Chords are the building blocks of music on the guitar, and they come in a fascinating spectrum of qualities, each bringing its own unique emotional tone and character. Think about the difference between a bright, uplifting major chord and a melancholic, darker minor chord. These are just the starting points in our chord vocabulary.
When many guitarists begin their musical journey, they often focus on mastering basic major and minor chords. For players at the beginner or early intermediate stage, this foundational set of chords is relatively limited. However, to truly expand your sonic possibilities and add expressiveness to your playing, exploring what are known as “color chords” is essential.
What are In Color Guitar Chords?
“Color chords” are essentially variations on the fundamental major and minor chord shapes. They introduce subtle yet significant nuances to your playing, making your music more intriguing, distinctive, and sometimes even simpler to play. They add “color” to your sonic palette, much like an artist uses different hues to create a richer painting.
One of the most frequently encountered types of color chords is the add9 chord (pronounced “add nine”). You might already be familiar with it, as it’s a common and effective substitution for a standard major chord. Let’s take a C major chord as an example:
Compare this Cadd9 chord to a regular C major, and you’ll notice a more spacious, airy quality. There’s a subtle complexity and interplay between the notes that adds a touch of atmosphere. Cadd9 works particularly well in the keys of G major and E minor. However, it’s important to use color chords judiciously. While they can be fantastic substitutions, they can sometimes sound out of place if not applied with careful consideration. Always trust your ear and artistic judgment to guide you.
Exploring More In Color Chord Variations
Here’s another interesting color variation, again using the C major chord as our starting point. In this voicing, we remove one note of the standard C chord and double another on the high E string:
To play this chord, use your ring, index, and pinky fingers. Allow your ring finger to gently mute the 4th string (D string). This chord is called a “C5” because it’s fundamentally composed of only two distinct notes: C and G. These notes are the root and the fifth tones of the C major scale. Reading from low to high, the notes are C-G-C-G. The C5 can be used as a substitute for a regular C major in many contexts, but listen to how it brings a significantly different, more open and powerful flavor. It has a less defined “major” or “minor” quality, making it versatile.
Adding Sevenths for Harmonic Color
You’ve likely encountered seventh chords in your guitar journey. Many of them are surprisingly easy to play and are part of the essential chord vocabulary for guitarists. The most common are dominant seventh chords, typically indicated with a “7” (e.g., A7, D7, E7). However, there are other types of seventh chords, all constructed using the same principle: you take the major scale corresponding to the root note of the chord and add the seventh note of that scale. Here’s an example of an Am7 or “A minor seventh” chord:
This Am7 provides a richer, more nuanced substitute for the standard A minor chord. You can also play it by allowing the open high E string to ring out instead of fretting the note at the 3rd fret on that string, creating a slightly different voicing.
Suspended Chords: A Touch of Ambiguity
Suspended chords, often called “sus” chords, are another common and highly effective type of color chord. Think of the opening chords of Tom Petty’s hit song “Free Fallin’” – those are suspended chords in action! Suspended chords are created by taking the “third” of a major or minor chord – which is the third tone of the scale – and replacing it with either the second (resulting in a sus2 chord) or the fourth (creating a sus4 chord). Here are two less common but easily playable suspended chord examples:
While Tom Petty used suspended chords melodically in “Free Fallin’,” these chords are also fantastic for creating atmosphere and harmonic interest. Consider this simple chord progression:
Am G C F
Now, let’s replace those basic chords with color chord variations:
Am7 Gsus4 C5 Fsus2
Notice the dramatic difference in sound! You might also observe that the two highest notes in these voicings remain constant throughout the progression, producing a pleasant ringing resonance. Here’s an audio example of how this progression might sound with a strumming pattern. Note that this example uses a capo at the second fret, so while the chord shapes are the ones we’ve discussed, the actual chords sound a whole step higher: Bm7 Asus4 D5 Gsus2.
This exploration of color chords is just the beginning. There are countless more possibilities to discover! Experiment with these examples, listen carefully to how they change the feel of your music, and start incorporating “In Color Guitar Chords” to add depth and richness to your guitar playing.
