Chords:

I - IV - V in C 1

In each major scale, the chords built on the 1st, 4th and 5th degrees of the scale are all major. These also
happen to make up the most common chord progressions in all of music and is the most important set of
chords to know and be able to play in each key. The following progressions all follow the this sequence:
I - IV - I - V - I - IV - V - I

In the key of C, we encounter our rst challenging chord- F major. This is usually played as a bar chord, but
in these rst examples, I have chosen to show an F Maj. 7 so that beginners may be able to access the chord
sequence. Players who have some familiarity and comfort in playing bar chords may substitute the more
common F Major chord here.

Please notice that I am only including the strummed notes of each chord on the three treble strings of the
guitar. This enables us to play '2- nger' C chords and G chords. Fuller chords will come later in our studies.
Also note that because we are playing bass (root) notes before the strums, those are the notes that must be
placed rst in each chord.

C Fmaj7 C G C Fmaj7 G C

          
        
 
     

 

        
0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0
1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3
3 3

C Fmaj7 C G C Fmaj7 G C

                        

        


        
0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3
3 3

C Fmaj7 C G C Fmaj7 G C

                        

        



0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3
3 3
 Chords: I - IV - V in G 1

G C G D G C D G

             
   

 

 
 
 
   

        
3 0 3 2 3 0 2 3
0 1 0 3 0 1 3 0
0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0
0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3

G C G D G C D G

   
                          
       

        
3 3 0 0 3 3 2 2 3 3 0 0 2 2 3 3
0 0 1 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 1 1 3 3 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0
0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3

G C G D G C D G

                        
                         
   
   


3 3 3 0 0 0 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 3
0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 3 3 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0
0 0
3 3
3 3 3 3
 Chords: I - IV - V in D 1

D G D A D G A D

             

      
 
 

   

2 3 2 0 2 3 0 2
3 0 3 2 3 0 2 3
2 0 2 2 2 0 2 2
0 0 0 0
0 0
3 3

D G D A D G A D

                            
        
   

2 2 3 3 2 2 0 0 2 2 3 3 0 0 2 2
3 3 0 0 3 3 2 2 3 3 0 0 2 2 3 3
2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0
0 0
3 3

D G D A D G A D

                              
        
   

2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 2 2 2
3 3 3 0 0 0 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 3
2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0
0 0
3 3
 Chords: I - IV - V in A 1

A D A E A D E A

              

          
     

        
0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
2 3 2 0 2 3 0 2
2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2
0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0
A D A E A D E A

                           
      
     

        
0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
2 2 3 3 2 2 0 0 2 2 3 3 0 0 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2
0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0
A D A E A D E A

                            
        
     


0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2
0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0
 Chords: I - IV - V in E 1

E A E B7 E A B7 E

              
             
       

0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0
0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
1 2 1 2 1 2 2 1
0 2 0 2
0 0 0 0

E A E B7 E A B7 E

                       

         
       

0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0
0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1
0 2 0 2
0 0 0 0

E A E B7 E A B7 E

                     

             
       

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0
0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
0 2 0 2
0 0 0 0