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Lesson 23: Chords

Triads

The types of triads are:

  • Major
  • Minor
  • Augmented
  • Diminished
Learn to play as many voicings as possible on all possible string sets.

Inversions

The different inversions are:

  • Root Position
  • 1st Inversion - the third as the lowest note
  • 2nd Inversion - the fifth as the lowest note
Learn to play as many voicings as possible on all possible string sets.

Four Part Harmony - Seventh Chords

The seventh chord types are:

  • Major Seventh
  • Minor Seventh
  • Dominant Seventh
  • Half Diminished
  • Diminished

Learn to play these seventh chords on all possible string sets. First the three possible ways to play a drop 2 voicing, then the two possible ways to play a drop 3 voicing and last the two possible ways to play a (semi-)close voicing:

Four Part Harmony - Sixth Chords

The sixth chord types are:

  • Major Sixth
  • Minor Sixth

Learn to play these sixth chords on all possible string sets. First the three possible ways to play a drop 2 voicing ( with no fifth in some cases), then the two possible ways to play a drop 3 voicing and last the two possible ways to play a (semi-)close voicing ( with the root doubled):

Five, Six and Seven Part Harmony

The chord types in five part harmony are:

  • Major Ninth
  • Minor Ninth
  • Dominant Ninth
The chord types in six part harmony are:
  • Major #Eleventh
  • Minor Eleventh
  • Dominant Eleventh
  • Dominant #Eleventh
The chord types in seven part harmony are:
  • Major Thirteenth
  • Minor Thirteenth
  • Dominant Thirteenth
Learn to play as many voicings as possible on all possible string sets. With these types of chords, some notes will have to be omitted. The fifth is the first note to go, the most important notes are the third, the seventh and then the "color notes": the ninth, the eleventh and the thirteenth. Let's check out a few eminently playable and well-sounding voicings from this group:

Altered Dominant Chords

Altered dominant chords are:

  • C7b9, C7#9
  • C7b5, C7b5b9, C7b5#9
  • C7#5, C7#5b9, C7#5#9
  • C13b9, C13#9
  • and so on...
Learn to play as many voicings as possible on all possible string sets. In most cases, the chord symbol will be C7alt, leaving the choice of the alteration to the player...

Slash Chords - Triads over Bass Notes

The different types of slash chords are:

  • The Db/C Type
  • The D/C Type = D7
  • The Dm/C Type = Dm7
  • The Ebm/C Type = Cm7b5
  • The E/C Type = Cmaj7#5
  • The Em/C Type = Cmaj7
  • The G/C Type = Cmaj9
  • The Gm/C Type = C9
  • The A/C Type = C13b9
  • The Bb/C Type = C11
  • The Bbm/C Type = Csusb9
  • The B/C Type = Cdim
  • The Bm/C Type = Cmaj9#11
Learn to play as many voicings as possible on all possible string sets.

Fragmented Chord Forms without the Root as the Bottom Note

Ultimately, you will have to free yourself from playing chords with the root as the bottom note. This can be extremely frustrating in the beginning, but you have to work on it until you can do it without even thinking much about it.

Check out the following:

To Be Continued with:

Clusters - Close and Spread

Open Position "Cowboy" Chords

Poly-Chords

Three Note Voicings

Using Open Strings

© 2004 Tomas Karlsson. All rights reserved.