Chapter 11: Your First 7 Chords on the E-String!

In the last chapter, we talked about the seven "colors" you can use to paint any song. Now, I'm going to show you how to start building incredible things with them.

But don't worry, we're not going to learn seven new, complicated chord shapes from scratch. There’s a much smarter, faster way to get there. We're going to use a system.

You're about to learn three simple, moveable shapes. With just these three, you'll be able to play every single chord in the key of C, with your root note right there on the thickest E-string.

And here’s the best part: the payoff for learning this is huge. Once you get these three shapes down, you'll have the key to play 84 chords across all 12 musical keys. It’s an incredible tool to have.

3 Chord Shapes → 7 Diatonic Chords × 12 Keys = 84 Chords

Let's get started.

The System: Three Shapes for Mastering the E-String

This is the whole idea in a nutshell. Three shapes that are like three emotional tools for your music.

• The Major Shape: This is your go-to for "happy," "strong," and "resolved" sounds. It feels like coming home.
• The Minor Shape: This one creates a "sad," "thoughtful," or "melancholy" feeling.
• The Diminished Shape: Think of this as your "tension" or "unstable" chord. It’s a bit of spice you can use to make things more interesting and dramatic.

The system is beautifully simple: Find the root note of the chord you want to play on the E-string, and then just apply the correct shape. That’s really all there is to it.

Putting the System to Work: Building C Major on the E-String

Remember that foundational pattern we learned? Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, minor, diminished. Now, we're just going to apply our three shapes to the right notes on the E-string.

The Majors (I, IV, V): C, F, G

• Find the root notes C (8th fret), F (1st fret), and G (3rd fret) on your E-string. I've color-coded them in red for you.

• Apply The Major Shape to each of those frets.

Awesome! You've just built all the major chords in the key of C.

The Minors (ii, iii, vi): Dm, Em, Am

• Next, find D (10th fret), E (the open string or 12th fret), and A (5th fret). These are color-coded in blue.

• Apply The Minor Shape to each of them.

And just like that, you've got all the minor chords covered.

The Diminished (vii°): Bdim

• Finally, find B (7th fret), which is color-coded in purple.

• Apply The Diminished Shape here.

You did it! You now have the complete set of chords for the key of C Major, all starting from one string.

Action Steps: From Knowledge to Playing

Theory is great, but playing is where the real fun begins. It's time to build some muscle memory.

• Drill #1: The Chord Set
  • Your Goal: Play through all 7 chords in order: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim. Strum each chord four times before moving to the next. Try to do this a few times a day. It will feel natural in no time!
• Drill #2: The Progressions
  • Here are three timeless chord progressions found in countless hit songs.
  • Your Goal: Play each one a few times, maybe even along with the backing tracks provided. This is how you start to feel the music and use the chords to create something cool.

I-vi-IV-V (C - Am - F - G): The classic pop-punk progression.

1645 C Major

0:00

/9.6

1×

ii-V-I (Dm - G - C): The foundational jazz and pop turnaround.

2511 C Major

0:00

/9.6

1×

I-iii-vii°-V (C - Em - Bdim - G): A progression full of tension and drama.

1375 C Major

0:00

/9.6

1×

The Pro Move: Chord Tone Soloing

Want to know a secret to making your playing sound incredibly musical right away? It’s called chord tone soloing, and it’s easier than it sounds. When a chord is playing in the background, just hold down that same chord shape on your E-string and pick out the individual notes within the shape. You're not worrying about scales or anything complex—you're just playing the notes that belong, which means you'll always sound perfectly in harmony with the song.

• Your Turn: Play a solo over the 1-6-4-5 progression by holding the chord shapes and picking the notes one string at a time.

Getting Creative: Building Your Own Progressions

Now that you know the chords, let’s get creative. A simple way to write your own progression is to start with a classic and swap out just one chord. For example, take the classic I-vi-IV-V (C - Am - F - G). The 'vi' chord (Am) and the 'ii' chord (Dm) are both minor chords and can have a similar emotional feel. Try swapping the Am for a Dm. You get C - Dm - F - G. It’s a fresh new sound with a simple change!

• Your Turn: Take the I-vi-IV-V progression and swap out any one chord with another chord from the key of C. Play the progression on the E string. See what you come up with!

The Chord Character Table: Crafting Feelings with Chords

So, why are we learning all this? Because every chord has a job to do. It creates a feeling. This table breaks down the character of each chord in a key.

Action Step: Design an Emotion

1. Decide on a feeling you want to create. Hopeful? Tense? Relaxed?
2. Consult the table. Pick a sequence of 3-4 chords that you think will create that feeling. Write them down.
3. Play it! Pick up your guitar and play the progression you just designed.

Congratulations, you just went from being a musician to a songwriter. You used a system to craft an emotional experience. This is where the real magic happens.

How to Print Hit Songs

• In music, you use the Chord Character Table to create a foundational chord progression. Then, you refine each chord through small adjustments to achieve the perfect sound.
• Later in this course, I’ll teach you how to fine-tune these 7 diatonic chords to shape your sound and communicate your emotions more effectively.

Conclusion

Think about what you just accomplished. You learned a system of just three simple shapes. And with that, you’ve unlocked the seven essential chords on your most important string. You've also learned that each chord has an emotional role, and you've already started using that knowledge to create your own music.

The potential you've unlocked is massive. These 3 shapes are your key to playing 84 chords all over the neck.

But a great songwriter knows how to move around the fretboard with confidence. So, for our next step, we're going to take this exact same system and apply it to the A-string. We'll learn three new shapes that will instantly double your chord vocabulary.

Ready to keep going? Let's do it.