Jump to content
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO ALL OUR HARMONY CENTRAL FORUMITES AND GUESTS!! ×

Best way to memorize chord forms?


Switch

Recommended Posts

  • Members
Posted

In this guitar magazine there's an interesting practise exercise, where you get a metronome going and play, for example, an A chord at the open position, then every measure you move up the fretboard to another A chord, and so on and so on.

 

My plan is to do up a chart thing of all different chord types (maj7, m7b5,aug etc) and their moveable chord shapes for each string, like root 6, root 5, root 4 and so on.

 

So I'm asking what are some other nifty chords yall'd suggest I get down? I'm talking big extensions and whatever, but they've gotta be actually something you'd use more than once.

 

Maj, min, maj7, min7, dom7, m7b5, sus2, sus4, 7sus2, 7sus4, M6, m6, maj add 9, min add 9, aug, dim... anything else?

Posted

One of the most valuable things for me has been learning all the inversions of one particular type of voicing.

The base voicing for Gm7 would be:

x
3
3
3
x
3


You can manipulate that to be maj7, dom7, m7, m7b5, and dim7 from there.


Now, taking that Gm7 chord, going up the neck to the other 3 inversions:

x
6
7
5
x
6


x
8
10
8
x
10


x
11
12
12
x
13



Taking all four of those Gm7 chords and also learning the Gmaj7, G7, Gm7b5, and Gdim7 versions is very useful.


But, the most liberating thing to me was when you take the bottom note of each chord and put it on the top E string, creating a voicing on strings 1-4. The four voicings created by this are wonderful for harmonizing melodies or adding blocked chord passages to solos. Really nailing all 4 voicings for each chord quality has really opened up alot of things on the fretbaord for me that I could do before or couldn't do as well, such as chord melody arrangements on the spot (not precomposed), and self-accompaniment when soloing.

Once you have all those basic voicings down, you can add color to them by adding 9ths, 11th, and 3ths to the chords. Generally, the 3rd or Root can be replaced with the 9th, the 3rd or 5th can be replaced with the 4th, and the 5th or the 7th can be replaced with the 13th.

I have yet to work out a nice system for strings 2-5, but that's my next study.

  • Members
Posted

I think that UNDERSTANDING is key too. Simply memorizing chord shapes will only get you so far. Whereas if you know that when you flat the 7 in any Maj7 voicing you will come up with dominant.

I guess what it all comes down to is mastering the basics. Know your key signatures, and KNOW that a Maj7 has 1357 form the key you are trying to build in. Once you KNOW that Cmaj7 has CEGB, you can build the chord anywhere you want. And in the long run knowing the theory will help you as you delve into more complex voicings and different keys.
Ex..

If I am playing Amaj7 (pick an inversion) it is a LOT simpler to know that if I flat G# to G natural (remember that the key of A has three sharps) I will have an Adom7 chord. From there flat the C# to C natural and you will have Amin7.
This is much easier in the long run then having to open a book and look up a shape that I forgot.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

I am feeling very prolific this evening.

MH

  • Members
Posted

I appreciate your help so far, but I know all the theory and whatnot behind it. Just this exercise got me thinking about how many different ways there are to play the same chord within 12 frets. And I can easily sit down and figure it out, but I want something so I can just find the root note on each string and go from there, so I've got six right there.

I guess it's about thinking up the fretboard across all 6 strings, as opposed to thinking across the fretboard. It's more of a confidence thing I guess.

Basically, I do know my theory up the yin yang, the wahzoo and to kingdom come. I just want a way to brush up my chord memory and get some cool stuff happnin, cause my single string stuff takes care of itself. And I wanna put it all on a page so I learn it when I'm writing it out. I know that, for example, to go from a maj7 to a dom7 with the root note on the 5th string, it's only a change of 1 note and a lift of the middle finger.

And I know the main basic types, maj, min, the 7th's, but I'm looking for some extended chords that you actually use a bit. Not just chords that have big names, but ones that are usefull too. As I said before, I've got the 6th's on my list, add 9's, any other little goodies you guys like?

  • Members
Posted

Oh, I got it but you could still build on the chords you know by adding a 9 or 11 13, ect...

You may want to check out Mel Bay's Deluxe Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords. It has more voicings than you will ever use in this lifetime and they are diveded into...

"Melody Chords"--usually on the top 4 strings.
"Inside Chords"-- inside the low and high E strings.
"Rhythm Chords"--Have at least one not on the low E.
"Bottom 4 string Chords"-- Self explanatory.


I still love Ronny Lee Jazz guitar Vol2 as a chord study book. You learn some great inversions and substitutions AND how and why they work.
Both great books!

MH

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...