chord shapes?

The guitar has regular, repeating patterns for everything - scales, intervals, chords. A chord 'shape' is the placement of fingers that gets you the notes... the relationship between strings... that forms a specific chord or voicing.

For instance, a major chord is 1-3-5, the first-third-fifth notes of the major scale for that chord. If you start with the sixth string as a root, the fifth note will be two frets higher on the fifth string. From there, the same fret on the fourth string is the root again... one fret lower on the 3rd string is the third of the scale... one fret lower on the 2nd string is another fifth, and the same fret on the 1st string is another root:

0
0
1
2
2
0

You'll recognize that as an E major chord.

Taking that same set of relationships, you can make a barre chord:

1
1
2
3
3
1

and have F major in the 'E shape'.

So it's really just a way of remembering fingerings and relating them to each other. If you were to play:

x
8
10
9
10
x

you might call that a 'C shape G7 chord' or something like that. There are other ways to describe it, but most guitarists are familiar with open chords... and chord shapes are drawn from the open chords.

Closely related is the CAGED system, based on the fact that there are only five major chords - C, A, G, E, and D - that typically use open strings. Although there are others that CAN use open strings (Bb, B, Eb and F), most beginning/intermediate guitarists are more concerned with remembering any one chord fingering rather than knowing the chord spellings and experimenting with unusal voicings, and chord shapes makes that simpler.

Thanks for the reply. That explains a lot.

I've really got to learn the basics of theory so I know what people are talking about. Being able to apply it wouldn't hurt, either.

I'm looking forward to ordering your book once I learn enough to know what it is talking about. I need the REALLY basic knowledge first. Like, what is a "root note?"

Of course, most people talk without knowing much about grammer, but learning the rules of grammer helps you communicate more effectively. The same has to be true for musical theory.

David, get his book - it tells you what a root note is and a whole load more to boot.

I hope this advice isn't falling on deaf ears :lol: :lol: :lol:

Another book that's helpful, but maybe down the line a bit, is Bill Edwards' Fretboard Logic. It focuses on the CAGED system Noteboat mentions.

I'll definitely check it out.

So far I haven't found any theory books that provide the very basic vocabulary necessary to follow the discussions.

I've tried some guitar instructional books. My problem is that I had already started playing, so the books that were basic enough in theory were trying to teach me to play "Old McDonald."

I'm not around anyone that plays guitar so I don't get to ask basic questions, like "What's a key."

David,

Tom's book doesn't try to teach you any tunes - it teaches you music theory, as it relates to guitar. It teaches you what a scale is, what a key is, what standard notation is all about, etc., etc., etc..

You're risking $22 or so, that's all

The book is sounding better all the time!

Hey David, theory works on that $60 lap steel, too!
:lol:

Hey David, theory works on that $60 lap steel, too!
:lol:

Rico, you ol' poot!!

Maybe after I get and read the book, I can justify another instrument.

(Of course, I couldn't justify the ones I have.)

Music theory works on a 3-string cigar box guitar, for that matter. :P

Music theory works on a 3-string cigar box guitar, for that matter. :P

Yeah, and I aim to figure out how.

I've been trying to put together a piece for the last week. I've got parts and can't figure out how to get them to fit together. Knowing the notes I'm playing and the theory about how they link together ought to help.

Hi David,

Here's my take on (very) basic music theory: :)

There are 12 notes that are used in Western Music.

A lot of music theory revolves around ways of finding what you might call “compatible clusters” out of those twelve. If you just stab away at the guitar you'll keep using notes that just don't “go” with each other.

The first job is selecting what's called a “key”. For instance the key of C has seven notes that all go together in certain combinations. So if you are playing in C, there are 5 left over that you'll want to avoid.

From those seven you can build a heap of “chords” which are clumps of notes that sound good when played together. You can also use the same seven to make a “melody” – in other words a note by note tune (often played by a lead guitarist). You could then put together a sequence of chords which would go nicely when played behind the melody.

Most of theory seems to revolve around different ways of building those chords and combining the notes to produce different sounds and “feels”.

The guitar has well over 100 frettable note positions (132 on the guitar sitting beside me) but most of these are “repeats” of some kind. They are either the same note played on a different string, or the “same” note but an octave or more higher. I.e the low E string on your guitar is two octaves apart from the high E string (the ones on opposite sides of the neck). Without wanting to rave on about octaves, they sound the “same” just higher or lower.

So a basic C chord (which uses the notes G, E and C) can be made in all sort of ways and shapes around the neck. Conversely, the same basic finger placement or shape can be used to make completely different chords, depending on where you put your fingers on the neck.

The “root” note is the one that gives the chord its name. So if you make a basic E chord shape, the top and bottom strings are both “root” notes. If you use that same shape, and move it down the neck as a barre chord (i.e with a finger above it, going right across the neck) the outside strings will still be “root” notes. So you'll go E, F, F sharp G etc as you go down the neck. Some other shapes will have the “root” note – the one that's in the chord's name – elsewhere in the pattern, and not on the 2 outer strings.

A lot of theory is about ways of choosing a) which combination of notes to use, and b) which order to play them, in to get the effects you're after. And it's fluid too – you can still chuck in a few “off key” notes and sometimes get a great sound. :D

Hope that helps. (Hope it's right too – I'm a beginner as well!! :oops: )

Yes you've got it right. It's important to remember that the groups of notes which sound good vary according to what the listener is used to.

Yes you've got it right. It's important to remember that the groups of notes which sound good vary according to what the listener is used to.

Absolutely. :D

Don't the Indonesians use something like 33 notes in their gamelan and other types of music making, compared to our 12?

And western music has tried all manner of "temperaments" and combinations over the years.

Many cultures apparently have some sort of pentatonic (5 note) scale.

Theory is ... well, theory .... reality is often different. :) I see it as a sort of road map. Very handy to look at for ideas, but not always compulsory to follow. :shock: