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Chapter 6 - Minor Chords and Arpeggios

guitar lesson 1
FORMULAS

The chart below shows a list of some popular minor chords and arpeggios. A chart for some popular dominant chords is found further on.

Sometimes it is impossible or undesirable, to play a chord or arpeggio using all the notes of the formula. The chart below shows, the most important degrees to use, in case this happens.

The chart also contains, the relative modes, in which the chord or arpeggio fits. A minor chord for example fits well over a minor mode such as the Dorian, Phrygian or Aeolian (2, 3, or 6).

In the chart, there are some formulas that contain a number that is higher than seven. The simplest way to understand this is to just continue counting past the seventh degree 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 instead of 1, 9 instead of 2, 10 instead of 3 and so on.

All the formulas are in comparison to the pure major scale (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

Name Formula Most important degrees Relative modes
Minor 1, b3, 5 1, b3 2, 3, 6
Diminished 1, b3, b5 1, b3, b5 7
Minor 6th 1, b3, 5, 6 1, b3, 6 2
Minor 6/9 1, b3, 5, 6, 9 1, b3, 6, 9 2
Minor 7th 1, b3, 5, b7 1, b3, b7 2, 3, 6
Minor 7 flat 5 1, b3, b5, b7 b3, b5, b7 7
Minor add 9 1, b3, 5, 9 1, b3, 9 2, 6
Minor 9th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9 b3, b7, 9 2, 6
Minor 11th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9, 11 b3, b7, 11 2, 6
Minor 13th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13 b3, b7, 13 2

The next few pages contain an illustrated example of these chords and arpeggios. The examples contain only a few possible ways to play these chords and arpeggios. Try to figure out some other ways to play them. There are also chords not listed in the chart above. Try to figure out a few on your own.

 

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