30. Change Key

Diatonic Chords

You're already familiar with the C major scale rooted on the E string.

• To change keys, we simply shift this entire pattern up or down the fretboard. For instance, shifting it two frets to the right (towards the body of the guitar) from C to D creates the D major scale.

• The great news is that all the E string chord shapes you've learned remain exactly the same! The only difference is that the root note of each shape now corresponds to the new key.

1 Chord: D Major