Skip to content
Notifications
Clear all

Noob chord question

8 Posts
7 Users
0 Likes
1,400 Views
(@kroikey)
Reputable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 232
Topic starter  

Ok, I've watched a bit of my Learn Rock DVD, can play a few chords at a chord-changing-speed of about 4 days :? and I understand the naming convention and the root note (triad concept). But I'm confused when people mention chords simply by their letters eg. is a C major chord always the same fingering on the fret board? (I know you can play a C chord in several octaves and on several strings). Also whats a B7 chord? I also saw someone mention changing a F# chord to an Fsus or something along those lines.

Compete beginner questions I know, but asking questions helps fill the gaps in my knowledge!

Someone at work once joked about me being barred from AskJeeves.com because of the amount of my questions. However I learn so much this way I refuse to give up! :lol:


   
Quote
 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

In general (and it's a big in general) when you see the chords listed as A or C or D they are referring to open chords. You are right those chords can be played on several parts of the neck but usually there will be a notation of the fingering or where to play the chord.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
ReplyQuote
(@kroikey)
Reputable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 232
Topic starter  

Am I right in assuming that an 'open chord' means its played at the highest point on the neck so that other open strings can be strummed to give you 4 or 5 harmony chord?


   
ReplyQuote
(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

yes, open chords usually = open strings (not barred)

#4491....


   
ReplyQuote
(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/guitar/index_rb.html

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
ReplyQuote
(@mahal)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 107
 

Ok, I've watched a bit of my Learn Rock DVD, can play a few chords at a chord-changing-speed of about 4 days :? and I understand the naming convention and the root note (triad concept). But I'm confused when people mention chords simply by their letters eg. is a C major chord always the same fingering on the fret board? (I know you can play a C chord in several octaves and on several strings). Also whats a B7 chord? I also saw someone mention changing a F# chord to an Fsus or something along those lines.

Compete beginner questions I know, but asking questions helps fill the gaps in my knowledge!

Someone at work once joked about me being barred from AskJeeves.com because of the amount of my questions. However I learn so much this way I refuse to give up! :lol:
Crawl, walk, run my friend. It will come. As a beginning clarinet player I learned the base fingerings of all the notes. I didn't use half of the horn's capability as many of those levers and keys just stuck out of the clarinet unused until I picked up the skill to use alternate fingerings.

The alternate and extended chords are part of theory which you will learn, one or more notes may differ from the actual triad. But right now just think of them as something which is easier to use then the actual triad chord, so you can play songs right now. For example, easy versions songs will show a B7 instead of a B chord because most have a problem doing a double barre necessary to hit a B chord at their beginning stage. The same with a F# chord being changed to a F# sus.


   
ReplyQuote
(@denny)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 452
 

I'd suggest you invest in a Picture Chord Encyclopedia. It's a nice thing to have around when you aren't online and want to look up a chord. It shows about 5 different positions for all the chords (O.K., not ALL the chords, but around 2,600 of them.) They should be available at any music store.

Denny


   
ReplyQuote
(@hbriem)
Honorable Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 646
 

But I'm confused when people mention chords simply by their letters eg. is a C major chord always the same fingering on the fret board? (I know you can play a C chord in several octaves and on several strings). Also whats a B7 chord? I also saw someone mention changing a F# chord to an Fsus or something along those lines.

Major chords are the most common type and are often (usually) referred to only by their root note. Thus a C major chord (notes C-E-G) is called a C. Other shorthands are Cm or c for C minor, C7 or Cdom7 for a C dominant 7th and so forth.

A B7 chord is shorthand for B dominant 7th chord. A B7 chord contains the notes of a B major chord (B-D#-F#) + the dominant 7th (b7) which in this case is A. The note formula for a 7th chord is 1-3-5-b7 and a B7 is B-D#-F#-A. Oh yes, and a B7 is easier to finger than a B as Mahal mentioned.

Fsus is shorthand for Fsus4 or F suspended 4th. Its formula is 1-4-5 or F-Bb-C. A normal F major would be 1-3-5 or F-A-C. Usually, in classical music, the 4th would be "suspended" or held over from a previous chord, but in rock/folk/pop it might be played by itself or as a colour adding variation on an ordinary F major.

Normally F# and Fsus wouldn't be used together although it's not impossible. You were thinking of F# and F#sus perhaps? Or F and Fsus? These would be more common although as I say, F# and Fsus are not an impossible pair, for example in the key of C#.

Here are some other chord formulas (but there's no need to learn them all at once, many are very rare):
Chord Notes(degree) Notes(C root)
---------------------------------------------------
major 1 3 5 C E G
6 1 3 5 6 C E G A
7 (dom7) 1 3 5 b7 C E G Bb
maj7 (M7) 1 3 5 7 C E G B
9 1 3 5 b7 9 C E G Bb D
maj9 (M9) 1 3 5 7 9 C E G B D
11 1 3 5 b7 (9) 11 C E G Bb F # extremely rare
maj11 1 3 5 7 (9) 11 C E G B F # extremely rare
add11 1 3 5 11 C E G F
13 1 3 5 b7 (9 11) 13 C E G Bb A
add9 1 3 5 9 C E G D
sus2 (2) 1 2 5 C D G
sus4 (sus) 1 4 5 C F G
sus#4 1 #4 5 C F# G
sus7 1 4 5 b7 C F G Bb
5 1 5 C G
aug 1 3 #5 C Eb G#
6/9 1 3 5 6 9 C E G A D
minor (m) 1 b3 5 C Eb G
min7 (m7) 1 b3 5 b7 C Eb G Bb
min9 (m9) 1 b3 5 b7 9 C Eb G Bb D
min11 1 b3 5 b7 (9) 11 C Eb G Bb F
minmaj7 1 b3 5 7 C Eb G B
dim (°) 1 b3 b5 C Eb Gb
dim7 1 b3 b5 bb7 C Eb Gb A
min7b5 1 b3 b5 b7 C Eb Gb Bb
</pre>

--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com


   
ReplyQuote