Hey Friend,
Happy Friday! How’d you do with the root 5 7th chords yesterday? Excellent?
Good, ‘cause today’s chord exercises will be both easy and challenging, depending on which chord form is called for.
First off, we’re again going to be using barre chords in C, but this time the root note is located on the sixth string - hence the name “root 6.”
C major rooted on the low E string is found at the eighth fret, so slide your index finger up there and press it down across all six strings. Hold.
Give that a strum and see if you have any kinks to work out in note clarity.
The first chord on the chart is C major. Your middle, ring and index fingers are forming the E shape on the strings above your index finger. Just like you’d play an open E chord at the nut, the shape is the same, but your index finger is now doing the job of the nut at the eighth fret.
Middle finger is on the ninth fret of the third string, ring finger on the tenth fret of the fifth string, and your pinky has the fourth string, tenth fret.
To form the C7 chord here, all you need to do is lift your pinky from the string. This is the same shape as the root 5 minor 7 chord, but with it shifted over one set of strings, you can hear the difference in color. It has that bluesy twang versus a sad melancholy feel.
CM7 is the tough one in this set because you could play it two ways, and you have to decide which is easiest for you. If you have really large fingers, this one could be a bear!
I have been in the habit of barring the third and fourth strings at the ninth fret with my middle finger while my ring finger goes on the fifth string, tenth fret.
You can also use your middle and ring fingers on the fourth and third strings, respectively, at the ninth fret with your pinky on the fifth string, tenth fret.
This is what the chord chart in the exercise shows. It’s actually easier, so I think my technique is going the change here. Old habits die hard, don’t you know!
Lastly, Cm7 should be a piece of cake. Your index finger is still creating that solid barre, and your ring finger plants on the tenth fret, fifth string. That’s it.
Here are the exercises for your enjoyment.
Hope you have a nice easy day to slide into the long weekend. I’m hoping most people knock off early today, since almost everyone will have Monday off. That should make for a quiet afternoon… Rock on!
Peace~
Dave
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