Originally Posted by
CarlM
To greatly simplify guitar chords, there are five basic major chords with open strings, what are commonly called the cowboy chords. Those are C, A, G, E and D. There are three basic minor chord forms, Em, Am and Dm. Once you learn these forms, along with an F and a B7, you have the majority of what is used in bluegrass or old time music. These chords will get you the I, IV and V chords in those same five major keys. Other keys are usually played with a capo.
To understand the capo, the guitarist will be using one of those five open string chord forms. The actual key will be whatever key it appears to be raised by however many half steps for the fret it is on. If it is on fret 2 it is raised two half steps, same for 3, 4, 5 or whatever. Most guitarists, except Earl Scruggs and David Rawlings, will have the capo in the first five frets which makes it easier to sort out.
The other thing which will show up occasionally is barre chords. Bm, F#m and C#m are the relative minor chords to D, A and E. These are barre chords. The basic shape will be either an Em, or Am form with the first finger barring across the appropriate fret.
I guess the point is ten chord shapes and understanding capos will get you 98 percent of what you see in bluegrass unless it is Tony Rice or someone like that. The shapes to learn are C, A, G, E, D, F, B7, Am, Em and Dm. All of the flatted keys will be capoed and even a lot of times these keys will be, The I, IV and V for the keys of G and C will get you tons of mileage in the bluegrass world. In other words, four chords, G, C, D and F.
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