Chords
Practice it: Chord Finder
A chord is notes stacked in thirds. The third above the root makes it major or minor, and notes stacked above that, such as a seventh, add color.
Triads
A triad has three notes: a root, a third above it, and a fifth above the root. Four frets from the root is a major third (C to E) and makes a major chord. Three frets is a minor third (C to E♭) and makes a minor chord. Lower the fifth as well and the chord is diminished; raise the fifth of a major chord and it is augmented.
| Chord | Notes | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | R 3 5 |
| Cm | C E♭ G | R ♭3 5 |
| Cdim | C E♭ G♭ | R ♭3 ♭5 |
| Caug | C E G♯ | R 3 ♯5 |
Seventh chords
Stack one more third and you get a seventh chord. C7 adds B♭, a flat seventh: the sound of the blues and of most V chords. Cmaj7 adds B, a softer sound. Cm7 is a minor triad with a flat seventh.
| Chord | Notes | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| C7 | C E G B♭ | R 3 5 ♭7 |
| Cmaj7 | C E G B | R 3 5 7 |
| Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ | R ♭3 5 ♭7 |
Sus and power chords
- Csus2 and Csus4 swap the third for the 2nd or the 4th, so they sound open and unresolved, neither major nor minor.
- C5 is a power chord: only the root and the fifth. With no third it stays clear under heavy distortion.
| Chord | Notes | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Csus2 | C D G | R 2 5 |
| Csus4 | C F G | R 4 5 |
| C5 | C G | R 5 |
Chords on the guitar
A guitar shape rarely stacks the notes in order. Open C, x32010, sounds C E G C E: root, third, fifth, root, third. Any order works as long as the lowest note is the root, or the bass a slash chord names: C/E puts E at the bottom.
Reading a Chord Finder diagram
- Strings run left to right from the lowest, frets top to bottom.
- A dot is a fretted note; its number is the finger, 1 for the index to 4 for the pinky.
- A bar across several strings is a barre: one finger flat across them.
- o marks an open string and x a string you don't play.
- A label like 5fr means the top row is fret 5.
- Switch to Intervals to see which string plays the root (R), the third and the fifth.
How to practice
In Numbers, choose "Name the chord" to learn which chords live in a key, then look each one up in the Chord Finder. Chord-tone mode then has you play the third of each chord, which is how solos follow the changes.