What you’ll learn
- Recognize major, minor and seventh chords.
- Understand chords with a different bass note.
- Use the song structure to anticipate changes.
Before you practice
The main letter names the chord. C, D, E, F, G, A and B correspond to do, re, mi, fa, sol, la and si. A lowercase m marks a minor chord, as in Am. Numbers such as 7 and 9 indicate additional notes.
A slash chord such as D/F# means a D chord with F# in the bass. Begin by keeping time and learning the main shape before studying inversions.
Look for the intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. Section labels help you predict repeats.
Lesson exercise
- Choose a sheet with four chords or fewer.
- Spot the changes before playing.
- Play the chords from start to finish without singing.