46 Chord Shapes You Must Know - The Ultimate Guide To Chord Substitutions - GuitarPlayer

7/25/2020 46 Chord Shapes You Must Know: The Ultimate Guide to Chord Substitutions | GuitarPlayer
TRENDING Blues Comping 101 Mooer's Portable New Acoustic Amp Slash Plays a Strat! The Gear Behind 'Layla'
We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an a liate commission. Learn more
46 Chord Shapes You Must Know: The Ultimate Advertisement
Guide to Chord Substitutions

By Guitar Player Sta April 08, 2020
Must know guitar chord shapes
   
(Image credit: Future)
There are many ways to vary almost any basic chord.
But in order to do this spontaneously, you need to have a fully stocked

folder in your brain’s ling cabinet, one containing heaps of chord types
that can be used as replacements for a basic progression’s “stock” chord.
 GUITAR PLAYER NEWSLETTER
Access to these alternate voicings will allow you to experiment on the y no
matter what style you’re playing. Get the latest news, reviews and
product advice straight to your inbox.
To this end, we’ve cobbled together a collection of chord frames beginning
with a familiar “starting” chord—an open-position C—and following it up
CLOSE X
Your Email Address

with popular substitute voicings.
https://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/46-chord-shapes-you-must-know-the-ultimate-guide-to-chord-substitutions 1/8
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...


No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any
SIGN
time and we'll never ME
share UPdetails without your
your
Tips to Improve Your Solo Performance by Ka… permission.
Advertisement
PLAY SOUND
Ad : (0:07)
Advertisement
After you read this post, put the chords to work in the C–G–Am–F
progression used in this lesson, grouping together chords those that share
the same note on top (e.g. Cmaj7–Gsus4–A7sus4–F6/9 from FIGURES 1–4).
This technique is the key ingredient for jangly modern rock sounds.
To outline C–G–Am–F changes with barre-chord variations, you’ll need to

transpose the C chord ngerings to t G and F chords. Keep working like
this, and you’ll have an awesome arsenal of shapes in no time.
OPEN-CHORD COLORING
In FIGURES 1–4, ubiquitous chords like C, G Am and the standard F barre
shape are run through the tone-coloring mill by adding suspensions
(Csus4, Gsus4, A7sus4), 2nds (Cadd2, Gadd2, Am[add2]), and 6ths (C6,
F6/9). In other instances, they’re morphed into prettier-sounding 7th
(Cmaj7, Fmaj7) and extended chords (G9, Am9, Fmaj9).
MOST READ MOST SHARED
FIGURE 1
Why To Avoid Pentatonic Scales
Pentatonic Scales Make the Guitar Puzzle Impossible To

Solve. Here's Why
Ad
1 Prime Day guitar deals 2020:
everything you need to know
about Amazon Prime Day
2 Re-Enter the 'Dragon: Take a

Closer Look at the Sundragon
Standard Edition Combo
3 Mooer Debuts New SD50A

Acoustic Guitar Amp
FIGURE 2
4 Dawner Prince Unveils New
Pulse Revolving Speaker
Emulator
5 Blues Comping 101: Essential

Rhythm Approaches for Blues
Guitar
CLOSE X

Advertisement
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
In modern/indie rock and pop, the sound of strummed or arpeggiated

open-position 7th chords is fairly common. However, the “darker” sound of
fully fretted 7ths is relatively rare; they’re primarily reserved for R&B, blues
and jazz.
By adding a #4 (among other tones) to an open major-chord shape, you’re

instantly rewarded with an exotic, Led Zeppelin–like voicing‚ such as the
Csus2add#4, G5add#4 and Fmaj7#11 avors depicted in FIGURE 5. This
gure also illustrates how adding a 6th to a minor chord can create spicy
sounds, like Am13.
FIGURE 5
BARRE CHORD BONANZA
In FIGURE 6, a C chord (C–E–G) with a 6th string root is jacked up with the
addition of a 2nd (D) and 6th (A), yielding Cadd2/add9 (C–D–E–G) and C6 (C–
E–G–A) types.
FIGURE 6
Advertisement
FIGURE 7 follows suit with an Am barre (A–C–E ), generating Am(add2) (A–

B–C–E) and Am6 (A–C–E–F#) shapes, while FIGURE 8 explores similar
sounds with root-on-5th-string voicings.
FIGURE 7
CLOSE X
FIGURE 8
Or course, a rock chord lesson wouldn’t be complete without studying

movable shapes used with open strings. FIGURE 9 demonstrates what
happens when the C barre shape of FIGURE 6 is unbarred (don’t fret strings
1–2) and shifted along the neck to outline a C–G–Am–F progression: The
ringing open E and B strings create Cmaj7, G6, Am(add2) and Fmaj7#11
chord names.
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10 shows a similar approach with stripped-down versions of the

chords used in FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 10
MORE ABOUT... LATEST

CLOSE X
READ MORE  
August 2020 Guitar Player Lesson Audio

By GP Editors July 07, 2020
READ MORE 
This “Magic Fusion Shape” Makes an Instant

Fusion Guitar Sound
By Christopher Scapelliti June 29, 2020
READ MORE 
Examine Eddie Van Halen's Ferocious Tapping

Techniques
By Guitar Player Sta June 26, 2020
READ MORE 
Four Easy Ways to Fire Up Common Chord Shapes

READ MORE 
How to Use Position Shifts for Maximum Speed

Like Yngwie Malmsteen
By David Brewster June 23, 2020
CLOSE X
READ MORE 

Five Tips for Layering Guitars
By Craig Anderton June 22, 2020
READ MORE 
No More Boring Solos! Master the Minor

Pentatonic Scale
By Mac Randall June 19, 2020
READ MORE 
Fatten Up Your Blues Licks with Double-Stops

READ MORE 
Make Scale-Based Licks Sound Unique with

Octave Displacement
By Jean Marc Belkadi June 12, 2020
READ MORE 
How to Hack the Five Pentatonic Scale Shapes

By Vinnie DeMasi June 11, 2020
READ MORE 
CLOSE X
Blues Comping 101: Essential Rhythm Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac Co-Founder
Approaches for Blues Guitar  and Legendary British Blues Guitarist,
Dead at 73 
SEE MORE RELATED SEE MORE LATEST 
The Mixolydian Blues Scale—The Most Useful Scale of All Advertisement
This scale reigns supreme as the chief source for carving those major/minor
blues-based licks that sound so good over dominant 7th chords.
Guitar Player
At 54, Elisabeth Shue Leaves Nothing To The Imagination

FinancialAdvisorHeroes | Sponsored
These New Assisted Living Apartments Near Monmouth Are

A Dream Come True! Research Senior Assisted Living…
Senior Living/Assisted Living | Sponsored
Remember Him? Better Sit Down Before You See What He

Looks Like Now
FinancialAdvisorHeroes | Sponsored
2020 SUVs So Cool It's Hard To Believe They Cost Under

$30K. Search For 2020 Crossover Vehicles Luxury Deals
SUVs | Sponsored
60 Exercises to Improve Your Playing—Right Now!

Guitar Player
Led Zeppelin’s 'Celebration Day' Concert Film to Be Streamed for

Free on YouTube This Weekend
Guitar Player
Don't Ignore Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis! You

Should Research Ankylosing Spondylitis Treatment
Ankylosing Spondylitis | Sponsored
MOST POPULAR
Three Tips for Improving Your Reading

By Carl Verheyen July 08, 2020
CLOSE X
An Appreciation of Michael Lee Firkins'


Ingeniously Soulful Playing
By David Brewster June 11, 2020
READ MORE 
How to Break Free of Common Blues Chord

Shapes
By GP Editors June 08, 2020
READ MORE 
TOPICS
LESSONS CHORDS
GuitarPlayer is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
About us
Do not sell my info
© Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
CLOSE X

46 Chord Shapes You Must Know - The Ultimate Guide To Chord Substitutions - GuitarPlayer

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

46 Chord Shapes You Must Know - The Ultimate Guide To Chord Substitutions - GuitarPlayer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

7/25/2020 46 Chord Shapes You Must Know: The Ultimate Guide to Chord Substitutions | GuitarPlayer

46 Chord Shapes You Must Know: The Ultimate Advertisement

Guide to Chord Substitutions

Must know guitar chord shapes

(Image credit: Future)

There are many ways to vary almost any basic chord.

But in order to do this spontaneously, you need to have a fully stocked

Your Email Address

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...

To outline C–G–Am–F changes with barre-chord variations, you’ll need to

Why To Avoid Pentatonic Scales

Pentatonic Scales Make the Guitar Puzzle Impossible To

2 Re-Enter the 'Dragon: Take a

3 Mooer Debuts New SD50A

5 Blues Comping 101: Essential

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

In modern/indie rock and pop, the sound of strummed or arpeggiated

By adding a #4 (among other tones) to an open major-chord shape, you’re

(Image credit: Future)

BARRE CHORD BONANZA

(Image credit: Future)

FIGURE 7 follows suit with an Am barre (A–C–E ), generating Am(add2) (A–

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

Or course, a rock chord lesson wouldn’t be complete without studying

(Image credit: Future)

FIGURE 10 shows a similar approach with stripped-down versions of the

(Image credit: Future)

MORE ABOUT... LATEST

August 2020 Guitar Player Lesson Audio

This “Magic Fusion Shape” Makes an Instant

Examine Eddie Van Halen's Ferocious Tapping

Four Easy Ways to Fire Up Common Chord Shapes

How to Use Position Shifts for Maximum Speed

No More Boring Solos! Master the Minor

Fatten Up Your Blues Licks with Double-Stops

Make Scale-Based Licks Sound Unique with

How to Hack the Five Pentatonic Scale Shapes

SEE MORE RELATED SEE MORE LATEST 

The Mixolydian Blues Scale—The Most Useful Scale of All Advertisement

At 54, Elisabeth Shue Leaves Nothing To The Imagination

These New Assisted Living Apartments Near Monmouth Are

Remember Him? Better Sit Down Before You See What He

2020 SUVs So Cool It's Hard To Believe They Cost Under

60 Exercises to Improve Your Playing—Right Now!

Led Zeppelin’s 'Celebration Day' Concert Film to Be Streamed for

Don't Ignore Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis! You

Three Tips for Improving Your Reading

An Appreciation of Michael Lee Firkins'

How to Break Free of Common Blues Chord

Terms and conditions

Do not sell my info

You might also like