Introducing Chord Charts
Chord charts are block diagrams of a section of the fretboard showing where to hold your fingers for a particular chord. The vertical line on the right represents the first (treble) string,the one on the left, the third (bass) string. To the left of that are Roman Numerals indicating the fret.
Circles over the strings indicate where to press the strings to form the chord. The numbers in those circles are suggestions of which fingers to use. Where the same finger is used on the same fret, the finger makes a barre across the fretboard.
E.g. This diagram represents a V major chord where the first (index) finger is barred across the V fret and the fourth (pinky) finger is on the first (treble) string on the VII fret.
Strings are numbered first (skinniest), second (middle), third (thickest). The first string is the one that is closest to the bottom edge of the fretboard when the instrument is in playing position.
Frets are numbered according to the musical interval by roman numerals up to VII. After that, the numbers repeat, and are underlined or circled when written to show second octave.
Note the in-between frets labelled with a flat (♭)symbol indicating that it is half a note lower than the numeral written.
The flattened triangle is the III♭fret, and the square is the IV fret in the second octave
Fingers on the Left Hand (right hand if you’re left handed) are identified:
T – Thumb
1- Index Finger
2 – Middle Finger
3 – Ring Finger
4 – Pinky
“Really fun, and so easy
Sally L
North Melbourne
