If you take out the C♯m you have a common progression used by all the great blues guitar players. However, the C♯m chord gives it a.
10 Ways to Play the Most Beautiful Open Chord Shapes Part I
A great way to make your chord progressions and songs sound awesome is to use open chord shapes.
I always love to use these chords to add some flavor to my chord progressions. One of my favorite chords is Fsus2.That chord has got the whole package for me. It’s sounds beautiful, gentle, tight, cool and rough at the same time.
When you move an open chord up the neck the name of the chord changes and the chord gets extended with 1 or 2 notes. This way you can get beautiful sounds.
While you can play barre chords at any fret on the fingerboard, open chords can only be played at certain frets. If you play them at the right frets they sound amazing, if you don’t… well they just sound terrible. So be careful.
Because of all the extended chord names I didn’t bother to name every single one of them. That’s not the point here.
It’s all about incorporating these chords into your songs and chord progressions, putting your creativity to the test, experimenting with all the possibilities, replacing some basic chords for these extraordinary ones, learning to hear what sounds right and what feels good.
Check out the youtubes Part I, II & III and the corresponding Chord fingerings below.
Have a great time!
10 Ways to Play the Most Beautiful Open Chord Shapes Part II
10 Ways to Play the Most Beautiful Open Chord Shapes Part III
Here is an example of how to read the chords below:
E = eadgbe (the strings from left to right)
E = 022100 (the numbers indicate where to put your fingers on the fret)
E = 022100 (the numbers indicate where to put your fingers on the fret)
E string = 0 – you play an open string. (no fingers on the fret)
A string = 2 – put your finger on the 2nd fret.
D string = 2 – put your next finger on the 2nd fret.
G string = 1 – put your next finger on the 1st fret.
B string = 0 – you play an open string. (no fingers on the fret)
E string = 0 – you play an open string. (no fingers on the fret)
A string = 2 – put your finger on the 2nd fret.
D string = 2 – put your next finger on the 2nd fret.
G string = 1 – put your next finger on the 1st fret.
B string = 0 – you play an open string. (no fingers on the fret)
E string = 0 – you play an open string. (no fingers on the fret)
1 – Open chords in the key of E
022100
2×2200
4×4400
577600
799800
9×9900
11×11 11 00
0 14 14 13 0 0
2×2200
4×4400
577600
799800
9×9900
11×11 11 00
0 14 14 13 0 0
2 – Open chords in the key of E (different approach)
022100
x44200
x66400
x77600
x99800
x11 11 9 00
x12 13 11 00
0 14 14 13 00
x44200
x66400
x77600
x99800
x11 11 9 00
x12 13 11 00
0 14 14 13 00
3 – E chord shapes
022100
133200
355400
577600
799800
8 10 10 900
10 12 12 11 00
133200
355400
577600
799800
8 10 10 900
10 12 12 11 00
4 – C shapes
x32010
x54030
x10 9080
x54030
x10 9080
5 – D shapes
xx0232
xx0454
xx0565
xx0787
xx09 10 9
xx0 10 11 10
xx0 12 13 12
xx0 14 15 14
xx0454
xx0565
xx0787
xx09 10 9
xx0 10 11 10
xx0 12 13 12
xx0 14 15 14
6 – Open chords in the key of A
x02020
x04030
x05050
x07070
x09080
x0 11 0 10 0
x0 12 0 12 0
x0 14 0 14 0
x04030
x05050
x07070
x09080
x0 11 0 10 0
x0 12 0 12 0
x0 14 0 14 0
7 – Fsus2 shapes
x33011
x55033
x10 10 088
x55033
x10 10 088
8 – F#m7(11) shapes
2×2200
4×4400
5×5500
7×7700
9×9900
10×10 10 00
12×12 12 00
4×4400
5×5500
7×7700
9×9900
10×10 10 00
12×12 12 00
9 – Bb triad shapes
xx0331
xx0553
xx0775
xx0997
xx0 10 10 8
xx0 12 12 10
xx0 14 14 12
xx0553
xx0775
xx0997
xx0 10 10 8
xx0 12 12 10
xx0 14 14 12
10 – Dmaj7sus2 shapes
xx0220
xx0550
xx0770
xx0990
xx0 10 10 0
xx0 12 12 0
xx0 14 14 0
xx0550
xx0770
xx0990
xx0 10 10 0
xx0 12 12 0
xx0 14 14 0
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Funk arose as a music style in the 1970s and were originally associated with black music. You probably know how funk music sounds; otherwise, listen to artists such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Curtis Mayfield to get a sense of it. These are all examples of funk combined with soul. Funk can also be combined with blues (Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Lang are two names among many), or with rock (Red Hot Chile Peppers is a known example).
A central part of funk playing is to alternate the chord strumming with strumming on muted strings, which will result in scratch rhythms. Actually, you can in some parts of a song use more muted strokes than not. When it comes to effects and funk, many advocates compression because it gives the snappy sound that often is wanted in this style. Another effect that can sound cool is the wah wah, which may give some of that 70's funk vibes.
A central part of funk playing is to alternate the chord strumming with strumming on muted strings, which will result in scratch rhythms. Actually, you can in some parts of a song use more muted strokes than not. When it comes to effects and funk, many advocates compression because it gives the snappy sound that often is wanted in this style. Another effect that can sound cool is the wah wah, which may give some of that 70's funk vibes.
Chords
9
9 (no5)
13
7#9
Comment
The 9th is are one of the first chords you should learn if you are attempting to play funk on guitar. The 13th is a good second chord (the version presented on the pictured is a voicing the the root on the 6th string omitted). As the V chord 7#9 is common.
An easy way to start is with progressions such as A13 - D9 or Am7 - Dm7 (standard barre chords can be used). The movable 9th chords are also perfect to slide one step up with as in the following example with a D#9 slide into E9:
An easy way to start is with progressions such as A13 - D9 or Am7 - Dm7 (standard barre chords can be used). The movable 9th chords are also perfect to slide one step up with as in the following example with a D#9 slide into E9:
Funk chords voicings
9
13
13
7
7
m7
Comment
The chord diagrams above lacks indication of which tone it is and only presenting the chord shape. Since these chords are movable you can use them for all tones and if you are unsure of fret positions you can use the presented lists below.
These chords are all alternatives of more standard ways to play 9th, 13th, 7th and minor 7th, which deliver a funkier sound to them.
These are all voicings which excludes (!) the root note. This is strange for sure, but the easiest way to comprehend this is to look at these chords as fragmented versions of the typical 9th chord, by which B9 are played as X21222. See the list below:
These chords are all alternatives of more standard ways to play 9th, 13th, 7th and minor 7th, which deliver a funkier sound to them.
These are all voicings which excludes (!) the root note. This is strange for sure, but the easiest way to comprehend this is to look at these chords as fragmented versions of the typical 9th chord, by which B9 are played as X21222. See the list below:
B9: XXX222 (or X21222)
C9: XXX333 (or X32333)
D9: XXX555 (or X54555)
E9: XXX777 (or X76777)
F9: XXX888 (or X87888)
G9: X X X 10 10 10 (or X 10 9 10 10 10)
B13: XXX224 (or X21224)
C13: XXX335 (or X32335)
D13: XXX557 (or X54557)
E13: XXX779 (or X76779)
F13: XXX88 10 (or X 8 7 8 8 10)
G13: X X X 10 10 12 (or X 10 9 10 10 12)
Bm7: XXX232 (or X2X232)
Cm7: XXX343 (or X3X343)
Dm7: XXX565 (or X5X565)
Em7: XXX787 (or X7X787)
Fm7: XXX898 (or X8XX898)
Gm7: X X X 10 11 10 (or X 10 X 10 11 10)
C9: XXX333 (or X32333)
D9: XXX555 (or X54555)
E9: XXX777 (or X76777)
F9: XXX888 (or X87888)
G9: X X X 10 10 10 (or X 10 9 10 10 10)
B13: XXX224 (or X21224)
C13: XXX335 (or X32335)
D13: XXX557 (or X54557)
E13: XXX779 (or X76779)
F13: XXX88 10 (or X 8 7 8 8 10)
G13: X X X 10 10 12 (or X 10 9 10 10 12)
Bm7: XXX232 (or X2X232)
Cm7: XXX343 (or X3X343)
Dm7: XXX565 (or X5X565)
Em7: XXX787 (or X7X787)
Fm7: XXX898 (or X8XX898)
Gm7: X X X 10 11 10 (or X 10 X 10 11 10)
Chord progressions
Examples of progressions suitable for funk guitar:
Bm7 - E9 - D9
Tips
One easy way to get started and get some funky sound from your guitar is just to shift between a 9th and a 13th chord. It is easy, only one finger needs to be moved. You could also slide into the 9th chord from one fret below.
Jam tracks
A fun way to practice is to use jam tracks. The following jam tracks are for funk and involves only drums.
Jam track 1
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Jam track 2
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Jam track 3
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