worshipguitar workshop GO-TO CHORDS for the ACOUSTIC guitarist PLUS CAPO CHEAT SHEETS
The GO-TO Chords for Acoustic Guitar in Worship This a cheat sheet, reference guide and mini-training course all in one. This packet contains the GO- TO chords that I use when I m playing acoustic guitar in worship: 1. I don t have to think about them my fingers know them like my lungs know how to breathe. 2. They re chords that I know will sound great. Even E b? you ask. Yes. Even E b. And why can I make great chords in E b on the acoustic guitar? Because I use a capo. There are guitarists out there that won t use a capo because it s cheating. They re right, it is cheating. But I think they might be morons for not using one. Do capos let you cheat and not play wonky, hand-wrenching chords? Of course. That s part of the reason why we use them. But more than that, the acoustic guitar just sounds better with open strings. So put on a capo and cheat. AND, you won t get carpal tunnel as quickly. Let the capo-haters hands ache. So besides the GO-TO chords for the five keys that work great in open position, you ll also find several capo cheats for the other keys. And it doesn t end there. Over the next few weeks, I ll send you emails to free videos and tips to help you develop your chord playing. Let s get started...
We will be following the Circle of 5ths as we look at the different keys. This is the Circle of 5ths >>>>> If it makes no sense, don t worry. You can still use this couse without understanding it. E B 3 A F 1 2 4 D 5 C 0 0 1 circle of 5ths 6 6 G 5 G B 2 4 3 D E A
The GO-TO open chords in the 5 Open Keys Key of C No sharps or flats The true 7 chord of a major key is a diminished triad or half diminished (minor 7 flat 5) if the seventh interval is added. The second chord C/G is technically an inversion, but I like it for it s nice full sound. You can also play the straight Dm chord. But it s pretty dark. Often times, songs will use the 1 Chord in 1st inversion--in this case C/E--more often than the 3m chord. Somtimes you ll need to play the Big Fat F Barre Chord, But often this simple sus2 chord sounds so much better Why mute the 5th string instead of playing the B note? That third interval gets muddy when it s played that low. When it comes to the 6m chord, sometimes you want the straight minor, but often the softened m7 better fits the style. You don t find m7 b 5 very often in non-r&b/gospel influenced worship music. More often it s the 5/7 chord. With all these 5 chords, this cheat sheet will include a sus4 variation since that s often called for in worship music.
Key of G 1 sharp = F# The G5 works most of the time. But occasionally you want the third in chord to pretty it up. Hence the second voicing. The (4) in this chord is the open high e. If it doesn t seem right, just slouch your third finger down to mute it. Trust your ear. The stock C can work, but this add2 often creates a better sound. You can mute or open up the 4th string to give it a tougher sus2 sound. Don t be afraid to liberally open the high e string to create a sus2. That 3rd (f#) in the high note can stick out too much. Occasionally I ll do the finger gymnastics to play the f# on the high e string. But mostly, I let the e ring out, or mute it with my third finger.
Key of D 2 sharps = F#, C# Again, in the 4 Chord spot, this sus2 can be nice. Like the D chord in the key of G, don t be afraid to open up the B-string to get the sus2 sound. The add2 plays a dual purpose. It s easier to play and it sounds good.
Key of A 3 sharps = F#, C#, G# Again, in the 4 Chord spot, the Dsus2 can be nice. Simply play the first string open to acheive the sus2. Like the D chord in the key of G, don t be afraid to open up the B-string to get the sus2 sound. This variation for F#m sounds great in most modern worship songs. Occaisionally the song will call for a straight F#m. In that case, use the standard barre chord. The second voicing includes the b 7 interval for a more unstable chord that wants to resolve to the Root.
Key of E 4 sharps = F#, C#, G#, D# For the 1, 2m, 4, 5, and 6m, I ve inclueed some open movable shapes. These allow you to move further up the neck to create some great sounding chords. You can also slide the F#m7(4) shape up two frets to create a variation of the G#m7. However, it doesn t always sound as good on the 4th fret as it does the second. Again, in the 4 Chord spot, the sus2 can be nice.
Moving to the Capo Beyond these five keys we just went through, I capo. There are plenty of ways to use barre chords and other shapes to play in any key, but 1) it usually doesn t sound as good. Remember, the guitar truly sings with open strings. There are certain styles where the barre chord sound is preferable, but it s not as common in worship. And 2) it s just too much work. So from here, I will provide capo cheats for the rest of the major keys. In some cases, I put two capo keys, others I added a third option. This higher fret capo option works great when you have two acoustics, or you just want that higher, snappier sound. Regardless of which capo key you choose, this will give you everything you need to play in any key your worship leader throws at you.
Key of B There are a few open chord options in the key of B, especially with the open movable voicings, but this key still requires a fair amount of barre chords. So I recommend acoustic players capo the key of B. Capo ing at frets 2 and 4 are the two the most common ways to capo in the key of B. Key of B 5 sharps = F#, C#, G#, D#, A# B C#m7 Capo 2 A Bm7 Capo 4 G Am7 D#m7 B/D# C#m7 A/C# Bm7 G/B E F# G#m7 F#/A# D E F#m7 E/G# C D Em7 D/F#
Key of F# When piano players ruled the worship universe, you never saw the key of F#. Once guitarists took the reins, with their quick-change capos and total disregard for other instruments, 6 sharps became fair game. Capo ing at frets 2, 4 or 6 will get the job done for the key of F#. But don t expect your piano player to like you. Key of F# 6 sharps = F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# (aka: F ) F# G#m7 Capo 2 E F#m7 Capo 4 D Em7 Capo 6 C Dm7 A#m7 F#/A# G#m7 E/G# F#m7 D/F# Em7 C/E B C# D#m7 C#/E# A B C#m7 B/D# G A Bm7 A/C# F G Am7 G/B
Key of F We ve now moved to the other side of the Circle of 5ths - the flats side. You will capo this entire side of the circle (unless you re some sicko who enjoys hand cramps). The key of F works great capo d at frets 1 and 3, and even works well at fret 5. However, if your guitar s intonations aren t awesome, you may need to retune once you place your capo at the 5th fret. That goes for any of these higher capo options that are shown for the other keys. Key of F 1 Flat = B F Gm7 Capo 1 E F#m7 Capo 3 D Em7 Capo 5 C Dm7 Am7 F/A G#m7 E/G# F#m7 D/F# Em7 C/E B C Dm7 C/E A B C#m7 B/D# G A Bm7 A/C# F G Am7 G/B
Key of B Like the key of B, capo ing to play the key of A or G chords works well. In this case, we ll capo at frets 1 and 3. Key of B 2 Flats = B, E B Cm7 Capo 1 A Bm7 Capo 3 G Am7 Dm7 B /D C#m7 A/C# Bm7 G/B E F Gm7 F/A D E F#m7 E/G# C D Em7 D/F#
Key of E Key of E 3 Flats = B, E, A E Fm7 Capo 1 D Em7 Capo 3 C Dm7 Gm7 E /G F#m7 D/F# Em7 C/E A B Cm7 D /F G A Bm7 A/C# F G Am7 G/B
Key of A Key of A 4 Flats = B, E, A, D A B m7 Capo 1 G Am7 Capo 4 E F#m7 Capo 6 D Em7 Cm7 A /C Bm7 G/B G#m7 E/G# F#m7 D/F# D E Fm7 E /G C D Em7 D/F# A B C#m7 B/D# G A Bm7 A/C#
Key of D Key of D 5 Flats = B, E, A, D, G D E m7 Capo 1 C Dm7 Capo 4 A Bm7 Capo 6 G Am7 Fm7 D /F Em7 C/E C#m7 A/C# Bm7 G/B G A B m7 A /C F G Am7 G/B D E F#m7 E/G# C D Em7 D/F#
Key of G G b is the same as F#. So when you see the key of G b in worship, you can probably figure it was guitarist who wrote the song in D with his capo on the fourth fret, and it was a piano player who transcribed the chart. Regardless, you capo the same as F#. Key of G 6 Flats = B, E, A, D, G, C G A m7 Capo 2 E F#m7 Capo 4 D Em7 Capo 6 C Dm7 B m7 G /B G#m7 E/G# F#m7 D/F# Em7 C/E C D E m7 D /F A B C#m7 B/D# G A Bm7 A/C# F G Am7 G/B
Be looking for the free mini-course that accompanies this GO-TO guide. It will be arriving about once a week. If you have any questions, don t hesitate to email me at jon@worshipteamcoach.com. All material 2014 WorshipTeamCoach.com and Jon Nicol If you were given this document and would like to sign up for the free mini course that accompanies this, go to www.worshipteamcoach.com/go-to-chords