What's in a Chord

Barkbusted

Blues Newbie
Pg. 13 describing the fingering for a C major. It says C,E & G.  C major as I have been taught would be C, E & C please explain or show the fingering for the C, E & G

Thanks
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
major chords are made up of a Triad (three notes) C, E and G are the the notes in a C chord.
A  C chord can be played in many forms or Inversions.
The mos common is what we call an Open C and it is formed by playing:


E|-----|-----|-----|  = E
B|--O--|-----|-----|  = C
G|-----|-----|-----|  = G
D|-----|--O--|-----|  = E
A|-----|-----|--O--|  = C
E|-----|-----|-----|  Note:this string can be (but usually is muted) played either open or with your small finger on the third fret.
                    String-EADGBE
BTW: an easier notation is x32010 (Starting with the low E (bass) each number is the fret to be pressed, O is open and X is muted)

A:x02220
B:x2444x
C:x32010
D:xx0232
E:022100
F:x33211
G:320001


Another thing to remember is that there is nothing wrong with playing partial chords.
For instance on a C chord, the bass player may be playing the C note, so you wouldn't necessarily have to  play the C at all and simply play the E and G portions of the chord.
 

david moon

Attempting the Blues
Pg. 13 describing the fingering for a C major. It says C,E & G.  C major as I have been taught would be C, E & C please explain or show the fingering for the C, E & G

Thanks

And who taught you that- they were wrong.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Pg. 13 describing the fingering for a C major. It says C,E & G.  C major as I have been taught would be C, E & C please explain or show the fingering for the C, E & G

Thanks

You should remember that while you are "fingering" C, E & C,
You are PLAYING C, E, G, C, E. Griff is talking about what notes are contained in a chord (in the case of a C chord: C, E, G). He is not talking about where to put your fingers.
 

JN99

Hang Fire
Pg. 13 describing the fingering for a C major. It says C,E & G.  C major as I have been taught would be C, E & C please explain or show the fingering for the C, E & G

Thanks

And who taught you that- they were wrong.

Actually it's dead on, those are the notes fingered in the std open C chord.  Mike's explanation covers it nicely, fingered notes (C-E-C) vs notes of the chord (C-E-G)
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
It does come from the open G string. You can also add the low G on the E string if you like.

      v--open G
C: x32010
or
C: 332010
 
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