Hey Your Guitar Tutor students,
Today you will be learning about two of the chords that are used time and time again in popular songwriting and are not chords from the ‘Ten Chords To Beginner Guitar Mastery’. These two chords are the Csus2/ B and the Am7.
First lets learn the two chords before understanding where to use them.
Csus2/ B
Csus2/ B Chord
- Place your first finger on the 1st fret B string
- Place your second finger on the 2nd fret A string
- Ensure the D, G and high E strings are open so can ring clearly when picked/ strummed.
- Mute the Low E string with your third finger or alternatively (not shown in picture) with your thumb. Pick each string from the A string to high E string to make sure each note is fretted properly.
Am7
With just one finger difference when compared to the A minor chord that you have learnt in previous lessons, it should come very easily to you. What I want you to do though is not just be able to play it, but to get a feel for the sound of the chord so you can imagine when you would use it in your own songwriting. Understanding the sound will also make it easier for you to hear it in songs when you begin to try working songs out by ear, compare your A minor chord with the A minor 7 chord.
A minor 7 (Am7) Chord
- Place your first finger on the 1st fret B string
- Place your second finger finger on the 2nd fret D string
- Ensure the A, G and high E strings are open so they can ring clearly when picked or strummed.
- Mute the low E string with your thumb or alternatively (not shown in the picture) your third finger if you find this easier.
- Pick each note individually from the A string to high E to make sure each note is fretted properly.
C Major