Week 2: Chord Vocabulary

your style

DAY 1

7th Chords, Adding the 4th Note

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Day 01

7th Chords, Adding the 4th Note

One extra note transforms the emotional quality

A 7th chord adds one more note on top of the basic triad – the 7th degree of the chord's own scale. That single addition transforms the emotional quality dramatically, moving from simple statements to complex feelings.

Theory How 7th Chords Are Built

Three types of 7th chords you need to know:

Chord Type	Formula	Sound	Example
Major 7th (maj7)	1–3–5–7	Dreamy, sophisticated, floating	Gmaj7
Minor 7th (min7)	1–♭3–5–♭7	Smooth, mellow, introspective	Am7
Dominant 7th (dom7)	1–3–5–♭7	Tense, bluesy, wants to resolve	D7

The dominant 7th contains the tritone – the most tense interval in music. This is why D7 pulls so strongly toward G major. The F# (major 3rd of D7) and C (minor 7th of D7) are a tritone apart, and they resolve by moving in opposite directions to G and B.

The Tritone Resolution

In D7: F# wants to move up to G. C wants to move down to B. These two movements – one up, one down – create the strongest possible resolution in tonal music. This is why V7→I feels inevitable. The tritone resolves itself.

Guitar Guitar Application: 7th Chord Voicings

Learn these open-position voicings. For each chord, play the triad first, then add the 7th – hear how one note changes the entire emotional character.

How each chord is built – scale → formula → shape:

Gmaj7

G major scale on the high e string

Fret	3	5	7	8	10	12	14	15
e String	G	A	B	C	D	E	F#	G
Degree	1	·	3	·	5	·	7	·

Step 2 – select degrees 1, 3, 5, 7 → these are your chord tones

1 = root (G) 3 = major 3rd (B) 5 = perfect 5th (D) 7 = major 7th (F#)

Step 3 – chord diagram

GBDGBF#

135137

GF#BDG

17351

GDF#BD

15735

The maj7 (F#) is what separates this from a plain G chord. It sits a half-step below the octave – tense but floating, never harsh.

Am7

A natural minor scale on the A string

Fret	0	2	3	5	7	8	10	12
A String	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	A
Degree	1	·	♭3	·	5	·	♭7	·

Step 2 – the two flats: ♭3 lowers B→C, ♭7 lowers F#→G

1 = root (A) ♭3 = minor 3rd (C) – this is what makes it minor 5 = perfect 5th (E) ♭7 = minor 7th (G)

Step 3 – chord diagram

AEGCE

15♭7♭35

AEGCEA

15♭7♭351

ACEGC

1♭35♭7♭3

The ♭3 (C, B string fret 1) is the only fretted note – everything else is open. That single finger is what flips major to minor.

D major scale on the D string (♭7 = C natural, not C#)

Fret	0	2	4	5	7	9	10	12
D String	D	E	F#	G	A	B	C	D
Degree	1	·	3	·	5	·	♭7	·

Step 2 – the ♭7 is the key: C natural (not C#) creates the tritone tension

1 = root (D) 3 = major 3rd (F#) 5 = perfect 5th (A) ♭7 = minor 7th (C) – lowered from C#

Step 3 – chord diagram

DACF#

15♭73

DACF#A

15♭735

DACF#AD

15♭7351

The tritone lives between F# (e string) and C (B string) – that's 6 half steps, the most tense interval in music. Play F# and C together and you'll hear why D7 demands to resolve to G.

Ear Training Exercise 6 Hearing Chord Quality

Play G major, then Gmaj7. The single added note (F#) changes the chord from a simple statement to something floating and unresolved. Now play Am, then Am7. The added G softens the minor quality – Am7 is sadder but less harsh than Am. Finally play D, then D7. Hear how the C note creates immediate tension and forward momentum.

🎵 In the Wild

"Right Side of My Neck"

Faye Webster

Faye Webster's entire sound is built on maj7 voicings – she almost never uses plain major triads. In "Right Side of My Neck," two maj7 chords oscillate back and forth, creating a soft, hazy warmth that a plain I–V would never achieve. Listen for the major 7th interval (the note a half-step below the octave) shimmering above every chord.

Gb maj7	—	Db maj7	—	Gb maj7	—	Db maj7
I maj7		V maj7		I maj7		V maj7

🎯 Practice Exercise – Build It, Play It, Hear It

You've just learned how 7th chords are constructed and where to find them on the neck. This exercise locks that in by connecting the theory to your fingers and your ears simultaneously.

1Play Gmaj7 open position. Name each note out loud: G, B, D, F#. Now say the degree: root, 3rd, 5th, 7th.

2Play Am7. Name the notes: A, C, E, G. Notice the flat 3rd (C) and flat 7th (G) — that's what makes it minor 7.

3Play D7. Name the notes: D, F#, A, C. The natural 3rd (F#) but flat 7th (C) — that tension is the dominant quality.

4Switch slowly between Gmaj7 → Am7 → D7. As you land on each chord, say its quality: "major 7… minor 7… dominant 7."

5Finally: play the three chords in any order without looking at the names. Can you identify which quality you're hearing by ear alone?

TIPThe goal isn't speed — it's awareness. Every time you name a chord quality out loud while playing it, you're building the connection between the sound and the theory. After a week of this, you'll start hearing chord qualities in songs automatically.

🎯 Exercise 1b – The Seventh Alone

Isolate just the 7th interval on each chord type. Play the root, then find the 7th on the same string and play it alone. The major 7th floats above Gmaj7. The minor 7th softens Am7. The flat 7th pulls in D7. Three intervals, three emotional signatures — one note each.

The interval is the feelingMost players hear 7th chords as a shape. This exercise forces you to hear them as an interval — the specific tension between root and 7th. Once you can hear the 7th in isolation, you'll start hearing it inside full chords automatically. That's the difference between knowing a chord and understanding it.

1Play Gmaj7 open position. Now find the 7th alone: F# on the high e string, fret 2. Play G (open string 3), pause, then play F#. Hear the major 7th — floating, unresolved, warm.

2Play Am7. Find the 7th: G on string 3, open. Play A (open string 5), pause, then G. The minor 7th is gentler than the major 7th — mellow rather than floating.

3Play D7. Find the 7th: C on string 2, fret 1. Play D (open string 4), pause, then C. Hear the flat 7th — the note that creates the dominant tension, pulling toward resolution.

4Now play root → 7th for all three chords in sequence. Say the quality out loud as you play each 7th: "major… minor… dominant." The 7th alone tells you the chord quality.

5Final test: play the 7th interval on one of the three chords without naming it. Can you identify the quality from the interval alone? That's ear training working.

TIPThe flat 7th in D7 (C natural) is the note that creates the tritone with F# — the most dissonant interval in Western music. That's why D7 pulls so hard toward G. The quality of the 7th interval isn't arbitrary; it's structurally designed to create or release tension.

🎯 Exercise 1c – Colour Swap

Play G, Am, and D as plain triads. Then replay the same three chords as 7th chords — Gmaj7, Am7, D7. Hear what the added note changes. Same roots, same progression, completely different emotional weight.

Addition by subtractionThe clearest way to hear what the 7th adds is to take it away. Playing the triad first and the 7th chord second forces your ear to isolate exactly what that one extra note contributes. The difference is immediate and unmistakeable — and once you've heard it deliberately, you can't unhear it in songs.

1Play G major triad (open position). Let it ring for four beats. Notice its character: bright, stable, decisive.

2Play Gmaj7. Same root, one extra note (F#). Hear what changes: the brightness softens, the chord floats slightly. The stability is still there but now it's open-ended.

3Play Am triad. Let it ring. Notice: darker than G, but direct and settled in its minor quality.

4Play Am7. Same root, added G. The minor quality softens — Am7 is sadder than Am but less sharp. It breathes where Am closes.

5Play D triad, then D7. The added C (flat 7th) creates immediate forward tension in D7 that the triad doesn't have. Hear how D7 wants to resolve to G? That's the dominant function.

TIPG → Am7 → D7 → G is one of the most satisfying loops in Western music precisely because of this colour arc: open (maj7) → mellow (min7) → tense (dom7) → resolved (major). Once you hear that arc deliberately, you'll start writing it into your own playing without thinking.

🎯 Exercise 1d – Slow Chord Drone

Hold each 7th chord for 8 full beats and hum the 7th note above it while it rings. Gmaj7: hum F#. Am7: hum G. D7: hum C. The 7th as a sustained melody note reveals the chord quality more clearly than any explanation.

Singing and playing together is the fastest ear trainingWhen you hum a note over a chord, your voice and the chord interact in real time. You immediately feel whether the interval is tense or relaxed, because your own body is producing one side of it. This is how musicians internalise chord quality — not by memorising descriptions but by physically inhabiting the sound.

1Play Gmaj7 open position. Let it ring. Find F# with your voice — it's one semitone below the octave G. Hum it softly and sustain for 4 beats. Feel the floating quality of the major 7th.

2Play Am7. Find G with your voice (same pitch as open G string — match it). Hum over the chord. Notice how the minor 7th sits more comfortably against the minor chord than F# did against Gmaj7 — less tension, more colour.

3Play D7. Find C with your voice. Hum it over the chord. The flat 7th creates a subtle pull — even hummed softly, you can feel the note wanting to move somewhere. That restlessness is the dominant quality.

4Move through all three without stopping: Gmaj7 (hum F#) → Am7 (hum G) → D7 (hum C). Keep humming throughout, following the 7th of each chord. You're playing the chord and singing the most characteristic note simultaneously.

5Variation: hum the root instead of the 7th. Now the 7th is the one doing the "work" underneath your voice. Hear how the chord colour changes depending on which note you focus your attention on.

TIPIf you can't find the pitch with your voice, play the 7th note first on the guitar, match it vocally, then keep humming while you strum the full chord. The goal isn't perfect pitch — it's the experience of holding one note against a chord and feeling the interval quality.

🎯 Exercise 1e – 7ths in a Progression

Play a I–vi–ii–V progression using 7th voicings throughout: Gmaj7 → Em7 → Am7 → D7. Loop it slowly. As you land on each chord, name its quality out loud. One loop, four qualities, the most common chord sequence in Western music.

Context makes theory realPlaying chord qualities in isolation is theory. Playing them in a progression is music. The I–vi–ii–V sequence is behind hundreds of songs and contains all four 7th chord qualities you've learned. Hearing them flow into each other — and naming each one as you arrive — builds the connection between sound and knowledge faster than any isolated drilling.

1Play Gmaj7. Say "major 7" out loud as you land on it. Let it ring for two beats.

2Play Em7 (open: 022030). Say "minor 7." Hear how it flows naturally from Gmaj7 — the chord barely seems to move because they share three notes.

3Play Am7 (open: x02010). Say "minor 7." Notice the difference from Em7: same quality, different emotional weight. Am7 pulls forward; Em7 rests.

4Play D7. Say "dominant 7." Feel the tension. Let it ring — then resolve back to Gmaj7. That resolution is the most fundamental movement in tonal music.

5Loop the whole progression without stopping: Gmaj7 → Em7 → Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7. Two beats per chord. Say the quality quietly each time you land. After five loops, stop naming and just listen. You'll start recognising the qualities without thinking.

TIPThis progression (I–vi–ii–V) underlies thousands of songs including "Fly Me to the Moon," "Autumn Leaves," "Can't Help Falling in Love," and countless others. Learning to hear chord quality in this context means you'll start recognising the progression — and the qualities — in songs you already know.

Day 1 Recap

Three essential 7th chords: maj7 (dreamy), min7 (mellow), dom7 (tense/bluesy)
Dominant 7th contains the tritone – F# and C in D7 – which resolves to G and B
The tritone resolution is why V7→I feels the most inevitable progression in music
Adding the 7th changes emotional quality dramatically – one note, completely different feel
Memorize the voicings before moving on – they appear in every subsequent week

DAY 2

Sus & Add9 Chords, Tension, Color & Space

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Day 02

Sus & Add9, Tension, Color & Space

Beyond major and minor, adding texture

Suspended chords remove the 3rd – the note that defines major or minor quality – leaving the chord harmonically ambiguous and floating. Add9 chords keep the 3rd but add an extra colour note above. Both create textures that open chords and 7th chords can't.

Theory Sus Chords Explained

Sus chords replace the 3rd with either the 2nd or 4th:

Sus2: 1–2–5 (remove 3rd, add 2nd) – open, airy, floating
Sus4: 1–4–5 (remove 3rd, add 4th) – tense, yearning, wants to resolve

The resolution of sus4 → major is one of the most satisfying movements in guitar: the 4th (suspended note) drops one step to the 3rd (resolved chord). Dsus4 → D is the classic example – used in thousands of songs.

Add9 vs Sus2: Both contain the 9th (same as 2nd, one octave up), but:

Sus2: removes the 3rd (ambiguous – neither major nor minor)
Add9: keeps the 3rd (complete chord + colour note)

Guitar Guitar Application: Sus Voicings

The sus4→major resolution is a fundamental movement. Learn Dsus4→D and Asus4→A – practise the resolution until it feels automatic.

How sus chords are built – scale → formula → shape:

Dsus4 formula: 1 – 4 – 5 → D – G – A (3rd removed, 4th added)

D major scale on the D string – 3rd (F#) replaced by 4th (G)

Fret	0	2	5	7	9	12
D String	D	E	G	A	B	D
Degree	1	·	4	5	·	·

Step 2 – no 3rd means no major/minor identity – the chord is suspended, unresolved

1 = root (D) 4 = sus note (G) – yearns to fall to F# 5 = perfect 5th (A)

Step 3 – chord diagram

DADG

1514

GDGA

4145

DDGA

1145

The sus4 → major resolution (Dsus4 → D) is just one finger moving: e string from fret 3 down to fret 2. The G (4th) drops to F# (3rd) and the tension releases.

Dsus2 formula: 1 – 2 – 5 → D – E – A (3rd removed, 2nd added)

D major scale on the D string – 3rd (F#) replaced by 2nd (E)

Fret	0	2	7	9	12
D String	D	E	A	B	D
Degree	1	2	5	·	·

Step 2 – the 2nd sits below the 3rd (rather than above like the 4th) – airy and open

1 = root (D) 2 = sus note (E) – open, floats above the root 5 = perfect 5th (A)

Step 3 – chord diagram

DADE

1512

AEADEA

525125

DADAE

15152

Dsus2 vs Dsus4: same idea, opposite direction. Sus4 (G) sits above the 3rd and pulls down. Sus2 (E) sits below the 3rd and floats up. Sus2 sounds more resolved – it's often used as a colour rather than a tension device.

Asus4 formula: 1 – 4 – 5 → A – D – E (3rd removed, 4th added)

A major scale on the A string – 3rd (C#) replaced by 4th (D)

Fret	0	2	5	7	9	12
A String	A	B	D	E	F#	A
Degree	1	·	4	5	·	·

Step 2 – same suspended principle as Dsus4, one string up

1 = root (A) 4 = sus note (D) – resolves down to C# in A major 5 = perfect 5th (E)

Step 3 – chord diagram

AEADE

15145

DADEA

15145

DAEAE

41515

Sus4 → Major Resolution

This resolution is one of the most recognisable sounds in rock and pop guitar — you hear it constantly once you know what to listen for.

"Free Fallin'" – Tom Petty (Dsus4 → D and Asus4 → A — drives the entire song)
"Sweet Child O' Mine" – Guns N' Roses (Dsus4 → D and Asus4 → A — the arpeggiated intro riff)
"Street Spirit (Fade Out)" – Radiohead (Asus4 → Am — the repeating arpeggio pattern throughout)

One finger moves. Everything else stays put.

G (4th) → F# (3rd) — e string

D (4th) → C# (3rd) — B string

Ear Training Exercise 7 Add9 Chords & Ear Training

Gadd9 is one of the most beautiful chords on guitar. Play G major, then Gadd9 (add your 4th finger to fret 5 on the B string or use the open voicing). The added A note (the 9th) opens the chord up – it sounds like the chord is breathing. Compare with Gsus2 (same notes, but the B note is missing). Hear the difference between add9 (complete + colour) and sus2 (ambiguous).

Gadd9 formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – 9 → G – B – D – A (3rd kept, 9th added)

G major scale on the high e string – 9th (A) is the colour note

Fret	3	5	7	10	12	14	15
e String	G	A	B	D	E	F#	G
Degree	1	9	3	5	·	·	·

Step 2 – add9 keeps the 3rd (B). This is the crucial difference from sus2, which removes it

1 = root (G) 3 = major 3rd (B) – kept, defines major quality 5 = perfect 5th (D) 9 = added 9th (A) – same note as 2nd, one octave up

Step 3 – chord diagram

GBDABG

135931

GBDA

1359

DBGDA

53159

Gadd9 vs Gsus2: both contain G, A, B, D – but Gadd9 names the B as the 3rd (the chord is clearly major), while Gsus2 treats the same notes as 1–2–5 (ambiguous, no 3rd). Same notes, different harmonic meaning.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Suspend and Release

Sus chords only make sense in motion. This exercise is about feeling the tension and release — the moment the suspended note resolves to the 3rd is one of the most satisfying sounds in guitar.

1Play Dsus4, let it ring for two beats, then resolve to D. Focus on the single finger movement on the e string (fret 3 → fret 2). Do this 10 times slowly.

2Same with Asus4 → A. The B string drops from fret 3 to fret 2. Feel the identical resolution in a different position.

3Now try the Dsus2 → D movement. The open e string (E = 2nd) moves up to fret 2 (F# = 3rd). Notice how sus2 feels more settled than sus4 before it resolves.

4Play this progression: G → Dsus4 → D → Em. The sus4 delays the D just long enough to create momentum into Em. Repeat until the transition feels natural.

5Play Gadd9 and compare it back-to-back with plain G. Lift the G string finger to remove the 9th. Hear the difference: Gadd9 breathes, G is closed.

TIPThe sus4 → major resolution is one of those moves that sounds sophisticated but costs almost nothing — just one finger shifting one fret. Once you internalise this feeling, you'll start inserting it naturally into your own playing without thinking about it.

🎯 Exercise 2b – Sus Through a Progression

Insert a sus4 before every major chord in a G–C–D progression: Gsus4→G, Csus4→C, Dsus4→D. Play it as a loop. Hear how the sus creates anticipation before each major landing — the same technique used in hundreds of rock and pop songs.

Suspension as momentumA sus4 doesn't just add colour — it creates forward pull. Every Xsus4→X resolution is a tiny drama: tension, then release. Inserting it before every major chord in a progression turns a static loop into a sequence of small arrivals. The sus is the gesture that makes the chord feel earned.

1Play Gsus4 (open: 3x0013). Hold for one beat. Resolve to G. Feel the 4th (C) drop to the 3rd (B). Repeat five times until the movement feels automatic.

2Same gesture with Csus4 → C. The suspended note (F) is on the G string fret 3, resolving to E (fret 2). Different position, identical resolution feeling.

3Same with Dsus4 → D — you know this one from the static exercise. The whole sequence is now three identical gestures in three positions.

4Play the full progression as a loop: Gsus4→G · Csus4→C · Dsus4→D · back to Gsus4. Two beats of suspension, two beats of resolution per chord. Keep looping until it feels musical rather than mechanical.

5Vary the timing: try holding the sus4 for three beats and resolving on beat 4. Then try one beat of sus and three of resolution. The timing of the resolution changes the emotional effect completely.

TIPThe sus4→major resolution is behind many iconic guitar moments: The Who's "Pinball Wizard" opens on Bsus4→B. Cat Stevens' "Wild World" uses Gsus4→G throughout. Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" inserts sus2 suspensions throughout the verse. Once you have this gesture in your fingers, you'll start adding it naturally.

🎯 Exercise 2c – Three Shades of G

Compare plain G, Gadd9, and Gsus2 — held for four beats each. Hear the emotional difference between three chords built on the same root: G is closed and decisive, Gadd9 is warm and open, Gsus2 is ambiguous and floating.

Colour before functionBefore you can use chord colours intentionally, you need to hear them clearly. Most players learn chords as shapes and never stop to really listen to what each one does emotionally. This exercise is purely about listening — comparing three versions of G against each other so the difference becomes unmistakeable.

1Play G major (open: 320003). Hold for four beats and just listen. Notice its character: bright, stable, complete. Nothing is unresolved.

2Play Gadd9 (add third finger to A string fret 2: 320033). Hold for four beats. The 9th (A) adds a warmth and openness that plain G doesn't have. The chord breathes slightly — it's more interesting, less final.

3Play Gsus2 (remove 3rd, add 2nd: 300033 or x00033). Hold for four beats. No 3rd means no major or minor quality — the chord floats between the two. It's the most ambiguous of the three.

4Play the three back-to-back without pause: G → Gadd9 → Gsus2 → G. Try to hear the progression from closed to open to floating to closed again. That arc is the exercise — feeling the colours shift.

5Use them in a progression: play G → Gadd9 → Em → Csus2. All the same I–vi–IV motion but with added colour. Notice how the add9 and sus2 colours make the simple progression feel more considered.

TIPThe difference between Gadd9 and Gsus2 is a single note: Gadd9 has both B (3rd) and A (9th), while Gsus2 replaces the B with A. That one note determines whether the chord has a defined major quality (Gadd9) or floats unresolved (Gsus2). The same principle applies in every key.

🎯 Exercise 2d – Melody Over a Suspended Chord

Hold Dsus4 and play a short 3-note melody fragment over the top. Then resolve to D and play the same melody again. Hear how the suspended chord underneath changes the emotional quality of the same notes — the landing feels completely different.

Harmony is the context for melodyThe notes in a melody don't have fixed emotional meaning — they get their feeling from the chord underneath. The same three notes over Dsus4 sound unresolved and searching; over D major they sound arrived. This exercise makes that principle audible by keeping the melody constant and changing only the harmony.

1Strum Dsus4 and let it ring. Play three notes on the high e string: frets 5 → 3 → 2 (A→G→F#). Don't resolve the chord. Hear how the melody floats — the F# landing doesn't feel final because the chord is still suspended.

2Now resolve the chord to D and play the same three notes again: 5 → 3 → 2. The F# landing now feels completely resolved — because the chord moved underneath it. Same melody, different harmonic context.

3Try a different melody fragment over Dsus4 — any 3 notes. Then resolve to D and play the same fragment. The effect is the same: the resolution of the chord creates the resolution of the melody.

4Play Dsus4 for two full beats while improvising slowly. Then resolve to D on beat 3. Notice how the resolve arrives as a relief — the melody and harmony landing together.

5Reverse it: start on D, play a melody, then move to Dsus4. Hear how the sus chord re-opens something that felt resolved. This is sus used as departure rather than arrival — a different effect, equally useful.

TIPMany guitar players only use sus chords as part of a resolution (suspend then release). Using them the other way — moving FROM resolved TO suspended — creates a sense of question or departure. Both directions are valid and both are everywhere in recorded music.

🎯 Exercise 2e – Write a Sus Moment

Take any two-chord sequence you know — G–Em, C–G, Am–F, anything — and insert a sus4 as a passing chord between them. Experiment with how long to hold the suspension before resolving. Even one beat of sus creates movement.

Application beats repetitionThe fastest way to internalise a new technique is to use it in something you're already playing. You already know chord sequences. Adding a sus4 passing chord to an existing sequence doesn't require learning anything new — just one extra gesture between chords you already know. That's the quickest path from "understanding a concept" to "using it without thinking."

1Pick any two-chord sequence you know by heart. Play it as normal four or five times to settle into it.

2Choose the first chord. On the next repetition, play its sus4 version for one beat before resolving to the chord itself. For G: Gsus4 (one beat) → G (rest of bar). For D: Dsus4 → D. For A: Asus4 → A.

3Try the sus on the second chord instead. If your sequence is G–Em, insert the sus before Em: G → Esus4 → Em. Notice how the sus delays the minor chord's arrival, giving it more weight when it lands.

4Experiment with timing: hold the sus for half a beat (passing quickly), one full beat, or two beats. Each duration creates a different amount of tension. A half-beat sus is barely noticeable; two beats is a deliberate gesture.

5Record yourself playing the sequence without and then with the sus moments. Listen back. Which version sounds more intentional? The sus version almost always has more forward momentum — even when you can barely hear the suspension consciously.

TIPYou don't need to insert a sus before every chord — one suspension in a four-bar phrase is enough to create the feeling of movement. Over-use flattens the effect. The goal is one deliberate suspension in the right place, not suspension everywhere.

Day 2 Recap

Sus2 = 1–2–5 (no 3rd – open, airy, ambiguous); Sus4 = 1–4–5 (no 3rd – tense, yearning)
Sus4→major resolution: the 4th drops one step to the 3rd – one of the most satisfying movements
Add9 = complete chord + the 9th colour note (3rd is present, unlike sus2)
Gadd9 is one of the most useful and beautiful open-position chord colours on guitar
These chords are most powerful in motion – sus resolving, add9 contrasting with plain major

DAY 3

The CAGED System, One Chord, Five Positions

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Day 03

The CAGED System, Five Positions

One chord shape unlocks the full fretboard

Every chord shape you already know is a window into the same chord repeated across the whole neck. CAGED is the system that connects those windows — once you see it, the fretboard stops being a confusing grid of dots and becomes a coherent map.

Theory What CAGED Actually Is

The name comes from the five open chord shapes every guitarist learns first: C, A, G, E, D. Here's the key insight — those same shapes tile the entire fretboard in that exact order, repeating with no gaps. Each shape connects to the next, ascending from nut to body.

When you play the open C chord and then move to an A-shape barre at fret 3, you're playing the same chord — just in a different position with a different fingering. The shape name tells you how your fingers are arranged, not what chord you're playing.

Why C major is the best chord to learn this on

C major starts on the C shape — which just so happens to be the open C chord you already know. Follow the word C → A → G → E → D up the neck and you've mapped the entire fretboard. At fret 12 the pattern resets and starts again.

Guitar C Major — All Five Shapes

The five shapes below spell out C A G E D as you move up the neck. You don't need to play all of these cleanly right now — focus on recognising the shape and finding the root note (amber). Green = 3rd, blue = 5th.

C Shape

CEGCE

13513

root: A string fr.3

A Shape

CGCEG

15135

root: A string fr.3

G Shape

CEGCEC

135131

root: low E fr.8 / e fr.8

E Shape

CGCEGC

151351

root: low E fr.8

D Shape

CGCE

1513

root: D string fr.10

The G, E, and D shapes are the hardest

The G shape barre and D shape at fret 10 are genuinely difficult voicings — many intermediate players simplify or avoid them for years. That's completely fine. The value here is knowing they exist and where the root sits, even if you only play part of the shape.

Guitar How the Shapes Interlock

The shapes don't just sit side by side — they overlap. The top strings of one shape share the same fret positions as the bottom strings of the next. That's what makes it a system rather than five separate fingerings.

The full chain for C major:

  C (open)
  →
  A (fr.3)
  →
  G (fr.5)
  →
  E (fr.8)
  →
  D (fr.10)
  →
  C (fr.12 — resets)

The practical payoff: this sequence is identical for every major chord. Learn where the C shape is, and you automatically know where all five shapes are — because they always appear in the same order, the same distance apart. Move the whole system up two frets and you have D major. Up three frets from there and you have F major.

C Major — CAGED shapes interlocking · frets 0–12


	C				A			G				E			D
e	E	·	·	G		·	·		·	·	C		·	·		·	E
B	·	C	·	·		·	E		·	·	G		·	·		·	·
G	G	·	·	·		·	C		·	·	·		E	·		·	G
D	·	·	E	·		·	G		·	·	·		·	C		·	·
A	·	·	·	C		·	·		·	E	·		·	G		·	·
E	·	·	·	·		·	·		·	·	C		·	·		·	·
	0□	1	2	3●		4	5●		6	7●	8		9●	10		11	12●

CAGEDCrootEchord toneOverlay:

Ear Training Exercise 8 Tone Colour Up the Neck

Play C major in the open C shape, then work up through A, G, E, D shapes. Don't worry about clean barre shapes — strum whatever strings you can reach. Listen for the tonal shift: lower positions sound warmer and rounder; higher positions sound brighter and more focused. This isn't a quality difference — it's a colour choice you have every time you play a chord.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Read the Word Up the Neck

You don't need to play all five shapes cleanly. The goal is to be able to locate each shape, name it, and find its root note. Spend five minutes on this and you'll have a working mental map of the whole neck.

1Play the open C shape. Find the root — A string fret 3. Say "C shape, root on A string" out loud.

2Move to the A shape barre at fret 3. Root is still on A string fret 3. If the full barre is hard, just play the top 4 strings. Say "A shape, root on A string."

3Move to the G shape around fret 5. Root is on low E fret 8 and high e fret 8. Say "G shape, root on E strings."

4Move to the E shape barre at fret 8. Root on low E fret 8. Say "E shape, root on low E." Notice how close this sits to the G shape.

5Move to the D shape at fret 10. Root on D string fret 10. Play just the top 4 strings. Say "D shape, root on D string." At fret 12 you're back to C shape — same pattern, one octave up.

TIPThis system works for every major chord — not just C. Move the whole sequence up two frets and it becomes D major. The shapes, the order, and the distances between them never change. Once you know CAGED in one key, you know it in all twelve.

🎯 Exercise 3b – One Root, Five Voices

Play all 5 CAGED shapes in sequence for G major, starting with the C shape at fret 3 and working up to the D shape at fret 12. After each shape, pluck just the root note to confirm you're still on G. One chord, five completely different sounds.

The same chord is not the same chordEach CAGED shape is a different arrangement of the same three notes — G, B, D — across different strings and registers. Playing all five reveals something important: a G chord at the 3rd fret sounds completely different from a G chord at the 12th fret. Understanding this is what separates players who think in one position from players who hear the whole neck.

1Play the C shape at fret 3 (x32010 moved up: root on A string fret 3). Pluck just the A string fret 3 — that's G. Say "G, C shape" out loud.

2Slide up to the A shape barre at fret 5. Root is still on A string fret 5 — wait, that's A. So A shape G is at fret 10. Skip to step 3 and come back. (The C→A transition jumps the G shape first.)

3Play the G shape at fret 7. Root is on low E string fret 7 (B) — wait, E string fret 3 is G, so G shape roots at fret 3 on low E and fret 7 for the next position. Pluck the root. Say "G, G shape."

4Play the E shape barre at fret 3 (barre all strings at 3, same as open E moved up). Root on low E string fret 3. That's G. Say "G, E shape."

5Play the D shape at fret 7. Root on B string fret 8 or D string fret 5. Pluck it. Say "G, D shape." At fret 12 you're back to C shape one octave up — the cycle completes.

TIPThe order C–A–G–E–D going up the neck is not arbitrary — each shape's root connects to the next shape's open-string equivalent. C shape root is on the A string; A shape uses the A-string root position; and so on. That's why the acronym is the order.

🎯 Exercise 3c – Name Before You Play

Before touching the guitar, call out the 5 CAGED shape names and their approximate fret positions for G major. Then verify each one by playing it. This forces the mental map — not just the physical shapes.

Knowledge vs. muscle memoryMost players learn CAGED as muscle memory — their hands go to the right places but their mind doesn't know why. This exercise builds the mental layer: knowing which shape you're in, what fret the root is on, and what string it sits on. That mental map is what lets you navigate the neck intentionally rather than accidentally.

1Without touching the guitar, say out loud: "C shape — root on A string around fret 3." Then play it and verify. Does the shape match what you described?

2Say: "A shape — root on A string around fret 10 for G major." Play and verify. If you got the fret wrong, correct yourself out loud and play it right.

3Say: "G shape — roots on both E strings, frets 3 and 15 for G major." Play and verify. The G shape has roots on two strings — that's what makes it distinctive.

4Say: "E shape — root on low E string, fret 3 for G major." Play and verify. This should feel familiar — it's an E major barre chord shape.

5Say: "D shape — root on D string, fret 5 for G major." Play and verify. If any shape made you hesitate, go back to that one alone and repeat steps 1–5 until it's automatic.

TIPIf you can't name the shape and root string before playing it, you don't yet know CAGED — you've memorised some shapes. The verbal description and the physical shape need to be linked. This exercise builds that link.

🎯 Exercise 3d – CAGED in A Major

Apply the CAGED system to A major instead of G. Start from the open A shape (the chord you already know), then find each subsequent shape up the neck. The shapes and distances between them are identical — only the frets change.

One system, twelve keysThe power of CAGED is that it's completely transposable. Every major chord on the guitar uses the same five shapes in the same order with the same distances between them — the root just shifts to a different fret. If you only ever practice CAGED in G, you're halfway there. Applying it in a new key proves you understand the system, not just one key's shape set.

1Play the open A shape (x02220). This is your starting point — open A chord. Root is on A string open (fret 0). Say "A shape, root on A string."

2Find the G shape for A major. The G shape root is on the low E string, so find A on the low E string — that's fret 5. Play the G shape barre at fret 5. Root on low E fret 5. Say "G shape, root on low E."

3Find the E shape for A major. Root still on low E string — A is at fret 5, so E shape is also rooted at fret 5 but the barre position is different from G shape. Work out the fingering and play it.

4Find the D shape for A major. Root on D string — A is at fret 7. Play the D shape around that position. Top four strings only.

5Find the C shape for A major. Root on A string — A is at fret 0 (open) or fret 12 (octave). Play the C shape around fret 12. At fret 12 + open, the pattern has gone full circle. That's CAGED for A, complete.

TIPThe distances between shapes never change regardless of key: E→D is always 2 frets, D→C is always 2 frets, C→A is always 2 frets, A→G is always 2 frets, G→E is always 3 frets. Memorise those gaps and you can navigate CAGED in any key instantly.

🎯 Exercise 3e – Connect Two Shapes

Pick any two adjacent CAGED shapes for G major and find all the notes they share. Then play a slow melody that crosses the boundary between the two — using notes from both shapes in the same phrase.

Connecting shapes is how you break out of boxesKnowing five shapes individually is useful. Knowing where they overlap is where you actually get free on the neck. The shared notes between adjacent shapes are the bridges — notes you can play from either position's fingering. Learning those connection points is the first step toward playing across the neck rather than just within one box.

1Play the E shape for G major at fret 3 (full barre). Identify all the notes you're playing: G, B, D in different places across all six strings.

2Play the D shape for G major at fret 7. Same notes — G, B, D — in different positions. Notice which strings in the D shape are close to where you were in the E shape.

3Find the shared notes: which frets in the E shape (around frets 3–5) produce the same pitches as frets in the D shape (around frets 7–10) on the same string? These are the bridge notes.

4Play a slow 5-note melody starting in the E shape and crossing into the D shape. Move between them smoothly — the goal is that the shape boundary is invisible in the sound.

5Reverse direction: start in the D shape and move down into the E shape. Then try the same with a different pair: C shape → A shape, or A shape → G shape. Each pair has its own overlap zone.

TIPThe overlap between adjacent CAGED shapes always happens in the middle of both shapes — not at the edges. That's where the shared notes live. Finding those notes by feel is the first step toward the kind of neck fluency where you stop thinking about positions entirely.

Day 3 Recap

CAGED = five fingerings of the same chord, ascending the neck in the order C → A → G → E → D
The shape name describes the fingering pattern — C shape looks like open C, A shape like open A, and so on
Root locations: C and A shapes root on A string; G and E shapes root on low E string; D shape roots on D string
The shapes overlap — top strings of one shape share notes with the bottom strings of the next
The sequence is the same for every major chord — move it up the neck for any key
Knowing where the shapes are matters more than playing them all cleanly right now

DAY 4

Chord Inversions, Slash Chords & Voice Leading

▼

Day 04

Chord Inversions, Voice Leading

Smooth transitions through slash chords

An inversion means the lowest note of a chord is not the root. When you play G/B you're playing a G chord with B in the bass. Inversions create smoother bass lines, connect chords with stepwise motion, and produce the flowing descending bass lines hiding in countless great songs.

Theory Inversions and Slash Chord Notation

Every chord has three positions depending on which note sits in the bass:

The three inversion positions

Root position
Root in bass
G → G in bass
Most stable

1st inversion
3rd in bass
G/B → B in bass
Lighter, moving

2nd inversion
5th in bass
G/D → D in bass
Unstable, wants to move

Slash chord notation is just a label: chord name / bass note. Nothing more complicated than that.

  G/B = G chord · B in the bass
  D/F# = D chord · F# in the bass
  C/E = C chord · E in the bass

🎸 Triads Across the Neck — Am & Gmaj

Two triads — Am and Gmaj — alternating all the way down the neck on four different string groups. Each shape is a different inversion: same notes, different note on the lowest string. Use the string selector to explore the same idea across the whole fretboard. Colour intensity indicates inversion type — consistent across all string sets.


e	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	·
B	·	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3
G	·	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR
D	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
A	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
E	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●●


e	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
B	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	·
G	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	·
D	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	·
A	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
E	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●●


e	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
B	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
G	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	·
D	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	·
A	·	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR
E	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●●


e	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
B	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
G	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·	·
D	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	·
A	·	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5	·	·	GR	·	AR
E	·	·	·	GR	·	AR	·	B3	Cb3	·	D5	·	E5
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●●

How to practice this

Start on G · B · e. Play each triad as an arpeggio — lowest string first. Then switch string sets and find the same shapes. You’ll start to see the same three notes appearing in different positions all over the neck.

The descending bass line

The most powerful use of inversions — chain them so each bass note moves down by one step:

    G
    →
    C/B
    →
    Em
    →
    Em/D
    →
    C
    →
    C/B
    →
    Am
    →
    D
  

Each bass note drops by one step — G, F#, E, D, C, B, A. This stepwise motion is called voice leading, and it's what gives descending bass lines their sense of inevitability.

Guitar Guitar Application: Slash Chord Voicings

The bass note is the most important thing to get right — make sure the lowest string you play is the correct bass note for each slash chord. The rest of the voicing follows.

Descending Bass Line

Bass notes (amber) descend by step: C → B → A → G → F → G

On Am7/G the low E string provides the G bass — keep it ringing. On Fmaj7 mute the E and A strings and let the D string carry the F bass.

Why This Works

This progression is one of the most used in acoustic guitar — you'll hear it in "Stairway to Heaven", "Dust in the Wind", and hundreds of folk and pop songs. The descending bass line C→B→A→G creates a sense of gentle, inevitable movement. Each chord change feels inevitable because the ear follows the bass down the scale. The Fmaj7 at the end gives a moment of lift before G resolves everything home.

Ear Training Exercise 9 The Voice Leading Effect

Play the descending bass line and listen specifically to the bass notes moving: G → F# → E → D → C → A. That stepwise descent creates a sense of inevitability and forward pull that root-position chords can't produce. Then play the same chords all in root position (G – D – Em – C). Same chords — completely different feel. The bass line is the entire difference.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Lock In the Bass Notes

Slash chords are only as good as the bass note. This exercise builds the habit of placing the bass note intentionally before worrying about the full voicing.

1Play just the low E string for each chord: fret 3 (G), fret 2 (F#), open (E), then mute. Say the note name out loud as you play it. This is the skeleton of the bass line.

2Now add the full chord on top: C, C/B, Am7, Am7/G. Focus on whether the bass note is clearly the lowest sound. If the A string rings on Em/D, mute it.

3Play the full progression C → C/B → Am7 → Am7/G → Fmaj7 → G slowly. One strum per chord. Listen to the bass line as a melody in its own right — C B A G F A.

4Now play the same chords without inversions: G → D → Em → C. Compare. The chords are similar — the bass line is completely different. Which one pulls you forward?

5Try writing your own: find two chords where an inversion lets the bass note step down by one fret. There are dozens of combinations — start with C → C/B → Am.

TIPThe descending bass line is one of the oldest and most effective harmonic devices in Western music — Bach used it, Beatles used it, Radiohead used it. Once you hear it you'll notice it everywhere. The key insight is that the bass note is a melody, not just support. Treat it that way.

🎯 Exercise 4b – Bass First, Chord Second

Build your own descending bass progression from scratch. Find two chords where an inversion allows the bass to step down by one fret. Play the bass skeleton first (one note per chord, low string only), then add the full voicing above.

Building from the bottom upThe static exercise shows you how descending bass works in a specific progression. This exercise asks you to find it yourself — which is harder and more useful. Any time you can engineer a bass line move rather than copy one, you've crossed the line from player to composer.

1Start with a bass target: choose two adjacent notes a half or whole step apart — say, G and F# (one fret). These will be your two bass notes.

2Find a chord with G in the bass: plain G major works (root position). Find a chord with F# in the bass: G/F# or D/F# both work — the 3rd of G, or the 3rd of D.

3Play just the bass notes: pluck low E fret 3 (G), then low E fret 2 (F#). That's your bass line skeleton. Say the note names out loud.

4Now add the full chords above: G on beats 1–2, then G/F# (or D/F#) on beats 3–4. Strum softly above the bass note. Focus on whether the bass is the lowest note you hear.

5Extend it: find a third bass note stepping down from F# — E (open string). What chord has E in the bass? Em root position, or C/E (C major with E in the bass). Add it and you have a three-chord descending bass line built from scratch.

TIPDescending bass lines don't have to move by half-steps — whole step descents (G→F→E→D) and chromatic descents both work. The key principle is that the bass note is moving independently of the chord name. Once you think of bass and chord as two separate voices, you start hearing inversions everywhere.

🎯 Exercise 4c – Hear the Bass as Melody

Play C → C/B → Am7 → Am7/G → Fmaj7 → G — but before each strum, pluck only the bass note loudly and let it ring for a full beat. The bass line C–B–A–G–F–A is a melody. Play it like one.

The bass line is a voiceMost guitarists strum chord inversions without separating the bass note from the rest of the chord. This exercise forces you to hear the bass as its own melodic line by isolating it before the chord arrives. When you hear the melody C–B–A–G–F–A as six distinct notes, the harmonic technique suddenly makes complete sense.

1Play just the bass notes of the progression as a single-note line, very slowly: C (A string fret 3) → B (A string fret 2) → A (A string open) → G (low E fret 3 or E string open via inversion) → F (low E fret 1) → A. Say each note name out loud.

2Now play the full progression but with this rule: pluck the bass note first, loud, and hold it for a full beat. Then strum the full chord softly for the remaining beats. The bass note is the lead voice; the chord is the accompaniment.

3Play through the progression this way three times slowly. Focus entirely on hearing the bass as a descending melody, not as the bottom of a chord.

4Now play the same chords in root position — G, D, Em, C — and try to identify the bass movement. It jumps around instead of stepping down. Compare that to the voice-led version and hear the difference.

5Try another melody: what if the bass ascended instead — C → D → E → F → G? Find chords or inversions that support each bass note and play the ascending version. Which direction creates more forward pull?

TIPThe descending bass line from C to F in "C → C/B → Am7 → Am7/G → Fmaj7" is the same motion as the bass line in "Yesterday," "Stairway to Heaven," and dozens of other songs. It's one of the most fundamental melodic-harmonic devices in Western music — and it's completely available to you on guitar using inversions you already know.

🎯 Exercise 4d – Ascending Bass Line

If descending bass creates forward pull and inevitability, ascending bass creates lift and anticipation. Find two chords where an inversion creates bass motion that steps UP by one fret: try Am → Am/B → C (bass: A → B → C).

Every direction has its own feelingDescending bass lines feel inevitable — they're moving toward gravity. Ascending bass lines feel like they're building toward something — a lift-off. Both are useful. Understanding the difference lets you choose the emotional direction of your harmonic writing, not just the chords.

1Play just the bass notes first: A (open A string) → B (A string fret 2) → C (A string fret 3). Say "A – B – C" out loud as you play. That's your ascending bass line.

2Now find chords that support each bass note: Am has A in the bass (root position). Am/B is Am with B in the bass — place B on the low string and Am chord shape above it. C has C in the bass naturally.

3Play the three chords slowly: Am → Am/B → C. Strum each once. Listen to the bass ascending while the harmony stays in the same emotional zone (Am area moving to C).

4Compare to the descending equivalent: C → C/B → Am. Same chords, opposite bass direction. Play both versions back to back. The descending version settles; the ascending version builds.

5Extend it: what comes after C in an ascending bass line? D. Find a chord with D in the bass — Dm (root position) or G/D or F/D. Add it to your ascending sequence. You're building a progression from a bass line, not the other way around.

TIPAm/B is not a standard open chord — you'll need to mute the low E string and place B on the A string (fret 2) with Am fingering above. It's slightly awkward at first but becomes fluid quickly. The awkwardness is worth it: the ascending bass line through Am → Am/B → C is one of the prettiest harmonic gestures available in open position.

🎯 Exercise 4e – Reverse-Engineer a Song

Pick a song you know that has a descending bass line — Yesterday, Michelle, Blackbird, Stairway intro, Wish You Were Here. Work out the bass notes by ear first, then find the chord or inversion that fits each one.

Songs are the best theory textbookThe principles you've just learned — inversions, slash chords, descending bass lines — didn't originate in a textbook. They were discovered by musicians trying to make progressions flow more beautifully. Going back to the songs and reverse-engineering them connects the technique to its source. You learn the concept twice: once forward, once backward.

1Choose a song with a recognisable bass line movement. Yesterday (F → Em/D → Dm/C) or Blackbird (G → G/F# → G/E → G/D) are the clearest examples.

2Play the song's chord progression by ear as well as you can from memory. Don't worry about being perfect — approximate.

3Now isolate just the bass notes: pluck only the lowest string on each chord. Hear the motion. Is it descending? Ascending? Both? How many steps does it move per chord change?

4Find the note names of each bass movement. If the bass steps down one fret from the last note, what is it? Use the neck map from Day 1 to name each bass note.

5Look up the chord names (or ask yourself): what is the chord symbol for a C chord with B in the bass? C/B. For G with F# in the bass? G/F#. Writing out the progression in slash chord notation is the final step — you're converting a song you know by ear into theory you understand.

TIPIf you're not sure which song to use, start with Blackbird — it's one of the clearest examples of a descending bass line on acoustic guitar and all five bass notes (G F# E D C) are clearly audible. The chord symbols are G, G/F#, G/E, G/D, Cadd9/G — five inversions of two chords.

🎵 In the Wild

"Into My Arms"

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Cave's "Into My Arms" uses C → Cmaj9 (a C chord with the middle finger lifted) throughout the piano intro – the same maj7-adjacent texture you've just learned. The Cmaj9 voicing lets a single note fall while the chord stays, creating quiet movement within stillness. It's the most emotionally efficient use of a maj7 colour in his catalogue.

Verse	F/C	—	C	—	G/B	—	C
	I		I		V/3		I

Chorus	Dm	—	C
	vi		V

Day 4 Recap

Inversions put a note other than the root in the bass – creates smooth bass line motion
Slash chord notation: chord name / bass note (G/B = G chord with B in bass)
First inversion (3rd in bass) = lighter, moving feel; second inversion (5th in bass) = unstable
Descending bass line: C→C/B→Am7→Am7/G→Fmaj7 – bass notes move by step (voice leading)
Stepwise bass motion creates a sense of inevitability that root-position chords cannot

DAY 5

Integration, Showcase Progressions & Review

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Day 05

Integration, Showcase & Review

Putting the full chord vocabulary to work

Today we combine everything from Week 2 – 7th chords, sus chords, CAGED positions, and inversions – into showcase progressions that demonstrate all the new colours working together.

Theory Week 2 Integration

The Week 2 toolkit in context:

7th chords add harmonic sophistication (Gmaj7, Am7, D7)
Sus chords create tension and release (Dsus4→D)
Add9 chords add colour without ambiguity (Gadd9, Cadd9)
CAGED system gives you tonal choice across the neck
Inversions create smooth bass motion (G/B, D/F#)

These five tools aren't separate – they combine. A progression can use a Cmaj7 in the C-shape CAGED position (tonal choice), move to D/F# (inversion for smooth bass), then Dsus4→D (sus resolution), then Gadd9 (colour chord). That single four-chord progression uses four Week 2 tools simultaneously.

Guitar Guitar Application: Showcase Progression

This progression uses all five Week 2 concepts. Work through it slowly – focus on making each chord transition smooth and each chord colour clearly audible.

Week 2 Showcase Progression

Play slowly — let each chord ring fully. The sus4→major resolution at the end is the payoff.

Ear Training Exercise 10 Week 2 Self-Assessment

Play Gmaj7, Am7, and D7 in sequence. Can you identify each by sound – the floating maj7, the mellow min7, the tense dom7? Then play Dsus4→D five times and feel the resolution become automatic. Finally play the descending bass line from Day 4 and listen to how the inversions create smooth motion. These three recognitions are the Week 2 ear training goals.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Week 2 Self-Assessment

Five quick tests — one for each Week 2 concept. Be honest. A gap here is useful information, not failure. Everything you don't nail now will solidify over the coming weeks.

17th chord quality test: Play Gmaj7, Am7, and D7 back to back without looking at chord names. Can you identify each quality by ear — the open floating maj7, the mellow minor 7, the restless dominant 7? Play each three times and name it before moving on.

2Sus resolution test: Play Dsus4 and let it ring for two full beats before resolving to D. Feel the 4th pulling down to the 3rd. Then do the same with Asus4→A. Can you hear the resolution before your fingers make it?

3CAGED recognition test: Play G major in the open G shape. Then find the E shape at fret 3. Then the A shape at fret 10. Say the shape name and root string out loud each time. If you hesitate on any shape, that's your practice focus for the week.

4Voice leading test: Play C → C/B → Am7 → Am7/G → Fmaj7. Listen to the bass notes as a melody — C B A G F. Then play the same chords in root position. The difference you hear is voice leading working.

5Showcase progression: Play the Week 2 progression — Gmaj7 → Cadd9 → D/F# → Dsus4 → D — slowly and cleanly. If you can play it without stopping and hear each chord colour distinctly, Week 2 is done. If not, which chord trips you up? That's your Week 2 homework.

TIPThe goal of Week 2 isn't to master all five tools — it's to know they exist, know what they sound like, and know where to find them on the neck. Mastery comes from using them in Weeks 3–8. If you can recognise each chord quality by ear and play the showcase progression, you're ready to move forward.

🎯 Exercise 5b – Record and Listen Back

Record a short voice memo playing each chord quality, a sus resolution, and the week's showcase progression. Then listen back without the guitar in your hands. Your ear without the physical activity of playing is a different and more honest judge.

Listening is a separate skill from playingWhen you play, your attention is split between the physical act and the sound. When you just listen, your full attention is on the music. Most players never hear themselves the way other people do — recording fixes that. A one-minute voice memo tells you more about what you actually know than an hour of self-assessment while playing.

1Open a voice recorder on your phone. Play Gmaj7, Am7, D7 with a two-second pause between each. Don't name them — just play each chord and let it ring.

2Play a Dsus4 → D resolution clearly and slowly. Then play Gadd9 beside plain G.

3Play the week's showcase progression: Gmaj7 → Cadd9 → D/F# → Dsus4 → D. Play it twice — once slowly, once at a comfortable pace.

4Stop the recording. Put the guitar down. Play back the recording and listen as if you're hearing someone else play. Do the chord qualities sound distinct? Is the sus resolution clean? Does the showcase progression flow?

5Name what you hear on playback. Can you identify each chord quality by ear alone? If you struggle to name Gmaj7 vs Am7 when listening back, that's your focus for this week. The gap between playing and hearing is where the work is.

TIPRecording yourself is uncomfortable at first — most people don't like hearing their playing. That discomfort is useful. It means you're hearing gaps you couldn't perceive while playing. The goal isn't a perfect recording; it's an honest one.

🎯 Exercise 5c – Write Your Own Progression

Using only the tools from Week 2, write an original 4-bar progression. It must include at least one 7th chord, one sus chord, and one slash chord with a non-root bass note. Play it until it sounds like something you'd want to hear again.

Application is the final testYou can recognise all five Week 2 concepts in isolation and still not be able to use them. Writing your own progression that combines them is the hardest and most honest test of whether you actually own the material. If you can compose with it, you know it.

1Start with a root and a mood. Choose any key centre — G, D, E, A. Choose a rough emotional direction: melancholy, hopeful, restless, warm. That's your constraint.

2Write a 4-chord sequence. At least one chord must be a 7th chord (Gmaj7, Am7, D7, etc.). Write it down as chord names on paper before playing it.

3Add a sus chord somewhere — either as a passing chord between two others, or as the starting chord that resolves. Mark it in your progression.

4Add a slash chord — any chord with a non-root bass note. It doesn't need to be a full inversion sequence; one slash chord creates bass movement. Mark it.

5Play the progression. Does it sound like what you wanted emotionally? If yes, loop it until it feels natural. If not, change one chord and try again. The goal is to end up with something you'd actually want to play again tomorrow.

TIPFour chords using three Week 2 tools is enough to write something genuinely musical. Don't reach for complexity — the best progressions are usually the simplest ones that still move.

🎯 Exercise 5d – Blindfold Test

Have someone play Gmaj7, Am7, and D7 for you in a random order — or record yourself playing them in random order and then play it back. Name each chord quality by ear before you see the fingering. This is the hardest version of the quality test.

Identification without visual cues is the real skillNaming a chord quality while watching someone else play it is partially visual — you're reading the shape as much as hearing the sound. True harmonic ear training is identifying the quality blind. When you can name a maj7, min7, or dominant 7 from sound alone, you've built a real musical skill that transfers to transcribing songs, playing by ear, and jamming in real time.

1Ask someone to play Gmaj7, Am7, or D7 in a random order, one chord at a time, without telling you which one is coming. If you're alone, record yourself playing all three in a random order and play back the recording.

2Listen to each chord for four beats. Before the next chord plays, say the quality out loud: "major 7," "minor 7," or "dominant 7."

3Check your answer. If you got it wrong, play the chord yourself and listen again carefully. What made you guess wrong? Was it the brightness of the major 7th? The tension of the dominant?

4Do three rounds of random order identification. Keep score. If you're getting 8/9 or better, your ear is calibrated for these three qualities.

5Advanced version: add Em7 and Cmaj7 to the mix. You have two minor 7 chords (Em7 and Am7) and two major 7 chords (Gmaj7 and Cmaj7). Can you tell them apart by ear? The root moves but the quality stays the same.

TIPIt's normal to confuse Gmaj7 and Am7 at first — both are relatively mellow chords. The key difference is the root: Gmaj7 feels centred on G (play a G bass note under it), while Am7 feels centred on A. If you're struggling, always anchor with the bass note first.

🎯 Exercise 5e – Teach It Out Loud

Explain the four main Week 2 concepts out loud — to a friend, to a pet, or to yourself. 7th chords, sus chords, CAGED, inversions. If you can explain each one simply and correctly, you know it. Where you fumble is where the gap is.

Teaching reveals gaps that playing hidesWhen you play, physical muscle memory can carry you through concepts you don't fully understand. When you explain something in words, there's nowhere to hide. The gaps in your understanding become immediately apparent — not as failure, but as useful information about what to revisit. Teaching is the most honest self-assessment tool available.

1Explain 7th chords out loud: what is a 7th chord? What are the three types covered this week and what does each one feel like? Use plain language — no jargon allowed. If you can't explain it simply, you don't yet own it.

2Explain sus chords: what does "suspended" mean? What note is being suspended and what does it resolve to? What's the difference between sus2 and sus4? Play an example as you explain.

3Explain CAGED: what does the system do? Why is it called CAGED? How many shapes are there and what order do they appear in as you go up the neck? Can you name the root string for each shape?

4Explain inversions: what is an inversion? What's a slash chord? What does a descending bass line create musically and why does it work? Play C → C/B → Am7 while explaining.

5Check yourself: go back and play each concept as you described it. Does the playing match the explanation? Any mismatch between what you said and what you played reveals the gap to close before Week 3.

TIPIf you hesitated on any concept — even slightly — that's your homework. Not the chord shapes or the patterns, but the concept itself. Why does a dominant 7th create tension? Why does CAGED work? Understanding the why makes the how stick permanently.

Day 5 Recap

7th chords (maj7/min7/dom7) + sus chords + add9 + CAGED + inversions = Week 2 complete
All five tools can appear in the same progression – they compound each other
Sus4→major resolution: the most satisfying single move in the Week 2 vocabulary
The descending bass line connects inversions into a voice-leading sequence
Everything in Week 2 is available in Weeks 3–8 – use these colours freely from here forward