Chord & FretC on electric guitar
On the electric guitar a chord needs only a few clear notes — the amp sustains them and fills the space, so you mute the strings you are not playing and let the tone carry the rest. In this position the bass is C and the shape runs from fret 1 to 3, ringing 2 open strings. Plugged into an amp, each chord sustains for as long as you hold it, and the tone — clean or driven — shapes the whole sound.
Notes on C: C – E – GFormula: 1 – 3 – 5In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
Where to use it: Tonic, subdominant or dominant depending on the scale degree; the foundation of most repertoire.
Every region of the neck hides more shapes of C on electric guitar. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. 100% offline.
Unlock in Chord & Fret →Part of the Triads family.