Forming Chords
We will now form various chords with A as the root. First, Lets list the A major scale (don't worry about the numbers above them just now):
8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A B C# D E F# G# A
Major and Minor Chords
A major chord is formed by taking the notes labelled 1, 3, and 5. Take the 1, 3, and 5 notes above, the notes would be A, C#, and E. Now play the A chord, and name every note on this chord. you will notice, all of the notes are A, C# or E.
A minor chord is formed by taking the notes 1, b3 and 5. b3 means the note a half step below C#, which is C. Therefore, the notes will be A, C and E.
Chords that use only three notes (e.g. major and minor) are called triads
Other Chords Formulas
Here are chord formulas for some other common chords:
major [A]: 1 3 5 A C# E
minor [Am]: 1 3b 5 A C E
seventh [A7]: 1 3 5 7b A C# E G
minor seventh [Am7]: 1 3b 5 7b A C E G
major seventh [Amaj7 or AM7]: 1 3 5 7 A C# E G#
sixth [A6]: 1 3 5 6 A C# E F#
minor sixth [Am6]: 1 3b 5 6 A C E F#
augmented [A+]: 1 3 5# A C# E# (A C# F)
augmented 7th [A7+]: 1 3 5# 7b A C# E# G
diminished [Adim]: 1 3b 5b A C Eb
diminished 7th [Adim7 or Ao]: 1 3b 5b 7bb A C Eb Gb
1 3b 5b 6 A C Eb Gb
seventh (flatted fifth) A7(5b): 1 3 5b 7b A C# Eb G
minor 7th (flatted 5th) A7(5b): 1 3b 5b 7b A C Eb G
ninth [A9]: 1 3 5 7b 9 A C# E G B
minor ninth [Am9]: 1 3b 5 7b 9 A C E G B
major ninth [Amaj9 or AM9]: 1 3 5 7 9 A C# E G# B
eleventh [A11]: 1 3 5 7b 9 11 A C# E G B D
diminished 9th: 1 3 5 7b 9b A C# E G Bb
added ninth [A(9) or A(2)]: 1 3 5 9 A C# E B
added fourth [A(4) or A(11)]: 1 3 5 11 A C# E D
suspended [Asus or Asus4]: 1 4 5 A D E
suspended 9th [Asus9 or Asus2]: 1 2 5 A B E
7th suspended 4th [A7sus or A7sus4]: 1 4 5 7b A D E G
7th suspended 9th [A7sus2 or A7sus9]: 1 2 5 7b A B E G
fifth [A5 or A(no 3rd)]: 1 5 A E
Slash Chords
You might also come across a C/G. This means "a C chord with G as the lowest pitched note". C/G would look like [332010]. The note after the slash may or may not belong to the chord. A/B is an A chord with a B as the lowest pitched note [x22220].
Links to Useful Resources
- Interactive Guitar Chord Dictionary - An interactive guitar chord dictionary. Select a chord (by name), and you will be shown the fingering.
- Text Guitar Chord Dictionary - Guitar chords listed out in simple text format.
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Comments
Rahul
2009-07-27 04:28:55
When we form a cord we use the 1,3 and the 5 note so if we r playing C chord we shud be playing C,E,G but the notes we hold are C,E and C... why?
same q. as rahul
2009-07-30 11:45:34
alex_martin250@yahoo.co.in
maujood
2009-07-31 13:05:19
@Rahul & same q. as rahul: the 'correct' way to play the C chord would indeed be to play the notes C, E and G, as you said.
With the guitar, however, we just usually grab these notes (C, E, and G) wherever we can grab them, as long as we are playing all 3. In the most common shape of C Chord [x 3 2 0 1 0], we are playing the notes C, E, G, C, and E. In another shape [x 3 5 5 5 3], we're playing C, G, C, E, and G.
Does this answer the question?
Ken
2009-08-18 16:38:44
If you grab all of the notes for a given chord that you can and a c chord uses C E and G why do we not pluck the 6th string which is an E.
maujood
2009-08-20 03:01:29
@Ken: In case of guitar, we usually begin chords with the root note, followed by other notes in any order. This means that the lowest pitched note will have to be the root note.
If we also plucked the sixth string in the C Chord, the chord would be better defined as C/E or E augmented.