The 5 ESSENTIAL Chord types

There are like a bazillion chords possible. But is knowing more better?

What are the chord types you really NEED to know? In this video we'll look at a solid method to build a chord library that represents the minimum to actually function as a guitarist, and these will serve you for a very long time.

00:00 Demonstration
00:00 Thesis
00:00 Introduction
00:00 Lesson
00:00 Wrap Up

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Thanks for watching!
Chris

[AnUnusuallyAnimatedDodo]

This is such powerful information, and explained so simply and clearly as always. I'm going to be referring back to this video a lot to learn all these chord shapes. This is video and your explanation of the CAGED system unlocked a deeper understanding of the fretboard for me. Thank you for making such high quality educational content!

[donaldfox]

Always in a language easily understood by all!

[deastman]

This was extremely helpful to me! As someone who had ten years of piano lessons while growing up, I have a pretty good understanding of music theory and also of what I’m lacking on guitar. I only had a few months of guitar lessons as a teenager and have been completely self taught for the past almost 40 years. I’m very comfortably noodling melodic lines around the fretboard but have always been frustrated that my chord vocabulary was so much more limited than on piano. I can see now that I never really progressed much beyond barre chords, and that I need to put in some rigorous practice and study of triad and shell chord voicings. Thank you so much!

[stevefielding]

Your ability to teach theory in such a practical and applicable way is second to none! Thanks Chris.

[amsumalivallaart]

Fantastic lesson with the visual tabs popping up making everything clear
Great job keep up the great work
Bests

[lakervoxx]

Woaaah there is SO much gravy in this lesson!!! What a video! Thank you Chris

[jimaugust]

This video was very helpful. It's clear and points out some things I need to work on.

[joshnorko]

Great lesson man, you nailed everything!

[TheFloridaBikeVlogger]

we have a saying in Nashville, just need 3 chords and the truth

[Jimbob-hpud]

Nice one chris, and thank you! 😁 Will we get a part 2 with the drop voicings as you mentioned at the end?

[hansvandermeulen]

I have a book with 15000 (!) chords in there.
My favorite chord, Bbmaj7#11 (first position, the #11 is an open 1st string) is not in there.

[Dragonth]

You said the basic C, E, A, D are not flexible and can't be moved across the neck? Actually that's wrong because they all are :) I've seen many beautiful examples of it - same shape, same fingering, different place up the neck, they just get called something else and there are many songs based on this flexibility.

[tone-glide]

Ya think after a lifetime of playing that you would know just about everything .., then.. you realize that you don't. Great lesson! And did ! mention I love Triads!

[LeeFKoch]

Once again, Chris, you have helped to make my journey as a guitarist easier! Thanks for this overview of the essential chord types! Knowing how flexible the fretboard is, can be pretty daunting (how will I ever learn all the notes/chords?). So your video really helps to make learning my way around seem actually doable. I was relieved to realize, that I already know how to play and use the first 3 types (though I'm not yet totally comfortable playing the power chords with the root on the D and G strings). And I'm still working on my triads and shell voicings.

[abroda]

Possibly the greatest guitar lesson ever graced you tube. I commented on your previous caged video regarding the reality of caged shapes and those that are actually useful. This video just smacks you with these are the chord shape types that are useful and how they can be tweaked to give you many more variances. Such a brilliant video, if ever there were nominations for most useful guitar tutorial ever on you tube!!

[PR-BEACHBOY]

Hi Chris, I really appreciate your teaching and style of teaching.

Aren’t there more permutations of the “G Cowboy” chord? Ie, “G-11” or just playing the first string at the 3rd fret etc?

Hope I’m not being a pain.

[leobaker]

Awesome summary! Really helps to add perspective and order. And I did pick up on a few chord shapes I need to work on. Thanks!

[NoCoverCharge]

You only need 3 G D C and ou can write agazallion songs

[ccbrabs]

In Soviet Russia, chords know you! Oy, what a country.

[thaiduongnguyen]

you should make clip abt intervals on fretboard which means finding steps from the root in order to build chords or scales.