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Installment #4:
The key of D
This is the 4th installment of this
article-designed to help the beginner/intermediate guitarist learn guitar
chords, as they apply to each given key. We ended our last installment with
the key of F. In this issue we will cover the wonderful key of D. Now
everybody has a different method that they may apply when attempting to teach
what I’m about to. If this doesn’t work for you, accept my apologies and
don’t let it discourage you. If it does work for you, then my life will have
had some meaning. Let’s start with the basic chords in the key of D.
The Basic chords in the key of D
Chart 1
Now let me explain
the chord charts in case you don’t understand them. They represent the
guitar neck, as you would look at it sideways.
From right to left are the six strings of the guitar and the horizontal
lines represent the frets. Got it? Good. Each finger is represented by a
number from 1-4, with 1 being the index finger, 2 being the middle finger, 3
being the ring finger and 4 being the pinky. The “x”
means that the string isn’t played, plucked, strummed or touched.
Leave it alone! Whenever you see a line connecting the dots, it means
that all of the dots are pressed down by the same finger. Which is called
“barring” the chord. Simplified: One finger lays across the strings.
Above, I’ve shown the basic chords for the key of D. Below are some
additional chords that I refer to as substitute chords.
Some substitute chords for the key of D
Chart 2
In chart 2, I have listed what are called
substitute chords. Let’s say
you played the first chords listed in chart 1, in the order that they were
listed. For the D major chord,
you can substitute an D major 7th chord. The E minor chord can be
replaced by the E minor 7th chord. The same is true for each of the
remaining. Play them. Has a jazzy ring to it, doesn’t it? Some people refer
to substitute chords as orchestral chords but it doesn’t matter. A rose by
any other name still has a thorn. I’ve
included additional substitute chords so that you can improve your chordal
vocabulary. You’ll be the life
of the party and the envy of all your peers.
You will be on your way to achieving greatness. The sky is the limit. Let’s move on to some more substitute chords.
Chart
3
You may have noticed that some of the chord diagrams in chart 3 have a
number to the left of them. Let’s use the B minor 9th as an
example. The 7 to the left of the
diagram means that the first fret displayed is to be regarded as the fifth
fret on your guitar. Okay? So now we’ll close by saying that
we hope you will find this article useful in the process of improving yourself
as a guitarist. If there is something you think we should add, just send a
letter or E-mail and we’ll be happy to give your suggestions some
consideration. Any feedback you give will be appreciated.
We want to make improvements on the magazine wherever possible. We
covered 17 chords in this issue and in each issue we’ll cover 17 more.
See you next time.
Bob Craypoe
Next issue:
The key of Bb
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To
Download The Printable PDF File With The Chord Charts For This Key
