Interval Functions• In any chord, each interval has a ‘job’ or ‘function’ • The root is the most fundamental part of the
chord and it gives it it’s name and ‘tone’ or pitch • The third is what makes the chord sound happy or
sad. • The fifth ‘bulks’ up the chord • The seventh adds the ‘spice’ on top of the chord
• Perfect intervals are the 4, 5 and 8 (octave). These are intervals whose frequencies divide into neat fractions.
• Perfect Intervals are considered ‘consonant’ as opposed to ‘dissonant’
Intervals (Advanced)
Note Frequency Note Frequency
A1 28 A4 220
B1 31 B4 247
C1 33 C4 262
D1 37 D4 294
E1 41 E4 330
F1 44 F4 349
G1 49 G4 392
A2 55 A5 440
B2 62 B5 494
C2 65 C5 523
D2 73 D5 587
E2 82 E5 659
F2 87 F5 698
G2 98 G5 784
A3 110 A6 880
B3 123 B6 988
C3 131 C6 1047
D3 147 D6 1175
E3 165 E6 1319
F3 175 F6 1397
G3 196 G6 1568
CG
3349
23
ROUGHWORK
• Non-perfect intervals are 2, 3, 6 and 7. They can be either a major or minor interval.
Interval Name Interval Alternate NameUnison 0 Aug Diminished Second
Minor Second Dim m2 Major
Augmented Unison
Major Second Minor M2 Aug Diminished Third
Minor Third Dim m3 Major
Augmented Second
Major Third Minor M3 Aug Diminished Fourth
Perfect Fourth Dim 4 Aug Augmented Third
Diminished Fifth/Augmented Fourth Dim Tritone Aug Diminished Fifth/Augmented Fourth
Perfect Fifth Dim 5 Aug Diminished Sixth
Minor Sixth Minor m6 Major
Augmented Fifth
Major Sixth Dim M6 Major
Diminished Seventh
Minor Seventh Minor m7 Aug Augmented Sixth
Major Seventh Minor M7 Aug Diminished Octave
Perfect Octave Dim Octave Augmented Seventh
Up One Semi-toneDown One Semi-Tone
• The term ‘Harmonic interval’ refers to two notes being played at the same time
• By contrast, the term ‘Melodic Interval’ refers to notes being played one after the other
• Simple Intervals are intervals which are no larger than one octave
Basic Chord Formulas
Name 1st Note 2nd Note 3rd Note 4th Note
Maj 1 3 5
Min 1 b3 5
Sus2 1 2 5
Sus4 1 4 5
Add9 1 3 5 9
5th 1 5
Chord Dictionary
NOTE: All root notes are lowest note in the chord unless stated otherwise
Part 1 - The Basics
Open Major Chords
A Major
C Major
D Major
E Major
G Major
B and F covered later…
Open Minor Chords
A Minor
D Minor
E Minor
Open Sus2 Chords
A Sus2
C Sus2
D Sus2
E Sus2
G Sus2
A Sus4
Open Sus4 Chords
C Sus4
D Sus4
E Sus4
G Sus4
Open add9 Chords
A add9
C add9
D add9
**Root note on: String 2, Fret 3
E add9
G add9
Barre Chords1st form Major Barre Chord
1st Form Minor Barre Chord
2nd form Major Barre Chord
2nd Form Minor Barre Chord
1st Form sus2 Barre Chord
• This chord can’t really be played as a standard Barre Chord, so we will cover it later in ‘Strat Style
Chords’
1st Form sus4 Barre Chord
2nd form sus2 Barre Chord*
2nd Form sus4 Barre Chord
1st form Major add9 Barre Chord
1st Form Minor add9 Barre Chord
F and BF Major
B Major
**Root note on: String 3, Fret 4
‘Strat Style’ ChordsMajor Triad
Minor Triad
Sus2 Triad
Sus4 Triad
Diminished ChordsA# Diminished
Note: Move a diminished Chord around by 3 frets and you’ll have the same diminished chord
F# Diminished
Tip: Move a diminished Chord around by 3 frets and you’ll have the same diminished chord. So you now know 5 positions for this chord.
Augmented ChordsG# Augmented
Note: Move an Augmented Chord around by 4 frets and you’ll have the same diminished chord
C# Augmented
Note: Move an Augmented Chord around by 4 frets and you’ll have the same diminished chord
The Number System• The number system is a way of ‘neutralising’ a key
so that all keys have commonalities. • The system uses Roman Numerals to represent
each scale degree rather than note names • It’s a good idea to know exactly where on the neck
each number lays in each key. • This can all be done from the 6th string, but it’s
good to know the number system from the 5th string too.
The Number System
I. ii. iii. IV. V. vi. vii°
Note: Large letters are Major, whereas small letters are Minor
The CAGED System• A system of playing the same chord in five
different positions around the neck (all in one octave)
• Once you learn the 5 chords, you apply them to the CAGED system, and you suddenly know 25
• Once all major chords are mastered, you can start applying the CAGED system to all types of chords ie. Major, Minor, Sus, 7th, Minor 7th etc. giving you hundreds of chords.
The CAGED System• Learn the chord shapes
1. C 2. A 3. G 4. E 5. D • Then apply them in that same order to the neck
Chord Dictionary
NOTE: All root notes are lowest note in the chord unless stated otherwise
Part 2 - The CAGED Shapes
The CAGED Shapes
C-Shape
**Root note on: String 3
A-Shape
G-Shape
**Root note on: String 3
E-Shape
D-Shape
Inversions
DEFINITION: An inversion is a chord where the lowest note is any note in that chord apart from the
root note
Inversions
• When speaking in terms of inversions, the regular way of playing a chord, with the root at the bottom, is called it’s ‘root position’
• A chord is in it’s ‘First Inversion’ if the lowest note in that chord is the 3rd of that chord
• A chord is in it’s ‘Second Inversion’ if the lowest note in that chord is the 5th of that chord
Inversions
• The ‘Third Inversion’ position happens when we are playing a 7th chord and the 7th is the lowest note
• The remaining notes can be in any order
Chord Dictionary
NOTE: All root notes are lowest note in the chord unless stated otherwise
Part 3 - Inversions
A/E
Inversion Examples
A/C#
Am/E
Am/C
C/G
C/E
Dm/F
D/F#
D/A
Dm/A
E/G#
E/B
Em/B
Em/G
F/A
F/C
G/B
G/D
The Chord ScaleVertical & Horizontal Application
• You should become aware of how to play the full chord scale horizontally and vertically
• This way you can jump from scales easily
Chord FunctionsHow different chords in the scale function
• Each chord in a key creates a kind of ‘feel’ or ‘pull. • If the chord fulfils it’s function, the progression feels
satisfying to listen to. When the chord function isn’t fulfilled, most of the time it sounds unsatisfying.
• There’s no rules however, and you could write a hit song breaking all the chord function rules in the book
• In any major scale, the fourth and seventh notes (ie. the notes that are only a half step up from another note) are the most ‘tense’ notes eg. In the key of G,, the notes C and F are the ‘unstable notes’
• The more of these two notes that a chord contains, the more unstable it will feel, and the more it will want to ‘resolve’
• This is known as Tension and Release
The Tonic 1 Chord
• This is the main Tonic chord. The one that most feels like ‘home base’
• Most songs will start and end here • Contains the stable-sounding 1, 3 and 5 note of the
scale • Labeled ‘I’ in our chord scale • There are two more secondary tonic chords
The Tonic 3 and 6 Chords• The two ‘secondary’ Tonic Chords contain the third
note of the scale, and one other note from the 1 chord. The third is the least ‘resolved’ of these three
• The third chord, labelled ‘iii’ contains the third and the fifth notes of the scale.
• The sixth chord, labelled ‘vi’ contains the third and first notes of the scale.
• Both are minor chords
The Subdominant Chord• The Subdominant Chords are the 2nd and the 4th
chords in the key. • The 2nd is labeled ‘ii’ and the 4th is labeled ‘IV’. • The two ‘subdominant’ Chords both contain one ‘tense’
note; the fourth scale degree eg. In G, the dominant’s contain the note C
• Although there are technically two subdominant chords, the IV chord is traditionally the chord people are referring to when they say the Subdominant
The Dominant Chord• The Dominant Chords are the 5th and the 7th chords in
the key. • The 5th is labeled ‘V’ and the 7th is labeled ‘vii˚’. • Both Dominant Chords contain both ‘tense’ notes eg. In
G, these chords contain the notes C and F • They create the most tension, or ’pull’ to resolve • Although there are technically two dominant chords, the
V chord is used much more often than the vii˚ so is the chord people are referring to when they say Dominant.