Chords, notes & scales

Chords, Notes & Scales

The shapes, the fretboard behind them, and the scales they come from.

Reading a chord diagram

Left-handed mode is on, so these diagrams are mirrored: the thickest string is on the right.

The six vertical lines are the strings as you look down at the guitar in playing position. The thick line across the top is the nut, and the horizontal lines below it are the frets.

A dot means press that string at that fret. An

above a string means play it open, and an

means do not play it at all.

The line under each diagram tells you where the shape sits — open position, or which fret a barre shape starts on.

Using a capo

A capo clamps across the neck and shortens every string at once, so a shape you already know comes out in a higher key. Play a G shape with the capo on the 2nd fret and you are playing an A.

Read down the left for the fret, across the top for the shape you are playing, and the cell is the chord that actually sounds.

Barre chords

One finger pressing several strings at once. It feels impossible for a fortnight and then it does not — almost always technique rather than strength.

When a string will not ring

Filter the library

Showing only chords that belong to the key of — relative minor .

No shapes of that type sit inside this key. Try another chord type, or clear the key filter.

Every note on the first twelve frets. The open string is on the left, and at the 12th fret the names start over an octave higher.

Practice this scale

Five shapes, moved up the neck, cover every major chord there is. Learn where the root sits in each one and the whole fretboard opens up.

How to use it

Worth knowing

Sit it just behind the fret, not on top of it. On top and the notes choke; too far back and they buzz.

Only as tight as it needs to be. Over-tightening pulls the strings sharp — check your tuning after clamping it on.

Keep it square to the frets. A capo on the skew frets some strings harder than others and the chord sounds sour.

Retune with the capo on if anything rings off, and remember the guitar goes back to normal pitch when you take it off.

On a curved fretboard a radiused capo seats better than a flat one — it is the usual reason the B string dies.

Lay the index finger flat across the strings, slightly on its bony outside edge rather than the soft pad. That edge is what presses evenly.

Sit the finger as close behind the fret wire as you can without covering it.

Keep a straight wrist and drop the elbow in towards your body — that is where the leverage comes from, not from squeezing.

Thumb behind the middle of the neck, roughly opposite the index finger. Pulling gently back with the thumb does most of the work.

Build the rest of the shape after the barre is seated, not at the same time.

Play the strings one at a time and listen. Adjust before you strum the whole thing.

Release fully between attempts. Holding the tension is what makes the hand ache.

The B string

The most common casualty — it usually falls in a crease of the finger joint. Roll the finger very slightly towards the headstock so the crease moves off the string.

The thinnest string

Normally the finger is not far enough over the neck. Let a little of the fingertip hang past the edge of the fretboard.

Everything is dull

Too far behind the fret. Slide the whole hand forward a few millimetres.

You are pressing much harder than you need to. Press until it rings, then stop — and take breaks; the strength arrives on its own within a few weeks.

Natural minor

Major pentatonic

Minor pentatonic

Set the metronome slow — around 60 — and play one note per click, ascending then descending.

Alternate your picking: down on the way up, up on the way back down.

Keep one finger per fret and let the hand stay in position rather than sliding around.

Say each note name out loud as you play it. That is what turns a shape into knowledge.

When it feels automatic, nudge the tempo up, then try the same scale from a different root.

Learn the five open shapes first — you already know most of them from the chord library.

Find the root note within each shape, then slide the whole shape so that root lands on the note you want.

Any open string in the shape has to be fretted once you move it, which is what turns the E and A shapes into barre chords.

The five shapes appear in C-A-G-E-D order as you climb the neck, so the same chord is playable in five places.

E-shape and A-shape are by far the most used, because their barred versions are the most comfortable.

C-shape and G-shape are awkward to barre fully — most players use partial versions of them higher up the neck.

The same logic applies to minor, 7th and other chord types, not just majors.

Knowing where the roots sit in each shape is also how you connect chords to the scale patterns in the Scales tab.

The 1-2-3-4 walk

Low E then A — index, middle, ring, little. Carry the same shape across all six strings and back down.

Open string picking

One open string, shown here on the D. Down and up, every note the same volume.

Press, lift, replace

Play the note, lift the finger clear without moving your hand, then put it back in the same place.

Two-chord change

C on the left, G on the right. Swap between them on every fourth click.

Thumb and wrist check

Hold an E minor shape, check the thumb sits behind the neck and the wrist is straight, release, rebuild.

The fingers cross over each other as you move between the two strings — awkward on purpose.

Scales in triplets

Three notes to every click. Keep the picking strict through the string change.

Hammer-ons and pull-offs

Pick only the first note of each group — hammer up to the second, pull back off to the third.

Barre chord roll

F barre at the 1st fret, release the pressure without lifting, move up, press again.

String skipping

Sixth, fourth, second and back again, without brushing the strings in between.

Three notes per string

Three notes to a string across the neck, then shift position and run it back down.

Picking bursts

Acoustic — Light

The most common all-round acoustic set.

Acoustic — Extra light

Easier on the fingers, less volume.

Acoustic — Medium

Fuller tone, more finger strength needed.

Electric — Light

Standard for most rock and pop playing.

Electric — Extra light

Easiest bending, favored for lead and shred.

Electric — Medium

Thicker tone, common in blues and jazz.

Classical (nylon)

Normal tension

Labeled by tension, not thickness — normal suits most players.

Bass — Light

One note, repeated. Four per click for a bar, then two — change gear without tensing up.

One pick stroke per string; everything else hammered and pulled, matching the picked notes in volume.

Bends to pitch

Play the 10th fret, then bend the 8th up until the two sound identical.

Economy picking groups

The stroke direction carries you onto the next string instead of doubling back.

0.44mm and under

Flexes and clicks. Light, bright strumming on acoustic; too floppy for single notes.

The best all-round starting point. Enough give for chords, enough spine for melody.

in the full library

The standard 4-string set for most styles.

12-string — Light

Lighter than a 6-string set since tension doubles up across each course.

The scale you have selected, over one octave, ascending then descending in the lowest comfortable position. Read it left to right — each number is the fret to press on that string.

Firm and precise. Favoured for lead playing, riffs and anything that needs attack.

1.20mm and up

No flex at all. Jazz players and metal players, for opposite reasons.

Shape changes as much as thickness

A standard 351 shape suits most things. A sharp point gives more definition; a rounded shoulder is softer and better for strumming. Small jazz picks give speed and control but less grip.

Material matters more than you would think

Celluloid is bright and traditional. Nylon is warm and grippy. Delrin and Tortex are hard-wearing with a matte feel. Ultem is very bright, and Acetal sits in between.

If it slips, change the pick not your grip

A death grip stiffens the whole arm. Picks with a raised grip, a hole, or a matte surface solve it properly.

Hold it lightly, angled slightly

root on 5th string

root on 6th string

root on 4th string

Tap a string to hear the pitch it should sound. Play yours alongside it and turn the peg until the wobble between the two slows to nothing. Strings are numbered 6 (thickest) to 1 (thinnest).

Drop D only moves the thickest string — from E down to D. It puts a one-finger power chord under your hand on the bottom three strings.