Guitar fretboard map
Hi. If anyone in guitar can help. I notice that some guitarists play the Major C chord on the early part of the fretboard then use the same form down on the 3rd fret. They don't seem to use the barre finger and just sweep this C shape up and down the fretboard.
I imagine the person is not playing the E and the A strings so the barre is not necessary. I assume it's making a G on the 3rd fret?
So my lazy brain is saying to me: does this mean one chord shape can be utilised for all I IV V chords in a song, using it on different frets? i hope this is not confusing.
Comments
Power Chords?
In reply to Power Chords? by Jojo-Schmitz
thanks JoJo We know them. it's about what next musician says. Going down towards the body of the guitar.
"early part of the fretboard"?
Never heard it expressed that way. :-)
![chord.png]( "chord.png")
If you mean higher up the fretboard (i.e., closer to the guitar body) then you are correct.
At the 8th fret, this 'chord form' produces a C major chord.
At the 3rd fret, it's a G major chord.
Since the first 4 strings are fretted (stopped), the chord form can be slid (chromatically) up/down the neck.
(The E and A strings are not sounded.)
In reply to "early part of the fretboard… by Jm6stringer
Hi No. I'd be the only one with that expression. I do have some funny descriptions.
Yes, you understood correct. Do we have one at the 5th? I imagine the 8th is a C5 position C on piano.
In reply to Hi No. I'd be the only one… by mpvick
Do we have one at the 5th?
If you mean can that chord shape be moved to the 5th fret, the answer is yes; it then becomes an A major chord:
![A.png]( "A.png")
At the 6th fret, it becomes an A# or Bb major chord, 7th fret a B major chord, etc.
.
I imagine the 8th is a C5 position C on piano.
Guitar is a transposing instrument, sounding an octave lower (due to the 8va bassa clef):
![C.png]( "C.png")
In reply to Do we have one at the 5th?… by Jm6stringer
That shape is an F major. Not a C. But good information. Thanks.
The D sus 4 is a C shape.
In reply to That shape is an F major… by mpvick
Yes, at the first fret it's an F chord which is where people learn it first, so they consider it an 'F shape'.
At the eighth fret, though, it is a C chord -- which is what the notation and fretboard diagram (8th fret) show in my image above.
You wrote: I imagine the 8th is a C5 position C on piano.
You were partly correct: At the eighth fret, it is a C, but not sounding as C5. It sounds as C4 position on piano.
In reply to Yes, at the first fret it's… by Jm6stringer
If I look at the octaves on the guitar. That means taking up to fret 8 is the same as playing the 1st fret. and LITTLE pitch difference except the 8th fret 1st string is up an octave. Maybe a greater emphasis on the E note. It would be quite subtle.
Eva Cassidy uses a C shape at the 3rd fret in Kathy's Song, by Paul Simon. And she carefully avoids the outer strings.
In reply to Eva Cassidy uses a C shape… by scorster
Hi now that makes sense. Good on you. First fret it's major C, 3rd is Dsus4, 5th is G, and 8th is another C. This answers my question. Fantastic all good everyone. problem solved. So that is the key of G and how it's getting played. I appreciate it. woohoo
In reply to Hi now that makes sense… by mpvick
You can get I - IV - V chords (in the key of C) by placing
the C shape at the 1st, 6th and 8th frets respectively,
resulting in C, F2 and G (no 5).
And you can get this interesting progression in G just by moving the C shape:
As others have mentioned, bar chords and power chords are moveable too.
scorster
In reply to You can get I - IV - V… by scorster
My problem is now solved. Ta so much. I am now an intelligent guitar player. Not skilled too much but improved now. I don't like capo as it shows one doesn't know their chords. But this one baffled me. You're wonderful. Great understanding to share this information.
In reply to Hi now that makes sense… by mpvick
3rd fret is D major. The example given by scorster relates to a different C-shape, there's a capo applied and the Dsus4 is a different chord with different fingering.
In reply to 3rd fret is D major. The… by underquark
A couple of points:
First: Generally it's challenging to intelligently and succinctly name chords when they include a drone note that's constant among chords in the progression.
Second: The 3 is often omitted from the upper voicing of a sus4 chord. Meaning that the 3 may appear in the lower octave ... but usually not in the upper octave.
According to that concept:
• the normal formula for Dsus4 is 1 4 5
• but can be 1 3 5 in the lower octave and 1 4 5 an upper octave.
In the chord shape that I labeled "Dsus4" the notes sounded are: 1 3 4. So it's a little hard to name.
Perhaps Dadd11 no 5? And the tension of that chord does't sound like the familiar sus. But I thought I'd hazard something simple and reasonably accurate.
scorster
In reply to 3rd fret is D major. The… by underquark
@underquark..
It is the constant open G string (the drone) -- regardless at what fret the chord, or at what fret a capo, is placed -- which changes the 'type' of chord to sus4, add 11, etc.
@scorster
The 'chord shape' I illustrated in my post above maintains its 'major chord' status because wherever it is moved on the fretboard, all the notes of the chord -- being stopped strings (i.e., fretted) -- move by the same interval. It remains a major chord at every fret.
So to answer the OP's question: ...does this mean one chord shape can be utilized for all I IV V chords in a song, using it on different frets?
Yes...
...in a I - IV - V chord progression, let's use the key of F major, the 'chord shape' would be 'grabbed' at fret 1 for an F chord, fret 7 for a B♭ chord, and fret 8 for a C chord. This differs from your C - F2 - G (no5) chords. They use a different chord shape which exploits the open string..
Looking at your posted images...
For clarity, I would "X" the first string of all your fretboard diagrams in the "Moveable C shape" score (except for the C diagram, where the 1st string is a chordal tone).
Also, (to appease any academics) your G# (M7) note pattern - as shown in measures 5 & 7 - should show the G♮ note as an Fx (double sharp) -- for Maj7th). It doesn't matter for the TAB.
In reply to 3rd fret is D major. The… by underquark
These have been great posts to read. thanks for sharing everyone.