Uncommon Chords for guitar

Uncommon Chords 101 Vibrant Voicings You Won’t Find On A Typical Chord Chart. By Mike Beatham

Uncommon Chords © 2013 Mike Beatham & fretjam.com

Introduction Thank you for downloading Uncommon Chords! As the title states, contained within are 101 chords you won’t find on a typical chord chart. As a result, using any of these chords in your songwriting, as alternatives to the standard barre and open chord forms we learn, will give your progressions an instant spark of originality. Many of these chords make use of open strings (often referred to as open chords). This gives them a particularly vibrant, full sound. However, included are also some lesser known movable chord forms which do not use open strings, and can therefore be positioned at any fret. However you choose to use the chords featured in this book, I hope they inspire more creativity in your songwriting and original interpretations of existing music. This list is by no means exhaustive, although this is likely only the 1 st volume of many! Try the chord forms you learn here in different positions, add and remove fingers/notes and see if you can expand the list further. Enjoy it! Remember to visit fretjam.com for quality free guitar lessons.


Before We Begin The diagrams show you where to put your fingers. First, number your fingers in the usual way, as shown below:

Some chords involve the use of a barred finger. For example, taking the standard E form major barre chord, our index (1) finger is barred across all six strings. Here’s how the barre would be represented in my diagrams:

The fingerings used in the diagrams are only suggestions. If you find a more comfortable way of playing the chord, by all means use it!


If a string is not used in the chord, there’ll be an as follows:

marked on the diagram

That would mean don’t play the A string. Any strings not marked with a fingering or an X should be played as they are – open. Pretty standard stuff! Fret numbers will be marked on diagrams where the chord form is to be played up the neck. If the chord is played down at the first few frets, however, you’ll see a black bar representing the nut (where the guitar neck meets the head) instead of a fret number:

That diagram has a nut, so that tells us we’re looking at the first 4 frets. That’s about it. Now let’s expand our chord vocabulary…


The Chords 9th Suspended 4th

Dominant 13th

A7#11

A7sus4

A9

Asus4#5add9

Aadd6

Asus4#5add9


Aadd9

Aadd9/C#

Abaug7#11

Am9

Am13

Amadd6

Amadd9

Amadd11


Amaj9

Aadd9#4

B7add11

B7add13

B9sus4

B9sus4/2

Bbadd6

Bbmaj7#11


Bm11

Bm11b5

Bm11b13

Cadd9

Cadd9#11

Cm9

Cmaj9

C#m7


C#m9

C#m9 (Var. 2)

C#m13

D7sus2

D7sus13

D9

D9 (Var. 2)

D9 (Var. 3)


D9sus4

Dadd4

Dadd6

Dadd9

Dadd9 (Var. 2)

Dadd6/9

Dm7add11

Dmaj7


Dmaj7add6

Dmaj9

Dmaj13

Dominant 7th

Dominant 7th (Var. 2)





E7sus4

E9

E9sus4

Eadd9

Eadd6

Em7

Em7 (Var. 2)

Em11


Emadd9

Emadd6/9

Emadd6/9 (Var.2)

Emaj7

Emaj13

Emaj9

EmMaj7

Esus2#4


Fmaj7#11

FmMaj7

F#7

F#m7add11

G5#11

G7add6

Gadd6

Gadd9


Gadd9 (Var. 2)

Gm11

Gmadd6

Gmadd9

Gmaj7sus2

Gmaj13

Minor 6th

Minor 11th


Major 7th

Major 11th

Major 13th

Major Added 6th

Major Added 6th (Var. 2)


Major Added 9th



Major Added 6th / 9th flat 5th

Major 9th

Major Sharp 11th

Suspended 4th


Useful Resources You can find more guitar chord lessons here. Take your playing to advanced level... Guitar Tricks GT offers some of the highest quality guitar lessons on the web and mobile. High quality HD video, world class tutors, award winning Core Learning System, backing tracks and apps, massive song lesson library and a huge community of nearly two million guitarists. Whether you want to learn essential skills, your favourite songs or study influencial artists, Guitar Tricks can help you reach your playing goals far quicker than any free site or YouTube alone. Learn more about Guitar Tricks here Recommended fretboard learning application... Guitar Notes Master A lot of guitarists find learning guitar theory a bit... dull. But it's so beneficial to learn, as any serious guitarist will tell you. If you want to be able to improvise confidently on guitar and come up with new ideas at the drop of a hat, you need to know the fretboard like the back of your hand.


By using interactive software, learning the fretboard becomes more engaging, productive and fun. Guitar Notes Master is a very effective learning tool for beginners right through to advanced players because it encourages you to explore the fretboard intuitively, using “point and click” exercises and watching real time demonstrations right before your eyes (and ears). By having a complete and deep understanding of the fretboard, chord construction becomes second nature and scales can be mapped out across the entire guitar neck, meaning freer, unrestrained soloing and improvisation. If you want to make serious progress on guitar, I strongly recommend you take time to study the fretboard. Guitar Notes Master makes this a breeze. More information about Guitar Notes Master here


Uncommon Chords for guitar

Recommend Documents