the

ultimate
chord
library.
by your guitaracademy
your guitaracademy

0 welcome
Thanks for downloading our chord collection ebook. This chord reference library will take
you through every chord you will ever need as a modern guitarist. This ebook aims to
walk you through the most common chords and chord voicings that you will come across
in day-to-day playing. Not only that, but unlike most chord books out there, we have
organised the chords in a manner that is approachable.

Open chords, barre chords, CAGED and

beyond! It's all in here, and it's neatly
organised to work as a library when you
need it.
DAN HOLTON

beginners...
In our first chapter (Beginners level) you are simply learning shapes that you can
immediately put into practice in conjunction with chord charts and songwriting. We want
chord playing to be enjoyable for beginners and getting down a couple of shapes each
day and practising them with chord charts is an ideal learning scenario. You will learn
how each chord sounds and also try to remember the shapes of the chords.

Cmaj7 D
X X O
At a beginner level, we focus X O O O

on the finger placement, 1 1

rather than the theory of what 2 1 2

makes up the chord.
3 13

PAGE 2
 your guitaracademy

intermediate and advanced...

When you reach the intermediate and advanced levels of the book, the approach differs
slightly. Firstly, there is more attention paid to chord construction and chord spellings
(we will go into what ‘chord spelling’ means on the next page). This is in order to start
creating a deeper understanding of how chords are built, and how you can start being
more creative with chords.

Cmaj7 D
X O O O X X O

1 1

3 5 3 At an intermediate and
advanced level we use the
R 1R
scale degrees so that you can
start building a more in depth
understanding of the chord.

Secondly, all chords are in the key of G. So, for example, we will show you how to play a
G7 in 5 different positions, but it is up to you to shift these positions to another note.
With each shape, we explain where the chord's root note, or tonic note, is. In all the
chords in the book, this note will be G. Once you have learnt the shape, you simply need
to move the chord shape up or down the neck to a different root note.

our team...
We'd like to say a massive thank you to the
wonderful mentors in our guitar club for
helping us put this workbook together.
If you're interested in the best guitar learning
experience you've ever seen, you can sign up
right here!

check it out

PAGE 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS

the basic theory

06
5
Before we dive into all the
shapes, here is a little theory
about chords.

beginner

11
Here are your major and minor
open chords, suspended
chords and open 7th chords.

intermediate

18
Here are the barre chords,
CAGED chords and 7th
chords.

advanced

26
Here are the 9ths,
diminished chords, 6ths,
13ths and a little more!

PAGE 4
chapter 1

basic
theory

let’s get a good

grounding.

PAGE 5
your guitaracademy

1 chord spellings
Chord spellings are a quick and easy way of explaining how a chord is constructed. In the
intermediate and advanced parts of this book, we use chord spellings to explain how the
chord is created. So, what is a chord spelling?

Firstly, all chord spellings are based on the

major scale. The numbers 1 – 8 outline the
major scale, and in the case of this book,
that major scale will be G major scale
DAN HOLTON

Below is the G major scale. The numbers 1 to 8 refer to these notes. A chord spelling
simply tells you which notes you are playing in the chord by telling you which numbers to
play. For example, a G major chord has the notes G, B and D. Therefore; the chord
spelling of this would be 1, 3 and 5.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
This is the spelling for
a G major chord. You
can take any major

G A B C D E F# G
scale, apply the
formula, and voila! You
have the chord.

When you are dealing with minor chords or delving deeper into chord theory, you will
come across chords that have to alter the scale. For example, a G minor chord has the
notes G, Bb and D. The Bb is not in the G major scale, so we have to instruct the
musician to change that note. We do this by telling them to flatten the 3rd note, creating
a Bb in the place of B. The chord spelling would therefore be 1, b3 and 5.

PAGE 6
your guitaracademy

1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8
This is the spelling for a
G minor chord. You can
take any major scale,

G A Bb C D E F# G
apply this formula, and
voila! You have the
minor chord.

So all you need to remember is the notes of the major scale. From there, everything will
be an instruction. If the chord spelling says ‘b5’, then you will know how to take the 5th
note (D) and flatten it one semitone (1 fret on the guitar). This will give you Db.

theory confused?
Check out our guitar club to get yourself a
pathway that includes theory, skills and
practical. It's the balance of the three that will
really improve your skills! Plus, get access to
our pro tutors via our community to pick their
theory brains!

check it out

chord diagrams
Through this ebook we use chord diagrams such as the ones shown below. You
therefore need to know how to read them! All the main details are shown here.

PAGE 7
your guitaracademy

Cmaj7
X O O O
the dots
1 These show you where to place your fingers,
and what fingers to use! Check out the
2
fingers below to see which fingers are which!
3 NOTE: In the later sections (intermediate and
advanced) these change to scale degrees
rather than which finger.

3 4
2

1 T

x&o X X
D
O
The 'x' means don't play that 1
particular string. The 'o' means
have this as an open string, so 1 2
don't fret that string at all but
still strum it. 13

X X O
the lines. X X O
The vertical lines are the strings,
1 1
from low (thickest, on the left)
1 2 to high (thinnest, on the right). 2 1 2

13 The horizontal lines are the 3 13

frets. We will always show the
4
first fret number to put you in
the right place on the board! 5

E A D G B E

PAGE 8
your guitaracademy

1 1 1 barre chord
Sometimes you'll see chords with a barre like
2
this. This simply means that you use one
3 4 finger to play a group of notes.

moving chords
As explained on the first page of this ebook, all the chord shapes described within the
book will be a G of some sort. It is then up to you to move them to a different root note,
and therefore change the chord. Here, we show you how to do this.

Gmaj7
root note X
It's important that you note where
10 1 1
the ROOT NOTE of this chord is.
Every root note is pictured in red
throughout the book. Once you 2
have learnt the shape on G, you
can then try transposing the 3 4
shape into other keys, so, if you
wanted to then play Bmaj7, you
would move the shape to the 2nd
fret of the A string.

This technique can be applied to all the chord shapes in the intermediate and advanced
sections of the book. The chords in the beginner's section will have the root note
depicted, but cannot necessarily be moved up the neck as they include open strings.

PAGE 9
your guitaracademy

moving chords
To go with your new knowledge of how to move the chords, here is a handy ‘notes on
the neck’ sheet that you can reference anytime you need to find a new chord position!
Keep it close to hand and gradually start learning this without looking. We only need to
learn the notes on the E and A string for now!

Sharps On E & A String

A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A

E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Flats On E & A String

A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A

E F Gb G Ab A Bb B C Db D Eb E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

pathways...
Check out our guitar club to get yourself a
pathway that includes theory, skills and
practical. It's the balance of the three that will
really improve your skills! Plus, get access to
our pro tutors via our community to pick theory
theory brains!

check it out

PAGE 10
chapter 2

beginner
chords

it’s time for open

chords!

PAGE 11
your guitaracademy

2 open chords
major chords
root, 3rd, 5th
The major and minor chords will be the grounding for all other chords to come, so spend
time getting them correct! When trying to play these chords, you are looking for a clear
sound with no buzzing or dead notes. This will be hard to achieve at first. Try to play the
chords with the tips of your fingers and keep constant pressure on them to avoid the
buzz.

A C D E
X O O X O O X X O O O O

1 1 1 1 1 1

1 2 3 2 1 2 2 3

3 3

F G
X X X O O

1 1 1

2 1

3 2 3 4

PAGE 12
your guitaracademy

minor chords
root, b3rd, 5th
Am Fm Dm Em
X O O X X X X X O O O O O

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3 2 2 3

3 3

sus2 chords
root, 2nd, 5th
Asus2 Csus2 Dsus2 Fsus2
X O O O X O O X X X O O X X O X

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3 2

3 3 3

Gsus2
O O O

1 Sus2 chords in open positions typically

involve playing the major chord shape
2 3 4 and removing one finger. Give it a try!

PAGE 13
your guitaracademy

sus4 chords
root, 4th, 5th
Asus4 Csus4 Dsus4 Esus4
X O O X O X X X O O O O

1 1 1 1 1

2 3 2 2 3 4

4 3 4 3 4

Gsus4 Fsus4
O O X X X

1 1 1
Time to get to work on that little
finger! Sus4 chords tend to be
1 2 3 4 3 4 the major chord shape plus your
little finger.

power chords
root, 5th
Powerchords only have two notes in them, and are neither major or minor. They can
actually be used over both! Two of the shapes below have the root note twice in the
chord, so although you are using three fingers, you are actually only playing two notes.

G5 G5 G5 G5
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

3 1 3 1 10 1 10 1

3 4 3 3 4 3

PAGE 14
your guitaracademy

major 7th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, 7th
Amaj7 Cmaj7 Dmaj7 Emaj7
X O O X O O O X X O O O O

1 1 1 1 1 1 2

2 3 2 1 1 1 3

Gmaj7 Fmaj7
X O O O X X O

1 1 1
Major 7 chords have a more
1 2 relaxing sound to the basic
3 3 major chords - Try playing A
major and A major 7 back to
back to hear for yourself...

minor 7th chords

root, b3rd, 5th, b7 th
Minor seven chords are similar in sound to basic minor chords, except a little less ‘dark’.
You can replace a minor chord with a minor 7 chord for a bit of a twist to the sound!

Am7 Bm7 Dm7 Em7

X O O O X O X X X O O O

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 1 2 3 2 1 2

3 4

PAGE 15
your guitaracademy

dominant 7th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, b7 th
A7 C7 D7 E7
X O O O X O X X O O O O O

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3 2 2 3 2

3 4

G7 B7
O O O X O

1 1 1 1
Dominant 7th chords sound
2 2 3 4 unfinished. When you play them, it
3 sounds as though you need to
resolve to a full major or minor chord.
Try playing a B7 and then E major to
hear for yourselves!

final points for beginners...

The chords covered in this section will give you a huge range of sounds, with each
grouping of chords sounding unique. Major and minor chords are at the base of all
western music, and therefore are crucially important to be able to play.

Suspended open chords are great to use to add a bit of spice to your major and minor
open chord shapes. They tend to simply add or remove a finger from the major and minor
chord shapes, so they are easy to use and appear in all kinds of music. Try going from
Dsus2, to D major and then to Dsus4. This is a classic combination that can always be
used to liven up your D major Chord. The same applies for all chord shapes.

PAGE 16
your guitaracademy
The 7th chords we have learnt are extensions to your major and minor chords. Each one
has its specific sound, and recognising the sound of each is essential. What do you hear
when you play a C major 7? I hear a relaxed version of C major and therefore tend to use
the chord in more peaceful songs. This is just my opinion, though, and it is vital that you
start relating the different sounds to the various chords.

"Try this out; play an A Major, then an A

major 7, then an A7, followed by D major.
This is a great example of using three
different types of A chord to spice up what
could just be A major."
FRANCO

My final point would be to get creative! Now that you have a few chord shapes under
your belt try to put together as many combinations as you can. You will soon be working
out which chords sound good together and hopefully writing your songs! At this stage, I
want you to work with your ears, less theory and more listening to sounds! Once you
have done that, try moving on to the intermediate stages, where you will be given more
complex chord shapes and delve into chord constructions.

PAGE 17
chapter 3

intermediate
chords

Barre, CAGED and

much more!

PAGE 18
your guitaracademy

3 intermediate
major & minor barre chords
root, 3rd, 5th | root, b3rd, 5th
Barre chords will not be easy at first, so it is a good idea to try to get all 6 strings ringing
out just with your first finger before you even attempt these shapes! All barre chords are
based on open chord shapes, can you see which ones?

G (E shape) Gm (Em shape) G (A shape) Gm (Am shape)

X X

3 R R 3 R b3 5 R 10 R 5 10 R R

3 b3

5 R 5 R 5 R 3 5 R

remember...
All these chord shapes are starting on G and, therefore, are G chords of some kind. If you
want to make a B major, you need to move the major shape up to the B on the same
string. Also, we are now labelling the chords with intervals ("R, 3 5" for example).
Please bear that in mind as we move forwards!

major 7th barre chords

root, 3rd, 5th, 7th

PAGE 19
your guitaracademy

Gmaj7 (E shape) Gmaj7 (A shape)

X

3 R 5 R 10 R 5
We have now added the 7th note
7 3 7 from the major scale. The basic
5 5 3 chord is still a major (1st, 3rd and
5th), but the addition of the 7
creates a G major 7 chord.

minor 7th barre chords

root, b3rd, 5th, b7th
Gm7 (Em shape) Gm7 (Am shape)
X
Here we have added a flattened 7th
3 R b7 b3 5 R 10 R b7 5
to the basic minor chord. The minor
b3
chord consists of the root, flattened
3rd and the 5th note of a major 5 5

scale. Adding a flattened 7th note

from the same scale creates the
chord.

dominant 7th barre chords

root, 3rd, 5th, b7th
G7 (E shape) G7 (A shape)
X

3 R b7 5 R 10 1 b7 1
Dominant 7th chords are based
3 upon major chords, so they have
5 5 3 the 1st, 3rd and 5th from the major
scale. The addition of the flattened
7th from the scale creates the
dominant chord.
PAGE 20
your guitaracademy

Major CAGED chords

root, 3rd, 5th
In addition to your barre chord major and minor shapes, we can add these to make a total
of 5 ways to play major and minor chords across the neck. You should be able to play
chords with root notes on the E, A, and D strings. Even though the chord construction is
the same, we get different 'voicings' for each chord because the notes are in a
different order in each shape. This can be used creatively to great effect!

G (D shape) G (C shape) G (G shape)

X X X

5 R 7 5 3 12 5 R 3

5 3 3 3

R R R R

Minor CAGED chords

root, b3rd, 5th
Gm (Dm shape) Gm (Cm shape) Gm (Gm shape)
X X X X

5 R 7 5 12 5

b3 b3 R b3

R R R b3 5 R

PAGE 21
your guitaracademy

Suspended chords
root, 2nd, 5th | root, 4th, 5th
Suspended 2nd chords mean that you exchange the major 3rd for the 2nd note in the
scale. In the case of G major, you are exchanging the B (3rd) for the A (2nd).
Suspended 4th chords are created by exchanging the major 3rd for the 4th note of the
scale. In the case of Gsus4, we have exchanged the B (3rd) for the C (4th).

Gsus2 (E) Gsus2 (A) Gsus4 (E) Gsus4 (A)

X X X

2 2 10 R 2 5 15 R 5 R 10 R

R 5

5 R 5 R 4 5 R

R 4

remember...
The major scale is the basis upon which all chords are built and any alteration to the
scale is given (eg b3 means flatten the 3rd note).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Try to keep this major
scale in mind as you
learn the formulas!

G A B C D E F# G

PAGE 22
your guitaracademy

Major 7th CAGED chords

root, 3rd, 5th, 7th
Gmaj7 (D shape) Gmaj7 (C shape) Gmaj7 (G shape) Gmaj7 (E shape)
X X X X X

5 R 7 5 7 3 12 5 R 3 2 7

R 5

5 7 3 3 7 3

R R

Minor 7th CAGED chords

root, b3rd, 5th, b7th
Gm7 (Dm shape) Gm7 (Cm shape) Gm7 (Em shape) Gm7(Gm shape)
X X X X X X X

5 R 7 15 R b7 b3 5 R 10

b7 b3 b3 R b3

5 5 R

R b7 b7

dominant 7th CAGED chords

root, 3rd, 5th, b7th

PAGE 23
your guitaracademy
G7 (E shape) G7 (D shape) G7 (C shape) G7 (G shape)
X X X X X X

3 R b7 5 R 5 R 8 R 12 5 R 3

3 b7 3 b7

5 5 3 R b7

b7

diminished chords
root, b3rd, b5th
Diminished chords are the first set of chords that alter the 5th note of the scale. By
flattening the 5th, you get a curious sound that can take some getting used to! A quick
tip to get these chords in use is to play the diminished semitone down from a major
chord: ie. Gdim to Ab major.

G° (E shape) G°(D shape) G° (A shape)

X X X X X X X

2 5 R 10 R

R b3 b5 b3 b5 b3

b5 R

augmented chords
root, b3rd, #5th
Augmented chords are the second collection of chords that alter the 5th note of the scale
- This time we are sharpening the 5th. Once again, you get a fairly unusual sound. This
chord works nicely as a replacement for dominant 7th chords. Try playing a G
augmented chord followed by a C major 7th chord... what do you think?
PAGE 24
your guitaracademy

G+ (G shape) G+(C shape) G+ (D shape)

X X X X X

12 R 3 7 3 R

#5 #5 R 3 #5

3 3 R

R R

and there we have it guys! A mountain of chords to have some fun with. Remember that
we talk about how to apply these chords at no point in this book. The book is simply a
reference library!

need structure?
Check out our guitar club to get yourself a
pathway that includes theory, skills and
practical. It's the balance of the three that will
really improve your skills! Plus, get access to
our pro tutors via our community to pick theory
theory brains!

check it out

PAGE 25
chapter 4

advanced
chords

the world beyond

the 7th chord.

PAGE 26
your guitaracademy

4 advanced
major 9th chords
root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th
Major 9th chords are the next step up from major 7th chords. They are in the same family
of major chords, so can easily be interchanged with major 7s. They still include the major
7th note as well as the major 9th, adding a new twist to the sound. Try changing
between Gmaj7 and Gmaj9 to hear for yourself.

Gmaj9 (G shape) Gmaj9 (E shape) Gmaj9 (C shape) Gmaj9 (A shape)

X X X X X

2 3 9 3 R 5 7 9 5 7 3 9 3

R 5 7 3 R 9

7 9 7

remember...
Now we have moved beyond 7th chords, we are looking at a possible 5 notes per chord.
This can often crowd the chord, so we tend to drop the 5th note. The 5th simply backs
up the root note, so is not necessary for the sound. Also, for those of you wondering
what a 9th is... It is simply the 2nd note of the scale-up an octave. The notes do not
have to be in order though, so the 9th can be lower.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The 9th is simply the
2nd up an octave.

G A B C D E F# G A
PAGE 27
your guitaracademy

minor 9th chords

root, b3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th
A minor 9 chord is the minor 7 plus the 9th note of the scale. Each time we add an extra
note from the scale, we are creating a new sound, and the minor 9 takes another step
away from the darker minor sound. The minor 9 is still in the minor chord family though,
and can be interchanged with minors and minor 7ths.

Gm9 (Dm shape) Gm9 (Cm shape) Gm9 (Em shape)

X X X X X

3 b3 7 3 R b7 b3 5

b3

R 9 9

b7 R b7 9 5

dominant 9th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th
The dominant 9 chords are the obvious extensions to the dominant 7s, and once again,
can be easily exchanged. The actual shapes are very similar to minor 9ths - all you need
to do is locate that Bb (the flat 3rd) and raise it a semi-tone to a B. Try changing from a
G9 to a Gm9 to put it into practice.

G9 (D shape) G9 (C shape) G9 (E shape)

X X X X X

3 7 3 R b7 5

3 3

R 9 3 9

b7 R b7 9 5

PAGE 28
your guitaracademy

diminished 7th chords

root, b3rd, b5th, bb7th,
I completely understand if you’re sitting there a little confused by the ‘bb7’! It simply
means find the 7th note of the major scale, flatten it, and then flatten it again (giving you
a note that sounds the same as the 6th!). Diminished chords are very powerful in jazz
and soul music, often acting like portals between keys - but that’s for another book!

G°7 (E shape) G°7 (D shape) G°7 (A shape)

X X X X X X

2 bb7 5 R bb7 9 bb7

R b3 b5 b3 R

b5 b5 b3

minor 7 b5 chords
root, b3rd, b5th, b7th,
The m7b5 chords are still diminished chords, they are just named differently. You can
also call them "half-diminished" chords, whilst the diminished 7th chords can be called
"fully-diminished" chords.

Gm7b5 (E shape) Gm7b5 (D shape) Gm7b5 (A shape)

X X X X X

2 b5 5 R 9

R b7 b3 b5 b7 b3 R b7

b5 b5 b3

PAGE 29
your guitaracademy

major 13th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 13th
Theoretically, constructing 11ths and 13ths could involve a lot of notes! However, in
practice, a lot of these chords are impractical and sound pretty awful! Major 11 and
Dominant 11 chords clash between the 3rd and 11th note (in G, this is B and C), and
therefore are very rare. This also means that the 11th stays out for the 13ths. The minor
11th and 13th do have the 11th in them as the b3rd does not clash with the 11th.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
G A B C D E F# G A B C D E
When dealing with 9th, 11th & 13th we are simply taking the same
notes from the major scale, just from the second octave!

Gmaj13 (G shape) Gmaj13 (E shape) Gmaj13 (C shape) Gmaj13 (A shape)

X X X X X

2 3 13 9 7 2 7 7 9 3

R 5 R R

7 3 3 13 7

13 R 3 13

Notice how most of the chords don't have all the notes from the scale formula. This is
very common when you're dealing with the bigger chords. The most important notes
are the root, 3rd, 7th and then the colour note, which in this case is 13. If you have
these notes, you would still call the chord a maj13th.

PAGE 30
your guitaracademy

minor 11th chords

root, b3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th, 11th
Minor 11 chords have the most unaltered notes of all the minor chords we have looked at
so far. For this reason, they are far less ‘dark’ than the original minor chord, and tend to
have a bit of a jazzy vibe to them as they are so mellow.

Gm11 (Dm shape) Gm11 (Cm shape) Gm11 (Em shape) Gm11 (Gm shape)
X X X X X

5 R 11 10 R 11 b7 5 3 R 11 b7 b3 5 1 11

b7 b3 b3

9 R b7 b3

dominant 13th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th, 13th
To further extend the dominant chord series, we are now adding the 13th. These chords
are often used in funk tunes as well as jazz. Try playing a G13 and then a G9. You will
essentially be using the 13ths as a melody note if you do this, and if you like a bit of
James Brown, you’ll love that!

G13 (E shape) G13 (C shape)

X X X

2 8

R b7 3

3 R b7 9

13

13

PAGE 31
your guitaracademy

major 6th chords

root, 3rd, 5th, 6th,
You may have noticed that in our major 13ths, we also included the E. This is because a
13 is essentially a 6 up a whole octave. However, the difference between the two chords
is that the 13th suggests the inclusion of the 7th and 9th. The 6th only suggests adding
the 6th to the basic major triad.

G6 (E shape) G6 (D shape) G6 (C shape) G6 (A shape)

X X X X X X X

2 6 5 R 6 7 10 R

R 5 R

3 5 3 3 6 5 R 3 6

remember...
When dealing with 6th chords, it is important to remember that these do not include the
7th. It may seem obvious, but the fact that they do not include the 7th means that the
dominant chords do not exist in 6ths. Remember that dominant chords are built using a
major chord with a minor 7th, so without the 7th, there can be no dominant chords. This
is why there are only major and minor 6ths.

minor 6th chords

root, b3rd, 5th, 6th,
Once you have your G6 shapes down, all you need to do is flatten the 3rd to create the
minor 6. It is important to note that the chord does not have a minor 6th (b6), instead the
sound is created using a major 6th note. These chords have a great sound and give a real
twist to the basic minor sound, whilst remaining quite ‘dark’!

PAGE 32
your guitaracademy

G6 (E shape) G6 (D shape) G6 (C shape) G6 (A shape)

X X X X X X X X

2 6 5 R 6 7 10

R b3 5 b3 b3 R b3

5 6 5 R 6

practice ideas
Up to this point, we have a HUGE selection of chord shapes, and there are more to come!
It is important to have a good way to practice these chords, otherwise, they will
inevitably be forgotten over time. It is always a good idea to group chords into major,
minor and dominant (with the diminished and augmented a part of the dominant family).
Find the G root note on the E string and test yourself on the major family.

Play G major, then G major 7, then G major

13 and finally G6. If you can play all of these
shapes in one position, move on to the next
root note.
DION

Do this same process for the minor chords, dominant chords, and you can even have
some fun with the diminished and augmented chords as well! As we've said a few times,
we don't really want to get into the theory at this point, as this book is intended to be a
chord library for your to reference on your journey!

PAGE 33
your guitaracademy

add9 chords
root, 3rd, 5th, 9th,
The ‘add9’ set of chords do pretty much what the name suggests. You play either your
major or minor chord, and add the 9th. The important part here is distinguishing these
chords from 9th chords, which also have the 7th (minor or major) and sound completely
different. Major add9 chords are heard everywhere from Green Day to The Police, as are
the minor add9 chords... So get them learnt!

Gadd9 (E shape) Gadd9 (D shape) Gadd9 (C shape) Gadd9 (A shape)

X X X X X X

3 R 3 5 7 5 10 R

3 3

5 R 9 3 5 3

R 9

9 9

min add9 chords

root, b3rd, 5th, 9th,
Gmadd9 (E shape) Gmadd9 (D shape) Gmadd9 (C shape) Gmadd9 (A shape)
X X X X X X

3 R b3 3 b3 5 7 5 10 R

b3 b3

5 R 9 5

R 9

9 9

PAGE 34
your guitaracademy

any more?
So, we’ve come to the end of this e-book, and in theory, we now know
hundreds of chords! Of course, there are more chords... but we have some
pretty important advice for you at this stage.

It's not the number of chords you know, it's

what you do with the chord that counts!
DION

We very much hope you've enjoyed this book, and will be using it for many
years to come! All the best, and keep picking up that guitar!

our team...
We'd like to say a massive thank you to the
wonderful mentors in our guitar club for
helping us put this workbook together.
If you're interested in the best guitar learning
experience you've ever seen, you can sign up
right here!

check it out

PAGE 35