In this lesson, I am going to show you how to find and form chords easily
from the basic chords that most guitarists know. This lesson will show where
chords are in relation to each other. There is an order in which the chords
go down the fretboard it is C-A-G-E-D. Each letter refers to a certain chord
form or pattern. This pattern is shown in the diagram below. (Ex: C form, A
form, etc.)
The forms get their name from when those chord patterns are open chords (chords
that use open strings). For example. When the E form uses open strings it is
an E major chord, therfore it is named the E form. If you notice the chords
run together as you go down the fretboard. Look at the root note ("R")
of the C Form chord. Now look at the root note of the A form chord. Notice that
they are on the same string. This is the same note on the same fret. In other
words the 2 chord forms run together. The C form comes before the A form, and
they actually share that note. Now look at the three notes out in the front
of the A form. Now look at the three notes on the same strings in the G form.
Once again these notes are shared. This pattern continues down through all the
forms, and it repeats when the D form goes to the C form. This should help you
to find chords much more easily.
Just because the chord is in C form does not mean that it is a C major
chord either. That is just the name for the form. The chord is determined by
the root note, and remember that all of these chords are moveable. If you know
how to apply this lesson you will never have trouble finding a chord again.
All the forms that I have shown you so far have been for major chords. Now
I will show you the small differences in chord shapes to get other chords. It
is really simple when you think of the little changes that you have to make
to change a chord from an A major into an A major 7. I will show you in the
following charts, and I will highlight the changes in yellow.
Remember: All
of the forms shown below can be substituted, so if you want an A major 7 and
you need an A form chord, you just have to go to the A major 7 Form below, and
apply it.
Some of these chords do not have the root as the lowest note, therefore those
ones can be named as a slash chord. I hope you learned to find chords quickly
and easily because this is a simple technique that can give you great results.
