Open Chords
EXPLORE THE ATMOSPHERIC JANGLE OF MUSIC’S ESTEEMED CHORDMASTERS.
One of the most notable characteristics of the guitar is its ability to play the same note in a number of different locations, giving correspondingly different tonal characteristics. There are various ways to explore this, one of the most effective being moving chord shapes that contain open strings freely around the fretboard and making a note of what you find. By doing so, you’ll be following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Alex Lifeson and Andy Summers, to name just a handful.
It is mostly one shape that features here, though I have included a rather nice Emaj7 to conclude, giving a set of chords that could work well together in a prog-rock style composition. When taking this approach, you’ll find there are lots of dissonant chords, as well as interesting suspended ideas and ringing doubled notes. How far ‘out there’ you want to go depends as much on the context as it does your confidence as a composer!
EXAMPLE #1
In this E/G# chord, like most of these shapes, the fifth string is muted and the major third is at the bottom, taking the form of what classical arrangers call ‘first inversion’. Note the duplicate Bs on the third and open second strings. If you want a minor version, simply lower the bottom note a semitone to G!
EXAMPLE #2
Shifting the same shape up a few frets, we preserve the main intervallic structure but the relationship with the remaining open strings shifts to give a different sound – and a different name! Essentially a G/B chord, the open to E string gives a sixth on the top, making the most logical name G6/B.
EXAMPLE #3
Moving up a further two frets, the chord becomes an A/C#, with the open B functioning as an add9. The open top E is the fifth, so we don’t need to consider that when naming the chord. We are in the kind of territory Jimmy Page was exploring when he co-wrote “Ramble On” here.
EXAMPLE #4
Shifting up yet again, we are entering more harmonically ambiguous territory – the basic B/D# shape is further enhanced by the open B string, which becomes an extra root in this context. The open top E becomes an add11, differentiated from a sus4 by the presence of the third (D#) in the bass.
EXAMPLE #5
Changing tack for a melodic resolution, this Emaj7 makes use of the sixth, second and first strings. This is another chord that can be moved to various positions on the fretboard, with a surprising variety of results. It’s particularly nice on acoustic guitar – if the intonation is good enough!