Constructing guitar chords in the key of C major

Learn the guitar chord positions in the key of C major and A minor.
All the chords can be played at the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard.

The object of this guitar lesson is to figure out the guitar chords over the A minor scale at the 5th fret and also over the C major scale. The A minor scale is also called the Aeolian mode, natural minor and relative minor scale. Since the A minor and C major scale share the same notes, we will also figure out how to play the chords over the scale of C major.

The A minor and C major scales have been illustrated below. Each of the scales have the same notes and guitar chords. The notes of the A minor scale, are: A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A. The chords are:
A minor, B diminished, C major, D minor, E minor, G major and then Am again.

It’s possible to play every chord of each scale using the notes of the A minor scale below. You can play the root 6 bar chord, the root 5 bar chord, C type bar chords, D type bar chords and more. This guitar lesson challenges you to figure out each of the chords is the A minor and C major scale.

Guitar notes in the key of C major and a minor scale. The notes can be used to construct the c chords in C major at the 5th fret

The illustration below shows the notes of the C major scale. The C major scale is also called the Ionian mode. The C major scale is an 8 note diatonic scale. The notes of the C major scale are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. The chords in the key of C major are:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B diminished and C. You can use the blank fretboard illustration to fill in the chords that can be played over the C major scale below.

C major Ionian mode and the notes in C major. You can use these guitar notes to construct each chord in the key ofC major

The illustration below shows all the notes and guitar chords that are in the key of C major.

C major and scale, Guitar modes of the key of C major. You can easily determine the notes and notes of each chord in the key of C major

C Major chord C E G
D minor chord D F A
E minor chord E G B
F Major chord F A C
G Major chord G B D
A minor chord A C E
B Diminished B D F

Use the empty guitar fretboard illustrations to fill in one guitar chord for each blank box below. The guitar chords you will be constructing are the Am, C, Dm, Em, F and G chords. Notice that the first example below is the A minor chord and has been completed for you. The A minor chord consists of 3 notes. The notes of the A minor chord are A, C and E. Notice that the notes of the A minor chord have been circled. There are 6 notes on the image below and all the notes consist of either the A, C and E. The A note, on the low E string is the Lowest A note and is located at the 5th fret. The note on the Low E string will determine where you can play this type of minor bar chord. If you used the fingering at the 5th fret shown below, you would be playing the A minor bar chord. You might need to study the root 6 barre chord guitar lesson.

The A minor guitar chord has been constructed at the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard

The A minor chord has been illustrated as a Root 6 bar chord. Each note of the chord has been illustrated in the illustration below. Use the remaining blank fretboard illustrations to come up with the remaining chords from the key of C major. Try to illustrate the guitar chords in the box from the 4th fret to the 8th fret. This may take a lot of thinking.

Have the illustration with all of the notes of the fretboard in front of you.

Here’s a PDF printable document that includes the guitar fretboard notes, the A minor scale at the 5th fret and some blank illustrations to complete the assignment. The answers to this assignment can be found here. But try to do it before checking them out.

A minor guitar chord on the fretboard has been illustrated for the guitar lesson Guitar fretboard illustration

Guitar fretboard lesson

Use the fretboard illustration for each guitar chord in the key of C major and A minor scales. Blank guitar fretboard. Add the notes of the G major guitar chord

The chords of C major scale are illustrated below. Each section shows the notes of each chord.

The C chord has three notes. C, E and G.
The Dm chord has three notes, D, F, and A.
All of the chords of C major have been illustrated. Use the blank illustrations above to fill in the chords of C major.

C major and scale, Guitar modes of the key of C major

C Major chord C E G
D minor chord D F A
E minor chord E G B
F Major chord F A C
G Major chord G B D
A minor chord A C E
B Diminished B D F

A minor guitar chord from the A minor scale over the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard C major guitar chord constructed over the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard. D minor guitar chord constructed at the 5th fret position using the notes of C major and A minor scales.

E minor guitar chord constructed at the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard using the notes of C major and A minor scales F major chord over the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard using the notes of A minor and C major scales G major guitar chord constructed over the key of C major and A minor B dim 2nd inversion guitar chord constructed over the 5th fret

The illustration below shows the notes of C major and A minor. The C major scale and A minor share the same notes.

A minor scale and notes along the fretboard.

Good Luck,

Guitar Secrets

Constructing guitar chords in the key of C major

Learn the guitar chord positions in the key of C major and A minor. All the chords can be played at the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard.

Learn the guitar chord positions in the key of C major and A minor.
All the chords can be played at the 5th fret position of the guitar fretboard.