# What chords am I playing?



## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Is there a website that can tell you the name of the chord based on the fingering? Sometimes I come across something that I like and I want to incorporate the shape into a song but I don't know how to name the chord.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2019)

1SweetRide said:


> website that can tell you the name of the chord


Name That Chord - Online Guitar Chord Finder & Guitar Chord Identifier


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Interesting. So, if I'm playing the open D chord shape at the 9th fret, that's an A according to the site. How do I note this in a song sheet for the band that this is an arpeggiated A at the 9th fret?


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## Bullet (Jan 24, 2019)

laristotle said:


> Name That Chord - Online Guitar Chord Finder & Guitar Chord Identifier


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2019)

1SweetRide said:


> How do I note this in a song sheet for the band that this is an arpeggiated A at the 9th fret?


A(9th fret)?


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

@laristotle mind blown!


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

1SweetRide said:


> Interesting. So, if I'm playing the open D chord shape at the 9th fret, that's an A according to the site. How do I note this in a song sheet for the band that this is an arpeggiated A at the 9th fret?


Lines and dots, I guess.

Free Chord Chart 2 | Elmore Music


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2019)

KapnKrunch said:


> Lines and dots, I guess.
> 
> Free Chord Chart 2 | Elmore Music


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

I


KapnKrunch said:


> Lines and dots, I guess.
> 
> Free Chord Chart 2 | Elmore Music


I've tons of those. Just not sure how to notate the lyrics. We're not into tabs or musical notation. I just create the song sheets with the lyrics and I superimpose the chords over the top. Only the lead guy needs to worry about individual notes. We all play by ear and sometime put on the original song in the background to help us when we get stuck.


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## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Just remember that all 'campfire', or open chords are moveable. Check out the rudiments of the CAGED system, and you will see how to name those chords immediately.

Learn the shapes, then learn the tonics of the shape. Then learn the scale associated with the shape. If you are a book person, check out
https://www.amazon.com/Scales-Over-Chords-Book-CD/dp/1884848052

or something similar. For notation, they have roots on different strings, usually... so I would call that A a root 4 A Major. Jus tlike its D parent, the root is on the 4th (D) string. And, for giggles, if you write out the individual notes you are playing, you will see its a A triad, A C# E.

Good luck, this is the bridge to amazing lead guitar.

C


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

1SweetRide said:


> Interesting. So, if I'm playing the open D chord shape at the 9th fret, that's an A according to the site. How do I note this in a song sheet for the band that this is an arpeggiated A at the 9th fret?


I've used this web site to generate a pic of the chord, then I paste it into our song sheet: http://chordgenerator.net


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

DaddyDog said:


> I've used this web site to generate a pic of the chord, then I paste it into our song sheet: http://chordgenerator.net


Cool, thanks


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

1SweetRide said:


> Interesting. So, if I'm playing the open D chord shape at the 9th fret, that's an A according to the site. How do I note this in a song sheet for the band that this is an arpeggiated A at the 9th fret?


I’ve used some software where you can draw a chord disagram pretty easily.

I’m not aware of any standard system to note that.

I think in the old magazines there would be a bunch of chord diagrams at the start of the song and they would use I or II if there were multiple fingerings. A7 (I) ... A7 (II). Or maybe D (9th fret)

http://s3.amazonaws.com/halleonard-pagepreviews/HL_DDS_0000000000207603.png

I would be aware that any group of notes could be one of several different chords, so the better your knowledge of what is happening in the song, the better your understanding of music theory, the more likely you are to correctly identify the chord.

I would try this, substitute a regular A chord for the A on the 9th fret. Does it sound like the same chord?

That part of theory, building chords, knowing what chords are in a key, knowing what chords are likely to be played next, etc... doesn’t take too long to learn and is invaluable when communicating or transcribing. Read about the diatonic scale, common key changes and chord construction.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Hammerhands said:


> I’ve used some software where you can draw a chord disagram pretty easily.
> 
> I’m not aware of any standard system to note that.
> 
> ...


Good advice. And no, the chords don't sound the same at all.


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## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Hammerhands said:


> I would be aware that any group of notes could be one of several different chords, so the better your knowledge of what is happening in the song, the better your understanding of music theory, the more likely you are to correctly identify the chord.
> 
> That part of theory, *building chords, knowing what chords are in a key*, knowing what chords are likely to be played next, etc... doesn’t take too long to learn and is invaluable when communicating or transcribing. Read about the diatonic scale, common key changes and chord construction.


^^^This. Its the only way to be able to communicate with other musicians. Key and Progression.

C


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## reckless toboggan (Mar 9, 2019)

laristotle said:


>


Brilliant.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

laristotle said:


> A(9th fret)?


D shape (9th fret)


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

e 9 - C#
b 10 - A
g 9 - E
D 0 - D
A x
E x

Is this what you are playing?


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

One easier and definitive way to figure out how to name a chord is to decide what the root note is.

Try adding a note on the 5th or 6th string. You probably have something in your head for the bass to play. Sometimes they say the chord gravitates to the root note. So, perhaps you find a low E sounds right with the chord, then you relate all the notes to the E root, D is the 7th of E, A is the 11th of E. Or maybe the open D sounds right, E is the 9th, A is the 11th.

Most often, a chord is in the same key as the chord before and after it.

The chords in C:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim.
(Sometimes that Em gets played as E instead)
or
CMaj, Dm, Em, FMaj, G7, Am, Bdim

The chords in D.
DMaj, Em, F#m, GMaj, A7, Bm, C#dim.

Sometimes you name a chord based on the shape, like A/G, meaning an A chord with a G on the bass, but that G may or may not be the root note you want to call the chord. If the G is part of a walking bass line, or the bass player is playing an A note under that, then it could be an A chord, but if that G on the bass doesn’t move, and the chord sounds more like a G chord than an A chord (maybe you are actually muting the A string), the chord could be a ?G13b5? The key probably doesn’t have both an A and G major chord.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

And simple is better.


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