o-------------------------o | Handy Charts for Guitar | o-------------------------o By Alex Raichev (2004.08) initial version (2007.02.20) added more sections (2011.05.03) altered the formatting slightly Some Mostly Movable Chords ============================ Formula (relative to the major scale), label (system described at end of document; here 'R', which stands for 'root', is a placeholder for any of A, A#, Bb,...,Ab), and the five bar forms. Formula Label C A G E D ------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ 1 3 5 R x32010 x02220 320003 022100 xx0232 R35R3 R5R35 R35R3R R5R35R R5R3 ------- 1 -3 5 Rm x3101x x02210 310033 022000 xx0231 ------- 1 -3 -5 Ro x31x12 x0121x 31x023 0120x0 xx0131 ------- 1 3 +5 Ru x32110 x03221 321003 032110 xx0332 ------- 1 3 5 7 R7 x32000 x02120 320002 021100 xx0222 ------- 1 3 5 -7 R-7 x32310 x02020 320001 020100 xx0212 ------- 1 -3 5 -7 Rm-7 x3131x x02010 310031 020000 xx0211 ------- 1 -3 5 7 Rm7 x3100x x02110 310032 021000 xx0221 ------- 1 -3 -5 -7 Ro-7 x31312 x01013 313020 010030 xx0111 ------- 1 -3 -5 6 Ro6 x31212 x01212 312020 012020 xx0101 ------- 1 3 +5 7 Ru7 x32100 x03121 321002 031110 xx0322 ------- 1 2 5 R:25 x30033 x02200 300033 024x00 xx0230 ------- 1 4 5 R:45 x33011 x02230 330033 022200 xx0233 ------- 1 3 5 6 R6 x32213 x02222 320000 022120 xx0202 ------- 1 4 5 7 R:457 x33003 x02130 330012 021200 xx0223 ------- 1 4 5 -7 R:45-7 x33313 x02030 330011 020200 xx0213 Piano ===== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | |#| |#| | |#| |#| |#| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Scale Quartads ==================== I7 IIm-7 IIIm-7 IV7 V-7 VIm-7 VIIo-7 ------------------------------------------------------------ A7 Bm-7 C#m-7 D7 E-7 F#m-7 G#o-7 A#7 Cm-7 Dm-7 D#7 F-7 Gm-7 Ao-7 B7 C#m-7 D#m-7 E7 F#-7 G#m-7 A#o-7 C7 Dm-7 Em-7 F7 G-7 Am-7 Bo-7 C#7 D#m-7 Fm-7 F#7 G#-7 A#m-7 Co-7 D7 Em-7 F#m-7 G7 A-7 Bm-7 C#o-7 D#7 Fm-7 Gm-7 G#7 A#-7 Cm-7 Do-7 E7 F#m-7 G#m-7 A7 B-7 C#m-7 D#o-7 F7 Gm-7 Am-7 A#7 C-7 Dm-7 Eo-7 F#7 G#m-7 A#m-7 B7 C#-7 D#m-7 Fo-7 G7 Am-7 Bm-7 C7 D-7 Em-7 F#o-7 G#7 A#m-7 Cm-7 C#7 D#-7 Fm-7 Go-7 Harmonic Minor Scale Quartads ============================= Im7 IIo-7 IIIu7 IVm-7 V-7 VI7 VIIo6 ------------------------------------------------------------ Am7 Bo-7 Cu7 Dm-7 E-7 F7 G#o6 A#m7 Co-7 C#u7 D#m-7 F-7 F#7 Ao6 Bm7 C#o-7 Du7 Em-7 F#-7 G7 A#o6 Cm7 Do-7 D#u7 Fm-7 G-7 G#7 Bo6 C#m7 D#o-7 Eu7 F#m-7 G#-7 A7 Co6 Dm7 Eo-7 Fu7 Gm-7 A-7 A#7 C#o6 D#m7 Fo-7 F#u7 G#m-7 A#-7 B7 Do6 Em7 F#o-7 Gu7 Am-7 B-7 C7 D#o6 Fm7 Go-7 G#u7 A#m-7 C-7 C#7 Eo6 F#m7 G#o-7 Au7 Bm-7 C#-7 D7 Fo6 Gm7 Ao-7 A#u7 Cm-7 D-7 D#7 F#o6 G#m7 A#o-7 Bu7 C#m-7 D#-7 E7 Go6 The Cycle of Fifths =================== Picking a root note on the circle and moving clockwise one step leads you to the fifth note in the major scale of that root. For example, the fifth note of the A major scale is E. Picking a root note on the circle and moving counterclockwise one step leads you to the fourth note in the major scale of that root. For example, the fourth note of the A major scale is D. C F G A# D D# A G# E C# B F# Major Scale Scale Forms ======================= The numbers indicate fingering, and the layout emphasizes the overlaps of the forms along the fretboard. C form 1 1 1 1 1 1 ----------- 2 2 2 A form ----------- 3 3 3 1 1 1 ----------- ----------- 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 1 1 G form ----------- 3 1 ----------- ----------- 4 4 4 4 3 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 ----------- ----------- 4 2 E form ----------- 3 3 3 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 D form ----------- ----------- 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 ----------- ----------- 3 3 1 1 ----------- ----------- 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 ----------- ----------- 4 4 4 4 3 3 ----------- 4 4 Diminished Chord Adornment ========================== V#o6 can substitute for V-7, the dominant. Since diminished quartads are symmetric, there are only three up to voicing: Ao6 = Co6 = D#o6 = F#o6 A#o6 = C#o6 = Eo6 = Go6 Bo6 = Do6 = Fo6 = G#o6. Considering these equivalences, Ao6, for instance, can be substituted (as itself, Co6, D#o6, or F#o6) for any of G#-7, B-7, D-7, or F-7. My System for Chord Labels ========================== MOTIVATION The logician in me is a bit annoyed at the inconsistency of standard chord labels. For example, C6 denotes C major with added sixth, whereas C7 denotes C major with added FLATTENED seventh. To remedy the situation i propose the following alternative system for chord labels based on the major scale. In this system the chords just mentioned are denoted C6 and C-7, respectively. SYNTAX rootnote : note1 note2 ... noteN where 'rootnote' is one of A, A#, Bb,..., Ab, and 'notei' (1<=i<=N) is one of -2,...,-7, 2,...,7, +1,...,+6 subject to the constraint that note1 < note2 <...< noteN. OPTIONS /rootnote (at the end) indicates a replaced root (bottom) note; a 'slash' chord. SEMANTICS VIA EXAMPLES C:3+5-7 denotes (any voicing of) the chord with notes C E G# Bb. The signed numbers indicate which notes in the C major scale to add to C, namely, the third (E), the sharpened fifth (G#), and the flattened seventh (Bb). Again, these numbers are to be interpreted in the context of the MAJOR SCALE of the rootnote. A standard exists for when to call a G# an Ab and vice versa, but for simplicity (and since i don't know the standard) i ignore it here. Examples. Bb:-3-56 = Bb diminished 7th G:3+5 = G augmented F#:45-7 = F# dominant 7th sustained 4th A:3-5/G = A flattened 5th with a G instead of A root D:426 = an invalid expression (numbers not increasing) ABBREVIATIONS R abbreviates R:35 (major triad) Rm abbreviates R:-35 (minor triad) Ro abbreviates R:-3-5 (diminished triad) Ru abbreviates R:3+5 (augmented triad) where R is one of A, A#, Bb,...,Ab EXAMPLES C7 = C major 7th Am-7 = A minor dominant 7th F#m7 = F# minor major seventh G#27 = G# major 7th added 9th Bo6 = B diminished 7th Fm/E = F minor with an E instead of F root Eb37 = an invalid expression (repeated 3)