Major Chords
From StickiWiki
What is a major chord?
If we take a C major scale, as shown below, and take the first, third and fifth notes of the scale and play them at the same time, we end up with a C major chord.
Below are three configurations of a C major chord. These all have the same notes: C, E and G, just in different octaves. These different configurations are called inversions.
Major chords on the Stick
Corresponding to the three inversions we saw above are three chord shapes that can be used on the melody side of the Stick. They are:
The universality of Stick shapes
When you want to play a different major chord, you can not only shift these patterns up and down the neck, you can also shift them to over by one or more strings. For instance, the diagram below shows the first chord shape shifted over by a string. This shape still plays a major chord; but it is a different major chord.
The ability to use the same shape and have it still play a major chord also extends to the bass side, but with a twist. Since the lower strings are to the right instead of the left, the inversions are a bit different. If you play the first three shapes on the bass side so they play a C major chord, they will play the following chords, which are different voicings of the C major chord:
Because the bass side is tuned in fifths, the chords that it plays are a bit more spread out, but they still consist of the notes C, E and G.
