How to spell different 3 note chords

Be sure to have read these lessons first.

Basic Chord Construction - learn the basic theory behind chord construction and how it is applied to the guitar.

Chord Construction - 3 Note Chords - Part 1 - This lesson will give you a basic understanding of how all 3 note chords are constructed, and how to apply that theory to the neck of the guitar. This will include major, minor, augmented, diminished, sus2 and sus4 chords.

With the method that I am going to show you next, you are going to learn how to spell any major, minor, augmented, diminished, sus2 and sus4 chord. It is really quite easy once you know the trick.

First you have to KNOW the basic 3 notes chords built from a C major scale. Why a C major scale? Because the key of C major has no sharps or flats, and the chords built from that scale will contain only natural notes.

C     D     E     F     G     A     B - C major scale
|     |     |     |     |     |     |
C     Dm    Em    F     G     Am    Bdim - Chord Name
|     |     |     |     |     |     |
G     A     B     C     D     E     F \
E     F     G     A     B     C     D  - Notes in each chord
C     D     E     F     G     A     B /

You are going to use these 7 chords as your starting point to spell every 3 note chord. So no matter what type of chord you have, if it has a root of C, C or C you are going to use a C major chord as your starting point. For every chord with a root of D, D, or D, you are going to use a Dm chord as your starting point.

So armed with the knowledge of how to spell a C major chord, and the knowledge of the chord formulas for all of the other 3 note chords, you will be able to spell every type of C, C or C chord.

Page 2, Formulas for all types of 3 note chords