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key of E
We just finished a week in the daily challenge using the thumb a lot. Did I miss the explanation of chords in key E? These are totally new shape placements for me, especially going up the neck. The A chord is shaped on the 1st and 2nd fret but then is also on the 6th & 7th fret w/ fret 5 being fretted. The same w/ E chord.
I bought a chart of basic chords/different keys and the A chord in the key of E only has one shape. This part of theory is way over my head.
I have attempted, 7/2021, to go through Fretboard Wizard and stopped. I started dreading to pick up the guitar. CAGE didn’t make any sense to me. I believe this is my answer to a lot of my questions, but I am not ready to experience those feelings again.
So my questions are: How can the A chord be on the 1st & 2nd fret and then also on the 6th & 7th? Same w/ the different placements for the E chord.
Thanks all,
ursula
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4 Replies
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Hello Ursula, my dear friend @campfire , the answer to your questions is about understanding <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>where the root note of any chord lies along the fretboard. The root note is usually considered the lowest toned note played within a specific chord (equivalent to the lowest string fretted for that chord). Before I go on, if I may, let me remind you of the naturally occurring half steps (1 fret) between B & C, and E & F (<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>B<i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>ig <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>C<i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>ats <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>E<i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>at <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>F<i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>ish – the metaphor that I use), because this is also an integral part of what I want to say. Let’s start with an E chord (and all of the E family chord shapes). So the root of the open E chord is the open LoE string. So what that means is that any E shaped barre chord has their root on the LoE string. Then for the root of an E shaped barre chord, we’re going follow the “MUSICAL ALPHABET” up the fretboard along that LoE string, starting with openE, then 1st fret F (naturally occurring half step), 3rd fret G, 5th fret A, and so on. That is how you can justify an E shaped barre chord (& E family shaped chords) with the index finger barring all strings along the 3rd fret as a G chord, and so on up the fretboard, following the musical alphabet . The same thing is true for the A family shaped chords, but their root is along the A string – where open = A, 2nd fret = B, 3rd fret =C and so on, following the musical alphabet along the A string.
I hope my way of answering your question was helpful for your journey👍
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Great explanation Bill_Brown. Ursula should benefit from your explanation. It amazes me that we all walk the same path.
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Thanks Bill!
I’ve read your answer a few times. Need a while to digest. I do understand about the musical alphabet and one fret between BC & EF. It makes sense to barre E when playing chords in Key of E. I remember a bit about the root.
Going to think some more.
As always, thanks!!!!🙂
ursula
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Hi Ursula ( @campfire ) . I think the the chords that Tony used in last week’s challenges represent the 7 notes in the scale in the key of E.
A chord consists the 3 note: the root note (which provides us with the chord name) plus the 3rd note in the scale plus the 5th in the scale. For the A chord these are : A, C# and E.
Because of the way the guitar is designed these notes repeat themselves at numerous places on the fretboard. This allows is to play the A chord at different positions in the neck. Hence the A chord may be played at the second fret and then using a a barre chord at the 5th fret. Fingering these notes on the fretboard requires us to make different chord shapes with your fingers on different strings to produce the chord. The barre chords use the index finger to simulate the nut and then the remaining fingers are placed in the strings and fret positions to play the three notes necessary to make the chord.
Hang in there! I encourage you to return to Fretboard Wizard when you feel you are ready. It helps explain quite a bit.
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