Download - Uncommon Chords for guitar
Uncommon Chords
101 Vibrant Voicings You Won’t Find On A Typical Chord Chart.
By Mike Beatham
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
IntroductionThank you for downloading Uncommon Chords!
As the title states, contained within are 101 chords you won’t find on a typical chord chart.
As a result, using any of these chords in your songwriting, as alternatives to the standard barre and open chord forms we learn, will give your progressions an instant spark of originality.
Many of these chords make use of open strings (often referred to as open chords). This gives them a particularly vibrant, full sound.
However, included are also some lesser known movable chord forms which do not use open strings, and can therefore be positioned at any fret.
However you choose to use the chords featured in this book, I hope they inspire more creativity in your songwriting and original interpretations of existing music.
This list is by no means exhaustive, although this is likely only the 1st volume of many! Try the chord forms you learn here in different positions, add and remove fingers/notes and see if you can expand the list further.
Enjoy it! Remember to visit fretjam.com for quality free guitar lessons.
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Before We BeginThe diagrams show you where to put your fingers. First, number your fingers in the usual way, as shown below:
Some chords involve the use of a barred finger. For example, taking the standard E form major barre chord, our index (1) finger is barred across all six strings. Here’s how the barre would be represented in my diagrams:
The fingerings used in the diagrams are only suggestions. If you find a morecomfortable way of playing the chord, by all means use it!
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
If a string is not used in the chord, there’ll be an marked on the diagram as follows:
That would mean don’t play the A string. Any strings not marked with a fingering or an X should be played as they are – open. Pretty standard stuff!
Fret numbers will be marked on diagrams where the chord form is to be played up the neck.
If the chord is played down at the first few frets, however, you’ll see a black bar representing the nut (where the guitar neck meets the head) instead of a fret number:
That diagram has a nut, so that tells us we’re looking at the first 4 frets.
That’s about it. Now let’s expand our chord vocabulary…
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
The Chords9th Suspended 4th Dominant 13th
A7#11 A7sus4
A9 Asus4#5add9
Aadd6 Asus4#5add9
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Aadd9 Aadd9/C#
Abaug7#11 Am9
Am13 Amadd6
Amadd9 Amadd11
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Amaj9 Aadd9#4
B7add11 B7add13
B9sus4 B9sus4/2
Bbadd6 Bbmaj7#11
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Bm11 Bm11b5
Bm11b13 Cadd9
Cadd9#11 Cm9
Cmaj9 C#m7
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
C#m9 C#m9 (Var. 2)
C#m13 D7sus2
D7sus13 D9
D9 (Var. 2) D9 (Var. 3)
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
D9sus4 Dadd4
Dadd6 Dadd9
Dadd9 (Var. 2) Dadd6/9
Dm7add11 Dmaj7
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Dmaj7add6 Dmaj9
Dmaj13 Dominant 7th
Dominant 7th (Var. 2) Dominant 7th (Var. 3)
Dominant 7th (Var. 4) Dominant 7th (Var. 5)
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
E7sus4 E9
E9sus4 Eadd9
Eadd6 Em7
Em7 (Var. 2) Em11
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Emadd9 Emadd6/9
Emadd6/9 (Var.2) Emaj7
Emaj13 Emaj9
EmMaj7 Esus2#4
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Fmaj7#11 FmMaj7
F#7 F#m7add11
G5#11 G7add6
Gadd6 Gadd9
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Gadd9 (Var. 2) Gm11
Gmadd6 Gmadd9
Gmaj7sus2 Gmaj13
Minor 6th Minor 11th
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Major 7th Major 11th
Major 13th Major Added 6th
Major Added 6th (Var. 2) Major Added 6th (Var. 3)
Major Added 9th Major Added 9th (Var. 2)
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Major Added 6th / 9th flat 5th Major 9th
Major Sharp 11th Suspended 4th
Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
Useful ResourcesYou can find more guitar chord lessons here.
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Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com
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Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com