Guitar Chords Lessons
Welcome to the chord section. Here you will find a collection of all the lessons we have covering specific chords.
Intro To Chords
In this lesson you will be introduced to your first open chords. The chords covered in this lesson are G Major and E minor.
C Major and A minor Chords
This lesson covers the C Major and A minor open chords and the idea of shared fingers among chords.
A, D, and E Major chords
This lesson shows you how to play the open chords A, D, and E major.
Application of Minor 7th Chords
In this lesson we will study the application of Minor 7th chords and use them in a few chord progressions.
Dominant 7 Chords
This lesson will introduce you to a Dominant 7 chord and the B7 chord specifically. It will also take you through a Johnny Cash style chord progression.
The D minor Chord
This lesson will cover the D minor open chord and how it can be applied to chord progressions in the key of C.
F Major and B Major Chords
This lesson will cover the chords of F and B Major and how they relate to different keys.
The Three Major Chord Families
This lesson will discuss the three major chord families and introduce some new dominant 7 open chords. E7, A7, and D7 chords are covered
G7 and Use of the V Chord
In this lesson we will cover the G7 open chord and how V chords function in the harmonic structure of a musical piece.
B minor Barre Chord
In this lesson we cover the Bm barre chord and show how you can move the chord up the neck creating many minor chords.
More Barre Chords
This lesson covers three types of barre chords. Movable major and minor chords are introduced.
Diminished Chords
In this lesson we will cover diminished chords and how they function in harmonic structure. A few applications are presented.
Sus and Add Chords
In this lesson you will learn about Sus 2, Sus 4, and Add chords.
Moving the Dom 7 Chord
In this lesson we will cover several ways to play Dominant 7 chords as barre chords and movable chords
The Jimi Hendrix Chord
This lesson covers the Dom 9 chord and the Dom 7#9 chord made famous in rock music by Jimi Hendrix.
Connecting Chords and Scales in A Major
In this lesson we will discuss the idea of connecting chords in the key of A major with scales through the "walk up or down” method.
Connecting Chords and Scales in G Major
In this lesson we will discuss the idea of connecting chords in the key of G major with scales through the “walk up or down” method.
Connecting Chords and Scales in A minor
In this lesson we will discuss the idea of connecting chords in the key of A minor with scales through the “walk up or down” method.
Connecting Chords and Scales in E minor
In this lesson we will discuss the idea of connecting chords in the key of E minor with scales through the “walk up or down” method.
Suspended 4 chords
In this lesson we will learn about suspended 4 chords and how to apply them
Slash Chords
In this lesson we will learn about slash chords and what they mean. We will also learn how to apply them in a chord progression
Triads
In this lesson we will learn and define a triad and review the four basic types of triads. The four basic types of triads are Major, Minor, Augmented, and Diminished.
Major Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn what an inversion is and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a major triad.
Minor Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a minor triad.
Augmented Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for an augmented triad.
Diminished Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a diminished triad.
Applying Inversions
In this lesson we will learn some common applications of inversions.
More Major Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study Major triad inversions on 3, 4, and 5 strings.
More Minor Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study minor triad inversions on 3, 4, and 5 strings.
Applying Inversions Part Two
In this lesson we will learn a few more common applications of inversions.
Embellishing the 1st Inversion Major Triad
In this lesson we will learn how to expand upon the 1st inversion of the major triad on the 3, 4, and 5 strings.
Application of Major 7 chords
In this lesson we will study several applications of Major 7 chords and demonstrate using a few chord progressions.
Major 7 Chords
In this lesson we will learn and discuss the Major 7 chord. The major seventh chord is created by adding a natural 7th interval to a Major chord. We will study two types of Major 7 chords.
Minor 7 Chords
In this lesson we will learn and discuss Minor 7 chords. Minor 7 chords are created by playing a minor triad and adding a b7 interval. We will learn two types of Minor 7 barre chords.
Stylizing by Extending Chords
In this lesson we will introduce the concept of applying extended notes to our basic chords.
Stylizing Barre Chords
In this lesson we will explore some ways to add flavor to our barre chords
Locrian Mode and Min7b5 Chords
In this lesson we will study the Locrian Mode and some related theory. We will also cover Min7b5 chords.
Major Scale Harmony
In this lesson we will talk about Major scale harmony in triads and sevenths. Major scale Harmony dictates what chords can be made using the degrees of the Major scale.
The CAGED System
In this lesson we will study the CAGED system, a method that organizes the fretboard into five zones using five familiar chord shapes. The patterns can be applied to chord shapes, scales, and arpeggios.
Related the CAGED system to Modes
In this lesson we will study how the CAGED system relates to the Mode fingerings.
Dominant 9 Chords
In this lesson we will learn the formula and how to play a dominant 9 chord. The dominant 9 chord is often used in blues and Jazz music.
Two Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study the most basic chord progressions. The most basic chord progressions start with 2 chords.
Three Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study the most common among chord progression in pop music, the 3 chord progression. These progressions are used in nearly every genre and remain a staple in western music.
Four Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study some common four chord progressions including the 50’s progression.
Intro to Modal Harmony
In this lesson we will discuss modal harmony. Modal harmony is the construction of chords and chord progressions within the different modes.
Mixolydian Mode Progressions
In this lesson we will study a few Mixolydian Mode chord progressions, including Louie, Louie and Sweet Child O Mine.
Minor Progressions
In this lesson we will study some chord progressions based on Minor scale harmony. Some examples given are All Along the Watchtower and Thrill is Gone
Ragtime Changes
In this lesson we will study some common chord changes from the early jazz style of Ragtime.
Dominant 13 Chords
In in this lesson we will learn two shapes for a Dominant 13 chord.
Major Chord Voicings
In this lesson we will learn some new Major chord voicings based out of the Major Barre Chord root on E string and root on A string.
Minor Chord Voicings
In this lesson we will learn some new Minor chord voicings based out of the Minor Barre Chord root on E string and root on A string.
Dom7 Chord Voicings
In this lesson we will learn some new Dom7 chord voicings based out of the Dom7 Barre Chord root on E string and root on A string.
Extending the Major Chord
In this lesson we will learn to extend the major chord with the 9th interval. This Major 9 sound has been used by many from Prince to Pearl Jam,
Acoustic Chord Embellishments
In this lesson we will study some ways to embellish simple open chords making your playing more interesting. Specifically we will be focusing on chord embellishments of the G, C, and D open chords. Embellishments take simple, plain chords and make them more musical. Some examples would be adding hammer ons and pull offs within the chord and adding extensions.
Alternatives To Barre Chords
In this lesson we will be studying some alternatives to playing barre chords. If you are having trouble with barre chords this will be a good lesson for you.
Major Chord Inversions
Learning chord inversions will increase your knowledge of the fretboard and improve your rhythm playing in a more creative way. In this lesson we will dive into major chord inversions using the B, G, and D strings.
Minor Chord Inversions
Learning chord inversions will increase your knowledge of the fretboard and improve your rhythm playing in a more creative way. In this lesson we will dive into minor chord inversions using the B, G, and D strings.