“the chop shop” - material for the acoustic guitarist |ffrroom

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Chord Types

The man bent over his guitar,

A shearsman of sorts. The day was green.

They said, ‘You have a blue guitar,

You do not play things as they are.’
The man replied, ‘Things as they are
Are changed upon the blue guitar.

- The Man with the Blue Guitar, Wallace Stevens

Chord type: Intervals: Example: Name:

Major 1 3 5 CEG C major

Minor 1 b3 5 ACE A minor
th
Dominant 1 3 5 b7 GBDF G dominant 7
Augmented 1 3 #5 CEG# C augmented
Diminished 1 b3 b5 DFAb D diminished
Suspended 125 CDG Csus2
145 CFG Csus4

1. Major Chords

Extensions consist of tones from the same scale as the original chord
(‘diatonic’ = inside the key).

Alterations are tones from the given scale which are raised or lowered (# or b);
or can be seen as chromatic, or colour tones from outside the given scale.

Enharmonically, 9=2, 11=4, 13=6.

For example, Cmaj7/#11 is enharmonically equivalent to Cmaj7b5 (CEGBGb).
These extensions’ higher denomination points to them often being added an octave above the original interval.

‘Add’ chords consist of the chord outlined in their denomination plus an added interval, e.g Cmaj7add9 = CEGB plus D.

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Chord form: Structure: Example: Name:

Major triad 135 CEG C (major)

Major triad with extensions 1356 CEGA C (maj) 6, Cadd13

1357 CEGB C maj7
1359 CEGD Cadd9

1 3 5 11 CEGF C add11

13569 CEGAD C 6/9

13579 CEGBD C maj 9

1 3 5 7 11 CEGBF C maj7/add11

1 3 5 7 9 11 CEGBDF Cmaj7/9/11
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 CEGBDFA Cmaj7/9/11/13

Passing note: You may have noticed that a Cmaj7/9/11/13 chord contains all the tones
of the C major scale. It is not very likely you will ever encounter one, but a chord like this
has far-reaching and useful implications in the field of advanced substitution.

Chord form: Structure: Example: Name:

Major triad with extensions 1 3 #5 7 CEG#B C maj7/#5, Cmaj7/b13

and/or alterations
1 3 5 7 #11 CEGBF# Cmaj7/#11
1 3 5 9 #11 CEGDF# Cadd9/#11

1 3 5 7 9 #11 CEGBDF# Cmaj7/9/#11

Other major chords are various combinations of the above.

Passing note: On the guitar it is neither always possible nor desirable to fully voice
complex chords. Economical voicings often omit the fifth, also the root; particularly if
there is a bass player present, or another instrument to share harmonies with.
See the chapter about guide tones and shell voicings in Voicings.

2
1.a Some major chord voicings

EADgbe EADGgbe EADgbe

xx---- ------ x-----
||||1| |||||| VII 111111
||2||| ||1||| ||||2|
|||||3 |2||3| ||||||
|||4|| |||4|| ||4|||
|||||| |||||| ||||||
Cmaj7 Cmaj9(no5) Cmaj9
EBCG CEBD ECDGB
3715 1379 31957

EADgbe EADgbe EADgbe

----0- -----0 ------
III |1|||| X |12||| XI |||1||
|||||| |||3|| ||2|||
2|3||| ||||4| |3||4|
|||||| |||||| ||||||
|||4|| |||||| ||||||
Cmaj9/add13 Cmaj7#11 Cmaj7#5
ACGDB(E) GCF#BE G#CEB
61597 51#1173

2. Minor Chords

Chord form: Structure: Example: Name:

Minor triad 1 b3 5 ACE A minor

Minor triad with extensions 1 b3 5 b7 ACEG Amin7

1 b3 5 9 ACEB Amin9
1 b3 5 11 ACED Amin11

1 b3 5 b7 9 ACEGB Amin7/9
1 b3 5 b7 11 ACEGD Amin7/11
1 b3 5 9 11 ACEBD Amin9/11

Minor triad with extensions 1 b3 5 6 ACEF# Amin6

and/or alterations 1 b3 5 7 ACEG# Amin/maj7

1 b3 5 6 9 ACEF#B Amin6/9
1 b3 5 b7 #5 ACEGF Amin7/#5 (or b13)
1 b3 5 b7 b9 ACEGBb Amin7/b9

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 Passing note: Chords can be derived from any scale containing the respective chord
tones. For instance, Amin/maj7 is an altered chord when derived from a C major scale,
but native to the A harmonic minor scale.

2.a Some minor chord voicings

EADgbe EADgbe EADgbe

-0---- --0--- -x---0
III ||||1| ||||11 V ||1|||
|||||| |||||| |||2||
||23|| |||||| 3|||4|
|||||| |||4|| ||||||
|||||4 |||||| ||||||
Aminadd9/11 Dmin7/add13 Emin6/9
AGCDB DBCF BGC#F#E
1/b7/b3/11/9 1/13/b7/b3 53691

3. Dominant Seventh Chords

Chord form: Structure: Example: Name:

Dominant seventh chord 1 3 5 b7 GBDF G7

Dominant seventh chord 1 3 5 b7 9 GBDFA G7/9 (11/13)

with extensions (11/13)
and combinations
th
Dom7 chord with extensions 1 3 5 b7 b5 GBDFDb G7b5
and/or alterations 1 3 5 b7 #5 GBDFD# G7b5
1 3 5 b7 b9 GBDFAb G7b9
1 3 5 b7 #9 GBDFA# G7#9

1 3 5 b7 #5 b9 GBDFD#Ab G7#5/b9
and other
combinations

Passing note: There are many chords with “big” names, and often confusing extensions
and alterations. As a four-note chords’ extensions get further up the scale, enharmonics
become more difficult to navigate. Simplification is useful here.
Alterations occur in raised (#) or lowered (b) notes, and often in dominant chords.
There are seven frequent alterations: b5, #5, b6, b9, #9, #11, and b13.
Enharmonically, b5 = #11, #5 = b6 = b13.
A #11 is a b5 one octave higher. A b13 is a #5 one octave higher.
Unless specifically called for, these can be simplified. In practical application such as
improvisation, there are four useful alterations of dominant chords: b5, #5, b9, #9.

4
3.a Some dominant seventh chord voicings (and possible resolutions)

There are literally hundreds of possible dominant 7th voicings. As with all other
examples shown here, these were just chosen to give you an idea of different chord
forms, sounds, voicing and fingering possibilities; and different avenues of ‘dominant’
thinking as applied to the guitar.

It is useful to seek out the scales and arpeggios that relate to the chords above, and their fingerings in these positions.

EADgbe EADgbe
0----0 -0--0-
X |||1|| IIX ||||||
|2|||| |||1||
||3||| ||2||3
||||4| ||||||
|||||| ||||||

E7#5b9 Amin9/add11
1/3/b7/b9/#5/1 1/b3/5/9/11

EADgbe EADgbe
---0-0 ------
VII ||||1| VII 1111xx
||2||| ||||||
34|||| |3||||
|||||| ||||||
|||||| ||4|||
F#7b9 Bmin9
5/1/3/b9/1/b7 1/5/9/b3(5/1)

EADgbe EADgbe
-x---- -0----
III |||||| III ||||1|
|||||| ||2|||
||1||| |||||3
2||333 |||4||
|||||| ||||||
A7#5b9 Dmaj7
b9/b7/#5/b9 53715

5
 Stretch alert!

EADgbe EADgbe
x----- x-----
VII ||||11 |||1||
|||||| ||||||
|||||| |2||||
|||||| ||||3|
||3||| ||4|||
|||4|| ||||||
A9/13 Dmaj7(9)
3/b7/13/9 3715(9)

EADgbe EADgbe
------ 0--0--
(1)1||| ||||||
|2|3|| |1||||
||||44 ||||2|
|||||| ||3|||
|||||| |||||4
B7#5/#9(b5) Emin11
(b5)/1/3/b7/#9/#5 1/5/9/b3/b7/11

4. Just an idea

e|-6-------|-5-----3-|-2-------|-2-----0-|---------0-||
b|-7-----7-|---------|-3-------|-2-------|-2---------||
g|-6---6---|-----3---|-2-----2-|-4---3---|-----------||
D|-5-5-----|---------|-5-------|-5-5-----|-------0---||
A|-0-------|---4-----|-2---2---|-0-------|-----4-----||
E|---------|---------|---0-----|---------|---2-------||
Freely. Let ring throughout.

A7b9/13 | A7b9 | Emin7/9/11 | A7/9/13 - | Dmaj7/add9

A7/b9

EADgbe EADgbe EADgbe EADgbe EADgbe

-0---- --x--- ------ ------ --0---
V ||1||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ||||||
|||2|3 |||||| |11111 ||||11 1||2||
||||4| |||1(1) ||||2| ||(2)| ||||||
|||||| |2|||| |||||| |||3|| |4||||
|||||| |||||4 ||4||| ||4||| ||||||

© 2002 by Nick Naffin.

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5. Suspended Chords

Suspended triads feature a different interval instead of a minor or major third. There are
two kinds of suspended chords; sus2 and sus4. A sus2 is built in 1-2-5 intervals, such
as CDG = Csus2; a sus4 in 1-4-5, such as CFG = Csus4.

Being neither major nor minor, practical applications of suspended chords include modal
improvisations; and, in general, harmonic situations where their typical ‘suspended’ feel
is desired, or they lead to a modulation (temporary or permanent change of key).

5.a Examples for suspended chord voicings

EADgbe EADgbe
--00-- ---0--
||||1| ||||1|
|||||| ||||||
|3|||| |34|||
|||||| ||||||
|||||| ||||||
Csus2 Csus4

6. Augmented and Diminished Chords

Augmented chords feature a raised fifth, for example CEG# = Caug.

Augmented chords are often abbreviated with a + sign instead of the ‘aug’. C+ = Caug

An augmented triad does not include a b7 like a dominant seventh chord; however, it
often appears in the same function, which is to create tension and resolve to a tonic (for
a table of intervals and their harmonic function, see Intervals).

Diminished triads are built in consecutive minor thirds, for example DFAb = Ddim.

A full diminished four-note chord (diminished seventh chord) has four consecutive minor
thirds, as in DFAbB = Ddim.

Since the chromatic scale consists of twelve notes, there are only three real diminished
(or ‘dim7’) chords. Again, they often appear in a dominant function, and are frequently
substituted for dominant seventh chords.

Passing note: Take a diminished chord, say Abdim (AbBDF), and add a new root a
semitone below the diminished root; in this case, G. The new chord spells GBFAb, or
G7b9. Therefore, Abdim may be changed to a form of, and hence substituted for G7in a
dominant function. See the chapter on Fretboard Organization for more on this principle.

7
While augmented and diminished chords may be derived from scales, and feature major
and minor thirds respectively, they are often constructed from triads instead, and thus
regarded as their own entities.

6.a Examples for augmented and diminished chord voicings

EADgbe EADgbe
------ ------
|||11| ||1|2|
||2||| |||3|4
|3|||| ||||||
|||||| ||||||
|||||| ||||||
C+5 Cdim7

7. Slash Chords

Slash chords are triads over different roots; for example, a D/Bb slash chord features a
D major triad (DF#A) over a Bb root or bass note. For harmonic purposes, slash chords
are most often nondiatonic; derived from triads native to a given key and featuring a
chromatic root.
In slash chord nomenclature, the first letter represents the triad, the second the root or bass note.

A voicing like BGCE (7x555x) may appear like a slash chord, but is more often seen as a 9-for-1 substitution
inside a given chord, here: Amin7/9. For more on 9-for-1, see Voicings.

7a. Examples for slash chord voicings

EADgbe EADgbe
-x---x ------
VI 2||||| IIX |1||||
||333| |||2|3
|||||| ||||4|
|||||| ||||||
|||||| ||||||
D/Bb A/F

8
8. Polychords

Polychords are voicings constructed from two or more chords with distinct roots, for
example F|Em:
EADgbe
------
V ||1111
||||2|
34||||
||||||
||||||
F
Em
BEGCFA

Polytonality is the temporary or permanent presence of more than one key center,
established by the simultaneous sounding of two or more distinct areas of tonality.

The chord forms most often used to construct polychords are major, minor, dominant,
and major seventh. Often it is not necessary (and, on the guitar, not possible) to voice
both full chords to obtain a polychordal sound.

8.a Examples for polychords

EADgbe EADgbe
-----x x-----
V |1|||| III |1||||
|||||| |||23|
3||||| ||||||
||444| ||4|||
|||||| ||||||
Bmin Cmaj7
Eb Abmin
BDBbEbG CAbBEb

Note the inherent and intended ambiguity in these voicings. The first example, Bm|Eb,
is built from the Bminor’s root and minor third (BD) and an Eb major triad (EbGBb);
the second, Cmaj7|Ab, features Cmaj7’s root and an Ab minor’s root and fifth (AbEb),
with the B doing “double duty” as both the Cmajor7’s seventh,

Polychords often appear as pivot chords before modulations, and are generally used to
make a harmonic movement less directional or obvious, and add a certain vagueness to
a harmonic environment.

Pivot chords are chords containing chord tones native to two different keys. For example, Amin7 (ACEG) can be built
from both a C major and an F major scale, and therefore lead from one key to the other, as in:
Dmin7 – G7 -C – <Amin7> – Bbmaj7 – Gmin7 – F.

© 2002 by Nick Naffin.

On the web: www.nicknaffin.com
Please send questions, suggestions and comments to chops@takenotepromotion.com

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