Sunday, June 5, 2011

Learning About The Concepts Of Guitar Chords

By John O'Connell


Guitar chords are created when a collection of tones are played at once. They can be composed of notes on separate strings, or all the strings at once. The instruments generally have six or twelve strings.

In popular music, six-stringed instruments are most common. Each string is tuned from the lowest pitch to the highest pitch. They're designated with the following letters: E-A-D-G-B-E. The thinnest string has the highest pitch. It's called the first string. The thickest string has the lowest pitch, and is designated as the sixth.

The sound intervals between most of the strings are perfect fourths. However, the interval between the second string, B, and the third string, G, is a major third. Sometimes, players use a slide to enable easy transitions to multiple pitches.

In heavy metal and hard rock music, the tuning is slightly different. Known as Drop D tuning, the low E string is tuned to a D. This results in power tuning, where the bottom three strings become a root fifth octave, D-A-D.

The basic elements of the sound are D Major, E Major, G Major, A Major and C Major. They form the major triads, which are primary reference points. They occur in an open position.

F Major and B Major are the remaining components in major whole tones. They are formed while the first finger depresses several strings at once.

In addition to major units, there are minor, augmented and diminished. Minor is similar to major, with the difference of one semitone. They incorporate a minor third rather than a major third. Augmented is created with a major third and augmented fifth. The diminished tone is composed of a minor third and a diminished fifth.

When the bass note is not the root note, it's considered inverted. In most contemporary popular music, inverted tones are usually not played as part of the harmony because the bass can play the root pitch.

When root relationships have a successive pattern, it's known as harmonic progression. It forms an ongoing level shift which has been an important component of European music since 1600. The level shifts usually take place during accented beats.

A variety of musical styles can be created using guitar chords. They are formed by compressing a specific combination of strings on certain frets. While they can be challenging for new players to learn, they are an essential component of music.




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