C minor6

We've featured a few different minor chords in previous posts, today's chord is a C minor6. Minor6  chords are constructed by taking a normal minor triad (1, b3, 5) and adding a natural 6th. They are normally used as chord I in minor keys.
Play the root note on the E string with your middle finger, the D string with your first finger and barre across the top 3 guitar strings with your first finger.
Minor 6 chords can be played in the place of some minor chords and can replace chord i in minor keys. Minor 6 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 6

C minor6 uses the notes: C, Eb, G, A

Our inversion uses the notes in this order: C, A, Eb, G, C.

Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.

Quintal harmony

Usually chords are constructed by taking every other note of a scale, constructing the chord in thirds. However this isn't the only way of constructing chords, they also be built up in 4ths (called quartal harmony) and 5ths (quintal harmony).
The notes of our chord are: C, G, D, A

Quartal and quintal chords have an open sound quite different to chord built in 3rds in the traditional way, they are often used in modal music - that is music based around a mode rather than harmonic chord progression. The chords are then taken through the scale, you could for example try taking this chord through the C major scale e.g. 
D, A, E, B
E, B, F, C
F, C, G, D etc

Although this chord is not constructed in a traditional way, we can also think of it as C69 (no 3rd).

Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.

B11

We've featured a number of dominant chords and minor11th chords on guitar chord of the day before, but this is our first inversion of a dominant 11th chord. This B11 inversion has its root on the E string as indicated by the black square in the chord diagram. For a reminder on how to read chord diagrams have a look at the first guitar chord of the day post. You can either play the roont note with your 3rd finger, or play it with your thumb a 'la Hendrix

11th chords can be played in the place of most 7th chords, in place of chord V in major keys. It also quite often precedes a dominant chord e.g:
B11 / B7

Officially 11th chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11 though usually the 3rd and often the 5th are left out.
B11 uses these notes: B, D#, F#, A, C#

Our inversion uses these notes in the this order: B, A, C#, E with an additional optional A or B on the top E string. B11th can also be thought of as an A major triad with a B root note, this is written B/A (B over A).

Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.

A diminished7

Today's guitar chord of the day is A diminished7.This is quite a common inversion of a diminished chord. You sometimes see diminished chords written as A diminished, A dim, A° or A°7. Officially the diminished chord has only 3 notes whilst the diminished 7th has four, however you're usually pretty safe playing a diminished 7th chord in all circumstances if you want to.

Diminished 7th chords have an interesting and really useful property: they're made up of four equal minor 3rd intervals (3 semitones). This means that every note in the chord is a potential root note. you can move this chord up 3 frets on the guitar and it will still be A diminished 7th. You can keep moving this chord up 3 frets a time and it will stay A diminished 7th.

A diminished 7th has these notes: A, C, Eb, Gb.

You can also take any of the chord notes to be the root note. So we can also call this chord:

A diminished 7th
C diminished 7th
Eb diminished 7th
Gb diminished 7th

Diminished 7th chords are chord vii in minor keys but are usually played as passing chords between one chord and another, for example:
Cmajor7 / C# diminished 7th / Dm7 / G7 /  Cmajor7

A diminished 7th can also be thought of as Ab7b9.

 Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day!

Dissonant Chord - number 3

Continuing our occassional series of dissonant chords, today we have another guitar chord that has 6 semitone steps.
As with our other very dissonant guitar chords, this will probably only be used occasionally or in special circumstances.

Today's dissonant guitar chord uses these notes:
F# G G# A A# B

Tune in tomorrow for another chord of the day! Don't forget you can use guitar chord of the day as a chord dictionary by clicking on the labels on the right.

B minor major7

We've featured a few different minor chords in previous posts, today's chord is a B minor major7. Minor major7 chords are an ordinary minor triad with an added major 7. They are normally played as chord I in minor keys.
This inversion in has its root note on the A string and is a variation of the standard Aminor barre chord guitar shape.
Minor major7 chords can be played in the place of some minor chords and can replace chord i in minor keys. Minor major7 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 7

B minor major7 uses the notes: B, D, F#, A#

Our inversion uses the notes in this order: B, F#, A#, D - with an optional F# on the top E string.

Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.

F major9#11

Following on from our previous major9 chord posts, today's guitar chord of the day is F major9#11. This chord is easy to transpose to other keys and has its root note on the A string.
The #11 in the F major9#11 chord gives this guitar chord a nice sound based on the lydian mode. It can replace chord IV in major keys and if you want to add harmonic interest replace chord I.

Major 9#11 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, #11

F Major 9#11 uses the notes: F, A, C, E, G, B

Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, A, E, G, B.

Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.