notes separated by two consecutive thirds. There are four types of triads that are commonly used:
The first inversion of a triad occurs when you flip the bottom note of the triad up an octave. The second inversion occurs when you flip the bottom two notes of a triad up an octave. Triads, as they appear in the above figure are all in root position, which occurs when the root of the triad is the bass, or lowest note.
By knowing the intervals which comprise specific chords, you can construct the chord to start on any note. As listed in the above table, the Major triad consists of a Major 3rd (M3) supporting a minor 3rd (m3), which comprise a Perfect 5th (P5). Therefore, from the root note going up to the other two notes, the intervals are M3, P5. Other symbols in the figure above are diminished 5th (d5) and Augmented 5th (A5). The following table lists the intervals for many types of chords from any root note to the other notes in the chord.
Chord Intervals Table
Major |
M3 |
P5 |
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minor |
m3 |
P5 |
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Augmented |
M3 |
A5 |
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diminished (fifth) |
m3 |
d5 |
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suspended fourth |
P4 |
P5 |
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seventh |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
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Major seventh |
M3 |
P5 |
M7 |
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minor seventh |
m3 |
P5 |
m7 |
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seventh augmented fifth |
M3 |
A5 |
m7 |
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seventh diminished fifth |
M3 |
d5 |
m7 |
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diminished seventh |
m3 |
d5 |
d7 |
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seventh suspended fourth |
P4 |
P5 |
m7 |
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sixth |
M3 |
P5 |
M6 |
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minor sixth |
m3 |
P5 |
M6 |
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ninth |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
M9 |
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major ninth |
M3 |
P5 |
M7 |
M9 |
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minor ninth |
m3 |
P5 |
m7 |
M9 |
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ninth diminished fifth |
M3 |
d5 |
m7 |
M9 |
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seventh augmented ninth |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
A9 |
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seventh minor ninth |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
m9 |
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six / nine |
M3 |
P5 |
M6 |
M9 |
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eleventh |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
M9 |
P11 |
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thirteenth |
M3 |
P5 |
m7 |
M9 |
P11 |
M13 |
Chords strummed on the guitar can and usually do contain copies of some of the notes. An E Major triad contains E, G sharp and B. When strumming the chord on guitar however, it is customary to play all of the notes that lie within the triad in that hand position, repeating notes in other octaves if possible (here listed with their octave numbers): E2, B2, E3, G3 sharp, B3, E4.
Chords are sometimes described as being consonant or dissonant, meaning that they are a stable, agreeable, harsh or require resolution, etc. These terms are completely subjective and depend on the culture that you are raised in, also, certain chords that are considered consonant today were considered dissonant in the past. Listen to the different chord types and make up your own mind how they make you feel. Use them in music when you want to convey that emotion. Keep in mind that the most important element of music is the sound that you produce.
In the Sheet Music window, select the "Key Signature" menu's "Choose Key
Signature" menu item. Select C Major by clicking on the very middle button in the Choose Key Signature
window. In the Chord menu, make sure "Major" is selected.
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Chords on the guitar are unique. There are several different shapes or "forms" for a given chord on the guitar. Virtualoso Guitar shows you the "movable forms", i.e., the forms that you can generally Bar and play anywhere on the guitar. (Bar chords require you to use your index finger on your fretting hand to make a "bar" and cover up to 6 notes at a time with this one finger).
Explore Chords mode allows you to see and play 22 different chord types, with 12 different root notes, in 13 different positions (we make use of open chords in open position) for a grand total of over 3400 different chord shapes. The amazing thing is that if you just know a 3 different shapes or "Forms" of the 22 chord types (66), you basically can play any chord by simply moving the form to a different location!
Virtualoso Guitar does not show you fingerings for the chords for two reasons:
Chords can always be fingered using this algorithm. Sometimes the context of the notes that you are playing require you to break these rules. Although these chords could be played more easily by using this algorithm, in the context of where they are being played, you might be using different fingers since you don't have much time to switch to the next chord or note, since you would hear a small gap in time. This is a consequence of what is known as preparation. Preparation is covered in the chapter on Deciphering and Reading Sheet Music.
Bar chords are extremely useful since you can move them on the fretboard in order to play multiple chords with the same shape. All you have to know is the shape of the chord type, and where the root notes lie within the bar chord (light blue color above), and the names of all of the notes on the bottom three strings and you can play chords anywhere on the fretboard.
The rule for fingering chords is as follows. (Fretting fingers are numbered 1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring and 4=little.) Barring a chord means that you use your index finger as a "bar" in which to fret multiple notes at the same time.
Use successively higher numbered fingers on successively higher pitched strings on successively higher pitched frets. Use your index finger as a Bar to cover multiple frets if there are multiple notes to play in the lowest pitched position.
This is shown in the following figure (possibly bar on the gold arrow, continue with successive fingers on the orange arrows).
Examples with Bar:
Example without Bar:
In the middle picture above, the Bar chord example, an "E" Major "form" bar chord is being
played at position V. Since the root note (light blue note) on string 6 is an "A", you're really playing
an "A" Major chord with the "E" form! Chords do not have to be in Bar form for them to be
moveable, however, if you plan on strumming the chord, you should choose forms that have frets lying on contiguous
strings. The second example without a Bar chord, has a root note on string 4 that is a "G". This type
of chord is a 7th chord, in the "D" Seventh "form". Therefore, the chord is a G7 (or G Seventh)
chord.
These "form" names take their name from the shape of the chord when it is in the open position. They are clearly displayed on the bottom of the Explore Chords window. This window provides you with a virtual chord calculator from which you can set and view any chord type.
Chords are sometimes symbolized relative to the tonic of the piece of music. The following table lists the names of the different scale degrees and the names of the chords that are constructed on each scale degree.
Scale Degree |
Name |
Chord Degree |
1 |
Tonic |
I |
2 |
Supertonic |
II |
3 |
Mediant |
III |
4 |
Subdominant |
IV |
5 |
Dominant |
V |
6 |
Submediant |
VI |
7 |
Leading Tone (or subtonic) |
VII |
Chord degree Roman Numerals are used to specify the relative distance a given chord is away from the tonic chord of the piece. Musical compositions often contain chord progressions of I-IV-V, meaning the chord progression will consist of chords that are built on the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees. If the piece of music is written in C Major, building the Major scale on C results in C-D-E-F-G-A-B, so the chords I-IV-V in C Major would consist of the notes (C-E-G or) C Major, (F-A-C or) F Major and (G-B-D or) G Major.
If the piece of music is in "B minor", build a minor scale on B and use the resulting notes from it. Building the minor scale on B results in B-C sharp-D-E-F sharp-G-A, so the chords I-IV-V would consist of the notes (B-D-F or) B minor, (E-G-B or) E minor and (F sharp-A-C sharp or) F sharp minor.
How about a chord progression of I-III? Assuming C Major, the third scale degree is E. Building a triad on E creates the following chord, E-G-B which is minor (from the Chord Intervals Table). As long as you can count up a scale and figure out what the notes are in that scale and look up the associated intervals in the Chord Intervals Table, you can use chord degrees to calculate and hence play any chord progressions.
Once you know the chord progression in chord degrees, you can easily transpose the progression to another key. Simply choose a different tonic, and relate all of the chords names to this new tonic.
Congratulations, it is time to begin using Virtualoso Guitar to solidify your understanding of the theoretical concepts described in this manual.