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Overview:

This section will show you the formula for making many different chords using the major scale.

All chords are built from scales. Here we will take a look at the chords built with the major scale.

You Will Need to have an understanding of the major scale and the notes on the fret board.

Basic chords start out with the root and the 5th. If played with just the root and fifth this is known as the most basic power chord. Power chords can be handy and are used in many types of music, but personally would say they are used the most in rock/hard rock/metal most often with distortion.

Here is an example of a G power chord:

Title: G power chord
Tuning: E A D G B E 

|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-5------------------------------------------------------|
|-3------------------------------------------------------|

Listen To G Power Chord

Here is the G power chord. Notice it is just a 2 note chord. This same pattern 

can be used anywhere on the fret board. For example if you want to create an A power chord you would find the 

A on the fret board, in this case we will use Low E 5th fret. So we have the "root" note on E5 and the 5th

on A7. E5 and A7 make an A power chord.---- An even easier way to explain this is: Take the first note

of the power chord you want to play, Lets say it is on A3. Then move up (to higher string) one string

and over 2 frets (1 step) and there is the root and the fifth, and you have a C power chord made

up of A3 and D5. Just move that around the fret board and bam! You know a bunch of chords!

Now we will talk about Triads or 3 note chords. Major chords are made , relative to the major scale

like this: 1st (root), 3rd (3rd note in major scale), and 5th (5th note in major scale). 

So the notes that make up let's say a G major chord are the 1st, 3rd, and 5th note in the scale.

Here is an example:

Tuning: E A D G B E 

|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------2--3--5--------------------------------------------|
|--3--5---------------------------------------------------|

1st note, or the root note is E3 which is a G. The first note is the basis for the G chord so of

course the first note is infact G. The 3rd note in the scale is A2 which is B. The 5th note is A5

which is D. So the notes to make a G major chord are G B D. Now all one needs to do is to find those notes

on the fret board so that you can strum them all at once. Which looks like this:

Title: Basic 3-note G chord
Tuning: E A D G B E 

|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-0------------------------------------------------------|
|-2------------------------------------------------------|
|-3------------------------------------------------------|
 

Listen To G Chord

Now you have the formula for any 2 or 3 note chords! Nice.

Just for the record, G major chord is played the same way as above except all 6 strings are played

and 3rd fret high E string is added with D,G,B played open (0)

Here's a basic idea of what a G major Chord sounds like - PLAY

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