Open Chords

[jksl...@my-deja.com]

Hi, all I am new to playing a guitar but have been play instruments my
whole life. Could someone please tell me what are considered the Open
Chords on a guitar?

Thanks

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Before you buy.

[PAL3000]

I think the terminology "Open Chord" represent a chord that uses open
notes. Open notes being ones that are just playinng the string
without fretting a note. A simple G chord would be an open chord,
with the fingering being the 3rd fret 6th string, 2nd fret fifth
string, 3rd fret 1st string, and strings 4, 3 and 2 being "Open".

Paul

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[jbd...@my-deja.com]

In article <86ds1f$r5h$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

jksl...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Hi, all I am new to playing a guitar but have been play instruments my
> whole life. Could someone please tell me what are considered the Open
> Chords on a guitar?
>
> Thanks
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>

The "open chords" on guitar are:

C major - x32010 or x3201x or x32013
G major - 320003 or 320033
D major - xx0232
A major - x0222x or x02220
E major - 022100 or 0221xx

A minor - x02210 or x0221x
E minor - 022000 or 0220xx or 022003
D minor - xx0231

There are others, but those are the basics. You'll find that loads of
guitar oriented music uses these chords (sometimes exclusively). Often
guitar based musics neglect all the other keys that don't fit the open
shapes. Notice that the major chords neglect the keys of F Bb Eb Ab Db
Gb and B.

These same open shapes can be moved up the fretboard into other keys.
take the C shape: x32010, move this up one fret to x43121 you get Db
major. Up one more fret to x54232 you get D major. etc. etc.

Usually, when you move the open shapes up the neck, you have to finger
the chord a little differently because you now have to fret the notes
that were open before. But, the chord shape is the same.

The G major shape is not really moveable. It's an unpracticle shape
when moved up the neck. 320003 would become 431114 to get Ab. This is
kind of an awkward chord, so it's usefulness is limited mainly to the G
chord itself. But, it could be used in other keys in some situations.

The A major shape is moveable, and is the basis for what is called the
5th string barre chords. x02220 would become x13331 to get Bb. x24442
to get B etc. etc.

The A minor shape is in the same family of chords as the A major. It
is also the basis for the 5th string barre chords (the minor form)
x02210 moved up one fret becomes Bbminor X13321...

The Dmajor shape is also a moveable shape. xx0232 moved up one fret
becomes Ebmajor xx1343. Emajor xx2454 etc. etc.

The E major shape is the basis for the 6th string barre chords. 022100
moved up one fret becomes F major 133211. Up another fret becomes
Gbmajor 244322...etc.

The E minor shape is in the same family as the E major and is the basis
for the minor form 6th string barre chords. 022000 moved up becomes
133111 - Fminor

[jbd...@my-deja.com]

There are also open chords for chords containing 7ths.

Cmaj7 - x32000 or x32003
Gmaj7 - 320002 or 320032
Dmaj7 - xx0222
Amaj7 - x02120 or x0212x
Emaj7 - 021100 or 0211xx

C7 - x32310
G7 - 320001 or 320031 or 323003 or 323001
D7 - xx0212
A7 - x02020 or x0202x
E7 - 020100 or 0201xx

Dm7 - xx0211
Am7 - x02010 or x0201x or x02013 or x02213
Em7 - 022030 or 022033 or 020000 or 020003 or 020033

these shapes are all relative to their respective major or minor triads
from the last post, and these are also moveable to other keys.