Intermediate 5th Chords

5th Chord Shapes

5th chords are given this name because they are made up from the 1st and the 5th notes of the major scale. The animation to the left shows the eight notes that make up this scale. When you play the 1st and the 5th notes together from the major scale it create a 5th chord. This may be a little confusing until you have a clear understanding of scales.

There are 3 steps to learning 5th chords:

1. Learn the 5th chord shape.
2. Have an understanding of root 6, 5 & 4 position 5th chords.
3. Positioning and naming the chord up and down the fret board.

Definition of a root note: The fundamental not that gives a chord or scale its name.