How to understand chords on a guitar

[AlexanderAliganga]

I’m looking for a book that would show you where the flat 3rd or the flat 7th of a chord on the gutar. When Griff talks about this is the 3rd of the chord or this is the 7th of the chord I don’t understand how he finds it. I thought I knew but I don’t. Is there anything out there that would clear that up for me?

 

[ervjohns]

Griff has a theory course and one of the sections deals with chord construction. Also there is probably stuff on YouTube or google that would explain it.

 

[snarf]

To me, your question is a tough one to answer because it's more of concept than it is somewhere that you can point to on the fretboard. You want to know the b7. The b7 of what chord?

Are you currently going through the GTMU course? Not trying to be snarky with the question, but that concept is in there. They key is knowing the notes on the fretboard (I think Griff has this in several of his courses). What you need to do is take a look at the concept in Lesson 3 (the whole step, whole step, half step lesson) and do that exercise. Using the first answer, you should have written

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

Then go back and write the numbers 1-7 over the top of those, like this.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8/1
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Then it just turns into a matter of applying that lesson to the chord shapes against the notes on the fret board. You're playing a cowboy chord for C. You're playing a C, E, and G, so you're playing the 1, 3, and 5. You want to add a b7? If you don't know it off the top off your head, look at your chart. 7 is above B, so a b7 is going to be Bb. Now where is Bb in the scale on the fret board? That's where the notes on the fretboard come into play. Now plug that note into your chord.

Then it's just becoming familiar enough with the chord shapes to know where the root is. Once you know the root, you just do the whole step/half step dance (GTMU Lesson 3) and then work it from there. Or, if you're playing that C-chord shape, that b7 note is always going to be in the same spot relative to the root.

 

[tommytubetone]

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fretboard.../12-48/423961870-fretboard_interval_chart.jpg

 

[AlexanderAliganga]

Thanks so much you guys for your suggestions. I’ll write down what snarf suggested and look through the internet. I’m like everyone trying to get good at playing guitar and for me being good enough to jam with other musicians. Thanks again
Alexander

 

[AlexanderAliganga]

Also thank you as well to tommy tube stone and evrjohns for your input.
Alexander

 

[MikeS]

I’m looking for a book that would show you where the flat 3rd or the flat 7th of a chord on the gutar. When Griff talks about this is the 3rd of the chord or this is the 7th of the chord I don’t understand how he finds it. I thought I knew but I don’t. Is there anything out there that would clear that up for me?

He know it because:
-he knows what notes make up a chord (Theory)
-He knows where those note are on his guitar (Gotta learn the notes on the neck)

If you don't already know the above, then it's gonna be hard to understand where the 3rds and 7ths are.

I'm not knocking your knowledge. I have a hard time with those two items too.
It's one of those "pull up your pants and do the work " kind of things.
I hate work...

 

[Al Holloway]

I hate work...

I love work......I could watch it all day long

cheers

Al.

 

[Paleo]

I’m looking for a book that would show you where the flat 3rd or the flat 7th of a chord on the gutar

While you will eventually want to be able to find any scale degree/chord tone on your own, Griff's "CAGED Unleashed" course will show you where the 3rds and 7ths are in most of the chord shapes you will ever need.

 

[AlexanderAliganga]

Thank you I’ll check that out.
Alexander

 

[JohnHurley]

Another suggestion ( not as good as snarf and mike and paleo though dang you have the geniuses all volleying in here ) is to get some empty fretboard paper diagrams and then make copies.

Write down all the notes on each string.

Do it again ... again ...

Then do it the next day ... etc

Supplement playing exercises with writing ones from time to time maybe.

 

[AlexanderAliganga]

Thank you John hurley everyone has been so helpful that’s a good exercise to do. Thank you again for the advice

 

[david moon]

Well I'm in the "relativist" camp. On guitar we have many "movable" chord and scale shapes so it is important to know where the intervals are, relative to the root. If you know where the 3rd or flat 7 is relative to a root on the 6th string, you don't really need to know the note names. Not to say you shouldn't know them, but if someone asks to transpose from key of A to key of B just move everyting up 2 frets.

Same applies to chords and scales with root on the 5th string.

I also play charted music in theater. I still take the same approach- what is the key signature? OK, now I know the key. The charted notes will be in the major scale or whatever but still viewing them as patterns around the root, not just arbitrary notes

 

[Elio]

I’m looking for a book that would show you where the flat 3rd or the flat 7th of a chord on the gutar. When Griff talks about this is the 3rd of the chord or this is the 7th of the chord I don’t understand how he finds it. I thought I knew but I don’t. Is there anything out there that would clear that up for me?

If you know how to construct a major scale you can figure out the intervals by finding and starting with these root note and counting out the remaining notes that make up the scale and the chord. You don't technically need to know the names of the actual notes to do that, although there is a lot of benefit to learning them.

With that said, there is a difference between knowing how to do it and thinking in those terms most of the time. I have to really push myself to do it, which isn't terribly often.

The best approach I can think if ids to get the basics of music theory under your belt with Guitar Theory Made Easy.

 

[david moon]

Not to beat it to death, but if you know, say, a Bm chord barred at the second fret, well it is an Am shape with the barre replacing the nut. And you can move that chord anywhere as long as you know that the root is on the 5th string. Put the barre on third fret, it will be Cmin, etc. Well you will need to know the notes of the scale and where they are found on the 6th and 5th strings.

Wherever you play that barred Am shape, the root is on the 5th string. (Don't play the 6th string- it is a chord tone but just muddies things up.) The 4th string is the 5 of the chord. The third string is an octave of the root. The 2nd string is a flat 3 (which is what makes it minor). The first string is an octave of the 5.

If you want a minor 7 chord, you need to find a flat 7 (relative to the root) somewhere. One way is lift your finger on the third string and let the barred note sound. It is 2 frets down from the root. Or fret 3 trets up from the barre on the first string. Same note an octave higher.

That's just how I look at it.

 

[AlexanderAliganga]

Thanks David and Elio and hangman,
All that information really helped me out. When I’m not working so much I really want to dig in to this and look up that book “guitar theory made easy “ thanks again
Alexander

 

[Elio]

Thanks David and Elio and hangman,
All that information really helped me out. When I’m not working so much I really want to dig in to this and look up that book “guitar theory made easy “ thanks again
Alexander

no

Guitar Theory Made Easy is actually one of Griff's courses. If you subscribe to all access, you can start working on it any time.

EDIT: Oops, I mean Guitar Theory Made *Useful*. -- I should know given that I have the course.

 

[dvs]

Guitar Theory Made Useful is what Griff's course is called. (He does make it seem easy, but I think somebody else already used that name.)

 

[Paleo]

Actually it's "Guitar Theory Made Useful (And Easy)"

He explains how music "works".

How to build scales from notes, chords from scales, progressions from chords,etc.

None of this is specific to the guitar.

But he leaves out most of the theory the average guitarist doesn't need to know.

He does not show you where things are on the guitar. For most of the lessons you won't even see him.

(He does demonstrate fingerings for the Major Scale, its Modes and the 3 "Minor" scales.)

Once you learn how the notes are laid out on the neck in Standard Tuning*, you can then use the scale and chord formulas you learn in this course to find any scale degree or chord tone on your own.

"CAGED Unleashed" will show you where these things are on the guitar.

"Guitar Theory Made Useful (And Easy)" will explain "why".



*Courses with Griff's "learning notes on the guitar" lesson:

Soloing Without Scales, Lesson 6
Acoustic Blues Unleashed, Lesson 3
Classic Rock Guitar Unleashed, Lesson 10

This video, from the original "Soloing Without Scales", can be found online at:

https://bluesguitarunleashed.com/learning-note-names/comment-page-2/

 

[Walt H]

"CAGED Unleashed" will show you where these things are on the guitar.

CAGED unleashed is not a sexy course. It is quite labor intensive, you have to put in some serious work. However, once you do the work your exact questions and many others will be answered. I am currently working my way through CAGED and it is fantastic imo. I am beginning to see the fretboard in a whole new light which I find to be very sexy...so maybe it is actually a sexy course