Ohio5665
Verified buyer
11/23/24
Closer Look: Chord Construction
This course is helping me understand better how chords are put together and how to build them.
Closer Look: Chord Construction (JamPlay)
How To Construct Any Chord From Scratch
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About this course
Are you feeling a little overwhelmed with chord charts for songs and chord books in regards to not knowing where to start with all the options given for just one chord?
John Auker's course on chord construction will help you understand the nuts and bolts of how a chord works and how a chord can be built from the ground up, so you'll be able to find any chord you want for any song you'll play!
John starts the course out on the ground floor, finding the roots of the chords and then moving into building power chords. As the course progresses, he'll move into discussing triads, different chord qualities, 7th chords and finally adding some extensions to those 7th chords!
By the end of this course, you'll be able to build your own chords completely from scratch from the ground up as well as be able to quickly look at a chord chart and find the chords you need to play a certain song!
You’ll have all of TrueFire’s advanced learning tools at your finger tips to personalize your workspace and learn at your own pace.
You can loop, slow down, or speed up any section of a lesson. Plus, all of the tab and notation is synced to the videos for the optimal learning experience. You’ll also get tab and standard notation files to print out, Guitar Pro files, and all of the backing tracks to practice with.
Grab your guitar, and let’s dig in with John Auker!
John Auker's course on chord construction will help you understand the nuts and bolts of how a chord works and how a chord can be built from the ground up, so you'll be able to find any chord you want for any song you'll play!
John starts the course out on the ground floor, finding the roots of the chords and then moving into building power chords. As the course progresses, he'll move into discussing triads, different chord qualities, 7th chords and finally adding some extensions to those 7th chords!
By the end of this course, you'll be able to build your own chords completely from scratch from the ground up as well as be able to quickly look at a chord chart and find the chords you need to play a certain song!
You’ll have all of TrueFire’s advanced learning tools at your finger tips to personalize your workspace and learn at your own pace.
You can loop, slow down, or speed up any section of a lesson. Plus, all of the tab and notation is synced to the videos for the optimal learning experience. You’ll also get tab and standard notation files to print out, Guitar Pro files, and all of the backing tracks to practice with.
Grab your guitar, and let’s dig in with John Auker!
What you'll learn
- Add complex extensions to seventh chords
- Construct any chord from scratch
- Understand how to find chord roots on the fretboard
- Understand different chord qualities
- Understand how chords are constructed from root, third, fifth, and seventh
Release date: 09/15/2023 • 2h 41m runtime
Sample lessons
How Did You Figure Out Those Chords!?!
Concept & Demo
Filling the Frame: Major Chords
Concept & Demo
Triad Extensions: 6 and 9
Concept & Demo
What's included
13 lessons • 11 charts
A Closer Look at Chord Construction
Hey everyone. I'm John Auker, and we're going to take a closer look at constructing and deconstructing chords. Have you ever looked up chord charts or a chord book and felt overwhelmed by all the options for just one chord? Maybe you've seen posters and pages of chord diagrams and thought, "How am I going to memorize all of these chords?"
When I was first starting out, looking up chord charts for songs and diagrams, I became overwhelmed with all the possible shapes. Sometimes these shapes weren't practical in a playing situation. Other times, I could play them, but they were just a shape, and I didn't understand what they were.
I didn't know what was happening beneath the surface. But, if you understand how to construct chords, if you grasp the basic mechanics of how a chord works and how it can be built from the ground up, you can find any chord you need for any song. I've designed this course to start at the most basic level and then delve into advanced concepts.
We'll begin with finding the roots of our chords, then build power chords. After that, we'll explore major and minor triads and different chord qualities. From there, we'll move to seventh chords and then delve into complex extensions of these seventh chords.
For this course, it's beneficial if you're familiar with the five open major chords and the three open minor chords. Basically, all your open chords on the guitar. We'll use those chords to deconstruct and understand how a chord works, and we'll modify those chords to explore different qualities like sevenths, major sevenths, and minor sevenths.
By the end of this course, you'll have the tools to build your own chords from scratch. You'll also be able to look at a chord chart or lead sheet and quickly identify the chords you need for a song. Remember those confusing chord diagrams I mentioned? They'll soon be a thing of the past, and you won't feel overwhelmed. I'm glad you decided to take this course, and I'm excited to dive into the material with you. So, grab your guitar, and I'll see you in the first lesson.
When I was first starting out, looking up chord charts for songs and diagrams, I became overwhelmed with all the possible shapes. Sometimes these shapes weren't practical in a playing situation. Other times, I could play them, but they were just a shape, and I didn't understand what they were.
I didn't know what was happening beneath the surface. But, if you understand how to construct chords, if you grasp the basic mechanics of how a chord works and how it can be built from the ground up, you can find any chord you need for any song. I've designed this course to start at the most basic level and then delve into advanced concepts.
We'll begin with finding the roots of our chords, then build power chords. After that, we'll explore major and minor triads and different chord qualities. From there, we'll move to seventh chords and then delve into complex extensions of these seventh chords.
For this course, it's beneficial if you're familiar with the five open major chords and the three open minor chords. Basically, all your open chords on the guitar. We'll use those chords to deconstruct and understand how a chord works, and we'll modify those chords to explore different qualities like sevenths, major sevenths, and minor sevenths.
By the end of this course, you'll have the tools to build your own chords from scratch. You'll also be able to look at a chord chart or lead sheet and quickly identify the chords you need for a song. Remember those confusing chord diagrams I mentioned? They'll soon be a thing of the past, and you won't feel overwhelmed. I'm glad you decided to take this course, and I'm excited to dive into the material with you. So, grab your guitar, and I'll see you in the first lesson.
How Did You Figure Out Those Chords!?!
In this lesson, we will explore the intricacies of chord qualities, their construction, and techniques to decipher them. We'll delve into several chord progressions, breaking down each chord to illuminate its structure. Key concepts covered include the identification of chord roots, the significance of the third in major and minor chords, the role of the fifth, and the addition of the seventh in certain chords. We'll further demystify the construction of augmented chords, the distinctions between major, minor, and seventh chords, and the application of extensions like the 13th and 9th in more complex chords. This comprehensive breakdown offers a foundational understanding of chord formation and progression.
Back to Your Roots
In this lesson, we will explore the concept of chord roots and how to identify them within various chords on the guitar. We'll delve into understanding what a root is and its significance in naming a chord. Using familiar open chords like G, C, D, A, and E, we will reverse engineer them to pinpoint their roots. Emphasis will be placed on the fact that the root is often the lowest note played in a chord. Additionally, we will work on recognizing all natural notes on the low E string, highlighting the relationship between them, especially the half steps between E and F, and B and C. By the end, learners will be adept at locating root notes, setting a foundation for building and understanding more complex chords.
Perfect 5th: The Frame
In this lesson, we will explore the concept of the perfect fifth interval, commonly recognized as the foundation for power chords. The perfect fifth serves as a structural frame for major and minor chords, with the third of the chord filling in the gaps. This interval can be identified by moving seven half steps up from the root note. On the guitar, the perfect fifth manifests as one string over and two frets up, maintaining this pattern across both lower and middle strings. Through reverse engineering familiar open chords such as C and G, learners will pinpoint the fifth within each chord. By understanding this foundational interval, guitarists can further enhance their chord progression and building skills.
Filling the Frame: Major Chords
In this lesson, we will explore the construction and nuances of the major chord, one of the most frequently encountered chords in music. Building on the foundational knowledge of root and fifth, we introduce the concept of a triad—a three-note chord essential for clearly defining a chord. We will delve into the major third interval, which is two whole steps away from the root, and its pivotal role in forming the major chord. By examining chords like G and C, we'll identify the major third by counting up the musical alphabet and cross-checking with fret positions. Through reverse engineering, learners will understand the specific notes within these chords. A key takeaway is the recognition of the major third interval's distinct shape on the guitar, often manifesting as a diagonal or adjacent pattern depending on the strings being played. This understanding provides a robust foundation for recognizing and playing major chords across the fretboard.
Filling the Frame: Minor Chords
In this lesson, we will delve into the construction of the minor chord by altering the third interval in our previously learned major chord shapes. Having already mastered the identification of chord roots on the fifth and sixth strings and understood the essence of the fifth interval, we now transition to the minor chord by reducing the major third by a half step. Utilizing familiar shapes on the guitar, we will demonstrate this alteration in various chords. For example, in the G major triad on the fourth, third, and second strings, the third is shifted down by one fret to create a G minor triad. Similarly, for the A major triad starting on the low E string, the third, which is C sharp, is adjusted to C natural to form the A minor triad. Through hands-on examples, we'll equip learners with the techniques to easily transition between major and minor chords across the guitar fretboard.
Demented Symmetry: Augmented and Diminished
In this lesson, we will explore the intriguing world of augmented and diminished chords, often labeled as the "weird" chords due to their distinctive sound. While these chords may seem intimidating due to their infrequent appearance in standard chord charts, understanding their structure demystifies their complexity. By building on the foundation of the major triad, we'll delve into the augmented triad, characterized by a raised fifth. Using a D major triad on the second, third, and fourth strings as an example, we'll demonstrate the process of transforming the perfect fifth into an augmented fifth. One of the captivating aspects of the augmented triad is its symmetrical nature, with each interval being a major third apart. This unique characteristic creates a harmonically rich and intriguing sound, opening up new dimensions in chordal playing.
+ 6 more lessons
Reviews
2 results
Anze
10/02/23
Simple, compact and easy
John turned rocket science music theory into lessons easy to be understood. Chapters are informative, John makes everything easy to play, count all the tones and tries to keep you focused through the whole chapter. This was class that I was hoping that it will pop up in Truefire and it did. If you haven't spent time in this class I can highly recommend it as it really clears unsolved music mysteries :)
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