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How to Tune Your Guitar in DADGAD and 8 Awesome Things to Play

Apr 1, 2019

In this lesson, we are going to learn how to tune your guitar in DADGAD and how to play 5 awesome, musical ideas with this tuning.

To tune your guitar in DADGAD lower the 6th string E a whole-step down to a D, the 2nd string B a whole-step down to A, and the 1st string a whole-step down to a D. Keep the 5th, 4th, and 3rd string in standard tuning.

It will take a little bit of time for the guitar to remain tuned. The strings you lowered wants to go back to their previous note so the 6th, 2nd, and 1st string will sound slightly sharp for a while. Just keep tuning until the strings stabilize.

The DADGAD tuning is one of the most popular alternate tunings on guitar. It was popularized by Irish players who used it to strum chords. Over the past years, it became more and more popular in modern fingerpicking playing.

Today we are going to explore musical ideas in DADGAD and how to get started with this awesome alternate tuning.

You will learn:

What’s the DADGAD tuning?
Is DADGAD better than standard tuning?
Example 1. Your first chord shape in DADGAD.
Example 2. How to play scales in DADGAD?
Example 3. C major chord progression in DADGAD.
Example 4. D minor chord progression in DADGAD.
Example 5. D major chord progression in DADGAD.
Example 6. Strumming vs. fingerpicking.
Example 7. Awesome licks in DADGAD.
Example 8. Common chords in DADGAD.

What’s the DADGAD tuning?

The DADGAD tuning can be considered an altered version of the open D tuning. The difference between “Open D” and DADGAD is that the “Open D” is tuned with DADF#AD, which is, in essence, a D major chord.

The “Open D” isn’t different than playing an E major chord a whole-step down, played with the open strings. This alternate tuning was used a lot by Joni Mitchell in songs such as “The Magdalene Laundries” and “Cherokee Louise.”

It’s a great alternate tuning, but it’s also really limiting if you want to play in minor keys.

It was Davey Graham, a British guitar player, that introduced the DADGAD tuning to the world in 1964. As Tony McManus explained in one of his video “Davey Graham came up with a brilliant idea which was “Forget about the 3rd and tune this up to a perfect 4th”. The DADGAD tuning was born.

Check the difference between Open D and DADGAD below.

Is DADGAD Better than Standard Tuning?

With the DADGAD tuning, you can play a Dsus4 chord by strumming the open strings, so it does favor specific keys above others.

Check the difference between standard tuning and DADGAD tuning in the picture below.

When the guitar is in standard tuning, the open strings sound harsher. The chord you would play with the open string is an Em11 chord which doesn’t sound good at all. However, with the DADGAD tuning, you will be able to play a beautiful chord by simply strumming the open strings.

Listen to the difference between the standard and DADGAD.

Standard tuning vs. DADGAD tuning.

So, is DADGAD better than standard tuning? Well, I don’t know the answer to be honest. I think you can write beautiful music with both of them. With DADGAD you will be more likely to play music in D major and D minor but also G major, E minor, and even Bb major. The standard tuning is more versatile and, probably, easier to learn the basics.

I hope this lesson will help you figure out if you like DADGAD tuning.

Example.1 – Your First Chord Shape in DADGAD

In the first exercise, we are going to explore simple chord shapes in DADGAD that can be played with one finger only.

It’s almost inevitable to play extended chords. Even a simple D chord, will become a Dsus4 in DADGAD. For this reason, I wouldn’t worry too much about which type of chord you are playing. Instead, focus on the shape and sound of the chord.

You can learn the chord shape by checking the chord diagram below. Either strum or pluck the strings to your preference.

Once you familiarize yourself with the chords, learn the chord progression played with the fingerpicking.

Example.2 – How to Play Scales in DADGAD

Scales are a big part of playing in DADGAD.

The reasons why I love playing scales in this tuning is because of the interval between the 3rd and 2nd string. There is a whole-step interval between the G and A string, which makes it easy to reorganize the scales effortlessly.

This is a D major scale played in Standard tuning.

You can play the same D major scale in DADGAD which looks and sound completely different. Notice how symmetrical the scale looks like with the fingers always in the same fret. Also, over-ringing makes the scale more melodic, rhythmic, and beautiful.

We can easily transform the scale into a beautiful melody. Let me show you a straightforward melody played with the D major scale.

Example 3. C Major Chord Progression in DADGAD

Let me show you a beautiful chord progression in C major played in DADGAD.

When you use alternate tuning, it’s vital to experiment with different keys and chord shapes so that you don’t end up always playing the same music.

The question is, “Does C major key sound good in DADGAD tuning?” Yes indeed!

In this example, we are going to play the same chord progression in two different ways — the first time with simple triads and the second time with extended chords.

The chord progression goes as follows: C | G | Am | F.

This is how you play the basic chords in C major.

Now, playing basic chords in DADGAD isn’t exciting. We can use the alternate tuning to spice up the chord progression easily and transform the basic chords into extended chords.

Now the chords have changed into Cadd9 | G | Am(add11) | Fadd9(6) which is indeed an insanely beautiful chord progression.

This is how we play the chords.

Example 4. D minor chord progression in DADGAD

The D minor is one of my favorite keys on guitar. One of the things that I like a lot about playing in DADGAD is to have a deeper bass note on the low E string. Tuning the E string down to D makes the guitar deeper, heavier, e more dynamic.

In this example, the chord progression goes as follows: Dm | Cadd9 | Bbmaj7 | Cadd9.

Now, in an open tuning such as this one you wouldn’t expect a chord like Bb to sound good at all. I was really surprised when I hit this chord and realized how beautiful it was.

The chord progression is played with the fingerpicking technique. Again, guys, fingerstyle makes it easy to create simple chord progressions.

Follow the tab below.

Example 5. D Major Chord Progression in DADGAD

Chords in D major sound awesome in DADGAD. There is also a lot of material online showing you examples in D major.

So, why should I show examples in such an exploited key?

The reason for this is “Parallel lines.” In D major key the DADGAD tuning offers you a lot of horizontal harmonic and melodic possibilities that we must explore.

The “Parallel lines” are only possible in D major key because of the Dsus4 chord that this tuning offer.

Just think about it. Any note of the D major scale sounds good in D major. If in DADGAD I can strum a Dsus4 with jus the open strings, adding a note of the D major scale in any fret or position will not change the sound of the open string.

Let me give you a practical example.

Learn the D major scale on the D string just like shown in the diagram below.

Now, strum all the strings. For each strum, change the note of the scale.

I don’t know you, but I can’t hear a lot of difference.

But if I decide to emphasize the movement with more notes and rhythm, then I can create beautiful sounding “Parallel lines” which are both rhythmic and melodic.

This is an example with the same notes on the D string.

You could also take it up a notch and create a melody out of the scale using the “Parallel lines.”

One of the greatest points of playing in DADGAD is that you want to take advantage of the open strings to create unusual melodies and rhythmically interesting patterns that are only possible with this alternate tuning.

Example 6. Strumming vs. Fingerpicking

One of the questions I get asked a lot is whether or not DADGAD works better with strumming or fingerpicking technique.

But why would people think that there is a better way at all?

Both strumming and fingerpicking are great guitar techniques that allow you to express yourself in different ways. With a versatile tuning such as the DADGAD, it would be a mistake to ditch one of the two techniques.

If you’ve never played fingerstyle before, I recommend that you start right now with the DADGAD tuning.

Let me show you a simple example of a chord progression and melody played in fingerstyle.

Quick Note! With the fingerpicking technique, we can single out some of the notes of the chord and treat them like a melody.

The strumming is more intuitive and straightforward, and it works magically for rhythm and chords.

I find that rhythms in six work better with this tuning, probably because they are used in Irish music from which the DADGAD tuning gets its inspiration from.

This is a simple example of a strumming rhythm in six plays with beautiful open chords.

Example 7. Awesome Guitar Licks in DADGAD

Let me show you some of the most common licks, fingerpicking phrases, and common melodic ideas in DADGAD.

There are many guitar licks that you can play in this tuning. Some of them take advantage of the symmetrical shapes that this tuning offers.

Let’s explore three different licks in DADGAD

Lick #1 – The Fret 2 And 4 Rule

This is a lick in D major played in the first position of the neck.

In DADGAD everything you play on fret two and four sounds awesome. If you also add the open strings, it becomes simple to write beautiful licks.

Lick #2 – The Pedal Tone

In the next example, we are going to play a melody on one string using the pull-off technique.

Open tuning makes it easy to create licks like this one where the melody is played on one string only while we keep the same bass note. This technique is called “Pedal tone,” which is a technique in which we follow the same bass note throughout while playing different chords on the top strings.

This is how it sounds.

Lick #3 – The Rock

This lick is a riff in D minor played on the 6th, 5th, and 4th string.

I like to play this riff with a guitar pick or the “Percussive thumb technique.” Each note is played with a downstroke or by striking the strings with the side of the thumb. With both techniques, you can easily create a very percussive sound which is perfect for creating rhythmic, heavy, and Rock acoustic riffs like this one.

Here is how you play it.

8. Common Chords in DADGAD

Let’s talk about the most common chords in DADGAD and how to play them. We already explored a few options in D minor, C major, and D minor key but there are a ton of chords that you can play in this tuning.

We will narrow it down to 10 different chords. There is an example for each chord so that you can hear how it sounds with other chords too.

Make sure you learn one chord at a time before writing your ideas.

Chord #1 – Am(add11)

This is one of my favorite chord in both standard tuning and DADGAD.

The reasons why I love this chord so much is because of how easily it’s played. The Am(add11) must be performed without the 6th string so if you strum the chord, mute the 6th string with the left-hand thumb.

We can use the Am(add11) chord in the A minor key along with the C major, G major, F major, E minor, and D minor chord.

This is the chord diagram

The chord progression goes as follows: Am(add11) | Cadd9 | Dm | F6 |

Chord #2 – D major

Indeed the most common chord in DADGAD the D major chord opens up a lot of harmonically interesting chords.

In this chord progression, we are going to play a chord progression using the same chord shape with a different bass note. This is a fascinating approach that works perfectly in DADGAD.

This is the chord diagram

Let me show you how we can use this chord to create an amazing and simple chord progression.

Chord #3 – Bbmaj7(6)

One of my favorite chord in DADGAD, the Bbmaj7(6) can be easily played by fretting the 6th and 5th string on fret 8. Strum all the strings and enjoy this awesome chord.

This shape works perfectly in D minor key. Use it in a chord progression such as D major| Bbmaj7(6) |

This is the chord diagram.

This is the musical example.

Chord #4 – Aadd11

Let me show you another awesome chord shape that can be easily transposed up and down the fretboard.

The Aadd11 can be easily played by pressing down the 7th fret on the D string and the 6th fret on the G string. You can then move this chord in different positions as shown in the example below.

Chord #5 – Em(add11)

What a great chord! The Em(add11) is both easy to play and beautiful.

You can incorporate this chord in any chord progression in G major or E minor key, as well as D major or B minor key.

I love the sound of the Em(add11) in DADGAD tuning because it resonates more than if the chord was played in Standard tuning.

Just think about an A major chord shape played on the 6th, 5th, and 4th string plus the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st string open. This chord can be played with strumming or fingerstyle.

Check the example below to learn the chord shape.

Let’s Wrap This Up

As you were able to see the DADGAD tuning is one of the most awesome alternate tunings on guitar. There are so many chord shapes and melodies that can be played with this tuning that it feels overwhelming sometimes.

Learn the examples in this lesson before writing your chord progressions and melodies.

Take things step-by-step and have fun along the process.

Good luck with this lesson.

Marco.

Beautiful Chord Progression on Electric Guitar … And How to Play it

Mar 31, 2019

Hey guys, welcome back to another guitar lesson. Today I want to show you how to play a beautiful chord progression on electric guitar in E minor key.

One of the things that I like a lot about the electric guitar is the fact that we can embellish chords melodically and rhythmically. Hendrix first introduced this way of playing chords in songs such as Little Wings and Purple Haze but it was then used in many different styles of music.

In this lesson, I am going to show you my take on these chords and how I like to them melodically and rhythmically.

We will learn:

1. The chord progression.
2. How to strum the strings.
3. How to embellish the chords.
4. Lear the B section of the song.

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Tab Here

1.The Chord Progression

This chord progression is played in E minor key.

We are playing an E minor chord, D major, and C major chord. Each chord can be performed in its basic bar chord form.

Play the E minor chord with 5th string fret 7, 4th and 3rd string fret 9, 2nd string fret 8, and top E string fret 7 with the bar chord. The D major can be played with the 5th string fret 5 and 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string fret 7. I use the little finger to bar three strings, but you can play it using the ring finger. The C major has the same shape as the D major chord starting from the fret 3.

Also, play a G and D/F#.

2.How to Strum the Strings

The most challenging part about playing this chord progression is the strumming.

When I play the chords, I always single out some of the notes of the chord. For example, when I play the E minor chord, I would strum the low E string followed by the rest of the strings. I will also strum upwards only on the top two strings.

This type of strumming technique also occurs on the D major and C major. For the D major play the root note first then strum the rest of the chord. Don’t bother about the top E string; the left-hand finger mutes it. You can do the same for the C major.

This approach can be quite difficult depending on your level. Spend a little bit of time practicing the chords just like shown in this section before moving on to the actual guitar part.

3. How to Embellish the Chords

Now that you learned the chords and the basic strumming, it’s time to learn how to embellish the chords.

For the E minor chord, start by playing the low E string followed by the E minor chord. Strum the bar chord on fret 7 and quickly hammer the fret 9 on the G string and the fret 8 on the B string. Then, pluck the top two strings with an upstroke.

We can still add more notes on the E minor chord. Just play the G string fret 7 and B string fret 8 together followed by a hammer-on on the G string fret 9. Go back to fret 7 with a pull-off and then play the fret 9 and 7 on the D string.

The next chord is the D major. Play the bass note, then strum the chord. Slide the fingers from the fret 5 to fret 7, hammer the fret 9 and play the 4th and 3rd string fret 7 with a bar chord. Only play the two strings and add a wide vibrato. Keep the bar chord down and play the chord again, add a hammer-on on the D string fret 9, then go back to the fret 7 with a pull-off. On the A string play the fret 8 and 7.

You can play the same thing on the C major chord. The only difference would the last four notes which are played on fret 5 and 7 on both D and A string.

The last two chords, the G and D/F# are pretty simple. Just strum the G chord and the D/F# follow by a riff on the low E string fret 5 and 7, the A string fret 5, and back to the low E string open.

Repeat the same thing.

4. Learn the B Section of the Song

There is also a B section which is played with the same chords in a different order.

We will start by play the C major one time followed by the single notes on the A string fret 5 and hammer-on on fret 7. Play the 4th, and 3rd string fret 5 as well. Do the same for the D major chord.

Play the E minor twice. Start with the bar only and hammer the fret 9 and 8 just like we learned. Then play another upstroke with the bar chord only followed by the D major and C major. After you play the C major embellish the chord with the same hammer-on.

Start the chord progression again and play the C, the D, and the G major chord.

You can then go back playing the E minor, D and C major chord followed by the G/B (2, 5, 3), the A minor chord and the G major chord.

Let’s Wrap This Up

I love to spice up chords by using the Hendrix style chords.

The chord progression can be quite challenging so take things step-by-step and follow the four steps shown in this lesson.

Once you feel confident, use these chords for other chord progressions.

Good luck!

Marco

Guitar Lesson: How to Write a Simple Melody on Guitar – Three Steps

Mar 28, 2019

Hey guys, today I am going to show you how to write a simple melody on guitar. We are going to learn the three essential steps to writing a melody.

Step 1. Find a good chord progression.
Step 2. Learn the scale.
Step 3. Shape the melody.

To write a melody on the guitar the harmony, melody, and rhythm must work perfectly together. Use at least two chords, then select some of the notes from the scale to come up with a melody that best describes your music idea.

It isn’t as simple as it sounds so in this lesson we are going to work on each step with practical examples so that you have an idea of how it’s done.

The example is in C major key, and the chord progression is C | G | Dm | Am |. The chords are played in different positions on the neck. You can try the exercise with just two chords and add more when you feel ready.

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Tab Here

Step 1. Find a Good Chord Progression

It’s evident that beautiful chords will inspire you more than boring chords. For this reason, I recommend that you write a good chord progression that gives you goosebumps.

In this exercise, we are going to play a chord progression in C major key. The chords are C – G – Dm – Am.

Each chord is played in a slightly different way than the shapes you probably know. I am playing some extended chords.

The C major chord becomes a Cadd11 chord played with the A string fret 3, G string open, B string fret 6, and E string open. It’s a beautiful chord that already sounds like a melody.

The G major chord becomes a G6, with the low E string fret 3 (I am using the 1st finger). The G string open, B string fret 3 (with the 2nd finger), and the E string open.

The D minor chord becomes a Dm(add9) chord played with the D string open, the G string fret 7, B string fret 6, and E string open.

The last chord, the A minor becomes a beautiful Am(add11) chord with the A string open, G string fret 5, B string fret 3, and the E string open.

What’s the Fingerpicking Pattern?

The fingerpicking pattern is fundamental when you play extended chords with open strings. The remarkable thing about fingerstyle technique is that it allows you to single out some of the notes of the chord and only play the strings that you prefer.

Assign a finger to each string. The thumb always on the bass notes, index on the G string, middle on the B string, and the ring finger on the E string.

If you want to easily memorize the fingerpicking pattern, quickly learn the name of the fingers.

Thumb – letter “P.”
Index – letter “i”
Middle – letter “m”
Ring – letter “a.”

For the Cadd11 pluck, the strings with P i m a. Repeat the pattern four times.

For G6 the pattern will be P i a m.

For the Dm(add9) play a P i m a, and do the same with the Am(add11).

Step 2. Learn the Scale

The scale is an essential melodic tool you’ll ever learn. Why? Because the notes of the melody come from the scale.

In this example, we are playing a chord progression in C major key. Therefore we need to learn the C major scale.

Quick Note! Not all the melodies use this key principle. Sometimes it’s possible to write melodies using other scales that don’t relate to the key at all.

The notes of the C major scale C D E F G A B C.

The trick is to learn the scale around the chord we are playing so if I am playing the Cadd11 chord using this shape, then I will learn the C major scale in this box.

For example, in this case, the scale starts from the note C, fret five on the G string, and it’s played up until the note A. The scale will then be C D E F G A. I am playing the note E open.

We can also use the open strings. For the G6, I am playing the scale starting from the note C. This position is more stretchy so take it step-by-step.

On the Dm(add9) I am going to play the scale C D E F G A B C starting from the note C on the G string fret 5.

For the Am(add11) I will go back to the same box played for the Cadd11 this time starting from the note C.

Step 3. Shape the Melody

Once you familiarize yourself with the notes of the scale, you can then begin shaping the melody.

How can you write a simple melody?

I wouldn’t start with the melody right away. Instead, play the chord twice. On the next count, play the bass note followed by the melody.

Out of all the notes of the box, I will only select four notes, the G, A, E, and D. I finish on the note D because it’s part of the G6 chord.

I would then play the G major twice followed by the melody. For this chord, I am only playing three notes and slide into the F on the B string fret 6, which is the minor 3rd of the D minor chord. I will play another four notes on this chord, the A, G, F, and E.

The last chord is the A minor which I will learn as we learned it.

Quick Tip! Make the last chord conclusive. It will make the structure clear (for you and the audience).

Try With Different Chord Progression

We can then use the same principle to write a different melody.

In this example we developing the melody on the F major chord, then C major, D minor, and A minor. Notice how the melody is always played with the notes of the C major scale and in the same position of the chord.

Let’s Wrap This Up

I hope you enjoyed this guitar lesson guys.

There are a few important points you should always remember when writing a good melody.

1. Always start with the chord progression. Make it simple and musical.
2. Learn the notes of the scale around the chord shapes. Use open strings if you can.
3. Shape the melody according to the music you play.

Good luck.

Marco

Learn more about how to practice scales on guitar in the next article.

Next Lesson: How to Practice Scales on Guitar.

Check Now!

8 Beautiful C Major Chord Shapes on Guitar … and How to Use Them

Mar 27, 2019

One of the fantastic thing about guitar chords is that we can play them in different shapes and positions of the neck. Every major, minor, or extended chord can be played in different inversions. If we also add the set of strings in which the chord can be played, the combinations become countless.

But how can we play beautiful chords on the guitar and how can we progress from simple chords to more advanced chord shapes?

The C major is a chord played with the notes C, E, and G. On guitar, this chord it’s played by pressing the third fret on the A string, the second fret on the D string, and the first fret on the B string.

In this guitar lesson, I am going to show you how to play 8 beautiful C major chord shapes on guitar and how to use each shape in different chord progressions.

The best way to learn new chords is to put them into practice. You should always avoid learning more than one or two chords per session. Your brain (and fingers), only have enough space to memorize a few things at a time.

You are better off learning one chord shape and play it in five different chord progressions then learning five different chords at a time.

We will learn:

What’s a C major chord.
1. The most simple C major shape for beginners.
2. The Cadd9 chord.
3. Csus2 and Csus4.
4. The Cmaj7 chord.
5. The Cadd11 chord.
6. The C major over E (C/E).
7. The Cmaj9 chord.
8. The C major played with the 153 interval structure.

What’s a C Major Chord

The C major chord is a basic chord played with the root note, major 3rd, and perfect 5th. When you put together the notes C, E, and G you are playing a C major chord.

Just like any other chord in music, a basic chord is also called “Triad.” A triad is the most simple chord we have in music and consist of the Root note, 3rd, and 5th degree of the scale.

If you know how to play basic chords such as C major, G major, A minor, E minor, etc., then you know how to play triads.

The reasons why it is so important to learn the notes of the C major chord is because as we progress with this lesson, you will also learn extended chords such as Cadd9, Cmaj7, Csus2, etc. These chords have the same interval structure of a basic chord (or triad) played with root, 3rd, and 5th but with additional notes such as 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, sus2, sus4, and 6th.

We will talk more about extended through the lesson.

QUICK TIP! You can skip the music theory stuff if you want and learn the chord shapes and the exercises only. Don’t feel like you have to know the theory behind each chord; you don’t have to.

1.The Most Simple C Major Shape for Beginners

The most simple chord shape for beginners is the one played with two fingers only.

The reasons why we start with such a simple shape is to show you how to simplify and model the chords based off of your level.

This chord is played with the root note only.

This chord is only possible if you use the fingerpicking technique.

Pluck the A and B string with thumb and index finger. Feel the stretch between the fingers and adjust the left-hand thumb.

Once you are good with the chord, add the G and top E string.

The fingerstyle pattern is straightforward and should be played as evenly as possible.

Learn more about how to pluck the strings correctly in this article I wrote a while back.

2.The Cadd9 Chord

The first variation of the C major chord is called “the Cadd9 chord”. In the Cadd9 chord, we are adding a note to the chord, the 9th. This chord belongs to a chord family called “Extended chords,” which are chords played with, well, extended notes on top of the basic triads.

The Cadd9 chord is played with the note C, E, G, and D (Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 9th).

The Cadd9 Chord Shape

Learn how to play the Cadd9 chord by following the chord diagram below. Lower the left-hand thumb so that you can easily stretch the fingers.

Chord Progression with the Cadd9 Chord

In this simple example, I am going to show you how to implement the Cadd9 chord in a simple chord progression.

The exercise is played with the fingerstyle technique. The reasons why we prioritize the fingerpicking technique over the strumming technique is because with fingerstyle you can single out some of the notes of the chord and make it simple for the left-hand to handle the chord change.

The remarkable thing about the Cadd9 chord is that that it can be quickly moved in different positions of the neck.

This is the chord progression: Cadd9 – Em(add9) – Fadd9 – Gsus4.

Notice how the Cadd9, Em(add9), and the Fadd9 share the same chord shape.

3.Csus2 and Csus4

The second C major variation is called “Csus2” and “Csus4” chord.

Quick Music Theory Lesson: The “Sus” chords are suspended chords played without major or minor 3rd. They are called suspended because without the 3rd the chord is neither major or minor.

Here is how we play the Csus2 and Csus4 chord.

The C major is played with the notes C, E, and G.

To play the C sus2, lower the 3rd down to the 4trh and play the chord with only C, E, and G.
To play the Csus4, raise the 3rd to the 4th and play the chord with only C, F, and G.

What’s the Difference Between the Csus2 and the Cadd9

A lot of beginners get confused between the Csus2 and Cadd9 chord as they are both played with the note D.

The 2nd and 9th is the same note. The D is the second note of the C major scale but also the 9th played one octave higher.

So why these two chords have different names?

The difference between the Csus2 and the Cadd9 is that

The Csus2 is a chord played without the 3rd, hence C D G.
The Cadd9 is played with both 3rd and 9th, C E G D.

REMEMBER: Suspended chords are chords without the 3rd.

The Csus2 and Csus4 Chord Shape

Let me show you the two chord shapes we are going to learn for the Csus2 and Csus4 chord.

In this example, we are going to combine both chords in one chord progression.

The chords are played with the fingerstyle technique.

Chord Progression with the Csus2 and Csus4 chord

In this exercise, we are going to combine both Csus2 and Csus4 chord.

The chord progression goes like this: Csus4 – C | Em | Csus2 – C | Em |.

I am changing the chord voicing a lot so that you can get an idea of how to use the suspended chords in a chord progression. Because of their “Suspended” sound, the sus chords work perfectly in chord progressions where the voicing of the chord changes all the time.

4.The Cmajor 7th Chord

Moving on to the next C major shape! Let me show how to play the Cmaj7 chord.

The maj7 chord is a basic chord played with the Root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. The notes are C, E, G, and B.

I love the dreamy sound of the Cmaj7 chord to the point that it became one of my favorite chords to play.

There are a lot of different ways to play the Cmaj7 chord. For obvious reasons, I am not going to teach the most common shape.

I am sure you already know how to play this shape right?

Instead, I want to show you something more interesting and musical as well as challenging, beautiful and inspirational.

The Cmaj7 Chord Shape

This is a fascinating Cmaj7 chord shape. You can play the root note on the 6th string FRET VIII, which makes this chord similar to the Gmaj7 chord played in the first position.

Again, this chord is only possible with the fingerpicking technique.

Learn the chord shape below.

Chord Progression With the Cmaj7 Chord

This Cmaj7 chord shape is very similar to a G major shape played on the eight fret.

I love that with the fingerpicking technique we can single out the bass note and top B and E string. The chord becomes very simple to play yet beautiful.

We can also play the rest of the chord progression in the same position.

5.The Cadd11 Chord

We can’t talk about different C major chord shapes without mentioning one of the top 3 C shapes I know.

We already discussed the Cadd9 interval structure and how to play one of the simple shapes.

In this lesson, we are going to learn a chord coming from the same “Add” family called Cadd11.

The Cadd11 chord is played with the root note, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and perfect 11th.

The perfect 11th is the same note as a perfect 4th.

You learned that the difference between the Csus2 and Cadd9 depends on whether or not we play the 3rd of the chord.

We can apply the same music theory concept for the Csus4 and Cadd11.

A Csus4 is a chord played without the 3rd, hence C, F, and G.
The Cadd11 is played with both major 3rd and perfect 11th.

The Cadd11 Chord Shape

This is the Cadd11 chord shape we are learning in this lesson.

It can be a little stretchy on the left-hand so take it step-by-step and save your tendons.

Chord Progression With the Cadd11 Chord

In this exercise, the chord progression goes as follows: Csus4 | G | Dm(add9) | Am(add11).

The fingerpicking pattern allows you to play the chords uniquely and it almost feels like there is a melody within the chords.

6.The C major Over E, a.k.a C/E

Not all the chords have the root note on the bass.

In this example, I am going to show you how to play a C major chord with the 3rd on bass. This type of chord is also called a “Slash chord” due to the slash between the chord and the bass note.

This is how to write the chord.

C/E Chord Shape

The C/E can be played easily in the 1st position with the low E string open.

Notice that I am not playing the root note C on the 5th string fret 3. The lowest note of the chord

Chord Progression With the C/E Chord

The slash chord can be used to create a walking bass line between different chords.

For this example, we are going to play a chord progression with different slash chords.

The chord progression goes as follows: C, G/B, Am, F, C/E, Dm, F/C, and C.

7.The Cmaj9 Chord

Moving on to more Jazzy chords with the beautiful Cmaj9 chord.

This chord is played with the root note, major 3rd, perfect 5ht, major 7th, and major 9th. Notice how we also play the major 7th even though it isn’t specified in the chord name.

REMEMBER: A “Maj9” chord is a chord played with both major 7th and major 9th.

The Maj9 chord is a five notes chord, which makes it difficult to play on guitar. For this reason, guitar player always ditches the perfect 5th and play the chord with the Root note, major 3rd, major 7th, and major 9th.

Don’t feel sorry for the 5th! This note is useless for this chord.

Cmaj9 Chord Shape

This is the chord shape.

Chord Progression With the Cmaj9 Chord

In this example, we are going to play a beautiful jazzy chord progression. We are also going to play with the bass notes of the chords a play a Latin rhythm.

I am sure you will enjoy these chords.

8.The 153 Chord Shape

It is normal for a lot of guitar players to think that extended chords are more advanced and sound better than basic chords.

In this example, I am going to show you how we can write a beautiful chord progression with a simple triad.

As you just learned a triad is a chord played with only three notes, the root, 3rd, and 5th.

When you play the chord with such interval structure, it’s called a “Close position” chord, meaning that the notes of the chords are played as close as possible.

If we spread out the notes and change the interval structure of the chord, we can also play an “Open position” chord. This chord shape works better on guitar.

This is the chord shape for the C major triad played with the 153 shape.

C Major 153 Chord Shape

This is the C major shape for the 153 chord. You could also play it with the G and E string open, but in this example, we are only using fretted notes.

Chord Progression With the C major 153 Chord

One of the best ways to implement this chord is by playing a chord progressions where all the chords have the same structure.

The chord progression we are checking out in this lesson is C, Em, F, C, and G. All the chords are played with the 153 chord shape.

Notice how we can easily transpose the chords up and down the neck.

Let’s Wrap This Up

Guys, I hope you enjoy these beautiful C major chord shapes on guitar.

Make sure you play the chords in other chord progressions and songs that you already know.

You should check my next lesson about the essential fingerpicking exercises you should know.

Next Lesson: The 12 Most Important Fingerpicking Exercises You Should Know.

Check Now!

Beautiful Chords and Melody in DADGAD Tuning

Mar 26, 2019

Hey guys, Marco here! Today I am going to show you how to play a beautiful melody in DADGAD tuning.I have been experimenting with this tuning for a while, and I really like the number of harmonic and melodic possibilities that this tuning gives.

But why should you tune your guitar differently than standard tuning?

To be honest with you guys, I was never a huge fan of alternate guitar tuning. I always struggled to get my head around the different positions and open chords and for some reasons I would still go back to playing the same chord shapes.

It was always a mess until I discover a straightforward approach that I call “Forget about everything that you learned and start over again.”

You see, my mistake was that I tried to play the things I already knew in a different tuning, which clearly didn’t work at all.

Instead, start with a blank page and rewrite the chords and scales from scratch.

With the DADGAD tuning you can play awesome stuff with just one finger, (not kidding), and after a day or two, you should be able to switch between the standard tuning and DADGAD easily.

DADGAD tuning is probably one of the most famous guitar tuning out there so you will find a lot of lessons and resources. I actually started with an article from guitar player called “DADGAD for dummies” which I really recommend you read.

The chord progression we are learning today is in B minor key, and it is mainly played with open chords. The melody is mostly played within the chord.

I hope you enjoy this lesson guys.
Tab available on my Patreon page.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Tab Here

How to Tune in DADGAD

Now, the very first thing you should do is to tune your guitar in DADGAD. You can do so by playing the low E string in “D,” keep the 5th, 4th, and 3rd string the same with A, D, and G, then change the B string down to an “A” and the top E string down to a “D.”

There you have it guys. The DADGAD tuning.

Chords in DADGAD Tuning

Let’s learn the chord progression first. One of the things that really helped me familiarizing myself with the tuning was to stop thinking which chords I was playing.

What I mean by that is, if you play the first B minor chord, it’s inevitable that you are going to play an extended chord because of the different tuning.

At the beginning though, you shouldn’t really stress too much with trying to figure out which chord you are playing.

So, the chord progression goes as follows.

The Bmin chord is played with the 5th string fret 2, 4th and 3rd string fret 4, the 2nd and 1st string open.

The second chord is a basic A major chord played with the 5th string open, the 3rd string fret 2, the 3rd string fret 4, and the 1st string open.

The third chord is a Gadd9 chord. It is played with the 6th string fret 5, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string open.

The last two chords are just D major and A major. The D major chord is played with the 6th string open, 2nd string fret 5, and 1st string open. The A major with just the 5th string open, 3rd string fret 2, and the 2nd string fret 4.

Melody in DADGAD

The melody can be easily added to the chords. Most of the time, the melody is played within the chords, so it’s all about the way you pluck the strings.

For the Bm chord, start by plucking the A string, then the 4th string with the thumb, and the 3rd, and 1st string together. Then play the melody by plucking the 3rd string fret 4, followed by the 2nd string fret for, and the 1st string open.

On the A major just pluck the A string open simultaneously with the 2nd string followed by the 3rd string. You want to play the bass note one more time before playing this beautiful melody on the 1st string played on the 2nd fret, hammer-on on the 4th fret, pull-off on the 2nd fret, and the 1st string open. You then have to play the 2nd string fret 4 and the 1st string open.

The next chord is G major, which we are going to pluck simultaneously followed by the 3rd string fret 4 and 2nd string fret 4.
The D is played with 6th and 2nd string together followed by the 1st string and the A chord with 5th and 2nd string together followed by the 3rd string.

You can repeat the same thing with the B minor, the A major with the hammer-on and pull-off phrase but the G major will be played with the 6th string played individually, followed by the 3rd string open and the 1st string fret 7. This position is stretchy on the left-hand so, take it step-by-step.

I hammer the bass note without plucking it. I love the percussive sound that the string makes.

The last two chords are the D major played with the 6th string open and the 3rd string fret 7, followed by the 1st string. You can do the same with the A major chord, this time through the bass note is on the 5h string. Play the 3rd string fret 6, then the 1st string open.

The second part is rhythmically and melodically different. We are going to play a melody on the 4th string.

The melody is played on the fret 12, 11, 9 and 7, then fret 5, 7, and 4. Play this melody with the thumb and add the 2nd and 1st string when you feel ready.

Then we have a G major chord played with 6th string fret 5 together with 4th and 3rd string open. Play the 2nd string alone.
You can then play the D major chord with the 6th string open, 5th string fret 5, and 4th string fret 4 followed by the 1st string open.
The last chord is the A major, played with the A string, 2nd string fret 4, 1st string open, and back to the 2nd string.

We will then repeat the same melody with three notes fingerpicking arpeggio on 4th, 1st, and 2nd string played with thumb, middle, and index finger. Try to play it as evenly as possible.

Each note of the melody gets three notes.

When you get to the fret 7, play the three notes plus the bass note on the 6th string. Then do the same on fret 5, 7, and on the fret 4, play the 4th string with the thumb then the 6th string open.

The G major and D major are played just like we learned it followed by the A major chord played with the A string open, 4th and 3rd string fret 2, and 2nd and 1st string open. Strum the chord three times with a downstroke, upstroke, and downstroke again. Strum all the strings.
You can than stum three more times with down, down and up before getting into the last chord which is played with the strumming technique.

Strum the 6th, 5th, and 4th string and play the fret 2, 4, and 5 on the A string followed by the fret 4, 2, and open string on the 6th string.
The last chord is a beautiful Gadd9 chord played with 6th string fret 5, 4th string open, the 3rd string fret 4, and the 2nd and 1st open string.
Strum and let it ring out.

You can then repeat the same Bm7, A, and finish the music on the G chord.

Let’s Wrap This Up

Beautiful and simple melody in DADGAD tuning. I hope you enjoy this lesson guys.

Learn the different chords before you try to come up with your DADGAD chord progression.

Marco.

Next Lesson: 18 Guitar Chords for Beginners

Check Now!

Beautiful Classical Melody by Mauro Giuliani – Andantino

Mar 25, 2019

Hey guys, welcome back to another awesome lesson.

Today I am going to show you how to play this awesome classical piece by Mauro Giuliani called Andantino. It’s a very simple piece in C major played as theme and variation.

In the first video, you will learn how to play the melody. Then, you will add the accompaniment and rhythm.

The Andantino is the perfect piece for Classical and Acoustic guitar players who want to play something simple yet beautiful.

This simple piece is part of a long list of classical pieces that you can learn to improve your technique and musicality.

Check the list of all the pieces here.

Tabs available on Patreon.

Beautiful Folk Chord Progression on Guitar … and How to Play it

Mar 23, 2019

Hey guys, Marco here welcome back to another fingerpicking lesson. Today I am going to show you how to play a beautiful folk chord progression in B minor.

One thing I like a lot about playing in B minor is that you can play a lot of basic chords such as G major, and A major but also open strings chords like Dadd11, Bm(add11), and G6.

This chord progression can be interpreted in many different ways.
For me, this is excellent music for a journey. The chords are flowing smoothly and the rhythmic pattern played by the thumb creates a lot of movement.

It’s easy to imagine someone driving on a dusty high-road.

On the second part of the song, I added a very interesting percussion played on the guitar body. I basically rubbed my hand on the top body following the rhythm of the song. This technique created a cool sound that reminds me of an old steam train.

I hope you enjoy this lesson guys.

Tab Available on Patreon.

Get the Tab

1. How to Play this Folk Chord Progression

The first step is to learn the chord progression.
We are playing a

Bm(add11), which is played with fret 2 on the A string, 4th and 3rd string fret 4, B string fret 3, and the E string open. You are playing the Root note, 5th, root again, minor 3rd, and perfect 11th.

The second chord is a beautiful Aadd9(6) or a Bm(add9)11/A. It’s played with the A string open, D and G string fret 4, the B string fret 2, and the E string open. If you consider this chord an Aadd9(6) you will play the Root note, the major 6th, the major 9th, major 3rd, and perfect 5th.

The third chord is a simple Em7 played with low E string open, D string fret 2, G string open, B string fret 3, and E string open.

The last chord is a Gadd9(6), played with low E string fret 3, open D, G string fret 2, B string fret 3, and top E string open. This is a very interesting chord with Root, major 3rd, major 9th, perfect 5th, and major 6. A very rich chord.

Play the chords for a while before start practicing the fingerpicking pattern. All the strings should ring out beautifully.

2. Simplified Fingerpicking Pattern

The fingerpicking pattern is the same throughout the entire song.
We are using a technique called ” The Travis picking,” in which the thumb plays two bass notes on a steady rhythm while the index, middle, and ring finger take care of the top strings.

We can break down the arpeggio into two separated steps.

Position the B minor chord and pluck the A string with the thumb followed by the D and B string with thumb and middle finger. Go back to the A string with the thumb again, then hit the G string with the index and the D string with the thumb again.

The pattern isn’t complete, but you could practice the chords with this very first choice. Remember to repeat the pattern twice for each chord.

3. Full Fingerpicking Pattern

You can then complete the fingerpicking pattern by playing the A and top E string with thumb and ring finger, the D string with the thumb, the B string with middle finger, A string with the thumb, G string with index, and finally the last D string with the thumb.

Play the same pattern for the other chords too. Remember that the pluck will always pluck two bass notes.
For the B minor and A chord, the thumb plucks the A string and D string.
For the Em7 and Gadd9, the thumb plucks the low E string and the D string.

4. B Section Opening with Dadd11

There is also another section of the songs which is played with different chords.
The fingerpicking is the same!

You will play a beautiful Dadd11 chord on the A string fret 5, D string fret 7, open G, B string fret 7, and E string open. Use the same pattern.

The next chord is a simple A major played with A string open, and 7, 6, and on the D, G and B string. You will also have to play the top E string open.

Moving on to the E minor chord played in position VII. Play the A string 7, D and G string fret 9, the B string fret 8 and the top E string open.

The last chord of this section is the Bm11. You will play with only half of the fingerpicking pattern. Go all the way to plucking the strings with thumb and ring then play two single notes on the A string fret 2 and 4.

Play the Dadd11 again, the A major and then play this beautiful G6 on the low E string fret 3, D string fret 5, G string fret 4, B and E string open. Play a full pattern and pause on the bass note then play an F#7, fret 2 on the low E string, D string fret 4, G string fret 3, and E string open.

The last chord is Bm11.

Let’s Wrap This Up!

That’s it for today guys. I hope you enjoyed this lesson.
Learn each chord step by step.
You can get the tab, check my Patreon page and subscribe to the channel if you want to keep up with all the upcoming lessons.
See ya!

18 Guitar Chords for Beginners and How to Actually Use Them

Mar 22, 2019

Did you know that everything that we play on the guitar can be simplified? We can do that with chords, a melody, rhythm, scales, and technique exercises.

In this guitar lesson, I am going to show you how to play and simplify 18 chords for beginners. I am also going to teach you how to practice the chords so that you can finally change chords smoothly and faster.

Each chord has a bunch of exercises that show you how to play the chord in a chord progression. Once you familiarize yourself with these basic chords, you can check this useful article I wrote a while back where I talk about how to play nine beautiful chords on the guitar.

We will learn:

Nine simple chords: D, A, G, C, E, F, Am, Em, and Dm.
Nine simplified chords: Dsus2, Asus2, G6, Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Am7, Em7, and Dm9.

Don’t worry if you don’t recognize the name of the chord. I will explain in details how to play them step-by-step.

IMPORTANT! A lot of beginners think that practicing simplified chords is a way of cheating. You shouldn’t feel like that. Almost all guitar players play these simplified chords from newbie to pro.

Learn the Left-Hand Fingers

Before we get started with the chords, have a look at how we name the left-hand fingers.

On guitar, we assign a number for each finger.

Number 1 – Index.
Number 2 – Middle.
Number 3 – Ring.
Number 4 – Little finger.

The exercises that you find in these lessons will be played with both strumming and fingerpicking guitar. Listen to the example next to the guitar tab.

The D Major Chord

The first chord is called D major, one of the most simple chords on the guitar.

Let’s learn the chord shape.

The number one challenge that a lot of beginners face when they start practicing the D major chord is the muted E string. The 3rd finger, the one who plays the B string fret three, will inevitably sit on the top E string, muting the string.

The Simplified D major Chord – Dsus2

I think that practicing the D major chord without fretting the top E string is the best way to learn this chord.

Get rid of the middle finger and play the E string open. Adjust the left-hand angle and play the chords a couple of times.

This is the chord diagram

Also, check the difference between the D and Dsus2 from the pictures below.

WARNING! QUICK MUSIC THEORY LESSON. The sus2 chord is a basic chord played without the 3rd. In this chord, we lower the 3rd down to a 2nd. The notes of the D major chord are D F# A but with the Dsus to you only play D E A.

How to Practice the D major and Dsus2 Chord

In this example, I am going to show you a straightforward chord progression played with both Dsus2 and D major.

Play the exercise with the fingerpicking technique and pluck one string at a time.

Click the “Play” button to listen to the exercise.

The A Major Chord

Moving on to the next basic chord. The A major chord is very simple to play and easy to memorize. You will have to squeeze three fingers in the same fret and play the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string on fret two.

There are two different ways of playing the A major chord. With the finger 1, 2, and 3 or with 2, 3, and 4. Many beginners find the second option more comfortable as it’s easier to position the fingers and avoid the horrible buzzing noise.

The Simplified A major chord – Asus2

Let me show you how to simplify the A major chord by playing the B string open (instead of the 2nd fret).

The Asus2 chord is one of the easiest chords on the guitar. You can play this chord with two fingers only, and it’s indeed the most simple and beautiful chord on the guitar.

Check the left-hand position and the difference between the A major and Asus2.

How to Practice the A major and Asus2 Chord

Let me show you this beautiful chord progression in A major using both A major and Asus2.

We are still using the fingerpicking technique which allows us to single out the notes of the chord.

Enjoy this chord progression.

The G Major Chord

The G major chord is another “Must learn” chord for beginners. It is played in many songs such as “Knocking on Heavens Doors” by Bob Dylan and I “Wish You Were Here” by the Pink Floyd.

Here’s how the chord looks like.

There are two different ways of playing the G major chord. The Basic shape and Country shape. With the Country shape, you will add a note on the B string fret three.

The Simplified G major chord – G6

One thing you can do to reduce the fingers stretch is to play the top E string open. By playing the note E, the G major becomes a G6 which has a very particular sound, different from the basic and sus2 chords.

You can play the G6 with both Basic and Country shape.

Learn the G6 chord shape from the picture below.

WARNING! QUICK MUSIC THEORY LESSON. The G6 chord is a basic chord played with the extended 6th. The notes of the G major chord are G B D. With the G6 chord you will also play the note E. The notes for the G6 chord are G B D E.

How to Practice the G major and G6 Chord

In this simple example, I am going to teach you how to practice the G6 and G major chord.

We are going to play the G6 in a beautiful chord progression in C major that has both G and G6 chords.

The C Major Chord

In music, we always have examples in C major. Think about the first scale you learned or the first music theory you take. They all refer to C major.

Now, the C major chord isn’t necessarily the very first chord you’ll learn because it isn’t a simple chord at all. It is stretchy on the left-hand, and it requires a lot of work to achieve a crisp and clear chord change.

The chord looks like this:

The most difficult part will be playing the G string open, which is usually muted by the middle finger.

Check how to correctly position the fingers when you play the C major chord.

The Simplified C major chord – Cmaj7

The Cmaj7 is beautiful chord loved by beginners.

It looks like the C major chord but without the first finger on the B string. This chord shape is less stretchy and more comfortable to play with other chords.

To go from C major to Cmaj7 remove the index finger and you are done.

Check the chord diagram below

And also the right-hand position.

WARNING! QUICK MUSIC THEORY LESSON. The major 7th chord is a basic chord played with 1st, 3rd, and 5th plus the 7th note. For the Cmaj7 the notes are C E G B.

How to Practice the C major and Cmaj7 Chord

We can finally strum some chords. In this simple chord progression, we are going to play a Cmaj7 chord followed by a Fmaj (more later).

The chord progression is played slowly and has a dreamy vibe.

The F Major Chord

The F major chord is the number one chord that every guitar player fear. It’s the dreadful chord guitar players avoid, mainly because it’s played with the infamous bar chord technique.

So, is the F major chord an easy chord for guitar players? The answer is “YES indeed.” But we have to simplify a few things.

The dreadful F major chord played with a six strings bar chord looks like this:

If we strum this chord, then there isn’t much we can do. But you learned from the previous chord progressions that we can also use the fingerpicking technique which allows you to single out some of the notes of the chord.

You can learn more about strumming and fingerpicking technique in this article I wrote a while back.

Let me show you a simple way to play the F major chord.

The Simplified F major chord – Fmaj7

We can simplify the F major even more by playing the Fmaj7 chord.

This is the Fmaj7 chord diagram.

This chord is played just like the F major but with the top E string open.

It’s another dreamy chord that can be played in many chord progressions.

How to Practice the F major and Fmaj7 Chord

A simple chord progression using the F major and Fmaj7 chord.

The chord progression is in A minor key and involves Am, Fmaj7, C, and G.

The A minor Chord

Let’s finally learn a minor chord. The A minor chord is one the easiest chord on guitar for both strumming and fingerpicking technique.

All the fingers are in one position just like the A major chord, but I find this chord more natural to play.

Just check the difference between the A major and A minor chord.

The only trouble you could have is a dead G string. When you play this chord, lower the thumb and adjust the left-hand position so that you can comfortably press the strings correctly.

The Simplified A minor chord – Am7

The Am7 chord is played just like the A minor but with the G string open. The chord is played with A string open, D string fret 2, G string open, B string fret 1, and top E string open.

It’s a folky, country chord which can be played in many minor chord progressions.

Am7 chord diagram.

This is the A minor chord diagram and how to play it.

WARNING! QUICK MUSIC THEORY LESSON. The Am7 chord is a basic minor chord played with the notes A, C, and E. To make an A minor 7th chord, add the note G. For this chord, the note G can be played on the open G string.

How to Practice the A minor and Am7 Chord

You can practice this chord in many different ways. In this example, I am going to show you a simple chord progression in fingerstyle guitar.

The E minor Chord

Another simple chord loved by beginners. The E minor chord is simple and used in thousands of songs.

So, what makes the E minor the most natural chord on the guitar?

First off, the chord shape is simple to memorize. The chord is played with the low E string open, the A and D string fret 2, and the G, B, and top E string open.

Look at how simple this chord looks on a diagram.

You can strum all the six strings and practice simple strumming patterns or pluck the strings with different fingerpicking arpeggios.

This is how the E minor chord looks like.

There is also a more interesting way of playing this chord.

The Simplified E minor chord – Em7

It can be quite tedious to practice the E minor chord. The chord is simple, but it also sounds pretty dull after a while.

Learn the Em7 shape. Follow the chord diagram below.

What’s a good way to spice up such a boring music chord? Just learn the Em7 chord in its two most common chord shapes.

The second chord, also called Country Em7 work perfectly with chord progressions in G major and E minor.

Let me show you a simple example.

How to Practice the E minor and Em7 Chord

Learn one of the most played chord progressions on guitar, the Em7, G, Dsus4, and A7(sus4). This is the same chord progression played by the band Oasis in the famous song “Wonderwall.”

The D minor Chord

The D minor chord is indeed one of my favorite chords to play on guitar. I like the simple shape and the note range. I also like the fact that the chord is played in one of my favorite song, Layla by Eric Clapton.

The majority of beginners learn this chord easily. One of the reasons why you could struggle learning this chord is because your fingers can’t stretch enough.

There is a considerably wide stretch between the note on the E and B string. For this reason, the chord can be played with two different fingerings.

Learn how to position your fingers here.

The Simplified D minor chord – Dm7

This chord shape will drastically reduce the stretch between the E and B string. However, a two strings bar chord is necessary if you want to make this chord easy to play.

Learn the Dm7 chord.

The bar chord covers the E and B string fret 1. You will also have to play the G string fret 3.

How to Practice the D minor and Dm7 Chord

As for the other chords, the Dm7 chord sounds pretty folk.

Because this is probably the very first time you are dealing with a bar chord, I would recommend that you practice the chord with the fingerpicking technique. This approach makes it easy to play one string at a time.

Enjoy the chord progression.

Let’s Wrap This Up

I hope you enjoy this lesson and you are finally able to simplify some of the most common guitar chords for beginners.

As for the other things you learn, always take things step-by-step and practice a chord for a while before moving on to the next one.

The worst approach you can have towards practicing chords is to skim through each chord shape and briefly play each example. Instead, learn one exercise at a time an implement the things you learned in other chord progressions and songs you already play.

Good luck guys.

Next Lesson: How to Practice Scales on Guitar.

Check Now!

Guitar Lesson: What Makes a Good Chord Progression

Mar 21, 2019

Hey, guys Marco here welcome to another guitar lesson.

Today I want to talk about chords and chord progressions, and I want to try to answer this question “What makes a good chord progression.”

Now whether you are a musician or not, you agree with me that certain elements make a chord progression good.
It could be because it’s catchy, or sad, or bluesy and reflects an exact state of mind or emotion.

So today we are going to analyze different chord progressions and see why they sound the way they sound and what are the elements that you can apply into your playing that will create the same character or vibe.

Enjoy this lesson.

Tab Available on Patreon!

Tab Here

Chord Progression #1: E minor.

The first chord progression is in E minor.

I played these chords in my previous video “Six chord progressions that will make you cry,” which was my very first viral video on YouTube.
So what are the things that made this chord progression go viral and why did you guys like it so much.

Minor chords with singing 3rd.
Open strings chords.
Express emotions with chords.

1. Minor Chords With Singing 3rd

The minor chords with singing 3rd sound melodic. It just feels like the chords are singing.

The chord progression goes as follows: Em, D, C, G, and D chord but If you play the chords in the first position of the neck, they don’t sound quite the same, and the reason for that is because chords with the singing 3rd have their character and melody.

The E minor, C major, and G major are still basic triads, but because of the interval structure of the chord, they sound amazing and, well, different.

2. Open Strings Chords

The open strings chords create space, harmony, and pianistic interval structure.

Most of the time, when we play a chord on the guitar, we start from the bass note which is, of course, the lowest note of the chord and as we go up the notes are higher and higher in pitch

Now, when a chord is played above the third fret, we can combine fretted notes and open strings just like a basic chord, but the result is different because now the notes are not necessarily only going up.

For this E minor chord, I play the low E string followed by the B note on the D string, which is higher in pitch. The next note though is the open G string, which is lower and another G follows it on the B string fret eight which is higher. The last note is the open E, which is lower in pitch.

The same thing happens with the other chords. With the C major and G major chord, we can double the same notes of the chord, and with the Dadd11 the cluster between the note A on the D string and the open G is what makes this chord so unique.

Now, don’t ask me why but for me this chord sounds more like a piano than a guitar.

3. Express Emotions with Chords

Emotionally this chord progression is great because it expresses an exact feeling. It could be a struggle, a difficult moment, a fight, or a moment of inspiration.

Chord Progression 2: B minor

Moving on to the second chord progression. Let’s check this chord progression in B minor.

The number one thing that I think when I play these chords is “I am going on a journey.”

I picture myself sitting on a train while I am looking outside the window thinking about something. It’s an insanely beautiful chord progression which I took from Paul Davids in one of his videos.

There are a few things that make this chord progression good.

1. The rhythm played by the thumb, which resembles the Travis Picking technique creates a lot of movement and motions. This is why I instantly feel like this is good music for a journey. Even if I change the chord progression, but I keep the same rhythmic fingerpicking pattern it feels the same.

2. The Chords sound pretty folky and rich. They are all extended chords with 7th, 9th, or 11th. We are playing a Bm(add11), a Bm(add9)/A, an Em7 chord, and a Gadd9 chord.
The fingerpicking pattern spreads out through the entire measure.

3. Dynamically the chords are mostly played quietly, and I am emphasizing different beats of the chords. The 1st beat and offbeat, and the 3rd beat.

4. Let the chords ring out beautifully.

Chord Progression #3 – A major

A good chord progression will fire up your emotions. Whether it’s joy, happiness, sadness or fear you know that a chord progression is good when gives you goosebumps.

In this example, I am going to show you one of the saddest chord progression I know. Amazingly enough, this is also the simplest because it’s played with just two chords, the I and minor iii.

So grab your guitar and some tissues.

In this example, we are playing an A major chord followed by a C#m chord.

There are three reasons why this chord progression is good.

1. It’s simple and goes straight to the point. Just think about it. How many people can you make feel sad with only two words? Almost impossible right! But you can do that with two chords.

2. Moving between the two chords isn’t enough. You should single out a few notes from the chords to create a chord/melody harmony that sounds quite, simple, and heartbreaking.

3. The A major is a basic triad played with a bar chord on fret five. The reasons why I don’t play the basic chord in the first position is because I want to have full control over the strings and I don’t want to chord to ring out too much.

The C#m chord is played with the singing 3rd, which works perfectly in this example.

Let’s Wrap This Up

That’s it for today folks. I hope you enjoy this video.
Make sure you learn the examples I played in this video and then create your music.
You can get the tab, check my Patreon page and subscribe to this channel if you want to keep up with all the upcoming lesson.
Have a super day, people.
M

Next Lesson: Beautiful Guitar Chords for Beginners.

Check Now!

Guitar Lesson: How to Play 7th Chords in a Chord Progression

Mar 20, 2019

Major and Minor 7th chords are among the most colorful chords in music. The beautiful, dreamy sound of a Major 7th chord can be easily added to any chord progression to change the character of the music you are playing. Or think about country and folk music played with Minor 7th chords all the time.

But what are the basics of a major and minor 7th chord on the guitar and how can we implement the 7th chords into our playing.

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson, I am going to show you how to transform 12 chord progressions from basic chords to 7th chords.

We will learn:

How to play 7th chords in a chord progression.
What makes a major 7th chord.
Difference between major and minor 7th chord.
What is a Dominant 7th chord?
1. Major 7th chord – Four chord progressions
2. Minor 7th chord – Four chord progressions
3. Dominant 7th chord – Three chord progressions.
Bonus lesson: Most common 7th chord shapes.

How to Play 7th Chords in a Chord Progression

You should start with a chord progression played with simple chords, for example, C, G, Am, and F. Then, change some of the chords from basic to 7th: Cmaj7, G, Am7, and Fmaj7.

Sounds easy right?

The problem with the 7th chords is that, because they have a very colorful sound, they don’t easily fit in all the chord progressions.

Soul, R&B, Pop, Folk, Jazz, and Blues are among the music genres the 7th chords fit the most. Bear that in mind when you think about adding 7th chords to your chord progressions.

What Makes a 7th Chord?

The 7th chords are basic chords played the additional major or minor 7th. They are also called “Extended chords.” There are three different 7th chords families.

Maj7 – Major chord with the major 7th.
Min7 – Minor chord with the minor 7th.
Dominant 7 – Major chord with the minor 7th.

So how do you go from playing a basic chord to a 7th chord?

A basic chord, also called triad, is the most simple chord in music and consist of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th note of the scale. When you play a C major chord, you are playing the note C, E and G which are, you guess, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th.

To play a C major 7th chord (Cmaj7), you should add the note B to the basic C major chord. The notes of the chord will now be C, E, G, and B.

Major and Minor 7th Interval

An interval is a distance between two notes.

The distance between the note C and B is an interval of a 7th.

The 7th though can be either major or minor depending on how many frets there are between the root note and the 7th.

Let me explain.

There are eleven frets between the note C and B. This is called a “Major 7th” interval, which is used for the Maj7 chord.

So, how about the minor 7th?

The distance between the note C and Bb is ten frets. This is called a “Minor 7th” interval which is used for the Min7 and Dominant 7th chord.

What’s the Difference Between the Major 7th and Minor 7th Chord?

Now that you learned how to recognize the intervals for the major and minor 7th let’s learn how to play the chords.

The Major 7th chord is a major chord played with the major 7th. On the music charts, the chord is written like this “Cmaj7”, “Dmaj7”, etc.

Let’s take a look at the Gmaj7 chord.

We can break it down into a G major chord (G B D) played with the major 7th F#.

There are two Maj7 chords in the major scale. Precisely, on the I and IV degree.

Let’s take the C major as an example.

The C major and F major chord (I and IV degree) become Cmaj7 and Fmaj7.

The Minor 7th chord is a basic minor chord played with the minor 7th. It is written like this “Cm7”, “Dm7”, etc.

Let’s take the A minor chord as an example. To play the Am7 chord, you will play the basic A minor (A C E) with the 7th note G.

There are three min7 chords in the major scale: On the II, III and VI degree.

The D minor, E minor, and A minor become Dmin7, Emin7, and Amin7.

What’s a Dominant 7th Chord?

The Dominant 7th chord is a major chord played with the minor 7th. It is also called “the Blues chord” because of its bluesy sound.

Let’s take the E7 as an example. The E7 chord is a major chord (E G# B) played with the minor 7th D.

There is one Dominant 7th chord in the C major scale, precisely on the V degree and it’s simply written with a number 7 next to the chord.

Now that we have learned the three families of 7th chords let me show you how to incorporate them into your playing.

1. The Major 7th Chords

In this section, I am going to show four chord progressions played with the Maj7 chord.

We will learn:

Chord progression #1 – Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Cmaj7 | G |
Chord progression #2 – Gmaj7 | Em7 | D | Cadd9 |
Chord progression #3 – Emaj7 | C#m9 | Amaj7 | Badd11 |
Chord Progression #4 – Dmaj7 | Bm | Gmaj7 | Asus4 |

Chord progression #1 – Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Cmaj7 | G |

Let get started with this simple chord progression in C major.

We can play two major 7th chords in a row to create a dreamy, beautiful chord progression.

Chord progression #2 – Gmaj7 | Em7 | D | Cadd9 |

The Gmaj7 chord is one of my favorite chord on the guitar.

This chord shape can be quite stretchy so practice it slowly. I am also playing a beautiful Em7 chord and Cadd9 chord which add a lot of color and folk vibe.

Chord progression #3 – Emaj7 | C#m9 | Asus2(#11) | Badd11

The chord progression #3 is one of my favorite chord progression on guitar.

The Emaj7 chord sounds beautiful and dreamy while the C#m9 is more of a Jazzy chord played with minor 7th and major 9th.

Don’t bother too much about the Asus2(#11). It’s a big name for a simple chord.

Chord Progression #4 – Dmaj7 | Bm | Gmaj7 | Asus4

The last chord progression is in D major key, and it’s mainly played with maj7 chords.

You will also learn the Asus4 chord, which is an A major chord with the 1st, 4th, and 5th. This chord doesn’t have the 3rd so we can determine if it’s major or minor, hence “Suspended.”

2. The Minor 7th Chords

Let me show you four chord progressions played with the Min7 chord.

We will learn:

Chord progression #1 – Am7 | Dm7 | G| Am7 |
Chord progression #2 – Em7| Cadd9 | G | Dsus4 |
Chord progression #3 – Bm7 | G | A | Bm7 |
Chord progression #4 – F#m7 | Amaj7 | E | F#m7 |

Chord progression #1 – Am7 | Dm7 | G| Am7

Let’s start with a folk chord progression in A minor. The chords are pretty simple but watch out for the Dm7 which is played with a small bar chord on the top two strings.

Chord progression #2 – Em7| Cadd9 | G | Dsus4

Another great chord progression played with minor 7th chords.

This time we are in E minor, and we are playing one of the most popular chord progression on guitar.

Chord progression #3 – Bm7 | G | A | Bm7

A simple chord progression in B minor.

The G and A major chord are pretty simple to play, but the Bm7 will be played with a bar-chord so take it step-by-step.

Chord progression #4 – F#m7 | Amaj7 | E | F#m7

A less common chord progression in F#m played with minor and major 7th chords.

3. The Dominant 7th Chords

It’s time to explore the Dominant 7th chord and its bluesy sound.

We will learn:

Chord progression #1 – C | C7 | F | G7 | C |
Chord progression #2 – Am | Dm | E7 | Am |
Chord progression #3 – Em | D | C | B7 |

Chord progression #1 – C | C7 | F | G7 | C

In this chord progression, we are transitioning from a C major chord to a C7 chord. This is a quite common chord progression in Blues and Jazz music.

Chord progression #2 – Am | Dm | E7 | Am

A beautiful chord progression in A minor.

In this example, the E7 resolve to the A minor chord beautifully in what classical musicians call “Perfect cadence.”

Chord progression #3 – Em | D | C | B7

Spanish chord progression played with triplets.

Bonus Lesson: Most Common 7th Chord Shapes

In this section, I am going to show you the most common 7th chord shapes on the guitar.

All the chords you will learn in this section are played without open strings, so it’s easy to transpose them in different positions of the neck. Make sure you memorize where the root note of the chord is so that you can move the chords according to the chord progressions you want to play.

The root note of the chord is indicated with a white dot.

We are going to have a look at:

The 7th chords with the root note on the 6th string.
The 7th chords with the root note on the 5th string.
The 7th chords with the root note on the 4th string.

The 7th Chords With the Root Note on the 6th String

The 7th Chords With the Root Note on the 5th String

The 7th Chords With the Root Note on the 4th String

Next Lesson: 9 Beautiful Chords and how to Actually Play Them

Check Now!