Lesson 6 - any-fret chords

These chords have great benefit, but sometimes it is hard to play them. It requires a little practice. But you will be greatly rewarded!

When you use these chords, you don't play any open strings. When you learn one chord variant you will be able to play all chords of this type. For example, when you learn for example major any-fret chord variant E, you can play all 12 major chords (F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-C-C#-D-D#-E) with this grasp – you only move your left hand over the fretboard. Look at some any-fret chords in the app and try to play them over the fretboard. Or look to the tables below:

Any-fret major chord, variant C

Concerning any-fret chords, there are no specific frets, because chords are playable over the whole fretboard. Only rule here are strings, which you must not play (X).

Any-fret major chord, variant A

The best grasp of this chord is use only two finers. One finger (forefinger) holds 1 and 5 (second column) and second finger (ring-finger) holds the other three strings, but has to avoid high E. It is a hard to grasp it at first. For beginners it can be simplified and played without high E (mutted).

Any-fret major chord, variant G

This is one of the few cases where the deepest tone is not root tone. It is because of difficult grasp of the whole chord...

Any-fret major chord, variant E

Whole second column is holded with one finger. But again, it is possible to simplified that grasp. For example do not play strings low E and A.

Any-fret major chord, variant D

As I wrote earlier, it is possible to play all major chords with only one major variant. Moreover, when you adjust major any-fret chord variant E to variant Em (or just learn Em variant), you are able to play every major and every minor chord. But you have to know tone names on the low E string:

Then with knowledge of these two grasps (variant E and Em) you can play almost every song :) But learn all variants of minor and major any-fret chords as well. You will need them later. Try to deduce minor variants from major variants. If you have a problem with determination or you just want to check if you've reached the same result, so take a look here, where I mention all minor variants:

Any-fret minor chord, variant C

A little bit difficult to grasp it...

Any-fret minor chord, variant A

Any-fret minor chord, variant G

Strongly recommanded to hold three adjancent strings with ring-finger and the low E with middle-finger. But it needs a training :)

Any-fret minor chord, variant E

Any-fret minor chord, variant D

Because chord variants C and A have root tone on the A string and chord variant D on the D string, I introduce here (again) all names of tones on these three strings (low E, A and D). Notice, that tone names on the D is not need to remember, because are the same as on the low E, only shifted by two frets:

If you want to know, why there are only five variants of a certain type of chord (e.g. major) you have to do exercises for this lesson.

Exercises for this lesson:

Take a larger paper (A4, letter,...) and draw six lines (strings) and at least 16 lines perpendicular to them (frets). Now write 1 on any place of this drawn fretboard. Now compute position and write down all 1, 3 and 5 intervals (if you do not know how, look at the table of intervals in chapter intervals).

When you have done that, attentively look at the drawn fretboard. You can recognize five variants of chords: C-A-G-E-D. Notice that there is no sixth variant because first is repeated again: ...-C-A-G-E-D-C-A-G-... If you like this exercise or not, draw another fretboard and write down all 1, b3 and 5 and check all minor chord variants.

In the second exercise take the first drawn fretboard (with 1, 3 and 5) and fill in b7 and 7. Now try to find all five maj7 variants and all five dom7 variants. Than take the second drawn fretboard (with 1, b3 and 5) and fill in b7. Then try to find all five min7 variants. Then check all 15 variants of seventh chords by ear. Or for a moment jump to the lesson about arpeggios, where are seventh variants of chords highlighted in every arpeggio.

Next: Lesson 7 - chord progression I

Other lessons:

Lesson 1 - first steps

Lesson 2 - intervals

Lesson 3 - tones

Lesson 4 - first chords

Lesson 5 - seventh chords

Lesson 7 - chord progression I

Lesson 8 - chord progression II

Lesson 9 - arpeggios

Lesson 10 - scales