Chords & Scales

On this page you will find Guitar Scales, Chords, Chord Progressions, Fretboard Diagrams, Links, and more.  LEARN THESE CHORDS AND SCALES AND PRACTICE THEM OFTEN. THIS LITTLE KITTY KNOWS HOW TO ROCK!!!


I wonder if her little paws get tired



First, let's lay down some chords. If you do not know how to read chord diagrams click here!

It's so easy even a monkey can do it!

CHORDS:

It is best to practice strumming your chords to the beeps of a metronome. Here is a link to a free online-metronome:

FREE ONLINE METRONOME

When strumming, keep your elbow relatively stationary and move your forearm in a constant steady motion (like the second hand on a Grandfather's clock.) Down strokes should be on the beeps and up-strokes between the beeps. Start at a slow setting (40 or 60bpm), then gradually increase by increments of 20. You can get up to 220bpm's if you want, but most songs are in the range of 60 to 140bpm's.

Here is a great resource for finding and learning chords: Chord Finder

The are three major chord types used in most popular music: Major, Minor, and Seventh. These are very common chords that you should learn and constantly practice :

MAJORS:



Minors:



Sevenths:



The above chords are very common guitar chords and you shoud get to know all these chords by memory and learn how to easily switch between them. Once you know these chords by heart and can switch between them efficiently, try playing some of the chorded songs on the "Chorded Songs" page. Practice different chord combinations. We will soon learn about chord progressions (combinations of chords that sound good together). Chord progressions are good to know, especially if you want to learn or write songs. For more on Song Structures and Chord Progressions read Guitar 101, Chapter 6.

FOR A MORE COMPLETE PRINTABLE CHORD CHART CLICK HERE!



FOR BLANK CHORD DIAGRAM PAPER CLICK HERE!

There are twelve notes in western music. These notes are:

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, and G#

These notes make up the musical alphabet. Some people prefer to use flats instead of sharps (see Guitar 101, Week One). But they all refer to the same twelve notes. Now, there are different frequencies (or wave lengths) of each of these notes. The open A-string on the guitar has a frequency of 440Hz (Hz stands for "Hertz" which is a measure of cycles per second of a wavelength). The A-sharp note on the first fret of the A-string has a frequency of 466.16Hz. The B-note has a frequency of 493.88Hz. If you were to keep moving up the fretboard, you would eventually get to the A-note on the twelfth fret of the A-string. This is called an octave (which is Latin for eight, which is a little confusing since these two A-notes are twelve notes apart in the musical alphabet and on the guitar fretboard. If you want to know the reasoning behind this read Week 3 of Guitar 102). Octaves are exactly double the frequency. For example, an open-string A note has a frequency of 440hz, and the A-note on the twelfth fret of the A-string has a frequency of 880hz. The ear hears them as being similar because of something called resonancy (read Week 2 of Guitar 102). For more on understanding notes read the page on Music Theory. Memorize the musical alphabet. It is very important. Every note on your guitar will be one of the twelve notes of the musical alphabet.







Scales:

Scales are simply different combinations of the notes of the musical alphabet. Let's start with a few basic scales. Let's start with the open-position scales. First, here is the A-Major Scale:

The notes of the A-Major Scale are: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A

Here's the tab for the open A Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - 5 - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Now, here is the B-Major Scale:

Notes of the B-Major Scale: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B

Tab for the B-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - 6 - 7 - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - 1 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

C-Major Scale:

Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Tab for Open Position C-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 8 -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 0 - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


D-Major Scale:

Notes: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D

Tab for Open Position D-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 8 -10
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


E-Major Scale:

Notes:  E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E

Tab for Open Position E-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


F-Major Scale:

Notes: F, G, A, A#, C, D, E, F

Tab for Open Position F-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - 0 - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

G-Major Scale:

Notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G

Tab for Open Position G-Major Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 1 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- - 0 - 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -





Am and C-Major Pentatonic Scale

The notes of the A-minor Pentatonic Scale are: A, C, D, E, G, A

Here's the tab for the open A-minor and C-Major Pentatonic Scale:

e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - - 8 - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - - 8 - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - - 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - - 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - - 5 - - 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- - 5 - - 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8- - 10 - - - - -
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 - - 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A- - - - - - - - 7 - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E- - 8 - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 12- - - - - - - - - 
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 13- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 - 12- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
D - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
A - - - - - - - - 10 - 12- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
E - - 10 - 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 - 15- - - - - - - - - 
B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 - 15- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 - 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 - 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
A - - - - - - - - 12 - 15- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
E - - 12 - 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 





MANY MORE SCALES TO COME!!!

BECOME A SCALE MASTER!!!




If you want to learn more scales click on this link:
Guitar Scales: This site has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of guitar scales, as well as chord progressions, guitar licks, an online metronome and tuner, and a musician's forum. This is an excellent site for serious guitarists.





Click on the links below to learn more about notes, scales, and chords.


Notes of the Fretboard

Note Frequency Chart

Guitar Fingerboard Chart

Blank Fretboard Diagrams

Understanding Scales (Week 9 of Guitar 101)

Major and Minor Scale Construction (Week 3 of Guitar 102)

Chord Theory (coming soon)

Basic Guitar Chord Chart

Huge Guitar Chord Chart





Web Links:

Musical Notes: A wikipedia article about musical notes

All-Guitar-Chords.com: Interactive Guitar Scales, Chords, Chord Progressions, Licks, Tuner, Metronome, and more

Chord Progressions: A chord-progression finder program

Circle of Fifths: Chord progression finder using the "Circle of Fifths"

Circle of Fifths "for Dummies" : Explains the history, meaning, and applications of the circle of fifths on Dummies.com (the companion site for the "For Dummies" book)

Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory: Learn about chord theory, intervals, the circle of fifths and more

Guitar Chord Theory: Learn all about chord construction and theory