Guitar Chords and Guitar Notes

 Guitar Chords Positions

How to identify Guitar Chords and Notes Position on Guitar?

In this post we are going to learn How to Identify Guitar Chords and Notes positions and also look at all the chords such as A Chord, A# Chord, B Chord, B# Chord, C Chord, C# Chord, D Chord, D# Chord, F Chord, F# Chord, G Chord and Gb Chord on Guitar Chords one by one.

If you will check around you there are so many guitarist who know how to play different Guitar Chords, believe me there are only few how knows the technique to find the Guitar Chords position other than they already know and play. So here question arises is there a method to identify different barre Guitar Chords and their position by just learning couple of open guitar chords.

YES. There is a method!!!

We will identify all below guitar chords using this technique in this post,

A Chord, A# Chord, Bb Chord, B Chord, C Chord, C# Chord,  Db Chord, D Chord, D# Chord, Eb Chord, E Chord,  F Chord, F# Chord, Gb Chord, G Chord, G# Chord.

Before starting explaining the technique let me brief you three building blocks to achieve and apply the Method to identify other Barre Guitar Chords from basic open chords.

1.    Guitar Notes Series | Identify Guitar Chords:

Well there is a Guitar Chords and Notes series which we need to use in order to apply technique, which is well explained in “How to Play Guitar | Chord | Scales | Techniques”. 

I am going to brief about Guitar note series in this post as well.

If you will look at the Guitar fretboard then there are 6 strings and multiple frets, each fret is separated by Separator. So there are 6 Notes in each fret (on every string), considering all available Frets there are so many different position on fretboard.

 There is a Guitar Note series which is repeated in nature and help us to find different notes name on certain string.

Guitar Chords | Identify Guitar Chords and Notes

Every string name represents open note name. e.g. If you play A string open (without pressing it) so consider it as A note in the series and the next note shown in the series (Which is A# or A sharp) will point towards the first fret position (Press A string on first fret).

Then the next note given in the Guitar Notes Series i.e. B Note is available in the second fret (Press String on second fret) on A string.

Guitar Chords | C major Scale to Identify Guitar Chords and Notes

In this way we can place guitar notes in all frets on any string with the help of String name i.e. E B G D A E. The above picture will tells you about representation of Guitar Notes on B String.

So we can use this Guitar notes series in order to identify Chords as well but there are some rules to use it. Now the question arises that this Guitar notes series gives notes name on different position on strings, however chords are using multiple notes at the same time so will it correctly work in case of Guitar chords also. Answer is YES!!!

2.    Guitar Chords Shape:

Guitar Chords shape is basically the position of left hand (For Right handed guitarist) fingers on different Guitar notes.

Well Guitar Chords shape for all basic open chords has been already discussed at Chords of Guitar Chart: Guitar Chords: Open Chord, you can go through it.

This post will help you to understand the difference between Guitar Major Chords and Minor chords and the correct position (how to play) of basic open chords such as E Major Chord, Em (E Minor) Chord, A Major Chord, Am Chord, C Major Chord, F Major Chord, Fm (F Minor) Chord & F simplified Chord.

So the basic requirement to identify chords using Guitar Notes series is that Chord pattern should be same thorough out the fretboard.

Let's take up example of A Major Chord so it's a three finger pattern. If you will follow the same pattern of A Major Chord and move to next fret to the right side without changing the pattern then Guitar Series pattern will be followed.

Now coming to last rule in the series is GUITAR CHORDS GAP RULE.

3.     GAP Rule for Guitar Chords and Notes:

Gap rule says every chord will have a gap of one Guitar Fret in between them. There are two exceptions in this rule are,

B C (No fret gap between these Guitar Chords)

E F (No fret gap between these Guitar Chords)

Now, Guitar Notes series with Gap rule Followed without changing the Pattern in order to identify other Guitar Chords.

A - B C - D - E F - G - A and so on. (Use Guitar Note series diagram to follow)

So there is a gap (Need to skip one fret and move towards right side of fretboard) of one fret between Guitar Chords such as  between A Chord and B Chord, C Chord and D Chord, D Chord and E Chord, F Chord and G Chord, G Chord and A Chord. However, there is no gap between B Chord and C Chord, E Chord and F Chord.

Guitar Chords:

Hope all three building blocks are clear to you now.

Initially, let's start with the A Chord class Pattern which is nothing but A Major Chord. So to identify other Chords we need to know the exact position of A Major chord.

A Major Chord:

Place your three finger on string 2,3 and 4 on second fret on Guitar to play A major Chord as shown in figure and keep this shape as it is and skip 1 fret and move to Forth fret to play B Chord. You need to keep this position intact and put bar to play other chords available on fretboard.

Guitar Chords | A Major Chord

Later in the post we will check position of A sharp (A# Chord) or the other name of A sharp (A# Chord) is B Flat (Bb Guitar Chord).

A - B C - D - E F - G - A and so on. (Use Guitar Note series diagram to follow)

As per Series rule we are holding B chord now with same three fingers and strings 2,3 and 4 (Only Fret number changes from two to four).

But we have missed something which is to put a Barre here. If you will have a close look on the A major chord then you will see that there is permanent  Barre placed in the Guitar Neck which is a NUT.

So thing to be consider here is to place a Barre with the same gap on the left side of finger pattern in order to suffice all requirements to follow.

And that's it, now we have a correct pattern and Guitar series to follow.

So B Chord will look like as below.

B Chord: 

B Chord will position like the picture below. Later in the post we will check position of B sharp (B# Chord) or the other name of B sharp Chord (B# Chord)  is C Flat Chord (Cb Chord).

Guitar Chords | B Chord

Barre on the second fret, Middle finger, Ring finger and smaller finger are positioned on Forth Fret holding Forth, third and second string respectively to play B Chord.

You are already aware now that for Chord B and C (No fret gap between these Guitar Chords) there is no gap.

Now, as per Series rule, since we are holding B barre Chord. If you keep same pattern intact and move this pattern to the next right side fret then you will hold C barre Chord.

So Guitar C Chord will look like as below.

C Chord: 

C Chord will position like the picture below.

However we know the open position of C Chord in first 3 guitar Frets but this is again a different position for C Chord with Barre.

Later in the post we will check position of C sharp Chord (C# Chord) or D Flat Chord (Db Chord) both are same.

Guitar Chords | C Chord

Barre on the third fret, Middle finger, Ring finger and smaller finger are positioned on fifth Fret holding Forth, third and second string respectively to play C Chord.

A - B C - D - E F - G - A

Look at the Series rule, since we are holding C barre Chord. There is a gap of one fret in between C chord and D Chord as per Guitar Note series. If you keep same pattern intact and move this pattern to the next to next right side fret then you will hold D barre Chord.

D Chord: 

D Chord will position like the picture below. However we know the open position of D chord in first 3 guitar Frets but this is again a different position for D Chord with Barre. Later in the post we will check position of D sharp (D# Chord) or E Flat Chord (Eb Chord) both are same

.

Guitar Chords | D Chord

Barre on the fifth fret, Middle finger, Ring finger and smaller finger are positioned on seventh Fret holding Forth, third and second string respectively to play D Chord.

You are holding D barre Chord now and to pick E barre Chord you need to keep pattern intact and again skip one fret and so on.

E Chord: 

E Chord will position like the picture below. However we know the open position of E chord in first 2 guitar Frets but this is again a different position for E Chord with Barre.

Guitar Chords | E Chord

This way you can identify other remaining chords such as E Chord, F Chord and G Chord.

F Chord: 

F Chord will position like the picture below. However we know the open position of F chord in first 3 guitar Frets but this is again a different position for F Chord.

Later in the post we will check position of F sharp (F# Chord) or we can say G Flat (Gb chord) as both are same.

Guitar Chords | F Chord

G Chord: 

G Chord will position like the picture below. However we know the open position of G chord in first 2 guitar Frets but this is again a different position for G Chord.

Guitar Chords | G Chord

So we have taken A major chord as a base to identify other chords.

Hope you are enjoying the concept, here we are just playing with the concepts to learn to play with Guitar!!!

Now, we will address the FRET GAPS, Frets which we left between A Chord and B Chord, C Chord and D Chord, D Chord and E Chord, F Chord and G Chord.

Look at the Guitar Notes series again; these gaps are basically Sharp # chord or Flat chord.

Guitar Chords | Identify Guitar Chord with Note Series

As per the diagram, In between A chord to again repeated A chord (with the same pattern) many sharp chords are available such as below,

A Sharp Chord (A# Chord), C Sharp Chord (C# Chord), D Sharp Chord (D# Chord), F Sharp Chord (F# Chord) and G Sharp Chord (G# Chord) will come.

Hope the concept explained in the above post section is clear to you now, please look at the above GUITAR NOTES SERIES and let’s fill all Sharp or Flat Chords now. I am just mentioning their position in the below post.

Let’s Fill all Frets with A major Chord Pattern:

Just to give you a glimpse, the series with skipping any fret without changing pattern is as below,

A Chord-> A# Chord-> B Chord-> C Chord-> C# Chord-> D Chord-> D# Chord-> E Chord-> F Chord-> F# Chord-> G Chord-> G# Chord.

Let’s verify it with the notes available on Guitar A string,

Guitar Chords | Guitar Notes on A String

A Sharp Chord (A# Chord):

This chord also known as B Flat chord (Bb Chord).

A# Chord and Bb Chord are same chord and will position like the picture below.

Guitar Chords | A# Chord or Bb Chord

C Sharp Chord (C# Chord):

This chord also known as D Flat Chord (Db Chord).

C# Chord or Db Chord will position like the picture below.

Guitar Chords | C# Chord or Db Chord

D Sharp Chord (D# Chord):

This chord also known as E Flat chord (Eb Chord).

D# Chord or Eb Chord will position like the picture below.

Guitar Chords | D# Chord or Eb Chord

F Sharp Chord (F# Chord):

F Sharp (F# Chord) chord also known as G Flat chord (Gb Chord).

F# Chord or Gb Chord will position like the picture below.

Guitar Chords | F# Chord or Gb Chord

G Sharp Chord (G# Chord) or Ab Chord (A Flat Chord):

G# Chord or Ab Chord will position like the picture below.

Guitar Chords | G# Chord or Ab Chord

In this post we took pattern of A major Chord.

In the same way we can identify different Chord positions with the help of E major open chord and A minor open chord. This series of Guitar chord is also very important to know and many people just trying to learn their position and name without even understanding the concept which is actually very easy as explained in this post.

I am going to explain this series as well and I will suggest that you guys can also try to fit pattern of E major open chord and A minor open chord and follow the Guitar series to identify other Barre chords associated with them. Wish you all the best.

There is lot more to share, Keep in touch and stay happy.

Happy Guitar Chords and Guitar Notes Learning!!!