Master the Art
  • Music Theory
    • Grade 1 - Writing notes lessons 1-34
    • Grade 1 - Rhythms Lessons 35-64
    • Grade 1 - Basic rhythms and musical alphabet lessons 65-95
    • Grade 1 - Scales Intervals and Chords lessons 96-125
    • Grade 1 - Musical Terms and Signs lessons 126-147
    • Grade 1 - Practicing your knowledge of level 1 148-181
  • Guitar
    • Teachings and Tutorials >
      • The Parts of The Guitar >
        • Electric Guitars
        • Steel String Acoustic Guitars
        • Nylon String Guitars
      • Strumming
      • Guitar Repairs
      • Free Song Riffs >
        • 0-9
        • A >
          • Apache - the Shadows
          • Are You With Me - Lost Frequencies
          • Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran
        • B >
          • Black Night - Deep Purple
          • Bloodstream - Ed Sheeran
        • C >
          • Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
          • Check Yes Juliet - We The Kings
          • Clocks - Cold Play
          • Come As You Are - Nirvana
          • Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne
        • D >
          • Dammit - Blink 182
          • Day Tripper - The Beatles
          • Don't Speak - No Doubt
        • E >
          • Enter Sandman - Metallica
          • Every Morning - Sugar Ray
          • Everybody Hurts - REM
          • Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
        • F >
          • Far Away - Nickelback
          • Foot Tapper - The Shadows
          • Freak - Silver Chair
          • Free Fallin - Tom Petty
        • G >
          • Georgia - Vance Joy
        • H >
          • Hanging By A Moment - Life House
          • Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
          • Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
          • Hey Soul Sister - Train
          • Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
          • Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
        • I >
          • I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
          • Iron Man - Black Sabbath
        • J >
          • James Bond Theme
        • K >
          • Killing In The name Of - Rage Against The Machine
          • Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
        • L >
          • Lego House - Ed Sheeran
        • M >
          • My Friends - Red hot Chili Peppers
          • My Sharona - The Knack
        • N
        • O >
          • One - Metallica
          • Original Prankster - The Offspring
        • P >
          • Paranoid - Black Sabbath
          • Peter Gun Theme
          • Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
        • Q
        • R
        • S >
          • Savin Me - Nickelback
          • Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
          • Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
          • Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
          • Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
        • T >
          • Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
          • Titanium - David Getta
        • U
        • W >
          • Walk This Way - Aerosmith
          • Wanted Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi
          • We Are Done - The Madden Brothers
          • What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
          • Whats My Age Again - Blink 182
          • Why Georgia - John Mayer
          • Wonderful Land - The Shadows
        • X
        • Y
        • Z
      • Free Songs
      • Free Drum Loops >
        • Crotchet (Quarter Note) Based Drum Loops
        • Quaver (Eighth Note) Based Drum Loops
        • Quaver Triplets (Eighth Notes) Based Drum Loops
        • Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note) Based Drum Loops
    • Ensemble Charts
    • Current and Past Students
    • Equipment used by Peter >
      • Guitar Collection >
        • Electric Guitars
        • Acoustic Guitars
        • Bass Guitars
      • Effects and Pedals
      • Amplifiers
      • Accessories and Other
  • Singing
    • Choir Charts
    • Concerts
    • Current and Past Students
  • Store
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    • Gallery
  • About
    • Peter Howlett
    • Jenny Howlett
  • Photography
  • Contact
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  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Terms and Conditions for Lessons
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy

Chords

A chord is considered to be two or more notes played together. This definition opens up a world of possibilities, not only of combinations of sounds, but the creative potential is limitless. There are common chords that will become the staple diet of every musician, and there are chords that color the world of music with harmonies so rich we will never reach the end. I like to think that the amount of music that can be created by the chords that exist is expanding at the speed of light, like our universe.  All this soul searching comes back to starting the search with the basics. So lets start there. If you are a young beginner and you want easier versions of these chords to start with, click on this link for the "Young Beginners guitar chords chart."

Major and Minor Chords

There are 4 methods of playing chords on the guitar.  There are
  • Open Chords
  • Power Chords
  • Bar Chords
  • Movable Shapes
I've always suggested that learning them in his order is the best for a student. The following lessons break this down for you.

Major and Minor Open Chords

There are 5 essential major open chords to learn. They are C A G E D. These are constructed from the 1st, 3rd and 5th of a major scale. (see the lesson on major scales to understand this). Notice the order I have listed the chords spells the word caged.  This is a handy pattern that will help you learn many other principals on the guitar.  There is a entire method of learning called the "Caged" system that we will investigate.
Click here to download this lesson
The open minor chords that are essential to learn are Am Dm Em. These are constructed from the 1st lowered 3rd (b3) and 5th of the scale. (see the lesson on major scales to understand this)
Click here to download this lesson

Seventh Open Chords

Seventh chords are an extension to major chords.  They contain the same notes as a major with the addition of the lowered seventh (b7) of the major scale (see the lesson on major scales to understand this). Learn these shapes after you have memorized the major and minor chord shapes.
Click here to download this lesson
  • Music Theory
    • Grade 1 - Writing notes lessons 1-34
    • Grade 1 - Rhythms Lessons 35-64
    • Grade 1 - Basic rhythms and musical alphabet lessons 65-95
    • Grade 1 - Scales Intervals and Chords lessons 96-125
    • Grade 1 - Musical Terms and Signs lessons 126-147
    • Grade 1 - Practicing your knowledge of level 1 148-181
  • Guitar
    • Teachings and Tutorials >
      • The Parts of The Guitar >
        • Electric Guitars
        • Steel String Acoustic Guitars
        • Nylon String Guitars
      • Strumming
      • Guitar Repairs
      • Free Song Riffs >
        • 0-9
        • A >
          • Apache - the Shadows
          • Are You With Me - Lost Frequencies
          • Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran
        • B >
          • Black Night - Deep Purple
          • Bloodstream - Ed Sheeran
        • C >
          • Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
          • Check Yes Juliet - We The Kings
          • Clocks - Cold Play
          • Come As You Are - Nirvana
          • Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne
        • D >
          • Dammit - Blink 182
          • Day Tripper - The Beatles
          • Don't Speak - No Doubt
        • E >
          • Enter Sandman - Metallica
          • Every Morning - Sugar Ray
          • Everybody Hurts - REM
          • Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
        • F >
          • Far Away - Nickelback
          • Foot Tapper - The Shadows
          • Freak - Silver Chair
          • Free Fallin - Tom Petty
        • G >
          • Georgia - Vance Joy
        • H >
          • Hanging By A Moment - Life House
          • Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
          • Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
          • Hey Soul Sister - Train
          • Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
          • Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
        • I >
          • I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
          • Iron Man - Black Sabbath
        • J >
          • James Bond Theme
        • K >
          • Killing In The name Of - Rage Against The Machine
          • Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
        • L >
          • Lego House - Ed Sheeran
        • M >
          • My Friends - Red hot Chili Peppers
          • My Sharona - The Knack
        • N
        • O >
          • One - Metallica
          • Original Prankster - The Offspring
        • P >
          • Paranoid - Black Sabbath
          • Peter Gun Theme
          • Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
        • Q
        • R
        • S >
          • Savin Me - Nickelback
          • Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
          • Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
          • Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
          • Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
        • T >
          • Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
          • Titanium - David Getta
        • U
        • W >
          • Walk This Way - Aerosmith
          • Wanted Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi
          • We Are Done - The Madden Brothers
          • What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
          • Whats My Age Again - Blink 182
          • Why Georgia - John Mayer
          • Wonderful Land - The Shadows
        • X
        • Y
        • Z
      • Free Songs
      • Free Drum Loops >
        • Crotchet (Quarter Note) Based Drum Loops
        • Quaver (Eighth Note) Based Drum Loops
        • Quaver Triplets (Eighth Notes) Based Drum Loops
        • Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note) Based Drum Loops
    • Ensemble Charts
    • Current and Past Students
    • Equipment used by Peter >
      • Guitar Collection >
        • Electric Guitars
        • Acoustic Guitars
        • Bass Guitars
      • Effects and Pedals
      • Amplifiers
      • Accessories and Other
  • Singing
    • Choir Charts
    • Concerts
    • Current and Past Students
  • Store
  • Hair Design
    • Gallery
  • About
    • Peter Howlett
    • Jenny Howlett
  • Photography
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Terms and Conditions for Lessons
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy