# How to be more fluent with chord numbers



## mozilla2004 (Nov 1, 2020)

I recently learnt that people might reference triad chords in terms of numbers. For example, on G major scale, the following chord numbers are associated with the following notes:


```
1    GBD
2    ACE
3     BDF^
4    CEG
5    DF^A
6    EGB
7     F^AC
```

If someone said to me, "Play 1, 6, 2, 5, 7 on E minor scale", I would need to take out an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, type in each triad on each row and number them, then write a macro to shift(minus 3 semitone). Then I'd use this result from this Excel spreadsheet as reference to play the correct notes. If they asked me to play 5, 1, 6, 4 on C major I'd have to repeat a similar exercise.

Is there an easier way to achieve fluency with chord numbers and not have to rely on Microsoft Excel? I also want to avoid building an Android/iphone app that will use machine learning I to detect my voice commands and print me my cheat sheet. I tried counting my fingers, but I get lost if I don't write things down.


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Can't you just learn the notes in the scale - hence the chords?

C harmonized: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim

G
G Am Bm C D Em F#dim

D
D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim

etc?

If it is too much
learn 1 and 5 in each scale
then the rest is close by?


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

forget the notes....just play the chords any way can... use the root to call the chord by name

ie: " lets do a 1,4,5 blues in E"
so... E is the 1
A is the 4 
B is the 5


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Get to know the intervals on your fretboard. Getting to know where the roots for IV and V are relative to the root of the I is pretty easy. Then learn iii and vi followed by ii. viiº doesn't happen much in pop/rock, but it's root is just one fret below the tonic or I, so it's easy to find.


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## mozilla2004 (Nov 1, 2020)

Thanks everyone! Yes, it's working! 

Memorizing the root notes for 1 and 5 is easy, and it's also easy to remember that 1 and 5 are major chords, so I don't need to change my hand/finger shape on the fretboard.

Next easiest is 4, because that's just one note down from 5 and that's also a major chord hand shape!

Next easiest is 6, because that's just one note up from 5, and that's my first minor chord hand shape.

OK, i'll worry about the 2 and 3 later. Just need to develop fluency in 1, 5, 4 and 6 first!


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

mozilla2004 said:


> Thanks everyone! Yes, it's working!
> 
> Memorizing the root notes for 1 and 5 is easy, and it's also easy to remember that 1 and 5 are major chords, so I don't need to change my hand/finger shape on the fretboard.
> 
> ...


that is exactly what I was thinking to suggest you when I said learn 1 and 5.
GREAT

also 145 major
236 minor

just learn as others said position of 145 related to 1 and you will rock in no time


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## Analogman (Oct 3, 2012)




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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

Some basic theory:

1. The diatonic scale:

1-CMaj7, 2-Dmin7, 3-Emin7, 4-FMaj7, 5-G7, 6-Amin7, 7-Bdim, CMaj7

1 & 4 are Maj7
5 is a Dominant 7
2, 3 & 6 are min7
7 is diminished


2.The Circle of Fifths (aka the cycle of 4ths):

2a. accumulation of sharps
FCGDAE

If you pick a major key, like E, you add all the sharps up to the leading tone of the key.
fcgD that is 4 sharps.
E F# G# A B C# D# E

2b. accumulation of flats
BEADGC

If you pick a major key, like Db, you add all the flats up to the one past the root note of the key.
beaDG, that is 5 flats
Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

2c.
Look at those letters in the accumulation of sharps, FCGDAE, that’s almost all the notes in the key of C. The next note in that progression is B, FCGDAEB. If you started on F and added the fifth of F, then added the fifth of that note, and did it 7 times, you would get the key of C, huh, no shit.

2d.
Look at those letters in the accumulation of flats, BEADGC[F]. 7-3-6-2-5-1, that is the pattern for most chord progressions. Sometimes they will substitute a relative minor or relative major chord, so you get 6-4-5-1 instead of 6-2-5-1.

POINT A: If you can memorize those mirrored patterns, FCGDAE(B) and BEADGC(F) you will know the fifth and fourth of any note, and therefore the 5 and the 4 of any key.


4. The 2 is little known as the dominant of the dominant, or the dominant once removed, aka the 5th of the 5th. C-G-D.

5b. When you build chords like in the diatonic scale, you build them using the thirds. So if you know a C major chord is CEG, you know the major third of C is E. The major in the C major chord is the major third. The major chord intervals are Major third, minor third, so the G must be the minor third of E. The minor chord intervals are minor third, Major third, so in an A minor chord, C in the minor third of A and E is the Major third of C.


7. The guitar as a visual tool. 

Learn the position on the fretboard relative to your root note, so the 4th is on the string above, the 5th is on the string below OR two frets up on the string above. The 6th is the relative minor of the root [it is 3 notes below]. The 2nd is two frets above, the 3rd is 4 frets above [one fret below the 4th], the 7th is one fret below the root.

[And therefore you know the 4th is two frets below the 5th, the root is 3 frets above the 6th.]

You should know the relative position from any note in your scale to any other note, or relate it back to the root. 

You know if you are on the 5, the 6 is two frets up, the 4th is two frets down. the root is one string up, or one string and two frets down, and the 2 is the 5th of the 5th, so it’s one string down. Where‘s the 7? One fret below the root.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Chords have numbers?!?! 

I can't even remember their fucking names, much less numbers!


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## Tim Plains (Apr 14, 2009)

mozilla2004 said:


> If someone said to me, "Play 1, 6, 2, 5, 7 on E minor scale"


Try stuff like this by yourself with a pen a paper, random progressions in random keys, it should get easier the more you do it.


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