Lesson 7
You will learn...
- 2 new bar chord shapes and their fretting patterns in already leanred chord types 7, minor och major, as well as two new chords!
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the bridge
Recommended time for completion - 3-6 weeks
You will need plenty of time to learn all the new bar chord shapes completely. You will find great use of them in your playing, maybe you already found use for the ones you have learned up until this point! I had a real moment of insight when I saw the connection between the bar chord shapes and the open chords! I hope you will experience the same thing;)
Tune your guitar
I do encourage you to tune your guitar before you continue - otherwise it will sound horrible, and people will not want to listen to your beautiful music...
Tune your guitar by comparing notes with your computers MIDI-bank: click here!
Warm up!
Warm up those guitar fingers as I demonstrated in the 2nd lesson.
New bar chords
m7
Now it is time to expand your chord library. m7 - pronounced - minor seven(th) - is a very nice chord that many times can replace a regular minor chord in a song to ge a more of a jazz feeling. Of course there are songs that actually require you to use this chord instead of a regular minor one.
As before we are going to use the regular chord pattern of the keys E and A as starting points.
We easily transform (se lesson 5) these chords into bar chord fretting patterns that can be played anywhere on the fretboard. The key of the chord is as usual determined by the root note, on the thickest string played in the chord (marked with red R i the diagram). Click here for a picture of all the fretboard notes if you are not sure.
Thus we get m7 in these bar shapes (first E-shape then A-shape)
In the E shape the "pinky note" is in parentheses because it is optional to fret or not - either way you will have a m7 chord!
Examples:
E-shape
e--0---4-----1------
B--0---4-----1------
G--0---4-----1------
D--0---4-----1------
A--2---6-----3------
E--0---4-----1------
A-shape
e--7---11-----8-----
B--8---12-----9-----
G--7---11-----8-----
D--9---13-----10----
A--7---11-----8-----
E-------------------
I demonstrate in the video!
M7
The corresponding chord to the one you just learned in major keys is called a M7 (major seven(th)) chord. Some people could refer to the regular 7-chords that we have learned up until this point as "major 7" chords, but this is wrong. The chords that we usually read as "E7", for instance
020100
Should actually be read as "E dominant 7". You will learn why when you study some music theory.
I just want to make sure that there is no confusion between 7-chords (dominant seven chords) and M7 chords (major 7 chords)
Here are two bar chord shapes for major 7 chords (E-sape och A-shape respectively).
Examples
E-shape
e--0---4-----1------
B--0---4-----1------
G--1---5-----2------
D--1---5-----2------
A--2---6-----3------
E--0---4-----1------
A-shape
e--7----11---8-------
B--9----13-- 10------
G--8----12---9-------
D--9----13---10------
A--7----11---8-------
E--------------------
New bar chord shapes of already known open chords
Many of you have probably asked been wondering - if there is an E and A bar chord shape, is there no D-shape, C-shape and G shape?
The answer is: Of course! In total we utilize 5 different bar chord shapes that practically (according to me) makes up the basis of bar chords - C, A, G, E and D shapes. They make up the CAGED system that you probably have heard something about somewhere - but not to worry about now. You will learn it in the theory course!
In my opinion it is easier to learn the shapes first, and then go through the theory behind them.
Now you are going to learn 2 more of the five shapes - the D shape and the C shape.
D-shape
Same principle of transformation as always applies, although i this case the root note is on the D string.
Since we know the D7, Dm and D-major i teh regular D form we can convert all of these into bar chord patterns (required some stretching). Just make sure you always maintain the same fretting pattern when you replace the nut with your index finger. Keep in mind - this is quite uncomfortable in the beginning!
regular D major chord:
And here in its bar shape. This is rather just a moveable chord than a bar chord, because there is no real need to bar the index finger over the entire fretboard, as you can see. If it is too difficult, only fretting the high E, B and G strings are enough to get a proper D major (then the root is on the B string).
Like above we can derive the moveable 7 and minor shapes in the "D" shape as well:
Examples
e-4-8--5-----3---7---4-----4---8---5-------
B-5-9--6-----5---9---6-----3---7---4-------
G-4-8--5-----4---8---5-----4---8---5-------
D-2-6--3-----2---6---3-----2---6---3-------
A------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------
I will demonstrate the D-shape along with the next one - the C shape.
C-shape
Same principle as always.
Study the C-chords
Now I want you to try and convert there chords yourself into bar chord shapes. Take your time and really think about it. Tip: the major shape is very difficult and stretchy - the 7-form is practically already done.
When you think you made it, or if you simply give up - scroll down!
Here are the shapes. In the 7-shape you skip the high e-string!
Examples:
E G# F
E7 G#7 F7
e-4-8--5----------------
B-5-9--6---5---9---6----
G-4-8--5---7---11--8----
D-6-10-7---6---10--7----
A-7-11-8---7---11--8----
E-----------------------
I demonstrate the D and C shapes in the video:
Now you have made a great boost in your bar chords. Practice all the shapes you have learned so far (C, A, E, D) and also try to learn the notes on the D-string.
Now it's time to put our new knowledge to use in a beautiful song
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the bridge
A classic from the album Blood Sex Sugar Magic by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
You will not learn to play exactly as the original, because it is quite difficult at your current skill level. But I promise that it will sound a lot like the original=)
The song starts with an fingerpicking arpegio. IN spite of this you need to have the pick nearby when the verse starts!
I recommend you to hold the pick with two fingers that you do not use for the arpegi - it will be hard in the beginning but with time and practise - no problemo! Alternatively you can play the whole song without a pick, but it's difficult to get a good sound in the strumming pattern this way.
Tabulature for the arpegio
e------------------------------------------------------------------
B--3_-----------3----------------2_--------------------------------
G---------2--------2_---------------------------3------------------
D------4-----4----------------------------4--------4_---4-2--------
A--5_--------------------4-2-----------4-----4--------------5-4----
E----------------------------5-4-2_--------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------------
B--3_-----------3h5p3-------------2_------------------------------
G---------2-----------2_-----------------------3------------------
D------4-----4-------------4/6-----------4--------4_---4-2--------
A--5_----------------------5/7--------4-----4--------------5-4----
E---------------------------------2_------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------
B--3_-----------3----------------2_--------------------------------
G---------2--------2_---------------------------3------------------
D------4-----4----------------------------4--------4_---4-2--------
A--5_--------------------4-2-----------4-----4--------------5-4----
E----------------------------5-4-2_--------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------------
B--3_-----------3h5p3-------------2_------------------------------
G---------2-----------2_-----------------------3------3------------
D------4-----4-------------4/6-----------4--------4_----4--------
A--5_----------------------5/7--------4-----4-------------4-----
E---------------------------------2_------------------------2------
h: hammer-on
p: pull-off
_: let tone ring
Tip: Grab the D major chord in the C-bar chord shape, then the F# major chord in the E-bar chord shape (see tabulature below)
D F#
-2- -2-
-3- -2-
-2- -3-
-4- -4-
-5- -4-
--- -2-
Play with me! I demonstrate in the video.
After the arpegio intro the verse starts calmy, to later turn into a more funkier strumming pattern. Tabulature for the chords and a demonstration video are found after the lyrics. I recommend you to try and listen to the original as well to get the right rhytm!
E B C#m A
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner
E B C#m A
Sometimes I feel like my only friend
E B C#m A
Is the city I live in, the city of angel
E B C#m A
Lonely as I am, together we cry
EM7
E B C#m A
I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion
E B C#m A
I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am
E B C#m A
She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy
E B C#m A
I never worry, now that is a lie.
EM7
F#m E B F#m
Well, I don't ever want to feel like I did that day
F#m E B F#m
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way
F#m E B F#m
I don't ever want to feel like I did that day
F#m E B F#mE B C#m A
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way, yeah, yeah, yeah
(the same chord progression continues in the verse and chorus as above)
It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe that I'm all alone
At least I have her love, the city she loves me
Lonely as I am, together we cry
Well, I don't ever want to feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way
Well, I don't ever want to feel like I did that day
Take me to the place I love, take me all the way, yeah, yeah, yeah
A Am G F
oh no, no, no, yeah, yeah
A Am G F
love me, I say, yeah yeah
One time
A Am G F
(under the bridge downtown)
(is where I drew some blood)
is where I drew some blood
A Am G F
(under the bridge downtown)
(i could not get enough)
i could not get enough
A Am G F
(under the bridge downtown)
(forgot about my love)
forgot about my love
A Am G F
(under the bridge downtown)
(i gave my life away)
i gave my life away yeah, yeah yeah
(away)
A Am G F
no, no, no, yeah, yeah
A Am G F
(away) no, no, i say, yeah, yeah
A Am G F
(away)
Here I stay
Source: LetsSingIt
Tabulature of the chords:
Verse
EB C#m AEM7
e--7----7----9----5----7--
B--9----7----9----5----9---
G--9----8----9----6----8---
D--9----9----11---7----9---
A--7----9----11---7----7---
E-------7----9----5-------
Chorus
F#mE BF#m
e---9-----7---11----9----
B---10----9---12----10---
G---11----9---11----11---
D---11----9---(9)---11---
A---9-----7---------9----
E------------------------
Outro
AAm GF
e--5----5----3---1----------
B--5----5----3---1----------
G--6----5----4---2----------
D--7----7----5---3----------
A--7----7----5---3----------
E--5----5----3---1----------
I demonstrate in the video
Allright...
That's all for this lesson, before you move on to the next...
- make sure to learn all notes on the bass strings (E A D)
- as always, mnake sure you can play all chords smoothly and without any annoying buzzing sounds
- play Under The Bridge for somebody you like=)