Really Easy Chord Constructions

[NC11-AM] Alrighty, I'm back again. Last time I really only went over a5, and Am, so I thought I'd come back and explain how to create your own chords before you start making your own melodies for them.

Now, the thing with chord construction is that all the formulas are based on the major scale, no matter what sort of chord it is. So in case you don't know the major scale it is whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. These are referring to whole and half steps. On your guitar, two frets is a whole step, and one fret is a half step. So, find C at the eighth fret on you top e string. If you apply the major scale you should get all perfect notes(not sharp or flat) all the way up. Those are you C major scale degrees. Should go like this. C-D-E-F-G-A-B...Ok now for the sake of keeping it easy we will work with chords in this key signature. So let me show you some formulas now to construct your own chords all over the neck, in any location you want.

The first is the C root fifth chord, or C5 chord here is the formula.
1-5
this formula implies that you use only the first, and the fifth scale degrees, since it's a C chord you use the C major scale. The first and the fifth letters, and the first and fifth scale degrees. so it looks like this.
1-5
C-G
Got? This applies with all chord construction formulas, though each major scale is spelled differently. Just write the major scale of your choice out then you can apply the formulas below to any root, or key note, to create the chords described. Here is an example using a G5 to show you how to change your key signatures. To make a G5, first list the scale degrees of the G major scale. So start at G, then go up the neck whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Then notes you hit should be G-A-B-C-D-E-F#. So line it up like this for any chord construction.

G-A-B-C-D-E-F#
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
Again here is C major
C-D-E-F-G-A-B
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
Hope that explains it well enough. Here we go with some of my favorite chords.
Major Chords
1-3-5
Minor Chords
1-b3-5
Dominant Seventh Chords
1-3-5-b7
Minor Dominant Seventh Chords
1-b3-5-b7
Augmented Chords
1-3-#5
Diminished Chords
1-b3-b5
(on the last to chords just remove the third scale degrees to make them into augmented or diminished power chords, or root fifth chords, whatever you want to call them)
Suspended fourth Chords
1-4-5
Suspended Second Chords
1-2-5
Sixth Chords
1-3-5-6
Major Seventh
1-3-5-7

Now these are just some of the more simple chords. I have not gotten into anything past the seventh scale degree, but I will go further into detail in the next lesson, and if you haven't read it, try using the information in my lesson on easy melodies using scale degrees with these chord, and you'll start to get a good grasp on lead. Also, I should mention you do not have to play all the notes in the formulas. You can select or emphasize your favorites to get a different sound. To me the third scale degree, and the seventh are the most important, of course other than the root, or key note. Most of these are kinda bluesy chords, but that's just because I love the blues, but I will go more into other chords in my next lesson. See ya later future rockstars.