More Colorful "Open Position" Chords
The cool chords that you hear advanced guitarists play are sometimes hard to find in guitar chord books unless you know what to look for. Displayed below is a two-page list of chords like Dsus4, Gadd9, Cadd9, and others that add color to anyone's guitar playing. (By the way, they are called open position chords because they use open strings. You can find the most basic set of open position chords by clicking here.)
How to Use These Chords
You can use these chords as substitutes for more common open position chords. For example, you can often (depending on what key you're in) substitute Dsus4 for D, Gadd9 for G, or Cadd9 for C. They are also great for inspiration while writing songs; sometimes a single colorful chord can serve as the basis for a sequence of chords that will form part of a song, or the entire composition. You can also use these chords as ornamentation to make a static section that uses only one chord, such as C, into a sequence of more interesting chords related to C - such as Cadd9 and Cmaj7.
NOTE: Make sure you check out the "What's What" section at the bottom of page one to understand what all of the symbols mean.
(Click here to get a pdf version of the chords shown below. Please don't distribute this pdf by photocopying or posting it on the internet. You may print out one copy for your own use. If you know someone who wants a copy, simply refer them to this website. Please help me protect my intellectual property by respecting my rights.)
Jeff Anvinson, owner/operator of JLA Music
