45 Chord Shapes for C Major
How many chord shapes do you know for C Major? I’ve spent most of my career looking for new ways to play each and every chord. Today we’ll be getting you started in your own quest with 45 chord shapes for C Major.
How many chord shapes can you play for one chord? An even better question is how many should you know?
We all know that the guitar is a patterned instrument and you can get by using your favourite couple of chord shapes and scale blocks. There’s nothing wrong with this approach and many players have made lucrative careers doing just this. But what about those of us who are always searching for more?
Over the years I’ve found myself always looking for new ways to bring my soloing improvisational technique to my chordal playing. The catalyst was my days at uni studying jazz. I wanted to bring that improvisational freedom that I had to all the other genres that I played in.
Having the ability to adjust my chord shapes on the fly opened up a completely new world of musical expression. I was able to explore the sonic variations of chords during a performance, compensate quickly on stage when someone in the band made a mistake as well as always find the chord to match the sound in my head when writing.
I’ve spent most of my career following this path. The search for new and interesting chord shapes is endless and every time I pick up a guitar I find something new.
To get you started on your own quest I though I might share with you 45 chord shapes for C Major. This will give you an insight to how many possibilities are out there.
I’d suggest when going through these chord shapes, to look for patterns that will help you categorize them in your mind. Having a huge arsenal of chord shapes also means you need to be able to think quickly to access them. The more patterns you find, the easier this process will be.
C Major Chord Shapes
This article touches on concepts from the LICK FACTORY’s Set 1 and Set 2 courses. Bring your chord playing up to a completely new level.
Need a quicker fix? the ULTIMATE CHORD GUIDE: Volume 1 might be the answer.
Who’s your Teacher?
Kris Petersen is a name that has become synonymous with the Australian Music Industry. From clubs to stadiums, Kris has performed on every continent in the world and shared the stage with some of the world’s greatest artists.
In the last few years alone, Kris has performed with, or alongside Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Orianthi, Van Halen, Billy Joel, Matt Sorumn (Guns n Roses), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), The Drifters, Tony MacAlpine, Buckcherry, Daryl Braithwaite, The Living End, Icehouse, Marcia Hines, The Screaming Jets, The Choirboys, Mental As Anything, Bruce Kulick (KISS), Leo Sayer, Pretty Boy Floyd and many more… read more
