Chords | Smus Qweed

Category: LIFE HACKS

  • How to Quickly Learn all Guitar Chord Shapes

    How to Quickly Learn all Guitar Chord Shapes

    Learn and master these easy techniques to start playing different chord shapes like a Guitar Pro.

    Hi guys. We have received lots of questions about techniques and methods to easily learn all chord shapes on the Guitar. This is one problem for all beginners and some advanced learners. I actually asked this question so many times, until I finally found the right technique by myself.

    When you spend lots of time playing rubbish, at one point you start asking your guitar questions, how can I play Bdim? How can I play the 4th major not on key F? at the end of the day we start relying on Capo to play on all keys.

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    It is advisable for people to use Capo to ease the stress, but I can only recommend Capo for singers who want to sing while playing the guitar. Sometimes it is hard to move around your fretboard while you are singing, so it is recommended for them to use the Capo. But if you are a guitarist, I mean all you want to do is play your guitar most of the time.

    it is advisable to learn how to play on all keys as a guitarist and that is why I am writing this article. You can\’t play on all keys without learning all the Guitar Chord Shapes properly. I am not going to be very technical, this is going to be very brief. So here are the tips I want you guys to know:

    1. Learn all the easy chords: When I say learn all the easy chord shapes, I mean the Open Chords on your Guitar. Note that open chords are chords formed on the first four frets on your guitar fretboard. You can easily learn these shapes with our Tab Generator.

    2. Understand how your open chords were derived: When you understand how these chords are formulated you\’ll be able to understand the next step. We all know C, E, and G are the notes that makeup Cmaj.

    3. Know the intervals between chords: Assuming we are on Key C, the major scale for key C is C-D-EF-G-A-BC. Note the dash means you skip a fret before the next note, while for EF and BC no frets are skipped.

    4. Know the major and minor chords: C, F, and G are the major chords on key C. while D-E-A in the minors and we have one diminished chord which is you B. Know the all the chord shapes.

    Last Tip: After knowing all these steps, the next thing to do is like kindergarten mathematics 1+1=2. So assuming there is an Am chord and you want to play A#m which is also Bb, all you have to do is to adjust your fingers to the next frets and voila you have an A#m chord. But it won\’t sound right and that is where Barre Chords were invented. So you have to re-adjust your hand so that your index finger can be used to create the barre.

    Let\’s take another example: Your Emaj chord is within the first two frets on standard toning. So we already know that getting to F you don\’t have to skip any frets, so you can adjust your fingers to the next frets and then you can use your index to create a barre and that was how the Fmaj barre chord was invented.

    You can do this for all the easy chords and you can start playing on any key as long as you know notes of the major scale for all keys. Please feel free to comment on questions, extra tips, or if you found this article useful. Feel free to use the Tab Generator page to easily access and create Chord Shapes
    Thank you.

  • How to Quickly Learn all Ukulele Chords and Shapes

    How to Quickly Learn all Ukulele Chords and Shapes

    Learn these easy techniques on mastering all ukulele chord shapes and start playing ukulele like a Pro.

    Hi guys. I\’ve been received a lot of questions about techniques and methods to easily learn all chord shapes on the Ukulele. This is one problem for all beginners and some advanced learners. I actually asked this question so many times, until I finally found the right technique by myself.

    When you spend lots of time playing rubbish, at one point you start asking your ukulele questions, how can I play Bdim? How can I play the 4th major not on key F? at the end of the day we start relying on Capo to play on all keys for ukulele players.

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    It is advisable for people to use Capo to ease the stress, but I can only recommend Capo for singers who want to sing while playing the ukulele. Sometimes it is hard to move around your fretboard while you are singing, so it is recommended for them to use the Capo.

    it is advisable to learn how to play on all keys as a ukulele player and that is why I am writing this article. You can\’t play on all keys without learning all the Ukulele Chord Shapes properly. I am not going to be very technical, this is going to be very brief. So here are the tips I want you guys to know:

    1. Learn all the easy chords: When I say learn all the easy chord shapes, I mean the Open Chords on your Ukulele. You can easily learn these shapes with our Tab Generator.

    2. Understand how your open chords were derived: When you understand how these chords are formulated you\’ll be able to understand the next step. We all know C, E, and G are the notes that makeup Cmaj. To know all this.

    3. Know the intervals between chords: Assuming we are on Key C, the major scale for key C is C-D-EF-G-A-BC. Note the dash means you skip a fret before the next note, while for EF and BC no frets are skipped.

    4. Know the major and minor chords: C, F, and G are the major chords on key C. while D-E-A in the minors and we have one diminished chord which is you B. Know the all the chord shapes now.

    Last Tip: After knowing all these steps, the next thing to do is like kindergarten mathematics 1+1=2. So assuming there is an Am chord and you want to play A#m which is also Bb, all you have to do is to adjust your fingers to the next frets and voila you have an A#m chord. But it won\’t sound right and that is where Barre Chords were invented. So you have to re-adjust your hand so that your index finger can be used to create the barre.

    You can do this for all the easy chords and you can start playing on any key as long as you know notes of the major scale for all keys. Please feel free to comment on questions, extra tips, or if you found this article useful. Feel free to use the Tab Generator page to easily access and create Chord Shapes
    Thank you.

  • Chord Name Abbreviations (In C major Scale)

    C – C major (C△)
    Cm – C minor
    C7 – C dominant seventh
    Cm7 – C minor seventh
    Cmaj7 – C major seventh (C△7)
    CmM7 – C minor major seventh
    C6 – C major sixth
    Cm6 – C minor sixth
    C6/9 – C sixth/ninth (sixth added ninth)
    C5 – C fifth
    C9 – C dominant ninth
    Cm9 – C minor ninth
    Cmaj9 – C major ninth
    C11 – C eleventh
    Cm11 – C minor eleventh
    C13 – C thirteenth
    Cm13 – C minor thirteenth
    Cmaj13 – C major thirteenth
    Cadd – C add
    C7-5 – C seven minus five
    C7+5 – C seven plus five
    Csus – C suspended
    Cdim – C diminished (C°)
    Cdim7 – C diminished seventh (C°7)
    Cm7b5 – C minor seventh flat five (Cø)
    Caug – C augmented (C+)
    Caug7 – C augmented seventh

  • Emotional Characteristics of Musical Keys

    Do Musical Keys have emotional characteristics?

    One way or the other you might have heard or come across something about musical keys being associated with emotional characteristics and feelings. Well, the thing is, the association of musical keys with specific qualitative emotional characteristics was most common before the 20th century. It was actually a thing then, much like a shared culture even among the very popular musicians of that era. Although it is true that all of these characteristics are subjective, at the time then it was quite easy to see each key uniquely because of how peculiar they each sounded within unequal temperaments. After 1917 however, equal temperaments became the dominant tuning and as a result these affective emotional characteristics somehow became lost to us.

     

    The Emotional Characteristics of Musical Keys

    C major

    This key is associated with a feeling of being completely pure. It is commonly referred to as the \”Key of Children\” and it was believed to embody feelings of earnestness, freeness from burdens, simplicity, and naivety. The theme of this key is innocence.

     

    C minor

    Now, this is the \”Love-Sick\” key as it is popularly believed to carry feelings of declarations of love and also the lamenting of love lost or unhappy and unsatisfying relationships. It is full of yearning and longing. Somewhat languishing. The theme of this key would be \”Love Sick\”

     

    Db Major

    This key is associated with a steep sloping into a den of sadness. It is characterized by a fullness of tone and euphony degenerating into a rapture of grief. It was thought of as incapable of a laugh but of a wan smile perhaps. Not capable of intense howling to express this grief but of a grimace to visualize it. This key indeed had very unusual characteristics and consequently, it was believed that only unusual feelings could be brought out from this key. The theme would have to be grief.




    C#Minor

    This key is described as \”Penitent\” because it carries a feeling of sorrow, regret, remorse, and even elements of self-judgment and self-punishment. An intimate conversation with God whilst feeling deeply sorry is the theme for this key.

     

    D major

    This is a key characterized by energetic shouts of triumph. This is something like a Victory key consisting of war cries and Hallelujahs. Most inviting symphonies, Holiday and Praise Songs were set to this key. The theme of this key would be \”Victory\”

     

    D minor

    Popularly referenced as \”Feminine\”, this key is also believed to convey feelings of melancholy, ruminating, overthinking, and worry. The theme of this key would be \”Paranoia\” or \”Worry\”

     

    Eb Major

    This key conveys feelings of intimate conversations and devotion to God. It also embodies feelings of love, openness, and deep affection. The theme of this key would be \”Devotion\”.

     

    D# minor

    A chill down the spine, imminent danger, shuddering, despair. \”A sealing of doom is imminent\” is all the message that this key rings. This key is also called \”The Key of Ghosts\”. The theme of this key would be \”Spooky\”

     

     

    E major

    Unsettled even in the midst of delight, this key is characterized by bickering, quarrelsome, boisterous, and short-fused attributes.

     

    E minor

    This key just like C major is also associated with feelings of Naivety but just like D minor, it is feminine and womanly and conveys feelings of a womanly declaration of love. Characterized by a few sighs and tears, this key is nevertheless hopeful of eventually resolving into the pure happiness of C major.

     

     

    F major

    Calm, chilled but complacent. Very composed and highly sociable but is like dynamite waiting to explode.

     

     

    F minor

    This Key is deeply melancholic and is characterized by deep depression and feelings of loss and death looming.

     

    F# major

    The theme of this key would be \”Triumph\” as it is characterized by conquest over hurdles, obstacles, and foes. Clarity of thought is also associated with this key.

     

    F# minor

    This key is believed to
    harbor feelings of resentment, dissatisfaction, and discontentment characterized by serious and long durations of wailing and lamentation. However, it is still capable of fighting the aforementioned feelings.

     

    G major

    This key is characterized by everything chill, calm, lyrical, gentle, and peaceful with a beautiful passion.





    G minor

    This key is characterized by worry and a bad temper. A lot of resentments and dislike coupled with uneasiness are the characteristics of this key.

     

    Ab Major

    Popularly known as \”The Key of the grave\”, this key is characterized by death, eternity, judgment, and the haunting and lingering of lost souls.

     

    Ab Minor

    This key is characterized by negativity and struggling. Grumbling, wailings, moaning, and complaining are all themes of this key.

     

    A major

    The theme of this key is \” Divine Satisfaction \”. It is characterized by optimism, satisfaction with life, and the belief in Heaven and reuniting with loved ones.

     

    A Minor

    This key is characterized by pious womanliness and tenderness of character. The theme of this key would be \”Soothing\”.

     

    Bb Major

    This key is cheerful and characterized by love, hope, optimism, aspiration for a better world, and a clear conscience.

     

     

    Bb Minor

    This key is changed by everything blasphemous. Turning away from the Divine with a mocking of God, it sounds like a strong belief in darkness. Preparation for suicide sounds in this key.

     

    B major

    The theme of this key is passion and Rage. It is however burdened with negative energy and always prepared for a clash.

     

    B Minor

    The theme of this key is \” Patience\” as it is characterized by a calm unperturbed willingness to wait for destiny and the unraveling of fate.

     

    References: A History of Key Characteristics 1983.
    John Mattheson 1713.