Exploring chords on the guitar

Without harmony, there is no music.
The more you understand harmony and chords, the better your playing will sound. Understanding chords makes learning tunes, melodies, improvising and licks much easier. How do we get this understanding? Exploring, playing and tinkering with chords. Just reading about chords won't do it. Plus, how much fun is reading compared to playing?

The V7-I progression
This progression is vital to today's music. Learning just this one simple progression launches you toward a mastery of music. Covered in Lesson 7753-6.

The "sweet note"
The "sweet note" of a chord is its third. It makes a chord basically happy (major) or sad (minor). Changing just one chord's sweet note can affect the whole mood of a tune. Master your mood by studying the third in Lesson 7753-6.

The forbidden interval
The tritone interval sounds so unstable, it was banned from being played in the Middle Ages. Learn this vital part of the music you enjoy and play in Lesson 7753-6.

Strongest interval
What do Amazing Grace and the beginning of the theme to Star Wars have in common? The interval of a fourth. The strongest chord progression, the V-I, also uses it. When you understand and use it, your playing grows stronger. See Lesson 7753-6.

Roman numerals
Roman numerals are used frequently in lessons on chords and harmony. Without understanding how they're used, you won't understand lessons that contain them. Lesson 7753-6 shows how to read them.

Key centers
Key centers are the "home base" for a section of music. Each key center is a central tone that other tones are drawn to. The ii-V-I progression fully creates a new key center. Once you grasp this idea, you learn new songs fast, because they are no longer collections of isolated chords, but a flowing network of key centers. Explore the ii-V-I in Lesson 7753-6.

Chords from thirds
Most chords are built from notes in a certain way -- in thirds, which give the chord a defined sound and clear feeling. By exploring this topic, your fingers will begin to automatically choose fewer wrong chords and more of the right ones. See Lesson 7753-6.

Practicing in several keys
Practicing any lick, chord or other musical fragment in just one key enslaves your mind, fingers and ears to that key. Free yourself by practicing in other keys. Lesson 7753-6 can assist you.

Arpeggios
Melodies would not exist without arpeggios, which are the notes in a chord. Studying arpeggios is an easy way to sound musical.

Solos
Sweet solos are often built heavily on chord tones. Improve your solos by studying chord tones.

Connect arpeggio and chord patterns
Learning the fretboard is much easier when you see connections among patterns for arpeggios and chords. Start connecting those patterns with Lesson 7753-6, which has an intro to Chord Melody playing.

Simplify chord names
Some chords look strange and difficult on paper. But learning a song from notation becomes easy when you realize that "C6/9" is really just a C major chord. Learn how to simplify other chord names with Lesson 7753-6.

Chord Exploring: Essential information on harmony for the developing guitarist. This is an all-digital series of three lessons you can download for study now. Lessons are valued at over $45 for the price of $4.49 (based on cost of a guitar lesson). Fully refundable if you're not satisfied. 6,000 words, equivalent of 19 printed pages. Lesson No. 7753-6.

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Recommended skill level

Guitarists who have been playing for three months or more and know some songs will benefit most from this lesson.

Contents

Lesson 1

• Vital progression: V7 to I
• The Sweet note
• The forbidden interval
• Powerful chord movement: up a fourth
• All fourths progression
• Explanation of Roman numerals
• Practicing the V7-I

Lesson 2

• The indispensable ii-V-I
• Why chords are built in thirds
• Practicing ii-V7

Lesson 3

• Arpeggios
• Chord patterns
• Arpeggios in soloing
• Simplifying chord names
• Chord melody intro: How to practice arpeggios

"I have just started reading the "Chord Exploring" articles and want to say how well they're written. They have been informative and interesting. Keep up the great work.

Thanks."

Stuart Carson, North Carolina

Guitar Chords Daily Tips

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“Recognizing the ii-V-I progression by ear will help you figure out tunes you don't have the tab for. When you hear a new key occur in a piece of music, chances are it's part of a ii-V7-I or some variation of it. Knowing that lets you work out a song's chords much quicker.”
(From Guitar Chords, pg. 18, "The ii-V-I")

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Guitar Chords (GC) builds your chops and helps you identify harmonies by ear. GC teaches you chord substitution; Jazz, Rock and Blues progressions; transposing songs; harmonizing melodies; fingerpicking, alternating bass, arpeggios, and much more.